Welcome to Litsy!

Interesting premise, quite unique fantasy world, but the romance felt unconvincing and the story was rather bland and rather boring...

I really enjoyed this one, though I do see why it gets some of the criticism it gets.

I liked that the world building is parceled out in small bits, but I can see how what I find intriguing others may find simply lacking. The magic system, while unique and creative, is also left a bit mysterious, but it makes sense in context.

Generally, I thought this was a really fun read that absolutely made me need the second book immediately.

I happened upon these beautiful editions of #thesheperdking books. And then I couldn‘t resist grabbing the #thesofiacoppolaarchive during today‘s bookstore run! Looking forward to diving into these!

Superb

52.2025

4.75/5 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌖

“I'm just the wind in the trees, the shadow, and the fright. The echo in the leaves...the nightmare in the night.”

#fantasy #romance

I expected to like it more. It seemed right up my alley but it took forever for me to get vested. There is card magic (it reminded me a bit of Caravel) and Elspeth has a nightmare inside of her and she needs to team up with the royals to cure the town and certain people of dark magic. I‘m hoping book 2 is a bit more exciting. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @Chrissyreadit for not only co-hosting but for my amazing forest staycation! I love it all and can‘t wait to res these!!!!

…and with that Rachel Gillig becomes an auto buy author for me. I loved this. The writing is immersive, the characters are compelling, and the magic system is unique and clever. It‘s a good thing book two is already out and that I own it. Do I read the things I‘m supposed to next or do I start book two? 🤔

Guuuuuuuys…this book was like a dark, kind of weird (no, I‘m not describing myself) fairytale, and had a magic system like nothing I‘ve ever read. I loved this so much. I immediately started the second book. I recommend it X 100.

This is so good, especially in terms of how it straddles the line between fantasy and horror. I read it at breakfast, I read it driving back from a Germany shopping trip…in short: it came everywhere for 3 days. The only downside is that now I‘m mad I‘ll have to wait until I‘m back from seeing my mom in Denmark to get the sequel (I bring all the books I read overseas because they‘re silly expensive here).

“‘There once was a girl,‘ he murmured, ‘clever and good, who tarried in shadow in the depths of the wood. There also was a King-a shepherd by his crook, who reigned over magic and wrote the old book. The two were together, so the two were the same: the girl, the King…and the monster they became.‘”
#June2025

1. I don‘t have a middle name, so my kids have asked me which one would I go with if I could choose. I‘m going with that answer: Elise. Not sure why, just like the sound of it.

2. As a kid I had Cookie 🐶 and Stuart 🐹. Rocky was my first cat who passed away a few years ago. Now we have Luna, Midnight, and Sunny (yes, it‘s become a theme lol).

3. Marlowe from Ordinary Monsters and Elspeth Spindle from the tagged book.

#WondrousWednesday @Eggs

I‘m newish to this genre… have only read ACOTAR (1-3 so far) Which route do I take next?

“Be wary. Be clever. Be good”

Got 100-200 pages in just didn't get anywhere fuming had to put it down 22nd March till today 31st March I tried 🤬😤😖🙈

This one had a lot of the usual fantasy tropes, but I still enjoyed it. I loved the romance. There were times I found the MC annoying, but she grew on me. I really enjoyed the plot though. I kept listening wanting to know what happens next. Cards imbue the holder with magic, but wander the woods without a charm and you might be infected with powerful but degenerative magic that doesn‘t require the use of a card. “Nothing comes free.”

I thought this was very entertaining. I immediately put myself on the waitlist for the next book in the series.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

An audiobook and a walk with my Luna Bear ☺️

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
I really liked this one!
After a slow start, I think made worse by an audio narrator that I did not love, I switched to reading the hard copy and instantly enjoyed it more. So I would recommend reading over listening for this one.
The characters were all excellent, I thought the lore and the magic was really unique and well developed, and I cannot wait to read the second one!

Already started this one, after it waited in my Audible library for a very long time lol. I‘m enjoying it so far…

There was a layer of darkness over this book that felt sinister and thick. I loved it!

