Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 2: A Review

Witch Hat Atelier Vol. 2 by Kamome Shriahama

My Rating: 5 stars!

Cover Rating: 10/10 I mean I cannot bring myself to ever rate this lower than a 10/10. Everything in Witch Hat Atelier is absolutely GORGEOUS!

Publisher: Kodansha comics

Publish Date: June 25th, 2019

Number of Pages: 190

Received: I have the first Grimoire edition that collects all the first 3 volumes of the series.

Purchase: Bookshop.org

Synopsis:

A beautifully-illustrated story about a girl who longs for magic in her life and learns that, on the inside, she already is what she wishes she could be. Reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, this lushly-drawn story was voted one of the top 10 manga of the year in 2018 by the Japanese manga industry.

TRIAL BY FIRE

Join Coco as she continues her spellbinding journey of magic and discovery!

After traveling to the mystical township of Kalhn with her new master to buy a casting wand, a strange, masked witch transports Coco and her three sister apprentices to an eerily quiet city. But they soon find out that they’re not alone, and they encounter a ferocious dragon! Do these fledgling witches have what it takes to defeat the fire-breathing beast, or will their plans and lives go up in flames?! 

Opening Page:

Musings:

I have nothing but praise for Witch Hat Atelier. It is one of my absolute favorite mangas I have read in my entire life. The art is stunning. The story is emotional and inspiring. It is a story about growth, becoming, and learning about each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

I have been reading the manga super slowly because it is a treat to myself that gives me a huge uplift in how I feel. I love the way the story unfolds and how beautiful the world is. I love the magic system so much and the way it is centered on practice and slowly improving vs. simply just being born good at it.

I love the dragon arc in volume 2 and I love that it is the first real challenge the girls experience together. I love how the solution that is agreed upon is one that highlights each of their individual strengths and requires all of them to come together to execute it.

I love that this volume sets up some of the overall conflict that will become apparent as the story moves forward. I know the story is light and fun right now, but I know later on it is only going to get darker and I am so excited about that.

I love Witch Hat Atelier with my whole heart. I cannot wait to read more and to collect all the Grimoire editions as the release.

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! 

This month’s charity recommendation is https://www.aclu.org/ they fight for lgbt and abortion rights and do so much to change laws and educate the public on lgbt and abortion issues. They are also currently fighting for the right to birthright citizenship. 

Check out my INSTAGRAM!

If you’d like a quality candle check out THE SISTERS OF TWILIGHT CANDLE COMPANY WEBSITE

I would greatly appreciate any donations to help me afford Veterinary Technician school: Here is a link to my Venmo:https://venmo.com/u/Tiana-Wolfe-1

Luca the Dragon Vet 1: A Review

Luca the Dragon Vet by Yuna Hirasawa

My Rating: 5 stars!

Cover Rating: 10/10 This cover is so sick! The art style of it is so good. I love everything about it. It is gorgeous!

Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Publish Date: July 28th, 2026

Number of Pages: 208

Received: Netgalley provided an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Kodansha Comics

Synopsis: In the country of Adnogg, people known as dragon vets are responsible for treating the many different types of dragons that inhabit the land. After the death of her father, a military dragon vet, a girl named Luca decides to honor his final wishes by becoming a dragon vet herself. She enters Cogniel School of Dragon Studies, where she and her fellow trainees soon experience all the trials, tribulations…and occasional messes that come with treating creatures many times their size. The road to mastery may be long, but when there’s a dragon in need, the dragon vets answer the call!

Opening Page:

Musings:

This is how you start off with a bang! I ADORE this manga. I cannot wait for more. I need this to have the story go on forever and it gets popular so that it gets an anime adaption. This is so damn cool.

I love the concept. I love the art of it all. Every page is so beautifully drawn. I love the emotional aspect to it and the emphasis on what it means to be a veterinarian. I am so excited about this manga and I need more!

