Hey there, everyone! I hope everyone had a fruitful September! Anyway, yes, I know I gave myself one of those outrageous goals again. I don’t even remember how many I wanted to read anymore. Did I read them all? I managed to read 9 books this month, which was pretty low for me, but two were over 800 pages, so I guess that makes up for it!

Anyway, how did everyone else do this past month? Meet any personal goals?

Chain of Iron

I’m so glad I finally got to read this novel. I love the characters here, and that ending; ugh, it made me so mad, but in a way that just made me so eager to read the next novel.

It’s not just fantasy; there really is a human element here focusing on the characters and their dynamics, which really enriched the story and made me invested.

Let me tell you, I couldn’t get my hands on the next book fast enough!

My Salty Mary

I loved this book so much! Oh my god, this was the perfect retelling for fans of The Little Mermaid because it wasn’t a retelling but a story inspired by it that had its own life.

I love the three points of view and the way the story flows and turns this little mermaid into a pirate fighting for the equality of all pirate women. It was just wonderful and had me smiling from beginning to end.

In the Garden of Monsters

Ugh, this novel bored me, honestly. The prologue gave away too much of the mystery. Right off the bat, yes, I know this is a Hades and Persephone retelling; that’s part of the blurb. But I wanted more mystique with the storytelling. There were some interesting plot twists I didn’t see coming, but overall, it bored me, unfortunately.

The Extraordinary Disappointments of Leopold Berry

This was such a great novel. I have to say, I loved the pacing, and I loved the dynamic between Leopold and Emmet. But what was remarkable was that Leopold couldn’t catch a break and persevered. He has the worst luck, and the fact that he isn’t the chosen one and that the story didn’t fall into that trap was refreshing. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see what happens next.

My Imaginary Mary

I love these ladies. I loved how the authors brought many literary references, broke the fourth wall, and created this wonderful friendship between Mary Shelley and Ada Lovelace. There was just so much to love about the book, from references to Frankenstein and Peter Pan to bringing in that fae element; it was such a great, fun novel that I’m so glad I could read.

The Forests of Silence

So, I was reading this novel out loud to my son. I read this book as a kid, and it was still so vivid in my memory the moment I picked it up. Deltora Quest is unique, and my son seems to love it. He’s excited about it, and I read a chapter a night. Honestly, I was so happy to be rereading it that I would read an extra chapter every night because I love fantasy, the world, magic, and mystery.

Chain of Thorns

I told you I couldn’t grasp this book fast enough. I was so eager to read this novel, and I wasn’t even reading it fast enough that I had to get the audiobook and put that on 2x speed because I was itching to see how this story would evolve.

There were times I wanted to smack the characters around, but only because I was invested in them and their relationship. And you know what? I was not disappointed. It was a solid conclusion; it wrapped up neatly. It did deal with topics such as alcoholism and parental abuse, physical, mental, and emotional, and for me, that added depth to the characters. I love the Shadowhunter world and the way the story developed.

Stranger Skies

Do you know something? I liked this novel more than Curious Tides. Thank you to the publisher for sending me this ARC. I think part of why I didn’t love the first novel was the story of the drowned gods, which seemed a little too convoluted and messed with the novel’s pacing. Here, it was more concise, and the pacing was quicker, keeping me more engaged.

I will say, however, that while I didn’t dislike Emory, I never felt like she deserved Baz. And she didn’t. So, to see Baz find a more deserving love interest was amazing, and I loved it. He also grew into himself more, became more confident, and became a stronger character.

Emory, too, embarks on a significant journey in the book, which is a key part of the story.

The one character I disliked was Romie. I could not stand her; I mean, she was so obnoxious and awful at times that I just hated her.

But this was such an improvement over the previous novel that I’m even more excited to see what happens in the next novel.

Seasons of Chaos

Okay, so the ending was a little predictable. I mean, I saw that coming a mile away. However, I still loved this book. The pacing was so fast, and the way the story developed to deliver that ending—now that was great.

I will say that Doug’s perspective and Kai’s arc were unpredictable and gave the story the edge it needed.

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