The Singing Hills Cycle novellas are something I look forward to every time a new installment is announced. They never disappoint in any way and The BThe Singing Hills Cycle novellas are something I look forward to every time a new installment is announced. They never disappoint in any way and The Brides of High Hill is no exception.
We’re used to mysterious adventures, spooky adventures, dangerous adventures, and sad adventures being in store for Cleric Chih, but never before has the adventure been scandalous…even a little salacious. Chih is in over their head and Almost Brilliant isn’t even around for some reason!
As with most of the Singing Hills Cycle books, the messages here revolve a lot around gender norms, feminine rage, class warfare, and the theft and/or destruction of one’s heritage by a group of people who see themselves as superior to you and yours. Whereas previous installments in this series have either taken place during travel or otherwise mostly in open air, The Brides of High Hill has a distinctive gothic feel to it, with everyone trapped inside a walled-in compound for the duration of the book. This places the threats as coming all from within, as opposed to the other novellas, where the threat was always coming from without.
The storycraft here was clever and sharp-witted, with a razor-edge thrill to it. The story was absolutely compelling to read, but as with all the Singing Hills Cycle stories, Nigh Vo gives us the perfect amount of story to satisfy us. It’s another job well done.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinion, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Book Series/Epic Fantasy/Fantasy/Fantasy Series/Historical Fantasy/Mythological Fiction/Novella...more
I fell in love with the cover and the summary of this novella immediately, and the fact it was a translation sealed the deal on me wanting to read it I fell in love with the cover and the summary of this novella immediately, and the fact it was a translation sealed the deal on me wanting to read it because I not only try to aim to read translations as often as I can but I’ve also been loving the Korean translations I’ve read in the last year or so.
First, a caveat: I read the eARC for this on a Kindle Paperwhite, and this may have messed with the formatting somewhat. This title does have some illustrations and as Amazon has it classified as a manga in hardcover format I worry I might have missed some of the illustrations due to reading it on a Paperwhite. I can’t know for sure, so I’m putting this statement here just to let any readers of this review know I might not have had the full experience with this title that some others had.
I really did love the story and plot as it was first put to us in this book: When do we stop being “girls”? When do we actually “grow up”? Is there a point in time when a Magical Girl stops being magical? Is it ever too late for someone to become magical, or can we bypass that issue by giving some magic to every girl so she can navigate the world with a little more power under her belt?
It’s impossible to read this novella and not think of South Korea’s 4B movement, which has only been growing in strength and numbers since 2015-2016 (that I know of). The women of South Korea are rejecting Korean culture due to its inherently patriarchal and misogynistic nature and often outright boycotting the presence of any males in their lives–sometimes even to the point of having no male friendships. The central conflict in this book hinges on how to handle feminine rage as the result of mistreatment by the patriarchy.
Sadly, this story is split in half for me. While the first half is entertaining and read smoothly for me, the second half is rather chaotic and doesn’t read as smoothly, resulting in a great deal of confusion on my part as a reader. The narrative and story felt a little choppy in places, and the ending didn’t quite make as much sense to me as I would’ve liked. While I absolutely loved how you could tie this story into the 4B movement, it really felt like an incomplete metaphor.
In the end it was fine, but I would’ve liked a little more to chew on.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review is rated three stars or lower, so it will not be posted to my social media. Thank you.
File Under: Fantasy/LGBTQ Fantasy/Novella/Urban Fantasy ...more
Normally, I love historical fantasy. Normally, I absolutely love historical fantasy set in Italy (whether it’s supposed to be our Italy or if it’s jusNormally, I love historical fantasy. Normally, I absolutely love historical fantasy set in Italy (whether it’s supposed to be our Italy or if it’s just inspired by our Italy). Normally, I love coming of age fantasy. Despite all this book should’ve had going for it, this book just wasn’t my cup of tea.
If you don’t mind books that don’t even seem to commit to a solid plot until halfway through the book, then you’ll like this book. If you don’t mind a lack of worldbuilding and atmosphere, then you’ll like this book. If you like a protagonist who’s a bit of a supercilious dullard, then you’ll like this book.
I, however, didn’t like this book. Which is sad, because I went into it thinking I would. Paolo Bacigalupi isn’t a bad writer, I just don’t think he’s the writer for me.
I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review is rated three stars or under and will not be appearing on my social media. Thank you.
