Tag: New to me Authors

Book Review: Voyage of the Damned by Frances White

Dini @ dinipandareads12 Comments

Voyage of the Damned
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Pub Date: 20 September 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain.

Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.

Except one: Ganymedes Piscero – class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.

When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people without a Blessing to protect him, odds of survival are slim.

But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia?

Or will the empire as he knows it fall?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Murder, blood, bigotry, xenophobia, classism, fatphobic comments, suicidal thoughts, suicide ideation, attempted suicide (recounted)

TL;DR: Voyage of the Damned is an awesome debut and I didn’t want this story to end! While I can see that the mesh of snarky humour and slow-paced mystery might not work for everyone and our main character takes some getting used to. Luckily, I grew to love Dee and I found myself sucked into the slow-building murder mystery on a fantastical ship run by magic and amazing tiny sentient dragons. If you love your fantasy with a huge dose of corny comedy, secrets upon secrets, politicking, magic, murder (obvi), and found family then I would urge you to try this!

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Book Review: All That’s Left in the World by Erik J. Brown

Dini @ dinipandareads4 Comments

All That’s Left in the World (All That’s Left in the World #1)
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pub Date: 8 March 2022
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian

Panda Rating:

(4.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

When Andrew stumbles upon Jamie’s house, he’s injured, starved, and has nothing left to lose. A deadly pathogen has killed off most of the world’s population, including everyone both boys have ever loved. And if this new world has taught them anything, it’s to be scared of what other desperate people will do . . . so why does it seem so easy for them to trust each other?

After danger breaches their shelter, they flee south in search of civilization. But something isn’t adding up about Andrew’s story, and it could cost them everything. And Jamie has a secret, too. He’s starting to feel something more than friendship for Andrew, adding another layer of fear and confusion to an already tumultuous journey.

The road ahead of them is long, and to survive, they’ll have to shed their secrets, face the consequences of their actions, and find the courage to fight for the future they desire, together. Only one thing feels certain: all that’s left in their world is the undeniable pull they have toward each other.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Pandemic, pandemic related deaths, gun violence, violence, cult, homophobia, traumatic deaths of loved ones (recounted), murder

TL;DR: All That’s Left in the World is an emotional queer post-apocalyptic story about two boys trying to survive in the world following a world-ending pandemic. It won’t be for everyone as it’s hard to read about a pandemic after having lived through one IRL. However, despite the loss, deaths, and horrors that await our protagonists, there is so much hope and love within these pages. I grew to love Andrew and Jamie and I can’t wait to see where their story goes next! 

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Book Review: Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson

Dini @ dinipandareads19 Comments

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone
Publisher: Penguin
Pub Date: 18 August 2022
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY IS A KILLER. EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY IS A SUSPECT. BUT WHICH OF THEM IS A MURDERER?

I knew our family reunion wouldn’t end well. But I didn’t expect murder.

Maybe I should have known better. After all, everyone in my family is a killer. My parents, my siblings, my in-laws . . . even me. The deaths weren’t all deliberate, of course. Accidents happen.

So when a body is found in the snow, it’s clear it’s the work of a Cunningham. But which one? And why?

I’ll give you one it wasn’t me.

But a piece of advice? Never trust a Cunningham . . .

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Murders, toxic relationships, infidelity, child kidnapping (recounted)

TL;DR: I think this book received a lot of hype towards the end of 2023 and when I started it, I was a bit worried it wouldn’t live up to it because it was told in first person to the audience. I’m so glad I was proven wrong by the end. This was such a unique and cleverly written book with an incredibly messed up family that served many incredulous laugh-out-loud moments alongside the murder mystery. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a different and interestingly murderous ride!

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Blog Tour Review: The Magic Paintbrush by Kat Zhang

Dini @ dinipandareads8 Comments

Hello, friends. ✨ Today I’m excited to be part of the blog tour for The Magic Paintbrush by Kat Zhang! Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it.

Thanks to Crown Books for Young Readers 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 Magic Paintbrush
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: 21 May 2024
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy
Rep: Chinese, Asian American

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

In this highly illustrated series launch, Amy, a Chinese American girl picks up an ancient paintbrush and unwittingly unleashes the power to make her art real—and sometimes dangerous. Perfect for fantasy readers who love Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor and Dragon Pearl series.

