Month: May 2024

Serena’s Review: “Heavenbreaker”

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Book: “Heavenbreaker” by Sara Wolf

Publishing Info: Entangled: Red Tower Books, May 2024

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

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

Book Description: Bravery isn’t what you do. It’s what you endure.

The duke of the powerful House Hauteclare is the first to die. With my dagger in his back. He didn’t see it coming. Didn’t anticipate the bastard daughter who was supposed to die with her mother—on his order. He should have left us with the rest of the Station’s starving, commoner rubbish.

Now there’s nothing left. Just icy-white rage and a need to make House Hauteclare pay. Every damn one of them. Even if it means riding Heavenbreaker—one of the few enormous machines left over from the War—and jousting against the fiercest nobles in the system.

Each win means another one of my enemies dies. And here, in the cold terror of space, the machine and I move as one, intent on destroying each adversary—even if it’s someone I care about. Even if it’s someone I’m falling for.

Only I’m not alone. Not anymore. Because there’s something in the machine with me. Something horrifying. Something…more. And it won’t be stopped.

Review: I’ve been waiting and waiting for the romantasy buzz to shift to include more science fiction as well. We’ve had a few examples (“Calamity” and the upcoming sequel come to mind), but there still isn’t much out there. But I’ve had my eyes on this one for a few months, as it seems to promise to be just what I’ve been looking for! True, the romance seems secondary in the blurb, but it’s coming out from Red Tower, which is Entangled’s SFF imprint, so one imagines a love story will be prominent somehow. All of this to say, I was incredibly excited when I was approached to review this title, and here we are!

Let’s get two things out of the way from the start: 1.) the blurb is accurate as far as the balance between the romance and the rest of the story goes (which is to say, the romance is quite light) and 2.) man, I loved this book and have zero complaints about any of point #1! I’ll talk more about the romance a bit later, but this is one of those strange situations where I’m worried that this book might be missed by several readers who would love it simply because it’s coming from an imprint that is known to focus heavily (almost exclusively!) on steamy romance stories! And while I think those readers will still enjoy this one (though there really is no spice involved), this is also the kind of science fiction story that I think would appeal to many fans of the larger genre, particularly readers who enjoyed “Red Rising” or “The Will of the Many!” Rather than romance comparisons, these are the true read-alikes for this book and I so hope that it makes its way out into the broader SF reading crowd!

Like those two books, this one is heavy on action, full of blockbuster moments, features nobles and their political maneuverings, all told from the perspective of a hero who seeks to tear it all down, and uncovers even deeper truths while she’s at it! Seriously, the twists and turns, the reveals and surprises just kept coming from the start all the way to the end! There were perhaps a few things that I could guess, but the way that it all worked together was so well-thought out and interesting. The history and culture of the space station all perfectly align to create the systems that our heroes are trapped within, with recognizable power dynamics with regards to wealth and status, but new twists with regards to the history of humankind and a dangerous enemy that was fought centuries ago. Other than book read-alikes, this one was an intriguing combination of “Pacific Rim” and “A Knight’s Tale,” as well, two things I don’t think I’d ever have put together in my head, but somehow, here, it works!

I also really loved all of the characters we followed in this book. Yes, plural. But this is one of those examples that I always point to when I think of multiple POVs done right. There is still one, distinct leading character who is driving the story, whose personal arc is the foundation of the book, and who receives the vast majority of the page time. The other characters are all peppered in between, offering unique glimpses into other aspects of this world, brief windows into the mindsets of love interests, rivals, and unknown forces. All of this works together to broaden the perspective of the reader, while also allowing us to focus deeply on the main character arc at its heart.

I also think this approach worked well for the romance. As I said, the love story is definitely secondary to the main plot following Synali’s quest for revenge, her travails in the jousting competition, and her discovery of the truth of the station’s history and its technology. Even just listing it off there, it’s easy to see how the book had more than enough plot to go around without adding in a complicated romance. Instead, we have a fairly simple, reserved love story that is very much still at its beginning stages. Synali’s focus is largely elsewhere, but we feel the draw between these two characters. And, while we didn’t have many chapters from Jax’s perspective, what we did have was very important to more fully flesh out a character who could have come off as a bit of a himbo/playboy. Even with only a few chapters, we see the pain of his childhood and begin to understand the unique draw he feels towards Synali, helping to save the love story from feeling a bit like an “instalove” situation on his part.

As you can probably tell by now, I really loved this book! It was so fast-paced and fun, I stayed up way to late reading it several nights in a row! The only downside is that it ends on a fairly major cliffhanger (and there are still some questions, at least in my mind, about exactly what is going on and the choices of some characters from the past). But, at the same time, these are effective hooks to get me amped up to pick up the second book as soon as possible! If you’re here for just the romance, you might be disappointed. But on the other hand, I think this is an excellent book for a much broader group of science fiction readers, especially those who enjoy action-packed reads like “Red Rising!”

Rating 9: What a crowed-pleaser! Another blockbuster in the making, perfect for fans of “Red Rising” and “The Will of the Many.”

Reader’s Advisory:

“Heavenbreaker” can be found on this Goodreads list: Upcoming Romantasy Releases 2024

Kate’s Review: “Miracle in the Andes”

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Book: “Miracle in the Andes: 72 Days on the Mountain and my Long Trek Home” by Nando Parrado

Publishing Info: Broadway Books, May 2007

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.

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

Book Description: In the first hours there was nothing, no fear or sadness, just a black and perfect silence.

Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby team, as well as their family members and supporters, to an exhibition game in Chile had crashed somewhere deep in the Andes. He soon learned that many were dead or dying—among them his own mother and sister. Those who remained were stranded on a lifeless glacier at nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, with no supplies and no means of summoning help. They struggled to endure freezing temperatures, deadly avalanches, and then the devastating news that the search for them had been called off.

As time passed and Nando’s thoughts turned increasingly to his father, who he knew must be consumed with grief, Nando resolved that he must get home or die trying. He would challenge the Andes, even though he was certain the effort would kill him, telling himself that even if he failed he would die that much closer to his father. It was a desperate decision, but it was also his only chance. So Nando, an ordinary young man with no disposition for leadership or heroism, led an expedition up the treacherous slopes of a snow-capped mountain and across forty-five miles of frozen wilderness in an attempt to find help.

Thirty years after the disaster Nando tells his story with remarkable candor and depth of feeling. Miracle in the Andes—a first person account of the crash and its aftermath—is more than a riveting tale of true-life adventure: it is a revealing look at life at the edge of death and a meditation on the limitless redemptive power of love.

Review: This past winter a friend and I kind of became momentarily obsessed with the story of the Old Christians Rugby Team from Uruguay whose plane crashed in the Andes. It started when “Last Podcast on the Left” covered it and we were texting back and forth, then we both watched “Society of the Snow” separately, and THEN we got together to watch the 1992 film “Alive”, the first movie adaptation about the amazing survival story, which stars Ethan Hawke. Hawke plays Nando Parrado, one of the rugby players who eventually trekked down the mountain to find help. Mind you he did this with his companion Roberto Canessa after being on this mountain for two months, in the cold, and becoming weaker and weaker and more and more malnourished (yes yes we will talk about that in a bit). I decided that the next obvious step in my hyperfixation was to read about it, and I got Parrado’s memoir “Miracle in the Andes:72 Days on the Mountain and My Long Trek Home”. Because Nando Parrado is such a badass, and I wanted to read it from his perspective. So this Spring I finally got around to reading it, and yep. Badass.

Nando Parrado tells an immersive and intense story, jumping right in from when he awakens for a multi-day coma and finds that the airplane that was carrying his rugby team, as well as some fans and family members, has crashed in the peaks of the Andes during a flight from Uruguay to Chile. If you’ve seen “Alive” or “Society of the Snow” or have ready any of the other books about this crash, you know that for those who didn’t die on impact it was a grueling ordeal to survive, and in order to do so the remaining survivors had to resort to anthropophagy, or the consumption of the dead (it’s not cannibalism; that implies killing specifically for the food or with some ritualistic purpose). Parrado talks about the time on the mountain, his memories of his experience being brought to vivid life through his descriptions and his ruminations, reading like a Krakauer book (and I mean, the new edition has a cover that looks a LOT like the style you see on Krakauer’s books, AND it quotes him, so I’m not far off at all). I felt like I was seeing everything he was talking about, and while I was familiar with the story due to my hyperfocus on it this past winter I still found him recalling details that I wasn’t aware of, and having his insight added a whole other layer to it. Especially since he was so insistent on going by foot to find rescue almost from the jump, and was almost always one of the ones to be honest and pragmatic even in the most horrifying of situations. Parrado doesn’t mince words when it comes to how he lobbied to eat the flesh of the dead passengers because he knew that it was the only way to survive in the long term while developing a plan, and I really enjoyed how matter of fact he was about his experiences and the huge role that he played without seeming like a blowhard. Because if anything he has earned the right to be a blow hard, as their ultimate rescue was due in large part to him and his tenacity and bravery, marching down that mountain with Roberto Canessa after two months of being stranded in the middle of nowhere while their environment did everything it could to kill them. It is such an amazing story, and from his POV it’s all the more amazing.

But what struck me most about this memoir was Parrado’s candor about the way his survival experience reshaped the way that he thought about faith and God, and how he redefined (or the very least reexamined) his own faith and views of fate, destiny, and what a miracle is. While many of his teammates seemed to lean more into their faith after they were rescued, Parrado had a different circumstance than many of the people on the plane, in that he was traveling with his mother and sister, and they both died. So while many of those survivors were thinking that their survival was an act of God, Paraddo felt differently. To him, he couldn’t wrap his head around a miracle of survival not including everyone on the plane, and decided that it wasn’t going to be God to save everyone, and it had to be themselves. Parrado had the inner strength and drive to get off that mountain, and he and Canessa surely achieved a miraculous feat by traveling for MILES in the state their bodies were in, with no climbing experience, in treacherous environmental conditions, and getting a rescue mission started with their journey down, but he is very honest with being basically unable to credit a higher power with the survival. That isn’t to say that he’s a full on cynic; on the contrary, he does believe in the miracle of a human’s ability to love and how that can drive a person to do amazing things, and finding the miraculous within that. His love for his father and other sister really kept him going, as he wanted to be able to come back so that their grief, while still monumental, wouldn’t have included grieving over him along with his mother and sister. It struck me as a different conclusion than so many survival stories come with, and while those experiences aren’t bad by any means (experience is, after all, subjective), it was just fascinating seeing a different perspective that felt almost humanist at its heart, especially when so many of his compatriots feel like something divine was at work. All of this being presented in his own words makes it all the more fascinating, and his writing style is so easy to follow that I felt like I had no problem getting into his head as I was reading.

“Miracle in the Andes” is a nail biting and inspirational memoir about survival in a nearly hopeless situation, told by a man who not only lived it, but also led the way to salvation. I cannot recommend it enough to people who love survival tales.

