excellent book. was so excited to receive this ARC. it became one of my top favorite reads. cannot wait to read more from this author.

This was cute and I liked it but I got confused a few times with the world building/magic system. I looooooved the characters! Art was my favorite! And the cover art?! Oh my gosh it’s so cute.

Absolutely beautiful love story! I could not put this down! I am blown away by the myth and lore that the author wove into this story! I can't wait to see what else they write!

I did not finish this book. It did not hold my attention very well. Thank you for the opportunity though.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of The Unmaking of Them by H.A. Watson.

"Little Goddess"

My god. I for some reason fell in love with these characters and their personality really early on. Art was such a sweet and lovely character, and the way she and Verick connected made me smile. Extremly wholesome. Efua was also a character I smirked a lot by, but I absolute adores this story.

I got confused and abit lost at places where a lot happened at once, hencewhy I am giving this a 4 stars and not a 5. But all in all, I really enjoyed this book, the romance, the friendship, the family and the magic in this world. It felt like a mix between Loke and something from studio ghibli. Lovely!

DNF, I’m sorry. I couldn’t do it anymore. Interesting in concept, excruciatingly boring in execution. Just mind numbingly boring. Also, whoever said the writing was poetic and lyrical was lying

My feelings about this story changed several times while I was reading. I liked how you get drawn straight into action and danger, but then the story changes pace several times, not always comfortably.
It's clearly modern, but the writer can't decide if people should speak in modern terms or in more awkward ways. The romance is weird, because it never feels natural. In the end, after waiting for years for the next action, we keep hearing the rules about magic but I'm not sure they made sense.
On the other hand, there was a lot to like about the characters and the world was interesting. I think this would have been a better book if the story was separated out into two books? But I stuck with it because I was interested, and I'm curious to see what happens next.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

I'm DNFing this one, for now, not permanently. I am currently at 22% but two things are making my brain do a full stop. One I really want to read this in the fall, during crunchy leaf time and TWO, I would love to read this one in physical format to slow my brain reading speed down and just absorb this world that HA Watson has created. As of right now the book is gearing up to be at least a 4 star read, potentially a 5 star by the end. That being said I will come back here when I have done so and update this accordingly!

Thank you to NetGalley and Vital Works Publishing for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book started off so strong, and I hoped it would hold my interest throughout. Unfortunately, I nearly DNF’d this book several times. The pacing was inconsistent and made for a disconnect between me and the story. It worked occasionally while the FMC was going through an episode of sorts, however the rest of the story flips through so many different timelines at so many different speeds that the story felt jumbled and messy.

Occasionally there were words used where they didn’t fit – for example, the FMC was supposed to be arranging books in a chronological order, but instead of a timeline, she was arranging them alphabetically. The chemistry between the main characters felt forced and rushed. The interactions and relationship between the FMC and her family felt out of place and never fully explained.

Despite me having to skim parts of this book to try and finish it, I did really enjoy some aspects:
- The FMC’s reactions to learning magic and her new world felt realistic and relatable
- The story had Howl’s Moving Castle vibes, and I dig that
- The MC’s dry humour
- The glimpses into the MC’s origins
- Unique magic system
- Mental illness rep
- Portrayal of grief
- The varied ways the characters overcame adversities

It's an unusual book, and with some smoothing out and editing I think it could work better. It's also possible that it was just my disconnect with the story that made it less enjoyable for me.

Please note: this review was not posted to goodreads.

This book is sooo good! It has studio ghibli vibes and is so unique. I loved every minute of it. I love that the book had so much diversity and discusses all the things people struggle to accept about themselves and others while still being a fun and wonderful story that takes you to another world. I cried multiple times during this and found it hard to put down. I love that the characters have to put effort forth in their relationships and effort into everything they do instead of just being “gifted” everything

I really enjoyed this story. The twists were twisting, the plot moved beautifully, and I was invested in every characters every move. Verick and Art were so lovable, and I was rooting for them on every page. The disability and gender representation is excellent and feels very natural in this world. It was definitely an enjoyable and worthwhile read. 

I received this book via NetGalley, thank you!

One of my first "monster romance" books! Honestly I was a little put off by how the main character just... accepted all of this? Like, I almost got assimilated into a hive mind and my life is in danger, but also there's this shadow guy with deer antlers and he's kinda hot??? It also felt relatively stagnant toward the middle. However, the ending kept my attention and I enjoyed the characters, specifically Artemis.

I loved this book, it gave me everything I wanted as a reader and more. I am a sucker for a cover and fell in love with the storyline and characters. Well written and kept me engaged :)

"The Unmaking of Them" by H.A. Watson is a foray into an urban fantasy world where magic and the struggle for power make for an intriguing premise. Artemis Sanchez is a determined protagonist whose life takes an unexpected detour into the arcane when she inadvertently becomes entangled with Sevan, a magical being whose intentions are far from benevolent. The characterization of Artemis is commendable; she is both relatable in her ambitions and compelling in her resilience when faced with a world that shatters her understanding of reality.

