Look at me, trying once again for a cozy fantasy story with great romance and nautical themes that I can finally fall in love with! Spoiler alert: I diLook at me, trying once again for a cozy fantasy story with great romance and nautical themes that I can finally fall in love with! Spoiler alert: I did not fall in love with it. And I so so wanted to. I've read Black's previous novel and did enjoy some aspects of it, so I held hope for the author to blow me away next time. Sadly, Fated Winds and Promising Seas does get the exact same rating of two stars.
Once again, there is so much potential here. A deeply traumatised protagonist with a mysterious tragic past who's been held in a prison for the last ten or so years because he might have killed his own mother? I'm listening, I'm intrigued. Our protagonist, Lucky, escaping the prison because a giant leviathan attacks it and inadvertendly forces him to deal with his agoraphobia all while he's getting picked up by a crew of seafarers that include a very pretty guy and his two moms, one of them the captain of the ship? GO ON, I'm seated! Multiple mysteries surrounding aggressive leviathans, a religious cult, a murder and the maybe fated relationship between Lucky and said pretty guy? ALRIGHT! All the good stuff is here, but the execution is just so very lacking.
The writing is alright, though Black relies very heavily on dialogue and tends to get repetitive with it. The plot is honestly a bit convoluted and fragmented, and that isn't helped by the very barebones world building. What is there, the idea of fate and promises and a religion based on interpreting threads to know the future, is interesting. It just wasn't coherently told in a way that engaged me, and I was honestly left a little confused here and there as to how certain things in this world are supposed to work. But my main issue are, once again, the characters. I'm a character driven reader in general, yes. But a novel like this that is heavy on the romance and the found family trope just doesn't work if the characters don't work. For me, they don't. Lucky starts out incredibly interesting, but then Black decides to throw these interesting bits to the wayside. The way he deals with his trauma and his mental illness is incredibly superficial, and his personality changes rather abruptly in the second part of the novel after there's been a small time jump. The other characters do react to that so it's clearly an active choice, but it took away a lot from his development. His love interest, Gabe, goes from protector to protected very quickly too. I did feel for Gabe and his trauma but once again didn't feel like it was explored deeply enough. Their whole dynamic changes and it doesn't feel organic, earned. I actually like the idea in theory but I didn't think it was well executed here. Their romance was pretty instalovey and I admit I'm not the biggest fan of the fated lovers trope, but my main gripe is simply that I didn't feel the chemistry. I might have preferred them as friends, even. I enjoyed the rest of the crew, but didn't really feel the Found Family vibes at all. At some point Lucky talks about how he's finally found a home with these people and once again, this was told to us instead of showing us how this relationship develops.
I'm clearly in the minority here so take my review with a grain of salt. Maybe it's just a case of a book not fitting this particular reader. For me, it was just a meh reading experience but it absolutely does have great ideas.
Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the arc!...more
Oh how much I wanted to absolutely love this novel. Mistress of Lies was a really anticipated read of mine, but sadly, it couldn't quite give me what Oh how much I wanted to absolutely love this novel. Mistress of Lies was a really anticipated read of mine, but sadly, it couldn't quite give me what I wanted from it. I did like some of what it was doing. The characters are generally interesting, the setting and its politics very on the nose but still intriguing, and the writing style is easy to read. There are some great aestheticts, too. The themes are important, be it the racism two of our main three characters have to endure or the abuse of power by an authoritarian regime, headed by a godlike dictator.
Sadly, I feel like none of these themes were explored fully or with any nuance. The main conflict between the powerful ruling class, the Bloodworkers, and the poor and abused Unblooded seems superficial, mostly because the Bloodworkers are almost comically evil. There is much more nuance to systems of power like these, but it isn't explored at all. There's barely any world-building. The central plot is basically a murder mystery, but it never really felt important at all. Much more time was spent on the relationship between the three big characters, Shan, Samuel and Isaac. And sadly, the romance between them is just... not good. It's incredibly instalusty from all sides and there is no emotional, romantic chemistry between any of them. This is partly to blame on the pacing and the book's probably biggest issue: it's incredibly heavy on the tell-don't-show. We are told constantly how brilliant of a spymaster Shan is, but her actions very much show otherwise. If you want me to believe a character is so terrifyingly good at something, you have to show them being terrifyingly good at that thing or I just don't believe you. We are told constantly how Samuel's training progresses, but because there are time jumps of a few weeks like every next page we see none of it. We are told constantly how the relationship between the three has developed but we aren't shown any of it because of aforementioned time jumps and all-over-the-place writing. We are told constantly how abused the Unblooded are and how the ruling class treats them, but we feel very little of it because we are only shown very few scenes in between of how they actually live and what the Bloodworker rule means for their lives and how all this anger they feel developed.
All of this means that I didn't feel any emotional attachment to any of the characters nor was I emotionally involved in what was happening. There's more I didn't enjoy, but these come down to very personal dislikes and wasted potential. All in all, I really had high hopes for this one, but stark pacing and plot issues, easy but simplistic writing that I just personally didn't vibe with, forgettable characters and an overabundance of telling instead of showing made me just not enjoy my time with it.
Many thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc!...more
This was such a delightful read! Jasinska's This Fatal Kiss managed to actually make me want to read it despite its cursed "This Something Something" This was such a delightful read! Jasinska's This Fatal Kiss managed to actually make me want to read it despite its cursed "This Something Something" type title, which I just cannot stand anymore, and yes it's because of that absolutely gorgeous cover. It's giving oldschool fairytale inspired by Slavic folklore and it's perfect. This Fatal Kiss is the story of a rusalka, the boy witch/exorcist she convinces to help her become human again and that other guy who she needs to kiss her in order to become human - the guy her exorcist helper is in love with, too. It's a love story between three people, though it gives us ample space to get the characters and their personal issues on their own, too. These three do not just exist to fall in love with each other, and that's always how I prefer it. I loved all three of them, although I definitely felt more drawn to Gisela and Kazik. They are wonderful, complex characters and the way their relationship develops from admittedly one-sided enemies to genuine lovers feels organic and believable. It's their romance that really works well in this book. Admittedly, Aleksey was incredibly intriguing as a character but his part in the polyamorous little group wasn't as well drawn, so I didn't really feel the chemistry here. Considering the lack of conclusion to his personal story, I'd wager we'll see more about it in the second book. Which I didn't know would exist, because I expected a standalone based on the info I had, so I do admit I was a little bummed in the end. All in all, this is a well-written polyamorous ya fantasy with great, loveable characters. It has minor pacing issues especially in the middle of the book and sometimes the tone was a bit modern, but that barely distracts from the enjoyment this book can give you.