Rating 8: An immersive and awe-inspiring (and at times devastating) tale of survival against the odds and the triumph of the human spirit, “Miracle in the Andes” is a heart pulsing memoir with lots of honestly, introspection, and hope.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Miracle in the Andes” is included on the Goodreads lists “Best True Survival Stories”, and “Non-Fiction Disaster Books”.

Serena’s Review: “The Brides of High Hill”

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Book: “The Brides of High Hill” by Nghi Vo

Publishing Info: Tordotcom, May 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: The Cleric Chih accompanies a beautiful young bride to her wedding to an aging lord at a crumbling estate situated at the crossroads of dead empires. But they’re forgetting things they ought to remember, and the lord’s mad young son wanders the grounds at night like a hanged ghost.

The Singing Hills Cycle has been shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award, the Locus Award, the Ignyte Award, and has won the Hugo Award and the Crawford Award.

Review: I haven’t read the other books in this series, but I’ve heard a lot about them! And being the lazy reader that I am sometimes, after dutifully checking through the previous books, I decided I was more than capable of just jumping right in on the fourth book! It helps that these are all stand-alone stories that feature the same lead character, so this wasn’t really much of a feat on my part at all. And, while it may have taken a while, I’m glad that I’m finally aboard this hype train!

Other than a passing review of the other books’ plots, I wasn’t exactly sure what sort of fantasy novel I’d be getting here. This being the case, I also can’t speak to how well this one follows in tone to the previous books. But whether it is diverging from a norm or typical of the series, this is exactly the sort of fantasy story I like! I’ve made no effort to hide my glee that gothic fantasy has been having a moment in the sun recently, and I was incredibly excited to realize that what we were getting in this book. It also might not surprise the savvy fantasy reader that this is a loose retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairytale. Gothic fantasy plus fairytale-retelling: just my cup of tea!

I very much enjoyed the balance of fantasy and horror elements in this story. For such a short book, it was very successful at building a sense of suspense and dread. There was an almost claustrophobic feel to the entire story, which I think works perfectly for gothic stories which often take place in confined spaces. Our main character also seemed to struggle to find their footing in this situation, having the goal to protect the bride not being unclear about what was going on or how to move forward. This precarious-feeling narration only increaed the disturbing mood of the story as a whole.

I also very much enjoyed the final quarter or so of the book. There were a lot of twists and turns, as well as a rather open-ended nature to the conclusion. That being the case, it’s hard to really write much of a review about the plot itself as many of my thoughts would quickly veer into the territory of spoilers.

I also liked the main character. Now, this is probably where I missed the most, jumping in on the fourth book in the series. I simply was not as familiar with this protagonist to know what was new to them in this book versus what was drawing on information that readers should have picked up from the previous books. That said, I don’t feel as if I missed out too overly much, but if you have the time, reading the first few books would likely add to the experience of this one.

Overall, I really liked this book and can understand why the series has received the acclaim it has! I’m going to add the previous books to my TBR for sure (though given the ridiculous length of that list, I make no promises!)!

Rating 8: Mixing gothic fantasy/horror with a fairytale retelling leads to an excellent, creepy, thrill of a ride!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Brides of High Hill” can be found on these Goodreads lists: East Asian Fantasy and Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2024

Kate’s Review: “Together in a Broken World”

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Book: “Together in a Broken World” by Paul Michael Winters

Publishing Info: Ninestar Press, L.L.C., May 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher vis a vis Pacific and Court.

Where You Can Get This Book: Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: Two boys fall in love in a deadly world, but it’s the secrets they keep that might kill them.

Seventeen-year-old Zach was visiting his uncle in a small Montana town when a mysterious illness ripped through the world. Most died, but those who survived the Infection became mindless killers, spreading the disease with a single scratch. Now, a year later, civilization lies in ruins, and Zach is the town’s sole survivor. Desperately lonely, he longs to return to his family in Seattle, but his fears hold him captive.

Eighteen-year-old Aiden is on a critical mission for the covert Scientific Collective, delivering vials whose contents could cure the Infection. Tortured by his boyfriend’s death, he welcomes the risks of the perilous journey. When a militia attacks Aiden, he flees to Zach’s town.

The boys escape together and soon form a bond as they comfort each other in this desolate and broken world. The farther they travel, the more their affection grows, as do the forces pulling them apart. But their greatest threats are the secrets they keep. Zach hides details of his uncle’s death, and Aiden conceals the vials’ sinister origins. In order to survive, they’ll have to confront the truths that could tear their love apart.

Review: Thank you to Pacific & Court for sending me an ARC of this novel!

It’s been a bit since I’ve covered a straight up post-apocalyptic story here on the blog, and now that we are finally past the more acute stages of the waning pandemic I’m feeling less of an anxiety spike when I read these kinds of stories as of late. So when “Together in a Broken World” by Paul Michael Winters ended up in my hands, I was eager to give it a go! You already had me at a post-apocalyptic setting, but then you add in a romance between two flawed but good hearted characters struggling to survive, and I am even more on board! And “Together in a Broken World” really met my expectations!

