stitchsaddiction's reviews
1142 reviews

When I heard about Nazima Pathan’s magical debut Dream Hunters takes place in a reimagined India where dreams can be captured and bottled. I was drawn back to my childhood and the love I had for Dahl's BFG – because who doesn’t love the idea of the wonderful dreams we have been given to experience?

Pathan takes the idea of bottled dreams up a notch however, and I loved how they were more than just dreams but something to be used in a form of currency or bargaining chip. With that, they’re also a commodity that can be used against people and that’s what happens in Dream Hunters.

The world-building we do have is wonderful, though I kind of wish there had been more of the almost ethereal beauty of the history of Mumbai etcetera even with the reality of poverty in both the fictional and reality of the city and those around it to show how the street children we encounter survive. Even in fantasy, not everything is perfect and children may not comprehend what Rafi, one of the main characters has endured.

The magical elements are so well done, from the schooling about dreams that we get glimpses of, to the way these dreams are caught, and then used by the populace. It will have many a child wondering if they too may have one of these dreams brought to them – but hopefully not the awful nightmares!

There’s adventure, and enough mystery to keep a reader or perhaps listener if this is a bedtime read. Captivated and eager to find out if Mimi, Rafi and their magical companions can save the day. Additionally, the gorgeous artwork throughout the book weaves this tale together – I always love it when books have sporadic artwork, can they bring it into adult books more, please?

This is a wonderful book and a unique spin on the idea of dreams and I look forward to seeing what else comes from Nazima Pathan’s dreams in their next book.

A Lady Most Intrigued is a wonderful story that I loved and read far too quickly because it was that good. This time, we have a tale that is based around The Frog Prince.

Set in an English mill town during the Regency era, Ward successfully brings that world to life – one many of us in England will have learnt about in school. We encounter Hannah Sheppard, daughter of the mill owner who feels misplaced in her society-driven world, and John Ingham who has a loyalty to his family and whilst accepting of his place in the world also seems as though he doesn’t quite fit. Both are the metaphorical square pegs in the story – not ever quite fitting into where they are to be.

I loved them both, and how they meet is right out of a classic romance and from that moment the two are drawn to one another. The other characters in the story give depth to A Lady Most Intrigued, from James, who works with John and voices the realities of how hard millwork was and how hard they tried to fight for safety and health for all with strikes across whole towns of England, to Millie the quiet sister of James whose cough and ill-health is a harsh reminder that cotton items came at a horrific cough.

‘...I work at a cotton mill where it snows every day.’

Then there’s Lady  Catherine who only cares about her wealth, place in society and whilst aware of what she does to others. Sees them as items to replace and inconveniences which is unfortunately historically correct, and I found Ward’s acknowledgement in this story of the bad elements of the time and setting despite it being fictional and a love story.

The romance is gentle, and the connection between Hannah and John is tangible. Seeing their story unfold is sweet, but it’s the mystery the two have to unravel that had me unable to place the book down. Each string of the mystery is well done and takes both the reader and the couple onto the next in a captivating manner. 

I loved this one, and this series is so good as each author gives us a unique spin on the infamous tales the Grimm brothers collated. I also loved that the Grimm story this is spun from is mentioned in A Lady Most Intrigued which had me smiling.

Wow! 

The sequel to The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas is as sensational as you would have imagined it to be. The reader is thrust back into the aftermath of everything that had gone wrong in the first book, and you’re immediately wondering just how bad things are going to get for Teo, Niya and Aurelio as they attempt to save the world.
The world- building is again, lush and the unique elements from the landscape to the various mortals the trio encounter add to the visualisation of them travelling from city to city.

I really liked that we get the story from the perspective of Teo and Xio, so it is the light and the dark side of what is happening as the Obsidian Gods strive to take over everything. Xio’s perspective adds a complexity to Celestial Monsters as they’re facing the realities of getting what you wanted, and how there is a vast difference between reality and expectation. Teo has also grown so much since we first met him and his maturity shows as he must lead his friends through the unknown; yet he is also the typical teenager because he’s craving a decent sleep, and the familiarity of home and its routine. Aurelio and Niya are wonderful support system for Teo and provide a balance as Aurelio is often quieter and more thoughtful and Niya is loud and filled with the exuberance of life, which is both sweet, but also for Teo at times, hard for him to calm so they can move onward safely.

