Month: December 2023

Serena’s Review: “Powerless”

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Book: “Powerless” by Lauren Roberts

Publishing Info: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, November 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!

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

Book Description: She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting. He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be. Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites’ powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.

Review: Well, what is there to say: tricked into reading this one by the hype train once again! That said, I’ve had a few surprises recently where books that were very hyped actually ended up being quite good! So while “popular on BookTok” is still often a red flag for me, I don’t want it to become an instant warning sign to not even check out a book. Unfortunately, this one re-established many of the reasons I’m hesitant about books that seem to be crazy hyped.

Mostly, this book felt like a conglomeration of tropes and recycled world-building. And on top of that, the writing felt very simplistic and even cheesy at times. Both of these complaints (tropes/unoriginal concepts and fairly low quality writing) are the ones that most often come up for me when I read books like this that have been highly hyped. Maybe I’m snobby, I don’t know, but it almost seems like the readers who hype these books seem to have very low bar set for the quality of what they’re reading. Don’t you want to read something different? Don’t you want a new story? A new world? A new romance? It’s all just so…tired.

It starts with the world which is pretty much just a high fantasy version of “Hunger Games.” The entire concept is also fairly crazy as this is apparently a world where everyone has powers and yet somehow society isn’t chaos?? Beyond that, those without powers are considered deadly threats for being diseased. And yet, fairly early on, we see and hear of several examples of people without powers being hidden away for years on end. If it was just a horrible stigma taken to a deadly level, then I would understand it. But I don’t understand the idea that these people are seen as actual threats to life and health when it’s very clear that this isn’t the case using any basic observational skills.

Beyond that, the seemingly endless types of abilities and powers that people in world could have served as a detriment to the stakes and storytelling in this book. It was like a constant dues ex machina. Brandon Sanderson has a few videos up on YouTube about his approach to building magic systems, and one of the points that he emphasizes is that your system, be it a strict or loose magic system, needs to have clear limitations. This book serves as a perfect case study in what happens when there are no limitations, and the end result is that it sucks out much of the coherence or sense of stakes built into the story.

From there, I felt the main character and the love interest were cardboard cutouts of the same characters I’ve read in books like this before. They weren’t necessarily bad characters, but they were so familiar, so uncreative that I simply couldn’t find myself caring. Paedyn was your heroic underdog type and Kai was your supposedly morally grey, mighty fighter type. And again, many of these character traits are simply told to the reader, often in fairly cheesy dialogue. Kai referring to himself as a monster more than once is a good example of this. But what do we actually see from him? A guy living in a violent society who, if anything, has a much more moral approach to what he does than others. So…monster? Really?

Overall, I was very underwhelmed with this book. It felt incredibly familiar and was built on too many tropes to even count. The characters weren’t bad, but they also weren’t bringing anything new or interesting to the table. The writing was also very simplistic and failed to draw me in. I know the author has a big TikTok following, so I’m sure it will do well with a built-in fanbase. But if you’re a general fantasy reader looking for the next book to pick up, I can’t say I recommend this one.

Rating 6: Not for me, I feel like I’ve read this same book many times before and don’t need to read one again.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Powerless” can be found on this Goodreads list: Best Fantasy Fiction for Teenagers

Kate’s Review: “Their Vicious Games”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Their Vicious Games” by Joelle Wellington

Publishing Info: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Adults, July 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC2023.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon| Indiebound

Book Description: A Black teen desperate to regain her Ivy League acceptance enters an elite competition only to discover the stakes aren’t just high, they’re deadly, in this searing thriller that’s Ace of Spades meets Squid Game with a sprinkling of The Bachelor.

You must work twice as hard to get half as much. Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. It’s why she works so hard to be perfect and above reproach, no matter what she must force beneath the surface. Even one slip can cost you everything.

And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is the Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family in which twelve young, ambitious women with exceptional promise are selected to compete in three mysterious events: the Ride, the Raid, and the Royale. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door.

But when she arrives at the Finish, Adina quickly gets the feeling that something isn’t quite right with both the Remingtons and her competition, and soon it becomes clear that this larger-than-life prize can only come at an even greater cost. Because the Finish’s stakes aren’t just make or break… they’re life and death. Adina knows the deck is stacked against her—it always has been—so maybe the only way to survive their vicious games is for her to change the rules.

Review: Thank you to Simon & Schuster for Young Readers for providing me with an ARC at ALAAC23!

One of the most stressful aspects of my old job as an interpreter at a Gilded Age/Victorian Era historic house was when a coworker and I would have to run the Finishing School Summer Camp for a week. Picture it: Me and my coworker, decked in Victorian garb, leading about a dozen young girls on a history based summer camp where they would learn about Finishing Schools of the era and all the culture, etiquette, art, and history that came with it. I would lead various activities, involving tea parties, dress up, and putting together a LITERAL CONCERT involving dancing, singing and poetry, all to be performed at the end of the week, and when it was all over I would surely pass out at 8pm on Friday night and sleep for about twelve hours. Finishing School was high stakes for me, it was high stakes for the women back in the day, but it could NOT compare to the Finishing School-esque competition of Joelle Wellington’s thriller “Their Vicious Games”, in which a number of ambitious young women are plucked to participate in a wealthy family run competition that will place them into a prestigious societal position…. Except on the years when it’s a death match for the hand of the heir apparent. Does this sound like a fun book? Because IT IS.

