Sunderworld Vol 2: The Unfortunate Responsibilities of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs

Sunderworld Vol 2: The Unfortunate Responsibilities of Leopold Berry by Ransom Riggs

I was excited to dive back into Sunderworld and see what Leopold Barry would get up to next. I did have to give myself a refresher on the first book, though, as I found I wasn’t remembering enough of the details.

Overall, I enjoyed this installment, and we definitely get some important information and answers to questions left hanging from the first book. I was surprised by the direction things took with Leopold’s father, and that storyline turned out to be quite the development!

A few new secondary characters are introduced, and while I enjoyed them, I felt they could have been fleshed out a bit more. I would have liked a little more time to get to know them and see their personalities develop, rather than feeling like we were only getting glimpses of who they are. Hopefully, they’ll have more opportunities to shine in the next books.

There’s still plenty of action, and while we do get some answers, I sometimes found it difficult to follow all the different plot threads, especially when so many questions were left unanswered for much of the book. At times, these side plots took away from the main storyline rather than adding to it. The big emotional revelation at the end also didn’t quite land for me the way I think it was intended to. Instead, it felt abrupt and, honestly, a bit farfetched. I could understand some of the reasoning behind this person’s actions, but other parts didn’t quite make sense to me. Sorry, this is difficult to explain without getting into spoilers!

Overall, I’m still enjoying the Sunderworld series, and I’m excited to see how Leopold and his friends will help save the failing magical community. However, I didn’t enjoy this installment quite as much as the first. I’m hoping the third book will bring back some of the magic that initially drew me into this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

Synopsis: Sunderworld isn't finished with Leopold Berry—not by a long shot. In the aftermath of the incredible cliffhanger that ended Vol. 1, Leopold, Emmet, and Isabel will begin to unravel the mysteries of Sunder and the secret history of Leopold's family. Vol. 1 left readers breathless, and Vol. 2 promises even more magic and suspense.

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Hallowed Bones by Lucy Smoke

Hallowed Bones by Lucy Smoke

I’ve read other books by Lucy Smoke and enjoyed them, so I decided to give this one a chance. I often enjoy reverse harems, and this one had the added bonus of witches, so I was definitely intrigued. Overall, I enjoyed the book, the characters, and the magical world the author created. I especially liked that these witches are descendants of Salem, where some of the most famous witch trials and burnings took place. Add in creatures from the Veil and an unsolved curse, and this ended up being a fun book to kick off spooky season.

I do think this book could have used a bit more substance, though. I understand that things are being kept secret, but I think a few too many secrets were being kept from the reader in this first book. It was unclear why the Gods have abandoned this coven and why they are being punished. The Salem witch trials, maybe? But it could be something else entirely.

Then there’s the fact that only four out of the five types of witchcraft are explained. The fifth is mentioned multiple times as being scary or wrong, but we’re never really told anything about it. I understand wanting to build suspense, and I’m already expecting something to come from this, but I also think it could have just been explained to us. The mystery felt a little too vague rather than intriguing.

And then there’s the cliffhanger ending, which was super confusing. It seems to be wrapped up in magic, but since we don’t fully understand the different types of magic or the coven’s history yet, it didn’t really make sense. Rather than just wanting to see what happens next, I need the next book to explain to me what is even going on at the end of this one.

While I enjoy an insta-attraction story and overall enjoyed these characters, I do wish there had been a bit more character development. It’s not bad in this book, but there were definitely moments when I wanted a longer chapter or more time inside one character’s head so I could really get a feel for their personality.

Overall, I did enjoy this book and I’m interested to see where the story goes. The characters aren’t my favorites, though, and I’m not exactly dying for the next book. I’ll probably continue the series, but mostly because I want some answers to all of these questions!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book.

Synopsis: Four men. One girl. Five families accused of witchcraft. A dark secret they all hide.

Their souls are damaged, hiding secrets and harboring just as much hate as I am.

Ezra Bishop , Cameron Goode, Lyall Corey, Reyes Scott, And me. Haven Wardwell.

They are the monsters hidden in the shadows, but I am no novice when it comes to monsters.

We are all legacies, but there’s one grand difference between us. I am the first female witch born in four hundred years.

Now that I’m here, there’s no telling what the dark gods will ask for in return.

Death and ghosts haunt the corridors of Ipswich Academy. If I’m not careful, I might become one of them.

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Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst

Sea of Charms (Spellshop #3) by Sarah Beth Durst

I read my first Sarah Beth Durst book earlier this year, and I've since flown through the rest of her books. So, I was incredibly excited to receive an ARC of her newest release—not just to read it early, but to gush about it afterward.

