en-US Sun, 11 May 2025 03:19:40 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 182191192 The instant #1 Sunday Times bestseller, perfect for fans of Practical Magic and The Raven Boys!

Rumors are the lifeblood of Idlewood, Indiana. The locals whisper that the De Lucas are witches, and that decades prior they cursed the wealthy Barrion family as revenge for a love gone tragically wrong: now, if a Barrion falls in love with you, you’ll die. If this isn’t reason enough for wallflower Penny Emberly to stay away from both families, she doesn’t know what is. But when Penny’s mom is in an accident that leaves her on the brink of death, Penny can’t ignore the rumors anymore—because the Barrion curse is real. And her mom is its latest victim.

In order to save her mom’s life, Penny must bring together two bitter enemies on either side of the feud and work with them to break the curse. For star quarterback Corey Barrion, doing so would mean finally saving his family from the magic that killed his mom. And for misfit witch Alonso De Luca, it would mean convincing everyone in Idlewood—especially Penny—that he isn’t the villain they believe him to be.

But as the trio navigates Alonso’s unpredictable magic, the tangled web of Barrion-De Luca history, and an increasingly chaotic group chat, it soon becomes clear that the curse is not what they expected. Did a De Luca really curse the Barrions in a fit of jealousy, or is something even more sinister afoot? Penny will have to conquer her anxiety, wrestle with her budding feelings for Alonso, and delve into dangerous, forbidden magic to find the truth and save her mom �� even if it means putting her own life at risk.]]> Alyssa Villaire Iulia 5
The raven boys, but add a family curse


In "The glittering edge" (first in a duology) readers follow Penny Emberly, a girl next door who does her best to blend in.
But when a curse strikes, Penny must side with unexpected allies.
The stake? Multiple lives.


I enjoyed the story. The plot, characters and vibes, all hit the spot.

]]> 4.47 2025
author: Alyssa Villaire
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/08
date added: 2025/05/11
shelves:
review:
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

The raven boys, but add a family curse


In "The glittering edge" (first in a duology) readers follow Penny Emberly, a girl next door who does her best to blend in.
But when a curse strikes, Penny must side with unexpected allies.
The stake? Multiple lives.


I enjoyed the story. The plot, characters and vibes, all hit the spot.


]]> 215149209 From Axie Oh, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone in this romantic fantasy reimagining the Korean legend of Celestial Maidens.

Sunho lives in the Under World, a land of perpetual darkness. An ex-soldier, he can remember little of his life from before two years ago, when he woke up alone with only his name and his sword. Now he does odd-jobs to scrape by, until he comes across the score of a lifetime—a chest of coins for any mercenary who can hunt down a girl who wields silver light.

Meanwhile, far to the east, Ren is a cheerful and spirited acrobat traveling with her adoptive family and performing at villages. But everything changes during one of their festival performances when the village is attacked by a horrific humanlike demon. In a moment of fear and rage, Ren releases a blast of silver light—a power she has kept hidden since childhood—and kills the monster. But her efforts are not in time to prevent her adoptive family from suffering a devastating loss, or to save her beloved uncle from being grievously wounded.

Determined to save him from succumbing to the poisoned wound, Ren sets off over the mountains, where the creature came from—and from where Ren herself fled ten years ago. Her path sets her on a collision course with Sunho, but he doesn't realize she's the girl that he—and a hundred other swords-for-hire—is looking for. As the two grow closer through their travels, they come to realize that their pasts—and destinies—are far more entwined than either of them could have imagined...]]> 368 Axie Oh 1250853087 Iulia 5
I loved the characters. The main characters are likeable, with interesting backgrounds. Their relationships (and relationship with each other) were too cute

The world building is definitely nice, but not as well explained and details as I would have liked.

There were a few cool twists (predictable but still satisfying, like the ending)

I love the vibes, it gives me Watermoon

Overall, it was a nice weekend lecture that improved my mood. Will definitely check the second book.]]> 4.11 2025
author: Axie Oh
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/05/06
date added: 2025/05/08
shelves:
review:
Good book!

I loved the characters. The main characters are likeable, with interesting backgrounds. Their relationships (and relationship with each other) were too cute

The world building is definitely nice, but not as well explained and details as I would have liked.

There were a few cool twists (predictable but still satisfying, like the ending)

I love the vibes, it gives me Watermoon

Overall, it was a nice weekend lecture that improved my mood. Will definitely check the second book.
]]> 230588322 A tale of gods and titans, the humans caught between them, and the chemistry that binds it all together

Yom has found a simple solution to avoiding the obsessive thoughts that have haunted her since burying herself beneath powdered drugs, bodies, and coin. But when her gang’s leader demands loyalty at all costs, Yom’s position as the gang’s head chemist comes under threat. Forced to investigate, she crosses paths with a cagey royal archivist named Quia as they unearth a horrifying conspiracy to reopen the ancient war that ripped the world in two.

Quia offers a tenuous cross the dangerous network of provinces to reach the queendom’s capitol, and seek the one mythical person capable of halting the forces of war. On the treacherous odyssey, Yom reckons with blood-thirsty crime lords, the queen’s personal guard, bounty hunters, forest spirits, old gods, and the specter of a friend she lost as a child—her first love—who might still be alive out there. The chemist must face her addiction to powder, her growing feelings for Quia, and the obsessive thoughts that threaten to tear her mind in two, lest she lose herself in her quest to save the world.]]> Rebecca Brodkey Iulia 4
4��

I'll start by saying it's a good debut. The author planned an ambitious novel, with an interesting woldbuilding and non cookie cutters characters.

There's political intrigue, blackmail, relationships (both romantic, quasipaternal and friendships), a journey, mythological creatures, legends and battles for power, different magical realms etc.
Everything you may want or not.

But still, the relationships felt a bit underwhelming. The FMC throws herself in relationships of any sort pretty fast, developing feelings for strangers too fast, considering her work and situation. (her with the boy she helps, ruining her quite precarious position. I understand the role this situation played in the story, but still).

I'll definitely check the author's other work.]]> 4.42
author: Rebecca Brodkey
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/03
date added: 2025/05/04
shelves:
review:
I received an eARC from the author. This is my honest opinion.

4��

I'll start by saying it's a good debut. The author planned an ambitious novel, with an interesting woldbuilding and non cookie cutters characters.

There's political intrigue, blackmail, relationships (both romantic, quasipaternal and friendships), a journey, mythological creatures, legends and battles for power, different magical realms etc.
Everything you may want or not.

But still, the relationships felt a bit underwhelming. The FMC throws herself in relationships of any sort pretty fast, developing feelings for strangers too fast, considering her work and situation. (her with the boy she helps, ruining her quite precarious position. I understand the role this situation played in the story, but still).

I'll definitely check the author's other work.
]]> 217387935 Naomi Novik's Scholomance series meets Plain Bad Heroines in this sapphic dark academia fantasy by instant national and international bestselling author Emily Tesh, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards.

"Look at you, eating magic like you're one of us."

Doctor Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood Academy and one of the most powerful magicians in England. Her days consist of meetings, teaching A-Level Invocation to four talented, chaotic sixth formers, more meetings, and securing the school's boundaries from demonic incursions.

Walden is good at her job―no, Walden is great at her job. But demons are masters of manipulation. It’s her responsibility to keep her school with its six hundred students and centuries-old legacy safe. And it’s possible the entity Walden most needs to keep her school safe from―is herself.]]> 432 Emily Tesh 1250835011 Iulia 0 currently-reading 4.20 2025
author: Emily Tesh
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 343 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

An acclaimed bestseller and international sensation, Patrick Suskind's classic novel provokes a terrifying examination of what happens when one man's indulgence in his greatest passion—his sense of smell—leads to murder.

In the slums of eighteenth-century France, the infant Jean-Baptiste Grenouille is born with one sublime gift—an absolute sense of smell. As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille's genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and fresh-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the "ultimate perfume"—the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brilliance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.]]> 263 Patrick Süskind Iulia 5 4.05 1985
author: Patrick Süskind
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1985
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/21
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves:
review:

]]> 1769076 282 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 3150078350 Iulia 5
Unerwartet unterhaltsam.]]> 3.65 1809
author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.65
book published: 1809
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves:
review:
Ich lese das Buch gerade für Uni.

Unerwartet unterhaltsam.
]]> 217387977 A charming slow-burn romantasy featuring a duty-bound noblewoman with a chronic illness, a prince who would rather be in a library than on a throne, and a magical ride through a world of cozy enchantment

*This beautiful paperback edition features sprayed edges.*

Bianca knows her duty comes before her heart. So when the threat of war looms, she agrees to marry the neighboring kingdom’s heir. But not all royal weddings are a fairytale, and Prince Aric, Bianca’s betrothed, is cold, aloof, and seems to hate her on sight.

To make matters worse, on their wedding night, an assassination attempt goes awry―leaving Aric magically transformed into a horse. Bianca does what any bride in this situation would do: she mounts her new husband and rides away to safety.

Sunset returns Aric to human form, but they soon discover the assassination attempt is part of a larger plot against the throne. Worse, Bianca has been framed for Aric’s murder, and she’s now saddled with a husband who is a horse by day and a frustratingly attractive man by night.

As an unexpected romance begins galloping away with their hearts, Bianca and Aric must rely on each other to unravel the curse and save the throne.]]> 352 M. Stevenson 1250375088 Iulia 5
Update:

I thank Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and M. Stevenson for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I'll start by saying that this book was entertaining, and super easy to follow. I'd say it's a fast paced fantasy rom-com.

Bianca, our protagonist, is a stoic, responsible, dutiful noblewoman (in her mid twenties) who must marry the king of a neighboring country. But magic happens and he becomes a horse! And there's a coup! It's up to Bianca to make this right again, while also dealing with severe pain.

The world-building and magic (and its use) were kept short and sweet, providing only the necessary details.

The political intrigue is more a side topic, as a reader you don't get to see much to it, since the story follows the relationship between Bianca and Aric, from reluctant allies to lovers. They are interesting because they are not your typical heroes. Both fight their battles in silence and suffer because of less to no agency.

The book also discusses themes like illnesses, natural resources, power and responsibility, animal extinction and problematic families, while also keeping the fun, adventurous atmosphere. (So no one will feel like being lectured!)]]> 3.84 2025
author: M. Stevenson
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves:
review:
Review loading

Update:

I thank Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and M. Stevenson for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I'll start by saying that this book was entertaining, and super easy to follow. I'd say it's a fast paced fantasy rom-com.

Bianca, our protagonist, is a stoic, responsible, dutiful noblewoman (in her mid twenties) who must marry the king of a neighboring country. But magic happens and he becomes a horse! And there's a coup! It's up to Bianca to make this right again, while also dealing with severe pain.

The world-building and magic (and its use) were kept short and sweet, providing only the necessary details.

The political intrigue is more a side topic, as a reader you don't get to see much to it, since the story follows the relationship between Bianca and Aric, from reluctant allies to lovers. They are interesting because they are not your typical heroes. Both fight their battles in silence and suffer because of less to no agency.

The book also discusses themes like illnesses, natural resources, power and responsibility, animal extinction and problematic families, while also keeping the fun, adventurous atmosphere. (So no one will feel like being lectured!)
]]> 58089935 641 Stefania Auci 3641243157 Iulia 1

Einfach eckelhaft, wie Giulia behandelt wird and wie sie sich behandeln lässt. Toxisches Verhalten zu normalisieren und Giulia als "stark" und "geduldig" zu bezeichnen ist einfach krank.
Die Gestalt Vincenzo hat mich so sehr genervt. Hab das Buch zu Ende gelesen nur um an seinem Tod teilzunehmen.

Das Buch schien mir anfangs ganz toll, aber ich habe mir geirrt. Schade.

Die Leute, die das mit Elena Ferrantes "My brilliant friend" vergleichen, geht's euch gut?]]> 3.56 2019
author: Stefania Auci
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2019
rating: 1
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves:
review:
Gutes Plot, schlecht dargestellte + entwickelte Beziehung


Einfach eckelhaft, wie Giulia behandelt wird and wie sie sich behandeln lässt. Toxisches Verhalten zu normalisieren und Giulia als "stark" und "geduldig" zu bezeichnen ist einfach krank.
Die Gestalt Vincenzo hat mich so sehr genervt. Hab das Buch zu Ende gelesen nur um an seinem Tod teilzunehmen.

Das Buch schien mir anfangs ganz toll, aber ich habe mir geirrt. Schade.

Die Leute, die das mit Elena Ferrantes "My brilliant friend" vergleichen, geht's euch gut?
]]> 222348002 In facing her finest opponent, she will uncover her greatest strength.

Eedy Blackthorn wields a rare and mystical witch magic—she can become a conduit to harness the raw forces of lightning itself. But her abilities do not make up for her painful past. After a tragic accident claims her beloved father, Eedy inherits his seat on the mage-led council. Consumed by guilt over her father's death and determined to honor his legacy, she refuses to be silenced, no matter how often the male-dominated council disregards her suggestions.

When a mysterious disruption in magic threatens the kingdom’s balance, Prince Caelum is sent to join the council. Discovering Eedy’s identity reawakens a grudge tied to her late father, who ridiculed his family for years. With old wounds resurfacing, every council debate between them crackles with tension. As they clash over how to restore the magical order, their arguments become charged with something neither of them is willing to name.

With duty and destiny colliding, Eedy and Caelum must navigate their forbidden feelings for each other while racing to restore the kingdom’s magic before the winter solstice. As the solution to the magical crisis becomes clear, the couple is faced with an impossible decision, one that will test the limits of Eedy’s power and the depths of Caelum’s heart.

Love, magic, and sacrifice intertwine in this rivals-to-lovers romantasy novella. This novella takes place a century before the start of the related Roots of Magic main series.]]> 219 Jessa Grey 196650800X Iulia 5
Ratings:
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� (5/5)
Spice: ]]> 4.34
author: Jessa Grey
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.34
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves:
review:
I want to thank author Jessa Grey for kindly sending me an e-Arc to review. The following opinion is my very own.

