Tuesday, September 30, 2025

Review: The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens by Andrzej Sapkowski

The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens
 by Andrzej Sapkowski, transl. David French
Orbit
Publication Date: September 30th, 2025
Hardcover. 400 pages.

About Crossroads of Ravens:

"Witchers are not born. They are made.

Before he was the White Wolf or the Butcher of Blaviken, Geralt of Rivia was simply a fresh graduate of Kaer Morhen, stepping into a world that neither understands nor welcomes his kind.

And when an act of naïve heroism goes gravely wrong, Geralt is only saved from the noose by Preston Holt, a grizzled witcher with a buried past and an agenda of his own.

Under Holt’s guiding hand, Geralt begins to learn what it truly means to walk the Path – to protect a world that fears him, and to survive in it on his own terms. But as the line between right and wrong begins to blur, Geralt must decide to become the monster everyone expects, or something else entirely.

This is the story of how legends are made – and what they cost."

I've always found The Witcher books to be a bit hit or miss for me, and I still feel like I'm missing something about them. I really love the short story collections, such as The Last Wish, but the sequential novels are ones I always struggled more with. Crossroads of Ravens felt like a bit of a mix of both, which I think worked well and ended up being what allowed me to read through and enjoy this book.

Crossroads of Ravens is an exciting new installment into the series that I think gives some intriguing backstory to Geralt's experiences. Crossroads of Ravens is technically a prequel to the rest of the series, so you don't need to be familiar with the earlier books to read it. However,  I do feel like having some knowledge of the Witcher world and its characters would help, as I found it helped me feel a bit more settled and grounded in this world. But if you want to just jump right in, I think that works, too!

This book captures what seems to be the classic Witcher rhythm: Geralt traveling the lands, slaying monsters and doing his Witcher-ly duties, and encountering strange people and situations--often ones that he ends up getting into trouble with. The writing is deceptively light and fast-paced, and I'm always thrown off by how initially unserious it is. It's ridiculously easy to read through this book quickly, and I finished much sooner than I anticipated, which was a nice surprise to find I was that entertained. This also means that this book didn't feel like it had quite the drama or gravity that I necessarily expected, but it still acted as a really accessible prequel that adds another angle to Geralt's story.

That's not to say that this book doesn't touch on any more serious notes or themes, as it certainly slows down in certain moments and builds some more atmosphere and contemplative aspects. Sapkowski is good at ending chapters on notes that either poignant or a bit humorous, but often something that keeps you hooked and wanting to keep reading. The world itself is much grimmer than the tone of the book, so it's one those that I think catches readers off guard at times with various events that happen in the book. I think these moments helped to break up the otherwise lighter flow of the book and kept things feeling a bit more focused.

Something that always stands out to me is Sapkowski's usage of dialogue, as he often utilizes a very "matter of fact" style that I think works well with the story he tells. It's exceedingly sharp, and somehow the sparseness of detail and description around his dialogue does not at all affect how much emotion can be heard in the words, and somehow seems to even enhance the tones in which I would read what is being said. Geralt, of course, is the same old classic Geralt with his dry tone, though he is a bit less knowledgeable in this book, and I really appreciated seeing this earlier version of Geralt.

I think this is a great book for Witcher fans who are wanting just a bit more Geralt in their lives, or even those looking to check out the series. It's not a book that I feel demands all too much from the reader, although I will say that there are a lot of names and places thrown about that makes things feel a bit confusing at times, but as long as you stick with it, it all works out excellently. 

*I received a copy of The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Monday, September 29, 2025

Mini-Review: The Summer War by Naomi Novik

The Summer War by Naomi Novik
Del Rey
Publication Date: September 16th, 2025
Hardcover. 144 pages.

About The Summer War:

"In this poignant, heartfelt novella from the New York Times bestselling author of Spinning Silver and the Scholomance Trilogy, a young witch who has inadvertently cursed her brother to live a life without love must find a way to undo her spell.

Celia discovered her talent for magic on the day her beloved oldest brother Argent left home. Furious at him for abandoning her in a war-torn land, she lashed out, not realizing her childish, angry words would suddenly become imbued with the power of prophecy, dooming him to a life without love.

While Argent wanders the world, forced to seek only fame and glory instead of the love and belonging he truly desires, Celia attempts to undo the curse she placed on him. Yet even as she grows from a girl to a woman, she cannot find the solution—until she learns the truth about the centuries-old war between her own people and the summerlings, the immortal beings who hold a relentless grudge against their mortal neighbors.

