Review: Parliament House Press Books I Read This Summer
Hiya bookworms!
Today I’m going to share with you, all the eARCs I was lucky to receive from Parliament House Press this summer. I absolutely LOVE this publishing house because they have so many creepy, spooky, and fascinating fantasy books! I’ve enjoyed reading every single book I’ve received. I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t like some of the books because they were out of my usual reading genre but I ended up loving them all. Since these books all have an element of spooky to them, they are perfect to add to your TBR for Halloween! Also, for Prime Day October 13, lots of their e-books on Amazon are only $1.99!!!! So go stock up and create your Halloween TBRs 🎃 Without further ado, here are some of the great books I read! Note: I will include a link to the Goodreads synopsis for each book.
The Swansong Conspiracy by Nick Vossen
Review:
“FOR THE HATRED OF A MALIGN COSMOS, WHAT IN PURGATORY’S NAME IS GOING ON OUT THERE?” -Tim
I thought this was a very fun story. Tim was definitely the star of the show because of his overdramatic personality and sass. I thought that the way the story was told was really neat. The plot switched from one storyline to the next which made it seem like an action movie and gave the book an urgent pace. Another thing I loved about the book was the detailed world building and beautiful descriptions of architecture. The tone of the book was also very lighthearted and humorous despite the violence and creepy bits. I felt like this book could be a standalone because the main threat was defeated and the twins just needed to wipe out the leftover monsters. But since the creation of the twins' monster fighting mission this book series is like a TV series with them defeating a different monster every episode while running from Haven, the evil organization.
4/5🌟
August Prather is Not Dead Yet by Danielle K Roux
Review:
“Do you like cemeteries?”…”How could I not, they’re like gardens with sculptures and built-in friends.”
I really reaaaalllyyyy enjoyed this book. I honestly think Roux is now one of my new favourite authours. Her characters are just so real and human and I fell in love with all of them. Her writing style is so poetic and beautiful. There’s some great feminist quotes in this book as well. This book seemed like a satire of American stereotypes and beliefs related to women and gender roles, racism, religion, child marriage, and more. Some parts were a bit disturbing to read because of how realistic they are in today’s society. This book has lots of TW and mature content so keep that in mind before you read it, but it is definitely an amazing book that will stick with you long after you finish reading it. Also Alexei and Dmitri were so precious 😍
6/5🌟
The Hollow Gods by AJ Vrana
Review:
“That beef jerky had been packed with enough salt to dehydrate an elephant.”
This quote is just one of the reasons why I enjoyed reading this book. Vrana’s comparisons were just so entertaining to read and added some humour to this dark book. I thought Kai and Miya’s romance was a little too ‘instalove’ but they were still a cute couple. I really loved the visuals throughout this book especially the Dreamscape world. The ending of the book was a bit overwhelming and slightly confusing because so much was happening in the Dreamscape and everything seemed really philosophical so I had to read over some parts a couple times to try to fully understand it. One thing I thought was awesome was how Miya’s parents had moved to Calgary (my hometown) and Tim Hortons was mentioned in the book! Represent!
3.5/5🌟
The Storyteller’s Daughter by Victoria McCombs
Review:
“Only a lazy man lets a thing as slow as the sun beat him to the day”
Well, if I ever needed a motivational quote then this is it 😁 This book is a Rumpelstiltskin retelling and I’m so glad I know how to spell ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ now. This was such a sweet book. McCombs seems like such a sweetheart and I feel like her personality really shone through in her writing especially with Cosette’s character and her relationships with her family members and Anna her maid. I thought the romance between Cosette and Rumpel was really heartwarming and pure and definitely a healthier relationship compared to Cosette and Aidan’s relationsip. I really didn’t like Aidan’s character cause he was super sketch and I’m mostly ok with how things ended. I really liked McCombs’ creativity with her character names and places and I’m so excited to read her next book!
4/5🌟
The Curse of the King by Winnie Lyons
Review:
“High school is after all, for lack of better words, fucking relentless.”
Yes, yes it is. Even with all the wild adventures and problems Laura and her friends have to deal with in this book, they still have to go to school and do their homework. That’s multitasking at its finest! This book is a retelling of Macbeth and it was so interesting to read. There is non-stop magical and spooky action with fun, queer characters. The flashbacks to Cecily’s (Laura’s ancestor) past were so fascinating and spooky, I really enjoyed those parts. I also really loved the spells, they were so creative! They would incorporate the script of Macbeth and turn it into a creepy, witchy spell. Regarding the characters, I thought Laura’s friendship with Holly and Peter was so supportive and it was great to see that in a book. Also the nicknames Laura and Peter came up with each other were pure gold. One thing that confused me a little was the excommunication scene and the logistics of it because some things didn’t really make sense or connect. Other than that, this was a really entertaining and spooky book!
3.5/5🌟
This Will Kill That by Danielle K Roux
Review:
“Hey, everyone’s trauma is relative. Pain is pain regardless of how it’s caused.”
Yaaasssss. This quote just yasssss. This book was so intense! It gave me some serious underbelly crime/ mafia vibes. There was a lot happening in the short time period covered in the book so the plot never lags. The scavenger hunt arc was a great way to keep the plot moving while adding some mystery and making the reader constantly wonder what will happen next. I loved the characters because they were all so relatable and everyone can find a little bit of themselves in them. I especially loved the romance between Alan and Kazuki because they are so precious and reminded me of Dmitri and Alexei’s romance in ‘August Prather is Not Dead Yet’. The ending of this book was a great cliffhanger and I’m so glad I got to read the next book almost right away because I would not be able to handle the suspense! There are also some TW regarding attempted suicide and self harm so just be aware of that.
5/5🌟
Shades of the City (TWKT Book 2) by Danielle K Roux
Review:
“Any love is worth considering. It does not have to be pure. It does not have to last. Most love does not last. Many love stories end in tragedy.”
Love is love is love. This is the second book after ‘This Will Kill That’. Once again, I thought the characters were all really well written and relatable. I’m so happy there was more of Alan and Kazuki! But there are some TWs about self harm regarding Alan so be aware of that if you choose to read this book. Again, the plot flowed really well so there was non-stop action. I like how Roux’s form of storytelling is to give the readers lots of questions in the beginning and slowly reveal the answers throughout the books. As Shrek would say, this book is like an onion with all of its layers 😂 There are many flashbacks scattered throughout the story which help the reader understand the backstory of the characters and certain events. Also this story really ends with a bang so I’m excitedly awaiting the final book in this trilogy!
5/5🌟
So that’s all the books I read! Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of these or which ones you want to add to your TBR. With that, I wish you all a very happy spooky season filled with great spooky reads!
BOO 👻
