pdxrachreads

Overall, Skin Deep is a clever, character-driven mystery that feels both classic and contemporary. Perfect for readers who like unconventional detectives, offbeat settings, and mysteries that don’t play by the rules.

I found the writing engaging & thoughtful, balancing suspense with emotional insight. Some plot twists require a suspension of disbelief, but the ride is entertaining enough that it’s easy to go along with it. The novel also touches lightly on deeper issues like race, adoption, & self-discovery

Siobhan is smart, sarcastic, & utterly relatable. Her sharp wit adds levity to an otherwise tense narrative, & her background gives a unique lens through which the story unfolds. The mystery is layered & steadily paced, with elements of noir, cultish intrigue, & commentary on identity and belonging.

Skin Deep is an original mystery that introduces us to Siobhan O’Brien, a Korean-American adoptee & PI navigating a case filled with secrets, deception, & identity. What starts as a simple missing persons case unfolds into something stranger and darker

A collegiate background with an image of an e-reader displaying the cover to Skin Deep and 4 stars. Bullets identify themes of cozy mystery, fast-paced, Korean-American adoptee, Adult FMC, private university setting

A book online tour list of participants. The tour runs from June 17-28 and takes place on Instagram, BlueSky, and a personal blog.

It’s my stop on the tour for Skin Deep by Sung J Woo!
Thank you to daturabooks for the e-ARC of the novel. All opinions are my own.
💙📚

#bookreview

Stats
Author: Sung J Woo
Page Count: 332
Format: e-reader
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you! 🥰

The side panel of a little free library. It has been painted to look like the cover of The Hobbit

Another side nearing completion for my #littlefreelibrary project! 💙📚

I had a great time with Lights Out! Definitely recommend if you like or want to test dark romance.

A screenshot of the Libby app showing the audiobook to Caught Up by Navessa Allen playing.

@libbyapp.com coming through for me today with the fastest hold time ever! 💙📚🌶️

This has been in my TBR for awhile! I really enjoyed the This Poison Heart duology by this author!

A woman wearing a beanie that says “so gay for you” and over the ear headphones holding a copy of So Gay For You by Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig in front of bookshelves.

Thank you so much St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the amazing PR box of So Gay For You by Leisha Hailey & Kate Moennig!
This memoir promises to be a love letter to ride-or-die friendship over the decades, and a testament to the liberating power of chosen family. I can’t wait to dig in!

Conclusion

Chaos Beckons combines dark fantasy with profound emotional exploration. While it delves into heavy themes, the story maintains a sense of hope & the possibility of redemption. Recommended for readers drawn to fantasy that defies convention & probes the depths of the human mind & heart.

Writing Style Note

The writing style does navigate between multiple character POVs which I personally always prefer be deliberately designated in the story and did make the reading a little confusing for me at times.

Setting

The world building is immersive & haunting. The village, with its oppressive doctrines, sets a contrast to the perilous world beyond its walls. The characters encounter a realm filled with ancient lore, magic, & intrigue. The settings are vividly described, enhancing the atmospheric tension

Plot

The narrative unfolds at a deliberate pace, immersed in a world shrouded in mystery & dark secrets. While I found the start slow, the narrative expands, leading to unexpected twists & revelations. The plot intricately explores the characters’ past traumas and their impact on present choices.

Characters

The cast is multifaceted. Nadia emerges as a fierce & determined protagonist, whose quest for autonomy resonates deeply. Venne captivates with his enigmatic presence & morally grey decisions. Emiil offers a quieter strength, his loyalty and internal struggles adding layers to the dynamic

Introduction

Chaos Beckons is a dark fantasy with themes of trauma, freedom & the complexities of human emotion. The story follows Nadia, determined to escape a cult-like village, accompanied by her betrothed, Venne & Emiil. Their journey weaves a narrative rich in emotional depth & moral ambiguity

A dark blue background with thorny vines. There is an image of the book Chaos Beckons with arrows identifying tropes labeled: strangers to lovers to ???, strong/competent heroine, found family, killing god, morally grey characters, triple POV, LGBTQIA+ characters

Chaos Beckons

Indie Author Spotlight 🚨
#bookreview

Book Stats
Author: Sophie Gabrielle
Page Count: 511
Format: Digital
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Sophie @sophgabswrites.bsky.social for the digital review copy of the recently updated Chaos Beckons. All opinions are my own.

#booksky 🌈📚💙

If you enjoy audiobooks, I definitely felt that the narration added to the story for me.

Awww what a bummer! I read Ring Shout and absolutely loved it!!

How disappointing! This one has been on my TBR for awhile, but seeing you say it lacks the dark academia of it all may remove it from that list for me.

Conclusion
Barker crafts a haunting, powerful reimagining of a mythic war that centers people history tried to forget. This is a novel about survival in the face of devastation, and about the strength it takes to endure when even your name is taken from you.

Prose & Writing Style
Barker’s prose is spare, modern, & unflinching. The brutality of war & the inner lives of the characters are conveyed with visceral detail and emotional restraint. The simplicity of the language never overexplains; trusting the reader to sit with discomfort, silence, & subtext.

Audiobook Narration
Kristin Atherton’s narration, supported by Michael Fox creates an immersive experience. It is emotive, subtle, and unyieldingly human. Atherton particularly amplifies the emotional weight of the novel.

Theme - War & Trauma
Far from the glorified depictions in classic epics, this novel portrays war as a source of deep, lasting psychological trauma, especially for the women who are treated as part of the spoils.

Theme - Power & Powerlessness
The women in the story are stripped of power in every visible way, but they assert agency through small acts of resistance, memory, and survival.

Theme - Voice & Silence
Central to the novel is the theme of who gets to tell the story. Briseis, long silenced by epic poetry, finally speaks—but only to us, the readers. We are forced to consider how stories are shaped by who is left out and the ways in which memory serves as resistance.

Setting
The Greek camp outside the walls of Troy is rendered with grim realism. It’s a place of disease, violence, and desperation. Yet within this bleak environment, moments of quiet solidarity among the women create a different kind of intimacy and strength.

Introduction
A reimagining of The Iliad from the perspective of Briseis, Barker’s storytelling doesn’t glorify heroes or battles. Rather, this brutal, unflinching novel strips the myth down to its human core in a raw look at the women ignored by history.

Quote
““We’re going to survive–our songs, our stories. They’ll never be able to forget us. Decades after the last man who fought at Troy is dead, their sons will remember the songs their Trojan mothers sang to them. We’ll be in their dreams–and in their worst nightmares too.”