March Reading Wrap Up

Hey there, readers! I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to April. I surprised myself by reading 14 books last month! Go me! And, for the most part, I really enjoyed a bunch of them.

Anyway, how did everyone else do this past month? Meet any personal goals?

Four Ruined Realms

So I liked Four Ruined Realms, okay. However, there were times when I struggled. It’s not that it was bad, but it was slow. I give it grace because it served a purpose to build into those character dynamics and the inner tension.

I liked the development of the characters and their relationships with one another; that was well done. I think it always sucks when the first book in a series starts with a bam, and then the second book follows up with a much slower pacing. It makes it hard to hold my attention because I’m going into the story expecting that momentum to be maintained, not slow down so drastically.

But overall, it picked up and became nonstop, and I could not believe how it ended. I didn’t see that coming.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Six Scorched Roses

This was such an excellent backstory for Lilith and Vale. It gives more depth to their relationship, which was shown in The Ashes and the Star-Cursed King, and gives a little more insight into the Gods of the White Pantheon.

I loved the tidbits of backstory that added to the world-building, especially showing those lands outside Nyaxia. The story reads quickly and sucks you in. Honestly, I loved learning more about Vale and his relationship with LIltith. Not only that, but his position within his court was also affected. There’s a great deal of backstory there that gives him more depth.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Witch Hunt

It’s been a while since I read Witch Haven, but I remember all the essential bits of information. It also helped that Smith trickle in reminders of what happened in the previous novel.

I liked the character development here and the trip to France. I think it was such a wonderful departure to visit another country during this historical time period. We’re seeing the ramifications of her actions with Finn come to life. They are deadly consequences, and unfortunately, this also puts Finn back into her life.

There’s a lot of rising tension, even though sometimes the pacing is a little drab. Luckily, those times were few and far between. Overall, it was a great conclusion to the duology.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Cage of Dreams

Version 1.0.0

I absolutely loved this book! I loved the pacing and the way the Nightmare Phantom came back into the picture here.

There’s a little more interesting backstory here and some unexpected history between him and another character that I didn’t see coming.

And you know what? Ness’s character development was amazing. I loved how she grew as a character and her relationship with Cy! Ahh! That made me so happy. She faced her fears. She’s not 100% better, but she’s working on it. And that’s important: for her to reflect on her past trauma and fears and work towards making herself better. I loved that. And I loved this story. It was so well done.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

The Songbird & the Heart of Stone

This book was excellent! I love Mische even more now. The Songbird & the Heart of Stone delves deeper into her past and trauma. Not only her trauma of being turned into a vampire but also her trauma that began when she was a child.

She was groomed to be the sun god’s wife. There is so much to unpack with this novel. But what I loved was Dante’s Inferno‘s take on a story. They are delving into the underworld to bring back the god of death, and to get there, they have to go through layers and deal with their ghosts as well as the dead.

Broadbent’s writing style and storytelling are amazing. It’s so hard to put down her books because I love them so much, and I love the characterization as well.

Ugh, I need to read the follow-up now!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The Notorious Virtues

I love fairytales, and I was in love when I discovered this was a fairytale.

The way the fairytale snuck up on me made my jaw drop. This is a story about a woodcutter and his legacy. This is a story about a group of people called Grimm’s fighting for equality. This is a story of magic and glitz and glamour.

And it is also a competition between family members for the title of Heir.

I loved the personalities and how there were layers to them that came alive as you read the story. Those plot twists were unhinged, and I did not see them coming. There is so much to the story, so many layers to it, that make it worthwhile. And that ending! Ugh, these books! So good!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Cavern of the Fear

I’ve said it once and will repeat it: I love Deltora’s Quest. You can see here that Rodda’s writing grew with this sequel series. Her storytelling has grown and matured, but it’s still accessible to kids. My son—he’s five—loves it. He gets excited for bedtime, and he wants to read the title and look at the map (sadly, this one doesn’t have one), and that makes me so happy.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

The Darkness Within Us

The Shadows Between Us was a great novel with a morally grey female protagonist. Alessandra is a killer, but she’s fantastic.

Chrysantha is different. She grew up manipulating everyone into thinking she was dull, but she’s actually quite brilliant.

