Month: November 2024

Serena’s Review: “Murder in Highbury”

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

Book: “Murder in Highbury” by Vanessa Kelly

Publishing Info: Kensington, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from ALA!

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

Book Description: Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .   

But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .   

As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.

Review: I’m always so nervous when a new Jane Austen re-imaging comes out! Of course, I know I will have to read it, but there is so much potential for failure. Austen’s characters are so classic, her tales so iconic, and her style of writing so specific, that it’s very hard for modern authors to properly capture the certain “je ne sais quoi” of the entire endeavor. I’ve read many failures over the years. At the same time, there have been some true gems as well! So, with much trepidation, I nabbed a copy of this while at ALA over the summer!

Well, before we get into details, I’m pleased to report that this one falls solidly in the “great” category as far as Austen re-tellings go! It does an excellent job of not only recreating the basic essence of the main characters that make up “Emma,” but it also does not fall into the trap of too much fan service. Instead, there is a solid and unique mystery at its heart that holds up well, even without the Austen setting and references!

I’ll get to the mystery in a bit, but first off, the primary concern going into any “Emma” variation is how well the author manages to capture the titular character herself! Emma is one of the most beloved of Austen’s heroines (I imagine much to Austen’s surprise as she is well-known for questioning whether any reader would love this heroine as much as she did), but she is also notoriously difficult to get right. She’s smart, confident, and fiercely defensive of those she loves. But at the same time, she can be thoughtless, impulsive, and quick-tongued.

Here, the author made the wise decision to set the story after the events of the original book. Not only does this allow the story to read fully as its own, but it also allows the author to benefit from the growth that Emma went through in her story. Here, she is a happily married woman. So while many of her traits are the same, they are also tempered with the experience that comes with the lessons she originally learned. Like the original, this character was a blast to follow throughout the story. Her nosiness and enjoyment of theorizing about the lives of others pair perfectly with a would-be amateur sleuth. I particularly enjoyed her growing distain for the men in charge of solving the mystery.

I also really liked the romance between her and Knightley. Obviously, all Jane Austen novels devote very little time to the characters after the love confession or marriage, so one of the primary points of interest in books like this one is getting a sneak peak at what the couple could be like afterwards. And I really like what we got here! Knightley’s loving bewilderment for his wife comes through strongly, as well as Emma’s respect for her husband, even if she often disregards his advice. It’s all very wholesome and works perfectly for the sorts of characters we know these two to be.

As for the mystery itself, I thought it was pretty good. There were a decent number of red herrings, and, as I mentioned earlier, I liked a few of the original characters who were brought into to deal with solving the murder. That said, it did become fairly obvious rather early on who was behind it all and even their motivations. But that still didn’t reduce my enjoyment, as I was happy to just exist in this world and follow Emma along through all of her exploits.

I thought this was a romp of a time and I couldn’t be more pleased to now have two series (I believe this is the first in a series) of Jane Austen mysteries that are managing to capture the spirit of the originals so well! I think most Austen fans will be likewise charmed by this tale!

Rating 8: Who knew that Emma would make an extraordinary sleuth? Besides, herself, of course! A wonderful historical mystery that is sure to please Janeites everywhere!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Murder in Highbury” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists, but it should be on Jane Austen Mysteries.

Kate’s Review: “Manmade Monsters”

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

Book: “Manmade Monsters” by Andrea L. Rogers

Publishing Info: Levine Querido, October 2022

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

Book Description: Tsalagi should never have to live on human blood, but sometimes things just happen to sixteen-year-old girls.

Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe’s homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period.

Alongside each story, Cherokee artist and language technologist Jeff Edwards delivers illustrations that incorporate Cherokee syllabary.

Review: A couple years ago I saw the short story collection “Manmade Monsters” by Andrea L. Rogers on my social media feed. It definitely caught my eye, but for whatever reason I never made the move to request it or pick it up. And I don’t even remember why I decided to pick it up recently, I just saw it was available at the library and thought to myself “Oh, I’ve been meaning to read this!” So I grabbed it on a whim (and it actually ended up working out timing wise as I do like to showcase Indigenous authors and novels on Thanksgiving). And I’m happy to say that it was a whim that worked out!