Many thanks to Peachtree and Netgalley for the arc!...more
Oof, this is a tough one to review. It's always heartbreaking to start a book you're really excited for and have it end up being a big disappointment Oof, this is a tough one to review. It's always heartbreaking to start a book you're really excited for and have it end up being a big disappointment all around. Lucy Undying has all the right ingredients for an extra tasty meal, but if you don't cook 'em right, the end result will still taste like ash.
Lucy Undying tells the story of Lucy Westenra, spanning from the events of the original novel and her survival of them to the modern day. So far, so intriguing. It's being told through her diary entries, records of her therapist session and the point of view of Iris, the young woman who finds Lucy's diary decades later. It's a great premise and Lucy is an interesting character. Sadly, a great premise doth not a great book make.
I started having doubts pretty early on when White apparently consistently got the name "Godalming" wrong. At least I think that's what happened, because I didn't find any other reason for her to constantly write about Lord "Goldaming" and his ancestors' big "Goldaming" MLM. If there was an intention behind changing the name, White never told us. As it is, it reads like a very weird and easily rectified mistake that should have been noticed considering the name comes up regularly throughout the novel. The writing is, in general, okay but the dialogue is very stale and often cringey. The plot is convoluted and gets worse with every page. The pacing is rather slow and quite frankly, the story drags and drags and is surprisingly boring for a Dracula novel. There's a central romance that could have been great but suffered due to bad dialogue, lack of chemistry and Iris as a character, because she's just insufferable most of the time but White clearly wants her to read as "cool and quippy" with some added awkwardness in romantic situations. It's also just very instalovey, and to top it all off they call each other "my little cabbage" and "my little butter chicken" and just, no. Yes I get where the names come from, no they're still terrible. And then there's Lucy. I wanted to love her because hey, it's Lucy Westenra, but in this novel she isn't really allowed to be that. There's no actual exploration of her tragedy, of her inner broknenness beyond the superficial. Instead, she is turned into some kind of vampire Badass Superheroine that, I kid you not, is basically solely responsible for ending World War I, is stronger than any other vampire she meets that isn't Dracula himself, and somehow inspires every age old vampire lady (she only ever meets major female vampires, because this is a ~feminist retelling, you know) to become her Best Self and Be Nice. How she does this I can't tell you because I sure wasn't inspired by anything she does or says. She's also not allowed to have any flaws whatsoever. Yes, she talks a big deal about being a monster for killing people, but every other character keeps telling her that actually, she's doing great, she's killing the right people (bad men, Nazis, ya know, the thing superheroines do), she's innocent, she's a victim whose survival everyone is in awe of. She's also allegedly very clever, yet doesn't figure out very obvious things and is clueless about the modern world despite living in it. She simply isn't a well-written, complex, consistent character. She reads like a watered-down woobiefied fanfiction version of Lucy Westenra, and I'm not talking about the good kind of fanfiction. But really, the same can be said about all the original characters. Without spoiling too much: In her acknowledgements White writes that she's absolutely convinced that Lucy was the victim of a conspiracy by basically all the people involved in her life who were only ever out for her money. That's what this novel is. Everyone is evil but Lucy, who is flawless, and Iris, who's the cool rebel that's fighting for all the right things and really wants you to know about it, too.
Does this read like a rant review? Probably, and I apologize for that. But the disappointment is real and there was just nothing that could save this book for me. I do hope others might enjoy it more.
Many thanks to Del Rey and Netgalley for the arc - I'm sorry this wasn't for me....more
Freya Marske swept onto the scene with her Last Binding trilogy and made her mark in the genre of cozy fantastical little queer adventures. I still haFreya Marske swept onto the scene with her Last Binding trilogy and made her mark in the genre of cozy fantastical little queer adventures. I still have to read the third book of said trilogy, but I really liked the previous two and was excited to see what Marske would do in a standalone novel.
Swordcrossed delivers just what you expect it to. It's a cozy, low stakes love story in a queernorm world with hot spice and witty quips. This time, it's set in world of Marske's own making, a world ruled by different guilds that worship different gods. There's not too much world building (and what there is is admittedly rather convoluted) and it's very low fantasy, so while the world is a fantasy one there are actually far fewer fantastical elements than in the Last Binding. We follow a dual perspective - Matti, heir to a down on their luck guild house, and Luca, a mysterious newcomer to the city who first tries to con Matti then becomes his best man at his wedding, which involves duelling anyone who vetos the marriage vows. Both of these characters struggle, but it's honestly very very low stakes and it gets resolved almost comically easily in the end, especially Luca's personal troubles. Their romance is sweet, though fair warning, it's incredibly instalusty which is actually something I rarely enjoy, especially when characters should be focused on their very bad own problems that the text itself keeps bringing up. They basically want to bone (insert Captain Holt here) five seconds after meeting each other, and I haven't read a version of this that I didn't find boring yet. The actual romantic love story between them is also the opposite of slow burn, and I wasn't quite as invested as I hoped I would be. The plot is, as expected, completely secondary to the romance but this time around I also didn't really find it that interesting. While I love a low stakes romance, the stakes should at least be above ground for me to care. We were told they were, but really, they weren't. In the end, everything gets resolved quickly and perfectly, and the Big Finale almost veers towards ridiculous.
This sounds rather negative, but really, Swordcrossed is a fun little love story with very likeable and complex characters. It's well-written, though that is a given with this author, and a quick read. The spicey scenes are hot, the relationships between the characters are sweet, and I had an all around comfortable reading experience. If you loved her previous trilogy, do check this one out!