File Under: Coming of Age/Fantasy/Historical Fantasy ...more
The Truth of the Aleke is the second book in The Forever Desert series, which is made of novellas set in North Africa long past. The first novella, ThThe Truth of the Aleke is the second book in The Forever Desert series, which is made of novellas set in North Africa long past. The first novella, The Lies of the Ajungo, was released last year and was just 90 pages. It served to mostly just set the stage for the world of the Forever Desert and the larger story that starts here in The Truth of the Aleke. While you don’t necessarily need to read it to enjoy this book I highly recommend it because it’s an outstanding and entertaining read.
The Truth of the Aleke is only about 12 pages longer than The Lies of the Ajungo but takes place 500 years after the events of that book.
Utomi uses fantasy to continue to tell the fable of a war over land and resources in The Forever Desert, with the moral of the story being that both sides are liars. The truth is a murky and nebulous thing that’s shaped by whoever is currently on the winning side. Ultimately, no one cares what the truth truly is–they only care about who holds the power. There’s no room to care for anything else.
These books aren’t lighthearted. I almost feel like their covers do these books a disservice, because they’re so much prettier than the stories inside. The stories are bleak, violent, messy, and distinctly unhappy. These books don’t end happily. But they’re written so well and with great imagination. I highly recommend them.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Book Series/Fantasy/Fantasy Series/Historical Fantasy/Novella/OwnVoices ...more
A Feather So Black starts out wobbly, but by the end of the first act it finds its footing and really takes off, providing a very fantastical and romaA Feather So Black starts out wobbly, but by the end of the first act it finds its footing and really takes off, providing a very fantastical and romantic story with plenty of intrigue, wit, chemistry, danger, sorrow, action, and sacrifice to make the page count (close to 500) totally worth it; not only that, but loose threads, ponderous angles, and the ongoing storyline are definitely enticing enough reasons to be interested in the sequel without the author having to resort to a cliffhanger ending.
Orbit Books has been publishing some bangers in the last couple of years, so I was excited for A Feather So Black because the plot synopsis seemed to speak of a retelling blend of Swan Lake (my favorite ballet) and the fairy tale colloquially known as The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and then we toss in some fae stuff. (This isn’t an insult, because fae stuff can encompass some of the best stuff). It does all of these things extremely well. Where it stuttered was in the initial engagement and worldbuilding.
There are a lot–A LOT–of books like A Feather So Black in the marketplace right now. Maybe not with the same plot, but with a lot of the same themes and a lot of similar characters. In order to work on every level, romantasy novels need to snag us readers from the get. I’m not talking about spice or love: I’m talking about hooking us on your main protagonist. But we’ve met Fia before, in lots of different books but with different names. And we’ve met her in a similar manner before too. We’ve even met her best friend/former lover as well, even if he had a different name. It made the first act feel rather formulaic, even timeworn in a book where the rest felt rather bold and emotionally fresh.
It won’t stop me from eagerly awaiting the sequel!
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Fairy Tale Retelling/Fantasy/Romantasy/Fantasy Series ...more
I think it may finally be time for this reviewer to admit, fully and truly, that anything “cozy” just isn’t a good fit in temperament and style.
Yes, I think it may finally be time for this reviewer to admit, fully and truly, that anything “cozy” just isn’t a good fit in temperament and style.
Yes, it may be true that this book ramps up a bit in pacing, action, and thrills toward the end. However, waiting until after the 60% mark to grab enough of my attention that I can keep my eyes open for more than an hour is far too long.
Make no mistake: This is by no means the fault of Sarah Brooks. Brooks is an immensely talented author with a great sense of style, a terrific imagination, and this is one heck of a story. I loved the premise, the characters, and the world building. It was simply the pacing and how sedately this book moved that made me disagreeable. My brain just doesn’t like books that move at a more stately pace like this one does.
I’ve had a lot of similar experiences with cozies this year: I love what they are saying they offer, and often like many other aspects of the book, but they just put me to sleep.
So while I may be rating this three stars because I was ultimately very bored for the vast majority of the book, you may very well love it if you love cozies.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Due to a rating of three stars or lower this review will not be appearing on my social media. Thank you.
