For the last couple of years I’ve been listing 5 of my favourite stand-alone books that I read in the year previous. So I figured why not continue on with that tradition!
5 more of my Favourite Fantasy Stand Alones are:
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
Gallant by V.E. Schwab
Olivia Prior has grown up in Merilance School for girls, and all she has of her past is her mother’s journal—which seems to unravel into madness. Then, a letter invites Olivia to come home—to Gallant. Yet when Olivia arrives, no one is expecting her. But Olivia is not about to leave the first place that feels like home, it doesn’t matter if her cousin Matthew is hostile or if she sees half-formed ghouls haunting the hallways.
I really liked Olivia as our main protagonist. She has a bit of a petty streak that I really appreciated from her, it definitely made her more of a realistic character to me. She is very relatable in her yearning to belong and how excited she was at the prospect of being a part of a family even though her mother warned her about going to Gallant.
I kind of wish this was a dual perspective with Matthew. I think seeing how his mind comprehends Gallant and the duty the Priors have held and how it has crippled their family. To see how the whispers have driven him nearly to death and why he was so adamant in sending Olive away when she first arrived. I think we don’t get enough interaction between the two of them and the ones we do get were so poignant and touching.
I love a haunted house setting and this book really brought that spooky atmosphere for me. The ghouls were a great addition to the plot and really cemented the history of this estate and how much this family has sacrificed for the greater good. I really enjoyed the contrast between the two worlds and how Olivia’s magic changed with the different settings.
I liked the overall concept of Gallant and what is expected being a Prior. Learning how Olivia was lured back and how she unintentionally followed in her mother’s footsteps going across the wall was fascinating and compelling. I was very much invested in the storyline and wanted to know how everything was going to come together in the end. I was very happy with how this wrapped up and the fact that it wasn’t the fairy-tale ending I was expecting made it even more satisfying to me.
⭐️4/5 This was fantastic!
If you are unaware what the Buzzword Readathon/Challenge is see my prior post HERE. Last month the buzzword was pronouns/possession words and I ended up completing Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca which was a memorable book for sure. With February the prompt is to pick a book with a location in the title and I already know the book I am going to read which is:
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
Set in the coastal town of Danvers, Massachusetts (which in 1692 was Salem Village, site of the origins of the Salem Witch Trials), the story follows the Danvers High field hockey team as they discover that the dark impulses of their Salem forebears may be the key to a winning season.
The opening to this book was a little chaotic. I didn’t know what was happening at first and who was narrating. It wasn’t until after the camp and they go back to Danvers was I able to understand what was going on. We’re just kind of thrown into the story with all of these different characters and personalities it was a little hard to differentiate between them all at first.
The concept was something I found to be super intriguing, but the way the connection between them all is created was a touch on the ridiculous side. But it’s the fact that these girls believe wholeheartedly in this ‘witchcraft’ kind of made the story for me. Emilio being the overseer that these girls need to appease and power up to beat their opponents and get to state was just so over the top and kept me invested.
I really enjoyed the fact that even though the story is told as a collective ‘we’ because these girls have this bond we still get more of a background on all of them and we get to know each of them as an individual and their motivations behind signing the notebook. Even though they all have this overarching goal of being state champions they have their own issues they are working through.
I appreciated the amount of field hockey we got to see throughout the course of the book. It was a good balance of being on the field as well as in school and socially out in Danvers. Honestly I would of been happier if we got too see more of the games with more of an in depth commentary of their structure as a team but there was definitely enough.
The fact that le splotch and the Claw were active characters and had a major input in the dialogue between the team just tipped this book over the edge. It added just that layer of campiness that the 80’s was well known for and added some humour into the mix that made me think that Quan Barry didn’t want us to take the book too seriously and just enjoy this journey of self discovery and and adolescent hijinks!
⭐️3/5 stars I appreciated what this book did!
*Series Finale Spoilers*
Return to the City of Sin, where the perilous final game is about to begin…The players? Twenty-two of the most powerful, most notorious people in New Reynes. With no choice but to play, Enne and Levi are desperate to forge new alliances and bargain for their safety. But any misstep could turn deadly when a far more dangerous opponent appears on the board — one plucked straight from the city’s most gruesome legends. While Levi hides behind a mask of false promises, Enne is finally forced out from behind hers and as the game takes its final, vicious turn, these two must decide once and for all whether to be partners or enemies.
Enne honestly didn’t really do anything that blew me away in this final instalment to the series. She definitely goes on a roller coaster ride of emotions and self discovery throughout the course of the plot but I can’t say she was my favourite of the characters. When she was at her worst and was about to shoot Justin really soured her for me, Lola was her first and best friend and she was really about to kill him in front of everyone because she wanted to rush out and be a hero. I can understand she was very much in danger of being lynched by the people for being the last Mizer but some of the actions she took to get what she wants rubbed me the wrong way. I wish she just would of been more honest with everyone (especially Levi).
Levi also felt a bit lost for me in this book, thinking back he didn’t really do anything that is jumping out at me. Sure he was preoccupied with dealing with his emotions about Jac and how that translates for his obvious love for Enne but in terms of the new shadow game he wasn’t really a major factor in figuring out how to beat Bryce. I appreciated how the story kind of came full circle and it had to be him and Enne in the end who had to kill the Bargainer and how he has had to re-evaluate everything now that he is stuck in New Reynes.
I feel like all of the side characters really stole the show in this book. Lola making a bargain and finding out the truth about Enne and her heritage was a great twist. I like the fact that we see Lola on the outs with Enne and form a connection with Arabella because of it and how that plays out. Sophia trying to gain back the knowledge of what her side magic and inadvertently making friends with Poppy and Delaney. I liked their dynamic and it was easy to differentiate between them. Narinder I totally forgot he even existed but I was glad that he was able to influence Harvey and get him out from Bryce’s spell.
To be completely honest I forgot who Bryce was so the fact that he was the architect behind everything in this whole series didn’t make an impact on me at all. He obviously didn’t make enough of an impression on me when I read the last two books that I must of thought he was insignificant which I don’t know if that was purposely done by Amanda Foody or it’s just been too long since I read the other books. I feel like because that connection with him wasn’t there I didn’t really feel like his reasonings behind everything was enough. I do like the way everything was explained though and I wasn’t left with any questions but in the end it just felt a pointless to me.
⭐️3/5 stars A little anticlimactic for me
Amy Leigh Reads 