Star-Touched Stories (The Star-Touched Queen #2.5) by Roshani Chokshi

Star-Touched Stories by Roshani Chokshi

My Rating: ★★★★

In what might be the final book in the series, Star-Touched Stories lets us follow the cast of characters we have grown to love in three new short stories: Death and Night, Poison and Gold, and Rose and Sword.

If you liked the first two books in the series, this is a must read. Roshani Chokshi has done it again and wrote three beautiful stories that fully immerses us into the character’s worlds. I love short stories, so I think it’s great that we get to follow some of our favorite characters and meet new ones that I know I would love to see again.

I have to say that I loved seeing Dharma Raja and Maya, or Night, when they first met. It was such a joy to see them meet and fall in love for the first time. It was truly wonderful to see what kind of life Maya led in her former life as Night and get to know new characters, like Uloopi. It almost made me forget why I was a bit irritated a few times with the first book in the series. Dharma Raja and Maya’s story has come full circle and I feel comfortable with not seeing them again if Roshani were to continue the series.

Aasha finally gets her own story with Poison and Gold, and it does not disappoint. All but the last POV chapter from Aasha seemed a bit out of place in the last book. They appeared to simply drive the story rather than give her a true story of her own, which didn’t make sense because we could’ve easily just seen her through Guari and Vikram’s eyes and left it at that. Poison and Gold is devoted to her and now it seems her chapters were preparing us for this, and I can’t complain. I love Aasha and I would love to see how her story ends one day.

Finally, Guari and Vikram’s story is wrapped up and we are introduced to their grandchildren in the process. It’s such a lovely way to end their story and pass the torch to their granddaughter, Hira. If a full-length novel following Hira comes out, I will be one of the first in line to get it.

Roshani has a way with words that is so magical and vibrant that I will always check out anything she comes out with. While I would love to see the series continue with Hira, Aasha, and possibly Uloopi, I will understand if these short stories are the last we see of the great cast of characters that we’ve followed throughout the series.

Bewitched and Betrothed (A Witchcraft Mystery #10) by Juliet Blackwell

Bewitched and Betrothed by Juliet Blackwell

My Rating: ★★★★

When Maya asked Lily to look at an old Alcatraz prison uniform and see if she can confirm its legitimacy, Lily never expected the uniform to open a can of worms. Not only is the uniform legitimate, but the vibrations are extremely bad, so Lily tones down its energy so that it can go up on display. All seems well until Elena, Carlos Romero’s cousin, is abducted with the uniform in hand. Lily gets investigating and discovers that things are far worse than anyone could’ve imagined. A powerful demon that Lily thought she’d never have to go up against is back and she’s going to need every ally at her back to face him again.

I have been a fan of this series since the first book was published, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the latest installment. While this book isn’t among my favorites of the series, it’s still pretty good. One of the things that I love about this series is that the storytelling is still going strong 10 books in, which is a great accomplishment. It’s not boring and it doesn’t show any signs of starting to falter. If anything, it’s building up and packing more punches than ever.

This time around, Lily becomes involved in a series of mysteries that are all connected to Alcatraz. As a California native, Alcatraz does have a mysterious allure… not that Lily sees it that way. She doesn’t want anything to do with Alcatraz, but fate has other plans for her. Going against every warning bell in her body, Lily stands tall and makes her way to Alcatraz only to discover that an old foe is waiting for her.

I absolutely love that we got to spend some time with Lily’s grandmother, Graciela, and her coven in addition to her mother. I wish that we got to spend more time with them, but there were more important things going on. Graciela and her coven are a trip. I know they’re fictional characters, but I just want to hang out with them. We saw a little less of Lily’s mom but I’m also glad that they’re mending their burnt bridge.

It was also great to see Lily become more involved with Sailor’s family as she gets closer to her handfasting with Sailor. Of course, she and Sailor continue to bicker instead of talking until later in the book. I always wondered how long their relationship will last with the amount of bickering and the lack of serious relationship conversations, so we’ll see how that goes. I did like that they took two steps forward together, which makes me feel more positive about their handfasting. Of course, I still remember when they first got together, much to their surprise, so it is great to see them going somewhat strong.

As always, I’m excited to see where the story will take us next, especially after Lily’s latest showdown with some powerful foes. It was great seeing the supernatural community unite. It’s a glimpse at what is to come and just how powerful Lily and her allies are together.

Hotel Dare by Terry Blas, Claudia Aguirre

Hotel Dare by Terry Blas, Claudia Aguirre

My Rating: ★★★

I received a copy from BOOM! Studios through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When Olive, Darwin, and Charlotte are dropped off at their Mamá Lupe’s place, they are quickly put to work. Of course, cleaning the creepy old hotel their grandmother lives in is not how they expected to spend their summer. One day, Mamá Lupe tells them to continue cleaning while she’s out and gives them strict instructions not to go near her office. Ignoring her grandma, Charlotte picks the lock and explores the forbidden office with her reluctant siblings, and accidentally unlocks a magical world within the hotel.