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the arc!...more
While I, too, am slowly starting to suffer from retelling fatigue, I can't stop myself from wanting to read those retellings that focus on the villainWhile I, too, am slowly starting to suffer from retelling fatigue, I can't stop myself from wanting to read those retellings that focus on the villains of the story. So obviously, Heather Walter's The Crimson Crown is right up my alley. It tells the story of Snow White's evil stepmother before she became just that - or at least that's what the blurb promises. I haven't read Walter's previous retellings but they're really popular, so I was excited to dive right in. Especially because it's wlw, promising a new spin on an old story.
And I did enjoy my time with Ayleth, our future evil witch. She's a complex character who I emphathized with, and I was invested in her story. The writing is beautiful, the world intriguing. There are little nods throughout the story reminding you that this is, indeed, a Snow White "prequel" if you will. Though quite frankly, if they weren't there I wouldn't have guessed it at all. It definitely does not feel like a retelling, and I'm not sure it had to be one as it had an intriguing story to tell on its own. As a retelling, it honestly didn't work for me. The pacing was a little meandering at times and the "corruption" of Ayleth was teased throughout the story but then came rather suddenly in the end, with our girl going from zero to 100 in what feels like minutes. I also, sadly, wasn't a fan of the relationships in this book. While I enjoyed the conflict between Ayleth and her mother as well as Ayleth and the princess, the story focused more on the romance between her and Jacquetta, and because the latter never felt like a fully fleshed out character to me and I didn't feel any chemistry between them, this part fell flat. Generally, I think the whole story would have benefitted from being shorter, too. It's a pretty long book for what it contains.
I don't know if this will get a sequel - there is definitely potential for one - but if it does, I might still read it. It's a perfectly fine 3 star book with a lot of interesting ideas.
Many thanks to Random House/Ballantine and Netgalley for the arc...more
Oh, the disappointment is real. Everything about this book sounds so incredibly cool, and I've heard only great things about the author's previous worOh, the disappointment is real. Everything about this book sounds so incredibly cool, and I've heard only great things about the author's previous work. Also, a fantasy heist story with dragons, what's not to love? I really wanted to enjoy the hell out of this book, but it actively worked against me even just liking it at every single point.
Starting with the things I actually did enjoy: Parts of the world building are great! I love the concept of dragons as the ones ruling humans this time around, and the relationship between them and their riders is so so so interesting and unique. I loved this part. I also liked the general world this story takes place in, the Skylands and the Deep and the people that live there - it was all really intriguing. While the world building can be a little infodumpy at times, I do love that part in fantasy books so this is a major plus. The second thing I really liked was the love triangle actually developing into a polycule, which I didn't expect.
That's also where my problems with the book start, though. A poly relationship is fun, yes, but you actually need fully developed likeable characters to root for in this relationship, you need chemistry between them. The characters on a whole are underdeveloped, with most of them representing about one character trait. The character development feels just as bland and superficial, and the same goes for the relationship building. I wanted found family, I wanted ragtag group of people coming together for a heist and developing cool dynamics. I got random people with sometimes really weird, wattpad fiction type names (Jaemeh.......) that run around with their one personality trait, expecting me to like them based on just that and some tell-don't-show development and tragic past infodumps. I can see the potential there, but that's about it. I didn't care who lived or died, and that includes not only the poly couple as a whole, but the main character even. For a character feared by the very dragon queen, born with powerful magic, capable of controlling animals and maybe even dragons, she sure is bland. I also felt like most of the flirting between her and Ris, one of the love interests, was really cringeworthy at times.
The pacing is also incredibly meandering. I was getting bored by all the endless preperations for a heist that then happened in what felt like five seconds tops. The whole book needs some more editing, cutting out a lot of the unnecessary side noise that doesn't add anything to either the plot or the characters. There are also some sudden pov changes later on in the book which I didn't enjoy.
So yeah, this is me being really disappointed because I was so excited for the cool heist with dragons story, and a standalone one at that. But sadly, this one fell flat on too many levels for me, and I started skim reading more and more at about 20%, hoping until the very end that it would finally get better. For me, it didn't, but I hope others can enjoy this one more.
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan and Netgalley for the arc!...more
This was a cute and cozy little fantasy with a cool cast of characters and an interesting mystery plotline! In "Cursed Under London", we follow two meThis was a cute and cozy little fantasy with a cool cast of characters and an interesting mystery plotline! In "Cursed Under London", we follow two men in a version of 16th century Elizabethan England that includes fantastical creatures such as dragons, vampires, zombies or ghouls. These two men have one big thing in common: Both died during a vicious attack by gangsters, and both somehow managed to un-die immediately. This convenient coming-back-to-life incident also gives them new powers - Lazare, a French actor living in London, gets some big vampire wings, while Fang, as mysterious and grumpy as one can be, can suddenly create rather disgusting illusions. This strangeness is also what brings them together in order to find out what happened to them, and on their journey to that goal they are accompanied by a tiny dragon and an apothecary.
The characters were all well-written enough to care for them and want them to succeed. Their dynamic is a lot of fun, and the romance between Lazare and Fang is enjoyable as well. The pacing here is a little off (it's a big case of instalust that very quickly turns into love, which didn't feel earned) but the banter is worthwhile.
What dampened my enjoyment heavily was the world building. Most notably, there is just no reason whatsoever to make Elizabethan era London the setting of your novel if it's not recognizeable at all. Throwing in some known names, like Elizabeth herself or a really weird version of Christopher Marlowe is just not enough to establish a setting. At no time did it feel like I was actually in 16th century England. The characters speak in a way too modern language, there are anachronisms all about, everyone is openly queer with no repercussions, and this would be fine if Hutchinson Crouch had decided to just built her own fantasy world. Even a fantasized alternate universe 16th century England has to be reminiscent of real life 16th century England or it just doesn't make sense as a setting. The plot was also a bit meandering with really low stakes, and the big villain wasn't built up well enough to make the final revelations and the big fight interesting. It was alright, all in all.
I'd give this 2,5 stars, rounding up because I enjoyed the general feel and vibe of the story and the characters were mostly fun to hang out with. I probably would have enjoyed it more had it been set in a fantasy world.
