Scepter of Memories (Witchlings #4) by Claribel A. Ortega

Scepter of Memories by Claribel A. Ortega

My Rating: ★★★★

Something weird is going on in Ravenskill, and it might be worse than anyone is expecting. It’s hard for Seven, Thorn, and Valley to get to the bottom of things when people are slowly starting to forget them! Just when things couldn’t get worse, Ambert reveals the next phase of his plan: make sure the trio are arrested! Anyone who remembers them is in danger if they try to help them, so what’s Seven to do? Grab her friends and flee! Now Seven and her friends find themselves carefully traveling through the Grim in hope they find the answers they’re looking for. The lives of everyone in Ravenskill depends on it!

I’ve loved this series from the beginning, so I’m always happy to pick up another book! Unfortunately for me, I’ve grown tired of the forgetting hex, so I was struggling my way through some of the earlier chapters. It makes sense that Ambert would go straight for another round of the forgetting hex, but I also hoped we would be done with fighting against him as he enacted the same powerful hex again.

That said, once the story started picking up, I got over my feelings on the forgetting hex and really got into the story. We really saw Seven, Thorn, and Valley face some of their harshest battles yet. I felt so sad for them because on top of everything, they were forced to leave Ravenskill and worry about their friends and family’s lives the whole way. I’m glad they had each other along with some new allies they made along the way, but it was tough.

I loved much of the cast of characters, especially some of the new characters we met. It was really interesting to see the world outside of Ravenskill, so I’m looking forward to seeing whether or not this will impact the next book… hopefully in favor of the trio! I did think it was kind of odd that the story started winding down like it was the end of the series when I knew the final book was already released, and then the ending was like, about that… Phew. I’d be beside myself if I was the trio and all their allies. I’m sad to see the series come to an end soon, but I’ll be happily opening the final book soon.

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Vol. 6 by Ushio Shirotori; Ichibu Saki

 

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Vol. 6 by Ushio Shirotori; Ichibu Saki

My Rating: ★★★★

When Claire accidentally uses her magic on Dion, she knows she needs help from her old friends… only they aren’t close friends in this timeline! Now she has to decide whether or not she’s going to fess up about being from a year in the future, and if she should mention that she was engaged to Prince Vik. Will her old friends believe her? And why is she getting odd advice from Vik’s older brother?!

I wasn’t exactly the most excited about the last volume, but I’m happy to say that this one was much better! The story finally got into a good groove again and things are very quickly diverging from the previous timeline in major ways. Claire hasn’t figured out most of why that is yet, but she is determined to save her former fiance from any plots against him. It looks like we might get to know more about some of the villains in addition to seeing Claire fully discover that help may come from the most unlikely of sources. There wasn’t much character growth in this volume, but the plot busted a move and I enjoyed it. I do wish I had volume 7 already since I feel like I’d enjoy both more if I read them back to back, but I’ll just have to reread this once I get it!

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Vol. 5 by Ushio Shirotori; Ichibu Saki

Formerly, the Fallen Daughter of the Duke, Vol. 5 by Ushio Shirotori; Ichibu Saki

My Rating: ★★★

When Claire decided to use her magic to switch to a previous save point, she didn’t realize how hard it would be. However, she’s determined to use the knowledge she has to prevent tragedy from occurring again. Claire finds herself in Paffuto as a noblewoman given special treatment by the royal family, but that’s not the only change in this new timeline. Prince Vik has an older brother who seemingly didn’t exist before, and she may not be the only one who remembers the other timeline. Now Claire is forced to think quickly as she’s getting a grasp of everything she might be facing.

I was interested in seeing how the big shakeup would pan out, but I can’t say that I feel super invested in it after this volume. The story was choppy on and off, and Claire couldn’t seem to figure out why events were different this time around despite making different choices before she even got to Paffuto. There weren’t any huge changes in events, so we mostly watched Claire reflect on people, events, and sometimes herself as she relived events in a slightly different way. Her reflections were often repetitive, so it felt like a chore to read at times.

Overall, I did still like reading this, but it felt like we were just going through the motions. I’m hoping this changes in the next volume since I was left wondering if retconning might’ve been a mistake. I’ll be picking up the next volume anyway, so I’ll be finding out soon enough.

The Unofficial Disney Parks Retro Cookbook: 60+ Nostalgic Recipes and Stories of Yesteryear by Julie Tremaine, Carly Caramanna

The Unofficial Disney Parks Retro Cookbook: 60+ Nostalgic Recipes and Stories of Yesteryear by Julie Tremaine, Carly Caramanna

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Harper Celebrate through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a fan of any of the Disney parks, then this may be a book for you! Inside, you will find 60+ recipes inspired by dishes, desserts, and drinks going all the way back to when Disney first opened. The recipes are separated by the inspiration, which also includes information about the park, dining experience, and even quotes from Walt Disney himself. The book is also peppered with photos of the delicious items in question to make you even hungrier!

I really enjoyed reading this. Recipe books like this are a lifeline for people like me with food allergies, especially if you’re like me and have one of the top five most common food allergies: peanuts. I don’t remember much of any of the food I tried at Disneyland as a kid, but I do remember the overall happy experience, so I always jump on any Disney cookbook. Instead of asking why different dishes and whatnot are no longer around, I couldn’t even try them if I wanted to. Insert people like the authors recreating the recipes and allowing the Disney magic of food and drinks come alive at home!

