Danielle J Barth​
Danielle J Barth​
2025 Book Reviews
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . The man who never reads lives only one.”
- George R. R. Martin
I maintain a reading journal to track my yearly readings and thoughts. While I use a physical journal that I created, I will transcribe the reviews here as well.
For fiction books, I roughly use the CAWPILE system. Susan Lyn has one of my favorite breakdowns of this rating system. Find it here.
Anything with an asterisk (*) contains minor spoilers.
Monthly Overview
Personal Statistics
Number of Days Read
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
September
October
November
December
27/31
19/28
​16/31
13/30
23/31
17/30
Number of Books Read
10
3
3.25
2.75
6.5
7
Number of Pages Read
Book of the Month
4,830
1,488
1,397
1,030
2,387
2,691
Empire of Storms
Onyx Storm
The Slain Divine
Bookshops & Bonedust
The Lost Metal
Sin & Salvation
Apprentice to the Villain
Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Assistant to the Villain #2
337
Fantasy/Rom-Com
2024
01/01/2025-01/02/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
She was afraid, but she knew now: fear usually meant you were standing on the edge of something new, something self-altering, something potentially good.
It had occurred to her many times over that "impossible" was merely a word people used to describe limitations they wished for you to adhere to, so you wouldn't upset the balance.
"Does your mind live in the gutter?"..."No, but it rents there on occasion."
Favorite Style Aspects
Banter is great.
Love Evie's character.
Great manipulation of POVs
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
2
4
5
4
3
4
My Review*
I was smiling throughout half the book. The comedy and banter was great. The tension between Evie & Trystan dragged on a bit, and his self-righteousness in not wanting to "ruin her" makes me angry.
Crown of Midnight
Sarah J Maas
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Throne of Glass #2
418
Fantasy
2013
01/03/2025-01/06/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
But death was her curse and her gift, and death had been her good friend these long, long years.
Some things you hear with your ears. Others, you hear with your heart.
To escape death, she'd become death.
But he had no idea what sort of darkness lurked inside her, or what sort of monster she was willing to become in order to make things right.
Favorite Style Aspects
Good manipulation of POV
Good use of character epiphany moments
Good use of vagueness/foreshadowing
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
4
5
4
4
4
My Review*
Better than book 1. Intrigue was definitely there. I think Calaena was too harsh on Chaol. I know she lost her best friend, but it felt like too much. Dorian having Magic was a neat twist.
The Assassin's Blade
Sarah J Maas
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Throne of Glass #0.5
435
Fantasy
2014
01/07/2025-01/09/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"If you can learn to endure pain, you can survive anything."
She was fire, she was darkness, she was dust and blood and shadow.
Life isn't easy, no matter where you are. You'll make choices you think are right, then suffer for them.
Everything has a price.
"My name is Calaena Sardothien...and I will not be afraid."
Favorite Style Aspects
Use of POV (and deliberate disuse of Sam's)
Each story built upon the last
Different cultures, even among assassins
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
2
4
4
5
4
4
4
My Review
Not nearly as good. The characters were flat. The Red Desert was my favorite, and it didn't have most of the usual characters.
Heir of Fire
Sarah J Maas
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Throne of Glass #3
562
Fantasy
2014
01/10/2025-01/15/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
It would not take a monster to destroy a monster - but light, light to drive out the darkness.
She was the hear of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.
"And then I am going to rattle the stars."
"Because I am lost...And I do not know the way."
"To whatever end."
Favorite Style Aspects
Use of POV, especially in high tension scenarios
Foreshadowing
Fleshed out characters
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
4
4
5
4
5
My Review
As everyone agrees, the best book so far. A story of reforging oneself and love, self-reflection, and realization. Balance, light, and dark; past, present, and future.
Queen of Shadows
Sarah J Maas
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Throne of Glass #4
645
Fantasy
2015
01/15/2025-01/17/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"You make me want to live, Rowan. Not survive; not exist. Live."
They joined hands. So the world ended. And the next one began.
But perhaps monsters needed to look out for each other now and then.
"Light up the darkness, Majesty."
"You and I are nothing but wild beasts wearing human skins."