This is such a cute and heartwarming story, but it could’ve been so much more. I think that it suffers from having too much going on at once. It has a great cast of characters, the storytelling is beautiful, the artwork is wonderful, and the story itself is great. That said, the story began to splinter down once the kids are separated into different worlds, or dimensions I guess, and it continues throughout the rest of the story as more and more gets tacked on. Unfortunately, this book reads more as a companion story to a book or series that doesn’t exist, especially because of how little we spend in two of the other worlds. It just seemed like we should’ve known these worlds already.

At its core, the story is about family, and we follow Olive, Darwin, and Charlotte, who are siblings through adoption. I love that Olive and Darwin have bonded and Darwin feels like a member of the family. However, Charlotte does not, and her feelings is what drives some of her actions, including pressuring her siblings into going into Mamá Lupe’s forbidden office. I loved watching their individual adventures, but I wish that the kids went into the different worlds together from the start. Because of how much they are separated, Charlotte finally feeling like a member of her family seems like an afterthought.

I loved the characters, but I loved Mamá Lupe the most. I would love to follow a series following her and her adventures as she searched for her husband across the different worlds. It appears to be a stand-alone story, but I will 100% be here if a book following Mamá Lupe were to come out.

A Crown of Wishes (The Star-Touched Queen #2) by Roshani Chokshi

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

My Rating: ★★★★

After a failed attempt to throw her brother off the throne, Gauri was turned over to one of her kingdom’s enemies and is scheduled for a public execution. Facing death, Gauri figures she might as well fake weakness and bide her time until she can fight like hell to escape. However, she’s about to meet someone willing to give her a second chance… for a price. Prince Vikram has the chance to enter the Tournament of Wishes, but he needs a partner to enter the contest with. Enter Gauri, the princess is nowhere near what he was expecting, who is the perfect partner in the contest that will test them in ways they never expect.

Roshani Chokshi has a beautiful writing style that is nothing less than magical. I can see the people and the locations, both mortal and magical, vividly in my mind as I read. Even if I’m not happy with how the story is going at the moment, I can’t even complain much because it’s just so magical that the vivid imagery makes up for it. After reading the first book in the series, I knew I had to pick up its unconventional sequel following a new cast of characters, one of which we met in the previous novel.

We follow Gauri and Vikram, who are total opposites and challenge one another every step of the way. One of the things that I like about these two characters is that they challenge gender stereotypes. Gauri is hot headed, strong, stony, and has quite the mouth on her. These are typically characteristics given to male characters, so it was exciting to see them given to Gauri. On the other side, there’s Vikram, who is lean, fast, not necessarily strong, and thoughtful. These are typically characteristics given to female characters, so I enjoyed the switch here.

Gauri and Vikram are total opposites, so it was wonderful to see them clash and set aside their differences to work together. They each have a lot to lose, but so much to gain, in the Tournament of Wishes. I love enemies to lovers stories and this was a great one even though they weren’t necessarily truly enemies to begin with. It was so much fun watching them but heads, become reluctant friends, and eventually grow feelings for one another while trying to pretend that wasn’t the case.

I enjoyed the story, but I do think that it could’ve ended a bit sooner. I’m not sure if the pace needed to pick up in places, but the story seemed a bit drawn out at times and it seemed like it could’ve sped up and ended several chapters sooner. Regardless, I did enjoy the story and I wouldn’t mind another sequel or companion to the series following another character or two down the line.

One-Stitch Baby Knits: 22 Easy Patterns for Adorable Garments and Accessories Using Garter Stitch by Val Pierce

One-Stitch Baby Knits by Val Pierce

My Rating: ★★★★

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

When I saw this book, I knew I had to read it because it has some cute patterns that I want to knit as gifts for future baby showers. It’s such a cute book that is great for knitters of all levels. One of the things that I like is that there is a difficulty scale so that readers can see if they have the skills for the item or are up for the challenge. I was always up for the challenge when I was a new knitter, so this is a scale that’s great regardless of what level readers are at.

The book has a section devoted to hints, tips, and other techniques for new knitters as well as knitters of any level who may need a refresher. I love that Val Pierce includes a small section on the materials that different knitting needles are made from and why one might select it. Personally, I always find the abbreviations chart useful just in case the pattern uses a different abbreviation than I normally see. I also enjoy the conversion chart because it makes the book easier to use for a wider audience without pulling from other resources.

The patterns are cute and easy to read and understand. There are about eight patterns that I want to make as gifts for future baby showers, but not all for one baby shower of course! It all depends on who the gift is for. The patterns are so cute and I’m really excited to eventually make the Sleeping Babies Blanket, Sailboat Bib, and Cow Hat. I enjoyed the book and I highly recommend it for beginners because of the difficulty scale and comprehensive techniques section as well as good information on choosing yarn.