But really, the premise of this is super fun and it definitely made for an entertaining read. While I haven’t watched any of “The Bachelor”, I am familiar enough with its ins and outs due to pop culture osmosis to just love a bit of a satirical death match dating competition (with some sprinkles of “Ready Or Not” as toxic wealthy family dynamics play into it as well). We follow Adina, a recent high school graduate whose future plans were shattered when a fight between her and a classmate went viral, and she lost her scholarship and acceptance to Yale. It’s already difficult for Adina, as she is one of the only Black students in her graduating class and has to deal with classism and racism alike. So when she is selected to participate in The Finish, a competition for college age teenage girls run by the school’s founding family the Remingtons, she thinks that perhaps winning will get her life back on track… Except, as mentioned above, the Finish this year isn’t the Finishing School set up she expects. I liked the set up of the Finish, as Adina has to maneuver through a cut throat competition based on background, privilege, and entitlement, as not only an outsider, but also as someone with perhaps even more to lose than the other competitors at first glance (you know, until it’s clear that most of these teenage girls are going to die). Seeing her go through this competition and learning how to function with strategy, manipulation, and cunning is definitely a story that has high stakes, and I liked the action sequences and the altercations as the contestants try and do ANYTHING to win Pierce Remington the Fourth’s hand, and to win their life. I also liked the soapy moments between Adina and the contestants (especially between her and Esme, the girl who she fought with initially, and Pen, Pierce’s high school girlfriend who is a surprise competitor), as well as Adina and Pierce Remington as she tries to gain his favor as protection, as well as the relationship between Adina and Pierce’s older brother Graham, the black sheep who is training her for the fight of her life behind closed doors. It’s a fast read as the action and conflict keeps it going at a clipped pace.

That said, it isn’t really anything new when it comes to the satire of the evils of the Haves and their exploitation of the Have Nots. This kind of satire of a privileged and uber wealthy family bringing harm to those below them is seen a lot lately, for pretty understandable reasons, but while it’s understandable and evergreen, I also want there to be something more to it to make it stand out against other tales that have come before it. I also think that we could have used a bit more background and context for The Finish and the Remington Family as a whole, as some of them came off as more cardboard cut out villains who could have benefited from a little more exploration. But I did like the metaphors of women tearing down other women as they try to get the spoils of patriarchy, even more so when white women target Black women within these systems, however, so that did give it a bit of an original edge in spite of well worn territory in other ways.

“Their Vicious Games” is fun and engaging, a young adult thriller that kept me interested and had some wicked fun moments of drama and gore, as well as social commentary that will connect with its readers. If you have some travel coming up with the holidays and anticipate down time, this will be a fun popcorn-y read.

Rating 7: An entertaining young adult thriller that feels like a blend of “Ready Or Not”, “The Bachelor”, and “Squid Game”, though it doesn’t really break new ground to stand on its own.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Their Vicious Games” is included on the Goodreads lists “YA Thriller Games”, and “2023 Dark Academia Releases”.

Serena’s Review: “Shadow Baron”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “Shadow Baron” by Davinia Evans

Publishing Info: Orbit, November 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: copy from the publisher!

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

Book Description: Strap in for a thrilling adventure in the sequel to Davinia Evans’s wickedly entertaining debut fantasy that follows our favorite irreverent alchemists, high society ladies, and swashbuckling street gangs as they wrestle with the nature of reality itself. 

Siyon Velo might be acknowledged as the Alchemist. He may have even stabilized the planes and stopped Bezim from ever shaking into the sea again. But that doesn’t mean he has any idea what’s he doing—and it won’t be long before everyone knows it. 

To make things worse, mythical creatures once confined to operas and myths are spotted around Bezim. A djinn invades Zagiri’s garden party, and whispers of a naga slither across Anahid’s Flower District card tables. Magic is waking up in the Mundane. It’s up to Siyon to figure out a way to stop it, or everything he’s worked hard to save will come crashing down.

Previously Reviewed: “Notorious Sorcerer”

Review: Reading my review for “Notorious Sorcerer,” you wouldn’t be blamed for being a bit surprised that I’m back with a review of the second book in what appears to now be a trilogy. Well, when this one popped up as a review option, I went back to check out my review of the first one and decided that, given the specific struggles I had there, it might be a good idea to give the second book a chance. Notably, I struggled with the pacing of the first book.

The first one sped along in a way that I believe I described as “galloping.” Fast paced story can work well in a lot of ways, but in this case, it hindered my ability to truly connect to the characters. But this is also why I wanted to check out the second book. Character-wise, a decent amount was done in the first book to lay the foundation of who these people are, so I was hopeful that my connection to their stories would root me more firmly in place. And, for the most part, I was right about that, as I did enjoy this book more than the first.