Many thanks to Farrago Books and Netgalley for the arc...more
So here's the thing: When I requested the arc of this book on Netgalley because the description spoke to me (it's naval historical fiction, you know, So here's the thing: When I requested the arc of this book on Netgalley because the description spoke to me (it's naval historical fiction, you know, 'tis for me), there was nothing on its page indicating this is, in fact, the second book in a series. Imagine my surprise when I started reading and felt kind of lost with all the teased information I clearly should have already known. One goodreads search later I did find out that this is a sequel, but at that point I've already been reading for a while and wasn't all too willing to go back and buy the first book - I do recommend doing that though. "The Devil to Pay" does tell a story on its own, and it's an exciting and interesting one. It doesn't have the most nuanced plot - in the end it's "ship goes missing and the crew goes on a search for it, then different ship goes missing and the crew goes on a search for it BUT WITH PIRATES!" - but it's a fun one and I enjoyed all the tidbits about the historical era we find ourselves in. It's fast-paced and a quick read.
What was lacking, for me, were the characters - and this is most probably because I didn't read the first book. I liked what I learned about this book's protagonist, Arthur Courtney, because there is quite a bit of depth to him and his story. His great love, Hiram Nightingale, felt like a complete blank slate to me though, and I know he's the first book's major protagonist. I didn't feel anything for him, and as such I didn't feel anything when it came to their romance. We get a lot of glimpses into their past, into important moments in their relationship, but obviously they aren't spelled out again for us because Daysh correctly assumes that you probably read the first book going into the sequel so you know all that already. The side characters weren't very interesting either, which is a problem insofar that I didn't really care about what happened to them in their high stakes adventure on the seas. I can't even remember the names.
So in the end, I did enjoy my reading experience but definitely not as much as I would have with book 1 knowledge. That's a mistake on my part, but also Netgalley/the publishers should probably learn to give more thorough warnings. I wouldn't have requested the book had I known, because I wasn't in the mood to start a new series. Still, this is a good 3 star read. Not remarkable, a little bit forgettable, but exciting nonetheless.
Many thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for the arc!...more
First things first: I know absolutely nada about Baseball and I'm also not interested in learning more about it. Yet here I am reading a baseball romaFirst things first: I know absolutely nada about Baseball and I'm also not interested in learning more about it. Yet here I am reading a baseball romance, and I can confidently say: Yes, even if you, like me, only know the sport from movies you can still enjoy the lovestory between baseball pro Eddie and journalist Mark. It's a sweet and tender romance, well-written and with perfectly balanced rom and com elements. It's easy to read, fluffy yet also tackles more serious themes of mental health and grief, all in a story about two gay men in the 60s, one of them famous. I really liked the first half and enjoyed my time with the characters. Then, admittedly, the book lost me a little.
In general, I do think that the book is too long and the pacing too slow, because there really is not that much happening in these 400 or so pages. While it's a very sweet story and both characters are likeable in their own way, I also felt, dare I say, a little bored. There were no real highs and lows in this book, and the high stakes promised by the description and the historical setting aren't as high after all. Yes, the characters worry a lot about how dangerous being found out as gay would be for Eddie, the baseball pro, but really, nothing ever happens. Everyone close to them is conveniently either queer or queerfriendly, which can be nice to read about and is a genre staple, but when half of the book is comprised of dialogue, both internal and external, about the dangers of being gay in the public eye yet everyone that ever finds out or suspects is totally fine and supportive and there is never any risk at all, it takes away from the struggle. I never felt any threat so I wasn't invested in that part of the story. There is also just no actual conflict. The romance is very instalovey on both sides, and any minor complication on their journey to an HEA is solved immediately and easily. Barely an inconvenience. There's just so very little drama, and I love drama, so most likely it's an "it's me, not the book" issue. I prefer a cliché third act breakup over smooth sailing from the beginning to the end. I also don't think the historical setting is really explored that well. Bar some minor techological stuff, it could have been set in modern day NY. The language, the tone of the book, none of it really works for the era it's set in.
So yeah, in the end this is a sweet lovestory between two well-written and complex characters that will most definitely find a lot of fans. It's also just a tad bit forgettable.
Many thanks to Avon/Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the arc!...more
This is a fun, atmospheric little murder mystery that does tell a story we've all read before: A group of friends at university, one of them gets murdThis is a fun, atmospheric little murder mystery that does tell a story we've all read before: A group of friends at university, one of them gets murdered, all of them might have had a motive to have committed said murder. K.J. Charles doesn't reinvent the wheel, but she doesn't have to either because she makes the well-known concept entirely her own. I really enjoyed Jem as our protagonist because he's so wonderfully imperfect and flawed and unusual, and while they aren't super fleshed out, I enjoyed the rest of the group too. I did feel like the story got a little repetitive at some point because Jem was constantly summarizing his findings and thoughts on the case he tries to solve 10 years later, to a point where it was unnecessary and didn't give us as readers anything we didn't already know. The twists and turns of the story were well done, even though not all of them were that surprising. And yes, the book is still queer - I really really love it when authors write outside of their usual playgrounds but maintain the elements in their stories they are known for. So in conclusion? I hope Charles decides to write more murder mysteries, because this one was fun, had amazing vibes, and is just the kind of pageturner that you can devour in one sitting and gladly do so. Many thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the arc...more
I am devastated to report that this book, it was just not for me. It's definitely a me-thing though. McQuiston delivers their usual fun, dialogue-heavyI am devastated to report that this book, it was just not for me. It's definitely a me-thing though. McQuiston delivers their usual fun, dialogue-heavy, fanfiction-leaning writing filled with lots and lots of pop culture references, and I think I might have just grown out of this particular writing style? I enjoyed it in RWRB on the first read, but noticed my growing annoyance on a reread. For fans of McQuiston's previous books, "The Pairing" might still be the perfect fit. Though, admittedly, it wasn't just the writing style for me. I was so excited for this book, mainly because it has both two bisexual protagonists and also one of them is nonbinary. And the book did have some nice moments exploring Theo's gender and what it means for either of them - though I was a little confused as to why most of this exploration took place during Kit's pov chapters. But generally I just could not connect to Theo or Kit at all. They were both so... dull and uninteresting, and their initial challenge to find out who manages to bed more people on their wine and dine tour through Europe was such a weird concept with these particular two characters. It just.... didn't work at all for them? I can't quite put my finger on it. I loved the general idea and the concept as such is a really fun one, but here it felt forced more than anything. I also felt no chemistry whatsoever between the two lovebirds, so I didn't care if they got together or not. Also, is Kit supposed to be a Timothée Chalamet insert or am I seing things? He even has a friggin Peach Scene. I was so confused by this.
