Deina is an adept soul severer, serving in the House of Hades to help ferry souls to the Underworld for the God, but she longs to escape, and see the world, rather than be trapped in a life she can't stand, surrounded by men who deem themselves better than her, purely for her gender. However, to give her even a year off her indenture, she has to complete certain rites, ones that could damage more than her body, but her soul and mind too, reliving the lives, regrets, and pain of the souls she helps move on, can be just as traumatising and heavy to bear, as the rite itself.

So when the King of Thebes himself, Orpheus the Tyrant, visits the House of Hades with a task for a team of severers to go to the Underworld and bring back his beloved wife, Eurydice, from the dead, with the chance of freedom and riches beyond Deina's wildest dreams, it's an offer she can't refuse, even if it does go against every part of her creed, and could lead to her death.

Deina is fierce, stubborn, impulsive and fiery, she takes the little rebellions where she can, as such, she's a bold thief with a gritty and relentless attitude, ensuring she still has some kind of control over a life dictated to her. Deina has an intense thirst to prove herself, especially against the other men determined to undermine and poke holes in every decision or choice she makes.

Y'all know I love a story that has Death as a prominent character, so I ran to pick this up. I was intrigued by the vivid world-building that feels like stepping through the pages into Ancient Greece, and rich, compelling and refreshing lore. This story gives a thrilling, intriguing and unique twist on the Greek Gods, and the myths surrounding them. It's a slow burn though, it takes it's time setting the scene and getting to know the world, it's history and the characters themselves, it's clear how much research and love has gone into creating such a vast and deeply intricate story.

However... I ended uo DNFing at 67%.. I know, I'm just as surprised as you are. It's got everything I normally adore, the Underworld, Greek Mythology, and gods, an epic quest inside the Underworld with intense and nail-biting stakes, and plot twists galore, but something big was missing for me. It started off so so good, the ideas and premise were compelling, but as the story developed, I found myself connecting less with the characters who ended up feeling a little fickle and confusing, and I just found my interest declining rapidly.

People tend to fear what they don’t understand. And fear can far too easily become hatred.

When Quinton Peters, local golden boy, and Ivy League extraordinaire, mysteriously disappears, his little sister Amari finds herself lost, and obsessed with discovering what happened. Refusing to believe the stories and rumours circulating that he's disappeared, or got himself involved in something illegal, just because they're in the Rosewood housing project. So she decides to dedicate every free moment she has, to investigate this deeper, and her fierce determination and resilience was astounding.

When Amari comes home, she finds a visitor with a gift from her brother, a nomination to try-out at the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs. She soon realises that the world she knows isn't exactly as she thought, the myths and legends in her childhood stories may be much realer than she first imagined, and this could be her ticket to finding her brother and bringing him home.

Thrust into a new world where the same systemic and classist statues run riot, Amari now finds herself competing against some of the most wealthy kids, who've been brought up in the knowledge of both the known and supernatural worlds, to solidify her place and continue her investigation.

Amari is brave, fierce and steadfast in her resolve. I found her inspiring, and a joy to journey alongside. She really goes through it, underestimated at every turn, and treated as less than for coming from a less affluent background, she proves time and time again just how intelligent, resourceful, and strong she really is. I admired her ferocity and unwavering bravery in the face of every obstacle thrust her way. Perpetually curious in spite of all the oppression she's faced at the hands of her peers in both worlds, her perseverance and unwavering kindness was gorgeously explored, and she truly is a force to be reckoned with. I loved seeing her slowly opening up and letting her walls down for certain individuals and forming strong friendships and learning to lean on them, instead of having to hold everything on her own shoulders, which has weighed her down for so long that she's not sure how to shift the weight without falling.

'Amari and the Night Brothers' was an insane story , fantastical and unique, this will sweep you away and immerse you seamlessly into it's gorgeous yet deep lore. Bursting with vivid and vibrant world building, with a diverse and inclusive cast, who go through astounding character development, alongside some beautiful friendships, and raw and complex feelings that radiate through the pages. This is a refreshing take on the magical worlds we've all come to love with a strong and powerful protagonist at the helm. Absolutely brimming with action and compelling prose.