Given that Pride month starts in a few days, I will first talk about what a lovely queer romance it is as the beating heart of this story. Zach and Aiden are two strangers trying to survive in a world that has been ravaged by an infection that turns people into, essentially, zombies, and have been left adrift in different ways. For Zach it’s being the last person left in the small town he had been visiting right before things went to hell. For Aiden it’s working as a courier for a group that is trying to find a cure, which has made him a target of those who are in direct conflict with that for whatever reason that may be. It makes their lives very lonely, so seeing them meet and forge a connection with each other makes for a great set up for a really sweet romance. I love a slow burn, and this one is definitely that given that they are both understandably standoffish at first. But I really enjoyed watching them get to know each other, and to connect after they have been so alone and so haunted by their loneliness and regrets and fears. It feels like “Heartstopper” meets the episode “Long, Long Time” from “The Last of Us”, and Winters really captures the soaring love as well as the deep heartache and sadness of their circumstances, and the traumas they have faced which can lead to some bad decision making. I was rooting for them from the jump.

And since this is a post-apocalyptic tale, it’s only natural to talk about the world building on how the world has gotten to this point of the collapse of civilization. Winters has a pretty well thought out end of the world scenario, that combines natural disaster with fast spreading novel pathogen to create a wasteland of infected people and those who are uninfected, but left to total chaos and a “Mad Max” like reality of nomadic and isolated lives trying to hide from violent opportunists. Any good zombie story will make it clear that it’s actually the humans who are the true threat, and I thought that “Together in a Broken World” achieved that with a unique and suspenseful premise, particularly as Aiden is trying to bring a potential cure through hundreds of miles of dangerous wasteland with threats from all sides. I especially enjoyed the tidbits about Aiden running from an extremist militia that doesn’t trust the Scientific Collective, the group that is trying to find a cure, and wants to hinder him at all costs because of their conspiracy theorist nonsense and delusions, as it adds a whole other layer to an already fraught survival tale. It fits right in with other end of the world thrillers, and as an aficionado of the genre I was a fan.

I definitely recommend “Together in a Broken World” for not only young adults who enjoy end of days thrillers, but anyone who likes the sub genre. And hey, as I said, Pride Month is right around the corner, so if you are looking for LGBTQIA+ rep in your reading, add it to the list!

Rating 8: A suspenseful thriller and also a lovely romance, “Together in a Broken World” is about queer joy in the face of great adversity, as well as some pretty cool end of the world mythos.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Together in a Broken World” is included on the Goodreads list “2024 Queer YA Books”.

Not Just Books: May 2024

While we do love us some books, believe it not, we do have a life outside of reading. So to highlight our other pop culture interests, on the last Monday of each month, we each will highlight three other “happenings” from the last month. Big events on favorite TV shows, new movies we’ve watched, old movies we’ve “discovered,” etc. Pretty much whatever we found of particular interest outside of the book world during the last month. Share your own favorite things in the comments!

Serena’s Picks

Netflix Show: “Beef”

This one has been on my watch list for a while, but I was never quite in the mood for what promised to be a show about kind of bad people doing distinctly bad things. And it turned out to be great (no surprise, I feel like it’s been widely praised already!). It was such an odd combination of quirky, horrific, comedic, and, at times, deeply poignant, addressing complicated subjects regarding depression and mental health. What could have been a ridiculous concept (indeed, it is!), ended up with some truly heart-wrenching scenes. And also plenty of scenes where you were just banging your head against the wall at the choices of these people!

Apple TV+ Show: “Sugar”

My husband and I started watching this on a whim really knowing nothing about it. And now we’re several episodes in and…still mostly know nothing about it. Stylistically, it’s definitely doing some interesting things calling back to noir private investigator films. But story wise? Let’s just say I came in hot with some wild predictions that, even more wildly, don’t seem that crazy as the show continues. It’s clear that it’s building towards some sort of twist, and my husband and I have dueling theories at this point, so we’ll just have to wait and see who’s right in the end!

Netflix Show: “John Mulaney Presents: Everybody’s in LA”

And, to round out this month’s weirdly-all-quirky picks, I’ve also watched a few episodes of this very strange talk show. Now, I’m missing the most important aspect of the show, which is the fact that Netflix is filming and streaming it live, so I feel like I’m perhaps missing a bit of its charm. It’s also incredibly local to LA with many of its jokes and references, so, again, much of that goes over my head. But Mulaney is simply a charming, funny guy and that’s honestly probably what’s driven most of the traffic to this show, myself included.

Kate’s Picks

Film: “Late Night with the Devil”

I’ve said it many many times on the blog, but I will say it again: I’m not super into demonic possession stories, unless said story has an interesting hook that goes beyond ‘devil bad, let God save you’. But reading about “Late Night with the Devil” really grabbed my attention, because TALK ABOUT AN INTERESTING HOOK!! This quasi-found footage horror film takes demonic possession and puts not only a retro twist on it, but also an examination of success and fame at any cost. Jack Delroy is the host of the second most popular late night talk show in the 1970s, but with his ratings slipping and his fears of cancellation overtaking him, on Halloween Night in 1977 he brought on a very special guest: a parapsychologist and her patient, a teenage girl named Lilly who is supposedly possessed by a demon. What should have been a ratings grab and TV gold turns into a devilish nightmare. I love the aesthetic, I love the way it’s mostly a talk show episode (with some glimpses behind the scenes), and I REALLY loved David Dastmalchian as Jack. Oh, and Lilly is a wicked hoot.