The characters are well developed. There are stakes and conflict and most of all there are lots and lots of dragons! I am obsessed with this! As someone who is going into the veterinary field and grew up with a dragon obsession it feels like this series was written for me and I cannot wait to advocate for this for the next 5-10 years and beyond.

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! 

This month’s charity recommendation is https://www.aclu.org/ they fight for lgbt and abortion rights and do so much to change laws and educate the public on lgbt and abortion issues. They are also currently fighting for the right to birthright citizenship. 

Check out my INSTAGRAM!

If you’d like a quality candle check out THE SISTERS OF TWILIGHT CANDLE COMPANY WEBSITE

I would greatly appreciate any donations to help me afford Veterinary Technician school: Here is a link to my Venmo:https://venmo.com/u/Tiana-Wolfe-1

Grief Eater: A Review

Grief Eater by Emma Osborne

My Rating: 5 stars!

Cover Rating: 8/10 this is a really solid zombie cover! I enjoy the colors a lot and it is quite eye catching.

Publisher: Interstellar Flight Press

Publish Date: June 1st, 2026

Number of Pages: 94

Received: Netgalley provided an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Bookshop.org

Synopsis:

Visceral, gritty, and unforgiving, GRIEF EATER is a zombie story like you’ve never read before. 

When Kristina rises from her violent death, she’s not the same fragile woman her family once abandoned. She’s rageful, powerful, and hungry-for the blood of the ones who were supposed to love her. With a newfound craving to see vengeance and grief served, she launches into a once-in-an-undead-lifetime journey across blood-slicked highways to the scorched Australian bush and her hometown. As her body fails and her mind fractures, she’s left with one final question: Is she here to forgive, or to feed? 

A transgressive, gory examination of queer identity and found family, GRIEF EATER sinks its teeth into trauma and what it means to be devoured by grief.

Opening Sentence: “I die alone in the back of an abandoned car.”

Musings:

What an emotional and raw experience it was to read this book. Kristina clings to her humanity only to enact revenge on her family who abused her because she came out as queer. This book may have been short, but it was gritty and deep and so visceral with its violence. Yet, there is a sense of understanding and righteousness that you feel for Kristina as she moves about the world already dead. As she kills people you learn more about her memories as well as the memories of those she murders. You start to feel deeply for her and think to yourself in a desolate world like this that is without hope at least there is some justice in the pursuit of revenge.

It is also a sorrowful journey as it is not just family she encounters and with her now a zombie her desire to kill knows no boundaries. Yet, her desperation to cling to some semblance of humanity driven by pure rage was as admirable as it was heartbreaking. I loved this book so much. Every word stuck with me and my heart hurt in the end of it. This was such an effective exploration of grief and I feel like in a time of great loss I would read this book all over again.

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! 

This month’s charity recommendation is https://www.aclu.org/ they fight for lgbt and abortion rights and do so much to change laws and educate the public on lgbt and abortion issues. They are also currently fighting for the right to birthright citizenship. 

Check out my INSTAGRAM!

If you’d like a quality candle check out THE SISTERS OF TWILIGHT CANDLE COMPANY WEBSITE

I would greatly appreciate any donations to help me afford Veterinary Technician school: Here is a link to my Venmo:https://venmo.com/u/Tiana-Wolfe-1

Love Advice From the Great Duke of Hell Vol. 2: A Review

Love Advice From the Great Duke of Hell Vol. 2 by Unfins

My Rating: 5 stars!

Cover Rating: 6.5 out of 10 I think that this is an ok cover. The first cover for the series was a lot more dynamic. This cover works, but I think I would have liked to see something more dynamic.

Publisher: Webtoon Unscrolled

Publish Date: December 7th, 2027

Number of Pages: 288

Received: NetGalley provided an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Bookshop.org

Synopsis:

For fans of dark comedy and unconventional love stories, hapless teenager Paul summons Astaroth, a Great Duke of Hell, to help him get a date with a girl in this devilishly funny, Ringo award-nominated WEBTOON comic.