Now, with the aid of her unwanted middle brother, Celia may be able to both undo her eldest brother's curse and heal the lands so long torn apart by the Summer War."

I found The Summer War to be a compelling, compact, and beautifully told tale that was vibrant and engrossing. Novellas are often hit or miss for me because I find that authors seem to either excel at telling something truly complete in a shorter form, or they struggle to fit enough development of world, plot, and characters into a smaller amount of words. Fortunately, The Summer War is a successful novella that showcases many of the strengths of Novik's writing skills and reminds me how much I enjoy her work and recommend it to those who also enjoy thoughtful magical stories. 

What I liked: The sibling relationships were easily the stand out parts of the character relationships, and I really liked exploring this dynamic throughout this story. There are a lot of tensions, loyalties, and both spoken and unspoken emotions between our protagonist and her brother, Argent, that was captivating to discover. This novella felt very much Naomi Novik-flavored in style with her perfect blend of myth and folktale elements, magic, emotional and thoughtful aspects, and compelling characters. The worldbuilding was also intriguing and I found myself really enjoying learning about some of the different lore and details of those involved in the story. Despite the fact that I would love to see a longer form of this story, I think it works excellently at novella length and I thought it was plotted and paced really well overall. 

What I didn't like: I don't have many complaints about this story! The biggest one that I can think of is that there was a rather surprisingly large info dump near the start of the novella that really slowed down my immersion into the story. It just felt a bit overloaded near the exposition and felt a bit abrupt when the story had already started off so smoothly for me. That being said, I still very much enjoyed this story, and this was an easy hurdle to get past. I also wanted maybe a little bit more development with some of the characters, but given that this is a novella, I also understand where there simply isn't time for more exploration of deeper dives. 

*I received a copy of The Summer War courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Anticipated October 2025 Releases



October is right around the corner and that means the October releases are coming! There are so many amazing books coming out--as usually--and I'm excited to check them out. As always, I've compiled a list of some incredible new books coming soon below, so be sure to check them out and let me know what your most anticipated October releases are!


Atlas of Unknowable Things by McCormick Templeman || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Devil is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson || October 28th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Unveiling by Quan Barry || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Wayfinder by Adam Johnson || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Hong Kong Widow by Kristen Loesch || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Women of Artemis by Hannah M. Lynn || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

If the Dead Belong Here by Carson Faust || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Kill the Beast by Serra Swift || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

All that We See or Seem by Ken Liu || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Psychopomp & Circumstance by Eden Royce || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Futility by Nuzo Onoh || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder that Inspired the Abolition of Slavery by Siddharth Kara by  || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow || October 28th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Ordeals by Rachel Greenlaw || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Night is Not for You by Eman Quotah || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

American Grammar: Race, Education, and the Building of a Nation by Jarvis R. Givens || October 14th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Her Wicked Roots by Tanya Pell || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Girl Dinner by Olivia Blake || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

Savage Blooms by S.T. Gibson || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

I Am Cleopatra by Natasha Solomons || October 21st -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald by John U. Bacon || October 7th -- Amazon | Bookshop.org

What are your anticipated October releases?

Thursday, September 25, 2025

Review: Carapace by Travis M. Riddle

Carapace by Travis M. Riddle
Independently Published
Publication Date: September 25th, 2025
Ebook. 241 pages.

About Carapace:

"Relationships shouldn't be this hard.

Our narrator lives a pretty decent life.

He has a job mining for a mysterious toxic substance used in the nation's #1 haircare product, parents who call him multiple times a week toward whom he feels an unyielding sense of obligation, and a two-bedroom apartment with his high school sweetheart Alyssa.

But one day, she reveals to him her dream: undergoing surgery to become a creature.

Although he isn't sure what that means, he is deeply supportive of her like always, and his devotion to her happiness above everything else soon starts to unravel his entire existence, which might be more fragile than he ever realized.

A darkly comedic satirical body horror for fans of The Substance."

This book did not make me feel good--and I mean that in the best way possible.

Where do I begin with this one? (I may start too many of my reviews like this...) The author pitched this to me as "a dark comedy/body horror/satire about toxic relationships and capitalism," and that description really couldn’t be more accurate. Carapace is a strange, unsettling, and entirely absorbing story that feels a bit like being trapped in a bizarre waking dream--one that only continues to grow more and more grotesque and surreal the longer it lasts, and eventually you realize you might actually be trapped in a nightmare that is not going to let you wake up when you want to. If you've read anything else from Travis M. Riddle, then you should know that this book is pretty different from some of his fantasy work, but I think his style is very much present so I think you'll see some familiarity in places...