Beyond the fact that I was helped for having already been introduced to this world and these characters, I do think there were some solid improvements in the overall quality of this book. The pacing did actually seem to flow better, being still quick but not so fast-paced that it left me feeling overwhelmed and unable to really settle into the reading experience. I also thought the world-building was improved this go-around. I was interested enough the first time, but I definitely remember wishing that things had been a bit more fleshed out and elaborated upon. And thankfully, that came through here as well. The slower pace also allowed for many of the elements and ideas presented in the first book to truly come to life, and I felt better able to center myself in the world that had been created.

Our main characters spent much more time apart in this second outing. This will likely work well for some readers, and not as well for others. I enjoyed it, as I think their individual storylines, largely disconnected from one another, left me better able to truly appreciate the character building that was going on for each of them. This was probably the aspect of the book that felt most “middle book” like. Some of the plot lines didn’t feel as important as others, but it was clear that the goals of these story points had more to do with moving the characters along a larger arch than it did with the storyline itself. As a character reader, I was happy with this. I also enjoyed the closer focus on the politics of this world and how our characters were needing to work within and without the system to bring improvement to this world.

Overall, I had a fun time with this book and enjoyed it more than the second one. Fans of the first book will likely enjoy the deeper look into this world, though some may be frustrated by how much time our characters spend apart. Readers who had mixed feelings about the first book, may still want to give this second one a go, as I feel it was a stronger story, overall.

Rating 8: An improvement in pacing and world-building, this second book in the trilogy will be a hit for fans of this series!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Shadow Baron” can be found on this Goodreads list: Books I’m Dying to Get My Hands On

Kate’s Review: “My Roommate Is a Vampire”


This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “My Roommate Is a Vampire” by Jenna Levine

Publishing Info: Berkley, August 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: True love is at stake in this charming, debut romantic comedy.

Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it’s a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she’s desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch—only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price.

Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn’t look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they’re both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren’t there earlier, Frederick has to come clean…

Cassie’s sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her.

Review: I have made something of a tradition on this blog in that the past few Decembers I have reviewed a book that isn’t really within my genres. Namely, I have read and reviewed a romance novel every December, sometimes attempting to make it peripheral to my genres that I usually take on on the blog (actually, three out of four have achieved that, with “The Love Hypothesis” being the exception because I basically said FUCK IT I LOVE IT TOO MUCH TO NOT REVIEW IT!). And this year I decided that it was going to be annual, because I stumbled upon “My Roommate Is a Vampire” by Jenna Levine. Like, come on! I really like vampires, and I like fluffy slow burn romance books. I am admittedly very picky about vampire fiction, especially when romance in involved, but I decided to throw caution to the wind because this one looked like it didn’t REALLY take itself super seriously. So I dove in, hoping for the best, and hoping my pickiness wouldn’t be out in full force. And right away, I realized two things. One, it was definitely going to be fun. And two, like my blogging partner and dear friend Serena before me, I had stumbled into a repurposed Reylo fanfiction.

Like “The Hurricane Wars” and “The Love Hypothesis” before it. Though given that I sought out “The Love Hypothesis” knowing full well its origins, perhaps I’m….. not that innocent. (source)

But given that I loved “The Love Hypothesis” and Serena enjoyed “The Hurricane Wars”, it’s probably not so shocking that I did enjoy “My Roommate Is a Vampire”. What can I say, Reylo fanfic writers haven’t let me down yet!

In terms of a story overall, “My Roommate Is a Vampire” is exactly what you think it’s going to be based on the cheeky title and the adorable cover. Cassie is a struggling artist desperate for a new apartment after being served an eviction notice, and stumbles upon a Craigslist ad that offers a room in a nice place for two hundred a month. She meets her new roommate, Frederick J Fitzwilliam, and while he seems a bit… odd, he’s nice enough and just a titch awkward. Soon she finds out that he’s a vampire (a benign one, however), and their odd couple roommate situation starts to evolve into something more as they become close. It’s fluffy, it’s straightforward, and it’s a breezy read because of that, as well as the enjoyable main characters. It’s mostly from Cassie’s POV, though we do get to see some insight into Frederick through both his endearing letters to Cassie (as that is how they communicate when they first start out due to their opposing schedules), as well as snarky texts between him and his fellow vampire/friend Reggie. I really liked both of them, and thought that the plot had enough conflict to give it some suspense without diving into REALLY ridiculous territory (I mean, we do have a very dramatic plot point involving betrothed vampire customs and an overbearing family, but it was light hearted enough that it never became tiresome). The writing is fun, the story is sweet, it’s basically everything I hope for in a rom com romance novel. And the vampire angle doesn’t take itself so seriously that I find the romance off putting or troublesome, as I sometimes do find vampire romance due to the way the inherent and played up danger is portrayed more as ‘I can fix him with my love’ than ‘no, the potential for him killing you in passion isn’t sexy, guys’. In this, Frederick isn’t weighed down by his impulses, he isn’t tortured by them, and you never get the sense that Cassie could be in any danger (hell, we even get some informed consent moments about the possibility for blood play in the bedroom due to his nature, and it is solely Cassie’s choice on whether to proceed SPECIFICALLY so she feels comfortable and not in danger. Refreshing!). I found that all very satisfying.