Poison. Death magic. Catacombs. Fantasy fiction used as commentary on the necessity of a wall between church and state. Hannah Whitten. These are the Poison. Death magic. Catacombs. Fantasy fiction used as commentary on the necessity of a wall between church and state. Hannah Whitten. These are the things that drew me to The Foxglove King, and the portents and loose plot threads left dangling at the end of that book (well, and the promise of more Hannah Whitten, always) is what drew me back to read the second book in this series, The Hemlock Queen.
The second book in a trilogy gets a raw deal: It’s both expected to be better than the first book but it also needs to carry the heaviest amount of plot and exhibition for the entire trilogy. The Foxglove King gave us the world, its characters, and introduced us to the overarching plot and the basic exhibition. It gave us the cocktail hour and the appetizers. It’s up to The Hemlock Queen to give us the soup, salad, and to start the main course. The meat of what we need to know is here. Is it realistic to expect it to be better than The Foxglove King? It depends on what kind of reader you are, I think, and what you like to read in your books.
I liked The Foxglove King better, if only because Whitten’s strengths are in her world building and magic systems and we got to see her flex those muscles more in that book as opposed to this one. However, in this book we got to see and hear more from this series’ characters, plumb the magic and belief systems more, and explore the intense triangle of emotions between Gabe, Lore, and Bastian. All of these things were important for me to see in this book and I got them. That alone makes this book worth the price of admission. If you add in the events of the third act, I am already waiting on pins and needles for the third book.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Dark Fantasy/Epic Fantasy/Fantasy/Romantasy/Fantasy Series/LGBTQ Fantasy ...more
Foul Days was a book I decided early on the year that I wanted to read and was one of my few exceptions of requesting a bookReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Foul Days was a book I decided early on the year that I wanted to read and was one of my few exceptions of requesting a book that started a new fantasy series (that I knew of, at the time). I liked the cover and the blurb a whole lot (Eastern European fantasies are a weakness).
Foul Days isn’t an outstanding book one for a series, but it’s not half-bad, either. Genoveva Dimova is an excellent worldbuilder and plotter. Her characters are interesting and her monsters are terrifying. The thing is: the machine they’re all working in isn’t oiled all that well. All the components are there in separate pieces, ready to use, but while reading this book it felt a lot like Dimova couldn’t bind everything together very well. That caused certain scenes to feel a little overwrought (like where did all these feelings come from all of a sudden?) or others to feel a little anticlimactic (didn’t you just say… never mind, apparently).
I love almost any fantasy that will give me some Eastern European vibes, and this one gives not only supernatural beings but also folklore in the forms of customs, rituals, and herblore. The setting of a walled-off town that’s somehow reminiscent of both an early 20th-century ghetto and Chernobyl at the same time is freaking fantastic in so many ways.
While Foul Days on its own isn’t the most fantastic book one of a fantasy series I’ve ever read, it has me intrigued enough I really want to continue onto the next book to see what happens. It’s an interesting story and I’d like to see where it goes!
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Fantasy/Fantasy Series/Romantasy ...more
This isn’t a bad book. That’s not why I only rated it 3.5 stars. I rated it 3.5 stars because it’s simply a very average booReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
This isn’t a bad book. That’s not why I only rated it 3.5 stars. I rated it 3.5 stars because it’s simply a very average book. In a world of superb fantasy novels where the female protagonist is justifiably angry, this one not only doesn’t do a whole lot to set itself apart, it also really let me down in the end.
The story itself is pretty simple: this is Beauty and the Beast, filtered through Irish mythology/folklore, and gender-bent so the female is the beast (though she’s also very pretty, so, you know). None of these elements are a new thing, although Christy Healy has certainly done a very good job at studying Irish mythology as it pertains to the Tuatha de Danann and putting it to effective use in this book (although it should be noted that there are a million variations on every myth and story told in this book about the Tuatha de Danann, as there are about every mythological figure).
Our two main characters, Jamie and Rozlyn, have issues with a capital I: Daddy issues, mommy issues, familial guilt, trust, abandonment, and more. Combined, they have enough baggage to sink a ship. Jamie has a lot of secrets and Rozlyn hides everything she’s feeling. It’s love, but oof is it rough. Neither of them have had a good go of it, but I can’t help but side with Rozlyn when it comes to just about everything because the patriarchy has made her into a victim since birth.
