
it is a universally acknowledged fact that my favorite FMC archetype is a Ice Queen Bitch with a Heart of Gold (TM). chanel is giving that in spades. ares gets to stay mostly because chanel likes him, tbh.
anyway the plot is very contrived and goofy. this is fully saved purely by the power of the characters and their chemistry. again mostly chanel. because she's perfect. ares is fine too. he wants sooo bad to have her walk him like a dog and i love that for both of them.

cons: -- world building is messy af. it's mostly roman inspired except when it's not. (they have "tailored suits"??? people, including women, wear pants??? turtlenecks exist???????) there's a chess like game called "bock" but then tor refers to chess. so like. do both exist? did editing just miss this? meanwhile we've got names like "suh" and "monroe" and "foreau" and "vestal" because attempting linguistic consistency is for losers ig.
-- kera often has to hold the idiot ball for the plot to work. thank god for her plot armor or she would've died at least three times.
-- i can tell julian is The Bad Guy (TM) and i lowkey hate it. he's a great sidekick who's crucial to humanizing tor, especially in the first half of the book when tor's being a single-minded ass, and he should get to stay that way. telegraphing he's the bad guy robs the inevitable betrayal of its gut punch factor + flattens his character into something much less interesting.
-- at least once i had a "really? right in front of my salad???" @ the romantic progression.
pros: -- literally devoured this in a single evening because it was sooooo fun.
-- i have a weakness for Literal Chosen Ones (TM) with Religious Significance (TM) who are Trying Their Best (TM) and kera is very much that. i also have a weakness for Morally Complicated Sad Boys (TM) with Strict but Incomprehensible Honor Codes (TM) and tor is very much that. so basically they were made for me, your honor.
-- this was compared to knives out but i think a better comparison is glass onion. which is cool because i loved glass onion more than knives out.
-- the enemies to reluctant allies to lovers pipeline actually made sense. tor has a good reason to specifically resent kera. kera doesn't hate tor but is reasonably wary of him given the animosity radiating off him. i get why it's hard for them to trust each other AND i get why they'd be drawn to each other despite that.
-- tor likes to pull kera's hair. no further questions, your honor.
-- i support women's rights and women's wrongs.
-- idk if corland will commit to it, but it's fascinating to read a romantasy that actually tangles with a political set up other than a monarchy. specifically an oligarchy republic that only recently transitioned from a tyrannical absolute monarchy. it's giving "this is bad, but the previous version was worse." god i hope corland doesn't make kera claim the throne in B2. please please please.
harry potter still has a hold on my nostalgia. that said, fuck terfs and don't give rowling more money to pour into her transphobic causes. pirating and second-hand stores exist for a reason.
harry potter still has a hold on my nostalgia. that said, fuck terfs and don't give rowling more money to pour into her transphobic causes. pirating and second-hand stores exist for a reason.
harry potter still has a hold on my nostalgia. that said, fuck terfs and don't give rowling more money to pour into her transphobic causes. pirating and second-hand stores exist for a reason.

merkii finished a book
12w

I Could Give You the Moon
Ann Liang
Everyone loves Chanel Cao—except Ares Yin. While Chanel has spent her entire life curating a picture-perfect social media personality—from her body to her hair to her camera-ready smile—Ares has spent his trying to hide in the shadows. But Ares’s brother is missing, and Chanel’s parents have secretly separated, and their only hope is each other. Ares is willing to do whatever it takes to find his brother, and Chanel will do anything to keep her parents’ secret. When the two meet and share a vision of the future—where Ares’s brother appears, as Chanel’s house burns to the ground—they are determined to use each other. Ares believes Chanel is the key to finding his brother, but Chanel is convinced if she gets Ares to fall in love with her, she’ll save her family house—and her parents’ crumbling marriage. But Ares isn’t interested in the fake personality that Chanel has used her entire life to get affection and adoration. If she’s going to save her reputation, she’s going to have to let Ares get to know the real her—and risk real feelings.

merkii finished a book
12w

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
J.K. Rowling
It is the summer holidays and soon Harry Potter will be starting his fourth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is counting the days: there are new spells to be learnt, more Quidditch to be played, and Hogwarts castle to continue exploring. But Harry needs to be careful - there are unexpected dangers lurking...

merkii TBR'd a book
15w

Storm Breaker (Storm Breaker, #1)
Nisha J. Tuli
From the publisher who brought you Fourth Wing comes your next romantasy obsession...For nineteen-year-old Poet Graves, New Manhattan has always promised safety—if she obeys. Raised within the ruling Houses and betrothed to a powerful heir, she enters Amery Academy knowing her future has already been decided.But Amery is nothing like she imagined. Its trials are brutal, its loyalties conditional, and its rules designed to expose weakness. As Poet struggles to survive, she must hide the truth that could get her the storms don’t fear her—they answer back.When a dangerous outsider from beyond the city walls enters the academy, Poet is drawn to him despite everything she’s been taught to believe. He threatens the life she’s been promised. And choosing him could cost her not just her future, but her freedom.A gripping dystopian romance filled with forbidden power, ruthless challenges, and a heroine who refuses to burn quietly—perfect for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games.