The girl of your dreams barely knows you exist. Your friends can’t help. Your family is clueless. So where do you turn for love advice? Who can provide you with that essential assistance for the lovelorn? 

If you’re an average everyday teenager like Paul, you summon a powerful demon from the deep recesses of Hell, and frankly, hope for the best.

Say you actually did this, and your plan was flawless . . . You cultivated some eldritch magic powers, summoned Astaroth, a duke of Hell, and even got a job at the café where your crush Elena works. Awesome, right? 

So what if your sister Juliet saw the ritual and ran off into the woods to hire a legendary exorcist? And so what if you misunderstood your demonic contract and (accidentally) deeply insulted Astaroth, and now he’s out for revenge? It’s all going to work out just fine.

This volume collects episodes 45–67 of the devilishly funny WEBTOON comic Love Advice from the Great Duke of Hell.

Opening Page:

Musings:

I love this webtoon so much and I definitely felt like volume 2 kept the silliness of the first volume and did a great job of expanding on the world and setting up what will happen in volume 3. I enjoyed my time reading and it’s one of the few stories out there that makes me laugh out loud. I love the concept and I love the way it is executed. This is a Webtoon I highly recommend to everyone!

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! 

This month’s charity recommendation is https://www.aclu.org/ they fight for lgbt and abortion rights and do so much to change laws and educate the public on lgbt and abortion issues. They are also currently fighting for the right to birthright citizenship. 

Check out my INSTAGRAM!

If you’d like a quality candle check out THE SISTERS OF TWILIGHT CANDLE COMPANY WEBSITE

I would greatly appreciate any donations to help me afford Veterinary Technician school: Here is a link to my Venmo:https://venmo.com/u/Tiana-Wolfe-1

The Eyes Are the Best Part: A Review

The Eyes Are the Best Part by Monika Kim

My Rating: 5 stars!

Cover Rating: 10/10 especially I have the special paperback edition with the eyes on the sprayed edges and I am completely in love with it.

Publisher: Erewhon Books

Publish Date: June 25th, 2024

Number of Pages: 278

Received: Netgalley provided an e-arc in exchange for an honest review

Purchase: Bookshop.org

Synopsis:

Ji-won’s life tumbles into disarray in the wake of her Appa’s extramarital affair and subsequent departure. Her mother, distraught. Her younger sister, hurt and confused. Her college freshman grades, failing. Her dreams, horrifying . . . yet enticing.

In them, Ji-won walks through bloody rooms full of eyes. Succulent blue eyes. Mouthwatering blue eyes. Eyes the same shape and shade as George’s, who is Umma’s obnoxious new boyfriend. He brags about his puffed-up consulting job, ogles Asian waitresses while dining out, and acts condescendingly toward Ji-won and her sister, as if he deserves all of Umma’s fawning adoration. But George doesn’t deserve anything from her family. Ji-won will make sure of that.

No matter how many victims accumulate around her campus or how many people she must deceive and manipulate, Ji-won’s hunger and her rage deserve to be sated.

Opening Sentence: “Umma tells me the eyes are the best part.”

Musings:

I definitely had expectations and thoughts on what this book would be before I began to read it. In some ways it is what I thought. There is cannibalism and death, but it’s also a lot more complex than I was expecting. Ji-won for me read as a reasonable and likable character at the beginning. A part of me wanted to even write off some of her more questionable behavior, but as the story went on I realized she is indeed not a good person. I do not want to explain exactly what happens and what caused me to change my opinion on her because I do not want to spoil this book, but it was a slow development in my mind until some things very clearly happen and it was a very stark flip in my feelings.

I enjoyed the beginning of this story a lot. It has a very memorable opening scene of Ji-won and her family eating fish and it is the first insight you get into the family dynamic and the psyche of the characters. Ji-won’s Umma is very much losing her mental stability after the loss of her husband to a younger woman. When the mother finally gets a new man of her own things really devolve. George is a pretty gross person in the way he treat Umma and completely fetishizes Asian women.

