Babel by R.F. Kuang

Dracula by Bram Stoker

These books just made me happy. I loved the world and the magic. I think the romance was just the right amount of spice for me; just enough that I can feel the tension and emotion, but not so much that I feel like I'm intruding (weird way to phrase it, I know). I think the duology felt much like a fairy tale where everything works out just right and fits into place. Maybe not super realistic, but that's not the point, I think.

I really wanted to like this. I watched the show before reading, and wanted to see how mind-bending it really was. Unfortunately, I feel like a lot of the characters were just a means to drive the plot instead of actual people. If the characters and dialog were more interesting, I could see myself jumping to read the next book, but I don't think the sci-fi elements are enough to keep me reading.