Watson's creation of a magical system and the conflict between Sevan's hive mind and the monstrous Verick adds depth to the narrative. The dichotomy between light and dark, the known and the unknown, is played out in a tale that explores themes of trust, loyalty, and the moral quandaries of love and duty.

Where the book falls short, however, is in its pacing and development. At times, the story feels rushed, with key moments lacking the breathing room required for the reader to fully connect with the circumstances and the emotional stakes at hand. This occasionally makes the relationship and interactions between Artemis and Verick seem forced, detracting from what could be a deeply complex bond.

Additionally, the task of learning magic, while a pivotal plot point, sometimes comes across as too convenient or lacking the level of struggle and profundity one might expect from such a transformative journey. This may leave some readers desiring a more thorough exploration of Artemis's growth and the associated trials that accompany such an undertaking.

The world-building elements hold promise, and Watson certainly presents an interesting lore that can captivate those who enjoy diving into new mystical landscapes. However, the intricate details of this world can become muddled, causing moments of confusion rather than clarity. The narrative could benefit from more nuanced layering of the backstory and magical rules to enhance the reader’s immersion in the story.

"The Unmaking of Them" rates three stars for its imaginative concept and strong female lead, but it ultimately doesn't quite reach its full potential due to issues with pacing and world-building. The compelling questions it raises about the nature of monstrosity and love are noteworthy, suggesting that with further refinement, Watson's narrative could spellbind readers eager for an enthralling magical tale.

I love the premise here. Magic, romance, thrills, mystery. It had everything you might want or expect from a book in its genre.

"She begins to wonder, not if you can love a monster, but if you should..."

This book is "A Discovery of Witches" meets "Mexican Gothic" and I am here for it! The gothic romance vibes are strong, perfect for us autumnal readers. One of my favorite tropes is when the main character is introduced to a magical world, especially one as rich, complex, and dark as this one. If you're like me and you find the morally righteous heroic male love interests to be boring, then this is the story for you. Verick is a swoonworthy villainous love interest (and Sevan is so intriguing!) Artemis is the kind of main character that we all wish we were, with both her awesome powers and her strong-willed, resilient personality. This novel was a total escape from the real world and I am grateful for that.

This was an overall fun little fantasy read.

The magic system and world were super interesting and I liked that we learned about it along with Artemis rather than being subjected to world building via info dump. Verick was a nearly identical copy of Orpheus from A Soul to Keep by Opal Reyne in everything but personality and even then there were still similarities. I found that a little odd, but it didn’t necessarily take away from the story.

Artemis’ reaction to essentially being dumped into a magical world and then being forced to learn how everything worked by teaching herself was extremely realistic. It’s never expressly stated but it seems like she has some OCD tendencies and I found her use of her coping mechanisms to deal with her situation to be really interesting.

I found the chemistry between Artemis and Verick to be lacking throughout the book. Much of their relationship seemed to be built on a trauma bond which seemed kind of icky. I spent the whole book simultaneously wishing they would do something romantically because I was a little bored and hoping that they wouldn’t because it would feel forced. And when it did happen, I did think it felt forced and that the story didn’t really need it.

There were multiple parts in the book that I felt like could have been condensed. Two different times there were parts of the book that lasted months or years and it just felt like the actual story was on pause. It was just a small thing that hindered my reading experience a little.

The time magic aspect also confused me a little but I might just be dumb. I didn’t understand how she could freeze time in one place and then go back in time and live and interact with people without changing things in the future. It just felt like a plot hole and I’m still thinking about it.

Overall, this was a fun romantasy read with a tenacious female main character, a magnanimous magical monster, and a plan to save the world from becoming magical slaves. I’m glad I picked this up and I would definitely recommend reading this if you are looking for a lighter fantasy read that won’t break your heart.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review. The following opinions are my own.

I will say I wanted to give this one a shot despite the cover. Which looks very amateur. But this was a no from me. I skimmed and I finished to get through it.

Dnf at 17%

Thank you to the publisher, Vital Works Publishing, and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I stopped reading because the main character is unable to lift a finger or something will go wrong. She is in constant danger whenever the sun is out, she brushes her hair, or even gets coffee. She lives with a powerful magician but the antagonists somehow always find a way through the wards or protection. In my opinion, and I know I was only 17% of the way through, but the characters had no personality, just animated reactions. The prose felt rushed to me, constantly trying to catch up with the next sentence. I believe that with some editing and a more thoroughly worked-out plot, this book would be a lot more cohesive and ready for publishing.