Category: LGBTQ+

Blog Tour Review: Saint Catherine by Anna Meyer

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Hi friends, I’m back for another blog tour today! I’m excited to share my thoughts as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours for Saint Catherine by Anna Meyer.

Thanks to Labyrinth Road for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!

Saint Catherine
Publisher: 23rd St.
Publication Date: 29 April 2025
Genre: Adult Contemporary Graphic Novel

Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A relatable adult graphic novel about a woman who skips Sunday mass for the first time in her life only to discover she’s possibly being possessed by a demon.

As a recovering Irish American Catholic, she has mostly traded the world of communion and confessionals for the “city-girl” struggle of work-life balance, family, and her relationships. The only thing she has not been able to shake is her fear that something bad will happen if she misses Sunday mass.

But her fears become a reality when she skips mass for the first time and discovers she is now being possessed by a demon claiming to be the prince of hell. As she takes matters into her own hands and attempts to exorcise these demons (both the paranormal and emotional kind), Catherine must face her buried guilt and what it truly means to be good.

A cathartic and engaging view into the messy life of an urban women in her early twenties, Anna Meyer’s Saint Catherine is truly a story of letting go of guilt and taking responsibilities for your desires, hopes, and mistakes.

📚 BUY A COPY

This was a great graphic novel that I think will appeal to readers of all ages, especially the adults but perhaps even some older YA readers. I think it will also appeal to those who have a non-linear relationship with religion. I didn’t think that a story about a young woman who believes she’s possessed by dozens of evil spirits because she missed church one time could be so entertaining. However, the author did a fantastic job bringing Catherine’s story to life. I didn’t expect to feel a slew of emotions from frustration and shock to heartbreak and overwhelming sadness to healing contentment, but Meyers made me feel it all!

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Book Review: The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Dini @ dinipandareads28 Comments

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (Wayfarers #1)
Publisher: Hodder
Pub Date: 31 December 2015
Genre: Science Fiction

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

When Rosemary Harper joins the crew of the Wayfarer, she isn’t expecting much. The ship, which has seen better days, offers her everything she could possibly want: a small, quiet spot to call home for a while, adventure in far-off corners of the galaxy, and distance from her troubled past.

But Rosemary gets more than she bargained for with the Wayfarer. The crew is a mishmash of species and personalities, from Sissix, the friendly reptillian pilot, to Kizzy and Jenks, the constantly sparring engineers who keep the ship running. Life on board is chaotic, but more or less peaceful – exactly what Rosemary wants.

Until the crew are offered the job of a lifetime: the chance to build a hyperspace tunnel to a distant planet. They’ll earn enough money to live comfortably for years… if they survive the long trip through war-torn interstellar space without endangering any of the fragile alliances that keep the galaxy peaceful.

But Rosemary isn’t the only person on board with secrets to hide, and the crew will soon discover that space may be vast, but spaceships are very small indeed.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Child abuse (recounted), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), alcohol & recreational drug use (mentioned) blood & physical injury, terminal illness, death of a parent, murder, gun violence, torture/abuse, imprisonment, genocide discussed, war themes

TL;DR: Who would’ve guessed that I’d end up loving the book that everyone told me I would love? This is another instance where I’m kicking myself for stupidly waiting years to read this book because I can guarantee you now that it’s in my top reads of 2025. This is pure found family. This is space adventures through a character driven narration. This is a beautiful examination of humanity in all its wonder and mess, triumphs and joys, pains and heartbreaks. There might be minimal plot but who cares when the characters make every moment of this journey traveling through deep space, learning about the Galactic Commons and the sapients that populate it, such an incredibly fun time? I know I certainly didn’t mind and I’m already excited to get to the next book asap!

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Blog Tour Review: The Dragon’s Apprentice by James Riley

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Hi friends, I’m back for another blog tour today! I’m excited to share my thoughts and a ‘book look’ as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours for The Dragon’s Apprentice by James Riley.

Thanks to Labyrinth Road for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!

The Dragon’s Apprentice
Publisher: Labyrinth Road
Publication Date: 1 April 2025
Genre: MG Fantasy

Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

In this hilarious fantasy adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of the Story Thieves series, a girl strikes a deal with the ancient, cranky dragon she accidentally summoned to teach her the forbidden magic she needs to save her mother.

STOP. Don’t read any further. There are magic spells in this book, and the Emperor has forbidden anyone from learning magic, because it’s way too dangerous! If you try one of the spells, any number of terrible things might happen (or so the Emperor says).