The plot, if you can even call it that, is also not exactly exciting. It's basically just one scene after the next scene of nothing really happening, but there's food and wine and sex and plenty of miscommunication (my least favourite romance trope). Even the sex scenes kind of bored me, and they are written in a very flowery way (which is, admittedly, just McQuiston's usual style) that took all the sexiness out of them for me personally. Quite frankly, I started to skim read this at about 50% and refused to dnf it only because I like the author, but that's probably a stupid reason. If I had to summarize my issues with "The Pairing" in one short sentence, it's probably this one: The book lacked the most important ingredient in a McQuiston book, which is heart.
Mind you, mine is definitely an unpopular opinion and I absolutely think this book will appeal to a lot of people. I'm just not among them.
Many thanks to MacMillan and Netgalley for the book - sorry I couldn enjoy this more!...more
S.T. Gibson's "A Dowry of Blood" is one of my favourite gothic horror reads, so I'm already invested in this author's work. I didn't enjoy her previouS.T. Gibson's "A Dowry of Blood" is one of my favourite gothic horror reads, so I'm already invested in this author's work. I didn't enjoy her previous novel quite as much as Dowry, but I was holding out hope that this most recent one, with a description as intriguing as it gets, would wow me once again.
And it certainly did. I had such a great time with "Evocation" and I'm sure many more will love it. Just do not go into this expecting much of a plot - this is very much a character focused novel with the relationship(s) between our main trio - psychic David, his ex-boyfriend and sorcerer Rhys and Rhy's new wife, witch and tarot reader Moira - taking center stage. I honestly sometimes forgot about the plot because I was too invested in how their complex threeway relationship developed. I love all of the characters, they're deep and layered and complicated and so are their feelings for each other. It's also one of the only polyamorous relationships in fiction I actually enoyed because I thought it was written very well - with lots of communication about it, ensuring consent and wellbeing at all times, especially between Rhys and Moira. There are important themes woven into the narrative, be it on gender, sexuality, religion or conservative values versus modern and more liberal ones. One of the characters is also a recovering alcoholic and victim of child abuse. Gibson approaches all of these at times hard to swallow topics with care.
The plot that is there - a mysterious ancestral deal that slowly takes David's life and that he needs Rhys and Moira's help with - is interesting and well-crafted too. I did feel like the book sadly botched its landing with a very rushed, suddenly incredibly action-focused ending. Things were happening really fast all of a sudden and then it was just kind of over and done with, and it felt really anticlimactic.
This is also basically the big reason this gorgously written, otherwise well-crafted novel with it's complex characters only gets 4 stars from me. Had it stuck its landing this would probably have been a 5 star read.
Many thanks to Angry Robot and Netgalley for the arc!...more
Oh hello there, new whimsical little trilogy I can obsess over! This first part of the Wildersongs trilogy was such a delight to read and honestly migOh hello there, new whimsical little trilogy I can obsess over! This first part of the Wildersongs trilogy was such a delight to read and honestly might just turn out to be one of my favourite cozy-ish books of the year, because I loved almost every single thing about it.
The writing is wonderful and you can really feel how much fun the author had developing her world and her characters. There's some proper world building and while the world isn't very complex but mostly rather simplistic, it's fun to learn about and I'm very easily satisfied by just giving me a weird scary forest. The pacing is even and fast enough while still allowing some moments of rest with the characters on their journey, and I read this in one sitting because I didn't want to put it down. Also I really love the whole spellsong idea, big fan of that.
At the center of Sorcery and Small Magics is Leovander "Leo" Loveage, a sorcerer attending what is basically sorcery university. He's a scriver, so he writes and creates spells for the other category of sorcerers, the casters, to then use. One of those casters is Sebastian Grimm, his nemesis of sorts. He's the grumpy to Leo's sunshine, they really don't like each other, and yet they end up having to spend a lot of time together when Grimm accidentally casts a spell that forces Leo to obey his every command - a forbidden spell that could get them both expelled. I loved both of these characters. Leo is our pov character and he's chaos incarnate but in a very loveable way. Grimm is the exact opposite. Their romance is very slow-burn, which I love, and there is so much complexity to their relationship due to the spell connecting them that I can barely wait how it'll all play out in the next book. They are so much fun to read about, and they're well-thought out and developed characters that I can't but root for. Admittedly, they're also the only really interesting characters in the book. The side characters aren't very fleshed out, although I do really like Agnes, Sibylla and Jayne and hope to see more of them. The stakes are mostly rather low but very personal, the problem solutions are sometimes a bit on the convenient side and there's a sudden antagonist thrown into the mix later on that felt a bit cliché. But these are all very very minor issues that didn't make me enjoy the book any less.
So yes, this is not a flawless book but it's a big with so much heart and it's just a really fun reading experience. 4,5 stars, gladly rounding up.
Many thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc!...more
Nautical fantasy, especially involving pirates, is one of my favourite subgenres ever. Any book with pirates immediately peaks my interest, but when iNautical fantasy, especially involving pirates, is one of my favourite subgenres ever. Any book with pirates immediately peaks my interest, but when it's also compared to OFMD, one of my favourite comfort shows, I just really NEED to read it. I have read Rowland's previous novel set in the same fantastical world, and I admit I didn't like it much. But I'm always willing to give an author another chance, mostly because I WANT to read all the great books. So yes, my expectations going into "Running Close to the Wind" were a mixed bag, but I was hoping for greatness.
After having finished the last pages of this novel, well... I fear that Rowland just isn't the author for me. This new book has entirely different vibes and a completely different tone than "A Taste of Gold and Iron", its predecessor. I don't mind at all, I love it when very different kinds of stories are told in the very same world. And the world here does seem to be an interesting one - we don't learn that much about it, though. The world building is both scarce and superficial and infodumpy at the same time, and it's disappointing because there is so much interesting political intrigue hidden behind chapters and chapters of pure and utter sillyness. Because that's what this book is. Just silly.
