 because I looked like death. How bad could it be? Pretty bad. Crisis averted. I don't think I could recommend this to anyone but myself. But here we are. I know, I know it's just super super late. If you saw my community post, you know, that I got a cold at the very end of March, mostly beginning of April. So everything is behind. But here we are. All right, so my March wrap up. I actually didn't read every book that I was on my TBR in March. Spoiler's the one that I didn't finish with smoke and mirrors because I was doing smoke and mirrors as a vlog. And when I got sick, I didn't want to film vlog clips because I looked like death. So I'm actually still haven't finished yet for that reason. I'm actually pretty close to finishing now because now I don't look like death. So I've been working on it again. So anyway, that is not in this wrap up, but it is coming. A video on smoke and mirrors is coming. But anyway, here are the books that I did read. So the first book I finished was actually a book that I had started in February and then just like finished it in the beginning of March. And that is Assassin's Fate, the last book in the realm of the elderlings. Since then Mara and I have done a chat on my channel, chatting about the last trilogy fits in the whole as well as just the whole realm of the elderlings. If you missed that chat, I'll leave a link down below. We also did a chat on her channel. It wasn't just me and her. We also had with us Evie and Derry and Booktube Goddess and Jimmy and then myself and Mara. I don't think I'm forgetting anyone. It was a big group where we ranked the realm of the elderlings books. So that was a ton of fun. So yeah. Oh, also I did do a should you read the realm of the elderlings video also. So anyway, yes, I finished the realm of the elderlings in the beginning of March and what a ride. What a journey. I kind of can't believe that it's over because I've just been with this series and with these characters for so long. But yeah, so lots of content out there with my full thoughts. I I think have an unpopular opinion. Surprise, surprise about the ending. But other, I mean Robin Hobb remains a favorite. The realm of the elderlings is a beloved series of mine, continues to be. But I did have issues with the ending, but still great. Still recommend. Still an amazing achievement for Robin Hobb. Next book that I read was The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz. And this is a pretty quick short thriller, isolated close circle mystery type thriller. I was quite disappointed with this partially. I would say it's my fault because I had certain expectations of it that were not based on like anything I'd heard just from like how it started, how the book began. And like as I got to like know the premise and the setup for what's going to be happening, it reminded me of two TV shows. And I don't want to tell you which shows because I feel like it would spoil it. So it reminded me of these two TV shows. And I also suspected that it would do what those TV shows had done in terms of like what is the answer to the mystery and what is the twist. And then I was correct partially, but I was also incorrect. I can't really like tell you, if I tell you the shows then you'll probably know how this goes if you have seen those shows. Anyway, so I thought, I mean I guess I was, so I thought I was like, oh, I've guessed it. Like it won't surprise me when the thing happens because I bet it's going to be like that show and it's gonna, this is going to be the answer. And so then like when it didn't actually end up being the thing from the show, I was disappointed because I was wrong and also disappointed because the thing is with the show that I'm talking about, which I can't tell you what it is, DM me if you want to know because you've read this or what are you don't care about spoilers. But it's like that show kind of had like a double twist. And so this had like the first twist that I guessed a mile away. And then I was like, okay, but then the second twist for the rest of this book, like there's going to be another twist and that other twist, I bet I've guessed what it is because it's going to be like that show. And then it wasn't because there just wasn't a second twist. So I was like, oh, so it wasn't that like, oh, great, like it surprised me by not being the thing that I thought. It surprised me by not being the thing that I thought because it just wasn't anything at all, if that makes sense. I don't really recommend this. It is fast read. It's pretty like, you know, like page turning and wild. So like, if you sat down to read, I'm sure you get through it in like a few hours because like, it's pretty like compulsively readable, especially if you like an isolated closer on mystery. But I don't think it's very good, not in terms of like being a thriller mystery, not the characterization isn't very good. The premise isn't terribly original. I wouldn't even say the vibe drew that great. It is just kind of like, oh, what crazy thing is going to happen next? Like, I want to know. But yeah, I would not recommend. The next book I read was a huge, huge disappointment for me, although I was warned. So I was a bit prepared. That is Rules of Civility by Amor Tolls. And I really, really loved Lincoln Highway. So I was like, I'll just get some more of his books. After I picked this for my next book from him, that's after I chose