Ratings:
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� (5/5)
Spice:
]]> 60109280 The Jam Maker, which has just been awarded the Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Prize 2020.]]> 192 Huma Qureshi Iulia 0 to-read 3.67 2021
author: Huma Qureshi
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 56988057
January 1942. The Avallon Hotel & Spa has always offered elegant luxury in the wilds of West Virginia, its mountain sweetwater washing away all of high society’s troubles.

Local girl-turned-general manager June Porter Hudson has guided the Avallon skillfully through the first pangs of war. The Gilfoyles, the hotel’s aristocratic owners, have trained her well. But when the family heir makes a secret deal with the State Department to fill the hotel with captured Axis diplomats, June must persuade her staff—many of whom have sons and husbands heading to the front lines—to offer luxury to Nazis. With a smile.

Meanwhile FBI Agent Tucker Minnick, whose coal tattoo hints at an Appalachian past, presses his ears to the hotel’s walls, listening for the diplomats�� secrets. He has one of his own, which is how he knows that June’s balancing act can have dangerous consequences: the sweetwater beneath the hotel can threaten as well as heal.

June has never met a guest she couldn’t delight, but the diplomats are different. Without firing a single shot, they have brought the war directly to her. As clashing loyalties crack the Avallon’s polished veneer, June must calculate the true cost of luxury.]]> 400 Maggie Stiefvater 0593655508 Iulia 0 to-read 3.99 2025
author: Maggie Stiefvater
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58724599 The Goblin Emperor meets "Magnificent Century" in Alexandra Rowland's A Taste of Gold and Iron, where a queer central romance unfolds in a fantasy world reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire.

Kadou, the shy prince of Arasht, finds himself at odds with one of the most powerful ambassadors at court—the body-father of the queen's new child—in an altercation which results in his humiliation.

To prove his loyalty to the queen, his sister, Kadou takes responsibility for the investigation of a break-in at one of their guilds, with the help of his newly appointed bodyguard, the coldly handsome Evemer, who seems to tolerate him at best. In Arasht, where princes can touch-taste precious metals with their fingers and myth runs side by side with history, counterfeiting is heresy, and the conspiracy they discover could cripple the kingdom’s financial standing and bring about its ruin.]]> 512 Alexandra Rowland 1250800382 Iulia 5 Great 4.03 2022
author: Alexandra Rowland
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves:
review:
Great
]]> 220595449
When We Love You, Bunny opens, Sam has just published her first novel to critical acclaim. But at a New England stop on her book tour, her one-time frenemies, furious at the way they’ve been portrayed, kidnap her. Now a captive audience, it’s her (and our) turn to hear the Bunnies�� side of the story. One by one, they take turns holding the axe, and recount the birth throes of their unholy alliance, their discovery of their unusual creative powers—and the phantasmagoric adventure of conjuring their first creation. With a bound and gagged Sam, we embark on a wickedly intoxicating journey into the heart of dark academia: a fairy tale slasher that explores the wonder and horror of creation itself. Not to mention the transformative powers of love and friendship, Bunny.

Frankenstein by way of Heathers, We Love You, Bunny is both a prequel and a sequel, and an unabashedly wild and totally complete stand-alone novel. Open your hearts, Bunny, to another dazzlingly original and darkly hilarious romp in the Bunny-verse from the queen of the fever-dream, Mona Awad.]]> 496 Mona Awad 166805986X Iulia 0 to-read 4.40 2025
author: Mona Awad
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58582927 On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, Vuong contends with personal loss, the meaning of family, and the cost of being the product of an American war in America. At once vivid, brave, and propulsive, Vuong's poems circle fragmented lives to find both restoration as well as the epicenter of the break.

The author of the critically acclaimed poetry collection Night Sky With Exit Wounds, winner of the 2016 Whiting Award, the 2017 T.S. Eliot Prize, and a 2019 MacArthur fellow, Vuong writes directly to our humanity without losing sight of the current moment. These poems represent a more innovative and daring experimentation with language and form, illuminating how the themes we perennially live in and question are truly inexhaustible. Bold and prescient, and a testament to tenderness in the face of violence, Time Is a Mother is a return and a forging forth all at once.
]]> 114 Ocean Vuong 0593300238 Iulia 0 to-read 3.94 2022
author: Ocean Vuong
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 213197161 An epic new fantasy about a demon hunter and a foot soldier thrown together in a centuries-old war�� and the forbidden love that could change the course of history.

A bloody war between demons and the Vatican has waged for more than a century, with two elite soldiers now at its center: Selene Alleva, a high-ranking exorcist running from a dark family legacy, and orphan Jules Lacroix, recruited by the Vatican and unrivalled on the battlefield.

When their paths cross over a series of unprecedented demon attacks, the distrust–and unwelcome attraction–they have for each other is immediate. But to get to the bottom of the breaches they strike an uneasy alliance to avoid suspicion. With Jules posing as Selene’s estranged fiance, they head to the Vatican in search of answers. But even as Selene questions who her most dangerous enemy is, Jules has begun to suspect that it’s him.

Now Jules�� very existence challenges every truth Selene thought she knew, and suggests a terrible conspiracy at the heart of the Vatican. Unable to ignore their growing feelings, the two must make an impossible choice between love and duty.

They say love conquers all �� but can it win in a war between demons and exorcists? Or will it tear them apart��]]> 496 Sophie Clark 0593810724 Iulia 3
But idk how to feel about spice in YA

If it's a series, idk if I'll check the next book. Probably not.]]> 3.57 2025
author: Sophie Clark
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves:
review:
Nice fantasy book, easy to read & quite entertaining!

But idk how to feel about spice in YA

If it's a series, idk if I'll check the next book. Probably not.
]]> 58293284
The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne.�� Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protégé, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire.�� When the pair investigates the murder of a provincial aristocrat, they unearth a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of Imperial society. As the stakes rise and become ever more personal, Vonvalt and Helena must make a choice: Will they abandon the laws they’ve sworn to uphold, in order to protect the Empire?]]> 496 Richard Swan Iulia 0 to-read 4.00 2022
author: Richard Swan
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 228948121 What would you do if you woke up in a deadly game, relying only on your instincts and a mystical bond with a dangerous being to survive?

Cassie is trapped in a shimmering crystal cage, deep within Darkland, a magical theme park ruled by goddesses who revel in human trials. Armed with only a mysterious key, she must navigate a world where reality shifts and danger lurks at every turn. The mirrors taunt her with eerie reflections, each one hiding secrets she must uncover to escape.

As she ventures deeper, Cassie crosses paths with Khaos, a god of strategy and mischief. His cryptic guidance could lead her to freedom or pull her further into the game's dark grip. Can she trust him, or is he just another piece in this twisted puzzle?]]> 467 Laura Vega Iulia 5
Ratings:
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� (5/5)
Spice: ]]> 4.61
author: Laura Vega
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.61
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:
I want to thank author @authorlauravega for kindly sending me an e-Arc to review. The following opinion is my very own.

Ratings:
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐�� (5/5)
Spice:
]]> 182761629
Britain, 60AD. Hoping to save her lover, her land, and her people from the Romans, Herla makes a desperate pact with the king of the Otherworld. But years pass unheeded in his realm, and she escapes to find everyone she loved long dead. Cursed to wield his blade, she becomes Lord of the Hunt. And for centuries, she rides, leading her immortal warriors and reaping wanderers�� souls. Until the night she meets a woman on a bloody battlefield—a Saxon queen with ice-blue eyes.

Queen Æthelburg of Wessex is a proven fighter. But when she leads her forces to disaster in battle, her husband’s court turns against her. Yet King Ine needs Æthel more than ever. Something dark and dangerous is at work in the Wessex court. His own brother seeks to usurp him. And their only hope is the magic in Ine’s bloodline that’s lain dormant since ancient days.

The moment she and Æthel meet, Herla knows it’s no coincidence. The dead kings are waking. The Otherworld seeks to rise, to bring the people of Britain under its dominion. And as Herla and Æthel grow closer, Herla must find her humanity—and a way to break the curse—before it’s too late.]]> 448 Lucy Holland 0316321656 Iulia 0 to-read 3.69 2024
author: Lucy Holland
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 204951698
After running from her past, Sophia built a new life for herself in the Northlands, taking a job as a milkmaid for the local nobility and creating her own family with the friends she meets at the Cozy Cat Cafe. She spends her days spoiling the goats and finally feels safe, but something is still missing. She wants more than just safety–she wants love and a real family of her own.

Lord Caspian Rendon has returned home to–in his Father’s words, get serious–and contemplate his life’s path. As a third son, he doesn’t have much other than his title–and while the past two years of training in the Royal Guard have set him up for a potential career, they haven’t done much in the way of finding him a wealthy wife, which had always seemed the more appealing option of the two.

When he runs into the beautiful, sweet, and always kind Sophia taking care of his little sister’s goats, he begins to realize there’s more to life than marrying into wealth. As the baby goats, a mischievous little sister, and Fall Festival planning keep bringing Caspian and Sophia together, he starts to fall for the goat girl. But when Sophia's mysterious past finally catches up with her, Caspian must make a hard choice ... Can he risk it all for love, or will he never see her again?

Once Upon An Apple is a Snow White fairytale retelling and the first book in the Galamere Chronicles. Each standalone book is a retelling of a beloved story or fairy tale, with the swoon-worthy sweet romance of a Hallmark movie, the wholesome and heartwarming feeling of cozy fantasy, and the comfort of a found family of friends, with a sprinkling of danger and a dash of magic.]]> Gabrielle Landi Iulia 0 to-read 4.01
author: Gabrielle Landi
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.01
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217388077 UNSTOPPABLE WAR. UNSPEAKABLE SINS. IMPOSSIBLE LOVE.

Genevieve Gornichec’s The Witch’s Heart meets Madeline Miller’s Circe in this epic and deeply emotional romantic fantasy debut by Jennifer K. Lambert. The hardcover edition features beautiful stenciled edges.

The Dread Sorceress Oneira has retired. She’s exhausted from fighting the endless wars of kings and queens, and has long accepted that her death is near. Alone at last but for a few uninvited companions―a near-mythical wolf, a goddess’s avatar, and a feline that embodies magic itself―Oneira realizes that she’s bored. On a whim, or perhaps at the behest of fate, she makes an unlikely trip to the most extensive library in existence: the home of her most powerful rival, the sorcerer Stearanos.

By recklessly stealing a book from him, Oneira inadvertently initiates a forbidden correspondence. Taunting notes and clever retorts reveal a connection neither has found―nor could ever find―in any other.

But Oneira soon learns that Stearanos, bound to a vile king, is tasked with waging war on the queen she once served. A relationship with him is far too dangerous to pursue despite their mutual desire―and yet, Oneira can’t seem to stay away.

A bond with Stearanos could alight the long-extinct flame of life within her�� or it could destroy her entirely.]]> 368 Jennifer K. Lambert 125036034X Iulia 0 to-read 4.00 2025
author: Jennifer K. Lambert
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 209753199 The first in a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy duology featuring a scholarly healer and a gentleman assassin, set in an exquisite fantasy world, perfect for fans of The Love Hypothesis and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, is in dire need of healing. Naturally �� such is the grim comedy of fate �� the only healer who can help is Aurienne Fairhrim, preeminent scientist, bastion of moral good, and member of an enemy Order.

Aurienne is desperate for funding to heal the sick - so desperate that, when Osric bribes her to help him, she accepts, even if she detests him and everything he stands for.

A forced collaboration ensues: the brilliant Woman in STEM is coerced into working with the PhD in Murders, much to Aurienne's disgust. As Osric and Aurienne work together to heal his illness and investigate the mysterious reoccurrence of a deadly pox, they find themselves ardently denying their attraction, which only fuels the heat between them.

Romance tropes
Enemies to lovers
High interaction slow burn
Hypercompetent idiots
He falls first and harder
Evisceration as a love language]]> 416 Brigitte Knightley 0356524736 Iulia 0 dnf 4.13 2025
author: Brigitte Knightley
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> 221179254 This beautiful DELUXE EDITION hardcover featuring gorgeous sprayed edges with stenciled art is only available for a limited first print run and while supplies last. This is a stunning special edition you will want to add to your collection.

YOUR NEXT ROMANTASY OBSESSION!

The war is over, the dark forces have won, and the hero who was supposed to save them is dead.

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Briony Rosewood knows that the world as she knows it is changed forever. The dark forces of Bomard have won and her people, the Eversuns, face imminent servitude, imprisonment or death. Her brother, fated to be heir twice over and unite the warring kingdoms, is dead.

Stripped of her Mind Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly auctioned off to the highest bidders in an auction �� and as the heir-apparent’s sister, she fetches the highest price.

After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven a high ranking Bomardsun �� and her long-time and ill-fated infatuation. Scion of a family known for their cruel control of Heart Magic, the Hearsts are ruthlessly ambitious, and Briony knows they will use her however they can to further their own interests.

Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help �� and hope �� may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…]]> 464 Julie Soto 1538771225 Iulia 0 dnf 4.49 2025
author: Julie Soto
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> 212276037
Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends.

Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it's a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side]]> 592 Joe Abercrombie Iulia 0 to-read 4.38 2025
author: Joe Abercrombie
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214540663 An epic sapphic fantasy roadtrip inspired by the fall of Rome, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Frontier and Floating Hotel

On one side of the world, Aleya Ana-Ulai is desperate for a chance. Her family have written her off as a mistake, but she's determined to prove every last one of them wrong.

On the other, Kirby of Wall's End is searching for redemption. An ancient curse tore her life apart, but to fix it, she'll have to leave everything behind.

Fate sets them both on the path to Nivela, a city once poised to conquer the world with the power of a thousand stolen gods. Now the gates are closed and the old magic slumbers. Dead �� or waiting for a spark to light it anew��

A character-driven science-fantasy road trip book with sword fights and a slowburn romance, Idolfire delves into the vastness of history and the terrifying power of organized faith.]]> 480 Grace Curtis 0756419808 Iulia 4
I'll start by saying that "Idolfire" surprised me.


First, positive aspects:
I loved the idea and the world building (easy to understand and follow, no massive glossaries or complicated stuff). The magic system definitely could have been explained a bit more, but I liked the ambiguity. Since our FMCs don't really know about each others cities, this ambiguity could be explained. Not really bothering.