The prose isn’t special, but it’s not bad. The imagery isn’t especially evocative, which stuns me because Ireland is so pretty I don’t know how you can’t wax eloquently about it. Healy does have an incredible gift for dialogue though, because the banter between Jamie and Rozlyn is absolutely delightful, even when it slips from banter into genuine ire. I did have some trouble with some anachronistic word usage, though.
I think that this might be better suited to someone younger than I am. Maybe a younger reader might be more receptive to the message. Maybe I don’t want them to be? Maybe I’m just a cynic. I just know I didn’t like the ending. The novel as a whole is an alright read.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I finally found the time to read this book before the end of the year and I’m so happy I did because the cuteness factor of Assistant to the Villain cI finally found the time to read this book before the end of the year and I’m so happy I did because the cuteness factor of Assistant to the Villain can’t be denied.
Being as familiar as I am with Hannah’s TikTok and her skits that led to this book being written, I honestly expected this book to be a little funnier and a little more screwball than it ended up being. I’m not saying I was disappointed–I’m just saying I was surprised. The Evie Sage of this book isn’t the same as the one in the skits, and I found that treating them as two completely different animals was the way to go about it. If you try to compare them, the reading experience will be ruined. It just doesn’t work.
I found The Villain’s POV to be more interesting and his character more to my liking than Evie. I love getting glimpses into the brains of men who are all hard exterior and marshmallow center. The Villain isn’t a marshmallow for many, but for Evie? Oh, he’s all gooey sweet melty like a marshmallow before a fire. It’s adorable.
I must admit I didn’t see the turn coming. That’s unusual for me, so bravo! I knew ahead of time how it ended because this book was released in August and so I could hardly be mad about spoilers that have been floating around the online book communities for months.
It was a great read and one I really wanted to tick off my “10 Before the End” for 2023. I definitely recommend it and am looking forward to the next in the series!
All thoughts, opinions, views and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review was written without compensation. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Comedy/Fantasy/Romantasy/Fantasy Series/RomCom/Workplace Romance ...more
While Night For Day has a great premise and interesting characters, the follow-through just isn’t there. The characters range from two-dimensional to While Night For Day has a great premise and interesting characters, the follow-through just isn’t there. The characters range from two-dimensional to outright annoying, the prose switches abruptly from third-person prescient to third-person omniscient from one paragraph to the next, and the book simply moves at a glacial pace that doesn’t suit the narrative style or the story.
It’s all flash, no substance, and simply isn’t a good read.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Since this review has a rating of three stars or lower it will not be appearing on my social media sites. Thank you.
File Under: AAPI Fiction/Fantasy/Romantasy/Paranormal Fantasy/Urban Fantasy ...more
Part Six of Crows, part Oliver Twist, part gaslamp fantasy, part vampire fiction, a tiny touch of Camelot, and a hefty dollop of “British colonialism Part Six of Crows, part Oliver Twist, part gaslamp fantasy, part vampire fiction, a tiny touch of Camelot, and a hefty dollop of “British colonialism sucked for everyone not British” (except with fictional country names), this novel was absolutely amazing. As complex, deep, and beautiful as any lovely tea blend described in the book, I was swept away from the first page and loathed coming for air at all until I was finished.
Arthie plays the role of the Artful Dodger of a teahouse named Spindrift: they serve lovely tea blends by day and let beds by night. What Arthie and Spindrift collect best is secrets. Secrets let Arthie and her best friend, Jin, buy a whole lot that actual money can’t. Secrets aren’t going to keep Spindrift safe when the crown comes for the building, though, and a member of the guard with a secret agenda comes to Arthie with an offer she can’t refuse because with one heist she can save Spindrift and blackmail the crown.
I loved everything about this book, and I do mean everything. Hafsal Faizal is a wonderful storyteller who weaves real history with alternative history, spinning fantasy with the paranormal, and does it all with a breathtaking writing style most authors could only hope to imitate. Her prose is elegant without being precocious and philosophical without being pedantic. The world building is thorough and the imagery is glittering.
The characters are delightful, diverse, and multi-faceted. There’s cunning and pensive Arthie, elegant and gregarious Jin, naive and lonely Flick, rakish and manipulative Matteo, even the enigmatic and beguiling Laithe. A crew of misfits, led by Arthie, to a thunderclap end. It’s a cliffhanger, of sorts, and I can’t wait to read the next one.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Book Series/Fantasy/Fantasy Series/Vampire Fiction/YA Fantasy ...more
The Magicians meets One Last Stop is what the blurb tells us to expect in this book. Well, I know better than to expect much of blurbs, but can I justThe Magicians meets One Last Stop is what the blurb tells us to expect in this book. Well, I know better than to expect much of blurbs, but can I just say that I haven't been this disappointed by the marketing for a book in a long time?