Our narrator is a miner living with his high school sweetheart, Alyssa. Early on, we learn that Alyssa has a desire that cannot be stopped, and that desire is to be turned into a creature. Apparently, there's a new trend of surgeries where people can turn themselves into a creature of their choosing (with some general frameworks provided, let’s not get crazy here). The narrator, our protagonist, is ever the passive partner and goes along with it. But not because he truly thinks it’s a good idea, rather because that’s pretty much how seems to live his life: with a true lack of agency that makes him fascinating. He is at turns a sympathetic character, but at other (more frequent) turns, he is entirely frustrating and left me wanting to shake him. And something tells me that’s part of the point.

This book is gross and I felt genuinely repulsed at points, but that's exactly what a good body horror is supposed to do. I'd also say there's some “apartment” horror going on here, which is highly oppressive and will leave you feeling claustrophobic, too. Riddle makes the strange feel viscerally present, and I found myself almost constantly scratching my head as characters veered more and more into absurdity that felt absolutely fitting to the satire. Everyone here is just a little (at minimum) freaky, and I love that Riddle really leaned into that. There’s a lot of weirdness going on here, folks. Additionally, I do not think I had any idea where this story was going at any point and I loved the unpredictability of it. You are truly along for the ride and you just have to buckle up and accept that this ride is going to keep taking you on its horrific journey and you cannot get out of the car at any point.

Carapace is one of those books that just makes you feel uneasy, but not in a ‘spooky’ horror way, just in a way where you know things aren’t right. I felt grossed out, annoyed with people, things felt bleak--and yet I couldn’t put it down. And honestly, I know that makes it sound like an unpleasant time, but I really do live for these reading experiences. I love something that makes me actually feel something and also experience something that I haven’t before, and I certainly haven’t quite experienced this before. And that’s also the mark of a great horror/satire: it makes you unsettled, frustrated, intrigued, and most importantly--turning the pages. I’d love to talk about the ending, so if anyone reads it, reach out and chat!

And just to touch on some themes, I was enamored with this exploration of what people will do to survive each day, and what people will tolerate to continue that survival without thought. I think there’s a lot going on with this lack of agency idea and being a cog in something, being caught up in something else, and even this idea of becoming a creature. There’s a lot to think about with this one and much more that could be said, but I’ll let you all explore that yourselves.

I also don’t want to give any type of spoiler, but I have to note: there is a dog, and there’s an event involving that dog that I did not like, and I don’t think some of my fellow animal loving readers will like, either. It’s handled in a way that absolutely serves the story and deepens everything going on, but I just wanted to give readers a head’s up because I did not expect it (and it reminded me why I no longer read any form of horror right before bed).

Carapace is not a comfortable read, but it’s not meant to be. It’s weird and thought-provoking and hard to fully convey without experiencing it yourself. If you're the type of reader who doesn't mind sitting in discomfort and is ready for an ending to sit with for a while, then this should be your next read. I'm not sure this book is going to be for everyone, but no book is so don't let that stop you!

*I received a copy of the Carapace courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

Wednesday, September 24, 2025

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling & All That We See or Seem by Ken Liu

   

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

The Graceview Patient by Caitlin Starling
Publication: October 14th, 2025
St. Martin's Press
Hardcover. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"Misery meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers in this genre-bending, claustrophobic hospital gothic from the bestselling author of The Death of Jane Lawrence.

Margaret lives with a rare autoimmune condition that has destroyed her life, leaving her isolated. It has no cure, but she’s making do as best she can—until she’s offered a fully paid-for spot in an experimental medical trial at Graceview Memorial.

The conditions are simple, if grueling; she will live at the hospital as a full-time patient, subjecting herself to the near-total destruction of her immune system and its subsequent regeneration. The trial will essentially kill most of, but not all of her. But as the treatment progresses and her body begins to fail, she stumbles upon something sinister living and spreading within the hospital.

Unsure of what's real and what is just medication-induced delusion, Margaret struggles to find a way out as her body and mind succumb further to the darkness lurking throughout Graceview's halls.
"

Caitlin Starling is a little hit or miss for me these days, but I'm so intrigued by this premise and have high hopes for this one.