"How can I take away somebody who means the world to someone else? Even if she is my enemy."
Favorite Style Aspects
Foreshadowing
POV usage
Deep, unique characters
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
4
4
5
4
5
My Review*
The best so far. Now I get the memes about Aelin not telling her court her plans. And for some reason, I especially love how Manon gave Aelin the message about Dorian.
Empire of Storms
Sarah J Maas
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Throne of Glass #5
689
Fantasy
2016
01/17/2025-01/22/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"The world will be saved and remade by the dreamers."
"Even when this world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will always love you."
"Tell him thank you for walking that dark path with me back to the light."
"It is not such a hard thing, is it - to die for your friends?"
"War is sanctioned murder, no matter what side you're on."
Favorite Style Aspects
Tandem with Tower of Dawn
POV usage
Deep, unique characters
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
5
4
5
5
5
My Review
I knew what was going to happen, and I was still bawling by the end. I fully believe reading this in tandem with Tower of Dawn makes both books so much better.
Tower of Dawn
Sarah J Maas
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Throne of Glass #6
660
Fantasy
2017
01/17/2025-01/22/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
A gift for a queen who had seen another human in hell and thought to reach back a hand. With no thought of it ever being returned. A moment of kindness....
You must enter where you fear to tread.
"We don't look back. It helps no one and nothing to look back."
A moment of kindness from a young woman who ended lives to [one] who saved them.
...he'd learned that strength could be hidden beneath the most unlikely faces.
Favorite Style Aspects
Tandem with Empire of Storms
POV usage
Character growth
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
4
4
5
5
5
4
5
My Review*
Chaol still had moments of self-righteousness or self-loathing that had me rolling my eyes or grinding my teeth, but otherwise, I loved it.
Kingdom of Ash
Sarah J Maas
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Throne of Glass #7
984
Fantasy
2018
01/23/2025-01/24/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"You do not yield."
He would not allow it...He would not obey.
"Let's make this a fight worthy of a song."
"I am here, I am with you."
Light. They all burned with it. Radiated it...their fierce hearts...not a trace of the Thirteen, or their brave, noble wyverns.
Gavriel smiled at him. "Close the gate, Aedion."
Favorite Style Aspects
Call back ending
POV usage
Character growth
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
5
4
5
5
5
My Review
Honestly, almost too many people lived. As much as I hate deaths, there should have been more. At least one of the royals or the Healer on High. Otherwise, excellent book.
Of Jade and Dragons
Amber Chen
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Fall of the Dragon #1
466 (DNF @ 100)
Fantasy/steampunk
2024
01/27/25-01/29/25
Hardcover, Illumicrate Exclusive
Ratings - DNF
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
2
1
1
2
2
4
1
My Review*
I couldn't do it. Over 25% through and I had no interest. The characters were flat and I didn't feel like Ying was passionate enough about vengeance. The coolest thing was the mech chimera.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Stuart Turton
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
-
482
Paranormal Mystery
2018
12/03/2024-02/01/2025
Audiobook
Favorite Quotes
How lost do you have to be to let the devil lead you home?
Too little information and you're blind, too much and you're blinded.
What use is rearranging the furniture if you burn the house down doing it.
...every man is in a cage of his own making.
...without hope, what use is love or compassion or kindness?
Nothing like a mask to reveal somebody's true nature.
Favorite Style Aspects
Character personalities
Timeloop
Twisty-turvy
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
5
5
5
3
4
My Review*
The audiobook narrator was fabulous. The idea of a rehabilitation prison is fascination. The logic of it all is questionable, but that comes something with paranormals.
Onyx Storm
Rebecca Yarros
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
The Empyrean #3
527
Fantasy
2025
02/01/2025-02/05/2025
Hardcover
Favorite Quotes
She is warmth and light and air and love.
"We made it a good one."
"Don't barter it away...The pain. The mess. Give it to me. I'll hold it. I know that sounds ludicrous, but I'll find a way...I will hold everything you don't want to feel..."
"I kept the inside remarks inside."
"Pain isn't a competition...There's always enough to go around."