Also I have to say as a woman with blue eyes. It really did get under my skin to feel like if Ji-won would have met me I would have been in danger of her wanting to eat my eyeballs.

Ji-won’s desire grows gradually. Yet as it gets more and more pronounced she makes very intentional decisions that make it clear that even though some of her victims feel like they deserved it she is definitely a villain.

There is a movie that is being made based on this book and I will be excited to see it. Although, I do imagine it will be pretty gross.

Overall, The Eyes Are the Best Part was creepy, layered, and full of fantastic character development. It definitely proves a character does not have to have positive character development to be compelling.

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! 

I am selling some of my old books at the moment. Details can be found on my threads account: https://www.threads.com/@thebookraven_/post/DZiEkoZlK42?xmt=AQG0FUFxfGYZrzFi6UGGCYIBuRrliSDIFiOTQpDFdVAr02NgA-RlpvQzUsvtjjVHB4XZ8Oc9&slof=1

This month’s charity recommendation is https://www.aclu.org/ they fight for lgbt and abortion rights and do so much to change laws and educate the public on lgbt and abortion issues. They are also currently fighting for the right to birthright citizenship. 

Check out my INSTAGRAM!

If you’d like a quality candle check out THE SISTERS OF TWILIGHT CANDLE COMPANY WEBSITE

I would greatly appreciate any donations to help me afford Veterinary Technician school: Here is a link to my Venmo:https://venmo.com/u/Tiana-Wolfe-1

Everything has Changed

The way life can change in an instant has caught me so unexpectedly. The past week has been so brutally beyond anything I would have imagined when I thought about how the future might play out.

My dad has been suffering dementia for the past few years and over a week ago he took a major turn for the worst. He was hallucinating to the point we had to take him to the emergency room so he would not hurt himself or one of us. It was so painful to see my dad lose his mind so drastically.

Two days ago they had to move him to a facility because his hallucinations were not improving and if we were to bring him home it would be dangerous for us because he is hitting and becoming violent. I had never in my whole life seen my dad in this state. As a family we were never ones to put any members of the family in a home. It is heartbreaking for me to see him here.

We are with him there everyday. We make sure that he is treated well and that he eats when they bring him food. It is just so horrible to see him like this and to not have him home. I never thought in my whole life that whenever he passed away he would not be home and it is just so overwhelming to me to know that he has to be here.

It hurts more because I had hope the other day that after taking his anti-psychotic medication for a few days that he would start to come out of it. It looked kinda ok for a while too. He has moments when he is talking and seems kind of the same as he was at home. However, in the night time it seems his mind shifts and he hallucinates badly and he starts to get agitated and he hits.

The delusions also make him very confused. He does not know where he is. His mind comes up with things that he sees and he thinks they’re real and it’s just his mind hallucinating. Some of the things he sees are nice rainbows, dogs, that kind of thing. However, sometimes he sees bugs in his water and food and he will refuse to eat. He also sees water leaking everywhere and he thinks that all his stuff at home is all destroyed.

I know that all of this is out of our control and it is so hard to let the LVN’s and RN’s step in and do their job to help my dad. Everything happened so quickly and now the course of our lives has changed for the foreseeable future. I still have to figure out how to do my classes and to blog while all this is going on. We hardly sleep and I have barely started going back to work for a few days.

I feel like a mess and I know I look like one. It has been breaking my heart so much cause all this feels worse than if he had died. I do not really know how things are going to go moving forward and I just feel so lost.

I am glad to have my partner by my side supporting me through it all. That I have such good friends that are helping me and keeping me sane. I appreciate all of them so much. I appreciate the nurses that were with them in the hospital. I appreciate his doctor and especially the psychiatrist for his help and advice. It has been a roller coaster and all I can do is keep moving forward.