Now, I love comedy in my fantasy. I enjoy more comedy-focused approaches to fantasy, too. But "Running Close to the Wind" offers nothing else beyond it, and its comedy is cringeworthy at best. It reads like a weird fantastical sketch comedy, with every situation, every plot point existing purely so that our main character can do something silly. Speaking of said main character, Avra - I'm not sure I actually consider him a character at all. He is a caricature, he exists purely to be funny in a really really over the top, cringey way. He is not grounded in reality, his flaws are never truly explored. He is OBNOXIOUS. He doesn't act nor talk like an actual person, he doesn't have any depth nor complexity, and I was absolutely flabberghasted when the book told me he was supposed to be a 35 year old man. No grown up man, not even the silliest man alive, would act like him. He's childish and insufferable, and his supposed charm wears off after about 10 pages of having to endure his antics. He'd work maybe as a minor character, a comic relief that our main characters meet at some point, but he cannot carry a book. Not that the other characters were any better. There are two more major characters in this - Avras on and off lover, the pirate captain Teveri, and the mysterious new part of their pirate crew, the very hot priest Julian. I could not take Teveri seriously at all, and I WANTED to love them because nonbinary pirate captain?? Hell yeah! But they didn't act like a captain and noone in their right mind would follow them. Their captain's log consisted mostly of dirty thoughts about Avra and Julian. Julian, who is just hot and intelligent and celibate but used to be a complete slut, which is why celibacy was the sacrifice required of him when he joined his religious order. The relationship between the three of them never actually conveys any kind of emotional depth, there's just nothing beyond lust. Whenever there seems to be an emotional development you can be sure the next silly scene is right around the corner negating any effect it might have immediately. All they think about is how horny they are, like 80% of their dialogue is about sex. And nothing ever comes of it either, this isn't a spicy book. There are glimpses of an actual personality between all the sex jokes, visible only once the book decides to finally give us something resembling a plot, but whenever there was finally something interesting about either of them, it was immediately ruined by yet another silly scene filled with sex jokes. We get it, everyone is horny. Please stop, please give me ANYTHING else! The sex jokes aren't even funny, they get increasingly cringey and unbearable. The main joke is just how Avra and Tev keep completely objectifying Julian in the most uncomfortable ways. That's the humour level we're at. There is also something to be said about how Avra is treated by most of the other characters. They are unnecessarily cruel and abusive, physically but especially emotionally, but it's funny because Avra is just so annoying and he's kinda into it, you get it??
The writing in this is alright, but Rowland relies way too much on (often unnecessary 'funny' filler) dialogue, and the pacing is completely off because of it. For its actual content, this book is way too long.
Mind you, I'm clearly in the minority here. There are a lot of reviewers who very much enjoyed this novel, so take my little opinion with a grain of salt. Still, from purely a craft perspective, this book has too many issues for me to recommend it to anyone. I skim read after the 50% mark only because I was hoping for it to get better, but quite frankly, I should have followed my instincts and dnf'ed this one. 1,5 stars maybe, because the very beginning is a little funny?
Many thanks to Tor and Netgalley for the arc - I wish I could have loved it!...more
Oh how I wanted to love this novel. Holland is a great writer and I'm not sure I ever read a retelling of any Wild Hunt tales. Add to that the promiseOh how I wanted to love this novel. Holland is a great writer and I'm not sure I ever read a retelling of any Wild Hunt tales. Add to that the promise of a sapphic romance, and I am more or less sold already.
'Song of the Huntress' tells the story of three characters whose lives intertwine in different ways. One is Ine, king of Wessex and husband to Aethelburg, our second pov character. The last of the three is Herla, who leads the Wild Hunt. Through these three perspectives we are told a tale about old and new religions in Ancient Britain and the fight against a superior mythological foe. I enjoyed our trio and loved how diverse they were. There's also a romance brewing between Aethelburg and Herla, and I was really excited about that.
But sadly, I just really really struggled to get through this book. The pacing is achingly slow, and while the writing is poetic and beautiful, there's just very little actually happening between all these lovely descriptions. By the time the story finally picks up speed I barely cared anymore about anything or anyone. In theory, there is so much to love here: the complex relationships between Ine and Aethelburg and Aethelburg and Herla, the exploration of gender roles and sexuality in these olden times, the Wild Hunt myths. 'Song of the Huntress' is heavy on the character development and focuses less on plot, and while that is perfectly fine and I do enjoy character focused fantasy, I feel like in this case, paired with a rather detached writing style (and third person present tense), it worked to the detriment of my reading experience. I was, frankly, often bored.
This is still a good book. It's clearly very well researched and written by someone passionate about these myths. The characters are complex and the overall plot is interesting. I'd still recommend this to anyone who's interested in a blend of fantasy and history set in this particular era and place.
Many thanks to Macmillan and Netgalley for the arc!...more
Let's start with a confession: I went into reading this book with kind of conflicted expectations. On one hand, I really really enjoyed June CL Tan's Let's start with a confession: I went into reading this book with kind of conflicted expectations. On one hand, I really really enjoyed June CL Tan's debut novel 'Jade Fire Gold' and I was excited to see what new amazing story she came up with. The book had great, complex characters, a well-executed plot and good writing and I also really wanted to see how Tan has developed as a writer from a craft perspective. On the other hand though, a lot of the marketing of this book focuses on its' inspirations being cdrama shows and kpop, and I have absolutely zero connection to either. Haven't watched a single episode of any beloved cdrama show and the whole kpop industry is, let's say it, more or less on my shit list (also I just don't like most of the music). So yeah, I was both excited and worried that this might just not vibe with me because clearly I'm not the target audience.
Fast forward to me reading this book in one sitting and having a forking great time. Sigh of utter relief right there. Now, I'm sure that fans of the aforementioned material will get a lot more out of this book than I did because they would probably notice all the references, but even if you're a complete noob about these subjects you can still very much enjoy your time with "Darker By Four".