This story differs from the previous one but is still good. It shows the different sides of women and how they sometimes have to change how they present themselves to get ahead. But Chrysantha she’s learning to be herself, to break that mold and say screw you to the societal standards.

I also like her love story and how she reconnects with her sister. There’s a lot of great storytelling here, and it was a fun read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Our Infinite Fates

Let me start by saying I hated Steven’s previous novel. I mean, I absolutely hated that book. So, I wasn’t really looking forward to reading this novel.

However, Our Infinite Fates was terrific! I loved the gender fluidity between the characters throughout every reincarnation—how sometimes they are both born male or female or even switch genders. There’s so much love between them that seeing it transcend time is amazing.

I loved the poetry inserts and the plot twist! I did not see that coming.

Not to mention the ending! It was so bittersweet, but I just loved it. This story, the pacing, the characterization—it all moved effortlessly. Now I’m a fan!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Last Tiger

This was such a fantastic read. I don’t know a lot about the Japanese occupation of Korea. The American school system at work. Woohoo!

This novel taught me a little about that. I love learning new things when I read. I liked that the story had a fantastical edge, especially the ki aspect.

There is a lot to unpack in this novel, and I can’t really wrap my head around it. That’s not to say it’s confusing; it’s just a matter of where to start.

The characters have so much depth to them, born on different sides of the coin and looking into what colonialization does and its damage. I mean it with both characters — Seung and Eunji — they have to face how they want to keep living. How do they want to survive? What can they do to survive and protect those they love? There’s a lot at stake for each of them, and they each go on this journey to heal what is broken within them and heal their country. And for me, that makes it an incredible novel.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

A Fire Endless

I love Rebecca Ross, and I loved A River Enchanted. However, I like this one.

I liked the way the story progressed, but it took a while to build. It felt very long, and I don’t like long novels. It can be a long book, and I have no problem with that as long as the pacing holds my attention.

The saving grace here was the mystery of the curse and why the clans were so separated.

I will say I did see the ending coming. I was like, “I knew it,” the more Ross explored the legend of the bard, the music, and the king of the north winds.

It just had a strong beginning, and it took a little more than half the book to circle back to that beginning. Overall, I liked the way the story included more characters and delved deeper into the mystery of the land and the magic.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Onyx Storm

Alright, unpopular opinion time. This novel was just okay.

It was better than Iron Flame, I will say that, and I have to give Yarros props for poking fun at what was so problematic in that novel.

But here, I wanted more. I understand that everyone is back in school and trying to prepare for war while creating some semblance of normalcy.

However, the pacing was drab at times, and it felt like a whole lot of nothing was happening. I ended up having to audiobook this novel because it was struggling to hold my attention. I was bored.

I like that the problems from the previous novel were addressed and fixed. I wanted a faster pace and less info-dumping in the battle brief. Honestly, I could have done without them.

That last quarter of the book was more addictive and really the saving grace for me. I just wanted more from outside the continent and a quicker pace.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

The Sins on Their Bones

I absolutely loved this book so much.

My two favorite parts of this book are the queer representation and the found family aspect.

It’s amazing how Samotin created this world using Jewish mythology and folklore as the backdrop for worldbuilding. You know what? It’s also not preachy. I didn’t even think twice about the Yiddish that was used throughout the novel because it made it submersive to me. It pulled me into the story rather than take me out.

Again, I mean the characters. They were well done and constructed, and I loved how Dimitry healed from his abusive relationship. This is a fantasy about healing, love, identity, and truth. I mean, it’s so well done how the story grows and develops and sucks you in. I think everyone should read this book.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Eternal Edition, Vol. 4

I love Sailor Moon so much! This manga only deepens my respect for the anime and the reboot. The way the story grows and shows Usagi in a different, more mature light makes the story great.

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About the Author

Cynthia Bujnicki graduated from Emerson College with a BA in Writing, Literature and Publishing. She has always loved to read since she was a child. A contributing writer for YA Fantasy Addicts, she is also the Editor-in-Chief for Cyn's Workshop. She lives in sunny South Florida with her husband, two kids (the perfect pair), and their two cats Mr. J the Kitten and Nyx (aka Girl).