Reviews - The Keysmash Blog

Book Corner, Adult, Diverse Books, Home, Own Voices, Retellings, Reviews, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Book Review: Song Of The Mango And Other New Myths by Vida Cruz-Borja

May 5, 2023June 7, 2023 tanazmasaba

If you have been here for a while, then you must know about my love for fairy tales, folklore and fantasy. When I picked up Song of the Mango And Other New Myths, I was expecting a collection of fantastical, whimsical stories rooted in Filipino folklore and mythology, that would sweep me off my feet and take me to places that could only exist in my imagination.

Book Cover Song Of The Mango And Other New Myths by Vida Cruz Borja

I got all of that and so. Much. More.

At times enchanting and captivating, at times unnerving, Song of the Mango by Vida Cruz-Borja is an anthology like no other. With stories that openly and joyfully celebrate Filipino culture and heritage, Song of the Mango And Other New Myths is an epic collection of fantastical stories written with great, vivid imagery, along with elements of Filipino folklore as well as modern and contemporary themes.

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I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn Book Review

Book Corner, Contemporary, Diverse Books, Home, Reviews, Romance, Young Adult

Book Review: I Love You So Mochi By Sarah Kuhn

April 19, 2023April 25, 2023 tanazmasaba

Since I seemed to have found a strange sort of obsession with fluffy teen romances in my mid-20s, I have been reading more and more Young Adult Romance novels. And this year, I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn really hit the sweet spot for me!

An absolute sweet treat, I Love You So Mochi by Sarah Kuhn is a delightful, heartfelt story about discovering your identity, reconnecting with your roots, mending bridges between your family members, and finding love along the way.

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Book Corner, Historical Fiction, Home, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult

Book Review: The Gilded Wolves By Roshani Chokshi

September 11, 2022May 5, 2023 tanazmasaba

This might be my first book review of The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi, but it is the second time I am reading the story. And once again, I find myself absolutely in love with the glamorous, dangerous world that Roshani Chokshi has created.

Set in the 1890’s, during France’s Beautiful Era, The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi is a thrilling, fantasy heist story that deeply explores the gruesome exploitation of Western colonization and systematic racism.

Book Review: The Gilded Wolves By Roshani Chokshi

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Book Corner, Home, Horror, Reviews, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Thriller, Young Adult

Book Review: The Sacrifice By Rin Chupeco

September 4, 2022May 6, 2023 tanazmasaba

Having read Rin Chupeco’s The Bone Witch trilogy, I knew I was in for a treat. Let it be known that my expectations for this book were VERY high, and Rin Chupeco surpassed them all!

Book Review: The Sacrifice By Rin Chupeco

Spine-tingling, creepy, and ominous, The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco is a terrifying horror story about a mysterious boy trying to guide a team from Hollywood as they try to film real footage of a cursed island in the Philippines, one where they say a powerful god sleeps, awaiting eight sacrifices that would wake him so he can remake the world.

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Book Corner, Home, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult

Book Review: Belladonna By Adalyn Grace

August 25, 2022January 8, 2024 tanazmasaba

This has to be hands-down one of my favorite Young Adult fantasy novels of the year! A dark, intriguing YA Gothic Fantasy about a girl who can see ghosts but cannot die, and her strange connection with Death himself–Belladonna by Adalyn Grace is equal parts coming-of-age romance and murder mystery combined in one.

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Book Corner, Home, Reviews, Thriller, Young Adult

Review: The Girl From The Well by Rin Chupeco

August 5, 2022September 4, 2022 tanazmasaba

Riveting and full of suspense, The Girl From The Well is an amazing YA horror novel by Rin Chupeco. The creepy narration style combined with incredibly well-developed characters, The Girl From The Well by Rin Chupeco is quite an intriguing story, and unique in the way the story is told from the lens of a dead girl.

That’s right, our main character, Okiku, has been dead for several long years now. And she is the one who tells us a horror story about a cursed young boy named Tarquin, who has demons trapped beneath his skin, and a secret family history involving eerie doll rituals and exorcisms that follow ancient Japanese rituals.

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Book Corner, Bookish News & Releases, Home, Other Bookish Stuff, Reviews, Romance, sci-fi, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Young Adult

Blog Tour: Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin [Review + Exclusive Giveaway]

August 1, 2022August 2, 2022 tanazmasaba

As a big fan of all things science-fiction and fantasy, I was super excited to get my hands on Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin–an upcoming, Filipino-inspired, young adult fantasy novel about an orphaned teenage girl who must step up to bring peace to a war-torn world.

Set in a lush, vibrant tropical world–one where dangerous beasts roam the earth and humans are forced to build entire villages and cities amidst giant spreading trees—Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin follows a young girl named Seri, who is hired as an assistant for Eshai, a battle-hardened legendary commander whose life is dedicated to protecting humans against the attack of beasts.

However, Seri’s world quickly turns upside down when she runs into Tsana, a mysterious girl who can communicate with these wild beasts and seems to be in league with them.

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Adult, Book Corner, Home, sci-fi

Review: Someone In Time by Jonathan Strahan

June 17, 2022July 2, 2022 tanazmasaba

The older I grow, the more fondness I seem to have for romance novels. And the love stories that resonate with me the most are usually the ones where two people need to overcome impossible challenges to find their way back to each other.

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Book Corner, Home, Mystery & Thriller, Reviews, Thriller, Young Adult

Review: Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

May 13, 2022 tanazmasaba

An absolutely jaw-dropping and riveting novel that perfectly tackles all the ugliness of systematic racism, Ace of Spades is a terrifying and addictive story about two talented Black kids trying to survive in a world that is hell-bent on bringing them down.

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Book Corner, Home, Thriller, Young Adult

Review: The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

May 5, 2022 tanazmasaba

An absolutely bewitching tale of a witch on the run, an unwilling muscle for hire who refuses violence, and an adorable corgi, The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones is a fast-paced and enchanting YA fantasy heist story that will keep you turning the pages late into the night.

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