Books I Read • February 2025

February was a sad reading month. It's a short month to begin with, and then work was hectic. I was desperate for something good to read but had no clear direction.

I went on Reddit and–actually, I'm not sure what I searched for. Fantasy books with romance and world building and a plot? I picked subreddits at random and took random people's advice on books to buy, and I have regrets. Turns out strangers on the internet don't always know what I'll love. Who could have predicted that?

Most of February felt like slogging through books that other people raved about but just didn't click for me. Lots of "this is supposed to be good" reading instead of "I can't put this down" reading. Thank god for Rebecca Yarros saving the month at the very end, or I might have given up on books entirely.

1. “Phoenix Unbound” by Grace Draven ★★
   Woman with mysterious fire powers escapes torture and goes on a trip with a muscly gladiator. Why is she so desperate to get back to her ungrateful family? Why don’t they have real personalities?

   
   

2. “Daughter of the Forest” by Juliet Marillier ★★★
   Sorcha, a Irish girl, is cursed by her evil stepmother and faces impossible trials to save her brothers. Some lovely elements, but pacing is strange. Story is dark and sad. Wouldn’t re-read this.

   
   

3. “Son of the Shadows” by Juliet Marillier ★★★
   Sorcha’s youngest daughter falls in love with a rebel leader and must save her siblings and fight for her family. Interesting characters, but generation jump + convoluted timeline make it hard to follow.

   
   

4. “Child of Prophecy” by Juliet Marillier DNF
   I gave up on the series. This was another generation jump, all new characters. Hard to get into.

   
   

5. “Onyx Storm” by Rebecca Yarros ★★★★
   This book saved my month! People love to hate but this was a fun read. Violet is still annoying. Love the side characters. Dragons, plot twists, spicy scenes, compelling monsters. Escapist fun.