Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Maiga Doocy SERIES: The Wildersongs Trilogy #1 GENRE: Fantasy-Romance PUBLICATION DATE: October 15, 2024 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A fantasy-romance about two rivals forced to work together to overcome a challenge. Decent amount of fantasy, barely any romance. Interesting magic system. Annoying lead characters. SLOWBURN (use of CAPS deliberate!). Aimed at adults, but strong YA feels. First of a planned trilogy; incomplete ending. This is an outlier review. Plot Preview: Leo Loveage‘s passion lies in music, but he is forced to continue his family legacy and study sorcery to satisfy his father. He can handle small magic, but fails miserably at grand magic. To add to his troubles, magic partners have been reassigned this semester, and Leo now has to work with his long-time nemesis Sebastian Grimm, a talented grump. A muddled spell causes Leo to be under Sebastian’s command. They both realise that if anyone discovers this mistake, their future will be in jeopardy because of t...

  AUTHOR:  Brian Frederick ILLUSTRATOR: Vivien Sárkány GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE:  November 27, 2025 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A picture book about a little dachshund trying to help someone without getting tempted by distractions. A quirky story matched by equally quirky art. Has unexpected fantasy additions, which could go either way. The title doesn’t represent the plot accurately. Going in with the right expectations will make this an enjoyable story for dog-loving kids.  Plot Preview:  Siggy the dachshund lives with Phyllis and her family in a small hamlet called Hope in Somerset, England. Siggy knows all the villagers and they know him too. Siggy even talks to all the villagers, but only a few can understand him back. One day, Siggy tries to rescue a flyaway birthday gift, but there are so many distractions along the way! Will he be successful in retrieving it without losing his focus?   The story is written...

AUTHOR: Kelly Fernandez GENRE: Middle-grade Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: November 2, 2021 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A middle-grade graphic novel about some magical girls, some dangerous stunts, and some heroic nuns. (You read that right!) The story was entertaining, but some of the writing choices in the second half didn’t work for me. It also left a key mystery unresolved. Might be worth a read mainly for the atypical plot and the OwnVoices (Dominican Republic) factor. Plot Preview: Manuela, who prefers to be called Manu, and her best friend Josefina live at a magical girls’ school run by nuns. Josefina is a fairly diligent student while Manu is always getting into trouble, even when she means well. The headmistress genuinely believes that Manu has the potential to use her magic for public good, but the rest of the nuns feel otherwise. One day, when Manu’s prank goes terribly wrong, Josefina gets upset and wishes for Manu’s magic to disappear. Unfortunately, that wish comes t...

AUTHOR: Courtney Floyd GENRE: Dark Academia, Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: October 7, 2025 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A dark-academia novel filled with witches and magic and supernatural stuff. Fairly cosy despite the darkness. Excellent themes, though a bit preachy at times. Decent characters and plot, slow-ish pace, predictable mystery. A bit too cluttered, but many subplots become relevant later. Had great potential, but somehow, it ends up just ‘good’ instead of ‘fabulous’. Still, recommended. Plot Preview: Dorothe Bartleby is a first-generation graduate student who teaches spell-making to freshers while simultaneously preparing for her doctoral submission to become a mage. She had flunked her first exam after freezing with anxiety, so the second attempt is her last chance to prove her thesis that magic existed in classical literature. Her troubles increase when her advisor recommends that she use Digimancy to prove her dissertation. Dorothe isn't destined to use tech well....

AUTHOR: Brian Frederick ILLUSTRATOR: Vivien Sárkány GENRE: Children's Story Book PUBLICATION DATE: August 4, 2021 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A cute little children’s book about ‘love at first sight’ between a dachshund pup and a little girl. Lovely story, great word usage, whimsical illustrations. Much recommended. Plot Preview: “Puppy 3” ( who shall later be called ‘Siggy’ ) isn't sure about what he is meant to do, but he likes to think about a lot of things such as his breakfast or the robins outside his window or his mummy who isn't with him during the day. When he sees a little girl come to his place, his world changes immediately. The story is written in Siggy’s third-person perspective. Children’s story books often have dogs, but dachshunds are not among the commonly found breeds. So when I saw this book with its quirky cover art and featuring a sausage dog, I knew I would give it a go. This book is a prequel to introduce us to the adorable little dachshund pu...

AUTHOR: Jordi Lafebre TRANSLATOR: Montana Kane GENRE: Graphic Novel PUBLICATION DATE: May 26, 2021 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A graphic novel that left me uncertain of my feelings. Almost balanced between positives and negatives in terms of quantity, but the negatives were heftier in weight. It does have some appeal, though I don’t think I can recommend it heartily. This is an outlier opinion. Plot Preview: Newly retired mayor Ana and newly-turned-PhD Zeno, both in their sixties, are meeting after thirty-seven years, hoping to finally get started on their life together. What happened in the last four decades? Why couldn’t the two be together? We learn their story in reverse chronological order. This book was first published in 2020 in French under the title ‘Malgré tout’. This English translation came out in 2022. There are two ways of looking at this story. One: It’s a story about two lovers who stayed apart until they were finally free to be with each other. Two: It’s a story ...

