V.E. Schwab dissects human nature by shining a spotlight on a band of unique, enthralling characters that can only be described as villains.

This whimsical, swashbuckling fantasy adventure turns out to be a profound, inclusive, tongue-in-cheek exploration of the power of books.

The plot works well enough as a standalone, with most of the key conflicts getting resolved, while other aspects are left as a series arch.

What kept me hooked to this novel was the overall allure of the narrative, half of which is a story within a story.

I loved this book. I still have no idea what exactly happened in this book. I think this book was trying too hard.

Fancy a wild YA fantasy ride across fictional seas and an unidentified island full of a mix of truly horrible people and lovable gays? Ahoy!

The story is offers a fascinating take on Fae mythology, featuring some cool aspects I haven't encountered before, along with the classics.

This book introduces a fantastical magical world with strong Latinx origins. The magic system is interesting, the plot is average. Fun read.

Kiersten White does a fantastic job of turning the well-known story on its head and surprising the reader with some clever twists.

Neil Gaiman masterfully weaves the various myths into a narratives which flows, and makes linear sense, complete with multiple callbacks.

If you love humour, historical fiction, buck-wild plots, the Tudor England or any combination of the above, you should read this book.

You'll need a couple of chapters to settle into this strange universe, what with the main character starting off as a frog.

I enjoyed learning more about the world and the characters, but the book on the whole felt like a filler novel.

This book has got everything. It has gays, lesbians, bisexuals, cultists, demons, scenic European cities.

There's something to be said about the magic of a prequel - we get a glimpse of the past, where heroes and villains are shaping the world.