Since you follow multiple characters, you get to read from their POV, so you get to know them so much better. We have out sapphic pair and their unexpected friend, but also a character that seems almost omniscient, god-like. (I loved all their first chapters from each act, definitely interesting. Something similar can be found in "The raven tower".)

The ending was bitter sweet. In a wold of books with a HEA, this one truly stands out. The characters' story doesn't end as one expected, but it's still satisfying.
I think this is a standalone. There's no cliffhangers. Which makes me happy.


Now, negative:
The relationship between the FMCs was ... not really there. They barely show interest in each other, then 2/3 in the book they kiss and start a relationship. And that's it. I expected for a bit more pinning, seeing them grow closer, you know, the actual process of falling in love... (Not that it really bothered me, but people who expect romance will be quite disappointed)

The pacing. 2/3 of the book the pacing is quite slow, then boom! In the last 1/3 there's so much going of, in so little time. We have a relationship, the final part of the adventure, a quite unexpected twist. I struggled a bit to maintain interest in the slow paced part.]]> 3.86 2025
author: Grace Curtis
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves:
review:
Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I'll start by saying that "Idolfire" surprised me.


First, positive aspects:
I loved the idea and the world building (easy to understand and follow, no massive glossaries or complicated stuff). The magic system definitely could have been explained a bit more, but I liked the ambiguity. Since our FMCs don't really know about each others cities, this ambiguity could be explained. Not really bothering.

Since you follow multiple characters, you get to read from their POV, so you get to know them so much better. We have out sapphic pair and their unexpected friend, but also a character that seems almost omniscient, god-like. (I loved all their first chapters from each act, definitely interesting. Something similar can be found in "The raven tower".)

The ending was bitter sweet. In a wold of books with a HEA, this one truly stands out. The characters' story doesn't end as one expected, but it's still satisfying.
I think this is a standalone. There's no cliffhangers. Which makes me happy.


Now, negative:
The relationship between the FMCs was ... not really there. They barely show interest in each other, then 2/3 in the book they kiss and start a relationship. And that's it. I expected for a bit more pinning, seeing them grow closer, you know, the actual process of falling in love... (Not that it really bothered me, but people who expect romance will be quite disappointed)

The pacing. 2/3 of the book the pacing is quite slow, then boom! In the last 1/3 there's so much going of, in so little time. We have a relationship, the final part of the adventure, a quite unexpected twist. I struggled a bit to maintain interest in the slow paced part.
]]> 216497102 From a blistering new voice in dark literary fiction, an unsettling portrait of loneliness, obsession, and identity which asks: if a stranger was left alone in your house, how well could they truly get to know you—enough to fall in love with you?

Alice and Tom are made for each other. Deeply connected, they share a flat in London, go to galleries together, enjoy the same books and wine. They even share a toothbrush. It’s all picture perfect.

Except Alice and Tom have never met.

Alice has been cleaning Tom’s apartment every Wednesday for a year. With every smudge wiped from his coffee cup, every multivitamin counted in the jar, Alice spirals deeper into infatuation, imagining a love so powerful it might erase a lifetime of self-hatred and loneliness.

But as Alice prepares for the moment when she and Tom will finally meet face-to-face, she discovers that love might not be the cure she thought it was. Instead, their coming together sets off a chain of events that shatters everything Alice thought she knew and burns her world to the ground.

Told in Alice’s compelling, deliciously acidic voice, Creep is a literary study of unreliability and unlikability. Exploring alienation and loneliness, class and race, it's a skilled debut with resonance in the way that we view women, mental health, and the lost in society.]]> 256 Emma van Straaten 0063411016 Iulia 5
In "Creep: A Love Story," we follow Alice, who has a perfect (one-sided) relationship with Tom: as his cleaner, she takes care of his home, daydreams about him, and obsessively stalks him, while planning to charm him when they'll meet for the first time. And Tom's all she can think of. Cool, right?
All while she struggles with work, her family and her perception of herself and her body, due to racism, comparison to others, and self-hate.

The writing style was good, the pacing neither slow or fast. There was a nice flow and it kept me reading even though I knew what will happen (it was predictable, but in a good way. You, as a reader, are the only one who knows the truth and it's interesting to see your girl Alice living in delulu-land).
I liked the open ending, it felt realistic and allowed the reader to imagine what could happen.

I will definitely check the author's future work!

]]> 3.51 2025
author: Emma van Straaten
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves:
review:
This was good. Reminds me of Mona Awad's "Bunny".

In "Creep: A Love Story," we follow Alice, who has a perfect (one-sided) relationship with Tom: as his cleaner, she takes care of his home, daydreams about him, and obsessively stalks him, while planning to charm him when they'll meet for the first time. And Tom's all she can think of. Cool, right?
All while she struggles with work, her family and her perception of herself and her body, due to racism, comparison to others, and self-hate.

The writing style was good, the pacing neither slow or fast. There was a nice flow and it kept me reading even though I knew what will happen (it was predictable, but in a good way. You, as a reader, are the only one who knows the truth and it's interesting to see your girl Alice living in delulu-land).
I liked the open ending, it felt realistic and allowed the reader to imagine what could happen.

I will definitely check the author's future work!


]]> 214151513 A riveting literary page-turner that explores the extremes to which a family will go to protect their own—for fans of Miranda Cowley Heller and Laura Dave.

No one is more surprised than Hailey Gelman when she comes under suspicion for the murder of her soon-to-be ex-husband Jonah. Hailey—nicknamed Sunshine by her mother for her bright outlook and ever-present smile—is the peacemaker who has always tried to do what her family expects of her.

The months leading up to Jonah’s death have been fraught, including a bitter separation and a messy custody battle over their young daughter, Maya. When Hailey files a motion to relocate to Florida so she can be near her family, the divorce begins to escalate, drawing in all the members of Hailey’s family, who are determined to help her however they can.

Most invested is Sherry, Hailey’s mother who wants nothing more than to be close to her family. Then there’s Nate, Hailey’s devoted and protective older brother, as well as the patriarch, Solomon, who is keeping a secret of his own that threatens the stability and security Sherry has worked so hard to maintain. As the divorce spirals dangerously out of control, they are all forced to consider just how far they will go for each other.

Part gripping mystery, part compassionate family drama, We Would Never explores what people are capable of when they feel cornered, and how, in the absence of forgiveness, love and hate can intertwine and turn deadly.]]> 368 Tova Mirvis 1668061627 Iulia 0 to-read 3.40 2025
author: Tova Mirvis
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 201911434 In this gripping follow-up to The Reluctant King, the "Monarchy" of New York City's Five Points is in total disarray, giving way to a bloody battle for the crown


AFTER THE ARREST OF CHANCELLOR KING and the murder of his eldest son and heir, Ghost, the King family and the streets of New York City are thrown into chaos. The throne of Five Points is without a sitting king for the first time since its inception. The vacancy doesn't last long, however, as Chancellor's older brother, Chapman, takes the opportunity to usurp the crown, breaking the line of succession and stepping over his nephew Shadow. Chapman's first act as the new king is to banish what remains of his broken family, branding them enemies of the crown.
The coronation of a new king promises to bring back balance to the Monarchy, but there are some who question Chapman's claim to the throne and refuse to kneel to before a "false king." What follows is a war between different factions of the Monarchy, each with its own agenda, and the crown of Five Points as the prize.



Stripped of all wealth and power, Maureen King and her son Shadow are forced to vacate their family estate and end up back where it all began for the slums of Brooklyn. Maureen refuses to sit idle while her brother-in-law reaps the spoils of what she and her husband built. In the raging conflict that ensues, Maureen places a seemingly impossible task on the shoulders of Shadow—to reclaim what was stolen from their family and take back the crown.]]> 209 K'wan 1636141781 Iulia 0 to-read 4.51
author: K'wan
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.51
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 91274442
Well, it’s not.

This is the story of everyone else:

Alcmene: Herc’s mother (She has knives everywhere)

Hylas: Herc’s first friend (They were more than friends)

Megara: Herc’s wife (She’ll tell you about their marriage)

Eurystheus: Oversaw Herc’s labours (Definitely did not hide in a jar)

His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods, his victims.

It’s time to hear their stories.

Told with humour and heart, Herc gives voice to the silenced characters, in this feminist, queer (and sometimes shocking) retelling of classic Hercules myth.

Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Joanne M. Harris.]]> 384 Phoenicia Rogerson 1335016775 Iulia 0 to-read 3.51 2023
author: Phoenicia Rogerson
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 223147603 While I was giving birth to Lucy, my husband, Alessandro, was lying in bed with my sister, Isabel.

And thus, Inés de la Rota—the youngest daughter of an Italian nobleman and a Colombian poet—begins to speak in a bitter, sweet voice.

Against the backdrop of early twentieth-century Colombia, where the Catholic Church exercises total control over women, Orange Wine weaves an unforgettable story of sisterhood, love, passion, and betrayal. Isolated in a society that opposes her desires, Inés struggles with her identity as a mother, artist, sister, lover, and woman. Her choices are stark: accept her duty to her family or embark on a sensuous journey of self-discovery. Each path will cost her—or those she loves—something dear.

Mirroring the alchemical process of turning oranges into wine, Inés must create a new life from a bitter pith, pressing sweetness from life’s agonies as she struggles toward artistic freedom and feminine awakening.]]> 304 Esperanza Hope Snyder 1964721342 Iulia 2
"Orange Wine" wasn't what I expected. If anything, it was felt reading one of those bad *your name* fanfics. (That sounds harsh, but it's really not)

This novel is about a (very beautiful, very talented, very elegant, very nice, just perfect) woman, Ines, whose life shatters as her husband betrays her with her sister (who's not even half as beautiful, talented etc).
Taking her 2 small children with her, she leaves him and goes to her other sister's (who are even uglier than the betraying sister).

Ines' qualities catch the eyes of all the men she meets and they all fall in love with her (because she's very beautiful and talented). Then there's a "Redeeming Love" moment, before the happy ever after.

Even though the writing style is really good and the atmosphere is charming (20th century in Colombia), I was barely able to keep up reading. The main famele character is a pick me and a "feminist", while constantly putting other women down because of their looks (or more specifically because their beauty is inferior to hers) or lack of prospects (she got like 5 men that want to marry her, while her other sister didn't even get a single proposal). Her mother also favoured her, leaving her the family home

She's also constantly and actively seeking male validation and isn't able to have one female friend.

Obviously, because of her great qualities, she navigates through life easily: the man she sells her house to offers to start a relationship, another man is ready to marry her even though she's still married, providing for her and her children, her artistic friend and guide falls in love with her and promotes her art. All her paintings and ideas are brilliant and successful.

Also, she's the only one who gets a happy ending, while all the other sisters can only struggle. Don't those other 3 sisters deserve a bit of happiness too? (No, because they are ugly)

I expected more drama, more challenges, maybe even a bookish soap opera, but this novel fell short.]]> 3.45
author: Esperanza Hope Snyder
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.45
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves:
review:
Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

"Orange Wine" wasn't what I expected. If anything, it was felt reading one of those bad *your name* fanfics. (That sounds harsh, but it's really not)

This novel is about a (very beautiful, very talented, very elegant, very nice, just perfect) woman, Ines, whose life shatters as her husband betrays her with her sister (who's not even half as beautiful, talented etc).
Taking her 2 small children with her, she leaves him and goes to her other sister's (who are even uglier than the betraying sister).

Ines' qualities catch the eyes of all the men she meets and they all fall in love with her (because she's very beautiful and talented). Then there's a "Redeeming Love" moment, before the happy ever after.

Even though the writing style is really good and the atmosphere is charming (20th century in Colombia), I was barely able to keep up reading. The main famele character is a pick me and a "feminist", while constantly putting other women down because of their looks (or more specifically because their beauty is inferior to hers) or lack of prospects (she got like 5 men that want to marry her, while her other sister didn't even get a single proposal). Her mother also favoured her, leaving her the family home

She's also constantly and actively seeking male validation and isn't able to have one female friend.

Obviously, because of her great qualities, she navigates through life easily: the man she sells her house to offers to start a relationship, another man is ready to marry her even though she's still married, providing for her and her children, her artistic friend and guide falls in love with her and promotes her art. All her paintings and ideas are brilliant and successful.

Also, she's the only one who gets a happy ending, while all the other sisters can only struggle. Don't those other 3 sisters deserve a bit of happiness too? (No, because they are ugly)

I expected more drama, more challenges, maybe even a bookish soap opera, but this novel fell short.
]]> 204820050
Love, be it wild or tender, often defies logic. In fact, at times, the only rationale behind the instant connection of two souls is plain magic.

Bibiña Aranda, runaway bride, wakes up in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao still wearing her wedding dress, draped in the loving arms of a naked man whose name she doesn’t know. She and the man with no clothes, Indar Zubieta, attempt to explain to the authorities how they got there. It’s a story of love at first sight and experience beyond compare, one that involves a dreamlike journey through the museum.

But the lovers�� transcendent night bears no resemblance to the crude one Detective Larramendi attempts to reconstruct. And no amount of fantastical descriptions can convince the irritated inspector of the truth.

Allende’s dreamy short story has the power to transport readers in any language, leaving them to ponder the wonders of love long after the story’s over.]]> 25 Isabel Allende 1662522622 Iulia 0 to-read 3.47 2024
author: Isabel Allende
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 228022844
Nesi is desperate to earn the patronage of one of the Ninety-Nine Pillars of Heaven. As a child with godly blood in her, if she cannot earn a divine chaperone, she will never be allowed to leave her temple home. But with ninety-six failed auditions and few options left, Nesi makes a risky prayer to T’sidaan, the Fox of Tricks.

In folk tales, the Fox is a loveable prankster. But despite their humor and charm, T’sidaan, and their audition, is no joke. They throw Nesi back in time three hundred years, when her homeland is occupied by the brutal Wolfhounds of Zemin.

Now, Nesi must ally with her besieged people and learn a trickster’s guile to snatch a fortress from the disgraced and exiled 100th Pillar: The Wolf of the Hunt.]]> 192 Martin Cahill 1616964448 Iulia 0 4.47 2025
author: Martin Cahill
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 211004176 Follow the river Liss to the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, and meet two sisters who cannot be separated, even in death.

“Oh what is stronger than a death? Two sisters singing with one breath.��

In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family.

There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family’s latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees.

