Tag: cute

Book Review

Moon Reads: Star Friends Energy Thief

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Star Friends – Energy Thief by Linda Chapman. Illustrated by Kim Barnes

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light. 

I am always up to some new series and items to read from Little Tiger UK, so when this had a fox and a cute premise I requested it and got a copy to review.

Now, I did not realise this was many books into the series, so I was missing some context when I started reading it, however, it was also ok, because it was slowly filled in as needed. 

Maia and her friends have magic that is seen through their Star friends, who are animal companions that assist with their magic.  So when Maia starts having visions of accidents happening in their town, they all get to investigate what is happening. 

What they don't count on is that somehow their investigation will keep getting stalled and derailed by the same type of accidents that she herself was seeing. There seems to be someone influencing the people of the town in causing them accidents, but also in their behavior because adults are behaving a bit more odd than usual. 

This was very cute, and it made me add the series to the books I will go get from the library when I have the chance to binge read them. 

The friendships were lovely and the town was cute as was the fact that there's a lot of adults involved and it isn't just the kids being ultra magical and solving everything without an adult ever involved. Instead here they consult with adults and involve them in parts of their adventure which was nice to read about.

If you're into magic, animal companions, and a plucky set of friends who are ready to solve chaos and mysteries, this is a great series to go through. Very enjoyable.
Book Review

Moon Reads – A Home for Spark the Dragon

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A Home for Spark the Dragon by Michael Sheen and Jess Webb. Illustrated by Sarah Massini

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection. 

I saw this book while I was browsing Waterstones and the first thing that got me was that it was by Michael Sheen and the second thing was that it was supporting Shelter, so I had to buy it.

Spark the Dragon loses his home to a storm and therefore is sad and trying to figure out what to do. So he finds a bear friend, who offers him to come and stay with them, but the cave where the bear lives is a bit too damp and dark for Spark's comfort and so he politely thanks his friend and moves on. 

Next he meets up a beaver, who again, offers his home and Spark helps in the building of it, but it is too noisy and not for him either. 

You can see where the story is going, right? Spark keeps searching and trying to share someone else's house for a bit, but it isn't right for him. 

He finally finds something that feels close to the right thing but it still isn't. But thankfully his friends show up and help him make a new home for him so that he has a house and a roof over his head. 

The art for this is adorable, it is soft and sweet and gentle. And the story is also cute and nicely written. I was looking forward to the next house and to what Spark would do, but also hoping he'd find his own home. 

I really liked that his friends help him make a house a home, because as someone who was homeless at some point in her life, if it hadn't been for my friends putting me up in their couches, I wouldn't be here. They made a huge difference and even helped me get out of that bad spot in life, and I am ever so grateful to them.

But I also know how it feels to have no place to call home and to feel lost and unsure. And it has made me appreciate home even more (and it also makes me more sensitive to not feeling at home at times). Plus I am glad it is to support Shelter, who is a wonderful charity. 

Worth reading, and worth reflecting on how lucky we are to have a home right now and that there is indeed a lot of luck involved in these type of things.
Book Review

Moon Reads: Hopeless Necromantic

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Hopeless Necromantic by Shiloh Briar

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

I read most of this while in the queue for a concert (to see Lights in case you cared), and let me tell you that almost everyone that was near me in the queue was interested and we had a really good chat about it (they were sad it wasn’t out yet, but pre-orders were made). And it was super fun. Plus it is out now!

Sikras is a tired exhausted thirty something necromancer just trying to make aliving by offering his necromancy services to the people who think Death came too soon and need their family member, partner, or what not brought back to life. He otherwise passes time with Benjamin, his living skeleton companion who was part of the royal army back when he was human.

Helspira is a hopeful demon, who escaped the demon world and is trying to prove demons aren’t that bad or at least not all demons. And the best way to prove this is to become a hero, so she is part of the royal army and ends up becoming the escort for Sikras and Ben.

Their mission is to reattempt (after a few failed attempts already) to defeat another necromancer who has been rising an undead army that threatens the kingdom.

No one, not even the Queen who requested them to go on the mission, has much hope for Sikras to succeed, but they have to try. And Helpsira has to believe they can actually succeed.

And so we follow their little adventure, where they all suddenly start showing more of who they are and their secrets, and some tough questions come to Sikras about his life choices. He has many to regret and many he needs to ponder or make, because even as a necromancer, there is a lot of life to live and to deal with, maybe even more than death.

The humour in this was a winner. Part of the reason a lot of people ended up interested in it was my facial expressions while reading and my giggles and laughs over it. It is also, incredibly emotional and heartfelt. IT is like the friend who comes and brings snacks, a blanket and some comedy films to cheer you up. It is a romance, and it is a lot of laughing, and it is a a D&D adventure type of thing (think a bit of a Baldur’s Gate 3 romp around).

