Not using Goodreads to the extent I once was but wanted to pop over and leave a review and rating for this fabulously bleak little Gothic novella.

I'm a bit biased at this point, as Sharma is one of my favorite active writers, but this flipped all my usual switches. If you're looking for something short and not-sweet, simmering with emotion and jealousy and atmospherically dismal moors, here's your thing!

Oh how I love fantasy novels about GODS and the nature of DIVINITY and oh HOW THIS BOOK DELIVERED.

Not sure if I'll post a full review this early but WAKE UP AND PUT THIS BOOK ON YOUR TO-READ/PRE-ORDER LIST IMMEDIATELY.

THIS IS THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ IN THE LAST??? 2???? YEARS??

Barbed humor, fascinating necromantic theory, and an amazing blend of gothic fantasy and science fiction. AND REAL WARMTH? I CRIED? Huge cast but every single one of them absolutely memorable.

Not going to be to everyone's taste between the brand of humor and the gore but PHEW.

HOW DOES SOMEONE FEEL SO COMPLETE YET SO EMPTY AT THE SAME TIME

I MEAN. WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY?

It's her 4th book and she keeps getting better, that's all you CAN say....

Achy, gorgeous, and MAGNIFICENT.

UH

YEAH so ..... make sure this is on your 2018 pre-orders when it becomes available.

Shockingly enjoyable. Ofc Nutcracker statues are what...half a genre and a couple centuries from androids so of course I was screaming half the time.

OH MY GOD

I was fortunate enough to read a super early copy of this and HOLY SHIT.

IT'S SO FUCKING GOOD

*INTENSE SOBBING*

I honestly don't know how I can live without this series now that it's over.

I'M DRAINED BUT HOW WILL I GO ON

FULL REVIEW TO COME

Absolutely beautiful debut! Just...the prose...WOW.

Anyways, longer review soon.

Soft hero. Gutsy heroine. Steamy. YES.

SO S O CUTE AND PAINFUL IN THAT REPEATED MISSED OPPORTUNITIES WAY

Stellar fantasy debut. Gorgeous and tight writing. Nuanced looks at friendship and family. A lovely and achy romance. It's short and I am loving short or standalone fantasy. Praise the YA fantasy gods.

I feel like I cried for the last fifth of this book PURELY because of Young's writing.

Super solid pick-up for anyone who loves V.E. Schwab or The Magicians!

4.5 stars. One of the longer Tor.com novellas I've read. So good. Some parts are a tough emotional read but woof.

EXCUSE ME. How dare you.

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH. If you haven't read these yet, pls do. Wish they'd do a Netflix series or something.

o.O

I love these books more than......almost everything else. Before I read Akata Witch back when it first came out, it had been a while since I really felt like I was reading a "Forever Book". This is an awesome sequel and if you want to get that first book love feeling again: READ THESE. Sunny and Chichi and Sasha and ORLU. *clutches chest* One of my favorite casts.

I hope this doesn't get cancelled like Mockingbird because it's filling that little void in my heart. FUNNY. Cute. Bad-ass. The snaaaaaark.

I just love Courtney Alameda's books so much. She was already an insta-read after Shutter and even more so now.

I didn't sleep well this weekend and it's thanks to this book. Seriously. This was such a magical and creepy delight. One of those Moist Forest Horror novels I tend to really love.

Longer review this week. I have to rant.

I am going to go OFF ABOUT HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS BOOK WHEN I HAVE TIME THIS WEEK.

Buy it buy it buy it.

I both loved this more and also less or maybe just not in the same ways as The Bear and the Nightingale? Which makes sense: they're two completely different books. (Think the difference between TSTQ and ACOW, for those of y'all in the know.) This is more adventure! fantasy!

Anyways. I don't wanna spoil anything but *DARK SHIVER OF DELIGHT*.

RTC.

Another amazing YA scifi book this year! Wow.

I'm usually terrible at knowing what the Hip Young Teens will be into nowadays but this is a well-written, compulsively readable spiritual successor to ..*dramatic music* The Hunger Games.

A slice of perfection. Wintersong exceeded my lofty expectations for it and then went an extra mile. I'm sure there will be even more nuance here for true "music people" but this is a truly steamy, haunting, and magical debut with a fresh take on the Erlking legend.

Bonus: Jae-Jones did all the hand-lettering AND the title page illustration. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

Thanks to St. Martin's/Thomas Dunne for the review copy!