If anyone is going through something like this or have gone through something like this with their family I feel for you. It is so damn hard. I hope you know you are not alone. I hope that you have a good support system like I have had through this all.

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! 

I am selling some of my old books at the moment. Details can be found on my threads account: https://www.threads.com/@thebookraven_/post/DZiEkoZlK42?xmt=AQG0FUFxfGYZrzFi6UGGCYIBuRrliSDIFiOTQpDFdVAr02NgA-RlpvQzUsvtjjVHB4XZ8Oc9&slof=1

This month’s charity recommendation is https://www.aclu.org/ they fight for lgbt and abortion rights and do so much to change laws and educate the public on lgbt and abortion issues. They are also currently fighting for the right to birthright citizenship. 

Check out my INSTAGRAM!

If you’d like a quality candle check out THE SISTERS OF TWILIGHT CANDLE COMPANY WEBSITE

I would greatly appreciate any donations to help me afford Veterinary Technician school: Here is a link to my Venmo:https://venmo.com/u/Tiana-Wolfe-1

On Sunday’s She Picked Flowers: A Review

On Sundays She Picked Flowers by Yah Yah Scholfield

My Rating: 5 stars!

Cover Rating: 10/10 A gorgeously dark cover. It makes you want to look at it longer and discover whatever secrets the art is holding and having read the book, what beautiful secrets they were!

Publisher: Saga Press

Publish Date: January 27th, 2026

Number of Pages: 231

Received: I listened to the audiobook off Everand

Purchase: Bookshop.org

Synopsis:

“A ferociously talented writer. Scholfield writes with insight, beauty, and the wildness of real art.” —Victor LaValle

In this sinister and surreal Southern Gothic debut, a woman escapes into the uncanny woods of southern Georgia and must contend with ghosts, haints, and most dangerous of all, the truth about herself.

When Judith Rice fled her childhood home, she thought she’d severed her abusive mother’s hold on her. She didn’t have a plan or destination, just a desperate need to escape. Drawn to the forests of southern Georgia, Jude finds shelter in a house as haunted by its violent history as she is by her own.

Jude embraces the eccentricities of the dilapidated house, soothing its ghosts and haints, honoring its blood-soaked land. And over the next thirteen years, Jude blossoms from her bitter beginnings into a wisewoman, a healer.

But her hard-won peace is threatened when an enigmatic woman shows up on her doorstep. The woman is beautiful but unsettling, captivating but uncanny. Ensnared by her desire for this stranger, Jude is caught off guard by brutal urges suddenly simmering beneath her skin. As the woman stirs up memories of her escape years ago, Jude must confront the calls of violence rooted in her bloodline.

Haunting and thought-provoking, On Sunday She Picked Flowers explores retribution, family trauma, and the power of building oneself back up after breaking down.

“One of the most visceral, intense, brutal, and yet honest, works of horror I have read in a long time.” —P. Djèlí Clark

“Scholfield tells a story that’s as haunting as it is cathartic, as beautiful as it is devastating.” —Arts Atlanta

Musings:

What a damn poetic, gorgeous, and horrific book this was. The writing was so beautiful it felt like it was singing. Singing a haunting, decrepit, horrid song, but mesmerizing all the same. I have only just finished reading it and I want to read it all over again. It was magic.

On Sundays She Picked Flowers is an exploration of trauma, grief, and incredible violence. It is one of the best novels I have ever read. The pain of generational trauma, the pain of a relationship with mother and daughter, and the mothers past that explains, but does not excuse it all, was masterfully crafted.

The cannibalistic and fantastical love story was beautiful, but also heartbreaking in its own way. Jude and Nemoira have a intoxicating connection and Nemoira herself, is a magical mystery that Jude is eager to unravel even if it devastates her.

