‘The Rose Bargain’ was an entertaining read, but I wished for a grittier take on the storyline and less romantic angst.
Almost 4-stars
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ALL I’VE WANTED ALL I’VE NEEDED by A. E. Valdez
‘All I’ve Wanted All I’ve Needed’ offers a light and heartwarming journey of self-discovery and love, but it ultimately left me wanting more substance.
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THE BOYFRIEND by Freida McFadden
‘The Boyfriend’ is my first McFadden read, and while the final reveals lived up to the hype, the journey there was a bit of a mixed bag.
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SHADOWS OF SELF by Brandon Sanderson
‘Shadows of Self’ didn’t quite capture the fast-paced and lighthearted style I loved in the previous book, making it slightly less captivating.
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AFRICA RISEN: A NEW ERA OF SPECULATIVE FICTION by Sheree Renée Thomas, Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki and Zelda Knight
With thirty-two speculative stories, ‘Africa Risen’ is a diverse collection that had a mix of hits and misses for me.
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THE OBELISK GATE by N.K. Jemisin
‘The Obelisk Gate’ brilliantly expands on the foundation set in The Fifth Season, but I did not find it as gripping.
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DEFY THE NIGHT by Brigid Kemmerer
‘Defy the Night’ presents an entertaining blend of political intrigue and romance, although the character-driven storyline is fairly simple.
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THE LAST BLOODCARVER by Vanessa Le
A simple, casual writing style with good prose and details smoothly brings this story to life. I was particularly impressed by the bloodcarving ability of the main character, which was brilliantly presented and explored. However, the worldbuilding felt somewhat thin and underdeveloped, especially since some concepts, like the constabulary, were mentioned but played no role in the story.