This is a story that explores the strength of individuals, how to cope and manage difficult and intense emotions in healthy ways, and realising that it's okay to not take on every challenge alone, as well as expressing the power of familial love, self-confidence and the importance of friendships and companionship.

Lord of fire, Ares has spent the last two centuries banished from the Underworld by his father, Hades, tasked with protecting the Underworld and the mortal world from daemons, hellbent on breaching the gates alongside his six brothers. Ares leads a life of solitude, unable to form any kind of attachments with mortals with his powers of fire, he's starved of affection, and the physical contact he craves. That is, until one night, whilst chasing a daemon determined to outwit Ares, and breach the gates, Ares unexpectedly rescues Megan, a mortal female with a godly ability to heal.

Whilst protecting her from the daemon, Ares loses his powers, as Megan tries to heal this new handsome warrior, she's suddenly thrust into a god driven world filled with hell spawn, determined to find out more about her powers, and becoming deliciously enraptured in this new knight in shining armour.

This story is very heavy on the describing but with nothing of actual value being portrayed, it didn't add any kind of immersion or allow the scene to be pictured more vividly, it just felt unnecessary. Then there was the action... which was not thrilling in the slightest, it again, felt like a lot happening but nothing of actual substance. I also struggled with keeping up with the narrative, because there's a lot of 'looking at my protector' or random bits of info that feel out of place within the story. It's also hard when there's a group of people in the room to fully understand who the characters are referring to, so it felt overly complex, and is very heavy on the insta-love which I despise.

As you can tell, I ultimately DNF'd this at 43%. I really tried and thought I could power through, but it was just too slow and the plot was lacking massively for me.

In a little retirement village in Kent, a group of four unlikely friends meet up every Thursday to investigate unsolved murders. But when a ruthless murder is committed within the village, the four retirees find themselves in the midst of their first real case.

Elizabeth is the straight-forward, intelligent, and quick witted founder of The Thursday Murder Club. Warm hearted and stubborn, she never let's anything prevent her from achieving her goals, even if her obstacle is the police....and the confidentiality agreement. Elizabeth is astute, observant, and she keeps her mind fresh, determined to outsmart the dementia that has slowly eaten away at the people she held closest. I adore her, I loved her in the second book, and I love her still. She's an absolute, unflappable, powerhouse.

Joyce is sweet, demure and so charmingly kind, but often underestimated by everyone, and is actually incredibly astute. After losing her last group of friends, she finds comfort and a place where she belongs within The Thursday Murder Club. Her diary entries were so entertaining and raw, with some really wonderful and profound reminders to take the good with the bad. She is just so heart-warming and full of compassion and warmth for everyone she meets.

Ron, also known as 'Red Ron' for his short temper, and outspoken and confident persona. There's something about him that just makes me so happy, her sticks up for the people he loves, with both his brawn and his brains. His sarcasm and humorous one liners had me giggling for ages.

Ibrahim, beautifully cool, collected and charming Ibrahim. He brings some levity and humour to every situation, and is so patient and meticulous, with his vast intelligence, especially when it comes to statistics and logic. He's also the most finely tuned to the latest technology, and thus is often the one turned to in various situations. A bookish, research driven retired psychiatrist who questions everything.

DC Donna was a wonderful addition to the cast, strong-headed, and confident, she knows what she wants, and she doesn't take no for an answer. No wonder, her and Elizabeth get on so well, two peas of a pod. Often overlooked for transferring from the met to a smaller, less eventful, police precinct, she finds it hard to get involved in the more gritty and sinister cases, that is, until she makes friends with out powerfully, charismatic Elizabeth, and her Murder Club.

I can't express how warming, hilarious, and engaging this series is. The group are so uniquely British, with their quirky, dry witted humour, and vibrant personalities, who are often overlooked for their age, but kick-ass despite it. They'll have you cackling out loud, and just utterly immersed in them as characters, and that's without the exceptionally twisty and incredible plot that has you reeling.