My enjoyment of almost any fiction novel mostly hinges on whether I connect with the characters. I don't have to relate to them, but I have to feel for them, care for them in some way. 'Darker by Four' made me care for almost all of the important characters. Rui is our main protagonist really, a girl who almost died before she was even born because her pregnant mother was in a car crash that would have taken her life if not for the interference of two of the ten Kings of Hell, Four and One. They saved her mother's life because, well, Rui is the Chosen One trope incarnate even if we don't know exactly what that entails for now. When she's 14, Rui loses her mother when they are attacked by a Hybrid - a being half human, half Revenant monster - and still blames herself to this day, vowing to find the murderous Hybrid and take her revenge. Now at 18, she's the best student at an academy training new exorcists - people with strong magical capabilities that exist to fight the monstrous Revenants. She's a complex and layered character, even though she's a bit too Special and Chosen and Edgy at times. The second major pov character is Yiran, who has by far the more interesting personal storyline to begin with. He's the son of the big boss of the exorcist guild, part of a family known to produce the strongest fighters with the strongest powers, yet he himself is what the people call a "normie". He's born without the inherent capacity for power, and he suffers constantly because of it. With low self esteem and a terrible grandfather who looks down on him, his journey takes a sudden turn when he meets Rui and he comes into a power he always desperately wished for. While it took me a little more time to warm up to him, I absolutely adored him by the end of the book and I'm very excited to see where Tan will lead him in the sequel. The third pov character is Nikai, a reaper that helps the souls of the departed to find their way into the underworld. His chapters are far and inbetween and we don't learn that much about him, so I'm not super invested in him for now, but he might just be playing an important role later on. In this book, he mostly serves as our introduction to the underworld, its mechanisms and the Kings ruling them. When the King Nikai serves, Four, suddenly vanishes and thereby endangers both the underworld and the world of the living, it's Nikai who sets out to find him. There's also another very important character, though he doesn't get his own pov chapter until the very end: Zizi is a rogue mage who saved Rui when her mother was killed, and the two have shared a close bond since then. She does the odd magical jobs for him, and he's her connection to the magical world beyond the guild of exorcists. He's a fun character, witty and clearly devoted to Rui and if I love one thing about my love interests, it's when they're very obviously simping for their girls. Their romance is pretty perfectly done, deliciously slow burn despite them both already having feelings for each other when we meet them. And well, it only gets better from there. There are a bunch of side characters, though most of them aren't that interesting or fleshed out. Yiran's brother Ash, the golden child of the family, is intriguing because of his complicated relationship with his little brother, who he clearly loves very much. I thought that Rui's best friend (and ex) Ada would play a larger role, but she kind of disappears into "side character pops up when needed" territory later on. One of the most intriguing side characters gets introduced rather late into the story and I'm already very invested in him and finding out more about him because he offers a new perspective, and there's potential for a great relationship between him and one of the main characters, though I won't mention more because it'd be a spoiler. The Kings we meet are interesting and I hope we get to spend more time with them in the next book.
The plot is a very straightforward one: There are monsters called Revenants, caused by a mysterious Blight taking over the souls of the dead if they're not ushered into the underworld quickly enough. There are those that fight those monsters, the Exorcists. When one of the Kings of the underworld vanishes, more Revenants start to pop up while the underworld slowly but surely falls to a dark void called the Nothing. The solution? To find the missing King and return him to this throne, which will hopefully end the rising threat to both worlds. Only that finding said King is not an easy task. When one of the other Kings offer Rui a deal to give her what she wants (and return something that she lost) in return for finding him, she still agrees to take it on. There's a lot more surrounding this seemingly straightforward quest, but the mystery of the missing King is intriguing and exciting on its own.
The writing is solid, though at times a little clunky. Especially in the beginning there's quite a bit of exposition provided via characters telling other characters things that they already know. Sometimes, the characters don't talk like people would actually talk in order to get some information across. For example, to make sure we understand that both Rui and Yiran are queer, they both on different occasions reply to questions about their romantic life by explicitely stating that right now they're not interested in dating "boys or girls or anyone in between". Rui does so even to a person she just met. Noone would talk like that unless they want to make a point, which neither of them does, especially not in such a queerfriendly world as is shown in this novel. Feels a little like "look!! here's the representation!!", but could also just be clunky writing. There are way better ways to bring this information across, and Tan uses them in the very same novel. Other than that, the writing is perfectly fine and works well with the fast-paced story it tells.
All in all, I just had a really good time reading this book and I'm very invested in the characters. There are many ways the story could develop in the sequel and I'm really excited to find out! A fast-paced, quick fantasy that makes you want to read up on the underlying mythology, which is always a win in my opinion. Easy 4 stars.
Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the arc!...more
This was a very fun read! I went into this with zero expectations but the title and synopsis sounded very intriguing. 'Voyage of the Damned' tells theThis was a very fun read! I went into this with zero expectations but the title and synopsis sounded very intriguing. 'Voyage of the Damned' tells the story of Ganymedes, called Dee by his admittedly very few friends. He's the heir to the ruler of Fish Province, one of twelve provinces of an empire called Concordia and also the most unimportant one. He spends most of the book on a ship with the other eleven heirs, all of whom have not only inherited a title but also the magical powers of their parents, the so-called Blessing. All of them but Dee, that is. When the heirs start dying left and right on their voyage, Dee seems to be the only one interested in finding out what the hell is going on. Murder mystery shenanigans ensue. Dee is a very fun protagonist who talks to much, is a chubby bisexual boy, is very insecure about his own worth and has very few actual friends and also suicidal tendencies. He's a lot more complex than he seems to be at first, and I really enjoyed following him. The side characters aren't all too fleshed out, but I enjoyed most of them too - especially the adorable grasshopper heir. The plot is engaging, although a little slow-paced in the middle part, and the murder mystery kept me hooked. I got the feeling that anyone could die at any moment, and it kept me on my toes.
It's not a perfect book though and there are some things I didn't enjoy. The writing sometimes veers into ridiculous, and one of the first pages has a line about how "walking away from explosions" is undeniably cool (please don't do this, authors. Pretty sure Dee doesn't watch modern action movies) which made me worry that I was reading One Of Those Books. The prose is rather basic and the humour sometimes gets a little too much and thus becomes a bit unfunny. The world building is also not incredibly well done, there's really not that much to Concordia at all. Most of what we do learn we get told by other characters when they inform Dee about what's happening in their province, and it's a little weird that major empire-shifting events are happening without Dee, as part of the ruling class of one of the provinces (even though officially an insignificant one) knowing any of it. There's also a rather obvious twist that I was kind of hoping wouldn't happen, but I can see some people really loving it. With that twist comes a revelation that, basically (no spoilers), the murders could have been stopped early on but weren't for purely plot reasons that made no sense. The ending is also rather rushed when compared to the slower-paced journey before.
