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Review: A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon

February 24, 2023February 19, 2023by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

Prophesied to be the most powerful witch, Mariel Spark feels far from such a glorious title, especially as a descendant of the famed Spark family. She prefers the comfort of her kitchen and greenhouse over the magic in her veins. When a summon goes wrong, and instead of flour to bake, Mariel accidentally called a demon, and to make matters worse, unknowingly enters a soul bargain with him.

I love randomly requesting books on Netgalley because I find gems like this. A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon was an utter delight. Never thought I would find myself so heavily invested in the life of a witch and demon fake dating to hide the fact that she summoned a demon onto Earth from her overbearing mother.

Mariel is a charming woman with a whole lot of love to go around, but to her family, it means nothing if she can’t wield the magic within her to a more respectable use than tending to her garden. Her mother is a textbook narcissist who is convinced that Mariel simply isn’t trying hard enough and threatens to cut off financial support for her education if Mariel doesn’t improve soon. And as she is in the middle of baking, Mariel tries her luck to summon flour but summons a demon instead. In comes, Ozroth (or Oz), who is in a similar situation where he must regain the respect of the demon elders, which means taking Mariel’s soul back with him. A witch’s soul is their magic, so Mariel isn’t planning on parting with it so quickly. So he’s stuck on Earth until he can figure out a way to get it from her. But that also means he can’t leave her side, which is becomes a problem explaining his presence to her mother. Rather than admit her spellcasting failure, Mariel blurts out that Oz is actually her boyfriend. As Mariel struggles to combat an ongoing development that will threaten the wildlife in her town, Oz has a limited time to make a deal, and as the two struggle to maintain their fake relationship, a real one happens between them.

I always adore an excellent reluctant friends-to-lovers story, and Mariel and Oz’s chemistry was hilarious and heart-warming. Who wouldn’t want a fake demon boyfriend who defends you against your shitty family? Although it falls victim to the typical third-act miscommunication trope, which definitely could’ve been done better, Mariel and Oz are hilarious. I found myself laughing through all their interactions. Considering Mariel summoned one of the worst demons you could call upon, she keeps her head straight despite Oz’s cheeky attempts to take her soul; both are equally loveable.

A Witch’s Guide is Hawley’s debut, and I was immensely impressed at her ability to craft hilarious and relatable inner monologues for both Mariel and Oz. An entertaining paranormal romance which makes me super excited to read its sequel, which surprisingly follows a secondary character I had not expected.

I drew fanart too!!!! This scene was hilarious, and I knew I had to draw it immediately!

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Series Review: Into Shadow Collection

February 21, 2023February 14, 2023by Zaheerah1 Comment

In this collection, seven fantasy authors release their stories in collaboration with Amazon as part of their first Original Stories collection.

The Garden by Tomi Adeyemi

Years after her mother disappeared in search of a mythical place called the Garden, Yuliana is determined to uncover the truth.

This was one of the weakest stories in the collection. The Garden follows Yuliana travelling in Brazil with a guide to a mythical garden, hoping to find what her mother couldn’t. It sounds promising, except all we’re given is a tourist misbehaving, as the writer tries to convince you otherwise. This story was meant for a bigger stage, but even within these pages, Adeyemi couldn’t convince me. I like the concept of alternating prose and poetry, but what does it say when the prose reads better than the poetry?

Persephone by Lev Gossman

Young Persephone hides within herself, especially since her father’s disappearance five years ago, but when the school bullies go too far, she discovers a power that might be the key to everything.

Without giving too much of the plot away, I was surprised by the turn this story took. But Persephone’s voice drips with the stereotypical behaviour of a Disney Channel teen protagonist. I found the plot rather intriguing, but the tone of voice felt dejected and separate from the girl we see on the page.

The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E. Harrow

Spared from death to fulfil a destiny, can the girl who became a weapon find her worth under the watchful eyes of the Prince?

You have probably already seen this short story makes its rounds through social media, and for once, a story lives up to the hype. Six Deaths is a beautiful short story, speaking directly into the desire of the girl who has been told repeatedly to sacrifice everything for the empire’s good. Harrow evokes every emotion possible in such a short amount of words; what a bitter-sweet tale for a girl who deserves so much more.

“I would rather love a coward than mourn a legend.” It was 2 am, and I was on the floor.

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Review: This is How You Fall in Love

February 17, 2023January 31, 2023by Zaheerah1 Comment

*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

Zara has always wanted her own love story. A real kind of love. But when her best friend Adnan accidentally tells everyone they’re dating to hide his actual girlfriend, Zara doesn’t know what to do. The news of her relationship appears to lessen the arguments between her parents, so maybe this isn’t all that bad. But how long can they pretend to be in a relationship without straining Adnan’s real one, and can they keep up pretences in front of their friends without ruining everything?

Yeah, this wasn’t very pleasant. I should’ve known I would feel this way after Adnan became an absolute prick towards Zara. By the time we reached the end of this story, it felt like nothing had been added to the overall plot and characters. Even as best friends or fake lovers, Zara and Adnan held no chemistry whatsoever.

The bulk of the story hinges on Zara and Adnan’s relationship; they constantly remind each other that they are the best of friends and nothing else matters because the strength of their friendship should trump all. Adnan insists that despite his new relationship, his friendship with Zara will not falter, but then he continues treating Zara terribly for the entire story. He fails to consider her feelings while he gets the best of both worlds; he gets the girl and gains the adoration of his family for finally “dating” Zara. And what does Zara get? Despite convincing herself that this fake dating would distract her parents from arguing, nothing substantial actually happens. They still fight, upsetting Zara, which defeats the purpose of what she is supposed to be benefiting from this relationship. Adnan doesn’t even do much to keep his end of the bargain; he continues to publicly flirt with his girlfriend in situations where their plans would definitely get them caught; Zara will then have to swoop in to correct the issue, causing arguments between the three of them.

