Review: Baby Teeth

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This didn't feel like horror to me - more like just hellish parenthood.

The premise is a troublesome child who is an angel for dad but targets mum with psychotic behaviour.

Presumably, the horror is how demonic the child is, but honestly she really just strikes me as a bad kid, rather than anything supernatural. Because of that, it's hard to really get sucked into the novel. It really feels more like you're reading about the experience of a mother trying to manage a child with chronic bad behaviour.

There are some interesting ideas around parents hating their kids, or loving them unconditionally, or wishing to go back to the simpler time before kids, so I think these themes will really resonate with people who have kids and have secretly held similar thoughts. These are taboo topics that you're almost forbidden to discuss as a parent, so the sentiments in the book might help examine personal feelings.

As a childless adult, though, it just wasn't that entertaining.

There's nothing horrific here, and while the kid does some messed up stuff, none of it really jumps out as particularly demonic. A little evil, perhaps, but not enough to bring a lot of liveliness to the story.

I enjoyed it okay but it just wasn't anything particularly special.

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Review: Warrior Princess Assassin

Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Bruh. This was all kinds of not-for-me and I will be forever scarred by its one spectacularly graphic sex scene.

The whole story feels pretty weak from the get-go: a forced marriage between a Princess who is often excluded from politicking by her brother, to a brutal king who is rumoured to be bloodthirsty and awful. And unfortunately her deadly assassin best friend can't save her.

Naturally, all of the roles are lies - the princess isn't pampered, the brutal king is a sweetheart, and the deadly assassin is broken by his past. The alpha male here is the king, so get ready for him to be overprotective and somehow immediately saving their asses at every turn.

The story is a rather bland journey from one kingdom to another, filled with more loaded glances and stroking hair off faces than any kind of drama or action. There's so much touching and mooning that it becomes unbearable almost immediately. It is very much a story that is just an excuse to build a romance, rather than an organic romance that grows from the story.

The whole thing is actually painfully PG up until the last 50 or so pages when it becomes extremely explicit, so romance fans will be mostly disappointed until the last little bit, and non-romance fans have to suffer through an excruciating slow-burn for the entirety of the book.

This really was painful from start to finish, and very clearly a romance written for romance's sake, without much thought to building a strong story. I was not a fan at all, and I don't think I could even recommend it to romance fans as it's dramatic 180 in the romance side of things makes it alienating for both explicit and non-explicit fans. Perhaps those who enjoy slow-burn and are willing to skip over the graphic stuff will enjoy this the most.

With thanks to Harper Collins for an ARC

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Review: I Know I Should Exercise, But...: 44 Reasons We Don't Move and How to Get Over Them

I Know I Should Exercise, But...: 44 Reasons We Don't Move and How to Get Over Them by Diana Hill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Narrated by Diana Hill & Katy Bowman
Presented by Uphill Books

This was a really motivating listen.

It wasn't all relevant, as there's a lot that revolves around kids, or pets, but it had some really great snippets of inspiration.

This one is narrated by the authors, and I think it does really make a difference. You can hear the authenticity in the messages they're trying to convey, and they're clearly passionate about what they do. I appreciated that.

This lists a whole bunch of different excuses, so chances are at least one of them will be relatable for you. It allows self-compassion and a chance to pick apart the true feelings that might prevent us taking better care of our physical health.

It definitely feels like it's aimed at middle-aged mothers, but there's plenty here for the rest of us, too. While some sections may not relate at all, it still conveys that idea that there ARE no excuses - there's a workaround for everything, if you can learn to think outside the box.

I found this highly motivational, and I think it's a good one to pick up if you wish you exercised more but are held back by perceived limitations. This will enable you to think differently and treat yourself with kindness, so that you can take back a little control.

Highly recommend, particularly this audio version that allows the writers to reach you directly.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: The First King of England: Æthelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom

The First King of England: Æthelstan and the Birth of a Kingdom by David A. Woodman
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Narrated by Julian Elfer
Presented by Highbridge Audio

DNF @ 56%

I heard more about DIPLOMAS and COINS than the actual subject of this book.

Halfway through, and I couldn't tell you a single thing about this man.

This is dull and dry and talks more about the way information is gathered rather than presenting any kind of interesting narrative. It's so concerned with giving the source of the information that it forgets to actually tell any of the story. I was tuning out from the beginning, and persisted way longer than I should have.

