olivialandryxo's reviews
813 reviews

I have nothing bad to say about this book. I’d heard amazing things for some time prior to reading it, which had me quite eager to finally get to it. It didn’t disappoint. Lo’s writing is lovely while also being easy to read, and I quite liked both Lily and Kath. I think queer historical fiction is fascinating—it’s sad, seeing the way LGBTQ+ people were treated back then, but it’s also comforting, proof that we’ve always existed and always will, no matter what society thinks of or throws at us. I definitely want to read more of it in the future, and buy a copy of this book—which, by the way, I definitely recommend.

(It’s midnight and I have a headache and no spoons so idk if this fully makes sense, but I’m going with it.)

Representation

I’ve said before that I think Rachel Lynn Solomon is one of the best YA contemporary authors, and I stand by that. Though there were a few elements that annoyed me, overall, I thought this was a really fun, quick read. I really liked Rowan and Neil and the progression of their relationship, as well as their individual character development. While I took an immediate liking to Rowan, I wasn’t sure if it was possible for me to like Neil, given that he grated on me initially—but he did, surprisingly, grow on me. His letter in her yearbook was adorable. In general, reading this just made me happy, and that’s how I know a book is good. I’d definitely recommend this one, and upon finishing, I’m quite eager to read more from Solomon.

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This was good in the beginning and in the end, but my interest waned during most of the middle. While I did like Rosaline, my favorite characters were side characters—specifically, Anvita and Amelie. The banter was highly entertaining, but there were also times where some of the dialogue and even a couple of characters felt cringey. I liked Alain at first, but then he started to get on my nerves more and more, and then he outed himself as a totally pretentious, jealous asshole. I no longer like him. And while Harry is a sweetheart, no doubt about it, I… didn’t really feel any chemistry between him and Rosaline?? I liked their friendship, but never really got attached to their romance.

Also, it felt pretty obvious to me that Rosaline would win the competition. Books like these almost always either have the protagonist win, or they come in second/third place but still end up getting some sort of prize out of it. I’m happy for her, don’t get me wrong—and definitely glad that Alain didn’t win—but yeah. No surprise factor here.

Overall, this was fine. Not the new favorite I’d hoped it would be when I started, but not bad either. I’d recommend it, but there are other romances I’d recommend first/more. I’ll probably read the next one just because I’m curious, and these books are, at the very least, entertaining.

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WHY WASN’T THIS A FULL BOOK????

Medusa and Calypso were both brilliant, complex women, forced into unsavory situations to survive. I loved them and I loved their dynamic, and if there’d been more time to delve deeper, I honestly think this could’ve been tied with Neon Gods for my favorite book in the series. As it is, though the romance was quite sweet and I was rooting for it all the way, the story felt way too rushed and not entirely believable. The whole thing took place over the course of three days, which, in my opinion, is not nearly enough time to do anything except introduce the characters. This novella was good, don’t get me wrong, but if it was a full book, it could’ve been fantastic.

And one more thing. Maybe this is just me being pedantic, but I noticed something while reading that didn’t feel right. The two women were talking, and Medusa was questioning how someone as beautiful as Calypso could like her. Calypso had plenty of reassuring things to say, but one thing she thought bothered me—“She’s not beautiful or suave or any of the other things my past lovers have been.” Shouldn’t she be thinking that Medusa might not be traditionally beautiful/beautiful by society’s standards, but is to her? I don’t know. Just a thought. ://

Representation

[second read, October 2023]
The question I asked going in: exactly how Trionysus-coded is this book?
The answer: EXTREMELY. ❤️🤍🩷

No one else will know what I’m talking about, but that’s okay, because I do and I’m having a grand old time.

That aside, this is definitely one of my favorite Dark Olympus books. The snark, the smut and the story are all top-tier, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s a win.

[first read, August 2022]
I went into this hopeful because I adore Neon Gods, but also tentative because I wasn’t as big a fan of Electric Idol. Katee Robert didn’t disappoint—this was SO GOOD!!! I immediately loved Helen and Patroclus, and (eventually) Achilles grew on me too. I liked seeing the two men as an established couple, and how their dynamic shifted to include Helen, even if their refusal to communicate at first did lowkey drive me up the wall. The three of them had obvious chemistry, and a believable relationship arc that felt well-paced despite the relatively short timespan over which the story took place.

