BOOKS | Review: Tales of a Monstrous Heart by Jennifer Delaney

Name: Tales of a Monstrous Heart (Tales of a Monstrous Heart #1)

Author: Jennifer Delaney

Publisher: Gollancz

Date published: August 2024

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, romance, gothic, academia

Pages: 468

Rating: 4/5

Be careful of the dark and those that call it friend.
Katherine Woodrow is Fey, and all she wants is to graduate from the Institute of Magic. But when the prejudiced mortal council threaten her position at the institute, she is left with only one option: accept a Mage Partnership with the elusive Lord Blackthorn.
Emrys Blackthorn is a riddle Kat is fearful of solving. The mysterious, cursed war hero with his stormy eyes and unpredictable ways leaves Kat with more questions than answers. What she does know is that she is irresistibly drawn to him... No matter how forbidden it might be.
When a string of murders and fey disappearances herald the return of dark magic, Kat and Emrys are thrown into a world of ancient books that hide hideous monsters, dark fiends who play with nightmares and mortal men who wish nothing more than to see them both burn.
But what haunts them both are secrets even ghosts dare not whisper, while insidious shadows lick their teeth and sharpen their claws, waiting for the moment that all tales will come to light - even the monstrous ones. 

- From Goodreads. 

This book had a wonderfully intense atmosphere, it was very gothic, with a lot of sinister details. I thought the world-building and magic system were fascinating and the magic especially made for some thrilling moments.

Katherine and Emrys were both intriguing characters and I think their dynamic was very compelling and it was exciting to follow their relationship and see it grow and change as they got closer. Both of them had their secrets and mysteries, so it was interesting to see them decide if they could trust each other and tell each other the truth.

My only real problem with the book was that it felt like it could have used another round of editing. There were some quite easy to spot grammar mistakes, but it was more that it felt like some descriptions and explanations of events were hard to understand, and I also could not always follow why characters were unhappy with each other or how they had reached certain conclusions. It seemed like with a little more time spent on the editing, these bumps in the story could have been smoothed out. 

Overall though, I still enjoyed the book and found myself speeding through it quite quickly. I was eager to find out how the mysteries unravelled and I was invested in the romance. I will definitely be picking up the next book. I would recommend this if you like Howl's Moving Castle, Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson, and stories with sentient houses and dark, gothic romance. 

BOOKS | Review: The Book of Gold by Ruth Frances Long

Name: The Book of Gold (The Feral Gods #1)

Author: Ruth Frances Long 

Publisher: Hodderscape

Date published: November 2024

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, historical, romance

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5

There's only one thing notorious thief Lyta loves more than a big her little brother, Kit. But when Kit is arrested for producing seditious pamphlets, he stands to lose not only his printing press, but possibly his life.
In exchange for her brother's freedom, Lyta strikes a daring bargain with the king - she will steal the infamous Book of a mysterious manuscript reputed to be hiding vast magical power within.
It's just the kind of challenge Lyta relishes, but she didn't bargain for a secretive scholar, her brother's interference, or the return of handsome and brooding Captain Sylvian Chant, once her lover and partner in crime, now an incorruptible royal bodyguard...

- From Goodreads. 

The story of this book was a great adventure, it almost didn't give you a moment to catch your breath! It had a very fun heist plot line, and a wonderful collection of characters to form the heist crew.

I enjoyed that as the story went on there continued to be mysteries and twists and surprises in the plot, it definitely kept me on my toes. Ben's storyline was fascinating with his connection to the gods, and I thought the way his relationship developed with Kit was very sweet.

Meanwhile Sylvian and Lyta's second-chance romance was intense in a great way, with so much tension and both of them struggling to come to terms with their past and yet still caring for each other so much. Sylvian's backstory of what had happened to him while he and Lyta had been apart was so compelling and heartbreaking.

I think the only problem I had with the book was Lyta being stubborn to the point where it became a bit frustrating at times. I don't mind when characters have flaws and aren't perfect of course, as it makes them more realistic and sometimes quite relatable, but it's also great to see them grow and change and Lyta's parts of the book could be difficult to read when you thought she was learning and had come to a realisation about something but then she would go back to thinking or acting the same way she did at the beginning of the book. I only felt this frustration a few times throughout the book though and most of the time I still liked her as much as the other characters.

Overall, this was a thrilling and intriguing book and I will definitely be reading the next one as I am curious to find out what will happen with all the characters and especially with Lyta and Sylvian's relationship. 

BOOKS | Review: Labyrinth's Heart by M.A. Carrick

Name: Labyrinth's Heart (Rook & Rose #3)

Author: M.A. Carrick

Publisher: Orbit

Date published: August 2023

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy

Pages: 632

Rating: 5/5 

May you see the face and not the mask.
Ren came to Nadežra with a plan. She would pose as the long-lost daughter of the noble house Traementis. She would secure a fortune for herself and her sister. And she would vanish without a backward glance. She ought to have known that in the city of dreams, nothing is ever so simple.
Now, she is Ren, con-artist and thief. But she is also Renata, the celebrated Traementis heir. She is Arenza, the mysterious pattern-reader and political rebel. And she is the Black Rose, a vigilante who fights alongside the legendary Rook.
Even with the help of Grey Serrado and Derossi Vargo, it is too many masks for one person to wear. And as the dark magic the three of them helped unleash builds to storm that could tear the very fabric of the city apart, it's only a matter of time before one of the masks slips - and everything comes crashing down around them.

- From Goodreads. 

This was a really fantastic third and final book in the Rook & Rose trilogy. It really kept up the tension and surprises right to the end and the ending wrapped up everything perfectly. With each book I've thought I knew what we were leading towards for the climax, but usually what I think is going to happen at the end happens halfway through and then the book takes you on a completely unexpected journey! It made things very exciting!

The books also did a great job of having a new villain or challenge for the characters in each one, while still following the overall arc of the series plot. It kept things refreshing while also making sure each book flowed well into the next.

I loved that the themes that had slowly been developing over the first two books really got explored in this final book and came to conclusions that felt very thoughtful. The story really showed that you can choose your own family and find people who really love and understand you, no matter where you come from or what struggles you faced in your past. It showed that you can find strength and courage even when everything around you seems terrifying and hopeless. I think it balanced the different roles of friendship, romance, and family really well and I felt it was really emotional at the end.

I think each character got their moment to shine and that was impressive considering how large the cast was by the end. I loved Ren and Grey even more with each book and I felt the ending they got really was right for them and and made me really happy.

Overall, this was a wonderful book and excellent conclusion to the series. I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy the incredibly detailed world building of Samantha Shannon's books, and the intricate politics of The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison and the complicated but also loveable characters of both. I think this will certainly become a favourite series of all time for me!