Remedial Magic isn’t just a subpar book–it’s a subpar book with poor plotting, average writing, creepy and unlikeable characters, an underexplored magic system, poor worldbuilding, and random spice scenes that are just plopped in like quotes in a bad college essay (that is to say, suddenly and with no warm up).
This book just doesn’t make sense to me. It started off well enough. It was witty, even engaging. Everything started to fall to pieces as soon as the “new students” started arriving in Crenshaw, in my opinion. Then it all started unraveling quickly and never regained any ground. I don’t even know why I finished the book, save that I hoped at some point it might redeem itself, considering this is a series and there are more books after this.
I think I’ll be stopping here, though. I don’t need to know more.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. As this review has a rating of three stars or less it will only appear on review sites and not on social media. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Fantasy/Fantasy Series/LGBTQ Fantasy/Spice Level 1 ...more
Disciples of Chaos is the fast-paced second book in M. K. Lobb’s Seven Faceless Saints duology. I read Seven Faceless Saints in December 2023 and likeDisciples of Chaos is the fast-paced second book in M. K. Lobb’s Seven Faceless Saints duology. I read Seven Faceless Saints in December 2023 and liked it so much I immediately preordered this title even though I had the eARC. I just knew it was going to be good and I was going to want to own it. Lobb created a world here where blind faith and the worship of the divine are the root of evil. Religion is a tool of the system and it only benefits the privileged. While not a new idea in fantasy, it’s something uncommon enough that an atheist like me takes special notice when books like these pop up.
Disciples of Chaos picks up almost right where Seven Faceless Saints left off, which I felt was a good narrative and artistic choice for Lobb to make for both the story and the readers. The consistency of the story arc from book to book is so smooth it almost feels as if Lobb wrote this duology as one huge tome and then had help editing it into two smaller tomes and the only thing that truly mattered was finding the exact right place to divide the two. As a result, Disciples of Chaos is more plot-heavy than Seven Faceless Saints, which was more heavy on world building and characterizations.
Disciples of Chaos runs at a fast clip, with a lot of action, plot development, relationship developments between Roz and Damian, a ton of inner angst for Damian, and a good amount of political intrigue (which I’m such a sucker for).
While I liked the first half of this duology more, I can honestly say this entire story is entirely worth the hype.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Dark Fantasy/Fantasy/Romantasy/Fantasy Series/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy ...more
This isn’t your standard fantasy. It’s more like if someone wrote fantasy in the style of literary fiction, which is somethiReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
This isn’t your standard fantasy. It’s more like if someone wrote fantasy in the style of literary fiction, which is something I normally eat up with a spoon and ask for second helpings of. It just didn’t happen with The Book of Love, though.
The Book of Love is lovingly crafted and intricately woven. The story is compelling enough to start and engaging enough to keep reading until somewhere in the third act where I found myself losing steam. I finished the book and I liked it but I can’t say it’s something I’d read again.
Kelly Link is a brilliant writer, but this book should’ve been shorter. I fell in love with the story, the characters, the world building, and the dialogue, but nothing can save a book from a plodding pace.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Coming of Age/Fantasy/Occult Fiction/Supernatural Fantasy/Urban Fantasy ...more
…And the reward for the longest novel I devoured in record time this month (that wasn’t a spicy romance) goes to The Witchwood Knot, which is my first…And the reward for the longest novel I devoured in record time this month (that wasn’t a spicy romance) goes to The Witchwood Knot, which is my first Olivia Atwater book and certainly won’t be my last because it simply hit every single one of my cozy gothic fairy tale buttons while maintaining a certain sense of style and panache that you don’t see too often when it comes to the cozier tales. That flair sets this story apart from so many cozier gothics that can often cause me to drift off in the second act. Not this book. This book kept me captivated from the start.
(Note please that there is an author’s note at the beginning of this book regarding TW/CW when it comes to sexual harassment of both woman and child. Take care of you.)
