Ley's Literary Laboratory

Ley's Literary Laboratory

This is the thread where I will be posting Literary Reviews of books I've read! In my lifetime, I've ready too many books where I can count, and my home collection is currently at 261 books! Half of them are on by TBR (to be read) so I thought I'd create a thread so you all can share this journey with me!

I currently read the following:

• Fantasy
• Thriller
• Fantasy Romance
• Epic Fantasy
• Adult Fantasy
• Horror
• YA (Young Adult Fantasy)
• Historical/Greek Mythology Fiction
• Psychological Thriller

Table of Contents

Verity: Colleen Hoover
Crescent City Book #1 - House of Earth and Blood: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Romantic Suspense

Synopsis: Verity is about a struggling author named Lowen who is trying to get recognition for her work. After getting an offer to help another struggling author (who she admires), things slowly start to go left. She gets invited to live in this famous author's house, where she slowly starts reading the author's work, and it just keeps getting more and more concerning. Will she keep what she read a secret, or will her growing relationship to the author's husband cause her to speak up?

Pacing: This novel is very fast paced, which I appreciated. It had me on the tip of my toes most times, and in some cases when snippets of the author's manuscript got shared, I had to look away. There are alternating perspective and shifts in tones that help add intrigue. It took me about two days to finish this book.

Character Development: There honestly wasn't much character development (that I've noticed) in this book, though the suspense makes up for it. I enjoyed Lowen's perspectives on the author's work, which helped me understand more about her past and what she longs for in the future. Verity, the writer of the transcripts, is mute through the whole story-- which I found extremely intriguing.

Trigger Warnings? : Yes, open the spoiler to view them!

Spoiler

Graphic violence, Abuse, Mental Illness, Death

Plot Twists?: Holy cow, yes. If you're looking for a book to have you reflecting and pausing by the end of it, this one's for you. The plot twist had me in shambles and had me questioning everything I've read so far.

Critique: Some of the dark themes might be disturbing for some, which is why I rated this book the way I did. I didn't have a problem with it, but I feel like it could've been advertised a bit more so I wasn't shocked going into it. Other than that, I really did love this book.

Age Rating : Mature readers, I'd recommend 17+ due to the snippets of the things Lowen reads, along with some graphic scenes.

Overall Personal Rating: 9/10

I would love to hear others thoughts on this book if they've read it as well!

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Romance, Crime

Synopsis: Bryce Quinlan, half-human and half-fae, lives in Crescent City. When her closest friends are brutally murdered, Bryce’s world shatters. Two years later, she teams up with Hunt Athalar, a fallen angel enslaved to the Archangels, to track down the killer. As they dive deeper into the city’s secrets, they uncover a dark conspiracy that threatens not only Crescent City but the entire world.

Pacing: Moderate to Fast - It had some in depth scenes that took up a couple chapters, but for the most part, this story keeps you completely immersed. I finished it in about a week (the book is 803 pages).

Character Development: Extremely strong - if you love character development, this book is for you! Hunt and Bryce both go through journeys of finding themselves, and with the introduction to more characters-- the plot thickens even more with their pending relationship.

Trigger Warnings? : Yes, open spoiler to view them!

Spoiler

Graphic violence, murder, drug use, mature/sexual content, themes of grief and trauma

Plot Twists?: Yes! There were too many to count. It was amazing.

Critique: The pacing in the beginning can be a bit slow, but once you get through the first few chapters, you won't want to put the book down. :3

Age Rating : Definitely 18+ based on those warnings I mentioned in the spoiler.

Overall Personal Rating: 9.5/10 (I cried so many times, that's how immersed the story had me, so I couldn't help but rate this super high. It was such a good book, and I recommend to anyone who likes Futuristic/Urban Fantasy mixed with a little romance and crime.)