The themes in this book are incredibly rough. This is no easy book to read. It is gorey, disgusting, and wholly disturbing, but the way it’s written is so beautiful. If you adore horror you will devour this book. If you are squeamish.. well I imagine if you are good at visualization this could potentially cause you to throw up. That being said, as long as you have looked into the trigger warnings and you think you can handle it I highly recommend picking this book up. I loved it so damn much.

I cannot wait to read more works from Yah Yah Scholfield in the future. Books like On Sundays She Picked Flowers are the reason I am so in love with horror. What a damn incredible book!

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! 

I am selling some of my old books at the moment. Details can be found on my threads account: https://www.threads.com/@thebookraven_/post/DZiEkoZlK42?xmt=AQG0FUFxfGYZrzFi6UGGCYIBuRrliSDIFiOTQpDFdVAr02NgA-RlpvQzUsvtjjVHB4XZ8Oc9&slof=1

This month’s charity recommendation is https://www.aclu.org/ they fight for lgbt and abortion rights and do so much to change laws and educate the public on lgbt and abortion issues. They are also currently fighting for the right to birthright citizenship. 

Check out my INSTAGRAM!

If you’d like a quality candle check out THE SISTERS OF TWILIGHT CANDLE COMPANY WEBSITE

I would greatly appreciate any donations to help me afford Veterinary Technician school: Here is a link to my Venmo:https://venmo.com/u/Tiana-Wolfe-1

Lucky Day: A Review

Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle

My Rating: 5 stars!

Cover Rating: 10/10 This is such a creatively perfect cover for Lucky Day! I love the popping colors and the design inspired by a playing card. Which for a book about an absurdly lucky casino is absolutely inspired. The horror detailing and the oddity of it too. I love fantastic design like this!

Publisher: Tor Nightfire

Publish Date: August 12th, 2025

Number of Pages: 229

Received: Netgalley provided an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. I also got the special edition from aardvark book club.

Purchase: Bookshop.org

Synopsis:

“An existential masterwork that, like life, is equal parts atrocity and delights.”—Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of Masters of Death

Lucky Day is the instant USA Today and Indie bestseller from Chuck Tingle, where one woman must go up against horrifying odds to save the world.

Four years ago, an unthinkable disaster occurred. In what was later known as the Low-Probability Event, eight million people were killed in a single day, each of them dying in improbable, bizarre ways: strangled by balloon ropes, torn apart by exploding manhole covers, attacked by a chimpanzee wielding a typewriter. A day of freak accidents that proved anything is possible, no matter the odds. Luck is real now, and it’s not always good.

Vera, a former statistics and probability professor, lost everything that day, and she still struggles to make sense of the unbelievable catastrophe. To her, the LPE proved that the God of Order is dead and nothing matters anymore.

When Special Agent Layne shows up on Vera’s doorstep, she learns he’s investigating a suspiciously—and statistically impossibly—lucky casino. He needs her help to prove the casino’s success is connected to the deaths of millions, and it’s Vera’s last chance to make sense of a world that doesn’t.

Because what’s happening in Vegas isn’t staying there, and she’s the only thing that stands between the world and another deadly improbability.

Opening Sentence: “Before I’m fully aware of my physical self—before I understand who or what or where I am—I reach out into the darkness.”

Musings:

Lucky Day is one of the best books I have ever read. It is a book I know will be a part of me forever after. It was so affirming for all the things I think about life and love and tragedy. It is a book imbued with the kind of hope that can keep a deeply depressed person from giving up.

It is funny cause this book has some of the most creatively absurd deaths of any book I have ever read. It is filled with them. It does not shy away from sharing the absolute worst possible thing that could happen in a moment. Monkey with a typewriter being iconic, but not even close to how creative these deaths get.

After Vera witnesses so many of these tragedies she is left hollow. She retreats into herself and into a nihilistic nothing matters world view. Nihilism and existentialism play a huge role in this book. Yet, it ultimately is such a life affirming story. I love the way it played with perspective and challenges Vera to rethink things multiple times throughout the story.