This book simply wouldn’t work without our FMC, Winifred, exactly as she is. She’s a terrific female protagonist, made just the way I like them: full of spite. Let’s just say I identify. She’s also intelligent, cunning, deceitful, and careful. I absolutely love her. She’s had to learn some hard lessons, both mundane and arcane, to get where she is today, and that makes her unique. Her unique outlook on life and on everything faerie is the framework for everything we readers see and understand of this story for a good long while, so it’s marvelous that she’s as intriguing and engaging as she is.
Likewise, the flip-side of Winifred is our MMC, Mr. Quincy, the mysterious and vexing “butler” of Witchwood Manor. He’s everything Winifred is, save he’s full of frustration and anger instead of spite. He’s trapped within Witchwood Manor, bound to an oath he can’t undo, and is almost as alone as is possible. He hides behind cruelty and illusions, but is filled with fear.
Atwater has an unmistakably lovely way with charming, lovely prose and with the elegant and polite dialogue of the Victorian period. Reading the dialogue exchanges between Winifred and Mr. Quincy are like an amped-up version of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, if Elizabeth carried a knife with her at all times and Darcy were willing to turn her own fears on her. When they aren’t exchanging witty repartee and they drop the social mores, these two melt so deliciously it’s like milk chocolate.
I love Atwater’s use of faerie lore. It’s amazing. Most of it is well known, but it’s the little stuff that means so much, you know? Like how important the number three is to faeries. How the scent of bayberry is associated with protection from evil (and that it’s easier to carry bayberry perfume while traveling than to carry candles of it). The way some believe mirrors are portals to the other side. It’s these touches that always impress me when it comes to worldbuilding. I love it when authors do their research and do it well. When it comes to historical fantasy, an author must do double duty by ensuring the historical and fantastical aspects both are accounted for and Atwater has done exactly that.
It’s a simply wonderful novel. I can’t recommend it enough.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review was written without compensation. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Book Series/Dark Fantasy/Fairy Tale/Fantasy/Romantasy/Fantasy Series/Gothic Fiction/Historical Fantasy ...more
Was this book a great read? No. Was it pretty fun? Yes.
Sun of Blood and Ruin isn’t a book I can recommend with a good conscience, but I’m not going tWas this book a great read? No. Was it pretty fun? Yes.
Sun of Blood and Ruin isn’t a book I can recommend with a good conscience, but I’m not going to sit here and say I totally regret reading it.
The story doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. There is more than one plot hole. There are several points in this book where things happen and I thought, “Wow! How convenient!”
Lares obviously doesn’t care much for cohesive world building, exploring the magic systems or belief systems she’s introducing, or even trying to roughly outline the rich culture she’s embedded her story in.
If I may say: This book reads like Lares just assumes her readers know what Mexico looked like (in all ways) in the 16th century: from the very earth on which they stood to the sky above them. While I don’t like authors who patronize their readers, it wouldn’t have hurt to give readers some clues into what Mexico culture was like in more detail.
It was a popcorn flick in the guise of a book. I wouldn’t buy it, but it was okay.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Since this review rated three stars or lower it won’t be appearing on my social media sites. Thank you.
Witches versus witch hunters. Some rivalries never grow old for me, and this is one of them. When people speak of enemies to lovers, this is what comeWitches versus witch hunters. Some rivalries never grow old for me, and this is one of them. When people speak of enemies to lovers, this is what comes up in my mind. This is the type of rivalry that makes the enemies to lovers trope absolutely shine with brilliance.
It also generally just makes for great stories.
Heartless Hunter isn’t lacking in a great story, even if it isn’t breaking too much new ground. Heck, this book even has a nominal (keep that word in your mind) love triangle and I wasn’t hating it too much (and I hate love triangles).
I read Ciccarelli’s Edgewood when it came out and was heavily impressed with her world building and magic system. It’s the same here: Ciccarelli has a great creative talent and it makes her world building glimmer from the costuming to the very ground on which the characters stand, yet she isn’t tempted to let all that sumptuous world building leak through her prose, for which I’m very grateful. We get what we need in the important moments, when the costumes and imagery are important, but our author knows when these details need to take a backseat. The magic system is clever too, with the unique witch marks, the kind of blood spilled for each spell, and the fact each witch leaves behind a unique cast mark when the spell is done.
