Tag: tori bovalino

Book Review: The Second Death of Locke – V. L. Bovalino

Book Review: The Second Death of Locke – V. L. Bovalino

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Series: The Hand and the Heart #1
Release date: September 23 2025
Publisher: Orbit Books
Pages: 504
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 5/5 stars

Synopsis

Love. Loyalty. Sacrifice.

Grey Flynn has dedicated her life to her mage, Kier.

She will be his blade on the battlefield, his healer and protector. The deep well of raw power inside her is Kier’s to use. Grey would do anything for Kier – be anything for him – if he would only ask.

When a quest to protect the child of an enemy kingdom pulls them into the dangerous heart of their nation’s war, Grey and Kier will need to decide what they are willing to sacrifice to protect their secret.

For Grey is no ordinary magical well, but heir to the lost island of Locke – the root of all power. If she dies, all magic dies with her.

Review

The Second Death of Locke is a beautiful and addictive fantasy book that I could not put down. The story follows Grey Flynn – Grey is a Hand who acts as a well for her mage, Kier. Without her, Kier can’t do magic, and the two are inseparable. When Kier and Grey are sent on a mission to escort the lost heir of Locke to safety, the team knows this mission is going to be fraught with danger, because not only must they keep this mysterious heir alive, they also have to protect their deepest secret – that Grey is actually the lost heir of Locke.

I’ve read three other books by Tori Bovalino and given them five stars, so this was one of my most anticipated releases of 2025. I’m so happy to say that I absolutely loved this book. From start to finish, it was filled with beautiful, lyrical writing and a plot that kept me glued. I thought the story had such a unique, compelling premise, and it was paced really well. There were some twists I didn’t see coming, and I am so intrigued about where Bovalino is going to take the story in book two. There’s plenty of action to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, and while I’m not a big romance person, I thought the romance was really well developed in the story.  

Bovalino has created some really compelling characters, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with Grey and Kier. Grey spends most of her time covered in blood and dirt, she’s a bit on the angry side, and she often speaks up when she shouldn’t. I loved the dynamics between her and Kier, but also between her and the rest of their group as she began to open up and trust people. Kier is also a really likable character, he’s brave and determined and willing to do anything to protect the people he cares about. All the characters in The Second Death of Locke are complex and well crafted, and I can’t wait to see where they end up next.

The Second Death of Locke is an incredibly engaging fantasy adventure full of magic, mystery, and romance. This will without a doubt be in my favourite reads of 2025 so if you’re looking for a fantasy read that will keep you hooked till the very last page, this is one you do not want to miss.

 

Book Review: My Throat an Open Grave – Tori Bovalino

Book Review: My Throat an Open Grave – Tori Bovalino

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Release date: February 20 2024
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 320
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: I received an E-ARC via Netgalley
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Synopsis

Fall under the spell of the Lord of the Wood and uncover the dark past of a village that will go to any lengths to ensure its maidens stay good.

In the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania, they fear the Lord of the Wood almost as much as they fear God. According to legend, ghosts of the nearby forest steal unattended babies, leaving enigmatic tokens of wood and bone in their place. Leah Jones didn’t believe the legend, thinking it just a way to scare the local kids―until her baby brother disappears.

Filled with shame and the weight of the town’s judgment, Leah crosses the river into the Lord of the Wood’s domain to bring her brother back. But the devilish figure who has haunted Winston for generations isn’t what she expects. He tells her she can have her brother back… for a price.

It’s a bargain that will uncover secrets her hometown has tried to keep buried for decades. And what she unearths will have her questioning everything she’s been taught to fear.

Review

Tori Bovalino’s newest release follows Leah, a young girl who spends much of her time looking after her baby brother Owen. In their small town there is legend about the Lord of the Wood, who steals away babies. One night Leah offers her brother to the Lord, not believing anything will happen – until he disappears. Leah is forced by her town to cross the river into the forest to bring her brother back. What she finds isn’t what she expected and the secrets she uncovers will have her questioning everything she thought she knew about the people of her town.

I really loved Tori Bovalino’s The Devil Makes Three so I was really looking forward to picking this one up. The story is well paced and I very much enjoyed Bovalino’s writing style. She’s terrific at creating atmosphere and bringing the eerie sights and sounds of the forest to life. There were moments in the story that I thought were a little predictable, but overall the story went in directions I did not expect, and overall was a really engaging read. From the initial chapters, I had expected it to be a really dark and creepy tale but that lessened as the story progressed.

Leah is a really interesting protagonist and she is dealing with a lot of trauma and the expectations of her family. I found it fascinating the way relationships were explored in this story as well as looking at the effects of religion can have on a small community. My Throat an Open Grave is a compelling YA tale and if you’re looking for a quick read that’s full of vivid and beautiful writing, this one should definitely be on your TBR.

Book Review: The Devil Makes Three – Tori Bovalino

Book Review: The Devil Makes Three – Tori Bovalino

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 1 Comment


Release Date: September 14th 2021
Publisher: Titan Books
Pages: 400
Find it on: Goodreads. BookDepository. Waterstones.
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis

When Tess and Eliot stumble upon an ancient book hidden in a secret tunnel beneath their school library, they accidentally release a devil from his book-bound prison, and he’ll stop at nothing to stay free. He’ll manipulate all the ink in the library books to do his bidding, he’ll murder in the stacks, and he’ll bleed into every inch of Tess’s life until his freedom is permanent. Forced to work together, Tess and Eliot have to find a way to re-trap the devil before he kills everyone they know and love, including, increasingly, each other. And compared to what the devil has in store for them, school stress suddenly doesn’t seem so bad after all.

Review

The Devil Makes Three is one of those books that I read at the absolute perfect time and I got completely wrapped up in the story. This YA fantasy/horror follows Tess, an assistant at the Jessop Library – home to a large collection of ancient (and dangerous) grimoires. Eliot is the headmaster’s son is desperate to get his hands on some of the most restricted texts in the library. When Tess and Eliot accidentally stumble upon a secret tunnel in the library, they find a strange book that releases an ancient devil from his prison. This leaves Tess and Eliot no choice but to work together to find a way to put the devil back before it destroys everything they know and love.

This book had me hooked from the very first page. I’m a big fan of dark academia and this book felt so well crafted. The story had tons of atmosphere and the writing was so vivid and beautiful that I could not put the book down. I loved the library setting and I was so fascinated by the magic in this book. I loved the way Bovalino blended both fantasy and horror – it meant I was never quite sure what to expect. The story was pretty quick paced and I ended up glued to the book long into the night.

The Devil Makes Three is an incredibly impressive debut and one I think fans of V. E. Schwab and Leigh Bardugo’s Ninth House will absolutely adore. Bovalino has some really well-crafted characters and it was so compelling seeing Eliot and Tess work together to put the devil back. I really liked both characters and they both dealing with complex pasts and complicated family lives. This spooky book is an absolute must-read and is perfect for getting lost in on a dark winter night. I have no doubts that The Devil Makes Three is going to be a high contender for one of my favourite books of the year.