Agent Layne was one of the best characters I have read in a long time. I cannot say certain things about him after how this book ends, but he was so fleshed out and charismatic. He is a bit odd and he will lead you to think he knows far less about things then he does. He embraces as much joy for the little things in life as is possible. He was just a really fun character and he teaches Vera a lot.

It truly feels amazing to live in a time where an incredible horror writer like Chuck Tingle exists. I love that he writes horror in a way that is truly horrific, but ultimately hopeful. The way he ends Lucky Day was perfect for me.

If you enjoy the idea of the monkeys paw mixed with science fiction, statistics, and writing that does not hold back, Lucky Day is the book for you. It is incredible and I will be coming back to this book for years to come.

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! 

I am selling some of my old books at the moment. Details can be found on my threads account: https://www.threads.com/@thebookraven_/post/DZiEkoZlK42?xmt=AQG0FUFxfGYZrzFi6UGGCYIBuRrliSDIFiOTQpDFdVAr02NgA-RlpvQzUsvtjjVHB4XZ8Oc9&slof=1

This month’s charity recommendation is https://www.aclu.org/ they fight for lgbt and abortion rights and do so much to change laws and educate the public on lgbt and abortion issues. They are also currently fighting for the right to birthright citizenship. 

Check out my INSTAGRAM!

If you’d like a quality candle check out THE SISTERS OF TWILIGHT CANDLE COMPANY WEBSITE

I would greatly appreciate any donations to help me afford Veterinary Technician school: Here is a link to my Venmo:https://venmo.com/u/Tiana-Wolfe-1

Evil-ish: A Review

Evil-ish by Kennedy Tarrell

My Rating: 5 stars!

Cover Rating: 10/10 honestly this cover is so delicious. I love the pose. I love the art. I love the coloring. So good!

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publish Date: July 22, 2025

Number of Pages: 208

Received: Netgalley provided an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase: Bookshop.org

Synopsis:

A disillusioned teen dreams of fame and villainy in this hilarious and heartfelt young adult fantasy graphic novel from debut author/illustrator Kennedy Tarrell.

Hawthorne Vandercast has big plans: join the infamous Brigade of Shade, move into a glamorous castle, and leave their mundane life as a potion barista behind. But when they finally get the chance to join the Brigade, Hawthorne finds themselves overshadowed by Maple, a bubbly, bright, flowery girl who could not look further from evil. After an accident ends in death, Hawthorne is suddenly tasked with leading the Brigade. They soon begin to realize that maybe villainy isn’t actually all it’s cracked up to be. 

Evil-ish spins the classic tropes of good and evil on their heads in a hilarious and tender story about a teenager who feels bigger than their job, their town, and their circumstances . . . and finds out that what they thought they wanted might not be what they actually need.

Musings:

I loved this so so much! The desire for villainy can be intoxicating, but you cannot run from the person you truly are and it was so fun to watch this villainous squad be “villainous”, but then end up doing more good than any harm. Evil-ish is a fun, queer, fantasy romp that will put a smile on your face.

I wish there was more! I would love a whole series about Hawthorne and their gang. Even though there is not any more to it I am happy with the graphic novel as it is. It was so funny and sweet. I adored the queer cast of characters and how they navigated their misguided imaginings. I highly recommend Evil-ish with its colorful cast and gorgeous art!

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! 

I am selling some of my old books at the moment. Details can be found on my threads account: https://www.threads.com/@thebookraven_/post/DZiEkoZlK42?xmt=AQG0FUFxfGYZrzFi6UGGCYIBuRrliSDIFiOTQpDFdVAr02NgA-RlpvQzUsvtjjVHB4XZ8Oc9&slof=1

This month’s charity recommendation is https://www.aclu.org/ they fight for lgbt and abortion rights and do so much to change laws and educate the public on lgbt and abortion issues. They are also currently fighting for the right to birthright citizenship. 