merkii TBR'd a book
15w

Deathbringer (Deathbringer, #1)
Sonia Tagliareni
For fans of Naomi Novik and Kerri Maniscalco, a dark academia romantasy steeped in necromancy, forbidden love, and a twisty murder mystery set within the perilous halls of a magical institute, as a death mage who hates her magic and a poison mage who hates her are forced to work together to stop a killer before one of them is next.Born with the ability to speak with the dead, Viola hates her magic. It killed her sister, Olivia, and if she doesn’t learn why, it will kill her too. Her only hope lies within the perilous walls of Gorhail Institute of Magic, where Olivia spent her final days. There, Viola clashes with Sylas, a poison mage whose magic stems from three magical snakes. Immortal, tormented, and reckless, Sylas is tethered to a life he never asked for and haunted by guilt for his father’s death. His hatred for death mages runs deep, and he’s determined to keep Viola at a distance. But when an attack forces him to heal her, their fates become intertwined by a magical bond that threatens to upend his loyalties—and his common sense. As more students start turning up dead, Viola and Sylas are drawn into an uneasy alliance that pulls them deeper into Gorhail’s treacherous passageways, where secrets fester beneath the stone and the dead do not rest. And as enemy lines begin to blur and their undeniable attraction grows, Viola and Sylas uncover a chilling someone is hunting mages for their magical relics, and if they can’t uncover the killer in time, Viola will be next.

merkii TBR'd a book
15w

Blood Bound (Cursed Covenant, #1)
Ellis Hunter
A debut high-stakes fantasy romance trilogy set against a once-in-a-generation duel to the death between rival witches and dragon riders as they battle to control the source of all magic in their kingdoms. Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, Throne of Glass, and Quicksilver. You duel or you die. Astrid has always known she is destined to die. She is the last Nachstern witch and heir to the Queendom of Arturea, cursed by a centuries-old covenant to duel the heir to the Kingdom of Vatra for the source of all magic: the Heart. And now Astrid’s time is up. She is heading into enemy territory to face Prince Zryan, the most powerful dragon rider in eons, with only her familiar, her potions, and her wits to aid her. She is going to die, and any chance her queendom has of curing the Blight that’s ravaging the lands and killing her people will die with her. Meanwhile, deep in dragon country, Skylar and her travelling troupe arrive in Vatra’s capital, ready to profit off the legions of spectators swarming to the city ahead of the duel. She despises the royals and all they stand for, especially as the King’s guard murdered her mother. But when her best friend disappears, suspected to have been taken in the conscription, her search takes her closer to the royals than she ever could have imagined. As the duel looms over the kingdom, Skylar and Astrid’s fates intertwine. They must battle a growing rebellion, their inner demons, and ultimately, those they love most, to determine if together they will save—or doom—their world.

dnf @ 18%
listen i tried. i utterly adore the concept of this book. the magic is fascinating, the characters are intriguing, the stakes are high.
but in practice, ayinde would let you spend 5-10 pages with a character, then jump to a totally different character not even vaguely tangential to the previous plot or character, and again, ad nauseam. it made the reading experience disorienting at best and frustrating at worst.
i think??? this was meant to keep tension high and the plot moving. imho this particular book would've been better served with longer, slower paced, more deeply written chapters to let us strongly anchor into the story.

merkii DNF'd a book
16w

A Song of Legends Lost
M.H. Ayinde
The first book in the series, A SONG OF LEGENDS LOST, will be published in spring 2025 and launches a gripping tale of revenge and rebellion in a vividly drawn world inspired by multiple pre-colonial cultures. 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.

merkii TBR'd a book
16w

Her Hidden Fire
Cliodhna O'Sullivan
Perfect for fans of Powerless, Lightlark, and Red Queen, this heart-pounding romantasy forces a girl to make an impossible watch the boy she loves get exiled for lack of magic, or pass her formidable powers off as his own. In a world where dragons soar through the skies and magical abilities are an elite privilege, the ruling family of Ailm’s Keep is on a knife-edge: Can their son Ionáin prove that he can channel magic, or will his entire family be cast out in disgrace? Éadha, a servant girl who loves Ionáin, is shocked to discover shortly before the test that she can wield magic herself. It’s extremely rare for a girl to have this talent, especially outside the few great Families. At Ionáin’s moment of truth, when it's clear he is about to fail, Éadha makes a desperate gamble to save him from humiliation by pretending her magic is his, forfeiting her own claim to power. Her decision sends them both to an academy of magic, where she must shield her secret from every grim Master and scheming apprentice—especially the handsome but enigmatic Gry. As Éadha enters this whirlwind of patriarchy, class, heartache, and jealousy, she also learns about magic’s terrible cost—the human price that Channellers willingly pay to maintain their power. How far would you go to empower the one you love?