I love a good fantasy that feels like historical fiction. This uses the orphan girl turned heroine trope. The world building is intricate. I loved how each chapter began with a rhyme. However, this book cannot stand alone; it ends on a cliffhanger making the second book in the duology an must.

I needed a serious escape from a serious situation- and this book delivered. It reminded me in style of Naomi Novak or Katherine Arden. The imagery and atmosphere and concept of magic were perfect.

I found this one to be quite dark with a very unique magic system. 4 🌟

Extremely engaging dark fantasy with excellent world-building and a fresh take on a magic system. Loved the characters and was pulled right in. Thankfully my library loan for book 2 appeared right as I finished because it was a doozy of an ending! Love a duology - just enough but not too much. Onward right now into Two Twisted Crowns to see what happens!

I was absolutely addicted to this novel and completely in love with all of the characters. What an exciting vacation from the mundane!

Up next, recommendation from the book store.

Let the Christmas reading begin ❤️💚🎄

Happy reading this Halloween 🎃🎇🧡

Thank you @Readergrrl
I cant wait to read em. #mws

Brought some reading on a little getaway to Virginia ❤️ I‘ve heard nothing but praise for this series, so nothing to it but to do it!

Next up - another awsome cover
A gothic fantasy - I have only heard good things about this duology
I am about a quarter of the way in - there is a lot of world building in the beginning so the pace has been a little slow - it‘s starting to pick up

Surprisingly easy to read. Took some time to get into but enjoyed it a lot, loved the poems and the vibe of this book in general ✨

I‘m glad the wait at my library for book 2 is short; I need to know what happens!

Not the best first book in a fantasy series I‘ve read, but it was good. The magic system uses cards for powers, there is a small town trapped and isolated by an enchanted mist, and the main character has a Nightmare living in her head.

I‘m not sure if this is going to be a duology or trilogy, I haven‘t looked it up. But I‘m ready for more of the story.

I really enjoyed this and understand why I‘ve been seeing recommendations for it. I loved the world building, the magic cards are really intriguing. The relationship between Elspeth and Ravyn is just sufficient to call this a fantasy romance.

Available on kindle unlimited too! (And the sequel is out, guess what I‘m reading next…)

Such a cool take on a fantasy novel and magic! Was so pleased with this one! The land is plagued with a cursed mist and a magic infection in the city of Blunder. The only acceptable magic is the use of the Providence Cards which can give the user dexterity to mind reading to time travel. The city can be freed from plague and mist if all the cards are united but this hasn‘t happened in over four hundred years…

3✨I struggled with this one because of all the cards and magic associated with it, but I really enjoyed this. I found it interesting that the “nightmare” protected, but was also slowly killing her through the book. I‘m interested to see what happens in the next book. #HTBookClub

Okay so I liked this but don‘t see how so much hype was put into it I enjoyed the read and look forward to the sequel but it hit middle ground for me it‘s not a great read but an enjoyable one

This is my reading line up it happens when I‘m reading a book and think of another book I want to read so I switch to that book and then the next thing you know is you have four books your reading at the same time 👀🤪📚📖

5⭐️ this book was amazing. When we talk about dark, Gothic fantasy, this book checked all the boxes. It was so good and gave me chills. The world building, character development, the twist and the heart aches were all there. I had meant to read this book last month, started it on Friday and just got a finish today. So I‘m definitely counting it for June and it‘s my first five star of the month. If dark fantasy is your genre, please read this book.

I‘m really enjoying this gothic fantasy novel I checked out on Libby. It took me a few chapters to get into it and now I can‘t stop listening. 🎧📖🏰🃏

#gothic #fantasy #onedarkwindow #romance #magic

Bailing at 50% The Magic system is interesting, but the main character isn‘t very interesting and this is just a bunch of typical YA tropes. Also, I was 50% in and virtually nothing had happened.

Sometimes it‘s not the book it‘s you the reader and where you are , this started well pacey page turner but I just felt like the last 150 pages was like walking through mud , not enough action and not enough tension or chemistry between elspeth and ravyn a decent fantasy but doesn‘t interest me enough to buy the 2nd in the series . Sorry about that , I will pick it up in my local library if they get it

Page 📄 55 & hello Ravyn yew giving me games of thrones vibes 😆in a good way