🇬🇧 bookish reviews 🇳🇱
As You Wake, Break the Shell by Becky Chambers is sort of a cosy sci fi, with deep themes of love and loss, and it was nothing like I ever read before. The worldbuilding is so intricate and thought provoking, slightly dystopian in some ways and yet mostly very human. A newish colony on a… Continue reading As You Wake, Break the Shell – Becky Chambers
Theodora’s Tea Shop by Christy Anne Jones is really more about Dot instead of Theodora 😉 Dot wants to study magic in a world where magic is sort of prohibited/only for the wealthy class, and she thinks that if she can get an education as an apprentice to this famous witch, Theodora, she’ll circumvent the… Continue reading Theodora’s Tea Shop – Christy Anne Jones
I was very excited to read The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher! I love her fairy tale retellings, and a retelling of the Snow Queen story has been something I wanted to read for years (not sure if that’s what the fairytale’s called in English, it is however in my language). I love… Continue reading The Raven and the Reindeer – T. Kingfisher
When I saw the cover for (Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall I was immediately intrigued, those colors and art work, WOW. Well, I did read the synopsis before clicking the button, so it wasn’t a total cover buy erm… arc request? But still, it was close. And I’m happy to say my netgalley streak continues,… Continue reading (Mostly) Human Resources – Grace Viall
A Prince Among Pirates by Katie Abdou is my favorite book of the year so far. This was just so much FUN. I always think I like pirate stories, but in reality I never do, so this one was the exception and a breath of fresh air! There is so much humor and banter, which… Continue reading A Prince Among Pirates – Katie Abdou
I received an e-ARC of We Burn So Bright by TJ Klune at the moment I hit rock bottom. This might have influenced my opinions a bit, as this book became my lifeline while I was running a very high fever with a non relenting itchiness making my life literal hell on earth. To be… Continue reading We Burned So Bright – TJ Klune
Stay for A Spell by Amy Coombe was so much fun! I had a great time! The synopsis was already a blast; a princess getting stuck inside a bookshop because of a curse and all the princes come one by one to cure this curse, I was hooked. And yes, I flew through this book… Continue reading Stay for a Spell – Amy Coombe
Unapologetic Love Story by Elle McNicoll is hands down one of my favorites of 2026. Yes I know the year’s just started but trust me, it’ll take a lot to bump this one down the list. I have to preface this review by admitting that Elle McNicoll is one of my favorite authors and Some… Continue reading Unapologetic Love Story – Elle McNicoll
The Swan’s Daughter is the newest novel by a favorite author of mine: Roshani Chokshi. And it was glorious. I seriously have no idea how to describe this book except maybe a happy dark fairytale? It feels cosy and funny, all the while horrific things happen. It has a special kind of magic as you… Continue reading The Swan’s Daughter – Roshani Chokshi
The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri is such a unique book! I can honestly say I never encountered one like this before. The Island is made up of stories, stories that are repeated again and again by reincarnated replica’s of the original story (sort of, it gets clearer in the book but… Continue reading The Isle in the Silver Sea – Tasha Suri
The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson was one of my most anticipated reads of this year, as I loved the Remnant Chronicles and then loved the Dance of Thieves duology even more! Therefore I was excited to receive an e-arc (all opinions are my own), and dove into the book right away.… Continue reading The Courting of Bristol Keats – Mary E. Pearson
A Sorceress Comes To Call by T. Kingfisher is a perfect example of why I love T. Kingfisher’s books so much. I absolutely loved everything! The first chapter is soooo creepy, and with an epic first line “There was a fly walking on Cordelia’s hand, and she was not allowed to flick it away.” you… Continue reading A Sorceress Comes To Call – T. Kingfisher
De vergeten vloek van Britt Zwijnenberg is een retelling van Beauty and the Beast/Belle en het beest, maar dan nét even anders. Allereerst, ik vind het echt bijzonder hoe een kort verhaal zoveel diepte en plot kan bevatten, het was echt alsof ik een heel boek las! Ik ben zelf ook groot fan van korte… Continue reading De vergeten vloek – Britt Zwijnenberg
The Night Ends With Fire by K.X. Song is a Mulan retelling set in a fantasy world resembling ancient China. Meilin lives with her addicted and abusive father in relative peace, until she must marry with a man who seems to be just as abusive as her father. Meilin decides she wants freedom, wants to… Continue reading The Night Ends with Fire – K.X. Song
If the Boot Fits is the second installment of the fairytale retellings series called Texas Ever After by Karen Witemeyer. This time we have a Cinderella retelling, which I absolutely love, as a kid the videotape actually turned grey from watching it so often! A Karen Witemeyer book combined with Cinderella, my expectations are through… Continue reading If the Boot Fits – Karen Witemeyer
Lang leve de keizer van Britt Zwijnenberg is een fantasy van eigen bodem. We volgen Usiu, een 16-jarig meisje dat haar hele leven heeft gehoord dat de keizer het beste met haar land voor heeft en voor voorspoed heeft gezorgd, maar fel tegen magie is. Dan blijkt dat ze zelf magie heeft, en geeft ze… Continue reading Lang Leve de Keizer – Britt Zwijnenberg
In ”De C is voor Celia” van Heleen Blesgraaf volgen we, zoals de titel al doet vermoeden, Celia. Er komt ineens heel veel op haar af als ze een tv serie bij haar thuis gaan opnemen, omdat ze een groot gezin heeft. Daarnaast zit ze in het laatste jaar van de havo, wordt ze gepest… Continue reading De C is voor Celia – Heleen Blesgraaf
I think it is hard to describe an action packed book with necromancers and a haunting ex wife as “wholesome” but here I am, doing just that! Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black feels as a fluffy D&D campaign. We have Logan, our fighter, who is retired from fighting monsters to live with… Continue reading Til Death Do Us Bard – Rose Black
A Prayer for Vengeance by Leanne Schwartz is a story about a girl turned to stone, and an autistic boy who accidently revives her. I couldn’t wait to read this one, as autism rep in a fantasy story is quite rare. But this book is so much more than just autism, there are so many… Continue reading A Prayer for Vengeance – Leanne Schwartz
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh is one of the most suprising books I read this year. Despite it being an action driven book, it has so much depth and the character growth is *chef’s kiss. First things first: the earth is gone. Like gone gone, including everyone that lived on it. A few survivors… Continue reading Some Desperate Glory – Emily Tesh
Yellow Mockingjay 