Check out my INSTAGRAM!

If you’d like a quality candle check out THE SISTERS OF TWILIGHT CANDLE COMPANY WEBSITE

I would greatly appreciate any donations to help me afford Veterinary Technician school: Here is a link to my Venmo:https://venmo.com/u/Tiana-Wolfe-1

Badmouths & Bards: A Review

Badmouths & Bards by Azalea Crowley

My Rating: 5 stars!

Cover Rating: 10/10 I love the art for this cover! The trio looks so damn good!I love how colorful it is!

Publisher: This book is independently published

Publish Date: July 7th, 2026

Number of Pages: 322

Received: I received an arc copy from the author

Purchase: Amazon

Synopsis:

Two hot bards and a disgruntled monk walk into a bar… tell me if you’ve heard this one before…

Taldesa was always a punch-first, ask-questions-later kind of monk. As a member of the truth-seeking Valiant Circle, Tala is expected to be level-headed in any given situation. But how can her superiors expect her to focus on protecting her new assignment when her best friend, Avie, has gone missing?

Cashmere Fantasy sounds like a joke, but Tala can’t deny that the water halfen bard duo has earned their fame. Ameriden is smug, Casimine is charming, and both of them allure and frustrate her. Keeping things professional proves difficult when shadows from the past threaten to dim the bards’ spotlight and an unexpected revelation leaves her questioning everything.

Tala was already used to breaking the rules… what was two more?

In this MMF fantasy romance, you’ll find:

• Bodyguard
• Close Proximity
• Hurt/Comfort
• Secret Relationships

Badmouths & Bards is the second book in the Love in Ordia and can be read as a standalone. It’s companion story about Tala’s best friend, Avie, written by Lizzie Strong comes out September 15th, 2026

Opening Sentence: “Heat.”

Musings:

I cannot explain to the full extent how much this book meant for me to read. A healthy throuple that operates on high levels of communication and mutual respect.

From the very start of the book I was having so much fun. It had a good balance of being playfully funny, but also having these sweet emotional raw moments that kept the book grounded.

Taldesa as a character is so fiery and has so much anger. She has good reasons to be angry, but then finding two people who stoke that anger in a playful way and accept her for who she is was amazing. Ameriden and Casimine were both so amazing and what made them sexy more then just their looks was the way they care for each other and later on for Taldesa.

I think the core of this book is their relationship together. Not just them coming together and realizing they were all falling in love, but listening to each others anxieties and dreams and reassuring and accepting all of each other. It was a beautiful representation of polyamory and I was smiling ear to ear throughout it.

Also, of course, this book has plenty of spice. Consensual, healthy, lots of talking while doing kind of spice. I loved it. There was one scene in particular that I really loved, but I will not spoil the fun for anyone.

If you love fantasy, bards, a spicy narrative, and a good bit of action, you will love Badmouths & Bards. The banter in this book is incredible and of you love a bit of tsundere you will adore Taldesa.

This book was so damn good!

THANK YOU ALL FOR READING! 

I am selling some of my old books at the moment. Details can be found on my threads account: https://www.threads.com/@thebookraven_/post/DZiEkoZlK42?xmt=AQG0FUFxfGYZrzFi6UGGCYIBuRrliSDIFiOTQpDFdVAr02NgA-RlpvQzUsvtjjVHB4XZ8Oc9&slof=1

This month’s charity recommendation is https://www.aclu.org/ they fight for lgbt and abortion rights and do so much to change laws and educate the public on lgbt and abortion issues. They are also currently fighting for the right to birthright citizenship. 

Check out my INSTAGRAM!

If you’d like a quality candle check out THE SISTERS OF TWILIGHT CANDLE COMPANY WEBSITE

I would greatly appreciate any donations to help me afford Veterinary Technician school: Here is a link to my Venmo:https://venmo.com/u/Tiana-Wolfe-1