Aside from the initial miscommunication, I don’t think I have any other complaints. This book had an abundance of banter, some action, a couple of surprise plot twists, and much more political turmoil than I was expecting. Everything was well-balanced—the action in particular felt much more consistent in this book, compared to its predecessors—and in general, this was just a delight from cover to cover. I was smiling and cackling and even squealed a couple of times, which, in my humble opinion, means Katee Robert did her job exactly right. We’ve had a few mishaps, but nonetheless, she’s become one of my favorite romance authors. ❤️

Representation:

I read The Gilded Ones last year and absolutely loved it, which marked The Merciless Ones as one of my most anticipated 2022 releases. While I did enjoy it, for the most part, I can’t say that I loved it to the same extent I did its predecessor. Because as much as I adored Deka and the other alaki and all of their uruni, as intriguing and fast-paced as the very beginning and very end of the novel were, regrettably, I found the middle portion of the book kind of boring and hard to push through. I’m not actually sure if that’s because of the book itself or my on-again-off-again reading slump, but either way, it hindered my reading experience.

That being said, I still think Namina Forna is an incredible writer—she’s created a brilliant protagonist and supporting cast, an absolutely adorable romance, and a fascinatingly intricate world. Her plot twists are mind-blowing; I swear, I spent the last 25% of this book in shock, and at one point I nearly threw my phone across the room. (I read an ebook.)

Also, I just want to take a second to shriek—DEKA AND KEITA ARE ADORABLEEEE. 🥹🥹💗💗

Okay, got that out of my system. 😮‍💨😮‍💨

Anyway. Despite not being completely sold on this sequel, I’m excited (slash scared) to see how she’ll end this trilogy, and certain that the finale will be spectacular. If you haven’t read this series yet, do it ASAP!!! (But check the content warnings first, bc damn, these books get brutal.)

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[ETA, September 2022: Rating raised from 4.25 to 4.5 and then 5 stars. I’m indecisive, basically, but I’ve realized that I absolutely love Tink and Hook, so here we are.]

My favorite in the series so far! I loved Tink, I loved her friendships with the other Underworld women, and I even grew to quite like Hook. I enjoyed seeing their relationship progress. There were even some especially amusing scenes that made me cackle/snort out loud, so props to Katee for that. She’s quickly rising up on my list of favorite romance authors. <3

If I had one complaint, it would be that this story seemed way too similar to that of the first book, Desperate Measures. The girl’s inner battle of simultaneously hating and being horny for the guy. The guy falling in love with the girl even though he thinks he’s awful, doesn’t deserve her, etc. And the whole shtick with Tink, Hook and Pan felt incredibly reminiscent of the one in DM with Jasmine, Jafar and Ali, right down to the way the final showdown unfolded. So, not the biggest fan of that. I’m really not into authors recycling plots. ://
[Update: yes, technically, this is true, but I don’t care anymore. This has become one of those books where I just love it, even if it has flaws.]

Ending this with my favorite quote:

[cackling in the distance]

Representation:

For the Wolf was one of my favorite reads of last year, even making it onto my list of all-time favorites, and I was so, so excited for this sequel. It was at the very top of my list of 2022 anticipated releases. Yet, sad as I am to say it, I don’t know how to feel about For the Throne. On one hand, giving it any less than five stars feels innately wrong; but, on the other, I hesitate to give a book I feel so conflicted about a perfect rating.

First, I’m going to clear one thing up: I adore Red and Eammon. I adore my Wolves. I knew that going into this book, and that didn’t change. I don’t think that could change. They are my sweet, perfect babies, and they must be protected at all costs. They carried this book and I can’t be convinced otherwise. ❤️❤️❤️

My issue lies with Neve and Solmir. I really didn’t care about Neve in the first book; by the end of it, I actually found her kind of annoying. But, despite that, I was confident that this sequel would change my mind, that she would grow on me, and that I would love Solmir too. Hannah Whitten had been teasing an enemies to lovers romance, and that’s my favorite trope, so I was SO SURE everything would be fine.

Everything was not fine. I hate to say it, but it’s true. Neve didn’t grow on me. I don’t have anything against her, per se; I just… didn’t really care about her. Or Solmir. Or their relationship. Which, by the way, wasn’t that good of an enemies to lovers arc. Their banter in the first third of the book was entertaining, and the stakes were certainly high throughout, but I never got invested. When I think enemies to lovers, I think of Juliette and Roma, Nina and Matthias, Ismae and Duval, just to name a few. They’re all ships with seriously intense love stories, ships I’m seriously invested in. They’ve become my standard comparisons for the trope, set my standards rather high. Neve and Solmir weren’t like that, didn’t meet those standards.

