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A Tale of Hijinks & Honeydew
Perhaps the only thing more annoying than being visibly disabled in a town full of wannabe heroes is being a fruit stand owner in a market known for its chase sequences. After spending all 17 years of her life as a land-bound mermaid stuck in the most hero infested town in the realm, Wynnie unfortunately has plenty of experience with both.
All Wynnie wants to to save up enough money to one day move far away from Arvory and its heroes guild to open up a clothing shop somewhere a little calmer so when the Guild throws a competition to try and name a second official hero, she's distraught. But when the local heroes sidekick--an insanely annoying goblin with a shapeshifting left arm--enlists her help in tricking the rest of the guild into believing that they're a full shifter, she sees the opportunity for what it the perfect chance to exploit a rich asshole. And maybe, accidentally, fall a little in love along the way.
All Wynnie wants to to save up enough money to one day move far away from Arvory and its heroes guild to open up a clothing shop somewhere a little calmer so when the Guild throws a competition to try and name a second official hero, she's distraught. But when the local heroes sidekick--an insanely annoying goblin with a shapeshifting left arm--enlists her help in tricking the rest of the guild into believing that they're a full shifter, she sees the opportunity for what it the perfect chance to exploit a rich asshole. And maybe, accidentally, fall a little in love along the way.
175 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2022
6 people are currently reading
848 people want to read
About the author
Alex Nonymous
26 books560 followersAlex is trying to publish 22 sapphic YA books before she turns 22. The only flaw in the plan so far is that they only finished 1 before turning 20...
He uses any pronouns so its incredibly easy to talk about Alex behind her back (just please stop adding me to 'women writers' lists oh my god) and they're still trying to figure out how to present themself as a professional a full year into publishing.
If you want to join their email list for updates on book release dates, early reader copies, and to vote on genre polls to control the next book they write, email them at alexnonymouswrites@gmail.com to let her know!
Alex also writes books for queer teenagers and recognizes that a lot of the people who need those kinds of stories the most can't safely be purchasing them, fill out this form for free discrete ecopies of anything he's written! https://forms.gle/ZSAoMh59oLVjz97F8
He uses any pronouns so its incredibly easy to talk about Alex behind her back (just please stop adding me to 'women writers' lists oh my god) and they're still trying to figure out how to present themself as a professional a full year into publishing.
If you want to join their email list for updates on book release dates, early reader copies, and to vote on genre polls to control the next book they write, email them at alexnonymouswrites@gmail.com to let her know!
Alex also writes books for queer teenagers and recognizes that a lot of the people who need those kinds of stories the most can't safely be purchasing them, fill out this form for free discrete ecopies of anything he's written! https://forms.gle/ZSAoMh59oLVjz97F8
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
January 5, 2024
Update 2023-04-07: EARLY READERS FINALLY OUT!
Update 2023-03-14: If I advertise this one as "Disney's Starstruck except queer fantasy" would y'all know what that means?
COZY FANTASY WON THE GENRE POLL! PLOT SYNOPSIS COMING SOON
(... now to learn what cozy fantasy is)
Update 2023-03-14: If I advertise this one as "Disney's Starstruck except queer fantasy" would y'all know what that means?
COZY FANTASY WON THE GENRE POLL! PLOT SYNOPSIS COMING SOON
(... now to learn what cozy fantasy is)
April 20, 2023
I genuinely could not have loved this book more than I already have!!! I just want to tell everyone about it!! Our main character, Wynnie (she/her) is a hilarious, loveable, and strong land bound mermaid. It can be frustrating living in a chase scene ridden town especially when her fruit stand is constantly destroyed. Thankfully the town hero’s sidekick, Quintzy (they/them) pays for repairs and lost merchandise. However, after a competition for a new hero starts up, Quintzy ends up asking for help from Wynnie in hopes of winning which leads them into many fun situations and growing close along the way~
In all honesty I don’t think I have anything negative or particular to nitpick. This book has lgbtq+, disability and neurodivergent representation that is shown as is it should be: NORMALIZED. We see Wynnie discuss and deal with folks make assumptions about her due to being a wheelchair & crutches user. We have a nonbinary main character, folks who use neopronouns, and autistic rep! I loved being able to conceptualize the town of Arvory and the grotto Wynnie lives in. I never found myself bored or strung along because Quintzy, Torin (he/him), and Wynnie won my heart very quickly. I understood the character’s motivations, the pacing at which we discovered information felt perfect, and I was never confused! I loved the budding romance, and how organic it felt!!! I screamed at the ending!!!! The writing was scrumptious and I truly want to pick up every book I possibly can from Alex Nonymous now!! I am beyond grateful to have been able to read an advanced copy of this and believe me when I say I’ve preordered this.