it already. But before I read it, that people were like, oh, no, that one is not nearly as good as Lincoln Highway. Gentleman and two gentlemen in Moscow or a gentleman in Moscow, the one about Moscow. Everyone was like, that one's really good too. But not Rules of Civility. So much like, well, I already got it. And how bad could it be? Pretty bad. This just like, didn't really have a plot. And I am a character driven reader. And I like some of the most plotless books out there. But this wasn't, the characters weren't terribly interesting. Their lives weren't terribly interesting. There was just like nothing to this. And it wasn't doing anything very original. The like twist, if you can call it that. Again, there's another book that did it better. And to kind of, to tell you what book would again be spoilery, if you care, although it's not like, this isn't like a thriller, but it is a twist. So I don't want to say what it is, or what book did it better. Again, if you want to know TM me and I'll tell you. But yeah, I basically have seen every single thing that this book is doing, I've seen someone else do it better. Here, I'll do a list of books. And then you won't know which is the one that had a twist in it that was reminiscent of this twist. So there's like shades of Great Gatsby, there's shades of Breakfast at Tiffany's, there's shades of kind of like a Steinbeck type, you know, story with like, depression era stuff, perhaps a bit of catcher in the rhyme. So yeah, like basically, yeah, this book didn't do anything great on its own. And the things that it was a pale limitation of like are so much better that when I was reading it, I was like, not only is it an original, but like, it's reminding me of all these better books. And remind like, you know, it's like, because it reminds me of them, it's setting itself up to be compared to them. And it will always like, lose in that comparison, because the other ones are better. Yeah, people weren't wrong. This was a big, big letdown. It was such a slog to get through. It's not even that long. Lincoln Highway is like twice as long as this. And it was just a much more gripping read. I would rather reread Lincoln Highway. I don't recommend. The next book I read was the book that my patients chose for me to read and vlog for them, which of course I did. And that book was The Three-Body Problem by, oh, I didn't look it up for my TBR. I didn't look it up for the vlog, man, I still didn't look it up. Let's look it up now. Sushin Liu. Six and Liu. Sushin Liu. Sushin Liu, I think after googling. I read this and vlogged it. And I would say I enjoyed this. I think I didn't rate it because like, I tend to not like rate books as I'm vlogging them for my patients. So it'll be like a bit of a surprise when they like, go to watch the vlog. I think I don't think I've gone back to put a rating on it. I think I would give a 3, 3.5 that might round up to 4. People warned me that it doesn't really have characters or any characterization. And if you're a character-driven reader, you'll be miserable. So I went in expecting that. And I mean, I would say, yeah, it's not great on if you're looking for great characters. This is not the place to look. That said, I found it like oddly compelling despite that. Maybe because I would have was prepared for it. Perhaps if I had not been prepared for that, it would have bothered me more. But I wasn't even like looking for that. And actually like another book that my patients made me read was Children of Time. And I think there's a bit of similarity between these two. They are quite different stories, but I think there is a bit of similarity. I feel like Children of Time does not do a terribly good job of characterization either, but it does spend a lot of time, a lot of pages on it, like making an attempt. And here I kind of respect the fact that this book wasn't even like trying to make an attempt at it. So like it didn't waste my time with these extra pages that amount to nothing because I don't end up thinking the characterization is all that good and children of time. So it is just kind of a waste of my time. I also in the vlog, I talked about it a lot, how I had coincidentally recently been consuming a lot of like physics adjacent content, particularly quantum physics adjacent content. So by no means would I call myself an expert on physics or quantum physics, but I was like more aware of that and more just like in a headspace of consuming stuff related to that when I read this, which was to the good because this is a very like physics heavy book. So yeah, I found it interesting in treating decently compelling. I can see why it has buzz. And I am interested to read the next book. It didn't like blow me away. It's not a new favorite. But I am glad I read it. The next book I write on a physical copy of and that is the book that I read secretly. And that is Voice of War by Zach Argyle, which if you didn't see my video, I read it secretly because reading a book that a friend or a friend's spouse has written is like really awkward and like what if you hate it. So I decided to read it secretly because then if I hate it, then I just will never tell anyone that I've read it. And if I like it, well then I'll review it. So obviously, since I did review it, that should tell you I liked it. I did. I have like I said a full review for it. And yeah, I was pleasantly surprised. It's not