Favorite Style Aspects
Beautiful foreshadowing
Disability inclusion
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
5
5
5
4
5
My Review
Ugh. As a write, I can see all the heartbreaking ways this can go. I can handle all of them as long as Xaden & Violet are together in the end.
The Bladed Faith
David Dalglish
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Vagrant Gods #1
465
Fantasy
2022
02/08/2025-02/15/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"People say it is in the daylight that things are laid bare, but I've found truths are best revealed when the moon is high."
"War makes monsters of us all...I hunt so no one else must be a monster."
"The wise can rebuild a better world from the ashes, but for there to be ashes, we must first burn down the old and rotten."
"You are not defined by your doubts...but the path you walked to bring you to where you are now."
Favorite Style Aspects
Excellent foreshadowing/set-up
Interesting world-building/faith system
Cool characters
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
4
4
4
4
5
4
4
My Review
It had a slow start, but overall, it was very intriguing and I enjoyed it. It will be interesting to see where the series leads.
The Sapphire Altar
David Dalglish
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Vagrant Gods #2
496
Fantasy
2023
02/16/2025-02/27/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"You would destroy a world of beauty and wonder to achieve your hollow peace."
"You would build a gray land of ash and soot, where the faithful bend by the boot on their necks to offer shallow worship."
"...a crown and a throne to rule an island of corpses."
Favorite Style Aspects
Foreshadowing
POVs
Unique characters
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
My Review*
It was harder to get through this one. I liked the twist of Keles becoming queen.
The Slain Divine
David Dalglish
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Vagrant Gods #3
477
Fantasy
2024
03/07/2025-03/10/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"I believe in you," she whispered to the boy she might have loved and the god she would never worship.
"The man is still in there...I trust in him. I believe in him. He is wounded, broken, and afraid, but he is alive...You offered me hope when I would have accepted death. You vowed to protect those you loved, no matter the cost. You knelt and called me your queen, because you knew who you are...Remember what you were, and look upon what you are now. See, Cyrus Lythan. See, and then choose."
Favorite Style Aspects
Foreshadowing
POVs
Unique characters
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
4
4
4
4
4
My Review*
Overall, I enjoyed it. Thorda's death seemed too short, as did Soma's/Dagon's, and that left something to be desired. Dario's death being a call back to Velgyn's was a nice touch.
The Children of Gods and Fighting Men
Shauna Lawless
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Gael Song #1
434
Fantasy, Historical Fiction
2022
03/12/2025-03/15/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"Helping bring babies into the world is hungry work." "So is living."
"You kings and princes war and fight like little boys hitting each other with sticks, squabbling over the same land. And it's the poor people who pay the price."
"Fearing rejection is not a good reason to not ask a question."
"But if you don't do something counter to expectations, anything will never change, right?"
How can he smile when the ground was covered with dead men, lost dreams, and stilled hearts?
Favorite Style Aspects
Very different 2 main characters
Appendix of characters
Not afraid of time lapse
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
2
3
5
3
3
5
3
My Review**
It was different. Fodla was too naive. Grom was too power-hungry and naive. A little TOO much focus on women not having political power. Lonan's death wasn't really necessary or adding to plot or character development. However, I did like Lawless's writing style/voice, which is probably the main reason I did not DNF this book.
The Hand of the Sun King
J.T. Greathouse
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Pact and Pattern #1
356
Fantasy
2021
03/16/2025-03/22/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"The eye trained always on the next bend in the path never sees the beauty of the forest."
"History is the story of many kings and many gods, all grasping for the reins of the world...letting the weak be trampled by the chaos wrought."
Suffering is unescapable, for it is the dusk that must follow every dawn...cruelty is a human invention.
...romantic tales of wars long past could never trick the young into seeking glory, only to drag them down into death.​
Favorite Style Aspects
Some mild 4th wall breaking
Different cultures
Timelapse
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
3
4
4
3
4
3
4
My Review
I enjoyed it. Parts of the magic were a little difficult to understand, and the "woe as me" dragged on some. However, you really do start to feel for Alder, as well as his allies.