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal

The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal

My Rating: ★★★★

Right before Sita passes away, she writes a final letter to her daughters, Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina. The letter contains her final request: take the pilgrimage to India that she was unable to take herself. Her letter includes specific places she wants them to visit and tasks she wants them to complete. Along the way, she hopes that they will learn something about their mother while bonding with one another. Unfortunately, the three sisters are not close and they each view the trip as inconvenient. Busy dealing with their own personal problems and secrets, Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina bump heads and surprise themselves as their pilgrimage progresses.

I absolutely loved this book. The characters and their individual stories are so compelling that I never wanted to stop reading. Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina have been living their lives completely separate from one another because they don’t get along. Throw them together on a trip while they’re in the middle of personal crises, going on a trip far from home with people they don’t want to be stuck with is just icing on the cake. They each just want to jam through the trip, spread their mom’s ashes in her final resting place, and head back home.

I truly enjoyed each character. Told through rotating perspectives, we get to know Rajni, Jezmeen, and Shirina through their viewpoints as well as through each other’s eyes. We also get to see through Sita’s eyes in the prologue and a few flashback chapters. I loved watching the sisters get to know each other and come closer as well as watch them understand and get to know their mother the way they didn’t during her life.

One thing that was clear throughout the book is that there was a clash between tradition and modernism threaded through the character’s lives. Rajni and Jezmeen have very clear and strong modern views while Sita and Shirina are very traditional. It was interesting to see the sisters come to terms with this and see how traditional meeting modernism took them in different directions in their lives.

I was a bit confused by two of the secrets that Shirina and Rajni held onto for a good portion of the book. I understood why they didn’t share them with each other, but I didn’t understand why it was kept from readers when we were reading from their point of view. It was presented like readers knew what the secrets were. Whenever they thought about these two big secrets, they skirted around what exactly the issues were in their own minds, which became irritating after a while. I felt like skipping ahead just to find out what they were so I could continue in peace but held on until all was revealed. Unfortunately, after finishing the book, I still don’t see why we were kept in the dark for so long.

My other complaint is that the switch in narrators was not always clear. The first chapter had me confused for a hot minute every time the narrators changed because there was never a warning. I got used to it and could clearly tell who was narrating, but it was very confusing when narrators changed in the same paragraph and in the same sentence later in the book. I knocked a star off my rating because there should’ve been something to indicate that the narrator was about to change.

Otherwise, it was a wonderful book. I truly enjoyed the story. I love intricate stories about siblings, and this hit the spot. As someone who has older generations as well as cousins from my generation who are very traditional in my family, although from a different culture than the Shergill sisters, I enjoyed seeing the happy union as well as the clashes between modern and traditional values throughout the book.

Library of Souls (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children #3) by Ransom Riggs

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

My Rating: ★★

Suddenly separated from most of his new friends, Jacob finds himself trapped in modern day London and surrounded by hollows when something curious happens. He can speak the same language as the hollows and has some control over them! Jacob is also not alone. He’s got Emma and Addison, and they have a plan to rescue their friends. Traveling all the way from modern day London to Devil’s Acre, a time loop set in Victorian England, the trio fight tooth and nail to save everyone they care about.

I wanted to like this book. Instead, I was left disappointed. Much of this book had me wondering where all the foreshadowing was in previous books if it was all leading up to the mythological Library of Souls. Jacob’s unusual abilities turn out to be so much more than he ever could’ve imagined. Sadly, they’re also much more than we ever could’ve imagined as well because the foreshadowing is just not there. His abilities also should’ve started developing in the direction they did much sooner than they do in this book. Instead, his storyline came off as rushed and ill-planned.

Sadly, I also found myself bored and losing interest because the pace was weirdly fast and slow at the same time. Jacob seemed to suddenly be all knowing at times, and the blow by blow battle scenes got old fast. Plus, the vintage photos did not aid the story like it did in the previous books. They didn’t fit the story and seemed shoehorned in. There were times that the photos were hilariously ill-fitted for who or the location they were supposed to be, and it really took me out of the story.

There are some good things about the novel, so it’s not all bad news. We spent a lot of time with Emma and Addison. I love Addison and was excited that we got to see them again. We also met a cast of new and interesting characters in addition to meeting and spending time with a character that I thought we likely wouldn’t see. It was also interesting to see a darker side of the peculiar community and learn more about what is accepted as normal and what happens if people crash and burn.

All in all, I feel so let down by this book. It turns out that the entire series hangs on the Library of Souls in this installment, yet the foreshadowing to hold this up is simply not there. The pacing is off, Jacob’s abilities suddenly greatly develop, and the vintage photos are ill-suited for the story. While I do like the cast of characters and learning about new sides of the peculiar world was interesting, it’s not enough to save the story. I will read the next book in the series, but I am surprised that the story continues when it was wrapped up very neatly at the end.