again like an all time new favorite. I think I gave it four stars. I was quite pleasantly surprised by it. And I certainly plan to continue reading the series. So crisis averted. The next book I read was a reread and that was Golden Sun by Fierce Brown in continuation of the Red Rising readalong, which myself, Alex and Angela are hosting. The live chat for this was on Alex's channel, so I'll leave that link down below. There's still time to enter the giveaway for the Golden Sun giveaway. The winner will be announced in our Morningstar Live that will be on Angela's channel. So go watch it, go enter if you haven't. And yeah, Golden Sun was my favorite in the original trilogy. I haven't yet reread Morningstar, but I feel certain that Golden Sun will continue to be my favorite. Golden Sun is just like such a wild, chaotic ride. It's so good. So yeah, I had a blast rereading it, had a blast chatting about it with Alex and Angela, and I'm really excited to read Morningstar. The next book I read, some of my patrons were supposed to read it with me. I don't think any of them finished it or actually I think maybe one or two of them did finish it and like gave it a very low rating because they grudgingly finished it. So I kind of took my time with it because they were like hating it. But I did finally finish it myself. And I didn't hate it. And that book was The Hood by Lavie Taddar, which is the second in the antimatter quartet. Antimatter quartet? Yes, possibly. Say it on here somewhere. Yes, Antimatter of Britain, the first one being Biforce Alone. And Biforce Alone is a wild Grimdark speculative interpretation of the Arthur myth. This is a wild speculative Grimdark version of Robin Hood. And I was really, really excited for this. I really liked Biforce Alone, although admittedly Biforce Alone is a very, really weird book. I have a review from it from ages ago where I was like, yeah, this book is really, really weird. And for me, it just like falls like this side of brilliant. I think even in that review, I was like, it's just straddling the line between something that I would love and something that I would hate. And it like just falls on the love side because it's like, it's out there, but like just manages to be something that I would love. The Hood, I think I like Biforce Alone a little bit better. But I did really like The Hood and it's another, it's even more so something that I feel like I like it and I don't at all blame anyone for disliking. I think I said that about Biforce Alone too. I was like, if you don't like this book, like I don't blame you. It's weird. Super should be weird. So like, if you hate it, like I get it. And The Hood, I even more so if you hate it, like I get it. But actually, I think I might like The Hood better. But purely because like between the two myths, between Robin Hood and King Arthur, I'm a Robin Hood girly. I always have been. I definitely prefer Robin Hood and all his associated like myths and interpretations and versions and legends to King Arthur always have, which is another reason I was so excited for this. So I was like, I like Biforce Alone and the project of it. And he's going to do that with Robin Hood like hell yeah. But so in the first place, I did tell my patrons you don't have to read Biforce Alone because like they're not connected, you know, like Robin Hood is like centuries after King Arthur. Like how could they possibly be connected? Like why would you need to read it? I take that back though. I mean, I hadn't read The Hood yet when I said it. I was just assuming. But yeah, I take that back. If you have not read Biforce Alone, this will be even more bewildering, confusing and disorienting. So ideally do read Biforce Alone first. And then if you're not familiar with the Robin Hood myth or legend or like Robin Hood stories or the characters or the history of the time period of Robin Hood, you will be really, really, really, really confused and lost. And then it does reference Ivanhoe because Ivanhoe is kind of what popularized Robin Hood again. And no one but me likes Ivanhoe apparently. I love Ivanhoe. So all the times it was referencing Ivanhoe and like the specific like version of Robin Hood that we get from Ivanhoe and like adjacent characters, I was living for it because I love Ivanhoe. And it makes a lot of strange references and a lot of strange like cultural um, homages. And it's just a real big hodgepodge of stuff. And it's quite like darkly humorous and a metatextual and very, very bizarre and like very high concept. I will say if you're upset by fungus imagery, which I know some people like Mara from books like WoW are, a word of caution. There's lots of funguses and mold and mushrooms and things like that in this. Yeah, it's, there's a lot of swearing. There's a lot of references. There's a lot of, it does not really bother to explain anything to you at all. So like I happen to like like Robin Hood a lot. I like movies that generally take place around the Crusades. I love the book Ivanhoe. I like Lobby Tendara's writing style. I had read Biforce Alone first. All of this like combined with the fact that I have clearly a, I don't know, this is to my taste at least to some degree. Like Biforce Alone, like by the skin of its teeth did work for me. And so like I am more into the vibe of what he's doing with this series already. I get what he's referencing. I'm into what he's referencing. And