Monstrous by Nicole M. Rubino

Title: Monstrous

Author: Nicole M. Rubino

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Monstrous # 1

Paperback, 466 pages 

Publication: January 17, 2024

Source: Personal Library
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Monstrous claws weren't the type of gift I’d been expecting for my eighteenth birthday, along with the desire to eat my ex-boyfriend. Yet those beastly traits and carnivorous urges are the exact reason I’m here, at Alystair University.

Alystair University was all I heard about growing up. Its prestige and exclusivity could rival any Ivy League. But that’s not the real reason that sets the school apart from others. Everyone at this school is a monster. Like me.

I should feel safe here. This school will afford me the opportunity to hone my monstrous abilities and curb my carnivorous urges. Not to mention, I have a fierce girl gang by my side, guiding me every step of the way.

But then decapitated bodies start showing up on campus. Someone is killing off students, and in a school full of monsters, everyone is a suspect. Yet all eyes are on Nick Cervallos, a boy whose charm is as deadly as his claws.

And who I can’t seem to stay away from.

Despite danger lurking around every corner, I’m determined to prove Nick’s innocence. But in order to do that, I’ll have to let my monstrous side loose. I just don’t know what I’m more afraid of - coming face to face with a blood-thirsty monster…

Or myself.

MY THOUGHTS

I went into Monstrous completely unaware, and I was pleasantly surprised with what I found. A college full of monsters? But not just any monsters, reborn Greek monsters from myths and legends. How fascinating. To be honest, I haven't read any book yet that has done justice to Greek Mythology and there has been quite a few of them lately (not including Percy Jackson Series). 

Within the first few chapters I was hooked. The author quicky introduced and cemented Rhi and her girl gang. I love seeing the easy-going friendship and sisterhood that developed early on. The girls were closed right from the start to the very end. I haven't read friendships like this for a while in books. It's usually all about the romantic relationships. Which was refreshing. While Rhi and the girls learn about their monster history and abilities; they're also busy trying to find a murderer on campus that's targeting girls. I'm not sure if this series was labeled as 'Horror' but some of the description and scenes were pretty detailed and gruesome. I should have expected that, especially since this was a book about... monsters. 

Rhi wasn't a perfect character, but I still liked her a lot. She was always trying to protect the people she loved, even if she didn't go about, it the right way most of the time. I also liked Nick, the love interest for the most part. He was always an enigma, but the ending had me speechless! I can't wait to see what happens next. I absolutely adored all the girls, even Kass. One surprising thing about Monstrous was despite some of the scary and serious parts; this book was quite funny. I laughed so much. Rhi was a freaking comedian. 

Monstrous took me by complete surprise and I enjoyed it more than I anticipated. The book was very well written and kept me engaged throughout. There was never a bored moment. I can't wait to pick up the sequel, Venomous which releases next month, October 2024! I highly recommend this book if you're looking for something different and unique; a reprieve from all the Romantasy on the market right now. I am shocked there isn't more noise and hype about this book. Give this book a shot, you won't regret it!

Crave by Tracy Wolff

Title: Crave

Author: Tracy Wolff

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Series: Crave # 1

Hardcover, 571 pages 

Publication: April 7, 2020 by Entangle Teen
Source: Personal library 
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My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

MY THOUGHTS

Crave has been on my to-be-read list for years, and I finally got around to picking it up. Lately, I've been on a vampire kick. This Young Adult series has often been compared to Twilight. Even though it's been years since I read Twilight, the parallels are evident – a human girl falling for a notorious vampire, but not just any vampire, a prince!

However, the book turned out to be very juvenile and silly. In my opinion, it's even worse than Twilight. The writing style made it clear that an adult was attempting to emulate a teen's voice, and the forced attempts at using trendy lingo came off as more cringe than cool. I'm surprised I managed to finish the book because the main heroine was throwing around phrases like “This is crazy AF” and “He’s sexy AF” – do teens even talk like that? LOL, or am I just really old?

While the character development and writing were decent, the world-building and concept offered nothing new. I never found myself invested in the characters, Grace and Jaxon, unlike the connection readers had with Bella and Edward. The first two-thirds of the book felt like candy – visually appealing but lacking substance. It wasn’t until the last few chapters that things became interesting. I'm a bit curious about what happens next, but unless the sequel introduces a substantial plot, I doubt I'll explore other books in this lengthy series. Essentially, Crave was a plot-less book; not much happened, and there wasn’t a real mystery, at least not until it was too late.

All in all, Crave was a somewhat disappointing read. If you're in the mood for more YA vampire series, I'd recommend exploring older series released between 2005 and 2018. Those were the stories worth delving into!

 

 

Wings so Wicked by Emily Blackwood

Title: Wings so Wicked

Author: Emily Blackwood

Genre: N/A, Fantasy

Series: Golden City # 1

Paperback, 380 pages 

Publication: January 12, 2024 by
Source: Personal library 
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Huntyr has fought for survival her entire life. Raised under Lord, the master of assassins in Midgrave, she has spent over twenty years learning to kill the blood-hungry, depraved vampyres that lurk in the darkness. Huntyr is the most lethal fae in the kingdom, which is why Lord chooses her to complete the next mission.