And we have to address the more tender and salacious parts of the romance, of course. I love a slow burn story where two characters get to know each other and then it all comes to a head after a long wait, and this book definitely has that. I really liked the forced proximity trope in this, as while it wasn’t hostile by any means it still had two strangers, one of whom is hiding a pretty significant secret, learning about each other and getting closer, first through notes exchanged each morning, and then through a partnership in which Cassie agrees to teach Frederick about the modern world after he took a nearly century long sleep. First of all, I LOVED the letter writing and how it goes from kind of formality to banter to genuine affection. And I loved the chemistry between the two of them as well when they interact in person, the tentative friendship they form is very sweet. Seeing it grow and evolve and seeing their feelings grow and evolve is not only my complete jam in romance novels, but it helped lay the groundwork for a huge pay off when they finally do let their growing passions take over. I know a slow burn doesn’t work for everyone, but it REALLY works for me, and in this? BOY DID IT WORK.

Bless you, Reylos! Keep up the good work! (source)

I quite enjoyed “My Roommate Is a Vampire”! Hooray for a vampire romance that I found more fun than cloying, and for a cute couple that made it easy to root for them!

Rating 8: A cute as hell and sometimes really steamy read, “My Roommate Is a Vampire” is a fun rom com that charmed this very picky vampire aficionado!

Reader’s Advisory:

“My Roommate Is a Vampire” is included on the Goodreads lists “Reylo Fanfics Turned Into Published Books”, and “Hey, Vampire!”.

Book Club Review: “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Our current theme is song inspirations, where we were given a random song from a random genre and had to pick a book based on the song.  For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” by Melinda Taub

Publishing Info: Grand Central Publishing, October 2023

Where Did We Get This Book: from the publisher!

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

Song Inspiration: “You’re No Good” by Lynda Ronstadt

Book Description: In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you’re a witch, promises have power . . .

Kate’s Thoughts

When Serena chose “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” for book club, I briefly thought of how I was probably one of the least Austen knowledgable in our group of friends and fellow librarians. I’ve seen plenty of “Pride and Prejudice” adaptations (okay, two: the Keira Knightley one and “Fire Island”), I hadn’t actually read it outside of reading “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”. The good news is that through my adaptation consumption I knew well enough that Lydia is considered to be an obnoxious brat. So the idea of following her, AND making her a witch, was super fun, and I was excited to read it. And overall I thought that it was a fun adaptation, and it gave Lydia a bit to work with while still keeping her fairly obnoxious. In the best way possible.

Since I’m not as familiar with Austen’s work and the various paths “Pride and Prejudice” re-imaginings and revisits can take, I will mostly focus on the supernatural parts of this book. There is something really satisfying about making Lydia Bennet an aspiring witch, if only because it makes her just that more interesting, while still making her a bit of an antagonist through her actions as a headstrong and self involved girl with a loose grasp on her powers and the consequences of them. I love the idea of Kitty being an actual cat that Lydia glamoured into a sister for companionship, I really enjoyed the dynamics between the witches in the coven and how the social pressures and cattiness was still present, I also really liked the way that Taub brought in Wickham in a way that fits into the larger scheme of things by making him a demon and a bit of a caddish foil to Lydia (also, props on Taub for finding a believable way to retcon the Georgiana situation that keeps that vital plot point while also making a scenario where one can still kind of root for Wickham and Lydia to have a relationship, dysfunctional and bitchy as it may be). Toss in spells and curses and lots of witch and fantasy stuff, all while still being able to fit into the original narrative, albeit off page, is very well done. And it makes Lydia more interesting than just the vain and bratty little sister.

“The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” was a lark of a read, one that brought some fun magical mischief to a beloved tale. Even if you don’t like Lydia Bennet, this could be a fun read for a lover of “Pride and Prejudice”.

Serena’s Thoughts

Obviously I enjoyed this book. Enough to foist it upon the entire bookclub only a few months after I read it myself the first time. It also fit really well with this song prompt, as both Lydia and Wickham are villains (to various degrees) in the original story and morally grey at times in this one. And there is also a line in the song about hurting someone who was good and true, and my version of that line has it applying to Lydia’s choices regarding Kitty. Kind of a stretch in some ways, but no one can say our bookclub themes aren’t ambitious!