❤️Please check this out if you want some cozy fantasy with beautiful representation and wonderful characters🥰❗️
Trigger Warnings:
Ableism, blood, loss of mobility, and fainting.
^^^^
[Remembered to add thanks to Blue (another arc reader)’s review!]
In all honesty I don’t think I have anything negative or particular to nitpick. This book has lgbtq+, disability and neurodivergent representation that is shown as is it should be: NORMALIZED. We see Wynnie discuss and deal with folks make assumptions about her due to being a wheelchair & crutches user. We have a nonbinary main character, folks who use neopronouns, and autistic rep! I loved being able to conceptualize the town of Arvory and the grotto Wynnie lives in. I never found myself bored or strung along because Quintzy, Torin (he/him), and Wynnie won my heart very quickly. I understood the character’s motivations, the pacing at which we discovered information felt perfect, and I was never confused! I loved the budding romance, and how organic it felt!!! I screamed at the ending!!!! The writing was scrumptious and I truly want to pick up every book I possibly can from Alex Nonymous now!! I am beyond grateful to have been able to read an advanced copy of this and believe me when I say I’ve preordered this.
❤️Please check this out if you want some cozy fantasy with beautiful representation and wonderful characters🥰❗️
Trigger Warnings:
Ableism, blood, loss of mobility, and fainting.
^^^^
[Remembered to add thanks to Blue (another arc reader)’s review!]
April 11, 2023
torin my beloved <3
in all seriousness, this was a really fun time!!! if you've ever wanted to read a book about the inevitable exasperation & irritation civilians would surely come to have after years of putting up with superhero antics then definitely check this one out!!!
in all seriousness, this was a really fun time!!! if you've ever wanted to read a book about the inevitable exasperation & irritation civilians would surely come to have after years of putting up with superhero antics then definitely check this one out!!!
May 7, 2023
I have had the privilege to be an early reader for this book and oh boy was it amazing.
Alex has included so many different representations in this book that I am sure you will feel seen one way or another. As someone with a disability, being able to see yourself in the main character is something that rarely, if ever happens.
The main characters, Wynnie and Quintzy are both loveable in their own unique ways. They are very different from each other and that is what makes their relationship so special. They both help each other develop as characters, with Wynnie accommodating Quintzy's disability and Quintzy doing the same. The side characters add their own special flavour to the mix, with Torin being one of my absolute favs. The "villain" per say is unlikeable which is nice - no falling for the morally grey villain in this one. I assume this is a standalone but I would never say no to a sequal to see Wynnie and Quintzy on their next adventure.
This is a cozy fantasy, which is my all time favourite genre, and has the right balance of cozyness and high stakes so that you want to keep reading. The plot is unique and easy to follow along which makes for a lovely read that will guarantee you feeling warm and cozy at the end.
Alex has included so many different representations in this book that I am sure you will feel seen one way or another. As someone with a disability, being able to see yourself in the main character is something that rarely, if ever happens.
The main characters, Wynnie and Quintzy are both loveable in their own unique ways. They are very different from each other and that is what makes their relationship so special. They both help each other develop as characters, with Wynnie accommodating Quintzy's disability and Quintzy doing the same. The side characters add their own special flavour to the mix, with Torin being one of my absolute favs. The "villain" per say is unlikeable which is nice - no falling for the morally grey villain in this one. I assume this is a standalone but I would never say no to a sequal to see Wynnie and Quintzy on their next adventure.
This is a cozy fantasy, which is my all time favourite genre, and has the right balance of cozyness and high stakes so that you want to keep reading. The plot is unique and easy to follow along which makes for a lovely read that will guarantee you feeling warm and cozy at the end.