TV Show: “Interview with the Vampire”

When “Drag Race” ended, my friend David and I needed one more bit of queer media to watch on our waning Sunday get togethers before he went back into the archaeological field for the summer. I suggested that we give the new “Interview with the Vampire” series a try, because 1) we both liked Jacob Anderson (who plays Louis) on “Game of Thrones”, and 2) I had heard that it’s a bit more, shall we say, OVERT with the queer subtext of the original novels. And BOY WAS IT, in all the best ways. This is indeed the story of Louis and Lestat, but it has had some tweaks, all of which I loved. The first is that it updates the time period to the early 20th Century. The second is that it ups Claudia’s age to a teenager. And the third is that it tackles not only the Otherness of being queer, but also race in the United States, as Louis is a Black man living in New Orleans when he runs afoul his maker and lover Lestat de Lioncourt. What a messy romance it is. Oh, and LESTAT. WHAT A PERFECT CATTY BITCHY LESTAT SAM REID IS. We loved it. It’s the “Vampire Chronicles” I’ve been waiting for.

TV Show: “Conan O’Brien Must Go”

I have been a huge Conan O’Brien fan since I was in high school (as an elder millennial this probably surprises no one), and have been following him here and there for most of my life. I always greatly enjoyed his episodes where he would travel to different countries and cultures, and now his show “Conan O’Brien Must Go” takes that very premise and runs with it. Each episode has Conan going to a new country and immersing himself in various activities, cuisine, and exploration, with the usual Conan antics and a unique intro narrated by Werner Herzog (yep, not even joking) for each. What I love about Conan and HAVE loved about Conan is that he is not only a fantastic entertainer, he is also filled with so much earnest heart that he never comes off as cloying, pretentious, or mocking. I love seeing him steep himself into the cultures of Norway, Argentina, Thailand, and Ireland. And not only is the comedy there, but there are SO many gorgeous shots of the landscapes and city scapes of each country. Give this man limitless episodes of this show!!

Serena’s Review: “Everything We Never Said”

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

Book: “Everything We Never Said” by Sloan Harrow

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, may 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: It’s been months since the accident that killed Ella’s best friend, Hayley, and Ella can’t stop blaming herself. Now Ella is back at school, and everywhere she looks are reminders of her best friend—including Sawyer, Hayley’s boyfriend. Little by little, they grow closer, until Ella realizes something horrifying . . .

She’s in love with her dead best friend’s boyfriend.

Racked with guilt, Ella turns to Hayley’s journal, hoping she’ll find something in the pages that will make her feel better about what’s happening. Instead, she discovers that Sawyer has secrets of his own and that his relationship with Hayley wasn’t as picture-perfect as it seemed.

Ella knows she should stay away but finds herself inextricably drawn to him—and scared of everything she never knew about him. Perhaps it’s his grief. Or maybe his desires, cut short by tragedy. Or could it be something twisted only Hayley knew about?

Review: Every once in a while I do try to stray outside of my preferred genres to see how the rest of y’all are living. So when the publisher reached out about coverage for this YA thriller, I thought “why the heck not!” I was also drawn in by the promise of an interesting romance between two characters who both lost their close friend/girlfriend. So, let’s dive right in!

The challenging thing about reading outside of my typical genres it that I’m less familiar with the conventions and tropes of this type of book, and thus a bit more unsure when trying to distinguish between my own preferences and opinions and what is simply true to the genre, but not something that I’m as familiar with. That said, there were several things that worked for me unequivocally. The first thing is the sheer “readability” of this book. Even when I was coming across things that left questions in my mind, I still felt a draw to continue reading, swept up in the fast-moving plot and approachable style of storytelling.

On top of that, both Ella and Sawyer were very sympathetic characters, and I enjoyed spending time in both of their heads. Of course, much of the story revolves around their complicated feelings for their deceased friend and their own budding romance, but there were a lot of smaller looks at the different relationships they each have with their parents. Both their experiences with their families and with the various social groups at school were of the sort that I think will greatly appeal to many YA readers.

And, of course, the love story was very sweet. Now, it also walked right up to the line of “instalove,” so that’s something to keep in mind. But, again, the readability of the book carried me through this aspect of the storytelling pretty effectively. Stepping back, I think this love story will appeal to many readers, especially teenagers themselves. As an adult, I will say that I did struggle to believe that a teenage boy was quite as, um, romantically adept as Sawyer was presented, but this is one of those cases where no one really wants a true-to-life portrayal of the awkwardness of the teenage years.

As for the mystery of Haley’s death and the thriller aspects of the book, I did struggle a bit more. There were several “believability” issues that began to pile up as the story continued. For one thing, right off the bat, we are told that Haley died in a car crash when Ella was driving, after being seen drinking at a party. It strains every plausible explanation that Ella walked away from this situation with no consequences. Beyond that, she has many people reassuring her that Haley’s death wasn’t her fault. But…wasn’t it kind of, with this version of events?

I also found some of the late game reveals to be a bit predictable, but this is definitely a “mileage will vary” situation from reader to reader. There were several red herrings presented and their success as such will depend on readers’ familiarity with conventions, likely. There were also chapters from Haley’s old diary interspersed throughout the story, and I really struggled with these. They were written in a way that belied belief, with Haley seeming to be able to recount entire scenes verbatim in these entries. I get the purpose these entries were serving, but the style of writing was so removed from anything that resembled an actual diary entry that I found myself often skimming through these sections.

All of that said, I still had a mostly fun time with this book! It was a fast read, and my interest in Ella and Sawyer’s stories was enough to carry me through some of the other aspects that I struggled with. YA readers who enjoy thrillers and romances will likely enjoy this one!

Rating 7: Some parts of the the mystery were a bit predictable, but I enjoyed the fast-paced storytelling and the sweet romance at its heart.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Everything We Never Said” is on this Goodreads list: YA Novels of 2024

Serena’s Review: “The Hedge Witch of Fox Hall”

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Book: “The Hedge Witch of Foxhall” by Anna Bright

Publishing Info: HarperTeen, March 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: In this gorgeous stand-alone fantasy romance perfect for fans of Margaret Rogerson and Allison Saft, a rebellious witch undertakes a last-ditch quest to restore magic to medieval Wales—as two princes vie for her heart.