But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters�� bond but also their lives will be at risk…]]> 133 Amal El-Mohtar 1250341086 Iulia 0 to-read 4.18 2025
author: Amal El-Mohtar
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214269394
Joe asks Percy for feedback on one of his songs—and the results kick off a partnership that will span years, ignite new passions in them both, and crush their egos again and again. Is their collaboration worth its cost? Or is it holding Percy back from finding her own voice?

Moving from Brooklyn bars to San Francisco dance floors, Deep Cuts examines the nature of talent, obsession, belonging, and above all, our need to be heard.]]> 277 Holly Brickley 0593799089 Iulia 0 to-read 3.73 2025
author: Holly Brickley
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 209478368 Fall head over broomstick in love with this swoon-worthy, witchy romantic fantasy, perfect for fans of Twin Crowns, Divine Rivals and Stephanie Garber.

For the Kingdom. For the magic. And for love . . .

Seventeen-year-old Aurelia Wycherley is entering her debutante season as a witch. Aurelia should be excited about finding the perfect match to tether her magic to. But her magic is cursed �� dark, dangerous, and not the kind that her peers want to match with �� and, without a tether, she faces losing her magic completely.

But when Aurelia learns that enigmatic, aloof Jules, a member of arch enemy family the Nightlys, is searching for a way that a witch can keep their magic without tethering, she realises he may be her only hope. A forbidden alliance is formed . . . but as they navigate the Magical Season with its glamoured balls and perilous trials, they uncover dark forces that threaten their families and the magical world they live in.

Expect family secrets, generational curses, forbidden romance, gorgeous ballgowns, bribery, extortion, trespass, magic and kissing . . . lots of kissing.
���ձ�> 432 Annaliese Avery 139853627X Iulia 0 to-read 4.18
author: Annaliese Avery
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.18
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55475442 Fans of Gossip Girl, Friends, and Euphoria will devour this edgy new adult romance set in a world of lust, fame, swoon-worthy men, and friendships that run deeper than blood.

She’s addicted to sex. He’s addicted to booze…the only way out is rock bottom.

No one would suspect shy Lily Calloway’s biggest secret. While everyone is dancing at college bars, Lily stays in the bathroom. To get laid. Her compulsion leads her to one-night stands, steamy hookups and events she shamefully regrets. The only person who knows her secret happens to have one of his own.

Loren Hale’s best friend is his bottle of bourbon. Lily comes at a close second. For three years, they’ve pretended to be in a real relationship, hiding their addictions from their families. They’ve mastered the art of concealing flasks and random guys that filter in and out of their apartment.

But as they sink beneath the weight of their addictions, they cling harder to their destructive relationship and wonder if a life together, for real, is better than a lie. Strangers and family begin to infiltrate their guarded lives, and with new challenges, they realize they may not just be addicted to alcohol and sex.

Their real vice may be each other.

New Adult Romance recommended for readers 18+ for mature content]]> 335 Krista Ritchie Iulia 0 to-read 3.69 2013
author: Krista Ritchie
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 227957174 A tale of gods and titans, the humans caught between them, and the chemistry that binds it all together

Yom has found a simple solution to avoiding the obsessive thoughts that have haunted her since burying herself beneath powdered drugs, bodies, and coin. But when her gang’s leader demands loyalty at all costs, Yom’s position as the gang’s head chemist comes under threat. Forced to investigate, she crosses paths with a cagey royal archivist named Quia as they unearth a horrifying conspiracy to reopen the ancient war that ripped the world in two.

Quia offers a tenuous cross the dangerous network of provinces to reach the queendom’s capitol, and seek the one mythical person capable of halting the forces of war. On the treacherous odyssey, Yom reckons with blood-thirsty crime lords, the queen’s personal guard, bounty hunters, forest spirits, old gods, and the specter of a friend she lost as a child—her first love—who might still be alive out there. The chemist must face her addiction to powder, her growing feelings for Quia, and the obsessive thoughts that threaten to tear her mind in two, lest she lose herself in her quest to save the world.]]> Rebecca Brodkey Iulia 0 to-read 4.62
author: Rebecca Brodkey
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.62
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214175189 For fans of Sarah J. Maas and��Holly Black,��The Forest King's Daughter��is an enemies-to-forbidden-lovers romance from the��New York Times��bestselling author of��Frostblood.

Once upon a time, among��the bloodred��trees of��Thirstwood, a young��forest��princess became friends with a lonely demon boy. He gifted her an amber ring, a worthless trinket…or so he thought...because no sooner did he slide it onto her finger than the demon queen and��forest��king declared war.

Years later, Cassia is a crucial force in her father’s army, wielding her ring of light that can blind and disorient hundreds of demons at a time. Then battle-hardened Zeru��abducts��her, planning to steal the ring back to fix his costly childhood mistake. Exhausted, terrified, and more than a little mistrusting, Cassia is forced to travel with Zeru to a place they both believed only existed in storybooks, one where their childhood friendship slowly rekindles into something much more. But it's only a matter of time before the war they've escaped comes for them, and a hidden threat to��forest folk��and demons alike grows in the shadows.

From the author of the Frostblood Saga��comes the first book in an enchanting,��adventure-filled fantasy series about the daughters of the powerful��forest��king, sure to leave readers breathless and desperate for more.]]> 384 Elly Blake 0316395722 Iulia 4
Rating: 3.5 - 4 ��

I liked the world building, it was interesting and original. There were many creatures, some well known (elves, imps) and others original. Magic and it's use was also nicely explained. To read about the different realms and folks was entertaining. (There was a bit of info dumping, but nothing too bad.)

What I didn't like were the pacing (way too slow for the plot and it was hard to keep being focused at times) and the characters. I couldn't relate to any of them, the female protagonist was simply annoying and the male one was just, dark and mysterious. The villain felt one dimensional.

The ending was very satisfying. I saw it's part of a series (a trilogy?) but for me, everything ended here.]]> 3.62 2025
author: Elly Blake
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves:
review:
I thank Netgalley, Hodder and Stoughton and Elly Blake for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

Rating: 3.5 - 4 ��

I liked the world building, it was interesting and original. There were many creatures, some well known (elves, imps) and others original. Magic and it's use was also nicely explained. To read about the different realms and folks was entertaining. (There was a bit of info dumping, but nothing too bad.)

What I didn't like were the pacing (way too slow for the plot and it was hard to keep being focused at times) and the characters. I couldn't relate to any of them, the female protagonist was simply annoying and the male one was just, dark and mysterious. The villain felt one dimensional.

The ending was very satisfying. I saw it's part of a series (a trilogy?) but for me, everything ended here.
]]> 221105524
Each queen vies for attention. Clever, ambitious Boleyn is determined to be Henry's favourite. And if she must incite a war to win Henry over? So be it.

Seymour acts as spy and assassin in a court teeming with dragons, backstabbing courtiers and strange magic. But when she and Boleyn become the unlikeliest of things - allies - the balance of power begins to shift. Together they will discover an ancient, rotting magic at Elben's heart. A magic that their king will do anything to protect.

A captivating epic fantasy filled with dragons, court politics and sapphic yearning, perfect for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and House of the Dragon.]]> 416 Holly Race 0356522660 Iulia 0 to-read 3.82 2025
author: Holly Race
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217269084 Ryder would do anything, if it meant Evie could have everything.

What happens when anything becomes that which puts her in danger?

Both orphaned and without a home, Evie and Ryder meet as young children the day they find themselves sharing a foster home. Their bond becomes one born from survival, only to be torn apart as it transforms into something tender.

Adopted into a well-off family, Evie’s had to fight tooth and claw to succeed in a world which is convinced she doesn’t the cut-throat upper class.

Ever since Ryder was forced to watch Evie walk away, he has been preparing for the unlikely day that their paths cross again, even if it required staining his soul.

If Evie lets Ryder back into her life after living worlds apart, she stands to lose everything she’s built. And potentially her life.

Last Home for Evelyn is a dual point-of-view romance novel with an alternating timeline that will have your heart squeezing and stomach twisting.

With its own happily ever after, it can be read as a standalone novel or as Book Three in The Last Series, following Last Stand for Genevieve.]]> 402 Kaymie Wuerfel 0645795143 Iulia 0 to-read 4.00
author: Kaymie Wuerfel
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 212174157 From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar’s quest to uncover the truth.

Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists—the best of the best.

Then one of them is murdered.

It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor’s brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.

If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won’t let that happen.

We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.]]> 656 Antonia Hodgson 152933988X Iulia 5 I thank to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Antonia Hudgson for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I rated the book 5 stars.

In "The Raven Scholar" we follow Neema, an introverted scholar and outsider. One day, after fulfilling a task given to her by the emperor, her life changes completely.

Eight years later, everything becomes even more complicated. The Trials bring murder, betrayals, mysteries and secrets from the past.

This book is an interesting mix of genres, being a fantasy - murder mystery - romance novel that just makes sense. The reader explores an amazing world (with a matching world building!) with Gods, unusual customs and political intrigue, while solving a murder (and some other mysteries) and following various relationships (romantic, friendships, mentor - mentee).
Not to forget the presence of an unexpectedly cute and smart sidekick that makes you both smile and roll your eyes.

Every chapter is more interesting than the previous and the reader - trough Neema - is guided to unfold secrets and explore the kingdom. Nothing is what it seems and one little mistake can be last.

The characters are well rounded, diverse, with motives and motivations. It's interesting to watch them compete, since they have opposing strengths. They are all in their mid to late twenties (!!) which is truly refreshing.
The reader has the chance to explore many types of relationships and observe how natural the characters interact during the novel.

Even though it's a long novel the pacing was steady, which made it easy to follow. The writing style is straight forward, inspired and entrails you in the story (don't get me started on the plot twists, so satisfying!) There are some interesting foot notes that offer insights in the world.
Not to forget that the last 150 pages were simply chef's kiss! The plot twists, the drama!!
Can't wait to read the next book!

]]> 4.50 2025
author: Antonia Hodgson
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/21
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
review:

I thank to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Antonia Hudgson for sending me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

I rated the book 5 stars.

In "The Raven Scholar" we follow Neema, an introverted scholar and outsider. One day, after fulfilling a task given to her by the emperor, her life changes completely.

Eight years later, everything becomes even more complicated. The Trials bring murder, betrayals, mysteries and secrets from the past.

This book is an interesting mix of genres, being a fantasy - murder mystery - romance novel that just makes sense. The reader explores an amazing world (with a matching world building!) with Gods, unusual customs and political intrigue, while solving a murder (and some other mysteries) and following various relationships (romantic, friendships, mentor - mentee).
Not to forget the presence of an unexpectedly cute and smart sidekick that makes you both smile and roll your eyes.

Every chapter is more interesting than the previous and the reader - trough Neema - is guided to unfold secrets and explore the kingdom. Nothing is what it seems and one little mistake can be last.

The characters are well rounded, diverse, with motives and motivations. It's interesting to watch them compete, since they have opposing strengths. They are all in their mid to late twenties (!!) which is truly refreshing.
The reader has the chance to explore many types of relationships and observe how natural the characters interact during the novel.

Even though it's a long novel the pacing was steady, which made it easy to follow. The writing style is straight forward, inspired and entrails you in the story (don't get me started on the plot twists, so satisfying!) There are some interesting foot notes that offer insights in the world.
Not to forget that the last 150 pages were simply chef's kiss! The plot twists, the drama!!
Can't wait to read the next book!


]]> 216400100 If you're looking for political intrigue, morally ambiguous characters and a super portayal of enemies this book is for you.�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

What if you fall for the one you are fated to destroy?‘One of my top 10 reads and I cannot wait to read more�� a must read for any romantasy fans�� NetGalley Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

The Holy States teach that everyone is born with a Soulmate. But every coin has two sides��

Renza di Maineri is the youngest elected leader her city has ever seen. Devoted to the citizens of Halice, she is determined to prove herself and finally step beyond her father’s shadow. But her world falls apart when she meets her worst nightmare, Idris Patricelli.

It’s bad enough that Idris is her main political rival, but fate is playing a cruel game. Idris is also her Soulhate, the person she is fated to destroy, and every moment in his presence she fights an urge to rip his throat out.

As gossip spreads and her ability to lead is challenged, Renza is desperate to salvage her reputation. But fate is not quite finished with her yet�� can she uncover who can be trusted among those closest to her, when she cannot even trust herself?

See why readers love Soul Hate 'What a unique premise! I had a blast with this one. So delightful. What a twist on a beloved formula!�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

‘I LOVED this! A very entertaining enemies-to-lovers style book and I thought that it was so well done and had great banter, great characters, and interesting plot�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

'I could not put this book down�� highly recommend this book�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

'An unexpected favorite this year with a cast of interesting characters, a nicely executed plot with exciting mystery elements to it. I was hooked from the first page and couldn't stop reading until I reached the end�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

'It had a strong fantasy element that I was looking for�� I was invested in the characters�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

'The concept of Soulmates and Soulhates adds a fresh, exciting twist to the enemies-to-lovers trope�� an irresistible read that’s impossible to put down�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

'There is so much to this book that I absolutely love and adore, I am a huge fan of enemies to lovers and I love the idea of there not only being soulmates but there also being soulhates�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐��

'The concept of “soulhate" is refreshingly unique, and I found myself captivated, devouring the book in a single day�� ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐]]> 344 Hannah Kingsley 0008707510 Iulia 2
I loved the prologue, but the rest... Not really.

Fast paced, enemies turn to lovers after approximately 100+ pages. There was a good plot twist, but sadly quite predictable. The political part was also rushed and no real motive was provided.

The idea had a lot of potential.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC. This was my honest opinion.]]> 3.41
author: Hannah Kingsley
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.41
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves:
review:
2.5 ��

I loved the prologue, but the rest... Not really.

Fast paced, enemies turn to lovers after approximately 100+ pages. There was a good plot twist, but sadly quite predictable. The political part was also rushed and no real motive was provided.

The idea had a lot of potential.

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC. This was my honest opinion.
]]> 194025272
One winter night, on her way home from foraging, Ro encounters a fox being attacked by a bear. She fights the bear to save the fox’s life, only to see the bear turn into a boy after her sister shoots him with an arrow. When the boy wakes, he has no memory of who he is—all he knows is Ro’s name and that he has to kill the fox.