Read
April 28, 2023I received this book as a free ARC by the author to review her book. The content may change from now until the day the book comes out.
A tale of Hijinks and Honeydew is a cozy fantasy set in a city where there are a lot of “heroes”. According to the main character Wynnie these heroes are all just wannabes and only bring chaos.
Wynnie is a mermaid who never touched water and therefore is an ambulatory wheelchair user. The only thing she wants to do is earn enough money to leave the city.
When there is a competition in town to become the next hero, she meets Quintzy.
Quintzy is an autistic goblin and needs Wynnies help. Wynnie sees this as her chance to exploit a rich asshole (Quintzy)
Along the way they grow closer and they both learn a lot about each other and themselves.
Wynnie is physically disabled and her disability is inspired by EDS. Through that she has to deal with prejudice and discrimination. This makes her a bit bitter and snarky.
I really like the portrayal of her disability and I liked the representation.
For me it was hard to connect with either main character because I didn’t understand their goals and motives at first but they are likeable both in their own way.
Maximilian felt like a very stereotypical villain to me and I didn’t see his point in being in this story. I understand his use as a character type, but him as a person didn’t add much to the story.
I also would’ve loved the book even more if it had spent more time on developing the relationships. The relationships all felt a bit rushed to me. Still I liked Wynnie’s and Quintzy’s relationship and it was very sweet. Even though I didn’t like the beginning of how they know eachother, after a certain point it felt natural that they started to spend time with each other.
One thing I thought was very sweet, was that they both accommodated their disabilities for each other.
The idea with the tournament seemed great so I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t more relevant in the end. I would’ve liked to see a bit more of the trickery.
Overall I did enjoy it because of all the different rep (physical disability, autistic, neo-pronouns) and because it was a cute quick read.
I’d count it as a cozy fantasy because it is quite low trigger.
A tale of Hijinks and Honeydew is a cozy fantasy set in a city where there are a lot of “heroes”. According to the main character Wynnie these heroes are all just wannabes and only bring chaos.
Wynnie is a mermaid who never touched water and therefore is an ambulatory wheelchair user. The only thing she wants to do is earn enough money to leave the city.
When there is a competition in town to become the next hero, she meets Quintzy.
Quintzy is an autistic goblin and needs Wynnies help. Wynnie sees this as her chance to exploit a rich asshole (Quintzy)
Along the way they grow closer and they both learn a lot about each other and themselves.
Wynnie is physically disabled and her disability is inspired by EDS. Through that she has to deal with prejudice and discrimination. This makes her a bit bitter and snarky.
I really like the portrayal of her disability and I liked the representation.
For me it was hard to connect with either main character because I didn’t understand their goals and motives at first but they are likeable both in their own way.
Maximilian felt like a very stereotypical villain to me and I didn’t see his point in being in this story. I understand his use as a character type, but him as a person didn’t add much to the story.
I also would’ve loved the book even more if it had spent more time on developing the relationships. The relationships all felt a bit rushed to me. Still I liked Wynnie’s and Quintzy’s relationship and it was very sweet. Even though I didn’t like the beginning of how they know eachother, after a certain point it felt natural that they started to spend time with each other.
One thing I thought was very sweet, was that they both accommodated their disabilities for each other.
The idea with the tournament seemed great so I was a bit disappointed that it wasn’t more relevant in the end. I would’ve liked to see a bit more of the trickery.
Overall I did enjoy it because of all the different rep (physical disability, autistic, neo-pronouns) and because it was a cute quick read.
I’d count it as a cozy fantasy because it is quite low trigger.
June 1, 2023
I was able to be an early reader for this book and it was such a fun experience! An awesome cozy fantasy with a fun low-stakes plot and incredible banter. I can’t wait for it to be officially published!
May 8, 2023
4.75
This was such a sweet, cozy fantasy.
I absolutely loved the premise of the book with the town full of heroes and the MC being very annoyed by them, but still falling for a hero’s sidekick.
One of my favorite things about this book was the queernormative world and that multiple neopronouns were used.
