This was such a fun guide featuring the ladies of the Marvel Universe!
I am a huge Marvel fan so I knew I had to read this book. My all time favorite superhero is Squirrel Girl and she is included in this book.
Each hero gets about 4 pages dedicated to her; complete with a biography and fun facts. I loved that everyone got an equal amount of attention. This book is aimed at a young adult/middle grade audience, so at times the writing and messages can feel slightly juvenile. It’s also more a primer so it’s not going to go in depth into every little detail about these ladies.
Additionally, I enjoyed the selection of women featured. There was a good balance of well known characters (e.g. Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Scarlet Witch) and lesser known ones (e.g. Silk, Moon Girl, Hellcat).
The best part of the book was the artwork. The artwork is absolutely stunning. The artist did a phenomenal job with each portrait. It was refreshing seeing them redrawn in a different style. Every woman looked fierce!
Overall, I enjoyed learning about all these heroic ladies! I recommend this book for fans of Marvel’s female superheroes or to anyone who wants to learn more about them. It also would make a great gift.
I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.
This book serves as a prequel to the Disney movie, Cinderella, and explores how Drizella and Anastasia became evil stepsisters.
The plot was well executed. I liked that the book started off with a prologue in the viewpoint of their father, which helped set up the story and shed some light on Lady Tremaine and her motives. The rest of the book is told in alternating points of view between Drizella and Anastasia, with an epilogue in the viewpoint of Lady Tremaine. The story is fairly basic, but it works. It highlights how the sisters weren’t born being evil, they became evil.
The character development was also well done. The sisters are very likable in the beginning and you can’t help but root for them to pursue their dreams. By the time you reach the end, you understand how and why they became evil and why they dislike Cinderella so much.
I do want to note that there is bullying, abuse, and neglect in the story and there isn’t a happy ending. If you’re looking for a light hearted Disney read, this book isn’t for you.
Overall, I really enjoyed this dark dive into the world of Cinderella. If you like villain stories, consider picking this book up!
I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.
This was such a cute book!
The story centers on the classic fake dating trope, so a lot of it is predictable. I did get major To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before vibes at times, which is not a bad thing because TATBILB is one of my all time favorite books.
Everything about this book was super adorable and sweet. I loved all of Eliza and Caz’s interactions. They really brought out the best in each other and most importantly, helped each other grow and develop.
I also liked that the book explored long distance friendship. I haven’t seen that too often in books and it offered a good contrast to the relationship storyline.
My one critique is that the ending felt rushed. It ended super fast and I wanted to see a little bit more resolution. I would have loved to have seen it end with the final article she was writing for her internship because that would have brought the story full circle (the whole thing started because of a piece she wrote). Also, since none of the blog posts are featured in the book, it would have been nice to have at least one.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one! I highly recommend it if you love the fake dating trope and young adult romances.
I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.
I’ve been the biggest Narnia fan since I was kid. It was always my favorite fantasy series growing up and I was utterly obsessed with it. I had read the author’s other novel, Becoming Mrs. Lewis, and loved it, so naturally I knew I had to read this one.
This was such a magical read!
This book perfectly encapsulates the wonder and excitement of falling in love with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. It reminded me of just how enchanting the world of Narnia is and gave me a huge wave of nostalgia.
The plot is simple: a young woman seeks to give her dying brother comfort helping him figure out the origin of his favorite book by talking with the author. The simplicity of the plot works so well. It allows the readers to really think about the stories being told and to draw their own conclusions about how Narnia came to be.
As for the characters, I loved both the main characters, especially George. He was so precious.
The writing style is fantastic. It’s easy to follow and flows so well which makes the book such a quick read.
Overall, this was such a heartwarming read (I almost cried while reading it, and that’s saying something because I have never cried while reading a book). If you are a fan of Narnia I highly recommend reading this magical book!
I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.
This is only the second Twisted Tale I’ve read (the other being Reflection, which coincidentally has a somewhat similar storyline) so I can’t rank it in comparison to the others.
This was such a fun read!
I love that the book focused on Meg instead of Hercules. Meg is one of my favorite Disney characters and is so underrated. This book not only gave Meg her own story, but also dove into her past and showed more of her relationship with Hercules that we didn’t see in the movie.
Other characters from the movie are also in the book including Phil, Pegasus, Zeus, and of course Hades. There are also plenty of new characters. I would have liked to have seen a little more of Hercules, but given that this is truly Meg’s story, his lack of presence was justified.
As for the story, I found it entertaining and full of adventure, while also still having a lot of heart.
Lastly, I loved that it is revealed (on page 252) that Meg’s last name is Egan. In case you didn’t know, Egan, is the last name of Meg’s voice actor (Susan Egan).
Overall, if you are a fan of the movie or Meg, I recommend this book!
I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.
This was a very insightful read!
What I liked the most about this book was how accessible it is. It’s written in a very clear and concise way which makes it easy to follow and absorb.
The advice in the book is very practical and doable. Nothing feels out of reach or too hard to do. The anecdotes and stories from real life people also make the advice more relatable.
The organization of the book is also on point. Organization is so critical in nonfiction books because it is easy to get lost in them if not done well. This book is broken up into 3 parts, with multiple chapters in each part outlining a more focused subtopic. At the end of each chapter are 1-2 pages summarizing the the main points and action steps, making it easy to reference a particular topic without having to reread the whole chapter.
The book ends with a short concluding chapter which I really appreciated. One of my biggest pet peeves with nonfiction books is when they end with no wrap up. Concluding chapters always make the book feel more complete.
Overall, I recommend this book if you are looking to venture into a self-help book! It’s a quick and easy read and will definitely encourage you to take command of your life.