As per usual for a short story collection, I will first review my three favorite stories, and then I will review the collection as a whole.

“Ama’s Boys”: Still love me a feminine rage story, and this story about an immortal predator really understood that particular assignment. A girl who has been a vampire like creature has been wandering in and out of Oklahoma for one hundred and fifty years, targeting young pliable men as her prey, though never wanting to kill, merely feed. But she meets a boy that may have a predatory nature of his own. This was a creepy vampire-y tale that had a bit of a feminist twist, and our narrator Ama is calculating and as ethical as she can be, while slowly realizing that her newest companion is a bit more of a threat than she is used to. I really liked the ending of this one, and also liked the implications of what Ama had been through when she was still human during the times of Manifest Destiny and the genocide that came with it.

“Deer Woman”: I have loved the various Deer Woman mythologies for awhile now, and I’m always excited to see a new interpretation of it, and this one was stellar. Sali, Quanah, and Lisa are best friends and working on an art project at their high school about Deer Woman. When Lisa goes missing, much like Quanah’s cousin Lilli a few years prior, Sali and Quanah try to figure out what happened to her. Bringing in themes such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, misogyny, colonialist attitudes in a more modern era, and some more feminine rage (I clearly am still in a holding pattern with my feelings as of late), this one is eerie and dark, as well as unwavering in its message of pushing back against gender based violence, especially towards Indigenous girls and women.

“I Come From the Water”: This may have been my favorite story in the collection because I found it so hauntingly beautiful on so many levels. A teenage girl still feeling from her father’s death is trying to keep her family from falling apart, when a mysterious alien creature suddenly finds itself trapped in her pool, desperate to find a way home. When these two connect, a journey of salvation, identity, and hope commences. As someone who is a huge sucker for stories that involve humans connecting on a deep level with otherworldly beings (I will once again sing the praises of “Starman”! SEE “STARMAN”!), and the bittersweet dichotomy between teenager Walela and mysterious Sakonige, one a mourning child trying to keep her mother and sister afloat (whilst also grappling with questions about her own sexuality) and the other a lost alien trying to find its way home, really moved me. I am amused that once again my favorite story in a horror collection is probably the one that feels the least like a horror tale. But man. I just loved this one.

As a whole, I think that there were some hits and misses. Definitely more hits than misses, but I do kind of wish that the familial line connection had been a little more apparent outside of some references here and there. But what I did find really impressive was how the stories, though all written by one author, had such different unique voices and approaches that it could have easily been multiple authors in my mind had I now known the contents. I also want to shout out the really lovely artwork by Jeff Edwards, with images accompanying each short story.

I’m glad that I finally picked up “Manmade Monsters”! Sometimes it is worth going back and picking up a book that fell by the wayside for whatever reason.

Rating 8: A well crafted collection of stories passing through a family of Cherokee, “Manmade Monsters” is a subtle Indigenous horror collection that delves into multiple sub-genres and has a very specific perspective that I enjoyed.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Manmade Monsters” is included on the Goodreads lists “Indigenous Voices”, and “Native American Female Authors”.

Serena’s Review: “The Kiss of the Nightingale”

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

Version 1.0.0

Book: “The Kiss of the Nightingale” by Adi Denner

Publishing Info: Tundra Books, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: 1890, Lutèce: In this city, Talents are everything: precious gems that gift unrivalled skills to their owners. The most coveted, Elite Talents, are claimed by the aristocracy, passed through generations by blood magic.

Cleodora dreamed of inheriting her father’s Tailoring Talent, but when he died, the magic died with him. Now she’s left with empty promises, a dress shop she can’t keep afloat, and her bed-ridden younger sister.

But everything changes when she meets the dark-eyed Lady Dahlia Sibille. Dahlia offers Cleodora a Singing Talent – a chance to save her beloved sister and rewrite her own fate. From the first instant, Cleodora is bewitched… There’s just one catch: she needs to steal an Elite Talent from the prestigious Lenoir family.

As Lutèce’s nightingale, Cleodora is the star of the opera’s galas and balls, worlds away from the darkness and dust of home. But the handsome yet infuriating Vicomte Lenoir is nothing like she expected.