Ffion is the last hedgewitch in Foxhall. To work her magic, she takes only what nature can spare, unlike the witches of the powerful Foxhall coven, who sacrifice whole forests to fuel their spells. But across the warring kingdoms of Wales, all magic is fading. Even the dragons have vanished.

Prince Taliesin would love nothing more than to watch magic die. But when his father charges Tal and his brother, Dafydd, with destroying King Offa’s dyke—the massive earthen wall raised by their Mercian enemies to the east, which may be the cause of magic’s disappearance—he begrudgingly seeks aid from a witch.

Because whichever prince succeeds in destroying the dyke will win the throne, and Tal is willing to do whatever it takes to become king. Even if the Foxhall coven refuses to help him. Even if he’s forced to team up with a spitfire hedgewitch who hates him almost as much as he hates her magic. And even if Dafydd proves to be a worthier rival than he anticipated…for the crown, and for Ffion’s heart.

Review: This book has flown very under the radar as far as YA fantasy releases this spring season. And it’s really too bad, because this is definitely one of those cases where the “read-alike” authors, Allison Saft and Margaret Rogerson, both very popular for good reason, are perfectly paired with this title! There were perhaps a few stumbles here and there, but the basic bones of this book (its lovable characters, its whimsical fantasy elements, and the sweet romance at its heart) are just the sort to appeal to many readers looking for their next cozy fantasy read!

I really loved pretty much everything about this book! This was especially surprising because when I started it I had some concerns about the formatting, with the narrative split between three different characters: Ffion, and then the half-brothers, Tal and Dafydd. It also seemed to be split evenly, with the story formulaically alternating from one character, to the next, to the next, and repeat. But, after I started reading, I was pleased to see that even though they had equal numbers of chapters, Dafydd’s were much shorter than the other two, letting me focus in on Tal and Ffion for much of the story.

And really, it’s with these two characters that the story really lives and dies. Through both characters, we explore a wide spectrum of challenging relationships with parental figures, with both Tal and Ffion largely shaping their lives around decisions made in direct correlation with their struggles with their parents. Further, they each have an intriguing arc of self-discovery and self-acceptance. Tal, especially, starts the story with a very specific understanding of himself, but over the course of the book, he comes to a new view on his role in the world, while still staying true to his core character. And, for her part, Ffion was simply great in every way! She’s the kind of spunky but sympathetic character that I love rooting for. Aggressively independent, much of her story is coming to learn how to rely on and trust others.

I also loved the romance between Tal and Ffion. Their prickly relationship was laugh-out-loud funny at times, and the author perfectly nailed the type of “showing” moments that demonstrated their growing love for one another. For a book where we had both characters’ perspectives, it was refreshing how little time each of them devoted to mentally reflecting on their relationship with one another. Instead, the reader was often given small moments, often viewed from the opposite character’s perspective, to see their love blossom.

Now, as you may have noticed, we haven’t talked much about Dafydd. You might think this is because I absolutely hated this character or something, but surprisingly, I actually ended up very much enjoying him on his own merits. That said, his story largely felt tacked on to Tal and Ffion’s throughout much of the book. He has an arc of his own that was satisfying (especially given the small page count he was given to cover it), but many of his chapters, especially in the first half, felt largely unnecessary to the primary conflict and story on hand. Worst of all, the author used him to set up a love triangle, one that didn’t even really come into play until after the 50% marker, which is way too late for it to have any real weight. Luckily, it seems the author was aware of this, and the characters themselves reflect on the pre-existing camaraderie (if not love, yet) between Tal and Ffion. But even in this best case scenario, it once again put Dafydd in a superfluous position. In almost every way that matters, he would have been just as successful as a side character who never had POV chapters of his own. That said, he would also be a great main character in his own right, so it was a weird mixture of things where the character was good, but he wasn’t used well in the story we found him in.

So that’s most of my review, and it’s all character focused! But I will say that the book is solid in every other regard as well. The pacing is steady, the writing style is engaging, and the mystery at the story’s heart was compelling (if perhaps a bit predictable.) There were also some incredibly heart-wrenching scenes, especially in the beginning, that I wasn’t expecting. But, without getting into too many spoilers, everything does work out in a satisfying manner in the end. There were tears, however.

Overall, this was a thoroughly fun read! I had some quibbles about the love triangle and the third main character, but the strength of the first two and their romance was more than enough to carry me through! I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author in the future, and, as the blurb says, if you’re a fan of Saft or Rogerson, this is definitely one to add to your TBR pile!

Rating 8: Full of magic, romance and adventure, this was the perfect stand-alone fantasy story I was looking for!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Hedge Witch of Foxhall” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2024 and The Most Beautiful Covers of 2024.

Kate’s Review: “Under the Palms”

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Book: “Under the Palms” by Kaira Rouda

Publishing Info: Thomas & Mercer, May 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from Sparkpoint Studio.

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

Book Description: During a weekend retreat, a powerful family plays a dangerous game of dark secrets and cold-blooded ambition in a novel by Kaira Rouda, USA Today bestselling author of Beneath the Surface.