Posted on 03/25/2025
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The Witch King
Martha Wells
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
The Rising World #1
414
Fantasy
2023
03/23/2025-04/09/2025
Hardcover
Favorite Quotes
"I don't need rest, I'm fueled by spite."
Most of the time, Kai felt like he was made of razors, bleeding from the inside.
"Stop being overdramatic." Kai would have loved to, if dramatic things would stop happening to him.
"Don't let everything we fought for be for nothing."
Favorite Style Aspects
Past & present lining up
Great character writing
3 interesting magic systems
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
4
4
5
3
5
My Review
It took some focus and time to understand the magic system, but once I did, I greatly enjoyed the book, especially the characters. I am interested to see where book 2 leads and have already pre-ordered it.
Posted on 04/28/2025
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Bookshops & Bonedust
Travis Baldree
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Legends & Lattes #2/#0
332
Cozy fantasy
2023
04/15/2025-04/19/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"The tunnel?" "You're just trying to make it to the other end, and while you're in it, there's nothing to either side. Only the way forward."
"It's all sand! One bad washout and somebody's grandpa comes slidin' down..."
"Small stones tossed in the river. A thousand tiny prayers. The course i turned."
"She's not writing, so she's in a good mood."
One had gone up, and the other down, and the crossing would not be repeated.
Favorite Style Aspects
Deep characters and reverse stereotypes
Humor
Adventures in the mundane
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
4
5
4
4
5
My Review
I love cozy fantasy, and Baldree's first novel is the reason I got into this subgenre. The non-stereotype characters are wonderful, and it brings light to the joy and adventures that can be found in the everyday.
Posted on 04/28/2025
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A Fate Inked in Blood
Danielle L Jensen
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Saga of the Unfated #1
414
Fantasy
2024
04/12/2025-04/26/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
The dead are beyond your help but you've yet the power to curse the living.
"Perhaps he will be king of no one, all dead beneath the heels of his ambition."
"In your selfishness and greed, you stuck your own necks under the axe, yet weep that it is my fault when the blade threatens to descend."
"Failure always has a price, Freya. But it isn't always paid by the one who fails."
If I could only stop wanting, perhaps I might find some happiness in what I had.
Favorite Style Aspects
Powerful FMC
Interesting magic system
Repeated twisting of who was the enemy
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
3
5
4
3
4
4
3
My Review*
I side with Bjorn that Freya should have just forgotten her family. They were a joke. I like the premise otherwise. I will be interested to see where Jensen ends the series.
Posted on 04/28/2025
Watch Me
Tahereh Mafi
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Shatter Me #7
353
Fantasy
2025
05/01/2025-05/01/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
I don't want to live in fear of my hands, my head, the collapsed star that is my soul. I don't want to live every day only for the promise of death.
There's a rage that lives inside me...The rage of a child still too young to fight the monsters when they came calling.
When there's something you want but can't have, you can be patient or creative. Choose a path.
Favorite Style Aspects
Humor
Great characters
Morally grey scenarios
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
5
3
4
5
5
My Review
I was nervous for a return to this world, but Mafi did it really well. Her style has developed more over the years. I especially loved seeing the original characters through the eyes of others.
Posted on 05/02/2025
You've Reached Sam
Dustin Thao
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
You've Reached Sam #1
303
Romance
2024
05/02/2025-05/08/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"Letting go isn't about forgetting. It's balancing moving forward with life, and looking back from time to time, remembering the people in it."
We are two parts of a song. He is the music. I am the words.
"Out there, life doesn't give you extensions."
I try not to daydream anymore...reality comes in like a storm to blow everything away.
The world keeps moving no matter what happens to you.
Favorite Style Aspects
Shift between memories
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
4
3
3
4
4
3
4
My Review
I really enjoyed the first half, but the second half dwindled down for 2 reasons. 1) a lot of flow-breaking typos. 2) the questions of how things worked were never answered; I prefer at least a made-up hypothetical reason than just choosing to ignore it.
Posted on 05/12/2025
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The Alloy of Law
Brandon Sanderson
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Mistborn #4
306
Fantasy
2011
05/09/2025-05/13/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"Trust me. He's like a rash. The more you scratch him, the more irritating he gets."
