Trope-ical Readathon - Team Fantasy - March 2025 Round - Wrap Up & Mini Reviews

Happy Wednesday everyone!  Today I'm sharing my wrap up and mini reviews for the March 2025 round of the Trope-ical Readathon which was hosted by Jenjenreviews.  It ran the entire month of March and I was a member of Team Fantasy this time around. 

As usual, there were fifteen total challenges to complete - two team challenges and thirteen common challenges plus your choice of Team Book read as well.  I managed to read 14 of the 16 total books on my original tbr so I'd say I did a pretty great job. My total points earned for the challenge comes to 4,584.  If you'd like to see my original tbr, you can do that here.  Keep reading to see my thoughts on the books I completed for this round:

Team Book:

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This Woven Kingdom (This Woven Kingdom #1) by Tahereh Mafi is one of those books where I liked the idea of it, but not so much the final product. It has potential, but never quite lives up to it. I liked the idea of the fantasy world at the center of the story, but the book is a mile too long and the characters range from flat and boring to irritating and insufferable. It was also definitely a case of not getting the romance angle one bit. I barely made it through this one, but I can't imagine sitting through the rest of the series.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

Team Challenges:

1. There Be Dragons! Read a book with dragons.

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Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee is a solid read,  it I was never quite as hooked by it as I thought I was going to be. I liked getting to know Jebi, the culture, and the dragon. That said by the end I just wanted a little more, but thought at the same time that I didn't need the book to be quite as long either.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

2. The Woods: Read a book where woods or forest plays a key part.

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I liked the idea of The Will and the Wilds by Charlie N. Holmberg, but it just ended up being underwhelming. I wasn't interested in the romance at the center of the story and it turned out to be more about the romance than anything else. The story had plenty of potential, but it didn't work out for me.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

Common Challenges:

1. Absent/ Dead Parent(s) or *A Book With More Than One Author*

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I absolutely loved Ghosts: The Button House Archives by Matthew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard, and Ben Willbond. There's so much detail that's gone into the making of this tie-in to one of my favorite tv shows, BBC Ghosts. I do wish there was a bit more for Mary and Robin's segments though. I got a kick out of Thomas's annotations on famous works of poetry. I hope they release something like this for CBS Ghosts in the future.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

2. *Time Loop* or Reread A Book

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How to Become the Dark Lord amd Die Trying (Dark Lord Davi #1) by Django Wexler had its moments, but honestly it could get kind of annoying at times.  This was my first book from this author, so I don't know if this is how he writes female characters but the style was a bit off-putting there.   I don't know, but the whole thing primarily came across as forced.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

3. *Blast From The Past* or Published Before 2000

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Barry Lyndon by William Makepeace Thackary is a solid work of classic historical fiction.  I wasn't familiar with it before I watched the 1975 film adaptation from Stanley Kubrick which I absolutely loved.  I'm glad I decided to try the source material, but it's definitely a case of preferring the movie to the book which doesn't happen all that often.  Maybe my expectations were too high after the masterpiece that is the movie.  Seriously, if you haven't seen the movie I can't recommend it enough.  It's an underrated gem that looks like a painting.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

4. New Kid In Town or *A Genre You Don't Usually Read*

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I don't really have a lot to say about Totality: The Great North American Eclipse of 2024 by Mark Littmann and Fred Espenak except that it was a fascinating read!  I was lucky enough to be able to see totality during this eclipse last year and it was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.  In was especially interested in the history elements and, of course, the eclipse photography.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

5. *Recent Loss* or A Buddy Read With Someone Else

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First Born by Will Dean is a twisty mystery thriller all right. I really enjoyed his book The Last One, but this just didn't work out for me as well as I wanted it to. I liked the idea of it but it never managed hook me. It just felt off - and not in figuring out the twist early kind of way. Also, the twist itself and then the other twist just didn't work for me. Then again, I did keep reading to see what would happen next!

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

6. Multiple POV or *Multiple POC Characters*

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Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam is easily my favorite from the author that I've read so far.  I don't often read novels in verse, but this one is not to be missed.  I'll have to look up more works from the Yusef Salaam, the prison reform activist that cowrote this book, in the future.  If you're looking for powerful YA, this is it.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

7. Mixed Media or *An Audiobook Or Ebook*

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The Never Game (Colter Shaw #1) by Jeffrey Deaver is a good mystery thriller series opener.  I've never read this author before, but I decided I wanted to give him a chance given how much I enjoy the tv adaptation of this series on CBS called Tracker.  It's a bit different than the series, but it's just as good.  I'll have to keep going with the series with The Goodbye Man.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

8. All Happens In One Day or *Read A Book In One Day*

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The Silent Gondoliers by William Goldman is the second story I've read from him after The Princess Bride. While this novella doesn't hit the highs and level of fun of that classic, I still love the tone and writing style. Honestly, they're probably what makes it work as well as it does for me. Plus, the pen and ink illustrations from Paul Giovanopoulos really suit it. Now, I feel like rewatching The Princess Bride.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

9. Found Family or *A Book In A Series

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Wildwood (Wildwood Chronicles #1) by Colin Meloy was quite a delightful MG fantasy adventure series opener.  I didn't have any expectations for this but it was just nice.  The art really suits it. Oddly, the story about the art reminded me strongly of The Busy World of Richard Scarry (Lowly Worm was always my favorite from that series and when I was a kid I would have killed for an apple car).  Anyway, I can't wait to read the sequel, Under Wildwood.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

11. Dark Academia or Read *A Borrowed Book*

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DNF'd @ p. 52

I tried with Le Divorce by Diane Johnson, but I quickly realized that I just wasn't interested in sitting through all 309 pages of this book.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

13. Historical Figure or *A Book Written In 2025

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Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito is a book that definitely lives up to its title!  I don't want to say a whole lot about this gothic horror aside from that it's totally unhinged in the best way.  I highly recommend listening to the audiobook production.  I'm very excited to see the future A24 film adaptation starring Margaret Qualley as Winifred Notty and Thomasin McKenzie as Miss Lamb.  I think it could be pretty great.

My review is also on Goodreads and The StoryGraph.

Did you take part in this challenge?  Have you read any of these books?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting below!