The disabled rep was also really well done in my opinion. Wynnie, our MC, is a mermaid, cursed to never touch ocean water or she’ll turn into sea foam. Thus, she must live on land and was raised by five (if I remember correctly) nymphs. I think they are polyamorous, but I’m not sure, it wasn’t really a topic in the book itself. Due to being a mermaid stuck on land, Wynnie’s body, which is build for under sea pressure, is slowly breaking down, as some people would say. She is in pain most of the time and often uses a wheelchair and other mobility aids (like crutches). This leads many people to assume she is to be pitied and must need help and to be saved, no matter how often she says she doesn’t need or want the help. Especially in a town of heroes, people would rather feel heroic than respect people’s boundaries and they especially cross Wynnie’s a lot. It was also relatable, how Wynnie had high pain days and low pain days, sometimes being able to do a lot, other times having to stay home. I loved how her family and friends respected that instead of telling her what she should or shouldn’t be able to do like so many others tried (some on-page). I also liked how she knew her limits and reinforced them with others.
The love interest, Quintzy is autistic. This was also portrayed great, especially the difference between them masking aka being very still in public, versus slowly unmasking around Wynnie and moving around all the time and stimming. I just wish they were better at communicating their needs (or communicating them at all) and Wynnie were better at recognizing them and not crossing their boundaries. This part of their communication definitely needs a lot of work. Also, Quintzy very clearly has social anxiety and Wynnie often completely ignores that and pushes them into uncomfortable situations.
So, while I loved how Quintzy learned to respect Wynnie’s boundaries and how she herself knows what’s best for her, that didn’t really seem to work the other way around. Wynnie did respect them most of the time, yes, but she also often pushed or was completely oblivious or essentially told Quintzy to get over it, at least it read that way to me. I hope she works on that in the future.
I also wished the side characters were more three-dimensional, they seemed more like plot devices than actual people, which was sad, because I’m sure I would have absolutely loved many of them (I mean, an aroace flirty elf? Totally favorite character material!).
The antagonist was very hateable though, being a pretentious and egoistic prick, endangering people for his own ego’s sake.
The plot itself was mainly cozy, with the MC and LI getting to actually know each other and learning how to be together, while simultaneously discovering what they actually want from life. It was great.
I also loved the world building and hope to read more books from the author set in this world.
All in all a great read, that you should definitely try!
This was such a sweet, cozy fantasy.
I absolutely loved the premise of the book with the town full of heroes and the MC being very annoyed by them, but still falling for a hero’s sidekick.
One of my favorite things about this book was the queernormative world and that multiple neopronouns were used.
The disabled rep was also really well done in my opinion. Wynnie, our MC, is a mermaid, cursed to never touch ocean water or she’ll turn into sea foam. Thus, she must live on land and was raised by five (if I remember correctly) nymphs. I think they are polyamorous, but I’m not sure, it wasn’t really a topic in the book itself. Due to being a mermaid stuck on land, Wynnie’s body, which is build for under sea pressure, is slowly breaking down, as some people would say. She is in pain most of the time and often uses a wheelchair and other mobility aids (like crutches). This leads many people to assume she is to be pitied and must need help and to be saved, no matter how often she says she doesn’t need or want the help. Especially in a town of heroes, people would rather feel heroic than respect people’s boundaries and they especially cross Wynnie’s a lot. It was also relatable, how Wynnie had high pain days and low pain days, sometimes being able to do a lot, other times having to stay home. I loved how her family and friends respected that instead of telling her what she should or shouldn’t be able to do like so many others tried (some on-page). I also liked how she knew her limits and reinforced them with others.
The love interest, Quintzy is autistic. This was also portrayed great, especially the difference between them masking aka being very still in public, versus slowly unmasking around Wynnie and moving around all the time and stimming. I just wish they were better at communicating their needs (or communicating them at all) and Wynnie were better at recognizing them and not crossing their boundaries. This part of their communication definitely needs a lot of work. Also, Quintzy very clearly has social anxiety and Wynnie often completely ignores that and pushes them into uncomfortable situations.
So, while I loved how Quintzy learned to respect Wynnie’s boundaries and how she herself knows what’s best for her, that didn’t really seem to work the other way around. Wynnie did respect them most of the time, yes, but she also often pushed or was completely oblivious or essentially told Quintzy to get over it, at least it read that way to me. I hope she works on that in the future.
