Tag: Book Review

Book Review: A Tempest of Ravens by E.A. Bard

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A Tempest of Ravens (The Noble Exiles #1)
Publisher: Bard Songs Publishing
Pub Date: 24 October 2025
Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Outlander meets One Dark Window in this sweeping and visceral historical romantasy.

SCOTLAND 1651. THE KINGDOM IS ABLAZE WITH WAR AND WITCHES’ PYRES.

Maeve MacDonnell has spent years being haunted by croaking ravens, terrifying visions, and uncanny abilities she can’t explain. She’d give anything to be free of them—or to finally control them.

After the superstitious local villagers force her out of town, an alluring stranger named Eamon comes to her aid. As their connection deepens, he encourages her to embrace her abilities. And as her power grows, so does their undeniable chemistry.

When they’re ambushed by the invading English army—who are hell-bent on conquering Scotland and turning every witch to ash—Maeve and Eamon flee to the last Scottish-held castle.

Thrust into a brutal web of deceit, and besieged by enemies on all sides, Maeve must rely on her chaotic magic to survive. It could be the key to saving the kingdom and everyone she loves—but only if she can harness it in time.

Inspired by real events and perfect for fans of Rachel Gillig and Diana Gabaldon, this atmospheric historical romantasy is the first book in the Noble Exiles series.

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS

On-page violence, sexual assault (non-consensual kissing & touching), attempted kidnapping, torture, war themes, blood, PTSD, emotional abuse, misogyny, bigotry

TL;DR: Lately, I’ve been struggling to find a read that piques and keeps my interest past the first few pages, so I was very excited when I started A Tempest of Ravens and it did just that. While there were enjoyable moments as the story progressed—particularly the historical context and atmosphere—the uneven pacing, repetitiveness, and a lack of connection to the characters, left me wanting more. I really thought I would love this more than I did, however, I still think it’s a solid debut and I’m curious to see where Maeve’s story goes next. If you’re more into historical fiction with a little bit of witchcraft and magic thrown into the mix, and a mild romantic subplot, you might enjoy this one!

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Mini Book Review: Gaveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

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Graveyard Shift
Publisher: Wildfire
Pub Date: 24 September 2024
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

The bestselling author of international BookTok sensation If We Were Villains returns with a story of a group of misfits who meet in the local cemetery each night to unearth the secrets lurking in an open grave.

Every night, in the college’s ancient cemetery, five people cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel receptionist, the steward of the derelict church that looms over them, and the editor-in-chief of the college paper, always in search of a story.

One dark October evening in the defunct churchyard, they find a hole that wasn’t there before. A fresh, open grave where no grave should be. But who dug it, and for whom?

Before they go their separate ways, the gravedigger returns. As they trail him through the night, they realise he may be the key to a string of strange happenings around town that have made headlines for the last few weeks — and that they may be closer to the mystery than they thought.

Atmospheric and eerie, with the ensemble cast her fans love and a delightfully familiar academic backdrop, Graveyard Shift is a modern Gothic tale in If We Were Villains author M.L. Rio’s inimitable style.

“What must it feel like, she wondered, for the first time and much too late, to be so desperate for rest that you’d let a doctor[…]drop her experimental poison in your eyes?”

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Book Review: A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

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A Study in Drowning (A Study in Drowning #1)
Publisher: Del Rey
Pub Date: 19 September 2023
Genre: YA Fantasy/Dark Academia

Panda Rating:

(4.25 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she’s had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

From the Trigger Warning Database:
Ableism & internalised ableism, sexual harassment & sexual assault mentioned, alcohol consumption & abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, panic attacks & nightmares, amputation (protagonist is missing her finger), death of a parent mentioned, torture recounted, car accident recounted, drowning & attempted drowning, flood recounted, animal death mentioned

*Context: A secondary character is kissed without consent and has plans to kidnap and hold her captive.

