Tag: 2024 Reads

Book Review: Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry

Dini @ dinipandareads6 Comments

Buried in a Good Book (By the Book #1)
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Pub Date: 24 May 2022
Genre: Cosy Mystery

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Bestselling thriller writer Tess Harrow is almost at the end of her rope when she arrives with her teenage daughter at her grandfather’s rustic cabin in the woods. She hopes this will be a time for them to heal and bond after Tess’s recent divorce, but they’ve barely made it through the door when an explosion shakes the cabin. Suddenly it’s raining fish guts and…is that a human arm?

Tess was hardly convincing Gertie that a summer without Wi-Fi and running water would be an adventure. Now she’s thrust into a murder investigation, neighbors are saying they’ve spotted Bigfoot in the woods near her cabin, and the local sheriff is the spitting image of her character Detective Gabriel Gonzales―something he’s less than thrilled about. With so much more than her daughter’s summer plans at stake, it’s up to Tess to solve this case before anyone else gets hurt.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Murder, dismemberment (off page), animal endangerment, infidelity (off page, recounted)

TL;DR: I’m so glad that I finally read Buried in a Good Book! I had no idea what to expect going in but I didn’t think the writing would be so amusing, even with the murderous plot. I loved the humour and the cosy yet spooky atmosphere of this quaint and quirky small town surrounded by thick woods and nature near the Canadian border. Tess was a fantastic main character and I loved the role many of the side characters play, especially Sheriff Boyd, Gertie, and Nicki! It’s a wildly adventurous and murder-filled read and I can’t wait to continue this series.

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Blog Tour Review: Wrath of the Talon by Sophie Kim

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

Hello, friends. ✨ Today I’m excited to be part of the blog tour for Wrath of the Talon by Sophie Kim! Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it.

Thanks to Entangled: Teen 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!

Wrath of the Talons (Talon #2)
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Publication Date: 2 April 2024
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Rep: Asian, Korean

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Everyone thinks the Reaper of Sunpo—eighteen-year-old assassin Shin Lina—is dead. The only ones who know the truth are her cherished little sister and Haneul Rui, the icily gorgeous Dokkaebi Emperor, who she was sent to kill…and kissed instead.

Now, with the potent Imugi venom surging in her veins, Lina’s returned to right all wrongs. Already her body is changing, growing stronger, stealthier, and more agile, with serpentine scales she can call at will. She is living vengeance, seeking retribution for the massacre of the Talons. She’ll become the sword who cuts down the rival Blackbloods gang, along with their ruthless crime-lord leader. And when she is through, she will take the kingdom as her own.

But there is a mysterious side to Lina’s growing power, a dark voice inside her that whispers and guides her as she slips through the shadows of Sunpo’s streets. One that warns her not to trust the Dokkaebi, especially Rui.

Because if her destiny isn’t to love him…it must be to destroy him.

The Talons series is best enjoyed in order.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Violence, murder, mild sex scenes (on page)

📚 BUY A COPY!

TL;DR: Holy wow, this was a sequel! That ending had me floored because no way was that the choice! Author!! The way you built up hope is illegal!!! I can’t remember the last time I was so thrilled by the second book in a trilogy but this, to me, did not suffer from that dreaded second/middle book syndrome. Perhaps it’s because I went in with lowered expectations having thought the first book was okay; however, I think the writing, plot, and character development were sharper and I’m happy to see that author growth. With such high stakes and a whole lot of tension and angst, this sequel got me invested in this series and after that ending, I can’t wait for the finale!

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Book Review: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

Trail of Lightning (The Sixth World #1)
Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press
Pub Date: 26 June 2018
Genre: Dystopian Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

While most of the world has drowned beneath the sudden rising waters of a climate apocalypse, Dinétah (formerly the Navajo reservation) has been reborn. The gods and heroes of legend walk the land, but so do monsters.

Maggie Hoskie is a Dinétah monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town needs help finding a missing girl, Maggie is their last best hope. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much more terrifying than anything she could imagine.

Maggie reluctantly enlists the aid of Kai Arviso, an unconventional medicine man, and together they travel the rez, unraveling clues from ancient legends, trading favors with tricksters, and battling dark witchcraft in a patchwork world of deteriorating technology.

As Maggie discovers the truth behind the killings, she will have to confront her past if she wants to survive.