So, what is there new to say? As we discussed it in our bookclub, I was reminded of a few things that really stood out to me about this book. For some of our bookclub members, they struggled with the low level of action in much of the book. And that got me to thinking that this exact factor might be one of the very reasons this book stood out to me so well as a re-telling! All of Austen’s books are fairly low on the action front. There’s a lot of talking, there’s a lot of walking and talking, there’s a lot of dancing and talking, but there’s not much else really. So in that way, I felt like the slower pace and the strong focus on intrapersonal relationships really sold me on the concept of this book as a whole. Yes, there isn’t much as far as a deep dive into the fantasy elements, but I think this restraint better served the primary concept: that this is a version of “Pride and Prejudice” that could exist alongside the original.

I also enjoyed the irregular nature of the romance. This was another point that was hit and miss for some of our bookclub members, but I think, in hindsight, I also liked the way this played out. I’m not sure it would have read as well if Lydia and Wickham followed a more traditional romantic plot line. The way their “love story” plays out here is very much just the start of a possibility of romance than anything else. They are both true to their characters in that they can be selfish, a bit cruel, and are still learning how to truly value those around them. In this way, we see hints of a future for them, but it’s also clear that they aren’t anywhere near the finish line here. I thought this was a refreshing change to the typical romance plot line we see in many books like this.

For more of my thoughts, check out my original review!

Kate’s Rating 8: A creative reimagining of one of Austen’s more annoying characters, “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet” is a fun and witchy side quest for Lydia Bennet.

Serena’s Rating 9: As satisfying the second time around as it was the first, especially if you’re interested in a slower paced, very “Austen-esque” style of fantasy story.

Book Club Questions

  1. How well did this book work as a re-telling of “Pride and Prejudice?” Were there any changes that stood out to you, either in a good way or a bad way?
  2. This book is told using an epistolary style. How did that effect your experience of the tale? Did you have a guess as to the identity of the person on the receiving end of this story?
  3. What did you think of the magic system and the version of witches introduced to the story?
  4. There are many examples of female friendships and sisterhood sprinkled throughout this book, some healthy and others less so. Did any of these relationships stand out to you and why?
  5. Lydia and Wickham are both either foolish or villainous characters in the original. What did you think of these versions of these characters and their romance?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” is included on the Goodreads lists: Austenesque – Paranormal, Supernatural, or Fantasy Books and Flipped Perspectives.

Next Book Club Pick: “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus”

Book Excerpt: “Valdemar”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Occasionally we are approached with the opportunity to promote books that may be of interest to our readers. And occasionally in lieu of a full review of the book, we will let it speak for itself by posting an excerpt from it. Enjoy!

Book: “Valdemar” by Mercedes Lackey

Publishing Info: DAW, December 2023

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

Book Description: The refugees from the Empire have established a thriving city called Haven with the help of the Tayledras and their allies. But the Tayledras have begun a slow withdrawal to the dangerous lands known as the Pelagirs, leaving the humans of Haven to find their own way.

But even with Haven settled, the lands around Haven are not without danger. Most of the danger comes in the form of magicians: magicians taking advantage of the abundant magical energy in the lands the Tayledras have cleansed; magicians who have no compunction about allying themselves with dark powers and enslaving magical beasts and the Elementals themselves.

Kordas, his family, and his people will need all the help they can get. But when a prayer to every god he has ever heard of brings Kordas a very specific and unexpected form of help, the new kingdom of Valdemar is set on a path like nothing else the world has ever seen.

Perfect for longtime fans of Valdemar or readers diving into the world for the first time, the Founding of Valdemar trilogy will delight and enchant readers with the origin story of this beloved fantasy realm.

Excerpt:

Valdemar – Chapter 1Download

Serena’s Review: “The Serpent and the Wings of Night”

This post may contain affiliate links for books we recommend.  Read the full disclosure here.

Book: “The Serpent and the Wings of Night” by Carissa Broadbent

Publishing Info: Bramble, December 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: eARC from the publisher!

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

Book Description: For humans and vampires, the rules of survival are the never trust, never yield, and always—always—guard your heart.

The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.

Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown… and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone – but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.

Review: Vampires have never really been my favorite paranormal creature. It would be easy to blame “Twilight” for this opinion, but even before then, back when I was reading “Interview with a Vampire” and the like, I never quite understood the appeal. Especially not in the romantic sense. How do you form a romantic interest out of a being that literally sees you as food? That in mind, I’ve been a bit hesitant about the recent resurgence of vampire fantasy fiction. But I’m always hopeful that there is a book out there that can change my mind on some of these pre-existing skepticisms. And, here we are, a vampire book that I actually really loved!

You know how a week ago I struggled to write a review for Jennifer Armentrout’s “Fall of Ruin and Wrath?” Mostly because, while I enjoyed the book, I could also objectively look at it and recognize that, at least in this instance, the author’s quality of writing was fairly low. Well, here I am a week later with a book that truly highlights the difference that good writing makes. In many ways, these books are similar. They are romantic fantasy fiction, focused on powerful beings and the humans who are caught up in their scheming, and, ostensibly, they both have unique worlds (I use the word “unique” carefully in Armentrout’s case as it seemed that she recycled some of her own ideas in her book.) But from the very first page, it is clear that this book is operating on an entirely different level. The sentence structure was varied and dynamic, the author pulled from a large vocabulary, the narration had a distinct voice, and the dialogue was engaging and natural. It was a success in every way, and I was immediately drawn in by the style.