Celestial Monsters is the perfect sequel, I loved how we have so much more of the focus being on the semidioses rather than their parents and whilst we don’t see too much of the captive ones, they do appear, and I thought the concept of them being weakened worked so well to show that at the end of the day? They’re still children who are trying to the best and these supposed heroes have many flaws and weaknesses after all – much to their surprise in some cases.  I didn’t want to put the book down, nor did I wan it to end as it was just that good and whilst the story is wrapped up so well, I do wish we could return to the world of The Sunbearer again one day.
Once again, the inclusivity of Celestial Monsters is written with thought, and I love how we have a trans character as the main character in Teo as well as Xio who like me uses they/them pronouns. Having queer representation, and especially trans/nonbinary representation is so wonderful and refreshing to see.

A Lady Most Fitting is a novella set in the Regency era that's based around the fairy tale, the Elves and the Shoemaker which is one of my favourites from childhood.

I loved this story set in the quaint countryside with characters you can well imagine were acquaintances of Austen's favourites. Sienna Peake brings this era to life in a scintillating manner, you can almost smell the leather and fabric in the shoemakers' store, or the scent of flowers in the fields we find Charlotte Linfield and the charming Philip Notley may be found walking.

Not only is the world-building done in a manner that honours the skills of those who have lived and written during this era? But the characters are written in such a manner that they come to life and their individual characteristics ensure no one feels one-dimensional. I loved the nod to the story with elements of 'magic' between the two main characters.. our Elf and his Fairy are adorable even when they don't mean to be and I loved it. This balances so perfectly with the realities of class in this era of English history and how snobbery and misogyny come into play and once more, Peake writes these moments with a gentle but honest hand. 

This is a really good story, that's perfect for anyone who has a little bit of magic in their heart and a great introduction to the series.

Worth Every Penny is a billionaire romance that adds a little mystery and trouble to the mix and I was there for it.

Rae Ryder's debut has you caught from the first page and you're left at the final sentence wishing book two was resting at your side. The characters are well thought out, they bring depth to the storyline and I loved that it was set in the UK. Having areas that we know in books just helps bring them to life, and in this particular genre of romance, there is a distinct shortage of English characters - if they can be the villain, why can't they also be the hero?

Well, Nico is a bit of both but don't we all enjoy the little bit of protecting someone with all you have? 

The chemistry between the two main characters, Nico and Kate is sublime and the tension palpable. They have a background that's explained so well that it doesn't overwhelm and it's also one that's believable. I loved them, especially Kate who is fierce and loyal to a fault - she's far from a pushover and again? That's always good to see in romance novels, I'm not one for the weak little woman shtick.

Not only do we have Nico and Kate, but there are excellent background characters to have their storyline that doesn't take anything away from the duo but has the reader captivated. I wanted to know more because Ryder has ensured the reader feels as though they're in this story with the characters and I loved it.

If you're a fan of romance, with a male lead whose world is turned on its head and a beautiful female who is strong and vivacious? Worth Every Penny is for you.

When an author is described as being the New York Times Bestselling Author of sad books like Dustin Thao does? You know you're going to need a month's supply of the softest tissues, your favourite blanket and a stuffed toy to squeeze so hard it might come to life only to tell you to think of the stuffing!

It won't be enough... nothing will truly prepare nor protect you from the beautiful sorrowful journey you will go on as you read When Haro was Here.

Eric Ly is a gentle soul, and I could fully understand his desire to protect his heart from the reality of grief. There is the before, and the after of losing his best friend Daniel. In Eric's mind, he is safe and the stories he creates protect him as the world and its realities fly past because his imagination is something he can control.