The recipes are pretty straight forward on top of looking and sounding delicious. It’s easy to modify them for allergen reasons, or turn some of the alcoholic beverages into non-alcoholic drinks, and make some truly tasty items. I’m looking forward to testing out some of these recipes, especially the desserts! I also really liked the additional information provided about where these recipes came from. It felt like we were hopping in a time machine and taking a tour around the Disney parks. You really can’t go wrong with this book!

World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon (Supernatural Entanglements #2) by Olivia Dade

World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seeks Demon by Olivia Dade

My Rating: ★★★★

Gwen Wexloff is the only oracle in her family. Unfortunately, she’s also the exact opposite of what is expected of an oracle. Instead of having groundbreaking visions, hers are considered mundane and useless. Everything changed when she had a vision of apocalyptic levels while fighting zombies. If she doesn’t get that info to the right people, it’s game over… and that’s how she found herself at Hugh Blacke’s door while dressed like she’s about to hit Flavortown. Will he believe Gwen even after witnessing how badly she failed her oracle verification text twenty years ago?

I was so excited to pick this up since I really enjoyed the first book and it did not disappoint! We pick up right where the previous novel left off, but this time, we’re following Gwen. I loved her in the first book, so I was super excited about following her! Other than being dressed like Guy Fieri, she’s pregnant, loves cheese, and is a deeply caring person. She also failed her oracle verification text in spectacularly memorable fashion, so she hopes that Hugh doesn’t take that into consideration when she reveals her vision!

This time around, we got a lot more worldbuilding, which I enjoyed since the lack of worldbuilding was one of the few complaints I had about the previous book. I love how much we learn about oracles and demons in particular, especially since we follow Gwen, and she spends a lot of time with Hugh, the demon from her past. Between the worldbuilding and the rundown of the events from the previous book, you could read this book first. However, I think that it’d be a lot more enjoyable if you read the books in order.

That said, we continued with the great cast of characters from the previous book, which I loved. Gwen spent most of her time with Hugh, so we got a lot of history on both oracles and demons. We also meet more characters, but it won’t be overwhelming unless you’re starting the series with this book. Gwen is so much fun to follow. She’s sweet, funny, and a truly caring person. I think that she’s really easy to like, but if you weren’t a fan of Edie from the previous book, you might not like Gwen either.

All in all, this was such a fun read. It was great to see some of my favorites from the previous book while continuing the story with different people trying to save the world. There’s a lot more world building this time around, which might be too information heavy for anyone who hasn’t read the previous book. However, you could still read this book first if you wanted to. Plus, the epilogue has me really excited for the next book, so I’m excited for the eventual publication announcement!

Strange Kawaii by Mag Hokkyoku

Strange Kawaii by Mag Hokkyoku

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Z Lab through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a super cute coloring book for yourself or a teenager, then this might be the book for you! Inside, you will find 30 kawaii coloring pages covering a range of images that will delight you. Whether it’s adorable characters or kawaii landscapes, you’re bound to enjoy coloring each page!

I found this so cute. It’s complex enough to keep your mind busy while also not going overboard so that teenagers can enjoy coloring the pages as well. I really like that they are one sided coloring pages so you don’t have to choose which page to sacrifice to markers that will bleed through the pages. Plus, there’s a page designated just for tearing out and sticking between the page you're currently coloring and the page after it! I really enjoyed this and look forward to checking out more from the artist.

Curious Book of Creepy Crochet: 25+ Oddball Amigurumi Creatures by Carolyne Brodie

Curious Book of Creepy Crochet: 25+ Oddball Amigurumi Creatures by Carolyne Brodie

My Rating: ★★★★★

I received a copy from Landauer Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re looking for a good Halloween theme pattern, then this book might be perfect for you! Inside you will find 25+ perfectly spoopy patterns that demonstrate that amigurumi can really be anything you want it to be. You will also find a comprehensive supply list complete with pictures, the basics of crochet, a small assembly guide, and a quick rundown on how to read crochet patterns. Plus, there’s a step-by-step crochet guide with pictures to help guide you as you learn any stitches you may not know.

Halloween is my favorite holiday, so of course I had to pick this up! I really liked the variety of patterns included. My favorites are Velvet the Bat, Revna the Raven, Squash the Pumpkin Doll, Rotten Ralph the Zombie, and Patch the Scarecrow. However, all of the patterns are wonderful! I love how each pattern comes with its own story about the character. You’ll also discover that each pattern is rated anywhere from beginner to intermediate, which will help you decide if it’s something you’re ready to make! The fact that there’s so many in-progress photos included with each pattern is excellent as well. It will be a huge help to beginner crocheters or anyone who is new to amigarumi.

All in all, this is an excellent pattern book! There’s a nice variety of patterns and it’s perfect for crocheters of all levels. I really like that there’s photos of some of the more technical aspects of each pattern, and that there are some tips and tricks included early in the book before you get to any of the patterns. Plus, the patterns are pretty straightforward and easy to read. I can’t wait to make some of them!