I also wished the side characters were more three-dimensional, they seemed more like plot devices than actual people, which was sad, because I’m sure I would have absolutely loved many of them (I mean, an aroace flirty elf? Totally favorite character material!).
The antagonist was very hateable though, being a pretentious and egoistic prick, endangering people for his own ego’s sake.
The plot itself was mainly cozy, with the MC and LI getting to actually know each other and learning how to be together, while simultaneously discovering what they actually want from life. It was great.
I also loved the world building and hope to read more books from the author set in this world.
All in all a great read, that you should definitely try!
April 13, 2023
This book was an early reader copy, and therefore there may be changes made to the text prior to publication, or afterwards. The copy I have read, compared to the version that gets published may differ due to editing changes not contradictory information.
•
Trigger warnings for Hijinks and Honeydew include: blood, fainting, (micro-agressive) ableism and loss of movement/ability.
☆
☆
This book does a lot for representation in multiple categories. The MC is sapphic and physically disabled, using multiple forms of mobility aids. There's an autistic, non-binary love interest. As well as an AroAce side character, characters who use neopronouns, and multiple polyamorous characters.
~
I don't really know where to start. I'm kinda blown away by the whole thing. It was amazing, and I'm so unbelievably grateful for the opportunity to do some early reading for this book.
~
I loved that there was queer characters, but that their queer identity wasn't the sole focus of their character, and it didn't detract from their personality and their other attributes.
~
I liked that Wynnie and Torin were good friends, and understood each other but didn't have to talk every single day to remain really good friends. And I enjoyed that Wynnie and Quintzy started out almost hating each other, but grew to like and respect each others needs, and were willing to learn to recognise those needs.
~
The only thing I'd really say is that unless you're told, or you understand some of the traits of autism, you'd probably not pick up that Quintzy is autistic, and that would benefit from being made clearer. Other than that I really loved the plot and the characters.
~
It gave me a lot of feelings, and I highlighted some quotes because they just made me feel either really happy, or far too seen and very close to feelings I've had before.
•
Thank you to author Alex Nonymous for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review and feedback.
•
Trigger warnings for Hijinks and Honeydew include: blood, fainting, (micro-agressive) ableism and loss of movement/ability.
☆
☆
This book does a lot for representation in multiple categories. The MC is sapphic and physically disabled, using multiple forms of mobility aids. There's an autistic, non-binary love interest. As well as an AroAce side character, characters who use neopronouns, and multiple polyamorous characters.
~
I don't really know where to start. I'm kinda blown away by the whole thing. It was amazing, and I'm so unbelievably grateful for the opportunity to do some early reading for this book.
~
I loved that there was queer characters, but that their queer identity wasn't the sole focus of their character, and it didn't detract from their personality and their other attributes.
~
I liked that Wynnie and Torin were good friends, and understood each other but didn't have to talk every single day to remain really good friends. And I enjoyed that Wynnie and Quintzy started out almost hating each other, but grew to like and respect each others needs, and were willing to learn to recognise those needs.
~
The only thing I'd really say is that unless you're told, or you understand some of the traits of autism, you'd probably not pick up that Quintzy is autistic, and that would benefit from being made clearer. Other than that I really loved the plot and the characters.
~
It gave me a lot of feelings, and I highlighted some quotes because they just made me feel either really happy, or far too seen and very close to feelings I've had before.
•
Thank you to author Alex Nonymous for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review and feedback.
May 1, 2023
(May contain slight spoilers)
Thank you Alex for sending me an E-ARC to read and review. I really enjoyed this queer cozy fantasy book! It was a little slow to start with but I understand it was necessary for us to understand the world. It picked up speed soon after and I enjoyed it throughout the rest of the book. I often found our main character, Wynnie a bit mean at times, but that’s just her personality which she explains in the books and tries to work on being nicer. I really related to the love interest, Quintzy, and found them to be the more likable of the two. I do like how their relationship in the book goes from one-sided enemies to friends to lovers. There is one fight scene depicted towards the end of the book, but I felt it was dealt with easily enough for this to still fit the cozy fantasy category. Overall the rest of the book is somewhat easy going and it's so nice to see all the diversity in Arvory. So glad I found this author on Tik Tok and was able to help send feedback to make this book the best it can be! I will definitely be reading more by Alex! If you're looking for a shorter queer cozy fantasy I definitely recommend A Tale of Hijinks and Honeydews when it comes out on May 12th!