When Eric meets with Haru whilst in Japan before Daniel's passing, he has moments of utter joy that linger with him. I loved the glimpses into the festival the two inadvertently are thrust into and you can feel the many emotions Eric experiences during that time together and you as the reader cannot help but smile at Eric's happiness and wonder just why Dustin Thao has to hurt you.

I hadn't read You've Reached Sam, so I was unaware of how phenomenal Thao is at eliciting so many strong emotions from a reader. 

Eric and Haru are so well-written and the world they live in was eloquently done so you do indeed feel like you're in Japan experiencing the wonder of the festival or the vastness of Chicago which I knew little about. But it's the journey of grief that had me snuffling at first, casually wiping my eyes and then bereft with choked up tears that made my eyes burn. It's Eric's pain that is tangible and one which is relatable to anyone who has lost someone suddenly and doesn't know quite how to move forward each day. He may go through the motions, but he also makes decisions that are ill-thought-out and are hard to witness from the page. Alongside my tears, I was livid at Eric but from first-hand grief, I remember that you sometimes wanted to remember you're alive, no matter what.

This is a story that will make you cry - a lot. It will make you wish to enter the pages of the book and hold Eric tightly and smile with contented joy at his time with Haru because he's happy then and the weight of grief lifted momentarily.

Prepare for a journey, and share in your favourite tissue company. Because Dustin Thao truly deserves that title. I'm off to curl up with my teddy again because Eric and his life will linger for a while.

𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘰. 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴. 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦. 

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦.

Oh my God, Carissa Broadbent, you've put my heart through too much with book two of The War of Lost Hearts and it's going to take a bit to recover.

The world-building is, as always on another level and the reader is pulled right back into the trauma that the Order's war will bring to pretty much everyone in its wake regardless of race, and position. Broadbent ensures that the reader will experience so much turmoil as our main trio attempts to not only stay alive but cling to the moments of joy and normality as everything around them goes to Hell.

Because of cause, wars have to happen, no matter what and those who are already suffering because of it; can fall further into the depths of despair. You're guaranteed to be internally screaming at moments when the characters fail to see what we can and no, I do not like to see them suffer. 

This is a truly brilliant epic fantasy with so much going on, so Ara, Max and Tisaanah are never quite certain what will come next and you're left balancing on a kn*fe edge wondering just when everything will become Hell in a handbasket.

Betrayal is at every corner whispering to the three of them, and alongside war? Tragedy is just within reach for them all with its twists and turns that are perfectly written. I liked that in this book, the world we knew expands and we learn of new cultures and species with the arrival of Fae, and humans intent on destruction. Whilst Children of Fallen Gods is far more complex and there's so much going on, nothing takes away from Tisaanah, Max and Ara as each one has their voice heard. 

I loved the romance elements that again, feel natural and not over the top in how heated it becomes.


I think I need to lie down in a darkened room because my heart's still shaken!

The Swan Harp is a fantasy series set in a Medieval world where Kiar, along with her three sisters are the children of King Tir and Queen Tianis. The Queen is a member of the Swan folk, which I thought was an intriguing idea because we often encounter characters in fantasy novels who change into mammals rather than birds. 

Told from Kiar's perspective we see her go through the mundane moments of her life whilst feeling she doesn't fully belong as she is the only one of the trio of girls who couldn't change from human to swan - something that weighs on her. Then, drama and trouble come to the borders of her kingdom and Kiar's sense of being is tested.

The world-building sends the reader to a realm of castles, witches, and vast lands filled with mysteries and creatures both good and evil. I did feel it was a little basic given the book is a YA book and normally there's a very vivid and immersive world created for fantasy novels. Although it was evident of the style of the world The Swan Harp is set in, it did feel a little flat which was disappointing.

The same is said for the characters, they could have been so much more. I like characters to feel like they're jumping from the page into my imagination and this time they didn't. The premise of the sisters was good with each one being individual but they become lacklustre as the book goes on and I lost a lot of interest in them as well as the supporting cast.

In truth, I had high hopes - the cover is stunning but it just didn't live up to the hype for me. I also saw that this was part of the trilogy which surprised me as normally there's a cliffhanger etcetera but this wrapped up with no clue as to where it would continue.