The narrator does an okay job, given the dull content, but it still all just sounds like getting stuck in a conversation with someone who is passionate about something incredibly dull and not knowing how to get out of it. You're nodding along but really your mind is thinking, 'Is he going to say anything I understand? Is there a point to all this superfluous information? Is it going to stop? Am I going to be here til dinnertime? What am I going to have for dinner? Did I remember to pull the meat out of the freezer? What show am I going to watch tonight? Is Stranger Things Season 5 out yet? ...' I did a lot of thinking about everything other than this audiobook.

Maybe history buffs will appreciate this more - particularly the scholarly type that derive joy from boring facts about historical legal sources. This was absolutely not my cup of tea at all.

With thanks to NetGalley for an audio ARC

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Review: You Are Not Your Limits: Introduction by Ben Shephard

You Are Not Your Limits: Introduction by Ben Shephard by Javeno McLean
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's the end of November but I'm calling it now - this is my Book of the Year for 2025.

The world is so incredibly lucky to have a man like Javeno McLean, and we could all learn so much from the way he treats everyone with unconditional respect.

This book details how the J7 Health Centre came about, as well as the stories of some of the disabled people he trains and why he is so passionate about helping them. It comes directly from the heart, and by the end you will feel like a little piece of this story is now yours to nurture.

You will read stories of pain and despair, but ultimately strength and resilience. These people will inspire you to never take for granted what you are able to do. They will motivate you, encourage you, and lift you. Their stories will make you cry but the way they react to their stories will have you grinning through the tears.

Javeno is passionate about training disabled people, and pushing them to find out what they're truly capable of. He sees them - truly sees them - as the individuals they are, not the disabled folk who are so easily dismissed or overlooked by society. This is just an inherent quality that allows him to connect to them on such a deep level, and it's clear in both his story and theirs that there is a strong love and respect between him and the people he trains.

I honestly am a bit lost for the right words to describe how profoundly this book affected me. It is inspiring, motivating, and authentic. It will force you to think differently and challenge you to put yourself in the shoes of the less abled, for a time.

If you yourself are someone who is disabled, you will read these stories and be inspired to challenge your own limits. You will find a friend here among the pages, and realise there are people out there who WILL see you, and not just your disability. I hope you can find strength and love through reading this book.

Honestly, I encourage EVERYONE to read this book. At the very least, check out the social media account @j7healthjaveno and see what he's doing for yourself.

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Review: The Lost Daughter of Sparta

The Lost Daughter of Sparta by Felicia Day
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

To be honest, this didn't do as much for me as I wanted it to.

It's the 'epic' adventure of a forgotten daughter, shunned by all because of a birthmark on her face. She wants to find love, but is cursed to betray the husband that's been chosen for her.

What follows is a bit of a soft adventure in which everyone and everything tells her she needs to love herself, society is gonna hate her no matter what, etc. It gives the message of loving yourself then doubles down, then TRIPLES down. It is really hammered home again and again and it was just a little too overbearing for my tastes.

There's also maiden goddess Artemis following along, and the relationship between the two felt a little odd. None of it was subtle, but Artemis also never acts like a goddess unless she's getting mad about something so it didn't really convince me.

The art style doesn't add much to the story - it's basic, black and white with splashes of red. I didn't really understand the symbolism of the colouring - I get the reasoning behind colouring in her birthmark and other oddities, but clothing and action marks seemed like odd choices to colour. So that might have been a little over my head. Instead, I was just a bit bored by the style. A fantastic adventure in black and white is a bit of a washed out thing.

There's an interesting idea here, but the delivery didn't really work for me. Those interested in forgotten myths may enjoy this little piece of creativity, and those who need it hammered home that they're worthy of love no matter their appearance should definitely give this one a go.

With thanks to NetGalley for a digital ARC

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Review: DC Finest - Wonder Woman: Origins & Omens

DC Finest - Wonder Woman: Origins & Omens by Gail Simone
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's official - Gail Simone's run starts off EPIC.

This is the kinda stuff I LOVE.

It's Wonder Woman, it's gods, it's her friends, it's inherent feminism without shouting the message. It's merciful Wonder Woman, showing both her human and godly sides in equal measure.

Honestly, the difference between women writing WW and men writing WW is insane. It's so much more nuanced and Simone does it PERFECTLY.

There's plenty of action, and a continuing story underneath shorter stories, so it's easy to follow along without getting too bogged down. There is mystery without it being hard to follow, and there are layers slowly being peeled back as the story progresses.

The artwork is gorgeous, and the details are wild. The style and presentation works perfectly with the story to show all the little things that might otherwise be lost.

I absolutely loved this one. I don't think it needed the first two short chapters, but they were still fun additions.

Absolutely recommend this for any WW fan. Now to find the rest of her run!

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