Reviews - The Keysmash Blog

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

Book Review: The Modern Girl’s Guide To Magic By Linsey Hall

October 27, 2023October 24, 2023 tanazmasaba

I might be a big fan of high fantasy, but every once in a while, I get an itch to read a fun supernatural story–usually featuring vampires or witches. Which is why I knew I would love Modern Girl’s Guide To Magic by Linsey Hall when I first picked it up, and I was right.

A light and charming story about a witch with wonky powers trying to prove herself, The Modern Girl’s Guide To Magic by Linsey Hall is a fun cozy read with just the right sprinkling of magic and romance.

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Book Corner, Contemporary, Home, Poetry, Reviews

Review: Heavy Is The Head by Sumaya Enyegue

August 10, 2023July 25, 2023 tanazmasaba

As someone who has an intense love of poetry, I am always looking forward to discovering new poets and their works. And very recently, I discovered Heavy is the Head by Sumyaya Enyegue, and I was absolutely entranced by how emotionally beautiful her works are.

A collection of heartwrenching poems, Heavy Is The Head by Sumaya Enyegue is an unforgettable debut that reminds you of what it means to be truly vulnerable.

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Book Review of Orchard of Skeletons by Eli Wilde

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

Review: Orchard Of Skeletons by Eli Wilde

August 3, 2023July 25, 2023 tanazmasaba

It’s been a while since the last time I picked up a dystopian horror, but even then, I did not expect Orchard of Skeletons by Eli Wilde to be such an unforgettable and incredible survival story! Centered around two teenagers on the run for freedom, Orchard of Skeletons is a dark and gruesome story set in a post-apocalyptic world where most of humanity have died to a pandemic while the rest that are alive would do anything to survive, even if it means resorting to nightmarish violence.

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

Review: Daughter Of The Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

June 24, 2023June 24, 2023 tanazmasaba

I am the problem, it’s me.

For real though. Highly appropriate Taylor Swift references aside, Daughter Of The Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan is hit-or-miss; you’ll either love it or you won’t. And I…am not quite fond of it. That’s not an issue with the book itself, it’s just a very personal preference.

Sounds ambiguous? Here’s my explanation for those who care to read.

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

Review: The Dos And Donuts Of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar

June 10, 2023June 10, 2023 tanazmasaba

As a Bangladeshi woman who has never really seen her culture represented accurately in media or literature, I was beyond thrilled for the release of The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar! It was in fact, number one on my list of most anticipated summer book releases of 2023. The story follows Shireen Malik, a Bangladeshi teenager being raised in Ireland, who gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in a reality TV baking show.

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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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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, 2022March 8, 2023 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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