Soon, the Vicomte’s teasing smiles win her over, even as Dahlia’s seductive whispers linger in her ears. Torn between Dahlia, who gave her everything, and the Vicomte, who holds the price of her freedom, is Cleodora in danger of losing it all? Or can she prove that magic isn’t the only gift that counts?

Review: Anytime a publisher releases a fantasy book set in Paris with an elaborate mask on the cover, you know they’re trying to pull in the “Phantom of the Opera” fans. Works on me every time! Obviously, reading the book summary, we see an even more direct connection with our main character performing at the opera. However, the read-alikes don’t ever directly mention “Phantom” but instead reference Leigh Bardugo and Bridgerton. All of this to say, I wasn’t quite sure exactly what I was going to get when I picked up this book!

Unfortunately, I did struggle a bit with this one. However, I always want to start with some positives, and for this one, that definitely comes down to the overall tone and vibe of this world. As the cover promises, the story takes place in whimsical, lush, and extravagant version of Paris. The author’s writing was particularly strong in these descriptive areas, with a heavy focus on the fashion of this world (unfortunately, I’m one of those readers who needs less as far as these sorts of descriptions go, but for others, this will be a real strength!).

I had a bit of wavering appreciation for the main character. On one hand, I always love stories that revolve around sisterly relationships, and when the story was focused on this, I enjoyed it most. However, as the story progressed, I became more and more frustrated with her decision making and internal thought process. More than once she comes across as incredibly incompetent. I also dislike main characters who are immediately the best at everything, but here we had the other side of the coin. In the same vein, I didn’t particularly enjoy the romance. All of the relationships felt very bland and one-note, and the primary love story never really captured me.

However, my biggest issue came with the world-building. The concept was both too simple and too complicated at times. For one thing, I simply don’t understand why these gems wouldn’t be being stolen all the time by everyone. The story presents Cleodora as this rare being for this approach, but honestly, this is such a basic response to this sort of inequality (where the thing causing the inequality comes down to a basic, material item that is easy enough to steal) that it’s hard to buy that this isn’t a near-universal problem in this world. Beyond that, for being so incredibly powerful, we don’t really see the ways in which a society made of people with these sorts of gifts would be changed from our own. There should be many areas of life that would be directly affected by this. How does law enforcement work? Politics? Wouldn’t corruption being an almost crippling problem within this society?

There were also many nods to “Phantom of the Opera” but not enough to make it anywhere near a direct re-telling. Instead, it walked some strange line where it was clearly influenced by this tale, but also wasn’t interested in following much of the plot of that story. It was odd more than anything else. I’d say, this book would be of most interest to YA fantasy readers who enjoy lush worlds with an emphasis on the descriptions. However, the characters and world-building were on the weaker side.

Rating 6: The writing hits some nice notes with its descriptions of elaborate settings and ballgowns, but the world-building leaves much to be desired.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Kiss of the Nightingale” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Edwardian Fantasy and Fantasy with a healthy dose of romance.

Kate’s Review: “Heart-Shaped Lies”

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

Book: “Heart-Shaped Lies” by Elizabeth Agyemang

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, November 2024

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

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

Book Description: John Tucker Must Die meets A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder in this tongue-in-cheek thriller about three feuding exes of a social media prank star who are forced to work together to solve the mystery of his death when his deactivated account resurfaces online with claims that one of them murdered him.

Kiara, Priscilla, and Nevaeh have nothing in common—except they just found out that they’re all dating Tommy Harding, the internet’s most famous teen prank star.

KIARA is the girlfriend who the cameras know and love, the academic star who Tommy parades around in public to keep his image in check.

PRISCILLA is Tommy’s co-star. As a beauty influencer and an accomplice to Tommy’s notorious antics, she’s always known that the two of them could be the Internet’s power couple—if only he would confess to his girlfriend what really goes on during their ‘rehearsals’.

And NEVAEH is the good girl, the pastor’s daughter who’d never dream of dating a boy who’s already taken.

When a viral post from Tommy’s social media account exposes his cheating ways during their high school class trip to Florida’s biggest theme park, the girls are crushed—and furious. Tommy claims his account was hacked. Now, Kiara, Priscilla, and Nevaeh want him out of their lives. Forever. After all, Tommy doesn’t just hold their hearts—he holds their secrets, too. But when Tommy’s body is found the next morning, their so-called wish becomes a twisted reality. Because Tommy may be gone, but the internet is forever. And the girls are about to go from strangers to suspects….