The world-building was also introduced organically throughout the story, while not bogging down what ended up being a very fast-moving plot. The versions of vampires we see here are recognizable, but there was also a lot of creative interpretation built into the structure of this society, the political conflicts, and the lore of this world. I was also impressed by the creativity brought to the Kejari trials. Each one of them felt fresh and unique to this world and its story. These weren’t simple battles to the death, but intricate and dangerous puzzles of danger.

Further, I’ve also read a decent number of “Hunger Games” style books with deadly competitions at the heart of the story, and too often this aspect of these stories often falls flat, with the main character surviving due to heavy swaths of plot armor rather than any real skill we’ve seen from them. Instead, here, we have clear insight into Oraya’s success, with it often coming down to her keen observational skills and her drive to push herself further than her fellow competitors, beings who have been able to rely on their physical dominance up to this point. And that’s not to say that Oraya isn’t a powerful fighter herself. I appreciated the balance that was struck here between presenting Oraya, a human, as an exceptionally skilled fighter while also remaining realistic about the disadvantages she faced when competing against supernatural beings.

I also really enjoyed the romance that builds up through this story. This is definitely a slow-burn love story. Not only does the book itself hold off on its main characters getting together until late in the novel, but the structure of the plot takes place over months, giving our two characters a believable amount of time to work together, develop a friendship and partnership, and eventually a romance, overcoming their original distrust of one another. Of course, the book ends with a fairly large reveal (I was able to predict some of it, but that didn’t make it any less engaging when it happened), so the story is left in a state of upheaval as far as their love story goes. But the author so neatly side-stepped many failure points in the development of this relationship that I feel fully confident that she’ll navigate the path ahead just as successfully.

This book definitely doesn’t shy away from the violence of this world, so readers should go in expecting bloodshed. It’s also a romance novel in that it has fairly explicit scenes when it gets to that point. But it also reads well as a straight fantasy novel, with full attention and detail given to the plot and world-building. I think this book would likely appeal to most fantasy readers in general, beyond the romantasy fans out there. I really can’t express how impressed I was with this read. These books were originally self-published, so the sequel is available on Amazon now. But I’m going to try to hold off on reading and reviewing the second one until it comes out later this spring. Gotta support Bramble’s effort to pick up indie authors like this! Who know what other hidden gems are out there?!

Rating 9: Expanding the boundaries of what romantasy is capable of, this book has it all: solid word-building, compelling characters, and a fantastic love story!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Serpent and the Wings of Night” isn’t on any Goodreads lists but it should be on Fantasy Vampire Romance .

Kate’s Review: “Where the Dead Wait”

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Book: “Where the Dead Wait” by Ally Wilkes

Publishing Info: Atria/Emily Bestler Books, December 2023

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

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: William Day should be an acclaimed Arctic explorer. But after a failed expedition, in which his remaining men only survived by eating their dead comrades, he returned in disgrace.

Thirteen years later, his second-in-command, Jesse Stevens, has gone missing in the same frozen waters. Perhaps this is Day’s chance to restore his tarnished reputation by bringing Stevens­­—the man who’s haunted his whole life—back home. But when the rescue mission becomes an uncanny journey into his past, Day must face up to the things he’s done. Abandonment. Betrayal. Cannibalism.

Aboard ship, Day must also contend with unwanted passengers: a reporter obsessively digging up the truth about the first expedition, as well as Stevens’s wife, a spirit-medium whose séances both fascinate and frighten. Following a trail of cryptic messages, gaunt bodies, and old bones, their search becomes more and more unnerving, as it becomes clear that the restless dead are never far behind. Something is coming through.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this novel!

It’s now December, and the temperatures here in Minnesota are starting to drop and there are higher and higher changes that snow is going to be in the forecast. I don’t mind winter THAT much, especially around Hanukkah and Christmas, but I will say that by the time we get to the time of year with the holiday season behind us I do start to think that maybe, just maybe, less cold, ice, and snow could be a fun shake up from the norm (though maybe that invites a monkey’s paw situation with climate change, arg, I can’t win). But we aren’t there yet, and cold weather means cold stories are all the more powerful. So I start off the encroaching winter with “Where the Dead Wait” by Ally Wilkes. Because it’s good to remind myself that while a Minnesota winter can be arduous, at least I’m not on a failed polar expedition in the 1800s where starvation, disease, and cannibalism are the outcomes.