Every Sarah Beth Durst book feels like a cozy hug. They center on characters finding where they belong in the world while building meaningful friendships along the way. Add in magic, sentient plant companions, and a cast of wonderfully unique and colorful characters, and you're in for such a charming reading experience.

I somehow find myself loving each of her books even more than the last. It certainly helps that the Spellshop series continues to have brief cameos from earlier characters.

In Sea of Charms, one of the main characters is Marin, whom we first met in The Enchanted Greenhouse. As a supply runner, she plays a vital role in supporting a remote island community, and this story gives us her perspective while expanding her journey in a meaningful way. Reading this during the summer made it feel even more magical—I could practically feel the sea breeze alongside Marin and her crew. This book was much more action-packed than the previous installments in the series. The crew embarks on several exciting adventures at sea and spends more time in the heart of the city during the revolution. While I've enjoyed every book in the series, this one was my favorite so far because of its fast-paced plot and memorable adventures.

I especially enjoyed watching Marin begin to truly heal and move forward from the wounds of her past. Dax’s wide-eyed wonder as he experiences the world for himself for the first time is heartwarming, and seeing him learn to make his own choices with Marin's encouragement made their relationship all the more rewarding to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

Synopsis: Her boat. Her rules. His music. Their hearts . . .

Marin has always belonged on the great blue sea. Betrayed by love, she lives and works as a supply runner, sailing from island to island, delivering an array of goods with Perri the sea serpent and Ree the sailor shrub as her crew.

On one of her routine trips to the capital, Alyssium, Marin finds a revolution underway ― and a friend in the line of fire.

What starts as a rescue evolves into a deal: Marin will keep Dax on as a member of her crew if he pretends to be her boyfriend at the End-of-Harvest Festival back home.

But against her better judgment, Marin finds herself intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, his charming smile ― and realizes that perhaps she isn’t saving him. Maybe it’s the other way around.

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Vesselless by Cortney L. Winn

Vesselless by Cortney L. Winn

I was quickly sucked into this romantasy with an enemies to lovers trope. An heiress to the throne and the half-dead king whose throne was stolen by the heiress’s father? Add in spirits lending powers and the Death God requiring the half-dead king to steal the heiress’s soul in order to save his people? Sign me up.

As I mentioned, I was quickly sucked into this book as the writing and pacing were easy to read and engaging right off the bat. I had a hard time making myself stop to go to bed and thus finished it in only two days. The two main characters were developed very well and had relatable conflicts. Nizzara is good and kind and truly cares about the people she will one day lead. She has to play a part to satisfy her cruel father, but she still remembers kind moments with him and loves him at times. She has become a true warrior but refuses to kill, even when it may mean she will die instead in the dueling tournament she must participate in as the heiress. Dagen is a wicked flirt, but is also sacrificing himself to save his people. He starts to realize that Nizzara isn’t as she appears but how can he give up his entire kingdom for one person? I enjoyed how things slowly developed between them as they learned different truths of the other and wow, did it create a complicated ending!

There were a couple of things that made me only give this book four stars instead of five. First, the world building needed a little more explanation at times. I was still confused at the end of this installment on how the soul-bonding happened with spirits and how some become possessed but others don’t. I was also confused by the magic or power as a whole. There are those that have vessels and thus gain a certain magical power. And yet, there are also gem stones that can create power but only in certain ways and they can lose their charge but there is no explanation on if they can be recharged or not? There is somehow a car-like vehicle that runs on these gems but there are still horse-drawn carriages because this world still lacks a lot of modern luxuries or inventions. I didn’t understand how both could be true when there was such a large gap between certain situations. So I was left with several questions and the ending further confused me since it became a bit rushed.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this book and the characters. I know I’ll be picking up the second installment once it’s released, what a cliffhanger to live with until then!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

Synopsis: She’s heiress to the throne. The throne her father stole from him.

Nizzara has always been able to perceive spirits better than the average caster. When she enters a deadly tournament to end her betrothal, she's determined to win without succumbing to the addictive spirit magic she channels or taking a life in the duel ring. Finding herself outmatched, Nizzara must face her fear of power and team up with Dagen—an enemy who is half-ghost and all charm—to survive the tournament.

Dagen, the last King of Zarr, was killed by Nizzara’s father ten years ago. Now a half-ghost—able to phase between his human and spirit form—he is stuck in another realm, hunting wretched souls. When his keeper offers him a chance to reclaim his freedom in exchange for Nizzara’s soul, Dagen takes the deal.

There’s only one catch: she must freely give it to him by the tournament’s end or his own soul is forfeit.

View my Review on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7117528476