Don’t be like Ciara, a twelve-year-old girl living in the tiny village of Skael. When she used a spell from within this book, she ended up summoning a dragon. A DRAGON! Those things breathe fire! From their mouths! She’s obviously doomed.

And don’t listen if Ciara tells you that dragons won’t hurt humans, and that they even once taught us magic, a thousand years ago. Definitely don’t pay any attention to the fact that the dragon she summoned, Scorch, might be willing to help rescue Ciara’s mother and free her village from the Emperor and his Warden, because it’s all obviously a big lie. So put this book down, and forget about it. Magic is just way too dangerous. After all, you wouldn’t want to summon your own dragon, would you?

📚 BUY A COPY

TL;DR: The Dragon’s Apprentice is a fantastical and magical adventure-filled tale. With a feisty and exuberant leading character fighting for justice against evil rulers and trying to uncover what happened to the most powerful mage in the land alongside a grumpy dragon to teach her all about magic, I think this is a story that many middle-grade readers will enjoy!

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ARC Mini-Review: The Knight and the Butcherbird by Alix E. Harrow

Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

Special thanks to Amazon Original Stories for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

The Knight and the Butcherbird
Publisher: Amazon Original Stories
Pub Date: 11 March 2025
Genre: Adult Dystopian Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

New York Times bestselling author Alix E. Harrow weaves a dystopian fairy tale that follows the town storyteller as she struggles to protect a local demon from the knight hired to kill it.

In this gritty, haunting tale about doing whatever it takes for love, a small-town storyteller resolves to keep the local monster—and her own secrets—safe from a legendary knight.

Nestled deep in the steep hills, valleys, and surrounding woodlands lies Iron Hollow, a rural community beset by demons. Such horrors are common in the outlands, where most folks die young, if they don’t turn into monsters first. But what’s causing these transformations?

No one has the answer, not even the town’s oral historian, seventeen-year-old Shrike. And when a legendary knight is summoned to hunt down the latest beast to haunt their woods, Shrike has more reason than most to be concerned. Because that demon was her wife. And while Shrike is certain that May still recognizes her—that May is still human, somewhere beneath it all—she can’t prove it.

Determined to keep May safe, Shrike stalks the knight and his demon-hunting hawk through the recesses of the forest. But as they creep through toxic creeks and overgrown kudzu, Shrike realizes the knight has a secret of his own. And he’ll do anything to protect it.

I am not at all surprised that I ended up loving The Knight and the Butcherbird. Being more familiar with Harrow’s work by now, I knew that she would throw in some twisty elements that, when they click, they click hard and she managed to do it again with this short story. This is an unconventional love story set in a dystopian future where the results of climate change, environmental degradation, illness, corruption, and war have warped the world as we know it and turned it into a bleak and disease-ridden reality. Even in this future reality, the ugly side of human nature prevails against the weak majority. It was almost terrifying how easy it was to picture this future because of the state of our world and I think that made this an even more impactful read for me.

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Blog Tour Review + Book Look: A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill

Dini @ dinipandareads14 Comments

Hi friends, I’m back for another blog tour today! I’m excited to share my thoughts and a ‘book look’ as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours for A Song for You and I by K. O’Neill.

Thanks to Random House Graphic for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!

A Song for You and I
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Publication Date: 4 March 2025
Genre: MG/YA Fantasy Graphic Novel
Rep: Non-Binary, Trans, LGBT+

Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Being a ranger means adventure, action, and protecting the weak. But who protects the ranger when they lose their way? From the bestselling author of The Moth Keeper and the Tea Dragon Society comes a must read MG graphic novel for fans of soft sweeping fantasy romances. Rowan knows exactly what they to be a ranger, protecting their village alongside their trusted flying horse Kes. But when Rowan’s eagerness to show off their worth gets Kes injured, Rowan is suddenly unsure if they’re capable of being the protector they’ve always dreamed of becoming. With Kes needing to heal, Rowan is assigned a slow and winding expedition across the outlying lands. Paired with a lackadasical sheep hearder Leone, Rowan only finds frustration as they seem to fail even the simplest tasks. But Leone’s own struggles, and endless support brings a new possibility to Rowan. Could their unlikely friendship be something more? And if it is, will Rowan be able to leave Leone behind to pursue being a ranger once Kes is healed?