"If you remove the foundation of trust from a relationship, then what is the point of the relationship?"
"To be of use in even a single burst of flame and sound is worth more than lifetime of achieving nothing."
"The more alone you are...the more important it is to have someone you can rely on."
Favorite Style Aspects
Great banter
Fun characters
Previous characters are now historical/religious figures
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
5
4
5
4
5
(Barely)
My Review
I actually loved this book more than the original trilogy. It flowed easier, the banter was great, and I enjoyed the mystery approach/trope versus the heist approach. Ironically, I finished this the same day I read that Sanderson is considering/writing a third Mistborn series.
Posted on 05/14/2025
Shadows of Self
Brandon Sanderson
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Mistborn #5
352
Fantasy
2015
05/13/2025-05/16/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
...you could judge a lot about a man's life by what he threw away - or by what he was willing to burn in order to stay warm.
"You're going to watch it all burn?" "Ashes are excellent fertilizer..." "Unless they pile so high they smother everything."
"Cleaning the wound is often more painful than the cut itself."
"Owning things of value is secondary to creating things of value where none once existed."
Favorite Style Aspects
More great banter
Modernization of previous things (i.e. kandra)
More depth to all characters
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
5
4
5
4
5
My Review*
I greatly enjoyed this one as well for many of the same reasons. However, I feel like Wax's anger to Harmony at the end is a little too strong. Harmony admitted very early on that he was fallible & not always sure if he made the right choices.
Posted on 05/19/2025
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The Bands of Mourning
Brandon Sanderson
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Mistborn #6
423
Fantasy
2016
05/16/2025-05/20/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"And the purpose of life is to push our bounds...to shatter them, escape them."
"A tone-deaf man...can still enjoy a good choir - even if he could never participate."
"How are you at bareback?" "Well, I haven't thrown any riders off recently...Oh, you meant riding."
"I think we're all like that. Shuffled from place to place...It seems like we're just along for the ride, even in our own lives. But once in a while, we do face a choice...We may not be able to choose what happens to us, or where we'll stop, but we point ourselves in a direction."
Favorite Style Aspects
Questions on morality vs mortality
New culture
The unexpected
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
5
4
5
4
5
My Review*
I loved Steris. And the twist at the end about Kelsier being the Sovereign took me by surprise. I am also glad Wax finally got over his anger.
Posted on 05/27/2025
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The Lost Metal
Brandon Sanderson
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Mistborn #7
500
Fantasy
2022
05/20/2025-05/25/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"Hey Wax! Somebody done sewn a sack of dicks together and made a person! It's even walking!"
Crowded tenements were crammed up beside factories, refineries, and warehouses. All in the shadow of the tracks - a symbol of progress and unity upon which stormed past every few minutes...It cast such a progressive shadow.
"You can't keep digging up the corpse of who you used to be...Let him stay buried. Consider who you are, not who you left behind."
"Individual men, yes, they can be evil. But we should worry more about the world itself making them so."
Favorite Style Aspects
Banter (yet again)
Fitting sacrifice
Finding one's place
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
5
5
5
4
5
My Review**
This book was very well done. Many sacrifices feel forced or unnecessary. Wayne's was well done. Marasai and Steris came into their own. And there is definitely room for another era.
Posted on 05/27/2025
Stalking Jack the Ripper
Kerri Maniscalco
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Stalking Jack the Ripper #1
318
Historical Fiction
2016
05/26/2025-06/06/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
Death was not prejudiced by mortal things such as station or gender.
"Rises have both petals and thorns...You needn't believe something weak because it appears delicate. Show the world your bravery."
"Those who deserve respect are given it freely. If one must demand such a thing, he'll never truly command it."
"Fear is a hungry beast. The more you feed it, the more it grows."
Favorite Style Aspects
Witty banter (I'm a sucker for this)
Interesting characters
Intriguing historical rewrite
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
5
5
4
5
5
My Review*
The pacing was a little odd, exciting in the beginning, slow in the middle, and good near the end. Greatly enjoyed the Frankenstein meets steampunk angle. I look forward to the rest of the series.