All That We See or Seem by Ken Liu
Publication: October 14th, 2025
Saga Press
Hardcover. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"Award­ winning author Ken Liu returns with his first sci-fi thriller in a brand-new series following former “orphan hacker” Julia Z as she is thrust into a high-stakes adventure where she must use her cybersecurity and hacking skills to unravel a virtual reality mystery, rescue a kidnapped dream artist, and confront the blurred lines between technology, identity, and the power of shared dreams.

Julia Z, a young woman who gained notoriety at fourteen as the “orphan hacker,” is trying to live a life of digital obscurity in a Boston suburb.

But when a lawyer named Piers—whose famous artist wife, Elli, has been kidnapped by dangerous criminals—barges into her life, Julia decides to put the solitary life she has painstakingly created at risk as she can’t walk away from helping Piers and Elli, nor step away from the challenge of this digital puzzle. Elli is an onierofex, a dream artist, who can weave the dreams of an audience together through a shared virtual landscape, live, in a concert-like experience by tapping into each attendee’s waking dream and providing an emotionally resonant and narrative experience. While attendees’ dreams are anonymous, Julia discovers that Elli was also providing a one-on-one dream experience for the head of an international criminal enterprise, and he’s demanding his dreams in return for Elli.

Unraveling the real and unreal leads Julia on an adventure that takes her across the country and deep into the shadows of her psyche.
"

Admittedly, I have not been much of a fan of previous books I've tried by Ken Liu, but I'm curious about this one and I've been hearing quite a bit about it, so I'm eager to check it out for myself!

Monday, September 22, 2025

Recent Nonfiction Reads Mini Reviews: An African History of Africa by Zeinab Badawi & Batavia's Graveyard by Mike Dash


 An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to Independence by Zeinab Badawi

Mariner Books
Publication: January 14th, 2025
Hardcover. 544 pages.

About An African History of Africa:
"Everyone is originally from Africa, and this book is therefore for everyone.

For too long, Africa’s history has been dominated by western narratives of slavery and colonialism, or simply ignored. Now, Zeinab Badawi sets the record straight.

In this fascinating book, Badawi guides us through Africa’s spectacular history—from the very origins of our species, through ancient civilizations and medieval empires with remarkable queens and kings, to the miseries of conquest and the elation of independence. Visiting more than thirty African countries to interview countless historians, anthropologists, archaeologists and local storytellers, she unearths buried histories from across the continent and gives Africa its rightful place in our global story.

The result is a gripping new account of Africa: an epic, sweeping history of the oldest inhabited continent on the planet, told through the voices of Africans themselves."

What I liked: I really loved what this book was trying to accomplish--a true history of Africa encompassing a wide swath of its history told from local African scholars and those from the regions she discusses, rather than yet another history of Africa told by outsiders. I really appreciated this goal and I think Badawi made an honest effort to achieve this. Because of the expansiveness of this topic, I think this book works wonderfully as a sort of general overall survey of African history that provides many opportunities for interested readers to pick areas of interest to dive into deeper on their own, or with Badawi's sources (I know I myself found many areas of interest that I wanted to start researching more about on my own). I also think Badawi is an excellent writer and managed to tell so much history in an engaging and accessible manner, and I think many readers will be able to learn a lot from this book. 

What I didn't:
I didn't have too many negatives for this book. Due to the sheer breadth and scope of the book, I found some areas to be slightly shallower than I would've liked, and with some details sacrificed, but I hesitate to really call this a criticism given what the book was trying to accomplish. I did find some of the jumps in narrative or time periods a bit abrupt at times, and or simple cut shorter or extending longer than I anticipated in areas that felt a bit more jarring to the narrative. Additionally, as accessible as I found Badawi's writing, I also found it slightly lacking in any sort of strong voice. Now, this is perhaps a debatable opinion, but I tend to appreciate when historians insert more commentary on what they are writing about, and I felt that Badawi's journalistic background may have made this feel more 'to-the-point' with the information and relaying of accounts, rather than one that really dives into more of the complexities of various topics. That being said, it is, again, a large scope of a book, so perhaps this is not the right avenue for such deep discussion, though I would certainly appreciate it. 

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Batavia's Graveyard: The True Story of the Mad Heretic Who Led History's Bloodiest Mutiny by Mike Dash
Crown
Publication: May 27th, 2003
Paperback. 512 pages.

About Batavia's Graveyard:
"In 1628 the Dutch East India Company loaded the Batavia, the flagship of its fleet, with a king’s ransom in gold, silver, and gems for her maiden voyage to Java; the ship itself was a tangible symbol of the world’s richest and most powerful monopoly.