I truly believe that Wilkes has a gift for how she writes a story, bringing out evocative and vibrant imager and moments of beauty as well as horror. There were so many moments where a certain turn of phrase or descriptor flowed with a flowery ease that I don’t usually expect from a horror novel. I noticed this while reading Wilkes’s previous novel as well, and it feels like a unique writing style choice for a historical ice horror tale. I also really enjoyed a few of the characters in this book, namely Charles Day, the disgraced captain of a previous polar expedition who is haunted by the things he did to survive (as well as his sexual desires and same sex attractions), and Mrs. Stevens, a self proclaimed medium who brings spiritualist tendencies to the expedition seeking out her husband, who is now lost again on on the previous expedition with Day (and whom Day was very fixated upon). These characters worked for me, as did the themes of the spiritualist movement and the questions of validity that go with it.

But here is where I got a little hung up when it comes to this book. I felt like “Where the Dead Wait” has a LOT of similarities to Wilkes’s previous book., “All The White Spaces”. They are both historical horror books that take place during a doomed polar expedition (one arctic, one antarctic), they involve weird supernatural things in the snow, a conflicted protagonist, and a slow burn of descent into madness and desperation. I think that it’s a well done book in terms of these aspects, but it’s already something we’ve seen from Wilkes, and it was something we JUST saw in terms of the chronology of her novels. I wholly understand having an interest in a specific theme, and I absolutely think that an author has every right to write about what they wish to write about when it comes to that interest. But I did think that coming up so close upon the previous one it felt like more of the same. I think that what adds to this is the double edged sword of Wilke’s writing style. It’s very deliberate and at times flowery with some awesome prose and descriptors, but it can also be slow going because of those things. So yes, I praise it for being an interesting way to write and approach a story like this above, but combining it with other aspects that can weigh the story down makes it not as easy to get through, at least in my experience.

I’m not writing Ally Wilkes off as of now, as “Where the Dead Wait” had some great moments and some meat to it (maybe not the best descriptor, but so it goes). I do hope that perhaps on the next adventure out we’ll go beyond what we’ve seen before.

Rating 6: Definitely compelling with some great imagery and prose, but at the same time it feels a LOT like the author’s previous novel.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Where the Dead Wait” is included on the Goodreads lists “Horror to Look Forward To in 2023”, and “Queer SFF of 2023” (though this is definitely less fantasy and more horror, but still).

Serena’s Review: “A River of Golden Bones”

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Book: “A River of Golden Bones” by A.K. Mulford

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, December 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: eARC from the publisher!

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

Book Description: From bestselling author and TikTok sensation A.K. Mulford comes the first riveting, enchanting book in the all-new Golden Court romantasy trilogy— A River of Golden Bones  begins a journey of self-discovery, romance, and adventure for a young heir as she/they comes out of hiding to save her sister from a malicious, powerful sorceress and her dangerous sleeping curse. A sleeping curse. A fallen court. A secret twin. Twins Calla and Briar have spent their entire lives hiding from the powerful sorceress who destroyed their kingdom…and from the humans who don’t know they are Wolves. Each twin has their own purpose in Briar’s is to marry the prince of an ally pack and save the Golden Court. Calla’s purpose is to remain a secret, her twin’s shadow . . . the backup plan. No one knows who Calla truly is except for her childhood friend—and sister’s betrothed—the distractingly handsome Prince Grae. But when Calla and Briar journey out of hiding for Briar’s wedding, all of their well-made plans go awry. The evil sorceress is back with another sleeping curse for the last heir to the Golden Court. Calla must step out of the shadows to save their sister, their kingdom, and their own legacy. Continuing to hide as a human and denying who she truly is, Calla embarks on a quest across the realm, discovering a whole world she never knew existed. Outside the confines of rigid Wolf society, Calla begins to who could she be if she dared to try? Full of adventure, love, gender exploration, and self-discovery, A River of Golden Bones follows Calla’s journey through treacherous Wolf kingdoms, monster-filled realms, and the depths of their own heart in this thrilling romantic fantasy.

Review: I was initially drawn to this book due to the unique cover. It’s definitely a “second look” style, in that it is bright, colorful, and unlike any of the current trends we often see on fantasy books. That said, when I looked a bit closer and saw the golden wolf head at the top, it did drop a few points in my estimation due to the inherent “cheese” factor of it all. But still, it got the job done and I placed a request to check this one out.

Vampires are currently back in trend it seems, so it’s interesting running across a werewolf high fantasy book in our current environment. With werewolves come a whole lot of fairly routine elements and tropes, and I was fairly disappointed to see so many of them trotted out quickly here. We have the tried and true “fated mates” trope, the “werewolf protectors” trope, and, of course, a good healthy dose of fairly sexist stereotypes and society structures. And while the book does take an interesting look at the black and white nature of this aspect of werewolf society, it was very much presented through the lens of the main character’s personal identity journey. Unforunately, at times, I felt like this reinforeced other stereotypes even as it worked to deconstruct other limitations.

For example, much of Calla’s experience with her identity, particularly in the beginning of the book, is directly drawn from her sister Briar. From Briar’s figure, from the clothes Briar wears, etc., all of which is opposite of Calla’s body type and preferences. But we never hear from Briar herself. Obviously, she didn’t pick her body type. And what she wears says very little about who she is. It felt strange to have so much exploration of personal identity built around a character who was never given a voice for expressing how she felt about herself or her role.

