Not Another Heroine

This week we're finishing "The Songbird & The Heart of Stone" by Carissa Broadbent. Despite great world-building and compelling character backstories, this book was ultimately boring and predictable. Recycled tropes, a grating heroine, and a hero with everything going for him except personality.

Rating: 2

Spicy: 3.5 (not plentiful but very explicit)

Genre: Fantasy

Sub-genre: more plot than romance

Tropes: almost enemies to lovers, slowburn

Heroine: Soft Girl

Hero: Shadow Daddy

https://www.notanotherheroine.com/the-spice-archive/the-songbird-%26-the-heart-of-stone

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210134467-the-songbird-the-heart-of-stone

Other books mentioned in the episode:

"Slaying the Vampire Conqueror" by Carissa Broadbent

https://www.notanotherheroine.com/the-spice-archive/slaying-the-vampire-conqueror

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123368729-slaying-the-vampire-conqueror?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=PEAiN1KLTS&rank=1

"Assistant to the Villain" by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

https://www.notanotherheroine.com/the-spice-archive/assistant-to-the-villain

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123257687-assistant-to-the-villain?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_4

"The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy" by Megan Bannen

https://www.notanotherheroine.com/the-spice-archive/the-undertaking-of-hart-and-mercy

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58510253-the-undertaking-of-hart-and-mercy?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=3KlweTl7wW&rank=1

"Deathless" by Catherynne M. Valente

https://www.notanotherheroine.com/the-spice-archive/deathless

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8694389-deathless?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=KqF2jJkYXa&rank=1

patreon.com/notanotherheroine

www.notanotherheroine.com

This book is everywhere so Katie finally gave in and immediately started a Reddit argument. Campy, rife with misogyny, reminiscent of an early 2000's teen girl series - it's something when Katie recommends Fourth Wing over another book. Just read for the vibes, man.

The Zodiac Academy: The Awakening

But, seriously, read A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik or The Cruel Prince by Holly Black instead.

This week we're reading "The Songbird & The Heart of Stone" by Carissa Broadbent. Despite great world-building and compelling character backstories, this book was ultimately boring and predictable. Recycled tropes, a grating heroine, and a hero with everything going for him except personality.

Rating: 2

Spicy: 3.5 (not plentiful but very explicit)

Genre: Fantasy

Sub-genre: more plot than romance

Tropes: almost enemies to lovers, slowburn

Heroine: Soft Girl

Hero: Shadow Daddy

https://www.notanotherheroine.com/the-spice-archive/the-songbird-%26-the-heart-of-stone

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210134467-the-songbird-the-heart-of-stone

Other books mentioned in the episode:

"Deathless" by Catherynne M. Valente

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8694389-deathless?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=KqF2jJkYXa&rank=1

"Bonesmith" by Nicki Pau Preto

https://www.notanotherheroine.com/the-spice-archive/bonesmith

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62919122-bonesmith?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=Krqo0Ifma6&rank=1

"Gideon the Ninth" by Tamsyn Muir

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42036538-gideon-the-ninth?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=8LAvTriWgQ&rank=1

patreon.com/notanotherheroine

www.notanotherheroine.com

We did it, readers! 100 episodes, two seasons, and a third yet to come. Join us on Monday, January 13th for our first book of 2025, Carissa Broadbent's "The Songbird & The Heart of Stone."

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209740448-the-songbird-the-heart-of-stone

The NAH Awards

Best Heroine: Kestrel from "The Winner's Curse" by Marie Rutkoski

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16069030-the-winner-s-curse?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=vRfLlprRat&rank=1

Best Hero: Lowe from "Bride" by Ali Hazelwood

Sleeper Hit: "Reign & Ruin" by J.D. Evans

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50607309-reign-ruin?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=7HBGnFyRt9&rank=1

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/181344829-bride?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=kk68IlTksC&rank=1

Worst Heroine: Violet from "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61431922-fourth-wing?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=0HMubJMO3V&rank=1

Worst Hero: Bjorn from "A Fate Inked in Blood" by Danielle L. Jensen

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165940202-a-fate-inked-in-blood?ref=nav_sb_ss_1_21

Don't forget to check out The Spice Archive to see all of our pod books and ratings: notanotherheroine.com

Find us on Patreon: patreon.com/notanotherheroine

Welcome to Jordan's corruption: i.e. Katie has hyped up fanfiction so much that Jordan has come and joined the dark side - and started with reading the ENTIRETY of PacificRimbaud's catalog.

For your four course meal, Jordan recommends starting with the funny and sweet, Love and Other Historical Accidents (covered in full length pod episodes too!), then a quick and smutty palate cleanser, The Secretary. Next the heavy and deeply romantic, Remember One Thing, and end on the silly (and very, very spicy!) One and Done.

"There you are sweetheart."

Come on readers, Christian Bale as the voice of our beloved rakish wizard Howl? This movie is up there with Pride and Prejudice in the comfort film rotation, but this week, we're reading, listening, and watching this story.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6294.Howl_s_Moving_Castle

Oh no... Katie has fallen down the hockey smut romance rabbit hole... and is surprisingly having a decent time. The verdict: The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy was fun the way reality TV is. But worth mentioning, maybe only consume this story as an audiobook for your own sanity.

The Graham Effect by Elle Kennedy

This being Katie's first foray into the sports romance genre, her only other suggestion is the movie, Legally Blonde (lol).

"There you are sweetheart."

Come on readers, Christian Bale as the voice of our beloved rakish wizard Howl? This movie is up there with Pride and Prejudice in the comfort film rotation, but this week, we're reading, listening, and watching this story.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6294.Howl_s_Moving_Castle

We step into an alternate universe this week as Jordan recommends a surprisingly deep and touching monster romance featuring a lich, a word we both mispronounce for the entire first half of the episode (what's new?). Trigger warning, however, for eating disorders and body dismorphia!

Goodreads: Wed to the Lich by Layla Fae

Proof that all books are not published equally, this week we're finishing a Dramione fanfic that is perhaps the best story we've read all year. The romantic tension, the beautiful quirky writing, the Austen-esque plot is all free to download at Archive of Our Own.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21496525?view_full_work=true

For those of you with a Kindle, you can download a PDF copy of this work and send it to your Amazon account. Just search for "send to Kindle."