The company also sent along a new employee to guard its treasure. He was Jeronimus Corneliszoon, a disgraced and bankrupt man with great charisma and dangerously heretical ideas. With the help of a few disgruntled sailors, he hatched a plot to seize the ship and her riches. The mutiny might have succeeded, but in the dark morning hours of June 3, 1629, the Batavia smashed through a coral reef and ran aground on a small chain of islands near Australia. The captain and skipper escaped the wreck, and in a tiny lifeboat they set sail for Java—some 1,500 miles north—to summon help. More than 250 frightened survivors waded ashore, thankful to be alive. Unfortunately, Jeronimus and the mutineers had survived too, and the nightmare was only beginning.
"

What I liked: Batavia's Graveyard is meticulously researched and provides a vivid portrayal of everything that happened on board the Batavia, as well as everything that happened after she wrecked as well. Mike Dash does a great job of really weaving in the psychological elements at play, both with how people reacted to both conditions on the ship and once shipwrecked, with plenty of background and context for the time period, as well as extensive dives into the history of various figures who were a part of this event (and plenty of description of how truly deplorable conditions were on the ship, and let me just I cannot express how grateful I am that I don't have to experience it). There are also a lot of horrors to share, and I have to applaud Dash's thoroughness in relaying every last brutal deed in ways that felt both factual and encompassing of the horrors of what was happening--though at times it ended up feeling like lists of those who were murdered, which perhaps relays how it felt to those there as well. This is easily a very memorable read.

What I didn't: While I find Dash's extensive research and history to generally be a strength, I do want to note that some areas felt a little too dense and tangential and really slowed down the pace for me. At a certain point in the beginning, I found myself slogging my way through just to get to the beginning of the ship's actual journey, and it felt like a long slog. I've read a number of shipwreck and survival nonfiction stories, and I have to say that I expected this one to grip me more than it did. In fact, I found myself not feeling as compelled by this story as I have others, and I do think it was something to with Dash's denser writing that somehow took away from what was happening. Lastly, I know this book isn't necessarily centered around the women who happened to be onboard the ship, but I found myself frustrated with how the author talked about the women in this book at almost every turn. For instance, he described the "women kept for common service" on island--and I'm sorry, are we talking about the the women who were raped and kept as sex slaves? There was also barely anything about their experiences, as well as rather egregiously comparing their suffering to the men and implying that since they weren't in fear of being murdered imminently, somehow being a sex slave was much better. Perhaps I'm reacting too strongly to this aspect, but it definitely struck and kept making me wonder if I was missing something. 

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

 

Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Devil is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson & The Hong Kong Widow by Kristen Loesch

   

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

The Devil is a Southpaw by Brandon Hobson
Publication: October 28th, 2025
Ecco
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"A haunting, unforgettable novel of obsession, pride, and forgiveness, exploring the friendship and rivalry between two gifted boys in harrowing circumstances, from the acclaimed writer of The Removed

Milton Muleborn has envied Matthew Echota, a talented Cherokee artist, ever since they were locked up together in a dangerous juvenile detention center in the late 1980s. Until Matthew escaped, that is.

A novel within a novel, we read here Milton’s dark, sometimes comic, and possibly unreliable account of the story of their childhood even as, years later, he remains jealous of Matthew’s extraordinary abilities and unlikely success. Milton reveals secrets about their friendship, their families, and their nightmarish, surreal, experience of imprisonment. In revisiting the past, he explores the echoing traumas of incarceration and pride.

Filled with Brandon Hobson’s swirling yet visceral writing, and punctuated with original artwork, The Devil Is a Southpaw is an ambitious, elegant, and propulsive novel in the spirit of Vladimir Nabokov and Gabriel García Márquez.
"

This sounds like an incredible read, I can't wait to have a chance to check it out.

The Hong Kong Widow by Kristen Loesch
Publication: October 7th, 2025
Berkley
Hardcover. 368 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"Hong Kong, 1953: In a remote mansion, witnesses insist a massacre took place. The police see nothing but pristine rooms and declare it a collective hallucination. Until decades later, when one witness returns…from the Edgar®-nominated author of The Last Russian Doll.

In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation—to take part in a competition in one of the city's most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges—she has every reason to refuse.

Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei’s entire life.

It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge.

Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about the last night she ever spent in that house—even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there. . . .
"

This sounds like an intense and unpredictable ride, and I'm here for it.