Month: July 2023

Serena’s Review: “Thick as Thieves”

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Book: “Thick as Thieves” by M. J. Kuhn

Publishing Info: Gallery / Saga Press, July 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org |Amazon | IndieBound

Book Description: Ryia Cautella, a.k.a. the Butcher of Carrowick, and her motley crew have succeeded in the ultimate heist…with the most dire possible consequences. A terrifyingly powerful tool has fallen into the hands of Callum Clem, the criminal leader of the Saints, who was already one of the most dangerous men alive. With the newfound ability to force magic-wielding Adepts to his will, he is unstoppable.

With their group scattered throughout the five kingdoms of Thamorr—and not all on the same side of the fight—things seem hopeless. But can Ryia get the gang back together for one last job? Or will chess-worthy power plays and shifting loyalties change Thamorr as they know it?

Previously Reviewed: “Among Thieves”

Review: This was another of those nice situations where I’d held off on reading the first book for long enough that I was able to read this one right after the first. In this book’s case, this was helpful because there is a large cast of characters all trying to backstab one another and all keeping certain secrets from this person but not that person and and and…it can get quite confusing, quite quickly! So I do recommend those picking this book up after the year long wait to re-familiarize yourself a bit before diving into this one, just to keep everything straight!

One thing that really stands out about this series so far is the pace of the story and the action. While I think, on the whole, the first one was a bit more fast paced, there’s just no under-stating the snappy style of writing on display here. For a fairly lengthy book, I whipped right through this one pretty quickly. I also really enjoyed getting to see a bit more of this world. We travelled some in the first book as well, but we got even more new locations in this one, which I appreciated.

I really enjoyed all of our characters once again (surprisingly, while I still do have favorites, I don’t actively dislike any of them, though Tristan can have his moments). It was nice feeling as if I was getting a bit more depth for many of them as so much of the first book was taken up introducing this large cast. Now that we know a bit more about the backstories and motivations of several of them, the story was really able to dig into some of the meatier aspects of their characters. That said, I did feel like a few of their “special skills,” like Ian’s ability with disguises, did fall to the way side and could have been used more fully.

Part of this was due to the fact that our cast of characters were all split up into smaller groups for most of the story. That’s probably my biggest complaint of this book. Part of what made me enjoy the first book so much was the dynamic at play between this group of individuals. As it is, while the pairings we get here are still good, I did miss some of the quips, suspicions, and challenges that made up the larger group’s interplay. While eventually these groups do weave back together in a large, climatic ending, I wish we had spent more time with them together.

This book also felt a lot darker than the first. I’m not sure whether this is a good or bad thing, ultimately. On one hand, I have a hard time complaining about bringing in a more serious tone to some of the true horrors at work in this world. But on the other hand, I really enjoyed the fast, fun nature of the first book. Here, there were some truly surprising tragedies to be found, and I sure hope some of them don’t stick!

I think if you enjoyed the first book, it’s likely you’ll enjoy this one as well. There were a few loose ends that speak to the continuance of the series, but it also ended in a way that wasn’t a cliff hanger by any means.

Rating 8: A bit darker than the first, but still a fast, fun romp of a ride!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Thick as Thieves” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Fantasy books with heists

Kate’s Review: “Dark Spaces: Good Deeds #1”


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Book: “Dark Spaces: Good Deeds #1” by Che Grayson & Kelsey Ramsay (Ill.)

Publishing Info: IDW, May 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an eARC from the publisher.

Where You Can Get This Book: Comixology

Book Description: Scott Snyder’s Dark Spaces anthology line returns with an all-new story and creative team! In search of a fresh start, teenager Cheyenne Collins and her mother, Rebecca, move to St. Augustine, Florida, where they cross paths with Jean McKnight, a disgraced big-city journalist determined to pay her dues and rebuild her career, starting with a fluff piece on the town’s upcoming 450th anniversary celebration.

When the quaint community’s festivities give way to bloodshed and Cheyenne is the sole witness, Jean begins an investigation and the women find themselves at the heart of a supernatural conspiracy linked to St. Augustine’s colonial past. Together, they vow to expose the town’s historical sins, but the deeper Jean digs, the less clear it Who is Cheyenne Collins, and when does a quest for truth become a thirst for vengeance? Rising talents Che Grayson ( Urban Legends) and Kelsey Ramsay (Joan Jett and the Black Hearts, I Love Rock-n-Roll) team up for an eerie historical thriller about obsession, power, and redemption in Dark Spaces: Good Deeds!

Review: Thank you to IDW for sending me an eARC of this comic!

It is VERY rare that I review a comic in its single issue release format, as I much prefer to have the full story context in place in volume form. Volumes usually contain an arc within a story, or if its a limited series it can be contained in a full on graphic novel in one sitting. But when IDW sent me an email and some promotional pages for “Dark Spaces: Good Deeds #1” by Che Grayson, I was intrigued enough that I decided to take a chance on a single issue review series. Weird small town secrets, an eager to prove herself reporter, and something odd going on, all while simmering in a dark colonial past that leaks into the present? Oh yeah, this has the potential to be great, and “Good Deeds #1” is a great start!

We have a solid set up for our first issue, which is laying the groundwork for what is to come. The first storyline is that of Rebecca and her teenage daughter Cheyenne, who have recently moved to St. Augustine, Florida. They have bought an old abandoned diner, sold to them by a local named Mr. Foster, and they want to start over after having moved around a lot. The other thread is that of Jean, a journalist who, due to an unnamed mistake, has led her to lose credibility in the journalism community. So when she is offered a job to write a puff piece about the anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine, she takes the offer, and expects to have an easy, if not super satisfying, story to help rebuild her career. We have this well done juxtaposition of Jean meeting with the town leaders, who are bragging about how wonderful their community is, with new girl Cheyenne being bullied as an outsider by her very insular new class mates. Grayson, as I said, is laying a lot of groundwork here, and they do a very good job of showing the spun facade of the town the leaders want to present to Jean, all while weird and disturbing things are happening to Cheyenne at the hands of the townspeople. We don’t know what the issues with the townsfolk are and why they are being so secretive, and the unease builds and settles in in a very creepy way.

