Monthly Wrap-Up – May 2023: When Tears of The Kingdom Calls

Even though I had high hopes for my reading this month, I’m unsurprised that I managed to read a measly two books. Last month, when I was hopeful, it slipped my mind that the game The Legend of Zelda: Tears on the Kingdom would be released on 12 May, and after that, my reading was practically non-existent. Rather than find a good balance between reading and gaming, I threw myself into Tears of the Kingdom to indulge in nostalgia, and I don’t regret it one bit.

Maybe my reading will be better for June, but probably not, considering I still have a great deal of gaming to do. Here are the two books I managed to get through in May: 

One For My Enemy by Olivie Blake

Synopsis: In New York City where we lay our scene, two rival witch families fight to maintain control of their respective criminal ventures. On one side of the conflict are the Antonova sisters, each one beautiful, cunning, and ruthless, and their mother, the elusive supplier of premium intoxicants known only as Baba Yaga. On the other side, the influential Fedorov brothers serve their father, the crime boss known as Koschei the Deathless, whose community extortion ventures dominate the shadows of magical Manhattan.

After twelve years of tenuous coexistence, a change in one family’s interests causes a rift in the existing stalemate. When bad blood brings both families to the precipice of disaster, fate intervenes with a chance encounter, and in the aftershocks of a resurrected conflict, everyone must choose a side. As each of the siblings struggles to stake their claim, fraying loyalties threaten to rot each side from the inside out.

If, that is, the enmity between empires doesn’t destroy them first.

Rating: 4/5

Recommendation: Urban fantasy, retelling, Romeo and Juliet, romance

Having read The Atlas Six and enjoyed it, I’ve been eager to read something else by Olivie Blake, so, when it was on offer on Kindle, I decided to pick up One For My Enemy. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the instant love I thought it would be, but I did enjoy the story. The urban fantasy setting suited the feuding family plotline, I appreciated the presence of magic in the story, and some elements of the romance were enough to get me on the side of the characters involved. That being said, it was missing something for me.

Part of me thinks the vague similarities to Chloe Gong’s These Violent Delights were in part to blame for my overall strange feeling about this book, but I can pinpoint other aspects that I was not sure about. There were points where the story felt a bit too contrived or convenient, and others where the writing felt more complex and wordier than necessary, but overall, it was a great, vivid read. I think I would have enjoyed it a little bit more had there been more variation in the plot, which is hard to expand upon without getting into spoilers. Plus, I’d like to write a full review on this one, so if you’d like to read my thoughts on that, stay tuned.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace

Synopsis: Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being—and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family’s waning reputation, and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother’s restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.

However, Signa’s best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he’s made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful—and more irresistible—than she ever dared imagine.

Rating: 4/5

Recommended for: Fantasy, romance, mystery, gothic, young adult

Last year, I added this book to the 23 I want to read in 2023 after reading the synopsis and then promptly forgot exactly what the book was about until picking it up this month. It’s also worth mentioning that the first thing that drew me to this book was its cover, which I will say suited the contents very well, which I always appreciate. I was quite sceptical about this book in the beginning. Signa’s character felt a lot younger to me than her age and it made her a bit difficult to read. Some other aspects kept me from giving it five stars too, including a bit of unease about the romance.

Fortunately, this book also had a lot of things I enjoy. It was set in the past, filled with balls, etiquette, and silly little fan language, which was great. There was a mystery element, which I loved. It was gothic, with Death’s continuous presence throughout the novel and the huge, haunted mansion that Signa finds herself in, which I also loved. There was romance, which I loved, even if I was not entirely sold on the one in the book, considering Signa is entangled with someone she’s technically known for most of her life.

The other characters were well-written, and Adalyn Grace did well to hint at and suggest their roles in the mystery without being too obvious. Regardless of how I feel about the twist and cliffhanger at the end, I will most definitely be reading the next book in the series.

Out of the two books I read this month, even though I gave them the same rating, Belladonna was my favourite. As I mentioned before, it incorporated a lot of my favourite things, took me by surprise in a good way, and left me intrigued for the next book in the series. It was also good enough to pull me away from gaming multiple times, so that’s saying something too. Hopefully, I have books good enough to do that lined up for next month!

What was your favourite book you read this month?