whimsydearest

I’ve watched Cindy’s channel for years. I adore her hilarious reviews, so I'm sad to say that her debut novel fell short of my expectations. The Secret World of Briar Rose alternatives between two main timelines. We follow Amelia, the Sleeping Beauty-esque princess who is cursed to fall into an eternal slumber on her eighteenth birthday. On the other hand, there’s Corin, one hundred years in the future. She’s a jaded thief who falls into the princess’ dreams in search of her missing sister. I ultimately think the book is so preoccupied with creating fantastical dreamscapes that the character writing, plot, and everything else falls to the wayside. For instance, Amelia and Malicine’s dynamics were like a watered-down version of the Maleficent movie without feeling earned. I also wish the worldbuilding had been fleshed out more—like there’s no sense of culture or customs to Gyldan. The time period is also vaguely ambiguous. It’s odd to have a quasi-medieval castle setting and then ...

Between the Rival Courts by Victoria Mier delivers an Arthurian retelling that teems with court intrigue, yearning, and characters who are doomed by the narrative. This book paints a nuanced portrait of Mordred. He’s a changeling knight who’s caught trying to straddle both the Fey Court and the Court of Camelot. All in the meanwhile, he’s also trying to prevent his own prophesized destiny: that he’ll end the age of mankind. He’s (understandably) emo about it. So often he’s portrayed as a villain, so it’s refreshing to get a more complex interpretation of him. It was also a delight to read the on page tension between him and Nyneve. She’s a fiery, crafty FMC, and the dynamics of their love/hate relationship was fantastic! Overall, this book is filled achingly beautiful prose and compelling characters who’ll tug at your heart strings. I highly recommend this book for fans of Arthurian legends and Welsh mythology. Now I’m bracing myself for the angst to come in the sequel. Thank you, Beh...

Kang Siying is a ganshi priestess who earns her living by reanimating the dead and guiding them to their proper burial place. However, when she takes a job to retrieve a fallen solider from a battlefield, she becomes enmeshed in deadly plots she never imagined. I’m a sucker for any book with fighting skeletons, and I loved how Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai gives us a non-Western interpretation of necromancy. The story deftly incorporates Chinese folklore, including jiangshi , which are a type of possessed corpse. Also, for better or worse, this is a fast-paced read. The story immediately grips you from its prologue. However, I feel like some huge plot reveals came too soon. Characters are blabbing secrets left and right and certain plot twists can be seen from a mile off. This spoiled the story's sense of mystery and dulled the emotional punch that some of the revelations could have had. That—along with the flatness of its main villain—are probably my biggest gripes. Thank you, Netg...

In  The Fox and the Devil  by Kiersten White, Van Helsing's daughter, Anneke, hunts down her father's murderer across Europe. Theoretically, a sapphic cat and mouse game sounds great! However, this one really dropped the ball for me. It turned out astonishingly dull for a murder mystery. I felt like there was a lack of tension, and I wish there was a stronger sense of danger toward the Anneke’s group. I would’ve also liked to have seen more of a push and pull between the two leads. Also, this might partly boil down to personal preference, but the writing style drove me up the wall. It’s told mostly in the first person present tense, which is a tense that is better suited for a contemporary thriller than a historical fantasy that’s supposed to be set during the Victorian period. Moreover, the author has a habit of favoring short, choppy sentences. You can take a look at this line of dialogue here: “No he didn’t. It was her. This woman. This Diavola. She killed him, and I found ...

The Swan's Daughter  by Roshani Chokshi weaves an enchanting fairytale that'll sweep you into a delightfully fantastical world. Here you’ll find a sentient castle, fallen clouds, a talking library wyvern, and veritas swans: shape-shifting swan maidens who can compel the truth with their song.  As the title suggests, the main story draws from swan maiden folklore—albeit with a bit of an  Ugly Duckling twist. Our main character, Demelza, is the youngest daughter of a diabolical wizard and an imprisoned swan maiden. She’s the only of her siblings without wings or a lovely singing voice. However, she must rely on her wits to assist a prince in finding a bride who won’t murder him.  I really enjoyed watching Demelza grow as a character and gain her own independence (learning how to fly with her own wings so to speak). I have one gripe about this book though. I feel like the author has a tendency to dump too much character backstory up front or give several-page long...

It's nearly 2026 and I'm so excited for the upcoming manga releases. We've got idol Omegaverse, a cursed village, a dragon's bride, and mermaid horror yuri.  Below are some of the titles that you should keep an eye out for. Scenes from Awajima, Vol. 1   by Takako Shimura      Release: January 20, 2026 Awajima Opera School—where countless girls from across the country flock in hopes of one day standing on the big stage. As they work toward achieving their dreams of stardom, their time at Awajima is filled with as much friendship and admiration as competition and jealousy. The precious feelings of girls who are at once both classmates and rivals, tenderly captured in the portraits of an ensemble cast! Love at First Memory, Vol. 1   by Narumi Hasegaki Release: February 10, 2026 Mia Takanashi, heiress to the famed Takanashi Group, has had the world at her feet since birth. With the future of the company to think about, deciding on a marriage partner e...