This story is a journey in so many ways, emotionally and mentally, it's profoundly moving, and heart warming in a way that warms you to your soul, but also breaks your heart. Every time I pick up a Richard Osman book, I hope I'll outwit him by the end, but again, he has outfoxed me. I'm always absolutely stunned and impressed by the way the story flows so seamlessly, every interaction is flawlessly human, and yet it still manages to blow you away with the whodunnit reveal.

Laure has long since coveted becoming an etoile for the Parisian ballet, especially after witnessing their newest and youngest etoile climbing the ranks with incredible speed, and coming from a similar background. However, Laure is thrust into a world where nepotism, money, and fame, outweighs talent, Laure has to work herself to the bon to fight for her place at the centre stage, as the only black girl in a group of rich, white, and overly privileged individuals, Laure is determined to come out on top of this cutthroat and ruthless ballet.

So when prima ballerina herself, Josephine Moreau takes notice of Laure, and invites her to the catacombs to achieve everything she desires, how can she pass up the chance to take charge of her life for the first time, and be the star she knows she deserves to be? Even if it means a little blood sacrifice, and a damning blood river with a steep price to pay.

Laure is resilient and stead-fast in her resolve to be the top in her ballet academy, she's worked so hard to be top in everything, and fights tooth and nail to ensure she's not overlooked by her superiors who are often swayed by tradition and money. However, as the only black girl in her academy, and coming from a poorer background, she is often underestimated and overlooked, and the way her character and their treatment was written in such quiet and subtle, yet impactful ways, just reminds you that racism isn't always loud, but it's always abhorrent and harmful. Laure often struggles to fight her internal thoughts that she's not good enough, it weighs heavily on her every movement, and with very little support or love around her, she must rely on the small acts of self-confidence to push through, and remind herself of how far she's come, and how much she deserves her place here.

In spite of all this though, I did end up DNFing at 43%. I think this is potentially more of a me problem. I just didn't feel the urge to want to pick this up whenever I set it down. The pacing felt odd, and I struggled to persevere through, I just couldn't gel with the story, or feel as emotionally attached as I wanted. It's a dark and gritty story, and I was so sure it would be an immediate 5 stars, a villain origin story with an incredible, strong, and fierce FMC at the helm? immediate yes. It just unfortunately didn't flow as well as I was expecting, and I wasn't sure what was going on from one moment to the next, and just couldn't connect to the characters which disappointed me massively.

“Right, because you were otherwise engaged.” She rolled her eyes. “Wonder what that means.” “Shall I get you a dictionary?”

Persephone is the Goddess of Spring, but ever since she was a little girl, she's struggled to produce life, with flower's shrivelling at her touch. Determined to take control of her life, she begs her mother to send her to the mortal realm, enabling her to finally taste freedom, and live a quiet and independent life as a mortal journalist, far away from the suffocation of the Gods and their powers. Hades, God of Death, has built a gambling empire from the ground up, helping mortals through their afflictions with his impossible and ruthless games. But when a fated encounter leads Persephone into an unwitting contract with the God of Death, she finds the freedom she's long since grasped for, under threat. She must sow life into the Underworld or be Hades new captive.

Persephone is fierce and tenacious, she longs for adventure and craves darkness, tending to put herself in dangerous and unprecedented situations just for the taste of it. She's docile, compassionate, and warm on the surface, but she has a fire underneath, threatening to burn it's way through her towards anyone who underestimates her or oversteps their place. At times she's maybe a little naive, and allows her opinions to cloud her judgements, getting involved in things that she knows very little about, but I loved how empowering and fierce she is, I also adored seeing her grow into her confidence and allowing herself to be put first, plus her wit and banter with others is hilarious.

Hades..

is something else... dark, broody and tortured, with a soft side he likes to keep hidden underneath his ruthless and impassable exterior. He's absolutely delicious, witty, and full of absolutely giddying dirty talk.

I will also ALWAYS be here for Hecate being the only one bad-ass enough to humble the immoveable God of Death. What a queen.