The book could’ve been an absolute delight if I had liked either one of the main characters. I didn’t feel like we really knew the whole measure of either of them. I didn’t feel connected to them. I didn’t like how either of them went about what they were doing and I really didn’t like Gideon near the end. I can’t agree with a lot of choices either of them made. It’s a little hard to fully enjoy a novel when you don’t connect with it fully.
I bet I’ll end up reading the next book because I need to know how this ends, but I don’t know if I’m going to need to own this series. I do recommend the read though, because it’s pretty good.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Fantasy/Romantasy/Fantasy Series/YA Fantasy/YA Romantasy ...more
Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart is a stellar collection of 13 stories (and one incredible bestiary–more on that later) from the spectacularly creativFifty Beasts to Break Your Heart is a stellar collection of 13 stories (and one incredible bestiary–more on that later) from the spectacularly creative and brilliant mind of GennaRose Nethercott, who wrote the equally spectacular novel Thistlefoot.
I don’t think I’ve read a collection by a single author where I loved so many stories to the extent I loved the stories in this one. With one exception (Fox Jaw), I ate every story in this book up with a really sharp grapefruit spoon and then licked the bowl clean.
A quick summary of my thoughts on the remaining stories:
Sundown at the Eternal Staircase - Spectacularly eerie, fascinating, and great symbolism on how some people are just heading in different directions in life.
A Diviner’s Abecedarian - Tween girls can be mean as hell when not in possession of the sight. Give them the sight and that’s just horrifying.
The Thread Boy - Poignant, emotional, and magical story about a life well-lived even though there was pain.
The War of Fog - I read in a book coming out soon that war is a place, not a time. This story reminds me of that. War is endless and eternal and you’re stuck there.
Drowning Lessons - Cynical, sad, but neat story about what it’s like to be responsible for a sibling’s well-being.
The Autumn Kill - This one is angry, visceral, and vengeful. I loved the ending.
A Lily is a Lily - This one is hard to sum up in little words. Let’s just say it’s a haunting story about what can happen when we build people up in our minds so much they take up our entire existence.
Dear Henrietta - Provocative, creepy, and downright wicked. Dude, this one is good.
Possessions - Don’t mess around with sketchy witchcraft books you find at thrift stores. This one is hard to describe but it’s beautifully written.
Homebody - Awful to read, awful to describe, awful to think about. It’s sad and tense and made me want to punch something.
A Haunted Calendar - Funny, horrific, and imaginative.
The Plums at the End of the World - This was incredible. It’s heartbreaking, evocative, and all about how people fear anything different.
My last note is on the titular “story”, Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart. It isn’t a story so much as a bestiary and it’s the crown jewel of this collection. Complete with eerie, creep-tastic sketches, each beast is named and described with short, incredible paragraphs. They’re utterly fantastic in every way. I couldn’t get enough of them. The bestiary is practically worth the price of admission.
This collection isn’t to be missed.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
It’s nice to see a new fantasy series meet what I consider the level of epic: Epic in story, epic in scale, and epic in feel. You can’t just call a faIt’s nice to see a new fantasy series meet what I consider the level of epic: Epic in story, epic in scale, and epic in feel. You can’t just call a fantasy book or series epic and call it a day. “Epic” means something: Spanning time, lands, battles, revelations, marriage, deaths, betrayals, and more. Epic means gods, monsters, humans, magic, and a greater sense of purpose are involved for everyone in the story. A Fate Inked in Blood may be a spicy (but not too spicy, and definitely not smutty) Viking romantasy, but it’s also the start of a very good epic fantasy series.
Danielle L. Jensen isn’t an unknown name for me, though I’ve never read her books before. The cover, title, and author name of this book all caught my attention when I saw it on NetGalley. Even though I’m usually not down for Viking fantasy, I was intrigued enough to request it. I’m so glad I did, because this was well worth the read (sadly, I’m still not converted on the Viking thing).
The best thing about this book is our FMC, Freya, who has a mercurial temper mixed with a compassionate nature. The second best thing about this book is Freya’s relationship with Bjorn, the son of her husband. Bjorn is Freya’s constant and the one willing to risk her ire when her compassion risks her own safety. Their chemistry is insane from the moment they meet on the page and every time they are alone together their banter is a delight to read.
Jensen has done a wondrous job writing a Viking fantasy world that’s robust with well-explored magic, rich mythology, expressive world building, and fascinating characters. The storytelling is artful and the writing is compelling. I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment!
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
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