And then we get a whole other question by the end of the issue (no spoilers here!), that ties back to Cheyenne and Rebecca. Because the citizens of St. Augustine aren’t the only ones being a little bit cagey. I love the way that Grayson peels this back as well, and it feels done in a very deliberate way while happening all within the limited pages of a single issue comic. The climax of this issue alone is enough to make me want more, but there have been so many well placed questions as well as interesting characters that I am definitely hooked and wanting more. Especially since you can tell that there are going to be some complexities as to what is going on with this community, as it boasts of it’s colonial past while hostility is being thrown towards POC outsiders.

And finally, I really liked the artwork for this! Kelsey Ramsay makes good use of color, and I liked how some of the art is designed in a way that looks realistic, but also a bit odd and strange when it fits the scene.

(source: IDW)

All in all, “Dark Spaces: Good Deeds #1” is off to a promising and solid start! I will definitely be checking out where this goes next, as there are many questions I need to know the answer to.

Rating 8: A tantalizing and creepy start to what is sure to be a dark and layered series, “Dark Spaces: Good Deeds #1” has me hooked.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Dark Spaces: Good Deeds #1” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it would fit in on “Superheroes, Comics, and Social Justice” (admittedly we are early in the story so broader themes aren’t quite as clear yet).

Highlights: July 2023

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Ah, summer! The time of year where Serena is outside almost 100% of the time while Kate is indoors glaring at the sun and dreaming of fall. And now that we’re back from the ALA conference in Chicago, boy do we have a bunch of great books to look forward to reading! Here are some titles we’re excited about this month!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Thief Liar Lady” by D. L. Soria

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Why I’m Interested: As has been well-documented on this blog, I’m always on the hunt for the next great fairytale retelling. And while “Cinderella” is one of the more popular tales for retellings, I was intrigued by the premise of this one which stars up after the ball and glass slipper escapade. Indeed, as the summary hints, our Cinderella here may have had an entirely separate goal in the first place when trying to nab her prince! I’m always a bit concerned with these sorts of “morally grey” characters, like this one is advertised as being, but I’m definitely hopeful and can’t wait to check this one out!

Book: “The Jasad Heir” by Sara Hashem

Publication Date: July 18, 2023

Why I’m Interested: I feel like every kid goes through an “Egypt” phase, and I was no exception! And what with my love of the “Amelia Peabody” series, did I ever leave this phase? Either way, I was excited when I saw this new fantasy title coming out from Orbit that is based on Egyptian mythology and history. There is also reference to a sort of “Hunger Games” style competition, which…I’m less excited about. Does every fantasy title ever have to include some sort of elaborate competition where death is highly featured? Yes? Ok.

Book: “Bonesmith” by Nicki Pau Preto

Publication Date: July 25, 2023

Why I’m Interested: I didn’t love Preto’s original YA fantasy trilogy. In fact, I was so uninspired that I didn’t make it past book one. But I’m always willing to give an author a second chance, and the super cool cover on this one definitely drew me in. Is it obvious manipulation pulling from the very popular “Gideon the Ninth?” Yes, and it’s working perfectly! The story follows a young woman who has grown up in a land plagued by the dead who will rise again unless bonesmiths, like her, put them to rest. Of course, there is also a kidnapped prince and brooding rebel in the mix. All good things, all good things.

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Dead of Winter” by Darcy Coates

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Why I’m Interested: I’ve been wholly enjoying Darcy Coates ever since I started reading her books last year, and I was absolutely thrilled to meet her at ALA this past June. And now she has a new horror novel coming out, and not only is it a locked room-esque mystery, it’s also a snowstorm survival story WITH A MURDERER ON THE LOOSE! Christa and her boyfriend join a tour group in the Rocky Mountains, but when the bus is waylaid during a snowstorm the group gets trapped in a hunting cabin off the beaten path. And then someone starts murdering the members of the tour group, one by one. Christa has to try and survive not only a storm, but also a killer. I expect this to be gnarly as hell.

Book: “The Beast You Are” by Paul Tremblay

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

Why I’m Interested: Paul Tremblay is a must read author for me, his horror works not only scaring the hell out of me more often than not, but also making me weep almost 100% of the time. So obviously I’m going to showcase his newest short stories collection “The Beast You Are”. Collecting a number of Tremblay’s stories that have been published in other formats, as well as a new novella, this anthology is going to run the gamut from dark fantasy, to experimental horror, to even some anthropomorphic animals. And I’m sure that there are a lot of scares to be had.

Book: “Camp Damascus” by Chuck Tingle

Publication Date: July 18, 2023

Why I’m Interested: Well come on. When it is announced that Chuck Tingle is writing a mainstream horror novel, of COURSE I’m going to take notice!! Chuck Tingle, known for his ‘tinglers’ (aka short story monster erotica with tongue planted FIRMLY in cheek), has written a full length, non Tingler horror story, and I am NOT READY in the BEST way. Rose is a devout young woman living in a strict conservative Christian community, her Church being very influential and the conversion camp Camp Damascus a much respected organization. But when Rose starts seeing visions of demons, she starts to question her community, and how moral it actually is. SIGN ME UP, IMMEDIATELY.

What books are you looking forward to this month? Let us know in the comments!