Ro never believed in the faeries from her father’s stories, but she can’t deny the magic surrounding her and that both the boy and the fox are victims of a faerie curse. She’ll have to remember everything her father taught her in order to extract herself from this deadly game and keep her precious fox out of harm’s way.]]> 384 Markelle Grabo Iulia 4 Very cute! 3.72 2024
author: Markelle Grabo
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves:
review:
Very cute!
]]> 202251782
In the Nine Lands, only those of noble blood can summon the spirits of their ancestors to fight in battle. But when Temi, a commoner from the slums, accidentally invokes a powerful spirit, she finds it could hold the key to ending a centuries-long war. But not everything that can be invoked is an ancestor. And some of the spirits that can be drawn from the ancestral realm are more dangerous than anyone can imagine.]]> 640 M.H. Ayinde 0356525309 Iulia 3
Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Here is my honest opinion:

I'll start by saying that the idea is quite cool and the setting really interesting. I liked the magic and creatures. It's slow paced and it takes a while to get captivated by the story. Sadly, it didn't click with me. The book itself was very long, yet little happened. I had high hope and the story had a lot of potential. Maybe the next book will be better.

The book has multiple POVs, so as a reader you get to see the events from different angles. I liked the characters.]]> 4.12 2025
author: M.H. Ayinde
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves:
review:
3 - 3.5 ��

Thank you Netgalley for the e-ARC!

Here is my honest opinion:

I'll start by saying that the idea is quite cool and the setting really interesting. I liked the magic and creatures. It's slow paced and it takes a while to get captivated by the story. Sadly, it didn't click with me. The book itself was very long, yet little happened. I had high hope and the story had a lot of potential. Maybe the next book will be better.

The book has multiple POVs, so as a reader you get to see the events from different angles. I liked the characters.
]]> 60811826 Deep underground, forty women live imprisoned in a cage. Watched over by guards, the women have no memory of how they got there, no notion of time, and only a vague recollection of their lives before.


As the burn of electric light merges day into night and numberless years pass, a young girl—the fortieth prisoner—sits alone and outcast in the corner. Soon she will show herself to be the key to the others' escape and survival in the strange world that awaits them above ground.


Jacqueline Harpman was born in Etterbeek, Belgium, in 1929, and fled to Casablanca with her family during WWII. Informed by her background as a psychoanalyst and her youth in exile, I Who Have Never Known Men is a haunting, heartbreaking post-apocalyptic novel of female friendship and intimacy, and the lengths people will go to maintain their humanity in the face of devastation. Back in print for the first time since 1997, Harpman’s modern classic is an important addition to the growing canon of feminist speculative literature.]]> 184 Jacqueline Harpman 1945492600 Iulia 5 Great book! 4.11 1995
author: Jacqueline Harpman
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1995
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves:
review:
Great book!
]]> 227915448 Seven nights, Seven tales

Young healer Serena Rose has always dreamed of fairytales, but the chances of finding true love living alone in the a cottage by the wood are�� slim. Instead, she spends her days chasing down mischievous woodland critters, brewing tonics, and taking care of her family's ancient records of fairytales, many of which have been outlawed in the kingdom of Lumina where she resides.

However her quiet life is upended when she is approached by a dark haired stranger searching for a book in her family’s collection, The Tales of Arcana Fortune. In between searching for more information on the book, and fighting their budding attraction, they accidentally free a malicious immortal sealed with an ancient spell.

Cursed to be trapped in a different fairytale each night, Serena must find a way through her trials all the while trying not to lose her life, her freedom, and her heart.
]]> Hafsa.A. Jawad Iulia 0 to-read 4.79
author: Hafsa.A. Jawad
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.79
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214539406 Wren Embervale, alchemist-turned-assassin, finds solace in only one thing: seeking vengeance for the death of her friends. The wars of the past may be over, but her thirst for revenge is far from quenched.

For years, she has been content with her poisons and potions for company, but when an unknown form of alchemy is used to attack a king of the midrealms, Wren’s time in the shadows comes to an end.

She’s offered a place at the ancient alchemy academy of Drevenor to find a cure to the dark magic threatening the kingdoms. To win her spot, she must conquer the Gauntlet, a grueling series of deadly trials that could cost her sanity, or her life.

More is at play than sabotage from fellow competitors. Magic wielders are being targeted and Wren becomes tangled in a dangerous web of deception and bloodshed that puts the entire realm at risk.

But the biggest threat of all might come from the man assigned to protect her—Torj Elderbrock, the silver-haired war hero who has hated her since she assassinated his last charge.

Their shared history ignites a simmering tension that threatens to consume them both.

Peace is fragile, trust is scarce and enemies lurk around every corner�� Will love heal all wounds—or will it be the most lethal poison of all?

Iron & Embers is the breathtaking first installment in the epic fantasy romance series, The Ashes of Thezmarr. With its lush world-building, sizzling chemistry, and heart-pounding action it’s perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, From Blood & Ash, and The Bridge Kingdom.]]> 586 Helen Scheuerer 1922903213 Iulia 0 to-read 4.23 2025
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 198385737
The year is 1901, and Ada Byrd �� spinster, schoolmarm, amateur naturalist �� accepts a teaching post in isolated Lowry Bridge, grateful for the chance to re-establish herself where no one knows her secrets. She develops friendships with her neighbors, explores the woods with her students, and begins to see a future in this tiny farming community. Her past �� riddled with grief and shame �� has never seemed so far away.

But then, Ada begins to witness strange and grisly a swarm of dying crickets, a self-mutilating rabbit, a malformed faun. She soon believes that something ancient and beastly �� which she calls the grey dog �� is behind these visceral offerings, which both beckon and repel her. As her confusion deepens, her grip on what is real, what is delusion, and what is traumatic memory begins to fail. Ada takes on the wildness of the woods, and begins to wonder which is more dangerous: the grey dog, or herself.]]> 400 Elliott Gish 177041732X Iulia 0 to-read 3.85 2024
author: Elliott Gish
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 216247498 Magic and adventure swirl through this spellbinding romantasy where a young woman reignites the embers of an ancient prophecy, unleashing a storm that could save her realm or doom them all.

Fear of maegic plagues war-torn Anwyvn. Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya’s execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior—one far more terrifying than her would-be killers. The mysterious and mercenary Commander Scythe. In the clutches of this new enemy, Rhya finds herself fighting for her life in the barren reaches of the Northlands. Yet the farther she gets from home, the more she learns that nothing is as it seems—not her fearsome captor, not the blight that ravages her dying realm, not even herself.

For Rhya is no ordinary halfling. The strange birthmark on her chest and the wind she instinctively calls forth means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic…or die trying.

But mastering the power inside her is only the beginning. Desire for the Commander—a man she can never trust, a man with plans of his own—burns just as fiercely as the tempests beating against her rib cage for release. Rhya must choose: smother the flames…or let them consume her.]]> 544 Julie Johnson 0593817869 Iulia 0 currently-reading 4.02 2025
author: Julie Johnson
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 208840724 Deceit and betrayal abound in this dark YA romantasy about an heir to the throne who can summon an army of animals and a thief who plans to manipulate her to pull off a once-in-a-lifetime heist.

Will he steal her heart... or her chance at the throne?

Daughter and heir to the throne, Mancella Cliff yearns for a life without bloodshed. But as a child, she emerged from the Broken Citadel with the power to summon animals—only after killing them with her bare hands. Her magic is a constant reminder of the horrors her father, the ruler of the realm, has forced upon her to strengthen their power.

Silver is a charming thief struggling to survive in a world torn apart by Mancella’s father’s reign. When a mysterious benefactor recruits him for the heist of a lifetime, a chance to rob the castle, Silver relishes the opportunity for a real future—and revenge. But he'll have to manipulate Mance and earn her trust to pull it off.

As the deception and carnage mount, Mance must find a way to save her realm without becoming the ruthless monster she's been bred to be. And when Silver discovers that his actions are fueling the violence that Mance wants to prevent, he'll have to choose between his ambition and the girl he’s falling for.]]> 368 D.L. Taylor 1250331684 Iulia 3
But it took a while to really get into the story and it was quite difficult to keep being focused.
Still, the last 50-60 pages were really interesting.]]> 3.77 2025
author: D.L. Taylor
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves:
review:
I liked the idea.

But it took a while to really get into the story and it was quite difficult to keep being focused.
Still, the last 50-60 pages were really interesting.
]]> 58650445
In a world where no entities exist but the Stars, cruel and merciless gods that watch over the world, Elara has been cursed by fate. A prophecy that promises she will fall for a Star, and it will kill them both.

But when one descends to wreak havoc on Elara's Kingdom, she is forced to flee into the arms of her enemy in the neighbouring country.

As she learns more about her own magic, and the depth of the Stars' deceit, she also finds herself learning more about the country she is forced to take refuge in, and the enemy prince forced to train her into a weapon.

Something dark brews within her, a power made of night and shadows that begs to be broken free.]]> 619 Imani Erriu Iulia 0 to-read 3.97 2022
author: Imani Erriu
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217953353 From popular content creator Kelsey Impicciche, Voice of the Ocean follows a daring young siren who defies her people to save a human prince, unearthing ancient magic and igniting a dangerous romance amidst treacherous waters.

As the youngest daughter of the Siren queen, Celeste's life is tightly controlled. Desperate to prove her worth, she intends to join the Chorus - an elite group of siren warriors. With her final test on the horizon, Celeste must finally gain control over her temperamental Song. But when Celeste encounters a seemingly harmless ship, helmed by the intriguing Prince Raiden Sharp, her path veers towards forbidden waters.

Believing the handsome sailor to be innocent of any wrongdoing, Celeste defies Siren law to save Raiden's life - despite knowing he is the son of a king who has murdered many of her kindred. The penalty for Celeste's betrayal should be death, but the queen offers her an alternative: right her wrong by assassinating the prince. Determined to first discover the truth behind the prince's clandestine mission, Celeste agrees to become human.

The human world is nothing like she expected, nor is the prince the charming and noble man she assumed him to be. But as Celeste finds her place aboard the ship, friendships - and attraction - begin to grow. Will Celeste be able to save herself? Or will her choices unravel a kingdom, devastating sirens and humans alike?]]> 400 Kelsey Impicciche Iulia 0 currently-reading 3.97 2025
author: Kelsey Impicciche
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 221609337 *Book one of a duet*

When Ophelia Winters accepts a scholarship at a prestigious Scottish university to prove that her parents' death was the fault of Cain Green, an American aviation tycoon, her plan is simple; keep her grades up and her head down. The last thing she wants is to wind up in a mafia war or step on the toes of royalty.

Her plan gets off to a rocky start when the mysterious man that almost kills her on her first day turns out to be Cain's eldest son. As far as she’s concerned, Alex Corbeau-Green is a younger version of his billionaire father. A monster hiding beneath a beautiful facade.

Loneliness has been Ophelia’s only dependable companion for years, but when anonymous threats and mysterious occurrences start to haunt her time at Sorrowsong, she wonders if she really can survive there on her own.

Between being paired together for a project and ending up as each other’s alibi for a murder, avoiding Alex becomes increasingly impossible. She begins to fall for the soft heart that hides beneath his hard exterior.

Tormented by a malicious stalker and growing closer to Alex, Ophelia’s desperation for revenge wavers for the first time. Can she really bring herself to pull the trigger on Cain now that she knows the family it’ll split into two?
__________

Dark Academic Romance - Enemies to Lovers - Slow Burn - University Setting

This work is dark in places and contains several triggers throughout. Please heed the warnings before reading.]]> 359 Autumn Woods Iulia 0 currently-reading 4.21 2025
author: Autumn Woods
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 212808316 Brimming with magic and romance, a young fairy queen must form an unlikely alliance or risk an unspeakable danger destroying all she holds dear in this standalone YA novel from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft.

It’s been centuries since a warm-season fairy in Pixie Hollow has crossed into the Winter Woods, and while most fear the legends of monsters lurking in the frozen lands, Clarion, can’t help being intrigued by Winter’s stoic beauty. But under the watchful eyes of the current monarch and the court's seasonal ministers, Clarion has little time to dwell on daydreams while the days to her coronation dwindle away.

That is, until reports of a monster crossing from Winter into Spring make their way to the palace. Clarion sees defeating this threat as an opportunity to prove that she is worthy of her new role. But instead of finding a monster at the edge of Winter, she finds Milori, a young guardian of the Winter Woods. Together, they form an unlikely bond as they race to save their lands.

But as their alliance warms to something more, they will discover there is a reason a warm-season fairy and a winter fairy must not be together. And the cost could be just as deadly as the monsters that prowl the Winter Woods.

Discover the origin of the sweeping, star-crossed romance between the queen of Pixie Hollow and the lord of the Winter Woods.]]> 400 Allison Saft 1368098452 Iulia 5 Beautiful! 4.25 2025
author: Allison Saft
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves:
review:
Beautiful!
]]> 123036004 A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a tragic mystery that haunts the survivors, unravels a community, and remains unsolved for nearly fifty years.

July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come.

In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective. Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren’t telling her. Unwilling to abandon her intuition, she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret.

For readers of The Vanishing Half and Woman of Light, this showstopping debut by a vibrant new voice in fiction is a riveting novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time.]]> 307 Amanda Peters 1646221958 Iulia 0 to-read 4.04 2023
author: Amanda Peters
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 57198961
Her quest is Steal a stone from Islor’s sacred garden without anyone discovering her true identity, which would earn her certain death. But the identity she has inexplicably assumed is that of the captured Ybarisan princess—an enemy to Islor after she poisoned their beloved king and queen on the day she was to marry the prince.

Her betrothed, the newly crowned King Zander, detests her with every grain of his handsome being. Fortunately for Romeria, she is more valuable to him alive than dead. Zander gives her a life in a cell, or an acquittal of all charges in exchange for her help in exposing the growing plot against him.

Romeria sees no other option and embraces the tricky role of smitten queen-to-be until she can escape, a ruse that brings her far closer to the king than she anticipated and threatens more than her safety. As she digs deeper into this sacred garden and the ancient feud between Ybaris and Islor, she discovers monstrous truths that could spell ruin for all.