I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
What a fantastic follow up to the first book! I loved the first one and was not disappointed by its sequel.
This book picks up where the first one left off and is full of nonstop action and adventure. It is just as faced paced as the previous book.
I really enjoyed seeing the characters grow and develop. Issylte has become quite the fierce lady. She has come a long way since the beginning of book one. I also loved seeing Tristan and Issylte’s relationship blossom. The first book was a lot of setup for them so I was happy to see the payoff. I was glad that their relationship wasn’t insta-love and that it took time for things to turn romantic and intimate.
One thing this book (and the series so far) does really well is foreshadowing events (i.e. through Issylte’s visions). I love the anticipation and it was so satisfying whenever a foreshadowed event came around.
Like the first book, the world building is amazing. In this book, we are shown even more cool locations and meet more amazing characters and creatures (like mermaids!).
Overall, this was a wonderful installment to the series and I am excited to find out what happens next! If you’re looking for a new fantasy series to read, definitely check this one out.
What a luxurious book! But that is no surprise considering this is a book from the iconic brand, Hermès. I should expect nothing less from the fashion house.
I’ve had my eye on this book for a while and I am so glad I purchased it. The book is beautifully made. It has a gorgeous linen cover in the brand’s iconic orange. The pages inside are so thick. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a book with pages this thick. It also a built-in ribbon bookmark, making it super easy to mark your place.
As for the content, I loved the little cartoons. They were all so witty and the illustrations were adorable. Reading them made me smile over and over again. I enjoyed seeing how the Hermès box was incorporated in each drawing. I also liked how the cartoons were organized by season/event/holiday which made it flow very easily.
Overall, this is a stunning coffee table book! I highly recommend it if you want to add a touch of Hermès to your bookshelves (or coffee table). It would also make a great gift.
I received a copy of this book for free for promotional purposes.
This book took me by surprise (in a good way)! It’s a retelling of the Tristan and Issylte tale. I first became acquainted with this tale from another series and immediately became a fan of their story, so I was very excited to see it redone by another author. Not only is this book a Tristan and Issyle retelling, but it also weaves in Arthurian myth and has everything you want in a fairy tale: an evil stepmother, a princess in disguise, lots of magic, and a plethora of fantasy creatures.
I loved how fast paced the book was. There was never a dull moment. Sometimes fantasy books can take a while to get into the story, but this book dove right in. I was flipping through the pages just wanting to know what would happen next.
I was also impressed with how easy the book was to follow. The book does not have a map, glossary, or a list of characters that you sometimes see in fantasy books. I was able to understand everything that was happening and the world effortlessly.
Lastly, this book is written in dual POVs (Issylte and Tristan), which was the perfect choice. I loved knowing what both of them were thinking and the dual POVs helped illustrate their development well.
Overall, this was an amazing start to the trilogy. I cannot wait to read the next book. If you’re looking for an easy fantasy read, check this book out!
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the PRINCE OF SONG & SEA by Linsey Miller Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my review and make sure to enter the giveaway!
For fans of Twisted Tales and Villains is a brand new YA series that retells the classic Disney stories you thought you knew from the Disney Princes’ perspectives.
Before Prince Eric’s mother, the Queen of Vellona, went missing two years ago, she reminded him about the details of the deadly curse that has plagued his entire life. The curse? If he were to kiss someone other than his true love, he would die. With a neighboring kingdom looking for any excuse to invade their shores, and rumors of ghost pirates lurking the seas, Eric is desperate for any information that may help him break his enchantment and bring stability to Vellona. The answers he has been searching for come to him in the form of a letter left from his mother that reveals Eric must find his true love, the one with a voice pure of heart, or kill the sea witch responsible for cursing him in the first place.
Now Eric is on a quest to find the Isle of Serein, the witch’s legendary home. But after he is rescued by a mysterious young woman with a mesmerizing singing voice, Eric’s heart becomes torn. Does he enter a battle he is almost certain he cannot win or chase a love that might not even exist? And when a shipwrecked young woman with flaming red hair and a smile that could calm the seven seas enters his life, Eric may discover that true love isn’t something that can be decided by magic.
Click the picture to purchase the book on Amazon
Rating: ★★★★★
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher for promotional purposes.
I was really impressed with this retelling! I know a lot of people take issue with the Twisted Tales Disney series because it follows the movie too closely, so I was worried that this new Disney Prince series would be similar. Fortunately, this book does add a lot more to the movie. Prince Eric gets an entire backstory involving a curse which gives him so much more depth than he has in the movie. There are also a bunch of added scenes including a ton developing Eric and Ariel’s relationship. Their love story in the book is a lot less insta-lovey than it is in the movie.
I also loved that the book managed to solve common plot issues of the movie. For example, it explains why Ariel doesn’t write what she wants to say and why Ariel didn’t read her contract with Ursula.
This book is also inclusive without feeling forced. One character, Gabriella, is a lesbian, while another character, Sauer, uses they/them pronouns. Both Gabriella’s sexuality and Sauer’s pronouns are no big deal. It’s treated so normally that it actually took me a while to notice Sauer’s pronouns.
Lastly, let’s just take a minute to appreciate that gorgeous cover. It’s perfection.
Overall, I loved this retelling of The Little Mermaid! If you’re a fan of The Little Mermaid, I highly recommend this book. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.
About Linsey Miller:
Once upon a time, Linsey Miller studied biology in Arkansas. These days, she holds an MFA in fiction and can be found writing about science and magic anywhere there is coffee. She is the author of the Mask of Shadows duology, Belle Révolte, The Game, What We Devour, and the upcoming Disney Princes books for Eric and Phillip. Visit her at linseymiller.com.
Odd and Bookish 