Review: Thank you to Elizabeth Agyemang for sending me an eARC of this novel!

I’m going to date myself a bit here, but as an Elder Millennial I kind of (very luckily) missed the bridge from the social media of my young adulthood (College only Facebook, Livejournal) to what we have today (TikTok, YouTube), and all the now defunct stuff in between (Vine!). So I haven’t really gotten sucked into YouTube personalities and influencers and the power that they can have over their audience and their narrative, sometimes enabling the very worst of people and giving them a lot of money. One that I think about a lot are the Paul Brothers, who got started on Vine doing provocative videos, moved to YouTube, and now have a HUGE cash cow of an audience and have made careers for themselves as a pro wrestler and a boxer, while being really TERRIBLE people (the list of their bullshit is endless). I really don’t get it, but hey, they’re worth millions so what the hell do I know? I kept thinking about the Paul Brothers as I read Elizabeth Agyemang’s new YA thriller “Heart-Shaped Lies” in which a wildly popular social media prank star is murdered, and his three lady friends are all suspects. Because man, Tommy Harding is the absolute WORST, and reading about his murder and the fallout proved to be VERY entertaining.

As a mystery thriller, I found this book to be well crafted and engaging. We have three perspectives that we are getting our information from, all three of them being teenage girls who have been involved with the narcissistic social media prank king Tommy Harding. The first is Kiara, Tommy’s official girlfriend who is driven, clever, and the perfect girlfriend to counter balance his ‘boys will be boys’ image. The second is Priscilla, a wannabe beauty influencer who is Tommy’s on camera collaborator, who he has been having an affair with off screen. And the third is Neveah, a somewhat sheltered girl who is has been having a long distance and text/picture relationship with Tommy and thinks it’s true love. They all are betrayed by Tommy in one way or another, and they all have reasons to possibly want him dead after his account is hacked and various damning things about each of them are leaked. I really liked how Agyemang lets us get into each of their heads while also keeping a bit of plausibility that any of them COULD have been the killer. It’s a device that can be hard to juggle, especially with multiple characters, but in this case their perspectives and the other clues that we get as the story goes on through their eyes separately made for a solid mystery at the sum of its parts, and I was left guessing about who the perpetrator could be up until the reveal!

And on top of the well thought out mystery that kept me guessing, I really do love a soapy story, especially in a thriller, and ESPECIALLY if it makes the characters more complicated. And man was the soap really bubbling in this book, which was a plus to be sure. You have a love quadrangle (but the center of the triangle is TERRIBLE so you don’t really have to pick a ‘team’), you have sneaky teenagers doing sneaky things, you have enemies turned allies, you have requited love and secrets and oh so much more! I really enjoyed the ongoing drama and tension going on between Kiara, Priscilla, and Neveah as they are trying to clear their names but don’t REALLY know if they can trust each other. And I enjoyed the way that I could just want to slap some of the characters for their choices and actions and yet was fully able to understand each of them to a degree (at least of the three main ladies. There’s no redemption for Tommy, and while he was two dimensional in some ways I’m going to allow it because as mentioned about, the Paul Brothers-ness of it all made it easy to hate him and is obviously realistic). I really love soap and I’ve been missing it lately, so this one really hit all the right notes for me.

All in all, I really enjoyed “Heart-Shaped Lies”. It had been awhile since I had scratched the particular itch of sudsy thrillers, and this gave me everything I needed and more in that department.

Rating 8: A compelling mystery, some nice soapy elements, and some interesting characters made this a fun thriller and a wild ride!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Heart-Shaped Lies” is included on the Goodreads list “YA Novels of 2024”.