It will also ask what is to be alive, and what living means. Some interesting questions. I wanted to hug all 3 main characters throughout the book, and I wanted just to have them win and go on with life, but also be best friends forever, and it was so wholesome (despite the necromancy and the dead and you know, the impending doom). Helpsira is a cinnamon roll and a ray of sunshine. Ben makes the best side kick and just a lot of snark and fun from him, and then Sikras with his doomed life and his sadness and you absolutely want to fix him (or for someone to fix him, *cough* Helpsira *cough*) and live a better life, because despte his chaos he deserves good.

There is a lot packed into a small book, and it is absolutely worth reading for the smiles it will put on your face and the lightness it will leave you with after you finish reading it.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The Between-Worlds B&B

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The Between Worlds B&B by Amy Mae Baxter

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

I grabbed this book from Forbidden Planet on a whim. The cover looked cute and it felt like a light fun read. I am glad I grabbed it.

I wasn’t sure if it was going to be like The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews (but it made me think of it, partly why i ended up going for it, because I enjoyed those), or more like Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter style. I think it actually sits neatly between both, so if either is your kind of book, then please, do yourself a favour and go grab a copy of this book.

Margo is bored and all she really has going for her is that she loves swimming, but she’s not doing too well at school and she doesn’t really have many friends. So when she accidentally gets locked out of her house overnight and stumbles upon a cute little B&B that costs exactly the amount of money she has to spend, she decides to have a tiny adventure.

What she does not expect is that the receptionist of the B&B will be attractive and friendly to her. Or that when someone signs in as a demon in the guest book, that they mean it, right? Demons? Nope, that’s magic and that’s just not real. But what Margo doesn’t know is that she is a guest at The Between-Worlds B&B, a bed and breakfast that has some interesting terms and conditions and that only appears to certain people, but all of them magical. So why is Margo a guest when she is most definitely human?

Well… Margo has to find out if she is genuinely human or is there maybe a tiny bit of magic in hr? And if she has magic, what kind of magic does she have? But as she tries some schemes to find out, she also interacts more on more with the other guests of the inn, all of them with their own problems and conundrums to figure out (but all of them very much magical creatures, so at least knowing if they have magic or not is not a problem they have).

And of course, there is also the fact that the receptionist is cute and they seem to hit it off, but is this doomed from the start since he’s working for the B&B and she will at some point finish her stay?

This was adorable to read. A cosy hug and a cute story to read, and I just enjoyed it very much. The chapters each have a title, which was perfectly fitting, and a little thing I like to see in books (it doesn’tfit all books but here it was just adorable and added to the whimsy of it).

So if you’re looking for a cosy magical adventure about identity, magic and a B&B with a chaos personality trying to help, this is the book for you.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Glam & Beardy Volume I

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The Very Serious Diary of Glam & Beardy Volume I by Ruby Clyde & Rachel WD. Illustrated by Vincent Batignole.

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

I love good middle grade series. Some of my favourite have been Diary of an Accidental Witch, The Boy Who Grew Dragons or Tales of the Chocolate Heart. So when Little Tiger had this up for review and request, I had to try it to fill my middle grade craving for a good series.

Glam & Beardy do not disappoint at all.

We start by getting to know Glam who is the last child of the Glamour family and is hoping to get the most glamorous familiar, since all kids get one around her age, except her. Hers just doesn’t seem to come at all. We get to know her family and that the kingdom has several “families” with different skills, like glamour or wisdom or strength.

It is also not common but not a bad thing if your familiar is from a different family (like Glam’s mum, who was born into Wisdom but has a glam familiar). Glam gets sad that she can’t find a familiar, and she’s not very glamorous, until she does meet her familiar Beardy, who is definitely a not glamorous familiar, but even worse, they’re not a defined skills from the kingdom, so Glam is convinced she has the wrong familiar.

This leads to an adventure to try to find a way to find the right familiar for Glam and the right kid for Beardy.

One of the things I really liked was that Glam’s family isn’t absent, on the contrary they are there for her even if she doesn’t always believe it or actually feel like it. I love stories where the parents/family are supportive and part of the story and not just absent or there for plot points.

There was also a lot about friendship, belonging and about skills, and the nice thing is that Glam is very much interested in history and anthropology rather than glamour, but still tries to be as glamorous as she can.

It was super cute to read, the illustrations are spot on and really fun, and there’s a lot f the world and story yet to find out, so I am very curious for the next volume. If you enjoyed any of the series I mentioned above, this is a must read for sure!