But still! This was a fun and engaging quick read that made me smile a lot. You shouldn't think too hard about what's happening, and you definitely shouldn't expect a real adult fantasy (this VERY much reads like YA in absolutely every way). You probably won't remember the book in a few years but it's the perfect little getaway for a cozy weekend at home. 3,5 stars, gladly rounding up.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House and Netgalley for the arc!...more
S.T. Gibson's previous novel, "A Dowry of Blood", was one of my favourites of the year. So of course I had to devour her next book, especially becauseS.T. Gibson's previous novel, "A Dowry of Blood", was one of my favourites of the year. So of course I had to devour her next book, especially because it's a retelling of Carmilla with a sapphic relationship at its core. And once again, Gibson's writing drew me in right from the start. And at first, I was intrigued by both Carmilla and Laura and their mysterious professor, De Lafontaine. But rather quickly I started to worry that I'm not reading a new favourite. There is a lot to love in "An Education in Malice": The beautiful prose, the themes, the honestly pretty good sex scenes. But it all just felt a little... superficial? I never warmed up completely to Laura and Carmilla, who both have their pov chapters. For one, despite them being very different in personality their narrative voices are rather similar. But also, there just isn't much depth to any of them. Gibson doesn't dig deep, doesn't allow us to really get to know them beyond their attraction to each other and superficial themes of loneliness. Their relationship feels rushed, too. Laura is basically obsessed with Carmilla the second they meet, and their rivalry in the beginning feels a little contrived considering how quickly it turns into something else entirely. There is no organic development, it's just instalust. De Lafontaine is interesting for a while because of how morally ambiguous she starts out, but very soon she turns into more of a mildly annoying obstacle. Then there's a plotline involving her and her former lover, which seemed completely tacked on and irrelevant when the time spent on it could have benefitted a more fleshed out relationship between the central couple. The romance is at the heart of this book but it's also its biggest weakness. Themes like the loneliness of an immortal life and what it means to be a mortal loving an immortal and the other way around are thrown in but never fully explored either.
So yeah, while this is definitely a sexy, beautifully written sapphic romance with some steamy kink, it's also not much else. The alluring intensity of 'A Dowry of Blood' is nowhere to be found, which is maybe my biggest disappointment - my expectations might have been to high though I admit. It's good for what it is but also sadly forgettable.
Many thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for the arc!...more
Let's be honest here for a second: The reason why I, personally, but probably a lot of us readers picked this book up is the title. This title is simpLet's be honest here for a second: The reason why I, personally, but probably a lot of us readers picked this book up is the title. This title is simply perfection and very effective. So after I was lured in by the perfect title, I read the description and it sounded like so much fun! Exciting, cozy and focused on characters beyond their twenties, already in an established relationship. I was really intrigued and was looking forward to reading it.
Well, let's say, this turned out to be a bit of a mixed bag. It's obvious that the author was having a lot of fun with these characters and their story, and there's a lot of cozy humour and love in those pages. I quite liked our central couple, warrior Logan and bard Pie, too, and their love for each other is absolutely endearing. There are also some fun ideas a long the way, with unicorns and spellcasters and necromancers galore. But honestly... I guess I found the execution a bit lacking?
I have now seen this book described as Witcher fanfiction about Geralt and Dandelion, and I can see where these descriptions come from but also noone should expect them to be true. The only thing they have in common is the fact that the warrior slays monsters and is considered "grumpy" and the bard is pretty and good with words and also involved in crimey things. I found the whole world building severely lacking and couldn't picture the setting in my mind at all. We learn very little about this world, and while yes, this is definitely not a lore-focused story and doesn't have to be, I do need to be able to imagine the world the characters are interacting with in order to get invested in their story. This didn't happen here. The story in general is very fast-paced and kind of hectic, often coming off as more surface level, superficial, instead of taking its time to explore the generally interesting aspects of the story. Everything happens fast, some of it off page, so in the end I just didn't really care. My main gripe though are the characters. For one, because the author doesn't really take time to set up some of these characters, I just didn't care for most of them. The main antagonist was so underdeveloped, most of his big important story reveals coming way too late, that I wasn't invested in our characters bringing him down at all. Logan - our warrior protagonist - has a lot of emotional baggage and issues, but most of it is being said instead of being explored through his experiences. I felt for him, but not enough to make him memorable in any way. Pie, his bard husband, is a pretty stereotypical bard all around. He's fun and cute and I liked the more tragic aspect of his backstory. What really threw me off about them is the fact that they are supposed to be, if my memory serves me right, 42 and 37 years old. They do not act like it most of the time. This could have been a YA or NA couple. The side characters were....... well. Some are okay but entirely forgettable (Gary, Seraphina), some could have been great but were butchered by their nonsensical, super weird ending (Ophelia) and one was just written in a way that honestly almost ruined the entire book for me. Yes, it's the countess. I cannot believe the author wrote her the way she did and the editors read her the way she was written and all of them said "yeah that's funny, that's good humour, people will love this!" Let's say it this way: Had her character been a man, he would have been either edited heavily or turned into a villainous figure. She is constantly sexually harassing ALL the men in their group, even the very young and inexperienced Gary, in the most uncomfortable way. No, this is not a flirty, promiscuous character having a little fun. This is an older, powerful woman using every opportunity to make sexual comments, ogle or grope the men around her, and it is not funny in the least. Logan is constantly uncomfortable with this, but he just accepts it after a while and hey, she's his friend now. Noone really tells her off, Pie even encourages this kind of behaviour and thinks it's funny. I honestly could not believe what I was reading. No amount of cute skeleton dogs and badass necromancy can make up for this level of creepiness. Absolutely terrible character, even though there is clearly potential to turn her into something, someone better.
So yeah. In the end, this was a pretty mediocre story with barely existent world-building and characters that are either okay, forgettable, or horrifying. I wanted to love this so much, but I couldn't. 2 stars.
Many thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the arc!...more
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