the chaotic bizarreness of it works for me. But I can't in good conscience recommend this book like widely. If you really like Robin Hood, if you have read Ivanhoe, if like his writing style works for you, and ideally you have read Biforce Alone, and you're like, yeah, let's do it, then then I recommend it. But like, I don't know any who, who besides me that describes apparently Lobby Tendara. So yeah, like if you don't know the characters for Robin Hood, like if you don't know the names of his like, you know, Mary Men, if you don't know who the antagonist is, if you don't know anything about like the history of that time period, you would have literally no idea what's happening. And even if you do know those things, you would slightly have no idea what's happening, especially if you only know that and you've never read Ivanhoe. Because there are characters here that are specifically from Ivanhoe. So if you've only ever read like, you know, like some compendiums of like the legends of Robin Hood and his Mary Men, or like you've only seen the Errol Flynn movie or the Russell Crow movie or the Disney movie, if like that's all you know, you'd still be confused and lost and bewildered. And yeah. So what I'm saying is like, I had a good time with this, and I did enjoy this. But this is a weird project. And somehow this book manages to be weirder than by force alone. And by force alone was super weird. So um, yeah, I don't know, take that for what you will. I'm not mad I read it. But you know, I don't know what to tell you. I don't know. I don't think I could recommend this to anyone but myself. The next book I read was The Embers By Glass by Philip Pullman, the third and final book in his dark materials, though not the final book in that universe. This was my second time reading this. My patrons and I were buddy reading the or read a longing or whatever. This was the patreon buddy read. So we had to chat about it. I'm not mad that I reread the series. I mean, it was my idea to reread the series, but I had a really good time rereading it. I had a really good time chatting about it with my patrons. And I do think it was a worthwhile series, even though I do think like my ratings for the books go like go downhill, like it starts at five, then the second one is four, and the third one is three stars. So I do think they like, it does steadily go downhill. But I nevertheless think that like it is more than some of its parts. And I do like enjoy the project of it. And there's a lot of like individual things in The Embers By Glass that even though I think like there's a lot holding it back from being like a perfect or amazing or ideal, but there are individual pockets of brilliance in it that I do really, really love. Like if I was to rate individually aspects of this book, there's lots of like five star things that are in this book, but like the way it's put together, the way that it's organized, like the way other things that are done are like not that great. So that on balance, I have to give it a three because like the whole of it doesn't really quite gel. But individual things in it, I love like this book has made me cry both times that I read it. And I still give it three stars. So like, it does some things quite brilliantly. So I do still recommend the series, I am still glad I read it and I probably will reread it again in future. But yeah, anyway, Embers By Glass. And the last book that I read was the third book in the Book of the Sun because my patrons and I are reading and chatting about that. So we read Sword of the Lictor in March and in April, we are reading Citadel of the Autarch. And I had previously read up through the end of Sword of the Lictor. So Citadel of the Autarch will be brand new to me. So I'm quite excited to read it and to chat about it with my patrons. But this is a wrap up on my TBR, so Sword of the Lictor. Bananas. We talked about it. Our first two chats for Shadow of the Torcher and Claw of the Consilator were each like three hours. And our chat for Sword of the Lictor was like over three hours. And I was getting sick already, like the colds that I had. I had like a really, really bad sore throat. But we still talked about it for three and a half hours. So there's a lot to these books. And when we finish Citadel of the Autarch, that will be the end of like the Book of the New Sun. And we are still going to read Earth of the New Sun. But like, I have to think that our chat about Citadel, because not only we'll be we'll be chatting about Citadel, but that means we'll also be able to finally chat about the whole of the Book of the New Sun. It's kind of be like five hours, I feel like. I'm just like clearing my entire day. Clearing like my calendar that day to like chat about Citadel of the Autarch, because yeah. Anyway, I'm really excited about it. Sword of the Lictor was wild and it was so fun to talk about it. And yeah, I'm so glad that we decided to do this. Yeah. And those are all the books that I read in March. I wanted to say April. We're in April. Anyway, let me know in the comments down below if you've read these books, if you plan to read these books, if you will never read these books, if you loved and hated them, whatever you want to let me know. I post videos on Saturdays, other random covers as well, don't be Saturdays. Like and subscribe, join my Patreon if you feel so inclined, and I'll see you when I see you.