Posted on 06/24/2025
Kingdom of the Cursed
Kerri Maniscalco
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Kingdom of the Wicked #2
433
Fantasy
2021
06/08/2025-06/18/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
"The stars incline us; they do not bind us."
"Assumptions are the death of truth."
We all had bones, if not full skeletons of heartache, in our closets.
"Vengeance is poison, a slow death of self. Seek justice. Seek truth. But if you choose revenge of all else, you will lose more than your soul."
Favorite Style Aspects
Questioning definitions of good vs evil
Enemies to lovers
Banter
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
4
4
4
4
5
4
4
My Review*
It was a slow start, but I ended up enjoying it more than I expected. Wrath is a sweetie in disguise. Emilia is oblivious.
Posted on 06/24/2025
Kingdom of the Feared
Kerri Maniscalco
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Kingdom of the Wicked #3
401
Fantasy
2022
06/18/2025-06/20/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
Monsters could be created but never tamed.
"Even the most volatile fuel requires a spark to cause flames."
"Once something is put in motion, we rarely have control over the outcome, no matter what our initial intentions are."
"Reliving what could have been but never will be is pointless. It'll only hold you back from what you are. One of the hardest things anyone can do is live in the here and now...Be present, that's the secret to changing you future. To finding true happiness."
"Standing back so someone can walk the rest of their path alone is often the most difficult part, especially when you care."
Favorite Style Aspects
Sacrifices
Love & trust
Banter (duh)
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
4
3
4
4
4
5
4
My Review*
I enjoyed it. Yes, there was lots of sex, but they are literal manifestations of sin. Show me any book based around the sins that doesn't have a lot of sex. My biggest downside was the pacing at the end was way too fast. Everything was resolved quickly. It just felt rushed.
Posted on 06/24/2025
Additional Quotes I Loved
"Rise," he said softly. "Just as they always feared you would..." He wasn't looking at me like I was pathetic. He looked like someone who understood intimately, what it was like to lose everything. To be forced to stand when you wished to fall. To get up on your own and defy the hand of fate that brought so much pain by smacking you down time and again. To choose to live and flourish despite the bate. And most important, to dare to dream of better days while your current world was a living nightmare.
"I always know you. And always will. Your soul calls to mine. It's a feeling of coming home. Of peace."
Sin & Chocolate
K. F. Breene
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Demigods of San Francisco #1
439
Contemporary Fantasy
2018
06/24/2025-06/25/2025
Audiobook (Khristine Hvam)
Favorite Quotes
"Mother-trucker biscuit fucker."
"She's forfeiting her own life so we get to have one."
If we don't push through our fear, we will never learn what it means to achieve true success.
"Did you fall off the logic truck and hit your head on stupid?"
Favorite Style Aspects
Pack love
Banter
Magic system(s)
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
4
5
5
4
5
My Review
This book needs more hype. Yes, it's a little raunchy, but the found family is *chef's kiss*, the banter is bantering, and the magic system is so fascinating.
Posted on 07/07/2025
Sin & Magic
K. F. Breene
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Demigods of San Francisco #2
425
Contemporary Fantasy
2018
06/25/2025-06/27/2025
Audiobook (Khristine Hvam)
Favorite Quotes
DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE CLIP/BOOKMARK FEATURE OF AUDIBLE AND COULDN'T FIND ANY QUOTES ONLINE.
Favorite Style Aspects
Banter
Magic
Pack love
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
4
5
5
4
5
My Review
I am so sad I could not find good quotes online. I couldn't dart quotes like I do for physical reads, so I assumed Google would help, but this series DOES NOT HAVE A BIG ENOUGH FOLLOWING.
Posted on 07/07/2025
Hunting Prince Dracula
Kerri Maniscalco
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Stalking Jack the Ripper #2
450
Historical Fiction
2017
06/23/2025-06/29/2025
Paperback
Favorite Quotes
They were the king of feelings that were too still and too dark. Stagnant and putrid like swamp water.
Grief was a vat of quicksand; the more one struggle against it, the deeper it pulled one under. It'd much rather be set ablaze than buried alive.