Not Just Books: November 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

TV Show: “Justified: City Primeval”

This has been out for a while, and I’ll be honest, I’ve been delaying watching it. On one hand, “Justified” was a near perfect show as far as I’m concerned with a perfect ending (something so rare in television these days) and I was seriously concerned that any sequel would ruin that. On the other hand, it could be amazing and I’d want to savor it! Well, I reached a low point of things to watch recently, so it was finally time! And I’ve really been enjoying it! I think the show made a lot of great choices, especially moving the setting to a new location. In this way, this show can exist without directly impacting the first series in any true way. I also was pleased to see that Raylin Givens remained true to the original character, without the writers feeling the need to tinker overly much. Doesn’t hurt when you have an actor like Timothy Oliphant who doesn’t seem to have aged at all in the meantime…

Video Game: “Dragon Age: The Veilguard”

I’ve had a mixed experience with the “Dragon Age” franchise. I loved some of the games but also struggled with others. I think the lore and history of this world is amazing, but it seems as if it’s been harder and harder for games to match everything together as the series has progressed. And so far (I haven’t completed it yet) this one has been a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, I have no problem with the changes to art style. I think the more cartoony look can work really well (you avoid the uncanny valley issue that is often found when games try to hard for the “realistic” look) and the settings and imagery are by far the strongest aspects of the game. It’s just a beautiful game to walk through. I also think the actual game play is pretty good. That said, the writing…oh, the writing! It’s not helped that “Baldur’s Gate 3” came out only a year ago and is a masterwork as far as writing goes, but I think this one would be tough either way. Basic plot points are repeated ad nauseum and, for an RPG, your character is given very little choice in how they respond to most situations. You, in theory, usually have three version of dialogue to pick from. But in reality, it’s almost exactly the same answer in every case. My expectations were probably too high, but I also think that for a game that’s been in the works for 10 years, this one was incredibly poorly written. Which is unfortunate, because a lot of the rest of it was great!

Documentary: “Touching the Void”

Yep, it’s that time again! Time to revisit the horrifying world of climbing documentaries! I blame this one fully on my husband. I walked into the den one night and he had this already pulled up. I’d heard about this story back in 2003 when this movie first came out, but I hadn’t actually watched it. The documentary follows two climbers who end up in a disastrous situation when they are descending a peak and one of them breaks his leg and the other ends up having to make a horrible life or death decision. The only thing that saves these documentaries is that you’re hearing the story while it’s being interspersed with interviews with the individuals involved, reassuring you that everyone makes it out alive in the end.

Kate’s Picks

Hulu Show: “Only Murders In The Building”

If October is for the Spooky Season, I always try to devote November to leaning fully into the coziness of autumn as it slowly (or in the more likely Minnesota scenario of not so slowly) transitions into winter. And what better way to do that than with one of the coziest mystery shows around, “Only Murders in the Building”! Perhaps one would think that Charles, Oliver, and Mabel’s antics of solving murders whilst having hijinks in their NYC West Side high rise would get stale, but with the amazing trio of Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez that is not the case! This time around they are trying to solve the tragic murder of Charles’s stunt double Sazz, who was shot in Charles’s apartment. Why are there so many murders in this building? It doesn’t really matter. I still highly enjoy this show. Extra points for Eva Longoria acting as herself preparing to play Mabel in the motion picture of their hit podcast. She was hilarious.

Video Game: “Disney Dreamlight Valley”

Though I’ve been diving into “Stardew Valley” again due to the new update (I can have a black cat now!), I also wanted to seek out another chill video game to cozy up to this past month. I had heard about “Dreamlight Valley” online, and decided that now was as good a time as any to give it a go! It’s basically “Animal Crossing” and “Stardew” in general plot and gameplay, but your neighbors and friends are Disney characters! You are tasked with helping rebuild Dreamlight Valley, a home to many Disney friends that has been cast under a spell by a force known as the Forgetting. As you help rebuild the community, you make friends along the way. You can grow crops, build things, make friends, cook recipes. It’s all very cottage core, and has helped lower my blood pressure in times of angst and anxiety. I also like seeing what friends I’m going to make next (waiting not so patiently for Belle and Moana to arrive because that feels like the ultimate power clique to me).