Under the direction of the Kingsleys’ new president, Paige, the family has gathered for a weekend retreat at a luxurious Laguna Beach resort. Still clinging to the hope of succession are the sons of Richard Kingsley, the family patriarch and John, the oldest, who’s clawed his way back from a dark tragedy, and Paige’s estranged husband, Ted, the golden boy. When Richard’s ex and his wayward daughter join the fray, Paige finds herself with two fast allies. They know a secret that could shatter the family legacy. Call it leverage, call it revenge, the Kingsley women believe they have the upper hand.

But as the power games begin, greater threats than the howling Santa Ana winds are coming. Because this weekend, amid so much greed and betrayal, no Kingsley is safe. It’s family. Watch your back.

Review: Thank you to Sparkpoint Studio for sending me an ARC of this novel!

Well “Succession” has been gone a long while, and now that I’ve finished it up fully (and hooray, the person I was predicting to come out on top did so!) I can better see the overall arc of the tragic tale of a terrible family fighting for control of their dynasty. Ultimately it was a tragic show filled with garbage people, but who all had a lot of interesting depth and nuance even through their terribleness. I think that The Kingsley Family in “Under the Palms”, the next book in the series after “Beneath the Surface” haven’t QUITE risen to the levels of wretchedness or complexity as the Roys, but hey, there’s still backstabbing, infighting, and heirs fighting for power. But at least in Kaira Rouda’s new story is also another murder. That just adds to the salaciousness, and I oh so enjoy that.

I do love a guilty pleasure read, and the Kingsley Family’s shenanigans are so nasty, catty, and over the top that this I found “Under the Palms” to be a lot of fun. Much like “Beneath the Surface”, it is split into different perspective chapters involving some of our main players, some familiar, others new. The Kingsleys are still mostly miserable and totally unlikable, but if you like a story about terrible rich people doing terrible things and having terrible things happen to them you have come to the right place. We do have a new salacious mystery at hand, as well as a new out of their control weather threat (this time instead of a stormy sea we have a fast burning wildfire, and given that I’m writing this as I can smell Canadian fires at my home I’m finding that a bit situationally appropriate), and we have basically the same set of suspects. I kind of figured out the solution to the mystery pretty early, but I was having a fun enough time with the backstabbing and snideness that it didn’t really matter. Soapiness is always a plus.

In my review for the previous book, I did note that I wasn’t as impressed with most of the characters, as they mostly seemed like two dimensional tropes and archetypes, and that doesn’t really change here. But I think that this time around I was more expecting it, and therefore it didn’t really turn me off as much as I anticipated it would. Though I will say that one of our new characters, John’s new lady friend Krystle, was a bit of a fun addition because she does have some layers, as she is trying to present herself in a certain way to get into the good graces of the total dud John, as she has ambitions that only connections to the Kingsley fortune can provide. And I still like Paige, who is now in charge of the company but finding her place in question as she hasn’t been performing to the levels that patriarch Richard expects of her. Which leads back to questions of succession in the company. It’s a little more of the same, but again, it’s so soapy I can’t even be mad about it. OLD SCHOOL SOAP, PEOPLE.

Alexis Carrington Colby would be proud (source).

If you can embrace that this series has gone less in the direction of
“Succession” and more in the direction of 80s prime time soap operas, “Under the Palms” will surely be an entertaining little treat in our ongoing story of the wretched Kingsley Family. I will be curious to see where things go from here.

Rating 7: Another soapy and over the top family drama with a twist of murder, “Under the Palms” continues the most unfortunate vacation streak for the Kingsley Family.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Under the Palms” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on the Goodreads Shelf “If You Liked Succession”.

Previously Reviewed:

Serena’s Review: “The Honey Witch”

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

Book: “The Honey Witch” by Sydney J. Shields

Publishing Info: Redhook, May 2024

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

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

Book Description: The Honey Witch of Innisfree can never find true love. That is her curse to bear. But when a young woman who doesn’t believe in magic arrives on her island, sparks fly in this deliciously sweet debut novel of magic, hope, and love overcoming all.
 
Twenty-one-year-old Marigold Claude has always preferred the company of the spirits of the meadow to any of the suitors who’ve tried to woo her. So when her grandmother whisks her away to the family cottage on the tiny Isle of Innisfree with an offer to train her as the next Honey Witch, she accepts immediately. But her newfound magic and independence come with a No one can fall in love with the Honey Witch.
 
When Lottie Burke, a notoriously grumpy skeptic who doesn’t believe in magic, shows up on her doorstep, Marigold can’t resist the challenge to prove to her that magic is real. But soon, Marigold begins to care for Lottie in ways she never expected. And when darker magic awakens and threatens to destroy her home, she must fight for much more than her new home—at the risk of losing her magic and her heart.

Review: This book has been popping up all over the place on people’s “most anticipated” lists for the spring. And it’s not hard to see why! Cozy fantasy is definitely seeing a surge in popularity, and the vibes of this book are right up the alley of those of us desperately hoping for warm weather after a long, dark winter. I also enjoy grumpy/sunshine romances, and it seemed like that might be the sort on offer, as well. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite live up to what I was wanting, but I still think it will be a hit for a lot of cozy fantasy readers. Let’s get into the details!

First, let’s start with the positives! And those are mostly the writing style and, again, the vibes. This book is really checking all of the marks that readers looking for a “cozy” read will be expecting. The writing is lovely, the scene descriptions are lush, and it’s the sort of book that creates a sense of place where one wants to sink into the world and just be. The style of writing was also approachable and engaging, with a few lyrical turns of phrase here and there that were truly lovely.

