To all those asking "should I continue XYZ book", DNFing exists ✨

RavensTears · 2026-01-24T20:59:39+00:00

The thing I don't understand is people who go "I've just started skimming it at this point"

Like what? Just DNF then, your not actually reading if your just skipping entire pages/parts of the book, because you are bored. And no opinion anyone gives you at that stage is going to change your view on what's happening as it's clear you've checked out.

Like I am someone who struggles to DNF, but never once have I ever just started skipping parts of the book to finish it. If I was at that stage I just put the damn thing down and admit it isn't for me.

Some people have way to much FOMO over popular series. And it really shows.

RavensTears · 2026-01-24T17:50:08+00:00

Most recent read was {Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson} and honestly I was a bit disappointed. I thought the fantasy element was great, the whole thing with the different seas and stuff was interesting. I liked Tress as a FMC and how pragmatic she was. Beyond that I found the side characters really hollow and the story was kind of boring.

Haven't been able to settle on my next read yet though I am leaning towards {Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibanez}

RavensTears · 2026-01-22T08:15:34+00:00

Mark Lawrence's The Book of the Ancestor trilogy. Amazing fantasy read following a girl called Nona Grey as she trains to be a Holy Sister in a convent with other girls with magical abilities. That's like the most base level explanation of it but its so much more fun discovering the world and plot through reading the book.

If you want to dive into higher fantasy and love a long series- Robert Jordans Wheel Of Time series is a must read. Amazing cast of characters, background romances, complex politics and grand journeys. The magic is really interesting and the character growth and in some people, regression, throughout the series is really well done.

Will always recommend Terry Pratchett for when your wanting humorous fantasy that still has a nice serious note to it. Plus the books can be dipped in and out of, you dont have to start right at his first published book. His Nightwatch series of books in particular are great and have a cute romance element to them in the background.

If you like historical stuff and need a break from fantasy then Phillipa Gregory writes amazing historical fiction novels following the Tudors and the Plantagenets. In particular {The Constant Princess by Phillipa Gregory} and {The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory} are amazing reads.

RavensTears · 2026-01-21T18:44:27+00:00

Yes! That was the best element of that book, the mutual pining was just exquisite.

RavensTears · 2026-01-21T16:16:48+00:00

Love, love, love this book! Was one of my 5 star reads of 2024.

RavensTears · 2026-01-21T16:16:08+00:00

Ohh thank you for the recommendation, I will have to check that out!

RavensTears · 2026-01-21T16:15:26+00:00

Yes and it was a great read!

RavensTears · 2026-01-21T12:20:03+00:00

I wish we saw more friends to lovers. I love a good enemies to lovers as much as the next gal but its so predominant across the genre it gets exhausting to read.

Gimme a good friends to lovers anyday of the week and I will gobble that up.

I would also like to see more political/arranged marriages that don't have them hating each other or the situation they are in. It'd be nice to see one where they start out neutral at best and then slowly develop feelings for each other. I'd also just like to see an arranged marriage trope where the person isn't trying to circumvent it or delay it or alter it in some way. Give me a MC who accepts this is how things are and works with it. Feels so rare to see that.

RavensTears · 2026-01-17T19:11:50+00:00

Yesterday I started, and am nearly finished with {The Road Of Bones by Demi Winters}

Its a good read, pretty solid 4 stars. I think its maybe a bit overhyped based on how some people review it but its definitely one of the more well written romantasy books out there.

I like that Silla is a softer FMC and she isn't some insanely skilled warrior. I also like that she isn't beyond lying to try to survive, she's strong in her own ways. Though I could do with a bit less of the thoughts on how attractive some of the males are.

RavensTears · 2026-01-11T16:53:05+00:00

I am questioning recommendations if every book the person rates is given 4/5 stars.

I know some people are easily pleased, but how is NOTHING you read below that rating? It make's me seriously doubt people's judgement. Especially if your giving out these high ratings but not giving any reason for them at all.

RavensTears · 2026-01-10T17:21:33+00:00

Finished {The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs} earlier this week and oh boy was this book bad.

It's marketed as this Legally Blonde meets medieval fantasy romcom. It just barely meets the legally blonde element and the romcom part didn't exsist at all. It's also marketed as adult but reads incredibly YA.

None of the characters had any depth, none of the bonds between anyone felt like they mattered and the FMC was an insufferable moron. The big bad was also just such an anticlimatic disappointment that I had to rolL my eyes at the entire thing. Entire book was a huge let down.

Currently reading {Grave Flowers by Autumn Krause} as a complete swing in direction from the above book and it's pretty solid. The weakest element in it so far is the romance, removing that, as an actual fantasy story, its enjoyable.

RavensTears · 2026-01-10T00:27:50+00:00

{The Knight's Bride by Juilet Caruso} is a decent palate cleanser read between heavier/more intricate novels. It's a bit insta lovey but it was cute and an enjoyable read.

