Hello, and welcome back another of my exclusive monthly wrap-up posts! If you’re a new subscriber to my site, then let me quickly explain. This post contains condensed reviews and recommendations for all the books I read this month. Plus links to the full reviews, of course! This way, you can easily browse this month’s books and find the ones that you want to read.
And as always, thank you so much for signing up for The Book Suite. It really means a lot to me to see more people joining the list!
But without further delay, here is the May wrap-up! I hope you enjoy it, and let me know which books you’re planning to read in the comments.
Allied by Sarah Biglow and Molly Zenk
Rating: 3/5
I participated in a book tour for this one at the very beginning of May. Honestly, I haven’t read that many vampire books, but I really enjoyed this one! I liked this particular take on the vampire trope, and although it was a fairly short book, I liked the character development and basic plot. Of course, there wasn’t too much complexity because of the short length, but I still enjoyed it.
All in all, I recommend giving this one a try. Though, you should definitely read the first book, first!
Gild by Raven Kennedy
Rating: 3.5/5
This was actually another book tour I participated in. I really liked this one, too. Kennedy’s writing itself is excellent and I loved her take on the King Midas myth. I also really enjoyed the characters; though, as interesting as the main character was, I definitely think Rissa was the real MVP of this book. Admittedly, a lot of this book was spent setting things up for the rest of the series, but the plot was still enjoyable.
I definitely recommend this one, especially to fans of Sarah J. Maas; you won’t be disappointed if you choose to read it!
Full Review (including CW)
Through Hell & Highwater by Victoria Liiv
Rating: 4/5
This one really went above and beyond my expectations! You might think the “magic school” trope is overused, by now, but I really liked Liiv’s take on it. I loved almost all of the characters, and the story kept me captivated for the entire book. Though, the characters were definitely my favorite part!
All things considered, I definitely recommend checking this one out!
The Iljjock Yoke by Anita Vaani
Rating: 2.5/5
Okay, this one was really hard for me to review. Although there were a lot of aspects I enjoyed about it, there were also a lot of weird things that put me off. And since those things played a large role in the overall plot, they detracted from my enjoyment of the book. But, on the other hand, Vaani’s storytelling ability is excellent; she has a lot of talent as a writer, and I look forward to seeing her future work.
Still, I probably wouldn’t recommend this; I just found it a little too bizarre for my taste.
Gods of Sound by Q.M. Schaffer
Rating: 3.5/5
Overall, I enjoyed this one. I loved the rock elements and influences, and I liked the wide variety in the characters. The basic plot also kept me entertained, and it was a lot of fun to read. There was also a really good balance between lighthearted moments and more serious content. My only complaint has to do with the pacing; I definitely think it could use improvement.
Still, I do recommend this one, if you’re interested. The good definitely outweighs the bad.
Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart
Rating: 5/5
This was one of the books I was most excited for this year; now, it’s officially one of my favorite reads for 2021! I absolutely loved this book; everything from the world-building to the plot to the characters was just outstanding. Plus, you know how much I love political plotting in fantasy books. So, when you combine that with witches, I’m guaranteed to love it. Especially when pirates make an appearance, too!
I highly recommend reading this one; I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Mister Impossible by Maggie Stiefvater
Rating: 5/5
Here, we have another book I was guaranteed to love. And love it, I did. After a very long wait, I finally got the Declan Lynch content I’ve been desperate for. I loved the character arcs and development in this installment so, so much. The plot kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and I really have no words to describe how amazing this book was.
Seriously, if you haven’t read this series yet, you need to! It’s excellent in every way possible. (Especially Declan. God, I love Declan.)
Popularity Rules by Shamika Lindsay
Rating: 3/5
All things considered, I enjoyed this book. I liked the subverted Twilight-style trope, where Lindsay flipped the gender roles. Plus, I enjoyed the basic plot, premise, and characters. My only problem with this book was that it had some organizational issues; I think the scenes could definitely have been stitched together better. Though, Lindsay’s writing itself was still great; there weren’t structural issues in that sense.
However, I liked it, on the whole. If realistic fiction like this is your thing, I recommend checking this one out, because you’ll most likely enjoy it, too!
Death to the Crown by Shamika Lindsay
Rating: 3.5/5
I also read the sequel to Popularity Rules this month! I honestly enjoyed this one a lot more; where the first book had some structural issues, the flow of this second installment worked a lot better. Additionally, I found the characters to be a lot more enjoyable! It makes sense, considering they were adults in this book compared to the high school students they were in the first installment. Regardless, it definitely made for a more enjoyable read!
All in all, I definitely recommend this one! It was a fun thriller with plenty of exciting twists, and I’m sure you’ll be just as entertained as I was.
So, once again, drop a comment down below and let me know if you plan to read any of these! Or, if you’ve already read one or some of them, let me know what you thought of them!
