I know the year isn’t quite over yet and I am actually going to be reading a couple more books before the end, but I am so blown away by my last read that I have decided to commit to it being my favorite for the entire year. In fact, I am ready to say this is my all-time favorite book.
I had Aurora’s Angel on my TBR list for a while and just never got around to it until last week. I am sorry I waited so long. It is brilliant! I cannot stop gushing over it. It is author Emily Noon’s debut novel and that is amazing. I have a massive book hangover and I am rereading several parts and blogging about it to help process all the feels.
Here is my review from Goodreads.
Aurora’s Angel is a brilliant epic love story set in a fantasy world ripe with all manner of beasts, shifters, and humans precariously coexisting amidst ancient magic and primal instincts. The main characters are beautifully drawn with distinct but equally bad-ass personalities. They have hearts of gold, and they love and fight hard through their respective adversities. They journey across a physical landscape that can be treacherous, both from difficult terrain and a variety of dangerous foes. They discover themselves and each other on their way to their physical and metaphorical homes. I am blown away at this being Emily Noon’s debut novel. It is so well thought out with strong character development, (including the supporting characters) world-building, and lore. The writing style makes this world and these characters real and approachable. I am so in love with Aurora and Evie and their adventures. There are dark elements that may be difficult, but they are not for naught. Aurora has a tragic backstory and Evie is facing a betrayal. These are important challenges to their shared and individual journeys. Their dialogue is fantastic. Their fierce love for one another is fire. Their intimate scenes are spicey and beautiful. The mix of human characteristics and animal instincts are mingled in a fascinating amalgam. I am hungry for more of Aurora and Evie’s world and as soon as I finished reading the eBook, I purchased the hardcopy for my library.
There are very few typos and a need for more commas.
This story was so immersive, I couldn’t put it down. I highly recommend this 5-star read!
As soon as I finished reading this in ebook form, I ordered the hard copy for my library. This beauty arrived today!
And now on to the rest of the list.
My top 10 are as follows:
1. Aurora’s Angel by Emily Noon (obviously)
2. The Blood-Born Dragon by JC Rycroft
3. Unleashed by Alli Temple
4. Giovanna by Victoria Arrow
5. Stars Collide by Rachel Lacey
6. The Headmistress by Milena McKay
7. All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley
8. Babylove by I.S. Belle
9. Pacific Pack by Harlowe Frost
10. The Valley of Stars by Yona Katz
I had a really good year for reading and so a difficult time composing this list. Originally, I was going to make it a top 5 list, but I couldn’t leave some of my other favorites out. Even still, I want to add an honorable mentions, but I am just going to stop now before I get carried away. All of the books on my list are sapphic but are from a variety of genres, from Italian mafia to wolf shifters to horror to pirates, and fantasy, of course. Most are 5 stars from me, and the last few are 4. I linked them for easy access. Let me know in the comments if you decide to give any of them a try. I’d love to hear what you think.
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Leara writes and other creative things... 