'A Touch of Darkness' is a modern day retelling of Hades and Persephone, mainly set in the mortal realm, with some overlap into the Underworld. As someone who hasn't read a vast array of Hades x Persephone retellings, I found this really refreshing and unique. I loved the way so many Gods were interwoven throughout the story giving it new depths. I literally flew through this book and didn't want to put it down.

The tension is fire, and it made me so giddy, I was giggling and kicking my feet in the air. I was concerned it was going to be too insta-lovey for me, but luckily, it was more insta-lust which is way more believable, if there's no insta-love haters in the world, I'm dead. I found the writing smooth, and compelling, even if it's not particularly complex, there's something in this book, because even when I put it down to eat, I was just wanting to pick it back up again. This story was atmospheric, vivid and I'm so excited to continue the saga.

Nora is at the top of her career, a revered and intimidating literary agent, she's worked hard from the ground up to make a name for herself that is entirely her own. However, when it comes to dating, things feel like a never ending perpetually draining cycle for her, feeling like your typical villainess girlfriend cliché, in a small town romance, she finds herself the in-between girlfriend until they find someone else. So, when Nora's sister Libby invites her to spend her one month off work a year, in the small town of Sunshine Falls, she takes the risk, only to find herself continuously bumping into her work nemesis, the alluringly, dry witted, editor who has a knack for creating bestsellers, Charlie Lastra.

Nora was so much fun, she's hard-headed, ambitious, and career driven. She's worked tooth and ail to achieve her successes and all so she has a life that is hers, that no man can take away from her. Nora feels things deeply, but struggles to process and emote them externally, burying them deep under the mountain of work she spends her life revolving around. However, feelings find a way to be expressed whether we like it or not, and Nora still grieves her mother desperately. After taking on the role as legal guardian for her younger sister Libby, she now finds it difficult to separate the maternal side to their relationship and the sisterly side. Libby is everything to Nora, and with something pulling Libby away from her, she's desperate to patch up that gap and get them back in synch, and this month long getaway could be the cure.

Nora has sacrificed so much to protect her sister, giving up her dream job, in fear of going back to the pain of living pay check to pay check, the trauma from her past dictates so much of her choices. Fiercely protective of those she holds dear, and defiant in everything she does, Nora's banter with Charlie is scintillating and entertaining. Seeing her letting herself be vulnerable, impulsive, and finding some levity from the world that crushes her daily was really beautiful.

Libby, Nora's sister was so refreshingly compassionate, kind and full of heart. She's a gentle soul who just needs a break from the chaos of being a mum to two small children with a third of the way. Determined to push Nora out of her comfort zone, reminding her of all she's capable of, and how strong she is, she's an absolute ray of sunshine with a fiery streak.

Charlie Lastra...

is a dry-witted, grumpy yet charismatic, hunk of a man. He's sarcastic and witty, and his banterous interactions and cocky manner with Nora was honestly electrifying. Organised and meticulous, Charlie loves to unpick everything, and find out what makes it tick. including Nora. Underneath this cocky bravado though, is a sweet and gentle man, who's come home to help take a load off his family. He has a way of burrowing deeply into your heart, with his self-deprecating jokes, and astute observations. Charlie is quiet but actively listens and tell me if there's anything hotter than that?!? He truly sees Nora for who she is underneath her obstinate and unflappably intimidating exterior to the person who refuses to let herself feel and do what she dreams of because of her past.

Nora and Charlie find kindred spirits in each other, finding a home and vulnerability they've never felt capable of exuding before. Two lonely people, desperate to be enough, and always feeling like they should be doing more, but together they truly see each other and love each other through the flaws, and the agony and pain, they've faced. It was so wholesome and gorgeous to witness.

'Book Lovers' was a delicious romance that was so light, entertaining and addictive. I couldn't put it down, the characters felt so raw, and fully realised, each figuring themselves out, which was refreshing, and the story was a beautiful reminder that nobody really knows what they're doing in this life, and that's okay. Their feelings were palpable and the tension was slow but fiery, and the growth and development was incredible, all set in a wholesome, quaint, small vibrant little town bursting with personality and warmth. This had me feeling all the feels, and to be able to write a romance so palpable and evocative is insane to me. I loved everything about this story and the characters.