death gods, murderous tyrants, and swords of bone | review corner

by - 6:00 PM

Hello there! I've been dreadfully MIA this year and now that we're officially in summer mode, I'm finally attempting to kick myself back into shape. My reading has been quite sporadic but in the spirit of rekindling my love for books, blogging, and reviews, here are a handful of recent favorites that I've picked up over the past few months.

pages: 378  | source: netgalley/e-arc
publication date: March 1st, 2023
genre: adult, fantasy, romance
rating: 8.5/10

B O O K S H O P *    |    G O O D R E A D S    |    S T O R Y G R A P H    
links with an (*) are affiliate where, when used to purchase gives me a small commission to support my blog at no extra cost to you!


I received a digital arc from the publisher  on Netgalley -  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts are my own honest opinion.

Pitched for fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale, F.M. Aden's venture into adult fantasy is full of fairytale magic and underworldly charm. Zerryn is a girl touched by Death and when her betrothed is possessed by a demon, she offers to go into its mansion to try and free him through exorcism. What she doesn't expect is to become part of a trial against three mythical monstresses for the hand of Erlik Kahn, the king of Death himself.

I genuinely cannot tell you what it is about The Bride of Death but it has quickly become my new hyper fixation because I cannot stop thinking about these characters and rereading my favorite passages. F.M. Aden introduces a world inspired by Turkish mythology that follows Zerryn's descent to the Underworld. We get this traditional character arc of the slightly strange girl who is shunned by the village but who has a heart of gold. As Zerryn battles through the trials of the Underworld, her moral compass is constantly challenged and she struggles to decide which path to take - save her people or save herself. 

The slow burn between Zerryn and Erlik had me in an absolute chokehold. They balanced the dynamic of "I hate you but..." so well and their characters mirror each other's journey so well as Zerryn get a bit more monster in her and Erlik gains a bit of humanity himself. While certain tropes and cliches are still present in the plot itself, I was absolutely won over by the characters. This checked all the boxes for me and encapsulates all the gruesome and vicious vibes of a macabre fairytale that I adore. 


favorite line: I am immortal Zerryn. Remember that when you decide. He will suffer the loss of you for a lifetime, but I will suffer your loss for many centuries to come.

pages: 368  | source: netgalley/e-arc
publication date: May 14th, 2023
genre: ya, historical fiction
rating: 7.6/10

B O O K S H O P *    |    G O O D R E A D S    |    S T O R Y G R A P H    
links with an (*) are affiliate where, when used to purchase gives me a small commission to support my blog at no extra cost to you!


I received a digital arc from the publisher  on Netgalley -  I was not compensated for this review and all thoughts are my own honest opinion.

June Hur has answered the pleas of her readers and delivered quite possibly the sweetest most tender romance I've read all year but set against the bloodiest and most stressful plot. A Crane Among Wolves draws inspiration from the tyrannical rule of King Yeonsangun and the coup that would put an end to his bloodshed. We follow a girl named Iseul whose sister was taken by the king to join his palace concubines. While their relationship had been strained for the past few years, it doesn't stop Iseul from jumping head first into any lead she can to find a way to save her sister which leads to her stumbling on a serial killer case and a coup to overthrow the king.

One of my favorite things about June Hur's novels is the unbelievably chilling atmosphere that really sinks into your bones as your read. The amount of times I actually forgot to breathe because I was so tense with fear and anticipation for what would happen next had me surprised I didn't pass out while reading. As Isuel finds herself wrapped up in conspiracies, she begins to discover that the king's younger brother might become her greatest ally and I truly adored watching their relationship develop. Even though it still left me wanting more, June Hur managed to deliver all the feels, perfect confession lines, and heartbreaking moments that had me wanting to throw something across the room.

With so much of the focus being on the plot and developing romance, some of the side relationships didn't get as much page time. I adored the mentor-mentee relationship between Wonshik and Iseul as well as the friendship that blossoms between Iseul and Yul. It simply highlights the wonderful found family aspect that offers a bit of light and hope into such a bleak and terrible situation. The coup itself also reveals the impossible greed of men and the exploitation of women in the scramble for power which left my heart absolutely aching. 

favorite line: You must dance the heavens. So go, daegam,. Go and move the heavens for her.

pages: 166  | source: e-book/own
publication date: May 14th, 2024
genre: adult, novella, mythology
rating: 8.5/10

B O O K S H O P *    |    G O O D R E A D S    |    S T O R Y G R A P H    
links with an (*) are affiliate where, when used to purchase gives me a small commission to support my blog at no extra cost to you!



I've been anticipating this novella ever since Rachel from A Model Who's Read talked about this in a wrap-up. With the premise surrounding a Holy Order pulling swords of bone from their spine this truly did not disappoint. When Among Crows is a macabre tale shrouded in Polish folklore with a touch of otherworldly that both unsettles you deeply and draws you into the story. We're introduced to matriarchies of monsters from strzygas, to banshees, and zmoras that roam across the world feeding on anger, sorrow, and fear. 

Our main character is on a mission to find Baba Yaga because he needs help destroying a member of the Order. In order to to do so, he enlists the help of a zmora cursed with horrific visions in exchange for the promise of a cure. For such a short novella, these characters grew on me so quickly. Veronica Roth manages to flesh out the intricacies of an underground world of mythological creatures that blend themselves into society and each character we meet is given a proper backstory that creates a sense of familiarity, making them easily likable. From the atmospheric prose to the quest itself, When Among Crows has earned the title of my unexpected favorite for the first half of the year. 

favorite line: Sacrifice creates a debt, and there's nothing magic likes better than the great hollow of a debt. 
I've truly let this review corner sit for far too long in the drafts but I'm excited to finally share my thoughts on these books. Please let me know what books you've been reading and loving so far!
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