Reading Recap: May

I had a great reading month for May, coming in at a 6 books and 1 novella. I'm pretty impressed considering I spent so many hours finishing Spell Weaver edits.

Here's the line-up:

Tress and the Emerald Sea ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Spare ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ The Serpents & the Wings of Night ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ Six Scorched Roses ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Haunting Adeline ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ Hunting Adeline ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

My favorite book of the month was probably Tress because it was such a cozy comfort read. But Serpents & the Wings was a hidden surprise and it's no wonder it's all over social media right now!

Read my reviews below. There are no spoilers. And at the end I've listed a few of my favorite quotes from this month.

Hope you enjoy.

May Stats:

• 3,505 pages read

• 15.65 hours listened

• Average rating: 4.29⭐️

May Reads:

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson⁠

Tress lives on an island home near the emerald-green ocean of spores until her friend Charlie is taken away by the Sorceress of the Midnight Sea. Gathering her courage, she stows away to get him back. But Tress soon finds herself in a world filled with pirates, a talking rat, and unexpected friends. Surrounded by a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death, Tress is determined to save her friend before it's too late.⁠

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Clearly written for genre-aware Cosmere-obsessed Sanderson readers, Tress is a joy to read. Narrated by none other than Hoid, it is witty and funny, filled with easter eggs and clear jibes at his audience. And of course, it wouldn't be a Sanderson book without a complex (yet rule-governed) magic system!⁠

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Tress herself is an unexpected protagonist, reminding me a bit of Shallan in a lot of ways. She is polite, afraid of asking for what she wants, and Sanderson has fun with that passivity. ⁠

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The artwork is also stunning. Not to mention that I loved the way he used color and art for the page numbers and chapter headings.⁠

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⭐️ I gave this 5 stars⁠

Spare by Prince Harry⁠ ⁠

Prince Harry's life - as told by Prince Harry.⁠ ⁠

This was a tough memoir to get through for me. Prince Harry does a wonderful job reading his own story -- something that I know from reading my own manuscript is immensely challenging.⁠ ⁠

The story itself, though, was hard. It was, perhaps unsurprisingly, a story of mental health, family dysfunction, and childhood trauma while also a story of immense privilege. It spills details of the royal family and the monarchy that are strangely addicting until you realize that this is real life,

not the fictionalized Netflix series.

At times, it felt strange reading a story about a man's misery while also knowing that this book will make him millions.⁠ But when you consider that he had very few other options after his own family basically abandoned him, maybe it’s okay? ⁠ Quite frankly, I feel so much empathy for him. His mother's death, lack of support for his mental health challenges, the neverending paparazzi and media in the UK (which frankly sound even more horrible than the US), the racist comments, and the unconscionable behavior of his own family ... his story was not a happy one.⁠ ⁠

⭐️ I gave this 3.5 stars⁠

The Nightborn Duet by Carissa Broadbent⁠

Oraya is the adopted human daughter of the Nightborn king, trying to survive in a world designed to kill people like her. After years of training, she enters the Kejari, a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death. Because only with the boon from the goddess will she be able to gain power. Her competitors are vicious vampires, but then she meets Raihn. He might be the most dangerous of all -- not just because of his skill, but because of the way he makes her feel.⁠

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⭐️ The Serpent & the Wings of Night -- 5 stars⁠

⭐️ The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King -- 4.5 stars⁠

The Nightborn Duet was a fabulous series set in a world of humans and vampires, magic and intrigue, vengeful goddesses and ancient prophecies.⁠

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The first book was phenomenal. The pacing was cutthroat, with a perfect slow-burn, forced-proximity enemies to lover arc in the middle of a high-stakes fight-to-the-death tournament. Oraya is a strong stabby FMC and Raihn was the perfect counterpart.⁠

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The second book was slower, a bit tougher to get through. But it contained a wonderful redemption arc, lots of political intrigue, and plenty of spice and angst.⁠

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Six Scorched Roses by Carissa Broadbent⁠

Lilith has always known she would die young. But when everyone else in her town slowly withers away with a god-cursed illness, she takes matters into her own hands. When science fails her, Lilith turns to Vale, a vampire who lives nearby, offering him six roses in exchange for six vials of vampire blood. Lilith expected the danger ... but she never expected the emotions.⁠

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I honestly cannot say anything bad about this novella. It was flawless. I can't believe how fast I was drawn into the world of Lilith and Vale. Lilith was a refreshingly different FMC -- with chronic illness rep and neurodivergent traits. And watching her relationship with Vale was just so sweet.⁠

I recommend reading this in between books 1 and 2 of the Nightborn Duet.

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⭐️ I gave this 5 stars⁠

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Cat & Mouse Duet by H.D. Carlton⁠

Addie is a successful author who moves into her grandmother's haunted mansion. But it's not just ghosts that Addie has to worry about. She has a stalker. He is always there, outside of her window, watching her. And it's only a matter of time before Addie is going to do something stupid ... like confront him.⁠

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⭐️ Haunting Adeline -- 4 stars⁠

⭐️ Hunting Adeline -- 3.5 stars⁠

⚠️ WARNING⚠️

Let me start by just saying that you MUST check all trigger warnings for this book. I thought that I would be upset by the dark romance aspects but what really did it for me (in book 2 specifically) was the human trafficking elements which became both graphic and quite a large chunk of the book.⁠

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Okay, my thoughts. Well to start, I think the artwork, the creepy vibe, and the titles of these books are all amazing. The characterization is decent -- both characters were a little less nuanced than I would have wanted. But they have great chemistry and there was a lot of kinky, steamy sex. Plus I liked the murder mystery side plot as Addie searches to discover her great grandmother's past.⁠

The books are well-written, intriguing, and fast-paced. I almost DNFed book two as I thought it was a bit over the top in terms of showing the brutalities of human trafficking. I think the story would have been just as a strong (and much less triggering) if it didn't go as far.⁠

Quotes of the Month:

This one from Tress made me chuckle:

Well, parents have to say things like that. They’re required to see the best in their children, otherwise living with the little sociopaths would drive a person mad. - Tress & the Emerald Sea

And then, of course, we have this one (#ifykyk):

There she is. - The Serpent & the Wings of Night