I might’ve gotten a bit carried away with my thoughts on this book—sorry for the essay—but I guess you can say I loved it. 🤭 Also, I buddy read this with Chris @ Biblio Nerd Reflections and it was an awesome pick as there’s plenty to discuss and rage about, lol!

TL;DR: A Study in Drowning was an interesting blend of dark academia, fae lore, and gothic romance. It was stunningly atmospheric and I felt every single drenched moment in Hiraeth down to my bones. Experiencing the story through Effy’s POV was also perfect because it added to the dreamlike and otherworldly quality of the story, where you’re unsure about what’s real and what’s not. This explores some dark themes, including how misogyny runs rampant in the academic world, and at times it was heavy to read. That said, I was loathe to put it down every time I had to adult, and overall, I thought this was a compelling and satisfying read!

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Book Review: Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

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Before I Let Go (Skyland #1)
Publisher: Forever
Pub Date: 15 November 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Their love was supposed to last forever. But when life delivered blow after devastating blow, Yasmen and Josiah Wade found that love alone couldn’t solve or save everything.

It couldn’t save their marriage.

Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.

Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It’s hot. It’s illicit. It’s all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?

Award-winning and bestselling “powerhouse” author Kennedy Ryan is at her absolute best in this compelling, scorching novel about hope and healing, and what it truly means to love for a lifetime (USA Today).

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

From the author’s note: Stillbirth, loss of loved one (past/off-page), discussion of complicated grief, depression, and passive suicidal ideation (no attempt).

TL;DR: I’m writing these thoughts down well after I finished reading this because my feelings were so heightened after this experience, I wanted to let my thoughts marinate a little bit. I want to start by saying that what everyone says about this book is 100% correct. It is beautifully written, heartbreaking and an intensely emotional journey that I found myself getting swept up and away in. Kennedy Ryan is out here destroying feelings left, right and centre, and she does a fantastic job of it! I read this book with Leslie, who didn’t like this as much as I did, and despite loving it myself, I can understand why it won’t be for everyone. Please do check content/trigger warnings because this covers a very traumatic experience and the ways our protagonists deal with what happened can be triggering for some.

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Book Review: What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah

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What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Pub Date: 4 April 2017
Genre: Literary Fiction, Short Stories

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A dazzlingly accomplished debut collection explores the ties that bind parents and children, husbands and wives, lovers and friends to one another and to the places they call home.

In “Who Will Greet You at Home,” a National Magazine Award finalist for The New Yorker, A woman desperate for a child weaves one out of hair, with unsettling results. In “Wild,” a disastrous night out shifts a teenager and her Nigerian cousin onto uneasy common ground. In “The Future Looks Good,” three generations of women are haunted by the ghosts of war, while in “Light,” a father struggles to protect and empower the daughter he loves. And in the title story, in a world ravaged by flood and riven by class, experts have discovered how to “fix the equation of a person” – with rippling, unforeseen repercussions.

Evocative, playful, subversive, and incredibly human, What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky heralds the arrival of a prodigious talent with a remarkable career ahead of her.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Domestic abuse, child abuse, trauma, violence

TL;DR: What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky is a fantastic collection of short stories. These stories are about mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, lovers, friends, and enemies. It’s about the people you love, hate, admire, fear, envy, and respect. They touch upon resilience, grief, hope, and joy, but most of all, these are stories about women and girls with fire in their bellies and who refused to be stamped out. No matter whether they’re set in the past, present, future or other reality, these stories are so utterly human and realistic. The author doesn’t treat you to abstract pretensions, but gives these stories to you straight, and I love this collection more for it. Light is by far my favourite, but The Future Looks Good and Windfalls are fantastic as well. Overall, this was a beautifully written and well connected short story collection that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend!

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Book Review: The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

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The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi (Amina al-Sirafi #1)
Publisher: Orbit
Pub Date: 17 May 2022
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land—at the cost of sacrificing all jinn.