merkii TBR'd a book
16w

Weavingshaw
Heba Al-Wasity
In this debut gothic fantasy, the first book of an enthralling fantasy romance trilogy, a young woman who can see the dead strikes a deal with a magnetic and dangerous purveyor of dark secrets to save her brother’s life. Three years ago, Leena Al-Sayer awoke with a terrible power. She can see the dead. Since then, she has hidden herself from the world, knowing that if she ever reveals her curse she will be locked away in an asylum. When her beloved brother, Rami, falls fatally ill, Leena is faced with a terrible Let him die or buy the expensive medicine that will save his life by bartering the only valuable thing she has—her secret. The Saint of Silence, a ruthless merchant who trades in confessions and is shrouded in unearthly rumors of cruelty and power, accepts her bargain, for a deadly price. Leena must find the ghost of Percival Avon, the last lord of Weavingshaw—or lose her freedom to the Saint forever. As Leena’s search takes her and the Saint to Weavingshaw, she finds the estate and the surrounding moors to be living things—hungry for blood and sacrifice. Fighting against Weavingshaw’s might, Leena must also fight her growing pull toward the enigmatic Saint himself, whose connection to Percival Avon remains a mystery. As the house begins to entomb them, time is running out on their desperate hunt for answers. For Leena has come to see that here in Weavingshaw, the dead are not hushed—and some secrets are better left buried with them.

merkii TBR'd a book
16w

Deathly Fates
Tesia Tsai
"Rich and wholeheartedly poignant. Deathly Fates sings with profound spirit, exploring the consequences of war and the scars cut by nobility during trying times. An entrancing world that will certainly linger." —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights A sweeping debut inspired by the Chinese folk practice of necromancy, Deathly Fates is perfect for fans of Descendant of the Crane, The Bone Shard Daughter, and A Magic Steeped in Poison. As a corpse-driving priestess, a holy servant paid to guide the deceased home, Kang Siying has never feared death. But when her beloved father collapses due to his declining health, Siying realizes that even she is not free from the cruel grasp of mortality. Desperate to provide her father with the medical aid he needs, Siying accepts a dangerous job that promises a generous commission, and travels to a hostile state to retrieve the corpse of a missing prince. But the moment Siying places her reanimation talisman on the dead prince's head, rather than make the corpse obedient to Siying's commands, the talisman brings the prince back to life. Worse, he won't stay alive for long―not unless he absorbs enough qi, or life force, to keep his soul anchored to his body. In return for a reward worth twice her original commission, Siying agrees to aid the frustratingly handsome prince in finding and purifying evil spirits for their qi. But as they journey across the countryside, encountering vengeful ghosts and enemy spies alike, they gradually uncover dark secrets about the prince's death―secrets that could endanger both Siying's father and their entire kingdom.

merkii TBR'd a book
16w

Half City
Kate Golden
Welcome to Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. Keep your daggers sharp, and your wits even sharper.Viv Abbot is an average twenty-one-year-old girl. She lives in an expensive city where the rent is too high, works long hours at a thankless job, and is dating a guy she doesn’t even like in the hopes of winning her prickly mother’s approval.She also happens to be a demon hunter.Ever since her father's murder, she's been forced to hunt deviants alone, meaning everyone, including her family, sees her as an outsider . . . until the day she crosses paths with a dangerously alluring demon, Reid Graveheart. The reformed deviant tells her of a school for people just like Harker Academy for Deviant Defense. If she enrolls, she'll learn to hone her craft, work with other hunters, and never be alone again.But Viv has a deadly secret. One that not even her new friends at Harker can know about, not if the school might hold the answers to untangling the mystery surrounding Viv's father’s death. When strange occurrences begin to plague the students, Viv will have to figure out who she can trust, fast, all while trying to ace her classes, avoid falling for a demon, and make it through her first year at Harker in one piece. How hard could that be?

merkii TBR'd a book
16w

If All the Stars Go Dark
S.G. Prince
When eighteen-year-old Keller Hartman is recruited into the Legion’s most prestigious galactic unit, it’s a dream come true. He's worked hard for this. He’s ready to prove himself. The problem? His new partner—the beautiful, no-nonsense pilot Lament Bringer—wants nothing to do with him. Forced to work together under Legion orders, Keller and Lament team up with a motley crew of specialists to investigate a mysterious visionary who can predict catastrophes. As they begin to peel back layers, however, they realize there's more to the story than meets the eye. With threats mounting and secrets unfolding, Keller and Lament will need to trust one another in order to stop the dangers at play. But with trust comes other feelings—ones neither of them is prepared for. With the fate of the universe hanging in the balance, the only thing worse than failing their mission might just be losing each other.