Meg

“The only way to kill a god is from the inside… The Gearbreakers struck a devastating blow against Godolia on Heavensday, but the cost of victory has been steep. Months later, the few rebels who've managed to escape the tyrannical empire's bloody retribution have fled to the mountains, hunted by the last Zenith--Godolia's only surviving leader. Eris has been held prisoner since the attack on the capital city, which almost killed her. And she begins to wish it had when she discovers Sona--the girl she loves, the girl she would tear down cities for--also survived, only to be captured and Corrupted by the Zenith. The cybernetic brainwashing that Sona has forcibly undergone now has her believing herself a loyal soldier for Godolia, and Eris' mortal enemy. With the rebellion shattered and Godolia moving forward with an insidious plan to begin inducting Badlands children into a new Windup Pilot program, the odds have never been more stacked against the Gearbreakers. Their last hope for victory will depend on whether Eris and Sona can somehow find their way back to each other from opposite sides of a war…” (from Goodreads)

Following the events of the first book, we get to see Sona as a Godolia loyalist. Her best friend is the young Zenith, and she thinks the gearbreakers did terrible things to her. It’s horrible after going through all of book #1 learning about Sona’s struggle with her identity as a Pilot, and a human, then a gearbreaker. But it’s also incredibly interesting to see her from the other side. What she could’ve been. But still, it was heartbreaking.

This is, above all else, a story about love and humanity and empathy. Allowing love to lead you, even when it seems like the most foolish thing you could possible do. The love between Sona and Eris, between Eris and Jenny, between the crew. It could move mountains. It can take down gods. This book solidifies that. It’s messy and there’s lots of crying and sometimes having a family is HARD (especially when they almost die at least twice a day). But when you put that family at the forefront, you can do anything. Even when that family is full of idiots.

I was on the edge of my seat for a solid 90% of this book. There didn’t seem to be much of a break between life threatening events. The pace is fast, but I don’t feel like the story lacks because of it. Fair warning, this book is sad. It’s sad for what the characters gain, for what they lose, for the journeys they undergo. And this is from page 1. But it’s worth it in the end.

One of the best part of Godslayers is getting to see just how unhinged Jenny is. I would let her pick me apart if she wanted to. If you’re on the fence about reading this, do it purely to be continuously surprised by how feral this woman is (except in the face of her gf 🥰).

“A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret. Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they're likely to bring about the end of days. But the children aren't the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn. An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place-and realizing that family is yours.” (From goodreads)

The House in The Cerulean Sea was genuinely delightful to read. From the story to the characters to the writing. It was wonderful.

The characters will be living rent free in my mind for the foreseeable future. Every one of them were fleshed out and developed beautifully. I am obsessed w Lucy. I don’t know what the author intended, but this little six year old son of the literal devil who says some very violent things, then going by ‘Lucy’???? I want to give him a little kiss on his little head 🥰. Arthur, Linus, Zoe and all of the kids quickly become some of my favourite characters.

“Sometimes, the girl who has it all-really doesn't. At first glance, high-school basketball superstar Logan Watts is living the American dream-perfect grades, perfect appearance, perfect boyfriend, and a college athletic scholarship already lined up. But if people looked deeper, they'd see Logan is plagued by the loss of her older brother and unending internal questions about what's missing from her life. Logan's world is turned upside down when she catches Carter Shaw--the witty and stylish head of the school newspaper, and the only out lesbian in school- staring at her in class. A high-school romance is not on Carter's radar. She just wants to survive the year so she can move on and enjoy the freedoms of college. But when a chance encounter puts her alone with Logan for hours, Carter discovers just how much they have in common. And Logan realizes Carter could be that thing she's felt was missing all along…” (From Goodreads)

Take Your Shot is an easy little read. It’s sweet, it’s realistic, it’s a really good depiction of a healthy relationship. Carter and Logan are two characters who you’ll really like from the first chapter, and continue to like them until the last page. They’re both kind and thoughtful and genuinely deserve each other. Their relationship progresses really nicely. There’s no pressure from Carter (being out and having previous experience etc) and Logan has her own journey that’s centred around herself, not her love interest. 

One thing I really enjoyed about this book was that there was no big drama. Everything that happens is reasonable and dealt with in a way that it would be in the real world. There’s no explosive reactions or massive fights over nothing. When there is more dramatic situations, the girls support each other and their friends support them too. It was nice to see instead of the usual “conflict, break up, come back together in the end” pattern.