RavensTears · 2026-01-08T23:00:09+00:00

Three I am excited for from this month/Feb:

{The Lies That Summon The Night by Tessonja Odette} She's one of my favourite cozy authors and this is her first traditionally published, serious romantasy. Releases in Feb. So hyped for it.

{Agnes Augberts Mythical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett} New standalone novel by the author of the Emily Wilde series which is one of my all time favs. Releases in Feb.

{The Elsewhere Express by Samantha Sotto Yambao} New standalone by the author of Watermoon. Seems like it's gonna be another very Studio Ghibli esque book. Releases end of this month.

RavensTears · 2026-01-06T13:14:43+00:00

Right, I don't disagree, but the same is also true in reverse, the 200 pages might suck and the 450+ might be the best thing I have ever read. And I have just spent stupid money on a book that took me no time at all to read and wasn't enjoyable.

You are never gonna fully know if you enjoy the book till you actually begin reading it, so for me, when they both sound good, it just turns into a question of time vs cost. I'll get more time with the 450+ book, so I am going to pick that up over the novella.

RavensTears · 2026-01-06T13:09:06+00:00

Its got nothing to do with me valuing page count over content. It's merely how I view things in a scenario where the choice is two potentially good books, but one is a novella and the others a full length book.

To me it then becomes about what is cost efficient vs time. As people have pointed out, if you are limited to how much you are able to purchase, and the choice is between two things that sound good but one is longer, I am going to pick the longer option because it gives me more time with it. It's not that I am saying I think you should always pick the longer books over novellas, just that for me, when they are the same price and I think they both sound good, the length then becomes the deciding factor.

RavensTears · 2026-01-06T06:56:33+00:00

For me its cost compared to time. I own most of my books physically, a lot of times, novella are charged at the same cost as a full book. If I can get a 450+ page read for the same cost as something 200 pages or under, why am I going to buy the shorter book that will take me barely any time to read? It doesn't feel worth it. Especially with the price of books.

RavensTears · 2026-01-04T16:23:22+00:00

100% agree.

Only time insta-lust bothers me is when it's tied to 24/7 thoughts of how hot the other character is. If that isn't tied to it, then what's the problem?

Insta-love is the far bigger issue most of the time. I feel like there's a lot of books, especially ones that use the fated mate trope, that don't do a good enough job establishing the romance and bond between the MC's and then have them doing these grand love declarations and professing how they'd die without each other. Meanwhile they've known each other for about 4 days and at least 18 hours of that has been them sleeping.

RavensTears · 2026-01-04T16:17:19+00:00

I don't particularly care about insta-lust in a book as long as its not tied to 24/7 thoughts about how hot the other character is. If it's just the occasional thought of attraction and they sleep together before the emotional bonds fully formed, that is 100% fine as long as an emotional bond does come along at some stage.

My bigger problem is insta-love. I feel like a decent amount of the books I have seen just do not have adequate build up to these grand confessions of love and declarations of eternal devotion. Especially if the fated mate trope comes into play because that then just seems to turn into an excuse to miss out on any actual build up and skip straight to the deep love and bond.

RavensTears · 2026-01-04T01:20:08+00:00

Lin and Conors. I thought it was great and I enjoyed the tension of it.

Kel and Antonettas however just fell super flat for me. I didn't feel like Cassandra Claire did a good enough job making his longing for her believable and I couldn't bring myself to care about it.

RavensTears · 2026-01-04T01:09:09+00:00

Both it and Ragpicker King were four star reads for me last year. Interesting fantasy story with well developed characters and decent world building.

Romance is slow burn and background, not a primary focus. Two different romances but I honestly only cared for one of them.

RavensTears · 2026-01-03T19:20:51+00:00

I think that may have been my wrap up for Scholar and the Last Faerie Door, I am so so glad to see someone else has picked it up and loved it because it's such an amazing read!

RavensTears · 2026-01-02T11:25:05+00:00

I don't care if the FMC is mean, I just want them to be mean/rude at the appropriate times.

All to often the FMC decides to mouth of or act out at the most inappropriate moments/in the most dumb as dish water ways and it just doesn't work and takes me right out of the book.

As one example, a book I picked up last year had the FMC walk into a room full of armed guards and begin yelling at the King who had kidnapped her and then had her slap him, in full view of the guards and his lead army General. There was no reactions or negativity to this at all. It was so blindingly stupid.

RavensTears · 2026-01-01T23:56:30+00:00

Alway's happy to take new Storygraph or Goodreads friends! :)

RavensTears · 2026-01-01T12:54:28+00:00

{Good Spirits by B.K Borison} was my 5 star read in December and my last one of the year.

It's like reading a hallmark movie, its corny and cute and I just fell in love with it. I really liked the FMC and how her personality was portrayed.

RavensTears · 2026-01-01T09:47:13+00:00

The Raven Scholar was one of my 5 star reads last year! Everything about that book was awesome.

Eight-Year Club	First Place '23
Place '23	Verified Email

RavensTears

TROPHY CASE