So, clearly, if I didn’t vibe with either the character that narrated most of the book or the emphasized new ship, that’s a problem. And then the other significant problem—in my opinion—was the ending. I don’t want to say it was disappointing, because that feels too harsh, but I didn’t like it. I wasn’t satisfied with how Hannah chose to wrap everything up. Obviously, that’s not my call, it’s hers, and she thought it was the best option. I just… disagree. 😬😬

If I look past those things, Hannah’s writing was gorgeous, her world-building incredible, her plot twists pure genius, just like in the first book. She gave plenty of adorable Wolf and Lady Wolf content, and I’ll definitely be going back to reread those scenes in the future. But I can’t look past the fact that I kept reading, waiting for something to happen that would make me fall in love with Neve and Solmir, yet nothing did. That my first thought upon finishing the book wasn’t omg that was brilliant or I’m so happy, but I don’t know how to feel about that. And that sucks. It really does. Because up until the last fifty pages, Neve and Solmir aside, I was thinking that the book was brilliant. I was terrified to see how it would end, as you should be when reading a series finale, but still hopeful all would be well.

And honestly, I’m sad. I’m sad that instead of writing a glowing five star review talking about what a fantastic, emotional conclusion this was, how much I adore all of the characters, and how the Wilderwood duology is now one of my all-time favorites, I’m trying to figure out how to articulate my complicated feelings about this finale that wasn’t everything I’d hoped it would be. It’s been almost a full twenty-four hours since I finished reading, and I’m still kinda bummed. Sure, four and a half stars isn’t a bad rating; it’s still quite good. For the Wolf is still one of my favorite books, Red and Eammon one of my favorite ships, Hannah Whitten one of my favorite authors. I’ll still recommend For the Wolf to everyone that will listen, and I’ll be reading The Foxglove King ASAP when it releases next spring. But not loving a book you were SO SURE you were going to love is a uniquely disappointing feeling, one I’m not entirely sure how to process. Maybe I’m being overdramatic AF, but regardless, that’s about how I’m feeling now.

So yeah. It’s taken me way too long to cobble this review together, and I’m ready to focus on something else. Wolf and Lady Wolf supremacy. They’ll always be the Wolves in my heart. The end.

Representation:

I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect from this, but I ended up really liking it. Although I found the writing a bit cringey at times, the characters made up for it. Bree and Nathan were great, and so were nearly all of the side characters. I really liked Nathan’s teammates, and I absolutely loved Dylan. What an icon. The extra quarter star is purely for him. 10/10 want him to be my friend.

I don’t have much else to say about this book, but I will say that it was a lot of fun to see how close Bree and Nathan were, and watch that close friendship turn into a romance. Also, he is the biggest cinnamon roll and a complete simp for her, and I’m HERE FOR IT. That is simply the best kind of love interest and I can’t be convinced otherwise.

Representation:

This wasn’t a bad book, there’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but good grief, I was bored out of my skull. Also, the fact that I read and fell in love with the Stalking Jack the Ripper series earlier this year and thus went into this book expecting something similar was my downfall. I kept comparing Hazel to Audrey Rose, Jack to Thomas, [whatever the hell Hazel and Jack’s ship name is] to Cressworth, and every time, I was disappointed. SJTR is superior in every way. In comparison, Anatomy offers characters that aren’t as fleshed out, a romance with considerably less build-up and hardly any chemistry, a story that drags, and a mystery introduced far too late that took far too little effort for me to solve. The ending didn’t clear things up, only muddle them further, and although I’ll read nearly any book at this point, including sequels to books I wasn’t the biggest fan of, I have no interest in the upcoming sequel to this one. All this book did was intensify my desire to reread SJTR, sorry not sorry.

If I had more energy, I could write about how disappointing it was to see Hazel scoff at the other girls her age for being feminine when Audrey Rose embraced both her femininity and her love for forensics. To see Hazel and Jack go from accomplices that didn’t care about one another to wanting to kiss each other nearly fast enough to give me whiplash when Audrey Rose and Thomas had one of the best slow-burns I’ve ever read, with lots of yearning and lingering glances and stolen kisses.

But I don’t have the energy for that, so I won’t. And maybe that’s better, because I really don’t think I’m supposed to be comparing the two books so strongly anyway. I just can’t help it. Sorry, Dana Schwartz, but Kerri Maniscalco did it first and did it better. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

((I briefly debated giving this a lower rating, but I couldn’t bring myself to be mean. If SJTR hadn’t already taken over my life, I probably would’ve liked this more. Maybe. We’ll never know. So, three stars it is.))