Rant & Rave- Riddled Worlds by Phil Coleman

I'm back with the Rant & Rave for another ARC, Riddled Worlds by Phil Coleman. But first, I've got some thoughts on Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor! Hotel Magnifique was, indeed, magnifique! Another Owlcrate book, Hotel Magnifique's atmosphere is incomparable. The best way I can think to describe it is gothic carnival, but even that doesn't do justice to its fantastical nature. I wish the author had taken more time in the book having the main character explore the hotel, for no reason other than myself wanting to see more of it. The plot was immensely entertaining and the characters were interesting and well-developped. So on to Riddled Worlds! Riddled Worlds follows David, a young man tasked with saving the world since he is the only one who can see the holes ripping it apart. His mission to find the source of the holes leads him into a parallel world that is just starting to be taken over by the holes. David quickly learns that this world may be similar to his own, but he must rely on new friends to help him traverse this foreign land. Together, they fight to find the source of the holes and save this world, and hopefully David's as well. So let's rant... My biggest issue with this book was that the characters didn't seem interesting to me. While I liked the characters as they relate to the plot, backstory was scarce, and what little there was seemed very generic. I also wish the characters developed more throughout the book. I felt like the blurb was a bit misleading about there being sinister forces at work, causing the holes. I don't want to get into spoilers, but I wouldn't describe the forces at work as malicious or insidious. In fact, it feels almost natural to me. And let's rave... I think the biggest positive about this book is that it is insanely unique. I've never read anything quite like it, and the ending was certainly a surprise. I think Phil Coleman does an excellent job with sentimental dialogue. In each instance, it was both meaningful and impactful. Finally, I think there is an excellent split point-of-view, without taking the focus away from David as the main character. Overall, I think Phil Coleman's Riddled Worlds is a fun, original read. I'm happy to have a copy grace my shelf. It comes out on June 21st, 2022, so don't forget to grab your own copy! In other news- I've started an Instagram where I post photos of books I've read. I'm hoping to have a few more photos up in the next week or so. If you'd like to check it out, my Instagram username is danas_reading_glasses. As always, feel free to leave a comment! Dana

Rant & Rave- The Head, The Heart, and The Heir by Alice Hanov

Hi all! I'm back with a rant and rave for a book I read in early April (and its prequel novella), Alice Hanov's The Head, The Heart, and The Heir. Before we get to that, however, it's time for a quick recap of my thoughts on the other books I've read since my last post- Ballad & Dagger by Daniel Jose Older and Worldwalker by Jamie Dalton. Ballad & Dagger was an Owlcrate book, and also a novel in the Rick Riordan Presents collection. Riordan's influence is very evident in the book- so much so that it felt like the writing style was a little juevenile for a YA book. While the novel was culture-rich and included a lovable cast of characters, I couldn't get over how lackluster the plot was. I bought Worldwalker primarily because it is beautiful (and the author was offering mystery boxes and I'm a sucker for a good mystery box)- the cover is gorgeous shades of purple, and each chapter heading page has background art. I think the plot of the book flowed well and I liked the main character, Adalyn. However, I found the ending to be mediocre. The Head, The Heart, and The Heir follows Alex. Alex is a princess, but she has been forced to live most of her childhood in hiding after her grandfather murdered her mother. When her grandfather passes, she finally has the freedom to return to her kingdom and her father. As she, and her kingdom, will soon discover, she isn't the adorable princess that once roamed the castle. As her sorceress powers manifest, she discovers that her emotions make her a threat to anyone that gets too close. When she discover's the truth behind her mother's death, she's not sure she can handle being around the family and friends that lied to her. And after all the chaos she's caused since her return, between her manifesting powers and her lack of courtly grace, do they even want her in the castle? So let's rant... The author's voice and word choice weren't my favorite. While the book's content was reminiscent of Arthurian fantasy, the author's voice fell short of that mark. I wanted to get lost in the world of Torian, and sometimes I did, but I kept getting caught up in the semantics of the book. That being said, the often simplistic vocabulary made the book a fast, fun read. Alex almost feels overpowered for the world of Torian, in my opinion. She has magic, a kingdom, fighting and hunting skills, a loving father, incredibly loyal friends, two amazing men trying to woo her... The list goes on. The author does try to temper this in a few ways. For instance, Alex is not the greatest fighter, but she's still proficient. She desn't have full control over her magic, but she can still use it when she needs it. I understand that Alex doesn't have it easy, but she definitely seems to have it all. And let's rave... Before I say this- those of you that know me, I haven't been replaced by aliens. My favorite thing about this book was the romance. It constantly had me swooning! I loved that, while the book primarily followed Alex, periodically there was an "Aaron" chapter. Seeing their love blossom from both sides was a real treat. The love interest, Aaron, is the picture of honor, trustworthiness, and chivalry, without getting in Alex's way of defending herself. Each character in the book is well-developed and clearly thought out. While some characters start with a lot of these traits and backstories, others develop as the book (and I'm sure series) goes on. I'm excited to see where some of the characters go from here. I'm not going to do a complete review of the prequel novella, but I will say that I liked the full novel much more. The characters didn't feel as fully developed in the novella, and I found it hard to find motivation to read it. While the novel was plot-rich, the novella seemed to lack any real direction, similar to slice-of-life novels. So those are my thoughts on The Head, The Heart, and The Heir by Alice Hanov. I really enjoyed it as a fun, light read. It's digital release date is June 14th, and its physical release date is August 2nd, so make sure to grab a copy and let me know what you think in the comments! Dana