Disclosure
Here are the books I read in 2025, and my reviews!
1. Nine Tailed by Jayci Lee
I love nine-tailed fox stories, and this book started out strong, but Sunny becomes a whiny, helpless damsel, making her unlikable toward the end.
This is why I tend to loathe first person. I think 3rd person would have been a better choice at keeping Sunny a likable character, as it would lessen her griping and moaning. She's supposed to be over a hundred years old, yet she acts like your typical angsty teen (think Edward Cullen).
While I appreciated the short snippets that gave us insight into the other characters' POV, the first one about the gumiho (assuming it's Sunny's mom) never comes back around, so it seems like pointless information. They're written in third person until we get Ethan's POV, and suddenly it's first person. It would have felt more uniform to have them all in third person.
I know this book is a part of a series, but the ending left me unsatisfied. I'm undecided if I'll read the next book or not.
Also, this is not YA! There are steamy scenes, which make it NA or A. I love spice, but I'm still a believer in warnings and labeling books correctly, as others aren't fans.
2. The God and The Gumiho by Sophie Kim
The characters were interesting, and the plot twist was well done. It's a combination of mystery, crime, and fantasy.
It's a classic enemies-to-lovers, which I'm not a huge fan of because I find it hard to pull off. The shift felt extremely fast in this book (they had less than 16 days together), and while we get Hani's inner turmoil, I felt Seokga's is lacking. He later admits he had suspicions, but we don't see that from his POV. Anytime Hani is caught, it's from her POV, so I think having more of his POV being conflicted would have made the relationship have more depth.
I really liked Seokga's character from the beginning, but it bothered me that a God with 200 kids turns to jelly around Hani. This seemed out of character. I expected a more passionate NSFW scene, but it was lackluster.
Meanwhile, Hani remains a strong character, which is great, but it seemed her only reason for liking Seokga was his body. Seokga at least had a moment of appreciating her for her smarts.
The book doesn't end with a HEA but has an HFN, so I'm guessing book 2 will have the HEA we romance readers so desire.
3. Kamisama Kiss (1-25) by Julietta Suzuki
The anime left me dissatisfied, so I had to read the manga. There are some similarities, but the manga does a way better job at telling the story and provides more details. The ending is much more satisfying.
Definitely recommend this one for fans of InuYasha. It's about a girl, Nanami, who finds herself turned into a God, and she must take care of a shrine with her familiar, Tomoe, who was once a fox demon.
A fun summer read!
4. Bride of the Barrier Master (1-3) by Odayaka
This is a new series, so there are only 3 books out. After reading book three, I'm undecided if I want to continue. It started out with a strong premise, basically Cinderella, but with secret magical powers thrown in.
I loved the female main character, but the male lead has too many red flags, and there is zero consent.
2/5 Stars ⭐⭐
5. 7th Time Loop: The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy! (1-2) by Hinoki Kino
I watched the anime and wanted to read the manga, but only managed to find the first two books. It follows the anime really well, so I don't feel a strong need to continue the series.
The story follows the current trends of having a "villainess" as the main character and repeating timelines. It's very Cinderella-like, except the female lead is strong-willed. There are some minor issues with consent, but the male lead apologizes, and for the most part, respects her no-touching rule.
5/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6. Myths of China: Meet the Gods, Creatures, and Heroes of Ancient China by Xiaobing Wang
This is a children's book, but as an adult, I enjoyed reading these myths. I even learned some new ones that I hadn't heard before.
Like all folktales, I'm sure there are different variations depending on who you ask. I liked the author's spin on the Jade Rabbit, but it was definitely not the version I had originally heard.
Since it was meant for children, some of the tales seemed "simplified" compared to their "original," and I find myself longing for novel-length retellings. Luckily, it seems Asian American fiction is starting to become more popular, so maybe one day I'll be able to find more fun retellings to read.
4/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
7. Who Made Me a Princess (1-9) by Spoon
This is very similiar to Father, I Don't Want This Marriage, which was a web novel I read and enjoyed. It's now available as a graphic novel, so I recommend that one too if you're into the timeloop and villainous tropes.
This is a reincarnation story about a girl born into the story as a princess, neglected by her father. She doesn't intend to repeat the character's fate, but as she grows up, she starts to become more attached to the characters in the storybook world.
There is a romance, but it leaves it open-ended at the end, so I wouldn't recommend it for die-hard romantics.
5/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
The book follows Amir's life from boyhood to adulthood.
I don't usually read this genre, but this book was trending years ago, so I finally got around to reading it. The first person, for once, didn't bother me. It was written well, and yes, I know it's a work of fiction, but I still felt I learned more about the culture and history of Afghanistan.
I think that's what really drew me into the story. Because it was a part of the world I wasn't super familiar with. I did enjoy historical fiction when I was in high school, so I think there was some nostalgia in reading this.
I also remember this book being popular in high school, which is surprising given that one of the major driving plot points is rape. Some other triggers are sexual assault, child abuse, murder, violence, suicide, and cancer. There were definitely moments that made me uncomfortable.
I think it's a book more suitable for adults for that reason. I would definitely recommend reading this book at least once in your life.
4/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
9. The Last Dragon of The East by Katrina Kwan
I'm not a fan of first person, but this one was tolerable. I wish we had gotten Jyn's point of view, but the author did a good job of conveying her character through Sai's view.
With the kind of cover this book had (very fairy tale-like), I was not expecting such detailed and gory scenes, nor as much death! I felt that could have been toned down a bit to fit the more romantic feel the book otherwise had.
And while the red and green dragon get a happy ending, I can't help wondering about their son. The ending was bittersweet for that reason.
Overall, it was enjoyable, and I loved the Chinese mythology.
4/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
10. Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao
I have recently gotten into Danmei, so I was pleasantly surprised to come across this novel. It's a cultivation story, but not nearly as political, and is written more for the YA audience. It's an easier read.
There are some cringy scenes. It seems impossible these days to find a fantasy that doesn't fall into the "dark" category (the pretty cover is a bit misleading).
I enjoyed it and will read the next book. I'll decide after book 2 if I'll bump this up to a 5, but for now, I'm going to give it a 4.
4/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
11. The God and the Gwisin by Sophie Kim
I enjoyed the first book, even though mysteries aren't really my thing, and I thought the characters were awful, but in a good way, like the author did a great job making these really awful characters, and somehow they grew on you.
So, if it isn't obvious, I really missed Hani when reading this book. Kisa comes off as way more likable. Seokga also has changed a LOT, and I get that's the point. He's reformed and healing now, but dang, I really miss the banter between him and Hani.
Unlike the first book, the romance in this one seemed slower. The time frame is still short from meeting to end based on the turn of events, but I guess because I knew what happened in the first book, I was expecting it to be faster.
Overall, it was a fun read, but not sure if it's one I'll read again.
3/5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐
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