Book Review

Moon Reads: Dungeon Runners Level 1: Hero Trial

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Dungeon Runners – Level 1: Hero Trial by Kieran Larwood and Joe Todd-Stanton

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

I love middle grade fun series and Dungeon Runners starts with a bang for sure.

Kit is a small little gnorf (part gnome, part dwarf), which means he’s pretty small and doesn’t have any particularly great advantages for playing as Dungeon Runner, but he has always wanted to, since his own grandfather was one of the amazing teams back in the days.

So when a space opens up for a new team to join the Dungeon Runners, Kit is ready. Except that he has no team, so he finds new friends and a new team in Sandy, a sea witch who only knows one spell and Thorn, a vampire who loves knitting. Every team must have a healer, a fighter and a magic user, so they’re perfectly balanced to take it on.

The story is very cute and interesting, with Kit trying to be brave and fit as a fighter because it is one thing to dream you want to be part of a wonderful team, and then actually have to be an amazing team member is another thing. But what Kit may not have in strength he has in being a good gnorf, compassion and even courage when needed, and he will figure out the teamwork with Sandy and Thorn so that they can qualify to be the team selected.

I loved it, between the art, the “dungeons” the narrating of the actual “dungeon running”, and the three friends finding their strengths and weaknesses and the fun and clever ways. It is also a “fair” book in that they’re not perfectly winning all the time, it is an actual competition and therefore not everything goes their way just because they’re the main characters.

It’s a lovely little series and a good start for it, I am very intrigued where it intends to actually go, but so far (I have read up to book 3) it is very delightful and will be a recommended one for kids (one of my work colleagues’ kid is enjoying them too, so even kid approved for sure).

Book Review

Moon Reads: Sad Girl Hours

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Sad Girl Hours by Anna Zoe Quirke

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

I can’t remember the exact reason I bought this one, but it felt like it’d be my kind of book. A good dose of cuteness, some sadness and lots of emotions. And I was right, this was a delight to read (despite dealing with heavy topics) and it felt like a warm hug or eating a nice apple pie fresh from the oven (not at burn your mouth temperature but at good temperature).

The story has two points of view, one from Saffron who suffers from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) who is dreading autumn and winter coming. She had to take time off the previous year from uni and can’t afford to do it again or it will make becoming an astrophysicist difficult or impossible. And also she’s somehow managed to keep it secret from all her friends and the people online that follow her for her short bubbly videos on astrophysics in a way that is easy to understand. She’s scared that if people know, they’ll dismiss it like her family does or they’ll stop liking her. And then she meets Nell.

Nell is our other point of view, who is proudly autistic, studying to become a poet, and a lover of autumn and winter and all the coziness they can provide. So she becomes determined to show Saffron that they’re not bad seasons with a bucket list of things to do to showcase how good it is to have the seasons come.

Of course as they start doing things like jumping on piles of leaves or lighting candles and having a cosy day in, Saffron and Nell both slowly start to develop feelings for each other but neither is sure of what exactly is going. And they both are trying to balance their own personal issues with having a fun time, becoming better friends and university.

There is a lot of fun but also some seriousness on caring for yourself and also how others care for you. I think this was a lovely little book to read and I’d recommend it as a nice autumn read. Do be mindful that it discusses SAD, family not taking this into account and being mean and not helpful, and obviously the spirals that can happen in your head about it.

Book Review

Moon Reads – The Bakery Dragon

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The Bakery Dragon by Devin Elle Kurtz

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Nothing is perfect, and as such, the reviews in this blog are chaotic. My main aim is to share my thoughts, joy and opinions on a book, not make a publication perfect review. This blog endorses authenticity, showing up and joy over perfection.

Apparently we are on a theme of reviews being quite cosy. I think partly this is because the world is being a little bit too much and we need reassurance, a safety blanket and cosy books are perfect for this.

The Bakery Dragon was actually initially an illustration Devin Elle made and then this inspired her to write a little book story about a dragon who longs for a different kind of treasure.

I think the overall story is super cute with our little dragon, Ember, finding that a hoard of gold and treasure isn’t really motivating and then while wandering around the town they see a little bakery window and find it so enticing. I honestly fully understand the dragon, I find the bakery windows and looking at bread and pastries super tasty and exciting and I just always end up wanting to go in and buy something and taste it (specially if you add the nice smell of the bread, yum!).

Anyway, bread turns out to be the perfect hoard and treasure for Ember, who is curious and wants to learn how bread is made. The baker then shows Ember how to make bread and Ember learns that sharing bread and making bread and having others enjoy it is very rewarding and a treasure in itself.