She would know the world of vengeful gods and monsters, and the lengths one would go for love. And nothing would ever be the same for her again.]]> 547 K.A. Tucker 1990105149 Iulia 2
Sadly, it took like 100 pages for something to happen.
The pacing was definitely weird.
The characters felt distant and somehow flat.]]> 4.09 2021
author: K.A. Tucker
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:
It was definitely an interesting book, plot wise.

Sadly, it took like 100 pages for something to happen.
The pacing was definitely weird.
The characters felt distant and somehow flat.
]]> 208840739 We Were Liars meets The Raven Boys in this mind-bending YA debut about dark revenge, twisted desire, and the sinister secrets lurking behind the walls of an elite boarding school.

Seventeen-year-old Marin James has spent her entire life living in the shadow of the exclusive Huntsworth Academy. And when her cousin’s dead body is found in a creek on school property, Marin knows exactly who’s to blame: Adrian Hargraves and Henry Wu, the enigmatic yet dangerously alluring leaders of the school's social elite.

Swapping her ripped jeans for a crisp prep school skirt, Marin infiltrates Huntsworth to seek justice. But her quest is quickly muddied by a confusing attraction to her new life, and to the two dysfunctional and depraved boys who somehow understand her better than anyone ever has.

When Marin uncovers an otherworldly secret the boys are hiding within Huntsworth's ivied gates, the lines between right and wrong, love and hate, and nightmare and reality begin to crumble -- and nothing is as it seems.

Welcome to Huntsworth Academy.]]> 400 Jenni Howell 1250334594 Iulia 0 currently-reading 3.29 2025
author: Jenni Howell
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.29
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/07
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 203613906 Spirit away with a whimsical fantasy filled with dark magic and flirty, polyamorous romance.

Cursed to haunt the river running through the magical spa town where she drowned, Gisela is a water nymph who dreams of returning to the living world and the family she left behind. All it takes to regain her humanity is a kiss from a mortal...but everyone sees her as a monster.

And then there’s Kazik, the brooding, interfering, spirit-hunting grandson of a local witch. He's determined to rid the world of unholy creatures like Gisela. After Kazik botches Gisela’s exorcism, she strikes up a deal. She won’t tell the other spirits that he’s losing his magic, if he agrees to play matchmaker and helps her get a kiss. But Gisela’s plan goes awry when Kazik also falls for the devilishly handsome young man that she sets her heart on—someone who could be linked to Gisela’s troubled past.

Finely crafted with a magical setting, this delectable quest through the spirit world is an enchanting read for fans of queer romantasy.]]> 416 Alicia Jasinska 1682637360 Iulia 0 to-read 4.00 2024
author: Alicia Jasinska
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211742041 The Cruel Prince meets The Selection in this captivating duology opener brimming with heart-pounding romance, vicious competition, and beautiful, cruel fae, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven, Sasha Peyton Smith.

Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin�� and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.

Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Holly Black, Stephanie Garber, and Adalyn Grace.]]> 400 Sasha Peyton Smith 0063372525 Iulia 0
What I didnt like:
- the FMC and MMC had quite a few moments that made me cringe and have me the ick. (Won't elaborate bc I don't want to spoil anyone). They were quite unlikeable..

What I liked:
- the other girls having personalities, motives, dreams and ambitions (even though they each had only one POV chapter). I hope we'll get to know them better in the next books.
- the ending OMG - now I understand the comparison to Cruel Prince. Amazing plot twist (I had my suspicions, ngl, but I was still pleasantly surprised).

That being said, I can't wait for the second book]]> 3.97 2025
author: Sasha Peyton Smith
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves:
review:
4 ��

What I didnt like:
- the FMC and MMC had quite a few moments that made me cringe and have me the ick. (Won't elaborate bc I don't want to spoil anyone). They were quite unlikeable..

What I liked:
- the other girls having personalities, motives, dreams and ambitions (even though they each had only one POV chapter). I hope we'll get to know them better in the next books.
- the ending OMG - now I understand the comparison to Cruel Prince. Amazing plot twist (I had my suspicions, ngl, but I was still pleasantly surprised).

That being said, I can't wait for the second book
]]> 218112681 The Cruel Prince meets The Selection in this captivating duology opener brimming with heart-pounding romance, vicious competition, and beautiful, cruel fae, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven, Sasha Peyton Smith.

Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin�� and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.

Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Holly Black, Stephanie Garber, and Adalyn Grace.]]> 1 Sasha Peyton Smith Iulia 4 4.29 2025
author: Sasha Peyton Smith
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/05
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves:
review:

]]> 625094 The Sicilian prince Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa (1896-1957) died just after writing The Leopard, his only novel. Visconti's film adaptation, starring Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, won the Palme d'Or at Cannes in 1963.

In Sicily, in 1860, a family from the high aristocracy suffered the consequences of the change of regime in favor of the Republicans. While Prince Salina lets himself be overcome by nostalgia, his nephew Tancred embodies the new force that is shaking his country. He asks for the hand of Angélique, daughter of an upstart, while this union marks the defeat of the family coat of arms.]]> 319 Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa 0679731210 Iulia 0 to-read 4.01 1958
author: Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1958
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/05
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review:

]]> 220934338 In seinen Augen lodert Feuer, in ihrem Herzen tanzen Hexenkräfte!

Als die������ä�ܳٱ������� Briar von Drachen auf eine abgelegene Insel entführt wird, sieht sie sich bereits als Mittagssnack enden. Stattdessen wird sie vor die bisher komplizierteste Aufgabe ihres Lebens Sie soll einen Drachen von einer��unbekannten Krankheit heilen. Als ihr dies tatsächlich gelingt, stellt sich der Drache als der gut aussehende Krieger Darragh heraus, und Briar bekommt die einmalige Chance als Außenstehende, Heilerin eines Drachenclans zu werden. Dabei brodeln nicht nur verborgene Gefahren heiß unter den Highlands, sondern auch verbotene Gefühle in der Luft!

Charmant-witzig, spannend, Urban Fantasy mit cozy Vibes im sagenumwobenen Schottland.��

//»Blossoms of Fire« ist ein in sich abgeschlossener Einzelband.//




Hexen 🧙‍♀�� 🧙‍♀��

Drachen 🐉

Magie ��


Tierische Begleiter 🦆

Spice 🌶🌶🌶

Forced Proximity 🔗❤���ձ�> Cosima Lang 3522656024 Iulia 0 to-read 4.04
author: Cosima Lang
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.04
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/05
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review:

]]> 217643704 An enthralling sapphic retelling of Swan Lake, for fans of Allison Saft and V.E Schwab.

Magic has long been outlawed in Auréal . Odile has always known she’d be the one to restore it.

Raised by a sorcerer, Odile has spent years preparing for the heist of a lifetime. It’s perfectly simple. Impersonate a princess, infiltrate the palace, steal the king's enchanted crown and restore magic to the kingdom.

But when the King is unexpectedly murdered, she’s forced to recruit the help of Marie d'Odette, the real princess, and the two begin to unravel a web of lies and deceit that leaves Odile uncertain of who to trust.

Soon though Odile must decide �� her mission or the girl she’s falling for?

The fate of the Kingdom depends on her making the right choice. . .]]> 352 A.B. Poranek Iulia 0 currently-reading 4.07 2025
author: A.B. Poranek
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> 203578766 The dark and thrillingly romantic debut vampire fantasy that questions what it truly means to sacrifice for love.

You have no idea what I’ve done for love. Just as you have no idea what you may one day do.

Once long ago, a girl named Favre sacrificed her wings for love. Thana, the young goddess she so willingly gave them up for, sacrificed that same love for power. But everything has a cost.

Favre never got over the loss of her wings. And Thana’s choices led to a life of eternal night, and later, their destruction. Favre has bided her time ever since, waiting for the chance to resurrect the girl she loves who turned her into the creature she hates.

Now, a thousand years later, Leyla, the crown princess of the malichora—an ancient race that survives on human blood —must travel to the Island of the Dead when her best friend is captured during an attack on her nation’s capital. Along with Najja, a fierce, beautiful seer, and the last person she expected to help her, Leyla forges down a dangerous path, intent on saving her friend. But nothing is as it seems. The closer she gets to her goal, the more she risks awakening an ancient evil and destroying everything she holds dear.

Set in the aftermath of a war between vampires, humans, and the gods that created them, Patrice Caldwell’s devastatingly romantic fantasy debut, Where Shadows Meet, centers the heart-wrenching pain of loss and the struggle of self-discovery to ask: do we choose our fates, or do our fates choose us?]]> 320 Patrice Caldwell 1250815347 Iulia 0 currently-reading 3.25 2025
author: Patrice Caldwell
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/04
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]]> 211004124 From the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes the story of three siblings who, upon the death of their father, are forced to reckon with their long-festering rivalries, dangerous abilities, and the crushing weight of all their unrealized adolescent potential.

Where there’s a will, there’s a war.

Thayer Wren, the brilliant CEO of Wrenfare Magitech and so-called father of modern technology, is dead. Any one of his three telepathically and electrokinetically gifted children would be a plausible inheritor to the Wrenfare throne.

Or at least, so they like to think.

Meredith, textbook accomplished eldest daughter and the head of her own groundbreaking biotech company, has recently cured mental illness. You're welcome! If only her father's fortune wasn't her last hope for keeping her journalist ex-boyfriend from exposing what she really is: a total fraud.

Arthur, second-youngest congressman in history, fights the good fight every day of his life. And yet, his wife might be leaving him, and he's losing his re-election campaign. But his dead father’s approval in the form of a seat on the Wrenfare throne might just turn his sinking ship around.

Eilidh, once the world's most famous ballerina, has spent the last five years as a run-of-the-mill marketing executive at her father’s company after a life-altering injury put an end to her prodigious career. She might be lacking in accolades compared to her siblings, but if her father left her everything, it would finally validate her worth—by confirming she'd been his favorite all along.

On the pipeline of gifted kid to clinically depressed adult, nobody wins—but which Wren will come out on top?]]> 512 Olivie Blake 1250883407 Iulia 0 currently-reading 3.78 2025
author: Olivie Blake
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/04
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]]> 63910262 In the luscious, dark sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must face the consequences of what she's wrought - perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson's The Year of the Witching.

Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last, and most important one remains to be found: The Twin Alders.

If they are going to find it before the Solstice and cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it, they will need to journey beyond the dangerous mist-cloaked forest that surrounds their kingdom.

And the only one who can lead them there is the monster that shares Elspeth's head. The Nightmare. And he's not eager to share any longer.]]> 437 Rachel Gillig 0356519503 Iulia 5 4.38 2023
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 58340706
Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.

But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. And the highwayman? He just so happens to be the King’s nephew, Captain of the most dangerous men in Blunder…and guilty of high treason.

Together they must gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.]]> 399 Rachel Gillig 0316312487 Iulia 5 4.25 2022
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 218705184
There is a story to be told, in exchange for a promise. It is a story of cruelty and grief, of love and longing and pride; the story of Merryn, who makes a traumatic journey from sea and to land, from defiance to finding her true self and the power of sisterhood.

This new fable is from twice Carnegie Medal-winning author, Berlie Doherty. She draws on the folklore of ocean and landscape and, in the language of our oldest tales, weaves the traditional into our modern preoccupations.

Powerful ink and silhouette illustrations by Tamsin Rosewell brighten the tale with a vibrant but classical language of visual storytelling. Rosewell draws on the long heritage of silhouette and paper-cut work for her inspiration and adds it to her well-known boldness with colour and structure.]]> 176 Berlie Doherty 1916747191 Iulia 0 currently-reading 4.17
author: Berlie Doherty
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.17
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> 40969531
Ophelia lives on Anima, an ark where objects have souls. Beneath her worn scarf and thick glasses, the young girl hides the ability to read and communicate with the souls of objects, and the power to travel through mirrors. Her peaceful existence on the Ark of Anima is disrupted when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, from the powerful Dragon clan. Ophelia must leave her family and follow her fiancée to the floating capital on the distant Ark of the Pole. Why has she been chosen? Why must she hide her true identity? Though she doesn’t know it yet, she has become a pawn in a deadly plot.]]> 446 Christelle Dabos 1787701425 Iulia 0 currently-reading 3.90 2013
author: Christelle Dabos
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 60717747 It's difficult to find a husband in Regency England when you're a young lady with only half a soul.

Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season - but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs.

If Dora's reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world. . . but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.

Bridgerton meets Howl's Moving Castle in this enchanting historical fantasy, where the only thing more meddlesome than faeries is a marriage-minded mother.

Pick up HALF A SOUL, and be stolen away into Olivia Atwater's charming, magical version of Regency England!]]> 304 Olivia Atwater Iulia 0 to-read 4.04 2020
author: Olivia Atwater
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/30
shelves: to-read
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]]> 61126612
Two people meet in the Art Institute by chance. Prior to their encounter, he is a doctoral student who manages his destructive thoughts with compulsive calculations about time travel; she is a bipolar counterfeit artist, undergoing court-ordered psychotherapy. By the end of the story, these things will still be true. But this is not a story about endings.

For Regan, people are predictable and tedious, including and perhaps especially herself. She copes with the dreariness of existence by living impulsively, imagining a new, alternate timeline being created in the wake of every rash decision.

To Aldo, the world feels disturbingly chaotic. He gets through his days by erecting a wall of routine: a backbeat of rules and formulas that keep him going. Without them, the entire framework of his existence would collapse.

For Regan and Aldo, life has been a matter of resigning themselves to the blueprints of inevitability—until the two meet. Could six conversations with a stranger be the variable that shakes up the entire simulation?

From Olivie Blake, the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six, comes an intimate and contemporary study of time, space, and the nature of love. Alone with You in the Ether explores what it means to be unwell, and how to face the fractures of yourself and still love as if you're not broken.]]> 288 Olivie Blake 1250888166 Iulia 0 to-read 3.69 2020
author: Olivie Blake
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/30
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review:

]]> 217388302 DELUXE EDITION—a gorgeous hardcover edition featuring bright green sprayed edges, a foil stamp on the casing, and custom endpapers illustrated by the author.

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Hemlock & Silver, a dark reimagining of “Snow White�� steeped in poison, intrigue, and treason of the most magical kind

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison.

Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on.

