L-L-L-Little Reviews #68: November 2024

Here are the books I read this past month that were not part of scheduled reviews.

Royal Blood (Royal Blood #1) by Aimee Carter

Royal Blood by Aimee Carter
Series: Royal Blood #1
Narrator: Kristen Sieh
Published by Books on Tape on March 7, 2023
Genres: YA Mystery
Length: 10:21
Source: the library
Format: Audiobook
My Rating:
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon, Buy on Barnes & Noble, Buy on Audible

An American girl becomes the British Monarchy’s greatest nightmare in this thrilling new series where royal scandals just got deadlier.
As the King of England’s illegitimate daughter, 17-year-old Evan Bright knows a thing or two about keeping secrets.
But when she’s forced to spend the summer in London with her father and the royal family, who aren’t exactly thrilled she exists, her identity is mysteriously revealed, and suddenly the world is dying to know every juicy lie the press prints about her.
After a fun night turns deadly and Evan becomes the primary suspect in a murder investigation, the escalating rumors and fallout threaten to tear her life apart. As she fights to uncover the truth about what happened, she discovers royal secrets that are even more scandalous than she imagined – secrets that could change the monarchy forever.
And her own may be next.

My Review:

This was another one of the possible Gateway nominees. I loved Aimee Carter’s Goddess Test series, and was so excited when I got to meet her at BEA back in 2012 I think, maybe 2014. But I haven’t read much of her stuff since then. For some reason based on the title and cover alone, I thought maybe this would be something about vampires? But it was not. However I was still sucked into the story by the author’s writing, and I’m not normally a royal story reader. Now I also didn’t realize there was a sequel to this, but even though things were pretty much wrapped up at the end, something happened that totally made it so there would need to be a sequel. If I ever have time I will try to read it, because I did like the story. Another winner for my votes for the nominees.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Jason Rekulak/Illustrated by Kim Smith

Buffy the Vampire Slayer by Jason Rekulak, Kim Smith
Published by Quirk Books on October 6, 2015
Genres: Childrens Picture Book
Pages: 40
Source: Purchased
Format: Hardcover
My Rating:
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon, Buy on Barnes & Noble

The cult classic ’90s TV show is now a charming book for the youngest fans in the Buffyverse!
In this new picture book story brought to life with enchanting, colorful illustrations, kid readers can learn about what the world’s strongest vampire slayer was like when she was a kid! What’s that strange sound coming from inside the closet? Join little Buffy, Xander, and Willow as they investigate bumps in the night, seek advice from their school librarian Giles, and encounter all your favorite Buffyverse monsters. Complete with gorgeous illustrations by Pop Classics artist Kim Smith, this sweet, silly, and not-so-scary book makes a perfect bedtime story.
Series Overview: The films and TV shows that families love are reimagined as lively, colorful picture books featuring the iconic moments and characters of the original. Simple words are paired with a kid-friendly storybook format that’s perfect for bedtime or storytime, plus all-new illustrations done in classic picture book style to make this series a great way for parents to share their pop culture favorites with a new generation. Though the movie and TV versions came first, you’ll wonder if they weren’t adaptations of these books, instead of the other way around!

My Review:

Since I finally was reading some of the new picture books based on favorite shows, The Office and The Big Bang Theory, I remembered I had purchased this one back when I was still working at the bookstore I think. I decided to get it out and go ahead and get it read officially. It was fun, not sure what I think about the way it went with the monsters at the end, but I get the purpose of doing it that way. Now I think I need to get the one for The X-Files and read it too, just to cover all my past obsessions.

Garden of the Cursed (Garden of the Cursed #1) by Katy Rose Pool

Garden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool
Series: Garden of the Cursed #1
Published by Henry Holt & Co. BYR on June 20, 2023
Genres: YA Fantasy
Length: 11:46
Source: the library
Format: Audiobook
My Rating:
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon, Buy on Barnes & Noble, Buy on Audible

In this thrilling YA fantasy/mystery duology from award-winning author Katy Pool, cursebreaker Marlow Briggs reluctantly pretends to be in love with one of the most powerful nobles in Caraza City to gain entry into an illustrious—and deadly—society that holds clues to her mother's disappearance. Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, These Violent Delights, and Chain of Iron.
Since fleeing the gilded halls of Evergarden for the muck-filled canals of the Marshes, Marlow Briggs has made a name for herself as the best godsdamn cursebreaker in Caraza City. But no matter how many cases she solves, she is still haunted by the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.
When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow's old friend and scion of one of Caraza's most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families.
As the investigation draws Marlow into a web of deadly secrets and powerful enemies, a shocking truth emerges: Adrius’s curse and her mother’s disappearance may just be clues to an even larger mystery, one that could unravel the very foundations of Caraza and magic itself.

My Review:

This was another one as a possible Gateway for next year. When it first started I wasn’t sure, but I was soon swept into the story and I loved the unique and new way the magic was done in this world. While some things I kind of predicted early on, the author had a great way of keeping me wondering if maybe I was wrong, all the way through. Again I didn’t realize this wasn’t a standalone, however this is one that I will probably try to go back and listen to the sequel at some point.