Huntyr must survive Moira Seminary and make it into The Golden City—the mysterious elite society of the few remaining angels and the magic fae who live in luxury with no crime, no poverty, and certainly no vampyres.

Only when she arrives at the academy, she’s forced to room with Wolf—the terrifying fallen angel who happens to know her assassin identity.

Determined to keep her head down in Moira, Huntyr tries her best to ignore Wolf. Over time, though, he not only becomes the only person she can lean on, but the one who might keep her alive through the life-threatening tests to get into The Golden City.

MY THOUGHTS

I was so excited for Wings so Wicked – it seemed right up my alley. I mean, who doesn't love a good story of opposites attracting? In this novel, we follow a Vampire Assassin and a Vampire who must set aside their differences and collaborate to gain entry into the elusive Golden City. Only a chosen few get the chance to prove their skills at Moira Seminary, a school for the gifted, and the stakes are high – it's either the Golden City or death.

Wings so Wicked started off promising. I appreciated that the action kicked in early, thrusting our main protagonist, Huntyr, into Moira where she faced grueling training and obstacles. Unfortunately, the initial excitement didn't last, and the book went downhill. The scenes became incredibly choppy and jarring, lacking smooth transitions between scenes and dialogues. Another significant issue was with the characters – the interactions and dialogues fell flat. I didn’t connect with Huntyr or Wolf, and even their interactions felt forced. It was insta-love, but not the good kind. Despite being familiar with the alpha male and stubborn female trope, this was an absolute no for me. Wolf came off as more controlling than protective, and Huntyr's tough exterior seemed inconsistent with her projection of insecurities onto others. When everything inevitably crashed and burned, she turned more self-deprecating. It was annoying.

 As I reached the end of the novel, my interest dwindled, and I found myself not caring about the fate of the characters. I contemplated giving up, but I was already too deep into the book, and reaching the end felt like a relief. Personally, I cannot recommend this book and consider it a time-waster. If you're seeking a vampire-themed story with challenges, I suggest exploring The Serpent and the Wings of Night. I'm genuinely perplexed by the positive reviews and high ratings. Well, to each their own.

 

 

 

A Trial of Sorcerers by Elise Kova

Title: A Trial of Sorcerers

Author: Elise Kova

Genre: Fantasy

Series: A Trial of Sorcerers#1

Hardcover, 364 pages 

Publication: March 4, 2021 by Silver Wing Press

Source: Personal Library
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Ice is in her blood.

Eighteen-year-old Waterrunner Eira Landan lives her life in the shadows — the shadow of her older brother, of her magic’s whispers, and of the person she accidentally killed. She’s the most unwanted apprentice in the Tower of Sorcerers until the day she decides to step out and compete for a spot in the Tournament of Five Kingdoms.

Pitted against the best sorcerers in the Empire, Eira fights to be one of four champions. Excelling in the trials has its rewards. She's invited to the royal court with the “Prince of the Tower,” discovers her rare talent for forbidden magic, and at midnight, Eira meets with a handsome elfin ambassador.

But, Eira soon learns, no reward is without risk. As she comes into the spotlight, so too do the skeletons of a past she hadn't even realized was haunting her.

Eira went into the trials ready for a fight. Ready to win. She wasn't ready for what it would cost her. No one expected the candidates might not make it out with their lives.

 

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve been wanting to read A Trial of Sorcerers since it first came out, but because it's part of the Air Awakens World I held off. I read the first Air Awakens book recently which was great and I thought I had enough knowledge of the world to attempt A Trial of Sorcerers. With that said, while it's not necessary to read the Air Awaken or Vortex chronicles (a spin-off of Air Awakens) first, I would recommend reading them in order. There were a lot of spoilers and I kind of wished I did.

 

A Trial of Sorcerers was a mash-up of The Last Air Bender and Harry Potter. The story is centered around a Waterrunner sorcerer, which in its name is a person with an affinity for the water element. Eira reminded me a lot of Elsa from Frozen, even the cover illustration was eerily similar in its depiction. Eira was very similar to Val, the FMC of Air Awakens. A young unassuming girl who turns out to be all-power, the best elemental user in her group. Like Val, Eira was always seen as the book smart underdog that no one notices…well except the most handsome, most popular boy in the school/kingdom. It was a very special snowflake vibe which I’m kind of getting tired of.

 

And as I mentioned before, Eira was depicted to be super intelligent but yet she made a foolish mistake one after another. She had incredibly poor judgment or lack thereof which resulted in harming not only herself but those around her. It wasn’t only reckless or selfish but just plain stupid. Like the title, the book mainly revolves around trials that’d help determine which four sorcerers will represent the Solaris Kingdom in the Tournament of Crowns. It’s not a surprise that Eira is a contender but of the four trials, only one she truly utilized her skills (history/book smarts). The rest was either due to dumb luck or cheating. 

 

I had high expectations going into A Trial of Sorcerers but was disappointed at the lack of substance and variety in the characters, plot, and backstory. I honestly feel as if the author recycled the characters and storylines and resorted to the same formula and tropes of her first novel/series. I mean, she does have four series all part of the same world. Despite all of this, I’m a tiny bit curious about what will happen when they reach Meru. Still debating if I should continue with the series or not. All in all, would I recommend this book? Perhaps if you’re new to the author and haven’t read any of the other Air Awakens World novels, then sure, why not.