But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.]]> 368 T. Kingfisher 1250342031 Iulia 0 to-read 4.30 2025
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/29
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]]> 209098258 “As darkly whimsical as the most beloved fairy tales and soaked in gothic atmosphere. The gorgeous and evocative illustrations bring to life an unforgettably lush and hypnotically romantic story.�� —Ava Reid, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning

Step into the House of the Beast in this dark fantasy debut from The Legend of Korra graphic novel illustrator Michelle Wong, about a young woman who strikes a deal with a mysterious and alluring god to seek revenge on her aristocratic family—featuring illustrations throughout by the author.

Born out of wedlock and shunned by society, Alma learned to make her peace with solitude, so long as she had her mother by her side. When her mother becomes gravely ill, Alma discovers a clue about her estranged father and writes a message begging for help. Little does she know that she is a bastard of House Avera, one of the four noble families that serve the gods and are imbued with their powers—and her father is a vessel of the Dread Beast, the most frightening god of all, a harbinger of death.

In a desperate exchange for her mother’s medicine, Alma agrees to sacrifice her left arm to the Beast in a ceremony that will bind her forever to the House and its deity. Regardless, her mother soon passes, leaving Alma trapped inside the Avera’s grand estate, despised by her relatives and nothing but a pawn in her father’s schemes.

Now vengeance is the only thing that keeps Alma going. That, and the strange connection she has with her god—a monster who is constantly by her side, an eldritch being taking the form of a beautiful prince with starlit hair that only she can see. He tells Alma that she has been chosen to bring change upon their world, and with his help, Alma plots a perilous journey to destroy the House that stole everything from her.

A gripping fantasy novel marked by divine rituals, intense combat, and twisted romance, House of the Beast is a tale of revenge, resilience, and the power of love to see us through the darkness.]]> 0 Michelle Wong 0008672520 Iulia 0 to-read 4.33 2025
author: Michelle Wong
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/29
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]]> 221179150
Imogen Nel is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood-hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain who viciously hunt her kind. Hiding from her own alluring abilities. By keeping herself from the sea, Imogen’s bloodlust is dulled, and her black wings remain hidden beneath her skin.

When a neighboring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows precisely what she is, and he believes she can save both their kingdoms from an even greater monster. But Imogen’s power threatens to violently reveal itself, and the two form a blood bond that protects them both. They flee the kingdom together, traversing waters teeming with the undead. As the lines between duty to their people and desire for each other begin to blur, Imogen worries her own ancestral powers may not be enough to kill what hunts her—the only way to defeat a monster may be to become one herself.]]> 384 Kalie Cassidy 0316587605 Iulia 0 to-read 4.13 2025
author: Kalie Cassidy
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/29
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]]> 216234227 The first in a stunning Southwest Asian-inspired epic fantasy trilogy brimming with morally ambiguous characters, terrifying ghouls and deadly monsters.

Combining cut-throat dynastic politics with expansive worldbuilding and slow-burning romance, this book is perfect for fans of Godkiller and Samantha Shannon.

Bataar was only a child when he killed a gryphon, making him a legend across the Red Steppe. As an adult, he is the formidable Bataar Rhah, chosen by god to rule the continent that once scorned his people. After a string of improbable victories, he turns his sights on the wealthy, powerful kingdom of Dumakra, whose princesses rule the skies from the backs of pegasuses.

When rumours reach the capital that the infamous warlord is moving on Dumakra, Nohra Zultama prepares to face him. She and her sisters are feared warriors, goddess-blessed and mounted on winged, man-eating horses. But as deceit and betrayal swirl through her father's court, Nohra soon learns the price of complacency. With her city under Bataar’s rule, Nohra vows to take revenge. But her growing closeness to Bataar’s wife, Qaira, threatens to undo her resolve.

When rioting breaks out and mythic beasts incite panic, Nohra must fight alongside Bataar to keep order, her mixed feelings towards the man she’s sworn to kill becoming ever more complicated. Old evils are rising. Only together will Nohra and Bataar stand a chance against the djinn, ghouls, and monsters that threaten to overrun their world.

Inspired by the diverse Turkic cultures of Southwest Asia, this gorgeously written fantasy is sure to sweep readers off their feet.]]> Sara Omer 1835412858 Iulia 0 to-read 4.83 2025
author: Sara Omer
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.83
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/29
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]]> 216420298 A debut fantasy romance filled with hope after heartbreak, secrets, and betrayal, as a dancer-turned-spy must decide how far she will go to secure her freedom

My protector is gone, revealed to be a monster. But I remind myself that I am not a damsel. I’m no princess bound within a tower.

I am a shadow.

Vasalie Moran was once a dancer in King Illian’s court, until he framed her for murder. Barely surviving her two years in the dungeons, she’s suddenly called to face her king. He offers her a deal: become his spy at the six-week royal Gathering and he’ll grant her freedom.

As Illian’s orders grow bloody and dangerous, forcing her to harm and betray those around her, Vasalie discovers that the monster she serves may be aligned with a bigger monster—one far closer to home. With her world threatened, Vasalie enlists the help of Illian’s brother and greatest adversary, the infamous King of the East.

As the rivalry between brothers escalates, with Vasalie caught in the middle, the horrifying truth of her past comes to light. If she wants to survive, she must decide who to trust, who to fight for, and how much of her soul she’s willing to damn in the process.]]> Brittney Arena Iulia 0 to-read 4.02 2025
author: Brittney Arena
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
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]]> 205335957
Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.

Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.]]> 400 Rachel Gillig 0356522962 Iulia 0 to-read 4.61 2025
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217060000 Drawing on inspiration from the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India, debut author Maithree Wijesekara plunges readers into the first amazing book of the Obsidian Throne trilogy, a new fantasy series of hunted witches, romantic angst, and political intrigue. Perfect for fans of The Hurricane Wars and The Jasmine Throne.

A prince born into violence, seeking peace.

Prince Ashoka is the youngest son of the tyrannical Emperor Adil Maurya. Considered an outcast by his father for his rejection of the emperor’s brutal onslaught against the witches of the empire, Ashoka longs for change. When the sudden and unexpected death of his father leaves the monarchy in disarray, Ashoka is sent to govern a tumultuous region annexed by Emperor Adil that is terrorized by nature spirits—a task many see as doomed to fail. Suspected by a disdainful governor and evaded by distrustful witches, Ashoka must question his rigid ideals and fight against becoming the one person he despises the most—his father.

A witch shackled by pacifism, seeking revenge.

Shakti is a a witch bound by a pacifist code. After witnessing the murder of her aunt and village at the hands of the emperor, Shakti hurtles down a path of revenge, casting a curse with unexpected consequences. Posing as a maidservant in the famed palace of the Mauryas and armed with newfound powers beyond her imagination, Shakti attempts to dismantle the monarchy from within by having the royal progeny ruin themselves and turn their father’s legacy into nothing but ash.

In a world where nature spirits roam the land, and witches are hunted to extinction, Ashoka and Shakti will be forced to grapple with the consequences of to take it for themselves or risk losing it completely.]]> 384 Maithree Wijesekara 0063420554 Iulia 0 to-read 3.43 2025
author: Maithree Wijesekara
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59651237 Now newly edited with extended scenes, bonus content, and a map included. Discover the Amazon best selling series!

Seventeen-year-old Amrey X has one fatal flaw. She can lie in a city forced to speak the truth.

For 200 years, citizens of Axiom have been subjected to a truth serum. Forced to stand oath from the age of seven. And for 10 years Amrey has conformed.


Until now.


Things are changing. The Axiom Government has caught wind of an immune and will stop at nothing to hunt them down. Amrey must leave, but it will have a cost.

Unsure who to trust, she finds herself drawn to a boy, whose wit and charm may be more of a distraction than she can handle. And when confronted by a figure of her past, Amrey must deal with a shocking truth she wasn't prepared for. And make a choice that could change everything.]]> 296 Madison Rose 1914471067 Iulia 0 to-read 3.35 2022
author: Madison Rose
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214537350 A romantic fantasy where a young witch seeks her freedom by forging a deal with Death...

A young witch forced to play concubine for her empirical captor, finally breaks free to find a life of her own, but even those with the power to call Death cannot outrun their past��


All witches must serve the cruel and immortal Emperor Yacatl. But after four years of terror and abuse, Khana not only kills one of his favorite courtiers with her magic, but also discovers the secret of his power and he’s been making deals with Death. And now, so is she.

Armed with magic that she doesn’t fully understand, Khana flees the empire and stumbles into a small mountain town filled with fierce warriors that ostracize her for being a witch, despite using her abilities to heal their sick and injured. There, her magic and courage are put to the test as she is forced to stop running and fight back against the emperor that wants her dead.

But every deal she makes with Death takes another piece of her soul. And there’s only so much Khana can give before she turns into the very monster she’s trying to destroy.]]> 500 C.M. Alongi 1915998549 Iulia 3 4.00 2025
author: C.M. Alongi
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 205809680 No, Odette could never belong in Ocovielle. She belonged to another world entirely, to the Lands of Everlasting Change, where it was said that the earth was as conscious as its fauna, the rivers flowed with milk, trees oozed with honey, and the fair folk celebrated with revels night after night. She wanted to see it more than anything in the world.

One day soon, she’d make her way there, to the realm of Faery. She'd fight tooth and nail through her stepfather’s chevaliers de fer, no matter how harsh the battle. The iron-armoured guards would fall easily beneath her blade, vanquished in her fervour. She’d bear past the cursed iron gates and finally, finally, escape. Doubtless, her stepfather would send a hundred men after her, but what of it? When that day came, Odette would be ready.

--

When Odette's brother is whisked away to the Lands of Everlasting Change by a faerie, she must escape from her stepfather's iron prison and find her way there to rescue him. Along the way, she enlists the help of a speedster thief, a trickster faerie and a blue pixie. Together, they journey through treacherous human-infested lands, discovering life-altering secrets of their pasts.]]> 350 Talia Devereaux Iulia 0 to-read 3.57
author: Talia Devereaux
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.57
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 201496628 S., J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst conceived of a multi-layered novel-within-a-novel that involves handwritten notes in the margins and physical objects slipped between the pages. Because an audio edition is unable to recreate those innately visual pieces of the story and the intended experience of S., the text of Ship of Theseus has been recorded here. Award-winning actor Graeme Malcolm reads the work of an incendiary novelist who may never have existed at all.

What is Ship of Theseus, and who is its mysterious author V.M. Straka? Conceived by filmmaker J.J. Abrams and written by acclaimed novelist Doug Dorst, Ship of Theseus is the central novel within the experience that is S., a multi-faceted narrative of love and mystery. Ship of Theseus is at its core and is the final book written by a man shrouded in deception and violence.

It tells the mystical adventure of an equally mysterious figure, who is struggling to discover his own identity. Abducted onto the eponymous ship, the main character is swept into a story that spans oceans and ports, mountains and caves, capitals and citadels. Two things sustain his lifelong search for his love, Sola; and the infernal purpose of the ship and its crew. Equal parts Kafka and Lovecraft, Ship of Theseus is both a frightening adventure and a philosophical treasure hunt.]]> V.M. Straka Iulia 0 to-read 3.79
author: V.M. Straka
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.79
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 203579027
After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt�� she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.

Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn't know is that he's the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.]]> 547 Mary E. Pearson 1250367573 Iulia 0 currently-reading 3.69 2024
author: Mary E. Pearson
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 206305528
But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride��) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.]]> 404 Bonnie Garmus Iulia 0 to-read 4.24 2022
author: Bonnie Garmus
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 11422
Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.

Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything, Michael Hosea obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation until, despite her resistance her frozen heart begins to thaw.

But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she can no longer deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael Hosea does…the One who will never let her go.

A life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.
--back cover]]> 479 Francine Rivers Iulia 1
Later edit: After thinking about it a bit more, I'll give it 1 ��. The writing style can't make up for: justification of rape &abuse (and making the FMC forgive her abuser as a sign of accepting God), objectifying& manipulating women (MMC profiting of the health state of the FMC to marry her and take her to his farm) and "taming" a female character to in order to achieve a redemption arc (FMC isn't allowed to have any of her previous personality traits and becomes a passive, impressionable wife)
Everything only shows that it's a man would and women can never be free.
The FMC only wanted freedom and space, which the MMC could have offered, if he really were the good & patient Christian man he claims he is, but his lust and greed - disguised as god words apparently - stood in the way. Instead of building homes and offering land to random people, he could've build some little something for her to live alone, while still giving her some jobs to do, as a way for her to earn some money. Refusing to offer her that freedom (and working her like a dog for his benefit) he is not redeemable to me. He never acknowledges his mistake, playing the pious man that carries a huge burden.
Sorry. Not my cup of tea.

To use some booktok/bookstagram lingo, the misunderstanding trope and third act breakup (well, one of many, but still) make an appearance, fyi. Other tropes are reverse sunshine- grump and reverse touch her and you die (meaning he is still like a brother with her rapist).

It's obvious I won't read another "Christian" book]]> 4.51 1991
author: Francine Rivers
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.51
book published: 1991
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/23
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves:
review:
Beside the obvious problematic things, the writing style is really nice and has a good flow.

Later edit: After thinking about it a bit more, I'll give it 1 ��. The writing style can't make up for: justification of rape &abuse (and making the FMC forgive her abuser as a sign of accepting God), objectifying& manipulating women (MMC profiting of the health state of the FMC to marry her and take her to his farm) and "taming" a female character to in order to achieve a redemption arc (FMC isn't allowed to have any of her previous personality traits and becomes a passive, impressionable wife)
Everything only shows that it's a man would and women can never be free.
The FMC only wanted freedom and space, which the MMC could have offered, if he really were the good & patient Christian man he claims he is, but his lust and greed - disguised as god words apparently - stood in the way. Instead of building homes and offering land to random people, he could've build some little something for her to live alone, while still giving her some jobs to do, as a way for her to earn some money. Refusing to offer her that freedom (and working her like a dog for his benefit) he is not redeemable to me. He never acknowledges his mistake, playing the pious man that carries a huge burden.
Sorry. Not my cup of tea.

To use some booktok/bookstagram lingo, the misunderstanding trope and third act breakup (well, one of many, but still) make an appearance, fyi. Other tropes are reverse sunshine- grump and reverse touch her and you die (meaning he is still like a brother with her rapist).