I am a fan of Devin Elle’s artwork so it is not a surprise that I loved a book about a little dragon that loves bread and that expands on her illustration work and dedicates itself to bread and cute little dragons. This book is like a bread version of The Tea Dragon Society hitting all the stops in cuteness, food appreciation and dragons.

Book Review

Moon Reads – Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter

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Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

This book was the perfect excuse to pull some cute cat plushies because why not, I have my own brand of “stray” cats.

I loved this book, probably even more the Emily Wilde’s series (and I enjoyed those a lot). And I am so so thankful to Orbit for the review copy because I was able to read the book before it came out and then I raved about it to other people (I do circus arts and I have an informal “book club” where we all read different things but weekly we talk about what we each read and recommend books to each other and this book has been one I’ve recommended a few times).

Anyway, to the actual review of this book. The short version of the review would be that this felt like I was reading a mix of the film and book versions of Howl’s Moving Castle (book version including the other two which rarely ever get included, but are so good), with Agnes being a little like Sophie and Havelock being like Howl. There is also like in the books, a much more involved sister and it is just very satisfying and wholesome and worth reading. Very cosy, very cute, you will want to visit a cat cafe and maybe watch Howl’s Moving Castle or read it afterwards.

Now the longer version, we start our story with Agnes trying to find a place to move into after a mage battle destroyed her previous shop front and the landlady she had cannot afford to fix the damage. Winter is coming and she needs a warm space for the cats and herself as she runs a cat charity to pick up strays. But most places she sees aren’t accepting her because she has cats. Until she finds the perfect shop, but she thinks she can’t afford it, despite being drawn to it over and over. Finally she decides to give in and just check it out, and somehow things work out in a way that is scary but feels meant to be. She’s quickly moving in and everything is pretty smooth, but then she starts getting weird visitors that go through her charity and into the basement of the shop.

To no one’s surprise, turns out she is a front for the most known mage ever Havelock, who is super famous and sought after. And well, as you would expect chaos ensues, with a magical battle between Havelock and another mage and our poor Agnes who loves keeping track of things and organisation struggles. But she’s practical and despite the fact she doesn’t agree with magic and mages, she will make the most of this chaos thank you very much.

She then goes on a mission (if you’ve seen Howl’s Moving there’s a scene that’s very similar to Sophie cleaning Howl’s Castle and it was so satisfying to read) to make things work out for this weird arrangement. But in some ways, she seems to be adopting Havelock as one of her strays and maybe, just maybe falling in lvoe with him despite her misgivings on magic and mages and the fact she thought she couldn’t love someone other than her husband who passed away two years before.

There’s a whole plot that I don’t want to spoil, but I definitely can say that this was adorable, very satisfying to read and honestly 100% worth it. I’d recommend it for the cosy factor, the magic, the Howl vibes, the pastries, the cats and the romance.

Book Review

Moon Reads: How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days

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How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days by Jessie Sylva

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

I have typed this review a few times trying to find the best way to tell you “hey, this was really fun to read, and I wish everyone else would read, please go read it. I want more fun cosy chaos books like this one”, and I don’t think I know how else to say it.

How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days is a cute chaos hug to a fantasy nerd. You have Pansy, a halfling in search of a little adventure and that feels a little out of place in her village because of being a little odd and not wanting pure comfort. And you have Ren a goblin who is trying their best to support their clan and also they have a green thumb like nobody else.

Now have Pansy inherit her grandma’s cottage and she feels like this is her chance to make her own life without feeling a bit out of place, she has found her place. But surprise, when she goes to claim her inheritance, Ren is already living there and growing all manners of things (including lots of moss inside the house, apparently moss inside the cottage is not a halfling thing but I think is a pretty cool idea).

To the surprise of both, they somehow end up making a deal on who gets to keep the house, whomever doesn’t leave and stays in it. There’s a few ground rules like not being destructive to each other’s things and stuff, and that you can’t “remove” but only add things (you can already see this backfiring, right?). And so it starts, a little back and forth between them trying to find ways to annoy each other of the home.

It is not to the reader’s surprise of course, that these all backfire in very amusing and funny ways, but also in making the home cosy for both of them. I will say, this was a proper cosy read, with lots of plants and cooking, and questions about belonging and family (or clan) and what it means to be part of them.

But there’s also a lot of little elements reminding you of other worlds, other stories, other classics and some newer works, and it was this also that was fun to read. It felt like a good hug and was about as complex a read as I could muster at a time when I had no voice and a fever. I still enjoyed it a lot and it made me laugh, then cough then regret my life choices, but 10/10 worth it for the story.