Representation: Disabled MC who uses both a wheelchair and forearm crutches during the book, nonbinary autistic love interest, aro-ace side character, characters who use neopronouns, polyamorous representation in MC’s parents. The main relationship is between a woman and someone who is nonbinary.
Thank you Alex for sending me an E-ARC to read and review. I really enjoyed this queer cozy fantasy book! It was a little slow to start with but I understand it was necessary for us to understand the world. It picked up speed soon after and I enjoyed it throughout the rest of the book. I often found our main character, Wynnie a bit mean at times, but that’s just her personality which she explains in the books and tries to work on being nicer. I really related to the love interest, Quintzy, and found them to be the more likable of the two. I do like how their relationship in the book goes from one-sided enemies to friends to lovers. There is one fight scene depicted towards the end of the book, but I felt it was dealt with easily enough for this to still fit the cozy fantasy category. Overall the rest of the book is somewhat easy going and it's so nice to see all the diversity in Arvory. So glad I found this author on Tik Tok and was able to help send feedback to make this book the best it can be! I will definitely be reading more by Alex! If you're looking for a shorter queer cozy fantasy I definitely recommend A Tale of Hijinks and Honeydews when it comes out on May 12th!
Representation: Disabled MC who uses both a wheelchair and forearm crutches during the book, nonbinary autistic love interest, aro-ace side character, characters who use neopronouns, polyamorous representation in MC’s parents. The main relationship is between a woman and someone who is nonbinary.
May 21, 2023
🖤I did receive an early copy of this, but all comments are my own! I genuinely loved this book. 🖤
This is exactly what I want for my cozy fantasy as it has just enough angst and plot to be extremely interesting but it is also heartfelt and cozy. The world set up was extremely easy to follow, and I love the different types of creatures and magic that is used to go out the book. Wynnie is a land bound mermaid who uses mobility aids and has a very snarky personality. Quintzy is a goblin with only one magic arm. Together they are absolutely adorable and I love getting to see them grow closer and understand each other better. I wish there was a little bit more to the ending but that is just a little nitpicking on my part.
This book is very fast paced and I finished it in under a few hours. This is fantastic if you’re looking for a cozy fantasy with tons of representation and extremely detailed characters. The characters are what really make this book shine, and I can’t wait to read more!
This is exactly what I want for my cozy fantasy as it has just enough angst and plot to be extremely interesting but it is also heartfelt and cozy. The world set up was extremely easy to follow, and I love the different types of creatures and magic that is used to go out the book. Wynnie is a land bound mermaid who uses mobility aids and has a very snarky personality. Quintzy is a goblin with only one magic arm. Together they are absolutely adorable and I love getting to see them grow closer and understand each other better. I wish there was a little bit more to the ending but that is just a little nitpicking on my part.
This book is very fast paced and I finished it in under a few hours. This is fantastic if you’re looking for a cozy fantasy with tons of representation and extremely detailed characters. The characters are what really make this book shine, and I can’t wait to read more!
August 10, 2024
.
⭐ 3.75/5 ⭐
Wyn is a land bound mermaid and Quintzy is a partially shapeshifting goblin. Both live in a town of heroes and when a competition for an additional guild leader starts, they are forced to work together more closely.
- The setting was very D&D inspired. A city where the Heroes Guild causes trouble for it's citizens. I liked how the heroes weren't necessarily the good guys in this narrative and that it showed the impact of the guild's activities.
- The disability representation was pretty good and although it was fantasy based, there were clear analogues for real life conditions. It was great to see how well this was handled.
- I enjoyed how the two main characters interacted though it was very dialogue heavy. It would have been nice to see more nonverbal communication and some descriptions.
Short, fun and great for those who like light-hearted D&D adjacent media.
⭐ 3.75/5 ⭐
Wyn is a land bound mermaid and Quintzy is a partially shapeshifting goblin. Both live in a town of heroes and when a competition for an additional guild leader starts, they are forced to work together more closely.