It's obvious I won't read another "Christian" book
]]> 211998948 Two kingdoms on the brink of battle. One prophesied empress to unite them, who finds herself caught between two princes, and the fact that love alone may not stop the coming war. A thrilling romantasy from the bestselling author of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods.

"Beautifully written and brimming with defiance."
—Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow

*The first edition hardcover of The Nightblood Prince will feature stunning decorative sprayed edges!*

Two princes. One prophecy. A fate she cannot outrun.

The night Fei was born, a prophecy was made: she would one day become the Empress of All Empresses.

Torn from her family as a child and raised in the palace to one day marry the Crown Prince of the most powerful empire in the land, Fei has only ever known loneliness. When the opportunity arises to seize her own destiny for the first time in her life, Fei sets out to hunt a legendary tiger, knowing it might cost her everything. What she doesn’t expect is to fall under the mercy of Yexue, the beautiful runaway prince from a rival kingdom. Blessed by the night, harboring a dangerous magic, and capable of commanding an army of deadly vampires, Yexue could be the key to Fei gaining more than just her freedom.

But to outrun destiny, Fei must spark a wave of events that will change the world as she knows it. Torn between two princes and plagued by nightmares of bloodshed, she finds that the stars might be more inescapable—and more irresistible—than she ever considered before. . . .]]> Molly X. Chang Iulia 0 to-read 4.49 2025
author: Molly X. Chang
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217421173 In this Latinx YA fantasy inspired by El Zorro, Lola de La Peña becomes the masked heroine ��������������ó�� in order to save her family and town from a man who would destroy it for the magic it contains...if she doesn't fall in love with one of his men first.

Lola de La Peña yearns to be free from the societal expectations of a young Mexican lady of her station. She spends her days pretending to be delicate and proper while watching her mamá cure the sick and injured with sal negra (black salt), a recently discovered magic that heals even the most mortal of sicknesses and wounds. But by night, she is ��������������ó��, the free-spirit lady vigilante protecting the town of Coloma from those who threaten its peace and safety among the rising tension in Alta California after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

But one night, a woman races into Coloma, barely alive, to tell the horrifying tale of how her town was obliterated by sal roja, a potent, deadly magic capable of obliterating anything it comes into contact with and the man who wields it: Damien Hernández. And when Hernández arrives the next day with a party of fifty strong and promises of returning Alta California to México, Lola knows it’s only a matter of time before he brings the region under his rule—all Hernández needs is the next full moon and the stolen, ancient amulet he carries to mine enough sal roja to conquer the land. Determined to protect everything she loves, Lola races against time as ��������������ó�� to stop his plans. What she didn’t count on was the distracting and infuriating Alejandro, who travels with Hernández but doesn't seem to share his ambitions. With the stakes higher than ever and Hernández getting closer to his goals, Lola will do anything to foil his plans, even teaming up with Alejandro—who she doesn’t fully trust, but can’t help but fall in love with.]]> 336 Sandra Proudman 1250895081 Iulia 0 to-read 3.70 2025
author: Sandra Proudman
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 218460320 A heroine like no other, ancient magic unleashed, a fated epic battle--the first book in an enchanting YA fantasy duology inspired by Vietnamese lore, weaving magic, sisterhood, and self-discovery.

Jolie Lam, a high school sophomore in San Jose, is known for two her bizarre freakout at last year’s swim meet and her fortuneteller grandfather with visions of dragons and earthquakes. Friendless and ostracized, Jolie's life takes a dramatic turn for the better when she saves the school's it-girl, Huong Pham, during a haunting vision of her own. Taken under Huong's wing, Jolie's world transforms, in more ways than one.

As Jolie and Huong's bond deepens, they unlock long lost telepathic abilities, fluency in Vietnamese, and eerie premonitions. This leads them to a shocking they are the reincarnates of legendary queens and goddesses, the Trung Sisters. While a thrilling discovery, it also sets them on a perilous journey.

The girls must navigate dreams and portals to piece together their past lives and reclaim their immortal elements before their ancient enemies strike again. But all is not what it seems, and Jolie must determine friend from foe, truth from lie, and ultimately��right from wrong in this battle for all she loves and the fate of the world.]]> 368 Aimee Phan 0593697332 Iulia 0 to-read 3.63 2025
author: Aimee Phan
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211479192 A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones—those who are lost—will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop’s new owner to find it ransacked, the shop’s most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana’s father and the stolen choice—by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds.

But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own—and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back.]]> 384 Samantha Sotto Yambao 0593724992 Iulia 4 Cute 3.78 2025
author: Samantha Sotto Yambao
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:
Cute
]]> 210821193
Doch in der Realität wohnt er mit seiner Mutter zusammen in einem Londoner Vorort. Lange geht er den Weg des geringsten Widerstands, bis er an einen Pubkt gelangt, an dem er sich entscheiden muss, ob sich nicht doch ein Stück Abenteuer ins Dasein retten lässt.
��
»Ein wunderschönes Buch mit einem der überraschendsten Enden der Literaturgeschichte.« Volker Weidermann

»Brillant.« THE NEW YORK TIMES]]> 401 Anita Brookner 3961612099 Iulia 2 dnf 2.78 1989
author: Anita Brookner
name: Iulia
average rating: 2.78
book published: 1989
rating: 2
read at: 2024/08/03
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: dnf
review:
Fever dream vibes but not in a good way :(
]]> 40864002 ASIN B08H831J18 moved to the more recent edition

Centuries before, robots of Panga gained self-awareness, laid down their tools, wandered, en masse into the wilderness, never to be seen again. They faded into myth and urban legend.

Now the life of the tea monk who tells this story is upended by the arrival of a robot, there to honor the old promise of checking in. The robot cannot go back until the question of "what do people need?" is answered. But the answer to that question depends on who you ask, and how. They will need to ask it a lot. Chambers' series asks: in a world where people have what they want, does having more matter?]]> 151 Becky Chambers Iulia 0 to-read 4.25 2021
author: Becky Chambers
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 219149549
Victoria, haunted by vivid dreams that seem more premonition than fantasy, discovers with Alice a diary hidden away, revealing a series of unexplained murders that stain the village's past. This discovery sets them on a treacherous path, unearthing an ancient malevolence long buried but not forgotten, now awakened with a vengeance that threatens to engulf not just the sisters but the entire village.

Alice, propelled by a fierce desire for retribution, embarks on a daring journey into Snowshill's underbelly, using her intelligence and charm to navigate the perilous realms of deceit and danger. Her quest for vengeance transforms into a high-stakes game of deception, where every choice could be fatal, and the truth is as elusive as the shadows at dusk.

As the sisters dive deeper into the village's dark history, they find themselves ensnared in a cycle of history doomed to repeat itself, unless they can break free. With each twist and turn, Victoria and Alice confront their fears, their bonds tested as they face adversaries both human and otherworldly.

The Bridge of Fire is not just a journey into the heart of a mystery; it is a gripping exploration of the strength found in sisterhood, the price of truth, and the courage required to face the unknown. As destiny plays its cruel and kind hands, Victoria and Alice learn that some secrets carry a weight too heavy for the living, and the quest for truth might lead them to a fate worse than death.

In the end, one haunting question Who will survive to tell the tale of Snowshill? With an unforgettable blend of suspense, supernatural elements, and emotional depth, this novel promises to keep readers enthralled until the very last page.]]> 451 Maria Karamanou 9925792916 Iulia 0 to-read 3.60
author: Maria Karamanou
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.60
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 194746 No Longer Human, this leading postwar Japanese writer's second novel, tells the poignant and fascinating story of a young man who is caught between the breakup of the traditions of a northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas. In consequence, he feels himself "disqualified from being human" (a literal translation of the Japanese title).

Donald Keene, who translated this and Dazai's first novel, The Setting Sun, has said of the author's work: "His world �� suggests Chekhov or possibly postwar France, �� but there is a Japanese sensibility in the choice and presentation of the material. A Dazai novel is at once immediately intelligible in Western terms and quite unlike any Western book." His writing is in some ways reminiscent of Rimbaud, while he himself has often been called a forerunner of Yukio Mishima.

Cover painting by Noe Nojechowiz, from the collection of John and Barbara Duncan; design by Gertrude Huston]]> 176 Osamu Dazai Iulia 0 3.99 1948
author: Osamu Dazai
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.99
book published: 1948
rating: 0
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 17289912 240 Danilo Kiš 9734607162 Iulia 0 to-read 3.27 1983
author: Danilo Kiš
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.27
book published: 1983
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 219446158 A breathtaking romantic fantasy inspired by Beauty and the Beast about a girl who paints the future and a cursed dragon lord, bound by love and deception in a plot to bring down the gods.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes!

Truyan Saigas didn't choose to become a con artist, but after her father is lost at sea, it’s up to her to support her mother and two younger sisters. A gifted art forger, Tru has the unique ability to paint the future, but even such magic is not enough to put her family back together again, or stave off the gangsters demanding payment in blood for her mother’s gambling debts.

Left with few options, Tru agrees to a marriage contract with a mysterious dragon lord. He offers a fresh start for her mother and sisters and elusive answers about her father's disappearance, but in exchange, she must join him in his desolate undersea palace. And she must assist him in a plot to infiltrate the tyrannical Dragon King's inner circle, painting a future so treasonous, it could upend both the mortal and immortal realms. . . .]]> 483 Elizabeth Lim 0593650638 Iulia 0 to-read 4.48 2025
author: Elizabeth Lim
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61612864
A girl has spent hers in a tiny settlement out on the Dust where nightmares stalk and no one goes.

The world has never even noticed them. That's about to change.

Their stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time. This is a tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another. A journey on which knowledge erodes certainty, and on which, though the pen may be mightier than the sword, blood will be spilled and cities burned.]]> 559 Mark Lawrence 0593437918 Iulia 5
I don't know if I'll read the next one tho]]> 3.93 2023
author: Mark Lawrence
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/14
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves:
review:
Great book! I loved the idea

I don't know if I'll read the next one tho
]]> 211510081 Notes from a Regicide is a heartbreaking story of trans self-discovery with a rich relatability and a science-fictional twist from award-winning author Isaac Fellman.

When your parents die, you find out who they really were.

Griffon Keming’s second parents saved him from his abusive family. They taught him how to be trans, paid for his transition, and tried to love him as best they could. But Griffon’s new parents had troubles of their own �� both were deeply scarred by the lives they lived before Griffon, the struggles they faced to become themselves, and the failed revolution that drove them from their homeland. When they died, they left an unfillable hole in his heart.

Griffon’s best clue to his parents�� lives is in his father’s journal, written from a jail cell while he awaited execution. Stained with blood, grief, and tears, these pages struggle to contain the love story of two artists on fire. With the journal in hand, Griffon hopes to pin down his relationship to these wonderful and strange people for whom time always seemed to be running out.

In Notes from a Regicide, a trans family saga set in a far-off, familiar future, Isaac Fellman goes beyond the concept of found family to examine how deeply we can be healed and hurt by those we choose to love.]]> 336 Isaac Fellman 1250329116 Iulia 0 to-read 4.17 2025
author: Isaac Fellman
name: Iulia
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61686012 “Now and then, language would thrust its way into her sleep like a skewer through meat, startling her awake several times a night.��

In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight.

Soon the two discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it’s the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages, and the fear of losing his independence.

Greek Lessons tells the story of two ordinary people brought together at a moment of private anguish—the fading light of a man losing his vision meeting the silence of a woman who has lost her language. Yet these are the very things that draw them to each other. Slowly the two discover a profound sense of unity—their voices intersecting with startling beauty, as they move from darkness to light, from silence to breath and expression.

Greek Lessons is the story of the unlikely bond between this pair and a tender love letter to human intimacy and connection—a novel to awaken the senses, one that vividly conjures the essence of what it means to be alive.]]> 192 Han Kang 0593595270 Iulia 0 to-read 3.54 2011
author: Han Kang
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.54
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When Agamemnon, the brutal political leader of the Greek forces, demands Briseis for himself, she finds herself caught between the two most powerful of the Greeks. Achilles refuses to fight in protest, and the Greeks begin to lose ground to their Trojan opponents. Keenly observant and coolly unflinching about the daily horrors of war, Briseis finds herself in an unprecedented position, able to observe the two men driving the Greek army in what will become their final confrontation, deciding the fate not only of Briseis's people but also of the ancient world at large.

Briseis is just one among thousands of women living behind the scenes in this war—the slaves and prostitutes, the nurses, the women who lay out the dead—all of them erased by history. With breathtaking historical detail and luminous prose, Pat Barker brings the teeming world of the Greek camp to vivid life. She offers nuanced, complex portraits of characters and stories familiar from mythology, which, seen from Briseis's perspective, are rife with newfound revelations. Barker's latest builds on her decades-long study of war and its impact on individual lives—and it is nothing short of magnificent.]]> 325 Pat Barker Iulia 0 to-read 3.88 2018
author: Pat Barker
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.88
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Sophocles' Oedipus Rex has never been surpassed for the raw and terrible power with which its hero struggles to answer the eternal question, "Who am I?" The play, a story of a king who acting entirely in ignorance kills his father and marries his mother, unfolds with shattering power; we are helplessly carried along with Oedipus towards the final, horrific truth.

To make Oedipus more accessible for the modern reader, our Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Classics includes a glossary of the more difficult words, as well as convenient sidebar notes to enlighten the reader on aspects that may be confusing or overlooked. We hope that the reader may, through this edition, more fully enjoy the beauty of the verse, the wisdom of the insights, and the impact of the drama.]]> 75 Sophocles 1580495931 Iulia 0 to-read 3.73 -429
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]]> 59366193 All’s Well That Ends Well, the play that promised and cost her everything, she faces a mutinous cast hellbent on staging Macbeth instead. Miranda sees her chance at redemption slip through her fingers.

That’s when she meets three strange benefactors who have an eerie knowledge of Miranda’s past and a tantalizing promise for her future: one where the show goes on, her rebellious students get what’s coming to them, and the invisible doubted pain that’s kept her from the spotlight is made known.]]> 384 Mona Awad 1982169672 Iulia 0 to-read 3.78 2021
author: Mona Awad
name: Iulia
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2021
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