Musings from a Loft
Welcome to the BAMTP blog celebrating a literary lifestyle dedicated *mostly* to the fantasy + sci-fi genres. You’ll find book reviews and recs, quarterly community reading challenges, author interviews, bookish gift guides, bookish freebies, and more.
Book Review: If You Love Gothic Fantasy and Traditional Fey, You MUST Read ‘A Study in Drowning’
There’s so much to unpack with Ava Reid’s A Study in Drowning. I’ll be honest, I was skeptical on whether I would like this book because…
Book Review: ‘The Ashes & the Star Cursed King’ an Epic Grimdark Conclusion to This Fantasy Romance Booktok Favorite
After absolutely devouring book one, and the novella, I had to jump right in to book two. Now reminder, book one was like if Kate Beckinsale’s Underworld had a baby with a vampire Hunger Games…
Book Review: ‘The Serpent & the Wings of Night’ the Enemies-to-lovers Series You Need to Read
I’m admittedly late to the part on this one. Everyone and their mother has been telling me I need to read The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and they were right.
Book Review: ‘One Dark Window’, a Gothic Fairytale Perfect for Fall
I not even ashamed a little bit for seeing this cover and immediately adding this book to my TBR last year without knowing anything about it.
Book Review: ‘Thornhedge’, a Sleeping Beauty Retelling like You’ve Never Read Before
This story is precious. If you haven’t picked up Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher, and you love dark fairytale retellings, make this one a priority.
Book Review: ‘Divine Rivals’ is a Sublime Example of YA Fantasy Today
Can I just say? I am SO grateful for Rebecca Ross for bringing this stunning story to life. Divine Rivals is one of my favorite reads of the year.
Book Review: Discover the Colorful Brilliance of ‘Warbreaker’, A Riveting Tale of Gods and Power
At this point, Brandon Sanderson is on my autobuy list of authors. If you’re new around here, you might not know I started my Cosmere reading journey rather recently, at the beginning of 2023…
Book Review: Is ‘The Justice of Kings’ + ‘The Tyranny of Faith’ the Grimdark Fantasy You Need?
An apprentice with a powerful master who’s trying to protect the empire from evil? Battles and political machinations? Sign me up. If grimdark traditional fantasy is your thing, this is definitely a series I’d recommend.
Book Review: Was this Fae Duology Enough? ‘These Hollow Vows’ + ‘These Twisted Bonds’
If you’re looking for a quick Romantasy read to get you out of a reading slump, These Hollow Vows and These Twisted Bonds might be the perfect duology to pick up.
Book Review: The ‘Aurora Cycle’ Delivers All the Feels of Found Family
When I first started reading book one of the Aurora Cycle, Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, I felt like I was reading a teen Freeform show with all the cheesy one-liners, and jokes. BUT…
Book Review: ‘Fourth Wing’ is Destined to be THE Romantasy Read Favorite of the Summer
I’m calling it now: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros is going to be the IT Romantasy read of the summer. And I’m fully convinced Booktok and Bookstagram are going to be filled with posts about this book.
Book Review: ‘The Darkening’ is Great….if You’re a 14-Year-Old YA Fantasy Lover
There’s no way around it—if you like your magic systems clear and structured, this is not the book for you. Mara plays fast and loose with her magic system, and as someone who reads a lot of epic fantasy, I found it so frustrating.
Book Review: ‘The Ivory Key’, a Family-Centric South Asian-inspired YA Fantasy
This South Asian-inspired YA Fantasy is a quick read and centers around four royal siblings who all pretty much hate each other. However…
Book Review: ‘Alone with You in the Ether’, a Beautifully Complex Read
It’s been almost a week since I’ve finished Alone with You in the Ether by Olivie Blake, and I’m still processing my feelings on it. It’s not a romance in the traditional sense.
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