Film: “The Witch”

But sometimes instead of cozy I just need to lean into some good old fashioned rage. And given how much rage I was feeling at the beginning of the month after the election, where do I turn but to one of my FAVORITE feminine rage films, “The Witch”. A friend from college came over the weekend after the election to watch a horror movie, as we try to watch horror movies once every month or so, and I said ‘you bring the hotdish, and I will provide ‘The Witch’. That will be cathartic!” And was it ever. In Puritan New England an exiled family (after the patriarch enrages the community with his pride) goes into the wilderness to make their own life. But when eldest daughter Thomasin is watching baby brother Samuel, he suddenly disappears without a trace. As more tragedy befalls them, Thomasin’s family starts to believe that a witch has cursed them, and that Thomasin herself is to blame. I love this movie and have loved this movie, as it’s less about the witch of the wood, and more about the demonization and marginalization of a young woman by her zealous family. I feel that in my bones at the moment.

Serena’s Review: “Echoes of the Imperium”

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

Book: “Echoes of the Imperium” by Nicholas and Olivia Atwater

Publishing Info: Starwatch Press, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: Captain William Blair has taken shady jobs before—what goblin hasn’t? But this shady job has pirates off the port bow and legendary aethermancers knocking at his cabin door. Unfortunately, Wil has sworn an Oath to escort his newest dubious passenger wherever she wants to go… and a goblin must be worth his word.

The ragtag crew of the Iron Rose once survived the fall of an empire—but none of them are interested in revisiting the experience. As the dregs of the Imperium rise again to claw at their heels, Wil and his crew must face the literal ghosts of their past… or else history may well repeat itself.

Review: Something unfortunate seems to have happened with the marketing of this book. In that, I follow upcoming fantasy releases very closely (obviously, I need to for the blog!) and am even more on the look-out for new titles from authors whose books I’ve enjoyed in the past, like Olivia Atwater. But the only reason I became aware of this book was through a note included on the Kickstarter email I received when my order of the special edition of ‘The Witchwood Knot” was shipping out! Of course, I then immediately skipped off to place a request on Netgalley. But with my packed reading schedule, here we are with a review coming out about a month after the book has actually dropped, all because I didn’t hear about this one in a conventional manner!

Olivia Atwater always talks about her husband’s influence and input into her books in her author’s notes, so I’m not surprised to see a book coming out that is now written by them both together. You never quite know how well a book will worked when trying to combine two people’s writing styles, but I think this one turned out well! I can recognize elements of Olivia’s style, but the book is also very different from the one’s she’s written alone.

Overall, the main difference is one of tone. Olivia’s books are often on the lighter side, with a few creepy elements thrown in here and there. This one, however, is much darker in a lot of ways. Right from the start, the authors don’t shy away from putting their characters through the ringer. There was a particularly impactful scene that came within the first 20% of the book that had me surprisingly emotional, especially coming from characters whom I’d only just been introduced to!

One of my favorite parts of this book was the world-building and overall themes of pirate adventures! While the plot was very fast paced (especially in the first half, things slowed down towards the back half), this was definitely a character-based story. Much of the fun of the reading experience was simply following the characters as they got into one type of trouble or another. Pirates are always a good time, but pirates in airships are something else! That said, much of this action does revolve around the characters themselves, so your enjoyment of the book will come down to how invested you become in these people and their stories.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book! It reminded me a lot of “Treasure Planet” and is definitely a breath of fresh air from the type of fantasy books I more often gravitate towards. That said, while I appreciate the inclusion of an asexual main character, I did find myself missing Olivia Atwater’s lovely romance storylines. But that’s mostly a me issue, as that’s not what this book is or was ever meant to be. I guess I’m mostly just hankering for the next entry in her “Victorian Faerie Tales” series!

Rating 8: All the best of the steampunk genre, this character-driven story is a romp of a ride from start to finish!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Echoes of the Imperium” isn’t on any Goodreads lists but it should be on Flying Ships and Air Pirates.

Serena’s Review: “The Whispering Night”

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

Book: “The Whispering Night” by Susand Dennard

Publishing Info: Tor Teen, November 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: Winnie Wednesday’s future is looking bright. Hemlock Falls is no longer hunting the werewolf, she and Erica Thursday are tentative friends, and Winnie finally knows exactly where she stands with Jay Friday.

With everything finally on track, Winnie is looking forward to the Nightmare Masquerade, a week-long celebration of all things Luminary. But as Luminaries from across the world flock to the small town, uninvited guests also arrive. Winnie is confronted by a masked Diana and charged with an impossible task—one that threatens everything and everyone Winnie loves.

