alxxms

cr: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwabb

cr: Two Twisted Crowns by Rachel Gillig

cr: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Books Read 2026 (in order):

1984 by George Orwell

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

Happy Place by Emily Henry

Galatea by Madeline Miller

Heart the Lover by Lily King

Release Me by Tahereh Mafi

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(no real spoilers ahead, but mentions of small parts of the story)

Felt slightly slumpish before reading this so I don't know whether I'll agree with this high of a rating in a while or not, however, I will say this book pulled me out of said slump. I went from reading next to nought to barrelling through this in a couple of days which I'm most certainly pleased about.

The characters:

Elspeth (FMC) I found to be... interesting, I don't find myself having too much of an attachment to her but that's not to say I don't like her. I liked how the author kept the relationship between her and Nightmare very fluid. It was (and still is really) difficult to tell whether the Nightmare truly wanted to help her or himself: sometimes it was as though he was helping himself but others it seemed there was genuine... concern?

Ravyn. I will say I appreciate the author doesn't make Ravyn to be some really emotionally unavailable guy for 90% of this. I get that that is a thing in a lot of fantasies and I've read a lot of books where the MMC/love interest is like this and it just gets old sometimes so I did really appreciate this refreshing attitude.

I'm stuck between whether Elm or Emory is my favourite... probably Elm because he is so funny I actually can't sometimes. Jespyr is an icon as well, go girl, I support your rights and wrongs.

Ione, I love you but wtf girl... get that Maiden card in your possession!!! Why are you just wielding it like that 24/7??? (Unless your under the Scythe the entire time then fair but otherwise...)

In terms of the plot, I found the world-building to be kind of confusing at first, mainly because I didn't feel like it was as well explained as you get more into the book than at the beginning. I don't mean that you have to get into the book to understand (you do, but other than this) I mean that the beginning just doesn't or didn't for me at least seem coherent. HOWEVER, that may just be an error on my part, because by the middle I knew much more about what was going on. I just would've liked a little more clarity at the beginning regarding the magic, Blunder etc. Other than that, I have no real complaints.