With no choice but to obey or be executed, Loulie journeys with the sultan’s oldest son to find the artifact. Aided by her bodyguard, who has secrets of his own, they must survive ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen, and confront a malicious killer from Loulie’s past. And, in a world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everything—her enemy, her magic, even her own past—is not what it seems, and she must decide who she will become in this new reality.

Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Blood, gore, death of a parent, genocide, torture, kidnapping

And with that, we have our first 5-star read of 2026! 🎉 Excuse this rambly review — I wrote it fresh off finishing the book so my main thoughts were: LOVED IT SO MUCH. EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS. I WANT MORE ASAP. 😂

TL;DR: All the hype you’ve heard about The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi were spot on. This was a swashbuckling good time and I’m so sad that it had to end (seriously, can’t wait until book two is out)! With an incredibly vast, historically and culturally rich medieval setting, a world full of magic and the supernatural, and a crew of fantastic characters—with Amina at its heart—this is a story that will keep you up reading all night and racing to the end. If you love banter-filled adventure and all of the above, then you need check this out immediately!

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ARC Review: Better the Devil by Erik J. Brown

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Special thanks to Sparkpoint Studio and Storytide for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Better the Devil
Publisher: Storytide
Publication Date: 20 January 2026
Genre: Young Adult Psychological Thriller

Panda Rating:

(3 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

A harrowing, edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller about a queer homeless teen who, in a bid for safety, assumes the identity of a boy who went missing ten years ago…only to find that his new home is anything but a safe haven—from All That’s Left in the World author Erik J. Brown! Perfect for fans of Karen McManus, Holly Jackson, and Ryan La Sala.

When a runaway teen is arrested for shoplifting, he’s desperate not to be sent back to the hyper-religious parents he knows will never accept him. While at the police station, he notices a resemblance to the aged-up photos of Nate Beaumont, a child who went missing ten years ago—and, in a moment of desperation, he takes Nate’s identity in hopes that it will help him make a quick getaway.

Before he can run again, Nate’s family arrives and welcomes him home to a life he never had. As “Nate” watches and waits for his chance to run, he finds that the Beaumonts are nurturing and loving, very different from his own parents.

But soon unsettling things start to happen—vandalism, alarms going off in the middle of the night—and it becomes clear that someone knows “Nate” isn’t who he says he is…and that the real Nate wasn’t kidnapped, but murdered.

As he starts to unravel the mystery, he gets ever closer to the devil he may know—and learns he might be their next victim.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Murder, blood, mild gore, killing of animals (recounted), physical abuse, conversion therapy (mentioned), homomisia, torture

TL;DR: Better the Devil wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. The title, cover, and synopsis led me to expect a slightly more “horror” take on a psychological thriller. While maybe that was my misinterpretation, I do think this wound up being much less thrilling than I wanted. This was a very slow-paced mystery thriller, and while there were interesting parts, I didn’t find that enough happened to make those 400 pages feel worth it.

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Book Review: The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah

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The Stardust Thief (The Sandsea Trilogy #1)
Publisher: Orbit
Pub Date: 17 May 2022
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Loulie al-Nazari is the Midnight Merchant: a criminal who, with the help of her jinn bodyguard, hunts and sells illegal magic. When she saves the life of a cowardly prince, she draws the attention of his powerful father, the sultan, who blackmails her into finding an ancient lamp that has the power to revive the barren land—at the cost of sacrificing all jinn.

With no choice but to obey or be executed, Loulie journeys with the sultan’s oldest son to find the artifact. Aided by her bodyguard, who has secrets of his own, they must survive ghoul attacks, outwit a vengeful jinn queen, and confront a malicious killer from Loulie’s past. And, in a world where story is reality and illusion is truth, Loulie will discover that everything—her enemy, her magic, even her own past—is not what it seems, and she must decide who she will become in this new reality.

Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Blood, gore, death of a parent, genocide, torture, kidnapping

TL;DR: I adored The Stardust Thief immensely! I was reeled in almost immediately as this world that felt like a grand oasis in the midst of an endless desert unfolded before us. This story was refreshing, fast-paced, and action-packed as our characters make their way across the desert. I loved getting stories within a story, the jinn magic, and the characters too! I’ve always been interested in the tales from the 1001 Arabian Nights, which I found brutal, captivating, and magical, and I think Abdullah captures that feeling and authenticity in these pages as well. This was a lush debut with delightful twists and turns, and I can’t wait to continue the series cos I’m dying to know what happens next.

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Book Review: Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

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Assassin’s Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy #1)
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Pub Date: 1 May 1995
Genre: High/Epic Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Young Fitz is the bastard son of the noble Prince Chivalry, raised in the shadow of the royal court by his father’s gruff stableman. He is treated like an outcast by all the royalty except the devious King Shrewd, who has him sectetly tutored in the arts of the assassin. For in Fitz’s blood runs the magic Skill–and the darker knowledge of a child raised with the stable hounds and rejected by his family. As barbarous raiders ravage the coasts, Fitz is growing to manhood. Soon he will face his first dangerous, soul-shattering mission. And though some regard him as a threat to the throne, he may just be the key to the survival of the kingdom.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Ableism, misogyny, adult-minor relationship discussed, parental abandonment, domestic abuse, child abuse & neglect, suicide & attempted suicide, suicidal ideation, depression, alcoholism, drug abuse, infertility (mentioned), physical injuries, death of a father, death of a husband, murder & attempted murder, poisoning, torture, whipping, war themes, graphic animal death including multiple deaths of pet dogs, animal cruelty & abuse, hunting, animal attack (mentioned)

Fair warning: I might’ve written an essay about this book because I loved it so much? I could’ve kept gushing but I tried for a bit of control, lol.

TL;DR: TL;DR: What if I said just read this (right now!) because every wonderful thing you have heard about it is incredibly true, as I have just experienced it for myself? Can I just leave my tl;dr at that? 😂 I’m really kind of tempted to because there’s nothing I can say about this book that other people haven’t already—after all, their words of praise is what convinced me to start reading it. The moment I picked this up I could already feel how this was the beginning of an epic journey. The more I immersed myself in this world and became invested in the characters’ lives, the more I wanted to stay in these pages because the storytelling is exceptional. This might not be a fast-paced read, but it is an action-packed, intense, and heartfelt journey, and I can’t wait to continue the series. I’ve found another new favourite!

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Mini Book Reviews: Holiday Romance Edition

Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

🎄 Happy Christmas, everyone! 🎄

The Christmas List (Strawberry Hollow #3)
Pub Date: 25 November 2024
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

I love Christmas.
So much so that in my smalltown I’m known as The Queen of Christmas.
And no one knows holiday festivities quite like Strawberry Hollow.

Only this Christmas season delivers an unexpected twist in the form of Wyatt Owens.
The handsome single father of my new student…
Who just so happens to also be my first love.

The one who broke my heart all those years ago.

I haven’t seen Wyatt since he left our hometown behind, but a piece of my heart has always been his.
And all those old feelings come rushing back the moment we see each other again.
Only now the boy I once loved is a charming, delicious and intoxicating man.

One I’m not sure I can resist.

Especially when neither of us can deny his daughter Lucy’s holiday wish- for the three of us to compete together as a team in Strawberry Hollow’s Annual Christmas List tradition.

At first, he’s determined to win every festive challenge on the list but the more things we check off, the more it seems like he wants to win me instead.
Soon things are heating up between us, and suddenly I find myself at risk of falling… for my ex.

But I’m not sure I could survive the heartbreak of losing him again.
Is this just a holiday fling… Or is this the second chance I’ve always secretly hoped for?

The Christmas List was super sexy cute and the perfect addition to the Strawberry Hollow series of festive romances written by Moore. If you enjoy extremely Christmassy romances, the single parent and second-chance romance tropes, precocious kids, and no third act or miscommunication because they are Adults™️, then I’d recommend checking this out!

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