AUTHOR: Emma Davies GENRE: Contemporary Romance. PUBLICATION DATE: October 8, 2025 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fiction with middle-aged characters. Promoted as a romance, but it barely meets the bill. Some decent characters, but a couple of annoying ones as well. Lacklustre character development, decent plot, slow pace, some good emotions. Attempts magical realism but fails. Might work better if you are looking for a contemplative story than a feel-good or romantic one. Suspension of disbelief required. This is an outlier opinion. Plot Preview: After visiting her old aunt, middle-aged Peg is on her way back home hoping to reach quickly, but an unexpected traffic jam blocks her progress on the highway. Stuck in the same jam is Henry, who is on his way to his son’s house for Christmas. The two had met coincidentally just some hours ago at the petrol station, so when Peg sees Henry, she strikes up a conversation. Their chat is mutually enjoyable and when the jam finally...

AUTHOR: Archie Superstars GENRE: Comic. PUBLICATION DATE: October 20, 2020 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A collection of some of the best Christmas stories from Archies comics dating from the 1950s to the 2010s. A good option for those who want to enjoy the antics of Archie and gang with a festive flavour. This comics compilation collects some wonderful Christmas tales published in Archies comics over the years. Most of the stories are either humorous or heartwarming; sometimes, both. The stories are arranged in chronological order, with the first section coming from the 1950s and the final one from the 2010s. I am not a big fan of the newer comics. ( This is true not just for Archie’s, but for most long-term comics .) The present-day stories simply don’t have the same appeal as the strips from a few decades before. So it was great to a major chunk for the book coming from the comics between 1950 to 2000, with just a handful of stories being from this century. This book offers an i...

AUTHOR: Kat Saturn ILLUSTRATOR: Chrystal Phegley GENRE: Teen Fantasy-Adventure PUBLICATION DATE: November 17, 2025 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A teen fantasy about a stellar [pun intended] adventurous quest. Great characters, but even greater inclusions of astronomy, history, and anthropology. Light in terms of approach, but hefty in intelligence. Too many whats, not enough whys. Fabulous illustrations. A nice, thought-provoking option for those willing to try a complex read. Plot Preview: Eleven-year-old Elli Veil has always been fascinated by the stars, especially by a bright star that shines every night high beyond her bedroom window. Staying in a cult-like isolated community, Elli believes that the stars hold the promise of life beyond her village of Box Hollow. However, one night, that star abruptly disappears and no one in Elli’s whereabouts seems to care. But the little girl knows something is wrong, and with some unexpected partners, she sets off on a quest to locate the...

AUTHOR: Mackenzi Lee GENRE: Historical Romance PUBLICATION DATE: September 9, 2025 RATING: 2.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical Sapphic romance set during the Regency period. Interesting characters, but average plot development. Started off well for me, but it couldn’t sustain the vibes. Anachronous and inaccurate in various ways, so better if read as a fantastical version of history. Fairly ribald, though the spicy scenes are not that explicit. Might work for readers looking for mindless entertainment because it does offer many moments of fun. This is an outlier opinion. Plot Preview: Thirty-four-year-old Harriet Lockhart, the daughter of a prostitute, plays male roles in bawdy Shakespeare productions on Drury Lane. She lives life on her own terms, so when a mysterious letter comes out of the blue, she is surprised to learn the identity of her benefactor, and aggravated at his condition for continued funding: she must start living a respectable life and find a decent husband. Twenty...

AUTHOR: Laura J. Mayo SERIES: Fairies and Familiars, #2 GENRE: Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: October 7, 2025 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A fairytale fantasy continuing Theo's story from Book One. Good characters, many returning and some new. A thin plot with a weak mystery. Offers popcorn entertainment but no depth or logic. I liked it, but not as much as the first book. The second book of the Fairies and Familiars duology and needs to be read in series order. Plot Preview: (This preview contains minor spoilers from the first book.) Theo is trying to settle in her a new life as Cecily's familiar, but with most fairies either being ignorant about or obnoxious to humans, Theo is struggling. She misses Kaz, the only person who would have understood her problems. To add to her woes, she is being stalked by a stranger. When the stranger finally approaches her, Theo learns about a thousand-year-old secret, and finds herself right in the middle of new fairy bargains and dangers. Th...

AUTHOR: Kathleen M. Blasi ILLUSTRATOR: Petronela Dostalova GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: August 12, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A heartwarming picture book about a little space lover and his ‘mission’. Loved the story, writing, characters, and ending. The illustrations are great as well. The information on meteors was a bonus. Much recommended. Plot Preview: Young Milo loves space and dreams of playing take-off with his “Second-in-Command”, his Mom. Unfortunately, Mom has plenty of tasks and even though Milo helps her, her list of chores never seems to diminish. When the weather forecast predicts a meteor storm in the middle of the night, Milo is desperate to witness it. But will his Second-in-Command have the time to help him accomplish this mission? The story is written in Milo’s third-person perspective. All children love to look at the moon and the stars, but several actually dream of flying through space. Young Milo is one such sweet kid. I loved...

AUTHOR: Estelle Nadel with Bethany Strout ILLUSTRATOR: Sammy Savos GENRE: Graphical Memoir PUBLICATION DATE: January 23, 2024 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: An upper-middle-grade graphic memoir recounting a Polish-Jewish girl’s experiences during the WWII Holocaust. Excellent presentation of the characters and their struggles. Mixed feelings about the art. Intense scenes, not surprising given the theme. Not for sensitive children. Enia Feld, who later becomes ‘Estelle Nadel’, was born to a large Jewish family in a small Polish village named Borek. The youngest of five, with the closest sibling being seven years older than her, Enia is the baby of the family. She loves to spend her days singing in the fields, playing with her siblings, and helping her mother in whatever little ways she can. All this changes when the Nazis invade Poland in 1939. Over the next five years, five-year-old Enia goes from the girl who sang at every opportunity to the silenced child in hiding, living on the...