- The setting was very D&D inspired. A city where the Heroes Guild causes trouble for it's citizens. I liked how the heroes weren't necessarily the good guys in this narrative and that it showed the impact of the guild's activities.
- The disability representation was pretty good and although it was fantasy based, there were clear analogues for real life conditions. It was great to see how well this was handled.
- I enjoyed how the two main characters interacted though it was very dialogue heavy. It would have been nice to see more nonverbal communication and some descriptions.
Short, fun and great for those who like light-hearted D&D adjacent media.
May 6, 2023
4.5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, light, and easy read but the characters were still relatable. They also had a lot of depth and were clearly distinct from each other and they all had their own motivations that you could understand. The rep in this was also really good which was so nice to see.
I liked that there was a really well-built fantasy world without going on long tangents with tons of details because personally that just bogs my brain down and makes it harder for me to follow. You got a good sense of the world and creatures in it without having to slow down and get told everything.
Also, I loved the pacing. There were short chapters that kept me going so this was a quick read. But at the same time, there was room for things to progress naturally and make sense so it was a great balance of fast without feeling rushed.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick, light, and easy read but the characters were still relatable. They also had a lot of depth and were clearly distinct from each other and they all had their own motivations that you could understand. The rep in this was also really good which was so nice to see.
I liked that there was a really well-built fantasy world without going on long tangents with tons of details because personally that just bogs my brain down and makes it harder for me to follow. You got a good sense of the world and creatures in it without having to slow down and get told everything.
Also, I loved the pacing. There were short chapters that kept me going so this was a quick read. But at the same time, there was room for things to progress naturally and make sense so it was a great balance of fast without feeling rushed.
January 28, 2024
I just finished this book, and I truly loved it! In the beginning, I was not quite sure it was going to be my type of read. But I stuck around for Torin.
It didn't take long after that for me to be pulled into this book so much that I had a hard time putting it down. When I got to the point that I only had 20 pages left, I got a little sad that it would be over so soon.
The main character, Wynnie, was super cool and so badass. She also had (what I found to be) a great sense of humor.
Although I really liked all the characters in the story, my favorite would have to have been Quintzy. Getting to see their character development over time was the best. As well as how their relationships evolved throughout the story.
I will truly miss this cast of characters, and I can not wait to read another story by this author.
It didn't take long after that for me to be pulled into this book so much that I had a hard time putting it down. When I got to the point that I only had 20 pages left, I got a little sad that it would be over so soon.
The main character, Wynnie, was super cool and so badass. She also had (what I found to be) a great sense of humor.
Although I really liked all the characters in the story, my favorite would have to have been Quintzy. Getting to see their character development over time was the best. As well as how their relationships evolved throughout the story.
I will truly miss this cast of characters, and I can not wait to read another story by this author.
May 7, 2023
I read an early reader copy of this book and hope to re-read it once the edits are made.
The book follows Wynnie, a spunky wheelchair user who is a mermaid with a disability. She lives in a dangerous town with wanna be heroes that cause trouble for the village.
Quintzy, a non-binary autistic Goblin side-kick wanna be hero, who really bugs Wynnie, learn and grow in this cute YA cozy fantasy.
Winnie is a kick-butt MC who isn’t your inspirational disabled character but a real and flawed individual who learns, grows and hopefully learns to open her heart.
The book follows Wynnie, a spunky wheelchair user who is a mermaid with a disability. She lives in a dangerous town with wanna be heroes that cause trouble for the village.
Quintzy, a non-binary autistic Goblin side-kick wanna be hero, who really bugs Wynnie, learn and grow in this cute YA cozy fantasy.
Winnie is a kick-butt MC who isn’t your inspirational disabled character but a real and flawed individual who learns, grows and hopefully learns to open her heart.
April 10, 2023
Read this as an early reader, but this was a genuinely delightful read. Made my heart warm.