📚 BUY A COPY

At this point, I will read any story that O’Neill puts down in whatever medium or format they choose. Without fail, their stories are always full of heart, warmth, and kindness. Their stories always include big life lessons told in such a gentle and nurturing way, and their latest graphic novel is no different.

My Book Look for A Song for You and I

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Blog Tour Review: Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Hi friends, as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours I’m excited to share my thoughts on Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson!

Thanks to Delacorte Press for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!

Unhallowed Halls
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: 18 February 2025
Genre: YA Horror Fantasy
Rep: LGBT+, Queer, chronic illness, endometriosis

Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school located deep within the Scottish moorlands after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets—including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic—in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.

Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn’t even consider turning it down.

Agathion is everything Page has ever a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion’s halls–the only problem is, they’re all keeping secrets from her.

Page doesn’t know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots–roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.

Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death, blood, murder, gun violence, car accident, amputation, self-harm, forced isolation

📚 BUY A COPY

TL;DR: Unhallowed Halls is a book that I had a very fun time reading! I came for the dark academia and mild supernatural horror vibes and Wilkinson delivered on both. The intimidating structure and cold halls of Agathion combined with the fog-enshrouded moor surrounding the campus created a wonderfully gothic and eerie atmosphere that set the tone well for the story. Our MC was so easy to root for and I enjoyed the found family vibes with the “elite clique” that she finds herself taken into. While the second half of the story was a large departure from the first half, I went with the vibes and found myself enjoying the tonally different and slightly ludicrous unfolding of events. It’s batty but if you can just roll with it and suspend your disbelief, it’s a fun time (at least, it was for me)! 😂

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Book Review: Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

Black Water Sister
Publisher: Macmillan
Pub Date: 11 May 2021
Genre: Speculative Fiction

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A reluctant medium discovers the ties that bind can unleash a dangerous power in this compelling Malaysian-set contemporary fantasy.

Jessamyn Teoh is closeted, broke and moving back to Malaysia, a country she left when she was a toddler. So when Jess starts hearing voices, she chalks it up to stress. But there’s only one voice in her head, and it claims to be the ghost of her estranged grandmother, Ah Ma. In life Ah Ma was a spirit medium, the avatar of a mysterious deity called the Black Water Sister. Now she’s determined to settle a score against a gang boss who has offended the god–and she’s decided Jess is going to help her do it.

Drawn into a world of gods, ghosts, and family secrets, Jess finds that making deals with capricious spirits is a dangerous business. As Jess fights for retribution for Ah Ma, she’ll also need to regain control of her body and destiny. If she fails, the Black Water Sister may finish her off for good.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Gang violence, attempted kidnapping, sexual assault and attempted rape, attempted murder, murder, racism, homophobia

TL;DR: I’m so glad that I finally read my first book by Zen Cho. I’ve heard many great things about Cho’s work and even though this was well outside my comfort zone with all the paranormal activity (ghosts, possessions, etc.), I’m so glad I gave it a chance because I ended up loving it! There was so much to appreciate in Black Water Sister from the strong characters and themes to the simmering rage thrumming through these pages. On a more personal level, the sociocultural elements and parts of Jess’s story were so relatable as they are also part of my experience, which made the story more impactful for me as a reader. I would highly recommend this if you are looking for speculative fiction with non-Western roots, a flawed yet relatable main character, and a thrilling story about revenge, forgiveness, family, and belonging.

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ARC Review: The Wilde Trials by Mackenzie Reed

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Special thanks to Storytide (HarperCollins Children’s Books) for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Wilde Trials
Publisher: Storytide
Pub Date: 21 January 2025
Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

From the acclaimed author of The Rosewood Hunt comes a thrilling new mystery about a high-stakes competition packed with shocking twists, second chances, and deadly deceit, where allies—and enemies—are the people you’d least expect.

Chloe Gatti will do whatever it takes to win her elite boarding school’s annual competition, the Wilde Trials. In the two weeks leading up to graduation from Wilde Academy, a dozen seniors are chosen to compete in a series of seven ultimate physical and mental tests, and the winner will take home over half a million dollars—money that Chloe needs to help her sick sister.

But the competition is fierce, and includes her brooding ex-boyfriend, Hayes Stratford, whose brother was the only student to die during the Trials a few years ago. When someone starts blackmailing Chloe during the competition, she’s forced to strike a deal with Hayes—if he helps her discover who is sabotaging her, she’ll help him solve the mystery his brother left behind.

