What To Expect - - 'The Forests of Silence' is the first in a fantasy/adventure Middle Grade series. It is a quest story and has a lot of puzzles and riddles.

My Feelings - - I adore these books! This is the series that got baby Goosie into reading and they will forever hold such a special place in my heart.

The writing is great, they hold up over time, and the plot is so clever. The characters and their friendships make me so happy!

This first book has a lot of set up, but all the individual books are very short so you will quickly more through into the action.

Recommendation - - If you like fantasy Middle Grade, quest stories, puzzles and riddles, and found family - this is for you!

5 ⭐️ = this is an all time favourite, a window into my soul

What To Expect - - 'Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil' is a toxic sapphic vampire story that follows several women though different times in history.

My Feelings - - This felt like an indulgent treat, a drawn out turn through the gardens, and a cautionary tale - all in one.

This has gorgeous prose, compelling characters, and women doing terrible things - I loved it. I am usually not a huge fan of multiple timelines, so the fact that I enjoyed this so much is saying something. I think this would hit even harder for someone who loves those sort of stories, for sure!

Recommendation - - If you don't mind someone taking a little while to get to the 'point' of the story and love toxic sapphic vampire, this book is for you!

4 ⭐️ = amazing story, this will stick in my mind

What To Expect - - 'Babel' is a standalone historical fantasy & dark academia novel that spends a lot of time talking about colonialism and translation.

My Feelings - - This was my second time reading Babel, and I did not enjoy it as much as the first time. This book has something to say, and says it really well, but I felt that there was not a lot to hold and engage me for a re-read. The themes are well crafted (if a bit heavy handed), and the knowledge and research that went into it is very impressive.

Unfortunately when it came to the characters, I found myself mentally bouncing off of them. I couldn't sink into their lives and enjoy this book as a story. It felt like an interesting class rather than a story to escape into.

The beginning and the end of the narrative did grab me, but I found myself not enjoying the middle as much.

Overall this is a great book and I am really glad I read it, but once was probably enough for me and I didn't need to read it again.

Recommendation - - If you like dark academia, stories with strong messaging, and love learning - this could be the book for you!

3.5 ⭐️ = great story, i’m glad i read this