I also struggled to connect with this story due to the competing content it seemed to offer. On one hand, most of Calla’s journey is a “coming of age” story and much of this exploration gave off very strong “YA” vibes. But then the romance was very adult, with a healthy dose of spicy scenes that are anything but young adult. The combination didn’t work well for my reading experience.

I also didn’t enjoy the romance. It felt very predictable, and I often found both characters at their most tiresome when they were together. The angst and drama was more annoying than it was enticing. Supposedly these characters had been best friends at some point, but we see nothing that would even hint at that sort of relationship on the page.

And then, to make matters worse, in the final conflict with the big bad, an individual who had committed atrocities, the climax of it all seemed to be the accusation made that Grae wasn’t going to accept Calla’s true identity. This, again, felt very YA. That somehow we have a battle going on with a murderous, horrific individual, and the real crisis is coming down to Calla’s own personal journey. Obviously, that is a crucial part of her and of her story. But one’s own individual journey and experience with others, while important, is not going to pair well when brought into a fight about life-and-death events taking place within an entire kingdom.

Overall, I struggled to really connect with anything in this story. I thought the exploration of Calla’s journey was unique and interesting, but it wasn’t enough to offset my dislike of the romance and my frustration with the strange mix of YA/adult themes throughout the book. If you’re looking for a fantasy novel that tackles gender identity, this one definitely is a creative look at the topic. But ultimately, this book didn’t work for me.

Rating 6: Fairly disappointing, with a mismatched combination of YA and adult thematic elements.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A River of Golden Bones” can be found on this Goodreads list: Best Queer Romantasy Books.

Kate’s Review: “Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam”


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Book: “Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam” by Thien Pham

Publishing Info: First Second, June 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A moving young adult graphic memoir about a Vietnamese immigrant boy’s search for belonging in America, perfect for fans of American Born Chinese and The Best We Could Do !

Thien’s first memory isn’t a sight or a sound. It’s the sweetness of watermelon and the saltiness of fish. It’s the taste of the foods he ate while adrift at sea as his family fled Vietnam.

After the Pham family arrives at a refugee camp in Thailand, they struggle to survive. Things don’t get much easier once they resettle in California. And through each chapter of their lives, food takes on a new meaning. Strawberries come to signify struggle as Thien’s mom and dad look for work. Potato chips are an indulgence that bring Thien so much joy that they become a necessity.

Behind every cut of steak and inside every croissant lies a story. And for Thien Pham, that story is about a search– for belonging, for happiness, for the American dream.

Review: June feels so long ago now, now that we are solidly in Winter here in Minnesota, but the reverberations of the ALA Annual Conference are still being felt in my reading journeys. One of the panels Serena and I attended had Thien Pham talking about his graphic memoir “Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam”, and I marked it on my ‘to read’ list and almost immediately put a hold on it at my local library. It took awhile for my hold to come in, but when it did I was still very much interested because I had enjoyed his contributions and couldn’t wait to read his story.

“Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam” is part immigrant story, part journey of self discovery, part homage to formative foods and cuisines. Pham and his family escaped Vietnam as refugees, and after spending time in a camp in Thailand they ended up in San Jose, California, with little money and few connections. Pham charts out this journey and the eventual settlement in a new country as immigrants, and while he talks about his own personal stories, he also references the stories of the lengths his parents would go to provide for their children. I liked how there was a lot of showing in this book versus telling, which is usually true about graphic novels in general, but Pham lets the reader see what his parents were going through, and what he was going through, with little commentary outside of what is going on in the scene. Pham shares difficult and scary memories, as well as lighthearted ones, and memories that feel pretty relatable to probably anyone reading it (ah the awkwardness of teenage crushes). And as Pham grows up in this new country, he starts to find new parts of his identity while trying to cling to the old ones as well. It’s a pretty familiar tale of children of immigrants or who grew up predominantly outside of their culture, but the personal notes make for a poignant reading experience.

And throughout all of it, there is the intertwining memories of food, and what that food represents to that part of his story. Whether it’s the rice ball that he savored after the small boat his family was on was attacked by pirates, or the Bánh Cuốn his mother made to make them money at the refugee camp, or the salisbury steaks Pham ate at his school in California, each memory with the food to anchor it reveals Pham’s formative years as he grows up in a new place that slowly becomes home. It’s such a testament to the way that food is a constant, and can be a gateway to love, family, memories, and how we interact with our world around us.

And finally, I like Pham’s art style. It’s not SUPER realistic, but it still conveys deep emotions in the moments that it needs to. I also liked the way he would make sure the food always had a bit of realism to it, especially when that food was reflecting that part of the story.

(source)

“Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam” is a lovely story about food, finding home, and finding oneself.

Rating 9: A poignant and touching (and sometimes quite funny) story about family, identity, and the way that food reflects culture, “Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam” is a must read graphic memoir.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on the list “Comics and Graphic Works on Migrants, Refugees, Human Trafficking”.