aub_reads's reviews
291 reviews

this was Fine and yes of course I always appreciate trans rep


this read like more of a YA coming of age/coming to terms with gender identity than what I expected from the marketing. the time travel component is very very minor here and is essentially irrelevant to the plot.


would have liked this in my teens/early twenties, but as someone who is also 29 going
on 30, the main character did not read as believable. almost like he literally had never self reflected on his youth after 10 years of living away from his hometown


not for me but it will resonate for some people

this was fun and had some good scenes in it but not great for me overall. haven't encountered loch ness monster romance before and i liked the explanation for it that the author provided. it dragged on at times (approx 400 pages total) and suffered from lack of honest communication between love interests for 75%. i was most frustrated with the main character's complete obliviousness to major plot reveals when they happen, then spelling out every single question a reader could have when she eventually figures it out.

i think this author's writing is probably just not for me.

all the political intrigue and depth in character relationships i always want to see with a fantasy. lots of people to meet and an interesting magic system that is in place. a lot of push/pull scenarios on what to do throughout for the main character that kept feeling high stakes regardless of when. lots of action and i cared about minor characters (there are a lot). ending seemed kind of sudden though.

the book didn't feel like it was dragging despite the length, I just wish some more questions were answered considering...everything. it is only the first book, but i still feel like I don't fully understand the magic system or history of how things got here when that seems pretty relevant to much of the plot.

highly recommend

a more satisfying amount of plot in this one for me, feeling more attached to characters and the story