Category: Book Reviews

Book Review: The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

Dini @ dinipandareads17 Comments

The Sword of Kaigen
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Pub Date: 19 February 2019
Genre: Adult Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A mother struggling to repress her violent past,
A son struggling to grasp his violent future,
A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’

Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Misogyny, rape, domestic violence, post-partum depression, miscarriage(s), domestic abuse, suicide bombing, death of a newborn mentioned, murder, blood, extreme violence and war themes

This was a buddy read with Becky @ Becky’s Book Blog and you can check out her review HERE!

TL;DR: This was an epic Asian inspired fantasy with intricately developed world-building and incredibly complex characters. The magic system was akin to Avatar but deadlier, the complicated family relationships reminded me of The Green Bone Saga, and the epic fight scenes gave me the same visuals and feelings from when I read The Poppy War series. Of course, the overall emotional connection that I felt throughout the read also reminded me of all of the above, so if you loved any or all of the aforementioned books, I have no doubt that you’ll find something to enjoy in these pages too.

Do I even have the words to adequately express how much I loved The Sword of Kaigen? What can I say about this that others haven’t already said and done so much better than I could? I already know it’s going to be one of my Top 2025 reads. This is another rambly gushing review so buckle up babes, you’re in a for a long ride! 😂

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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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Book Review: Quicksilver by Callie Hart

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy #1)
Publisher: Hodderscape
Pub Date: 10 September 2024
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

From global phenomenon Callie Hart comes a highly addictive enemies-to-lovers Romantasy with razor-sharp banter, heart-stopping action, and blistering hot romance that you won’t be able to put down!

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.

In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently re-opens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares… but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed herself in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him . . . or her.

Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child. The devil is in the details . . .

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Rape of the protagonist’s mother, sex work, suicidal ideation, forced sterilization (recounted), blood, injury & gore depiction including decapitation & emesis, murder & torture, war themes, extreme childhood poverty (recounted)

Shoutout to Leslie for buddy reading this with me because it is a super fun book to have someone to exchange thoughts and theories with! 💜

TL;DR: Oops, I’m coming in with a slightly unpopular opinion here even though I ultimately ended up enjoying the story. I’ve seen everyone and their mum reading and talking about this book for months. While my reading experience was fairly average and I can’t say that I fully get the hype, I can understand why it is hyped because it ticks off all of the fantasy romance boxes. From hate-to-love romance and high sexual tension (and steam!) to faeries and vampires, and enough action to keep you invested—this has all of the elements that make this genre so popular and well-loved. Although I didn’t love it as much as everyone else did, I liked it enough to want to continue the series and I look forward to seeing where the author takes our characters next!

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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 Top 5 Reasons to Read + Book Review: The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Hello, friends. ✨ Today I’m excited to share my Top 5 Reasons to Read the first book in an exciting new fantasy duology inspired by Chinese mythology: The Scorpion and the Night Blossom by Amélie Wen Zhao! Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it.

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

Click here or on the banner above to check out the rest of the fantastic bloggers on tour!

The Scorpion and the Night Blossom (The Three Realms #1)
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: 4 March 2025
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rep: Chinese, AAPI

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

In a world invaded by demons, one girl will face the ultimate test when she is forced to enter into an ancient, deadly competition for the chance to save her mother’s soul… before she loses her forever. From the New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night comes the beginning of a dark and opulent fantasy duology, perfect for fans of Throne of Glass.

Nine years ago, the war between the Kingdom of Night and the Kingdom of Rivers tore Àn’yīng’s family apart, leaving her mother barely alive and a baby sister to fend for. Now the mortal realm is falling into eternal night, and mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—roam the land, feasting on the flesh of humans and drinking their souls.

An’yīng is no longer a helpless child, though. Armed with her crescent blades and trained in the ancient art of practitioning, she has decided to enter the Immortality Trials, which are open to any mortal who can survive the journey to the immortal realm. Those who complete the Trials are granted a pill of eternal life—the one thing Àn’yīng knows can heal her dying mother. But to attain the prize, she must survive the competition.

Death is common in the Trials. Yet oddly, Àn’yīng finds that someone is helping her stay alive. A rival contestant. Powerful and handsome, Yù’chén is as secretive about his past as he is about his motives for protecting Àn’yīng.

The longer she survives the Trials, the clearer it becomes that all is not right in the immortal realm. To save her mother and herself, Àn’yīng will need to figure out whether she can truly trust the stranger she’s falling for or if he’s the most dangerous player of all . . . for herself and for all the realms.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Violence, blood, death of loved one, colonial themes. Also, see romance spoiler below for younger readers.

📚 BUY A COPY!

Family First

At the heart of this story is Àn’Yīng’s unwavering love for her family. All she has done is to ensure their safety in a world that’s ravaged by darkness. All she strives to continue doing is to create a better life for them. 🧑‍🧑‍🧒‍🧒

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Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

Dini @ dinipandareads22 Comments

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3)
Publisher: Random House US
Pub Date: 11 February 2025
Genre: Adult Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves.

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Sarcificial suicide, alcohol consumption, blood & injury depiction including broken bones (secondary character), recounted death of parents, brief recounting of grandparent’s murder, murder & attempted murder, physical assault

TL;DR: You know that feeling you get when you read the opening line of a book and you immediately know that you’re in good hands? That’s what I felt the moment I read the first line in Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales and I just knew I’d have a wonderful time coming back to this historical cosy fantasy following along with Emily’s faerie adventures. Returning to this world felt like coming home. I continued to love Emily and Wendell with their delightfully contrasting personalities who couldn’t be better matches for each other. Their banter still has me kicking my feet in giggly joy! I loved reuniting with old favourite characters from the previous books and being introduced to new ones who I admittedly had misgivings about, but who steadily proved those feelings wrong. From wild enchantment to foreboding and utter disbelief to absolute charm, this third book takes you on an engaging ride and presents a very satisfying conclusion to a wonderful series.

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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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Blog Tour Review: Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli

Dini @ dinipandareads26 Comments

Hi friends, as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours I’m excited to share my thoughts on Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli—the second and final book in the Crimson Moth duology!

Thanks to Wednesday Books 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!

Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth #2)
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: 18 February 2025
Genre: YA/NA Fantasy Romance

Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

A WITCH…
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER…
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE…
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli’s Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Blood, war, death, gun and knife violence, torture, kidnapping, imprisonment (past and present), on-page sex (moderately described)

📚 BUY A COPY

Note: I will try to keep my review of book two as specific yet generic as possible to keep from giving spoilers but since it is the conclusion of a duology, that may be hard to do. Fair warning you’re still planning to read book one!

TL;DR: Rebel Witch is a fast-paced and action-packed follow-up to Crimson Moth. I was invested from the go and I can’t recall the last time I read a book so quickly (not even a day)! The conclusion in this fantasy romance duology leans more into the romance side of things but overall, I found it a satisfying conclusion! Rune and Gideon are peak enemies-to-lovers and I LOVED everything about their dynamic in this book. The sexual tension was so intense and taut that you could have cut it with a knife and I was here for every single delicious moment. There are old/new characters and plot twists introduced that did a good job of cleanly wrapping up the loose threads, despite maybe some elements moving a bit too quickly. Or maybe it was just that I wanted more time in this world and I didn’t want the book to end? 🤭 This duology as a whole is a solid 5 stars and with the way it ends, it has successfully slotted itself into my list of favourite fantasy romances!

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