This book would have done well to undergo some further brainstorming. A lot is going on, but nothing really sticks out. Zara and Adnan don’t respect each other, their “plan” lacks any action, and there is just so much going on in the background that the story falters because it doesn’t know where to focus its plot. On top of their fake plan and familial issues, there is also a side plot of Zara’s friend who wants to make a documentary of her new relationship and an anonymous Instagram gossip account that is strangely forgotten for most of the novel.

There’s not much else I can say about this book. Poor Zara. She deserves a lot better.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | AUTHOR

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Review: Yellowface

February 14, 2023January 31, 2023by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

*I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

When Juniper Song witnesses her rival Athena Liu’s death, she does the unimaginable: she steals a manuscript about the contributions of Chinese labourers to the war efforts during World War I. She submits it to her agent as her own work. From there, June receives a career revival; she makes the lists her debut failed to reach, and she is invited to significant events that shunned her years before; Liu’s story makes her a star. But how far can she go living in Liu’s spotlight? Or will someone from their past drag her back into the shadows?

I genuinely commend R.F. Kuang for traversing into a genre that is not typical of her fantasy sphere, but I did not enjoy this as much as her previous releases, which is true heartbreak. Yellowface is dark and grim, a witty tale about the state of the publishing industry and the erasure of non-white voices. Kuang knows how to write messy people, and Juniper Song might be the greatest example of that. I thoroughly enjoyed how the story highlights several problems within the publishing industry.

Perhaps, in her way of being meta about publishing, it felt too much. At one point, I was just wondering if I was reading my Twitter timeline. Yellowface is undoubtedly well-written, but the narrative voice was perhaps unbearable and repetitive to the point where even at the end, where we see her antics reach their peak, I was glad to be done with her.

This book will be great for another reader, but for me, it just wasn’t working. In an attempt to be satirical, Yellowface falls flat in a tale that I would call Book Twitter on a regular Monday.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | AUTHOR

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Review: Ithaca

February 10, 2023January 30, 2023by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

*I received a copy from the publisher in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

Ithaca recounts the story of Penelope, wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus, who awaits her husband’s return from the Trojan War. Seventeen years into the war, the people of Ithaca grow worried as the speculation that Odysseus is dead invites suitors to begin knocking at Penelope’s door. No one is worthy enough to stake a claim to Odysseus’ empty throne, but a cold war is brewing, and any choice Penelope makes may plunge her kingdom into a devastating war. Only through her spy network can Penelope regain control, but all eyes are on her, and if she’s not careful, Ithaca might pay the price.

Ithaca is one of the newest additions of Greek retellings that have made it to our shelves recently as we follow Penelope tread the fine line between the silent wife and while regaining possession of her city until her son is ready to take the throne. But the suitors are getting restless as the island struggles to deal with the pirates that appear on the shores every full moon. To make matters even worse, Penelope’s cousin, Clytemnestra, is rumoured to have fled to Ithaca with her children hot on her trail, seeking revenge for their slain father.

Very little time is spent in the original Odyssey focusing on Penelope’s decades-long wait in Ithaca, so in this retelling, it is refreshing to see her hold her own. North’s rendition is somewhat straightforward but feels seamless to the original tale. While this is the story of Penelope, she is not the storyteller. Instead, Hera and her biting tongue narrate the tragedy of Ithaca, which is a surprising but welcoming addition to the tale.

Ithaca was an enjoyable exploration of Penelope’s tale. While I didn’t find myself as compelled as I thought I would be, this isn’t the end of Claire North’s rendition, and I am indeed impressed enough to see her carry the tale to the end.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | AUTHOR

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Review: This Is Not a Personal Statement

February 7, 2023January 29, 2023by ZaheerahLeave a Comment

*I received a copy from the publisher in return for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.*

When Perla Perez fails to get into Delmont University, her carefully planned future slowly falls apart. In a moment of panic, she forges her acceptance letter and heads to Delmont for real, deciding to scope the campus and use her newfound knowledge to improve her application to reapply for the next semester. As she breaks into campus accommodations and lies to her classmates, Perla must decide if this dream is her choice.

Perla Perez, you have stressed me out to the point where I feared I was going to lose my hair while reading about your scheme. Reading this was trying to juggle my entertainment while also preparing Perla’s grave for her at the same time. Never has a book made me so tempted to flip to the ending to lessen the heart attack this child was giving me. This Is Not A Personal Statement is so unserious that I ended up enjoying the anxiety-inducing journey.

Perla, a child of immigrant parents with high hopes for their children, is picture-perfect. As the youngest graduating senior at her high school, Perla is so sure that all that stress will be worth it once she gets into the college of her dreams. Except she doesn’t, and she’s adamant about fixing that. So she convinces her parents that her entire first semester (including board and tuition) is free when she plans to use that semester to experience college life and improve her application for next semester. My favourite experience from reading this book was reaching the 3/4 mark and realising that Perla had committed at least five different crimes already.

To be more serious in this review, Perla’s story (if you squint and ignore the madness) was quite thoughtful, as the main takeaway from this story is about young children and the pressure they face to exceed the academic expectations placed on them. Perla goes through some serious character development which is a surprise. I found her actions to be quite bratty and rude in some moments, swiftly corrected by background characters that deserved a lot more of the spotlight. The lack of character development in all the secondary characters is what I would consider the significant drawback of this book.

Usually, I consider books like this a disappointment, primarily due to the lack of depth in the characters. Still, honestly, the chaotic nature of this entire plot made this hilarious to read. Suspend all your disbelief when reading this book because it makes it much more enjoyable.

GOODREADS | AMAZON | AUTHOR

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