Unfortunately, for me, the story fell apart with the characters themselves, and for a book like this, the characters kind of make or break the entire experience. Right from the start, things began to go downhill when I realized that I was learning traits and features about these characters primarily through info-dumping from other characters. There was a very “telling” approach to character development, and it put me on the back foot immediately. This is the exact sort of character-focused book where I really wanted to be shown who these characters are, to see them make choices and to learn and grow as the story progressed. Instead, we were simply told who they were and were left to do with that what we would.

I also was underwhelmed by the romance. The story has a very slow start, and I feel like I was already a third of the way in before the romantic interest even showed up in any real way. Not that I needed nonstop character interactions, but combined with the slower pacing of the little plot there is to be found, it left me struggling to maintain my interest in the book well into the page count. In the end, this struggle continued throughout, and I really had to push myself to continue to read.

All of that said, I do think this book will be a hit for a lot of cozy fantasy readers, especially those who are not as invested in plot and are ok for a very slow-development on the romance front. But I do think there are better cozy fantasy options out there. So this is definitely one where I’d recommend waiting to get it from the library before purchasing, just to make sure it works for you before spending any money on it.

Rating 7: The vibes are there, but that wasn’t quite enough to really draw me in, especially when the characters themselves were a bit lacking.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Honey Witch” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Queer Romantasy 2024 and Novels about bees and beekeepers

Blog Tour: “When We Were Silent”

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Staff Portraits

Book: “When We Were Silent” by Fiona McPhillips

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, May 2024

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

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

Book Description: An outsider threatens to expose the secrets at an elite private school in this suspenseful debut novel

Louise Manson is the newest student at Highfield Manor, Dublin’s most exclusive private school. Behind its granite walls are high-arched alcoves, an oak-lined library…and the dark secret Lou has come to expose.

Lou’s working-class status makes her the consummate outsider, until she is befriended by some of her beautiful and wealthy classmates. But after Lou attempts to bring the school’s secret to light, her time at Highfield ends with a lifeless body sprawled at her feet.

Thirty years later, Lou gets a shocking phone call. A high-profile lawyer is bringing a lawsuit against the school—and he needs Lou to testify. Lou will have to confront her past and discover, once and for all, what really happened at Highfield. Powerful and compelling, When We Were Silent is a thrilling story of exploitation, privilege, and retribution.

Review: Thank you to much to Flatiron Books for sending me an invitation to participate in this blog tour!

When Flatiron Books approached me to be a part of the Blog Tour for Fiona McPhillips’s debut novel “When We Were Silent”, I was definitely interested, but also a little nervous judging by the plot. I knew that it sounded very interesting and that I wanted to check it out, but I also knew that the themes present, specifically that of a prestigious Catholic high school in Dublin covering up sexual abuses of teenage girls to protect a predatory teacher, would almost certainly set off a rage trigger as I was reading. But it intrigued me, and I went in, steeling myself to the themes, and I am glad that I did, because “When We Were Silent” is absolutely harrowing.

McPhillips is a journalist, and this is her debut novel, but reads like she’s been writing literary fiction for years. We have two timelines at hand, and she blends them together seemlessly. In the present we meed Louise “Lou” Manson, a professor living in Dublin who is approached by a lawyer about testifying in a lawsuit against Highfield Manor, as she herself had been a whistleblower of sexual abuse that, at the time, went unheard. At least until someone ended up dead. In the past we see Lou as a lower class student trying to fit in, while also trying to get revenge and retribution for a friend who had been raped by a popular swim coach, and who Lou is trying to expose in a time where the abuses of girls within a Catholic institution were almost assuredly covered up. And how she herself becomes one of his victims in her pursuit, and how she isn’t believed and villified. As we jump through the two times we see who Lou was before, and who she is now, and how the trauma, rage, regret, and lack of closure has defined her life, as well as the loves of other girls who were victimized. It is an unflinching look at predation and child sexual abuse within a religious institution, and it does not hold back (and this, of course, comes with many many content warnings of rape, abuse, suicide, gaslighting, and many other things). I found this to be a very difficult read at times, but McPhillips handles these very heavy themes with respect and care, and it never felt exploitative or like it was crossing a line, at least for this reader. It also makes the stakes of the mystery at the heart of this novel all the higher, and it makes the two comparisons of Lou then and Lou now very complex. It’s also a good comparison about how there has definitely been progress made when it comes to sexual abuse of minors and taking it seriously, though it also shows that some things haven’t changed much. It’s honest and raw and very emotional.

And back to the mysteries of this book, there are two at play. The first is the question of who actually died in the past narrative of they story. The second is the question of who is trying to intimidate Lou into not cooperating with the lawyer/testifying in the present, as she starts receiving mysterious anonymous messages trying to silence her. But while these mysteries are certainly compelling and kept me reading and interested, they are a bit of a footnote in this novel, never overhyped and never used as twists or gotchas. This is a mystery to be sure, but it’s moreso a literary work about trauma, abuse, privilege, corruption, and justice. It’s more about a woman who never got justice and was unfairly maligned because she spoke her truth, and how that has haunted her in the years since. It’s at times devastating, but it also a searing indictment of institutions that enable and cover up abuses to keep a hold on their own power, as well as an indictment of a greater culture that normalizes all of this. It’s rightfully angry and it’s powerful.

“When We Were Silent” is a difficult read, but it’s an important one. I will absolutely be checking out what Fiona McPhillips brings us next, because this was a great debut.

Rating 8: Harrowing, heartbreaking, and a rallying cry. “When We Were Silent” is a great debut from an author I am going to definitely follow going forward.

Reader’s Advisory:

“When We Were Silent” is included on the Goodreads list “52 Book Club 2024: #13 An Academic Thriller”.