"The world is neither kind nor is it cruel. It simply exists. We have the ability to view it however we choose."
"What if" were the two most tragic words in existence when paired together. "If only" were no better when coupled off.
Favorite Style Aspects
Banter
Historical rewrite
Challenging society
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
4
4
4
5
4
My Review*
I appreciated that Audrey Rose had to process her grief, that she didn't find out her brother was a lunatic, watched him die, and then just waltzed about like any other day. The blend of folklore meets science was intriguing.
Posted on 07/07/2025
Sin & Salvation
K. F. Breene
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Demigods of San Francisco #3
325
Contemporary Fantasy
2019
06/27/2025-06/30/2025
Audiobook (Khristine Hvam)
Favorite Quotes
"He's everything she's ever asked the ceiling for after coming home from the bar, and even if he wasn't, he makers her happy in a way nothing else ever has. I want her to finally get her miracle...I think he's it, Alexis, I really do. I think he's the miracle you deserve."
"Fear is but a speed bump in the road to greatness."
Worry only about that which you can control. Learn how to adapt to everything else.
Favorite Style Aspects
Found family
Everyone has strengths & weaknesses
Magic system
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
My Review
I am OBSESSED with this series. The voice actor is also great. All characters have substance. Kieran and Alexis are wonderful together. Even the kids have strength & purpose.
Posted on 07/07/2025
Sin & Spirit
K. F. Breene
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Demigods of San Francisco #4
386
Contemporary Fantasy
2019
06/30/2025-07/01/2025
Audiobook (Khristine Hvam)
Favorite Quotes
"Without fear, there is no courage...It is inaction that breeds fear. Be action. Be confidence."
"You are his armor. He is your future."
"But you cannot tear down a star. You cannot dull greatness."
Favorite Style Aspects
Sassy mentor
Don't mess with my kids
Banter, always the banter
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
4
5
4
5
4
5
My Review*
I love Harding. So sassy. Poor Jack, beating himself up for something not his fault. And rock on, Daisy, rock on.
Posted on 07/07/2025
Sin & Lightning
K. F. Breene
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Demigods of San Francisco #5
329
Contemporary Fantasy
2020
07/02/2025-07/04/2025
Audiobook (Khristine Hvam)
Favorite Quotes
"You're magical - be magical. God didn't intend for you to hide what you are. Find a place that makes you happy, and live true to yourself."
"It's a good thing I have an aversion to jail, or you'd find yourself in an unmarked grave."
"If you have someone you lovie, make sure to let them know...You will never miss anything more than those you've loved and lost."
"Did it ever occur to you that maybe the reason Hades slipped under the earth and Poseidon dove into the deep ocean was to get away from Zeus carrying on about himself, his courage, and his schlong?"
"Did I just get manipulated by a butler? I just got manipulated by a butler."
Favorite Style Aspects
Trauma, healing but not healed
Always the banter
Found family for all
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
5
4
5
4
5
My Review*
Crazy cat lady. Love it. Harding and his shenanigans. I loved Kieran trying to talk to Dylan, and Alexis treating Jerry like a toddler throwing a tantrum. Come on, Jerry.
Posted on 07/07/2025
Sin & Surrender
K. F. Breene
Series:
# Pages:
Genre:
Pub Year:
Dates Read:
Format:
Demigods of San Francisco #6
302
Contemporary Fantasy
2020
07/04/2025-07/06/2025
Audiobook (Khristine Hvam)
Favorite Quotes
"We didn't get to choose what we survived, just how we survived."
"Anyone who is blessed enough to know love will never be poor."
"We all have a ways to go before challenging mama bear."
"If we take care of our team today, they'll take care of us tomorrow."
Favorite Style Aspects
Morality vs power/status
Holding leaders to higher standards/expectations
Sacrifice
Ratings
C -
A -
W -
P -
I -
L -
E -
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
My Review*
I can predict a lot, but I did not see the final plot twist coming. I would have liked to see the epilogue be the wedding, but I am a hopeless romantic. Also would have liked Mordecai to do more. Overall, though, I loved it.
Posted on 07/07/2025