Following clues from Hayes’s brother, the unlikely allies discover that something isn’t right about the Wilde Trials. With a lifechanging prize looming over her head and her buried feelings for Hayes rising to the surface, Chloe will have to decide what’s really worth fighting for, and if the cost of competing outweighs the potential consequences, even if that includes ending up like Hayes’s brother—dead.

Fans of Jessica Goodman and Maureen Johnson will love this dark academia thriller with a romantic twist!

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Murder (recounted), multiple murder attempts, bullying, blackmail

TL;DR: The Wilde Trials was a great young adult mystery/thriller. It’s been a minute since I read YA in this genre but this made me want to pick up more of them! The setting of the Wilde Manor was perfectly atmospheric, the puzzles fun, the mystery intriguing and even the teenage drama was entertaining. Overall, if you’re looking for a well-paced mystery with empathetic characters who are easy to root for, I would recommend checking this out.

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ARC Review: A Language of Dragons by S. F. Williamson

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Special thanks to HarperCollins for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Language of Dragons
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pub Date: 7 January 2025
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

EVERY ACT OF TRANSLATION REQUIRES SACRIFICE

Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons.

London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.

With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.

At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must What war is she really fighting?

An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Gun and knife violence, physical assault, classism, speciesism, sexism and misogyny, police (Guardian) brutality, murder

TL;DR: A Language of Dragons took me on a rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions. This fantasy world where humans and dragons co-exist had a fascinating premise and overall, I think the author executed it well. This has a little something for everyone—an in-depth exploration of linguistics and the power of language, political intrigue and subterfuge, romance, and dragons, and I think its comparison to Babel and The Hunger Games (or any other dystopian YA) is apt. Despite being a historical fantasy, it explores evergreen themes of social inequality, redemption, forgiveness, and justice, among others. The main struggle I had was dealing with the wildly negative feelings our protagonist, Viv, brought out in me as she’s one of the most flawed and unempathetic YA characters I’ve ever read. Upon reflection, I appreciated what the author did with Viv and how it made her eventual growth more satisfying—even if I didn’t reach that level of acceptance while reading, lol. If you’re affected by unlikeable protagonists then you might not enjoy this but if you can have patience, I think you’ll come to appreciate Viv too! Overall, this was a solid debut and I can’t wait to see where Williamson takes the story next!

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Blog Tour Review: A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya

Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

Hi friends, as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours I’m excited to share my thoughts on A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya. Thanks to the TBR team for having me on tour and to Joy Revolution for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!

A Cruel Thirst
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Publication Date: 17 December 2024
Genre: Young Adult Historical Paranormal Romance

Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A fledgling vampire and a headstrong vampire huntress must work together–against their better judgment–to rid the world of monsters in this irresistible romantic fantasy.

Carolina Fuentes wants to join her family in hunting the bloodthirsty vampiros that plague her pueblo. Her father, however, wishes to marry her off to a husband of his choosing, someone who’ll take her away from danger.

Determined to prove she’d make a better slayer than wife, Carolina vows to take down a monster herself. But when she runs intoun vampiro that is somehow extremely attractive and kind, herplan crumbles.

Lalo Villalobos was content leading a perfectly dull life until un vampiro turned him. Now forced to flee his city, he heads to the pueblo where he believes the first vampiro was made. Surely its residents must know how to reverse this dreadful curse. Instead of finding salvation, Lalo collides with a beautiful young woman who’d gladly drive a dagger through his heart.

Fortunately, Lalo and Carolina share a common enemy. They can wipe out this evil. Together. If his fangs and her fists can stay focused, they might just triumph and discover what it feels like to take a bite out of love.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Blood, death of loved ones (recounted, on page), murder, gun violence, knife violence, death of animals (off page), misogyny

📚 BUY A COPY

TL;DR: A Cruel Thirst was a great romp of a read! This YA historical paranormal romance had engaging characters who were easy to root for and an entertaining action-packed plot that kept me turning the pages. I loved Carolina and Lalo and enjoyed their enemies-to-reluctant partners-to-lovers dynamic so much. Despite recognising certain flaws in the story that would’ve normally irritated me, the humorous writing and witty banter made this such an enjoyable laugh-out-loud read, that the flaws didn’t seem to matter! I would recommend it to those looking for a relatively light-hearted but action-packed story featuring an interesting vampire x vampire hunter dynamic that’s heavy on fun, romance, and banter!

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