Love some queernormative fiction and this did it well. Wynnie is the mean sapphic representation we all need in our lives (this is a joke, but genuinely, this has great representation all round. I've never seen fantasy have such solid chronic pain rep until now)
Rated it a 4/5 stars on Storygraph
Love some queernormative fiction and this did it well. Wynnie is the mean sapphic representation we all need in our lives (this is a joke, but genuinely, this has great representation all round. I've never seen fantasy have such solid chronic pain rep until now)
Rated it a 4/5 stars on Storygraph
June 10, 2023
i really enjoyed this book and it’s characters!! i thought the worldbuilding was a very interesting and unique. my favorite part was when quintzy covers wynnie with their wing to protect her from the rain!! like omg!!
i related to the characters dialogue and miscommunication a little bit too much for comfort lmao.
overall i highly recommend!
i related to the characters dialogue and miscommunication a little bit too much for comfort lmao.
overall i highly recommend!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2023
It's currently past midnight where I live but I'm up because of this book and it was SO GOOD! I love the characters, Torin was my favourite but Quinzy was so relatable and Wynnie was so much fun to read and all of *them* are what makes this book shine; its the characters and their growth and its awesome, this book is awesome
April 14, 2023
I loved this book and could not put it down the entire time I was reading it. I especially love the diverse range of representation present throughout. Note: The version I read was an early reader copy so was not the finalised version of the text.
April 14, 2023
I got to read the early readers copy for this book and Oh boy did I love it. This is such a sweet story with the most amazing characters and I really really hope there will be more of them in the future. Cozy fantasy is where it is at people!
July 17, 2023
It's been a long while since I related to a character the way I related to Quintzy
I loved the world building, representations and all the characters! An incredible book, as always :) thank you for the autism!
I loved the world building, representations and all the characters! An incredible book, as always :) thank you for the autism!
December 21, 2023
A cute short little story but there were times read this and felt I had no idea what was going on. Just needed another editing over. I enjoyed it in the end but def felt AO3, which is fine. Just not what I expected from a Goodreads give away. Very cute though I think for young teens.
April 12, 2024
Amazing!!!
Absolutely loved this book! Wished there was 1000 more chapters! Wynnie and Quintzy relationship even tho it was a really slow burn lol. I would recommend this book to anyone who is literate. Because it’s brilliant!
Absolutely loved this book! Wished there was 1000 more chapters! Wynnie and Quintzy relationship even tho it was a really slow burn lol. I would recommend this book to anyone who is literate. Because it’s brilliant!
July 14, 2025
annoyance to friends to lovers, loved the banter, the setting (magical realm, wannabe heroes) a bit of magic and mayhem, aroace rep, ace rep, characters with neopronouns, found family, disability rep 🩷
May 7, 2023
I recieved an early reader copy, and I really enjoyed it. The story itself was cute and had the perfect balance between plot and character development. Overall it was a really fun and cute story!
May 16, 2023
I really loved this book and feel the urge to recommend it to everyone I know
May 22, 2023
Amazing cozy book, sapphic leads. Love this.
June 24, 2023
this was so much fun!! i loved the fantasy setting as well as the disability rep, and i think both were done super well. this is supposed to be a "cozy fantasy" and my god did it check off all the boxes. this made me so happy to read and i only wanted more by the time it was finished, especially all of the hijinks :-)
and of course i loved wynnie and torin and quintzy so much i love all their one-on-one interactions and even the 3 of them as a group and getting into mischief and mayhem ahhhh my ot3 besties (▰˘◡˘▰) and somehow qintzy ended up my #1 favorite 🙊
and of course i loved wynnie and torin and quintzy so much i love all their one-on-one interactions and even the 3 of them as a group and getting into mischief and mayhem ahhhh my ot3 besties (▰˘◡˘▰) and somehow qintzy ended up my #1 favorite 🙊
August 19, 2023
This is such a perfect cozy fantasy! I absolutely adored it.
September 27, 2023
I really enjoyed this book. It had a great storyline and I loved the main characters. The book kept my attention and kept me entertained.
I would love to read more books from Alex.
I would love to read more books from Alex.
October 9, 2023
Cute!
This was a quick read. Very warm and fuzzy. As with all of Alex's books, inclusive and diverse. Two thumbs up!
This was a quick read. Very warm and fuzzy. As with all of Alex's books, inclusive and diverse. Two thumbs up!
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