“Gorgeous and gripping, The Magic Paintbrush swoops readers off on rip-roaring fantasy adventure that unfurls like a magnificent scroll…Brimming with imagination and heart…” Soman Chainani, author of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL series

Amy has always loved art, but lately her drawings have been less than impressive. There’s no passion, nopersonality, no…magic. Until Amy visits her Lao Lao, her grandmother, and finds an ancient paintbrush that brings anything Amy creates to life!

Now her creation Luna has taken over her bedroom and is running through the streets of Flushing, Queens. What an international adventure filled with an ancient Chinese legend, a greedy adversary and ghastly beasts!

Award-winning author Kat Zhang teams up with Eric Darnell, the writer and director of the Madagascar series and the Chief Creative Officer of Baobab Studios, to create a captivating highly-illustrated middle grade series debut about finding your own path, the power of imagination, and the strength of family.

📚 BUY A COPY!

TL;DR: The Magic Paintbrush is an action-packed, adventure-filled, Chinese mythology-inspired middle-grade fantasy with wonderful illustrations to accompany a fun and creative story! Amy was a relatable main character who was easy to root for and I loved her relationship with her Lao Lao and Luna—who is unquestionably my favourite character in this book. The story doesn’t dive too deep into character development and neither does it go too hard with its themes, but I think that is also what would make this a great pick for young readers who simply want an enjoyable and entertaining fantasy story. Overall, while this wasn’t my favourite as an adult reader of MG, it was still a terrific read that I would recommend to the young readers in my life.

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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: Summer Vamp by Violet Chan Karim

Dini @ dinipandareads5 Comments

Hello, friends. ✨ Today I’m excited to be part of the blog tour for Summer Vamp by Violet Chan Karim! Special thanks to the TBR & Beyond Tours team for organising the tour and including me in it.

Thanks to Random House Graphic 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!

Summer Vamp
Publisher: Random House Graphic
Publication Date: 14 May 2024
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

What happens when a very human kid ends up at the wrong summer camp—FOR VAMPIRES?! This quirky and heart warming graphic novel about making friends and getting in trouble is perfect for fans of Witches of Brooklyn.

After a lackluster school year, Maya anticipates an even more disappointing summer. The only thing she’s looking forward to is cooking and mixing ingredients in the kitchen, which these days brings her more joy than mingling with her peers… that is until her dad’s girlfriend registers her for culinary summer camp! Maya’s summer is saved!… or not.

What was meant to be a summer filled with baking pastries and cooking pasta is suddenly looking a lot… paler?! Why do all of the kids have pointy fangs? And hate garlic? Turns out that Maya isn’t at culinary camp—she’s at a camp for VAMPIRES! Maya has a lot to learn if she’s going to survive this summer… and if she’s lucky, she might even make some friends along the way.

📚 BUY A COPY!

What happens when you realize you haven’t gone to culinary camp and ended up at not just any regular old summer camp, but a camp for vampires?! Well, it turns out you can have a whole lot of fun in the last place you’d expect to! 😂

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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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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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Book Review: The Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid

Dini @ dinipandareads1 Comment

The Wolf and the Wildflower
Publisher: Amara
Pub Date: 27 February 2023
Genre: Historical Romance

Panda Rating:

(4 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

USA Today bestselling author Stacy Reid’s addictive tale of two lost people who are found…by each other.

London is buzzing with the news that James Winters, the Duke of Wulverton—thought lost at sea a decade ago—survived in the harsh wilderness of the Yukon. Now he’s been returned to his family, his responsibilities, and a nightmarish world of artifice and noise. He has three weeks to become a refined, elegant duke for the Queen…or doom the entire family to ruin and scandal.

Promising psychologist Jules Southby knows a lot about disguises. She’s secretly been living as a boy since birth, enjoying the freedoms of men and knowing little about how to behave like a woman. When she meets the alluring duke, she’s unprepared for his raw, masculine beauty and icy intelligence…or that he can see through her darkest secret.

Jules has very little time to transform the duke into a true semblance of an English gentleman. Yet his very presence seems to unravel her in every way. Their attraction is stark and achingly real—and forbidden. But loving the lost duke would mean losing every sacrifice she’s made to earn her freedom…

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Difficult childbirth, forced pregnancy (not the FMC)

TL;DR: This plot was absolutely bonkers but it is absolutely the best thing about historical romances. What a romp! I loved Jules and James so much and the way their relationship evolves throughout the story. The way this man fell on his knees for this woman had me swoony! And his nose and sense of smell… 👀 Other than the fun and sexy elements of this book, this also had some emotionally heavy and trauma-filled moments but Reid handled them so well! Overall, a delight and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

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