Welcome to the Sixth World.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Dismemberment, gore, blood, extreme violence, substance abuse, racism

TL;DR: This was a reread for me but I read it back before I wrote reviews so despite giving it 4 stars I didn’t remember what I loved and didn’t love about it. I’m blown away by how much I enjoyed this especially because there are horror aspects in this that fall outside my usual reading comfort zone. Despite the stomach-turning moments and the fact that these pages are filled with a fairly depressing post-apocalyptic setting and dark mythology, I found myself being unable to turn away and I often didn’t want to stop reading even when adulting responsibilities called me back to reality. This review is a bit all over the place but that tends to happen with a book I’ve thoroughly enjoyed! 😂 

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ARC Review: Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim

Dini @ dinipandareads2 Comments

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

Last of the Talons (Talon #1)
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Publication Date: 27 September 2022
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

After the destruction of her entire Talon gang, eighteen-year-old Shin Lina—the Reaper of Sunpo—is forced to become a living, breathing weapon for the kingdom’s most-feared crime lord. All that keeps her from turning on her ruthless master is the life of her beloved little sister hanging in the balance. But the order to steal a priceless tapestry from a Dokkaebi temple incites not only the wrath of a legendary immortal, but the beginning of an unwinnable game…

Suddenly Lina finds herself in the dreamlike realm of the Dokkaebi, her fate in the hands of its cruel and captivating emperor. But she can win her life—if she kills him first.

Now a terrible game of life and death has begun, and even Lina’s swift, precise blade is no match for the magnetic Haneul Rui. Lina will have to use every weapon in her arsenal if she wants to outplay this cunning king and save her sister…all before the final grain of sand leaks out of the hourglass.

Because one way or another, she’ll take Rui’s heart.

Even if it means giving up her own.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Violence, blood, traumatic deaths of loved ones

TL;DR: Despite my first attempt at reading this being unsuccessful, I’m glad to say that the second time’s the charm and I found myself enjoying this more than I expected to. Kim offers a lot in this upper YA fantasy debut—plenty of stabby action, deaths, found family moments, rebellion, deception, and a forbidden enemies-to-lovers romance. That said, much of the characters, relationships and world-building was kept on a surface level and at over 400 pages long, I think we could’ve got a lot more development! Overall though, this wasn’t a bad debut and I’m curious to see how Kim evolves as an author throughout the series and what happens next with Lina and her thirst for vengeance!

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Monthly Wrap-Up: April 2024

Dini @ dinipandareads18 Comments

April was… a month, I guess? I honestly have no idea what to say about this month other than it has been a rough mental health month but my soul was fed by the new double album TS released mid-month. To say I’m mildly obsessed with all 31 songs would be… Accurate, if not an understatement, lol. 😝 In other news, there really isn’t much and I don’t want to get into the anxiety, increased sleepless nights and work stress so… I’ll leave it there! I just hope that May will be a better month. I’m also going to start job hunting in May and we all know how tough that always is.

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Book Review: The First Binding by R.R. Virdi

Dini @ dinipandareads7 Comments

The First Binding (Tales of Tremaine #1)
Publisher: Gollancz
Pub Date: 18 August 2022
Genre: Epic High Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

All legends are born of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first.

I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow. Then I killed their god. I’ve stolen old magics and been cursed for it. I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved, and wanted to save. I’ve called lightning and bound fire. I am legend. And I am a monster.

My name is Ari.

And this is the story of how I let loose the first evil.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Murder, child abuse, child labour, drug use & addiction, self-harm, blood, injuries and many deaths… As well as probably many other triggers that I have not mentioned.

TL;DR: The First Binding is truly an epic high fantasy. It’s a story that I have mixed feelings about because while I loved the vastness and richness of it, I think that was also what made it a struggle to read at times. Despite feeling like I had to “work” to get into it, there were many moments when I was captivated and felt fully immersed in the lush world-building. I became very invested in Ari’s story and I was intrigued by many of the characters we’re introduced to. This is a coming-of-age tale mixed with murder, mystery and an abundance of well-developed stories within the story, and I highly enjoyed the narrative framing. Overall, while it’s not a new favourite, I’m keen to continue with the series and I hope we get more answers to some burning questions soon!

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Book Review: Brewed in Magic by Jenna Wolfhart

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Brewed in Magic (Falling for Fables #2)
Pub Date: 2 January 2024
Genre: Cosy Fantasy Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Lilia has always had a wanderer’s heart. She spends her days on the road with her famous Traveling Tavern and only a dragon to keep her company. Despite longing for a deeper connection, she knows she’s destined to wander the world alone.

When she meets a handsome stranger on her journey to the winter festival, she finally feels she’s found a kindred spirit…until he vanishes in the early morning without so much as a goodbye.

Turns out, he rushed ahead to reach the festival first with his own traveling tavern. One he never mentioned. Now her would-be companion is her rival, or worse. Someone is trying to sabotage the festival by stealing supplies, and all her suspicions point to him.

But when he offers to help find the culprit, sparks melt the icy barriers between them. And Lilia must decide if she can trust him with saving the festival—and with her heart.

Brewed in Magic is a stand-alone cozy romantasy set in the whimsical world of Falling for Fables.

TL;DR: This series is living up to its cosy romantasy vibes and this second book was adorable! I enjoyed the festival setting, the rivals-to-lovers romance, and the adventures they get up to throughout the story featuring dragons, thieves, mountain trolls, and more. I admit that some elements were a bit too… Bonkers. I also wish the conflict and “bad guy” were given more page time to be fleshed out because it all ended so quickly that I was left slightly underwhelmed. But if you’re here for romance and a cosy good time, this will be an enjoyable read for you, as it was for me.

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