As Winnie fights to stop new enemies before time runs out, old mysteries won’t stop intruding. Her missing father is somehow entangled with her search for hidden witches, and as Winnie digs deeper into the long-standing war between the Luminaries and the Dianas, she discovers rifts within her own family she never could have imagined.

What does loyalty mean when family and enemies look the same?

Previously Reviewed: “The Luminaries” and “The Hunting Moon”

Review: This series has been one of the stranger reading journeys. I really struggled to enjoy the first book, so much so that I had mentally written off the idea of continuing the series altogether. But then I received an ARC for the sequel and thought I’d give it a second chance. While it still wasn’t my favorite, it was also a marked improvement on the first. And, well, here we are, finishing off the trilogy with the release of the third book! And, to continue the trend, I think this one was the strongest of the lot!

Part of the strength of this one comes down to the fact that it is benefitting from all of the leg work done in the first two books. Here, the romance has been thoroughly explored and established, with Winnie and Jay feeling fairly sure of one another. This allows the love story to playout in a supporting role, there as a minor subplot and to bring some heart and humor to the story, but without needing to get bogged down in too much drama or angst.

Further, much of the world-building has been done. Not only are readers familiar with this world, but the first two books set up a number of secrets and reveals that could be finally explored in this last installment, giving this book all of the payoff that was sometimes lacking in the first two books. Further, the action was markedly increased in this book. I’d say there is about twice as much action here than in the second book, perhaps even more. Again, because we don’t need to spend as much time with the drama of the romance, the plot is allowed free reign to run wild!

I also feel like Dennard’s writing style is benefitted most with this more plot-forward type of storytelling. Much of my frustration from the first book (and even the second a little) had to do with the characterization and the drama that played out in these aspects. She also did a good job wrapping up dangling mysteries from way back in the first book, and, for the most part, I think all of these revelations and resolutions landed well.

Overall, this was a very satisfying end to a roller-coaster ride of a trilogy. Now that it is wrapped up, and wrapped up well, I’d definitely feel more confident recommending it to teen readers. I do think it lands solidly in YA, however, and isn’t necessarily one of those YA novels that has great cross-over appeal to adult readers. Nothing wrong with that! But it is worth noting since many adult fantasy fans also check out YA titles.

Rating 8: Full of action and suspense, this book serves as a solid ending to the trilogy, stabilizing the entire series into a worthwhile endeavor for YA readers!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Whispering Night” can be found on this Goodreads list: October 2024 Horror

Kate’s Review: “You’ve Got the Map Backwards”

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

Book: “You’ve Got the Map Backwards” by Brian Usobiaga

Publishing Info: Self Published, April 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an epub from the author.

Where You Can Get This Book: Amazon

Book Description: A year removed from high school, lifelong friends Aisha Kinseya and Sarah Piedmont find themselves lost in different places. Struggling with depression, Sarah’s growing dependency on alcohol lands her in rehab. Aisha, in the midst of her second year of college, finds herself increasingly isolated as a crippling anxiety begins to overwhelm her.

Finding solace in familiarity, the two girls reunite only to have their friendship fracture. As they search for answers, Aisha and Sarah discover how relationships can change. How knowing someone your entire life doesn’t mean you know them forever, and how, if you want to grow, there are certain things you must leave behind.

Review: Thank you to Brian Usobiaga for sending me an epub of this novella!

We are starting to wind down 2024, with Thanksgiving next week and then the whirlwind of the holidays kicking into overdrive. I had such an anxiety filled year that I’m actually kind of behind on my reading goals, if I’m being honest, and usually that means that I’m not really taking chances or risks in genres outside of the ones I love. But that said, when author Brian Usobiaga reached out to me with his novella “You’ve Got the Map Backwards” a few months back, even though I KNEW that I was going to be going outside my genre, I was so intrigued by the premise that I wanted to give it a go! So let’s depart from horror, thriller, cozy mystery, and graphic novels to take on a coming of age contemporary novella!

(source)

This is, quite obviously, not the usual kind of fare that I spotlight on this blog, but I was intrigued by the story as someone who has had falling outs with close friends once we hit a certain age and different paths in life (not due to any addiction issues or anything like that, however). And I liked that Usobiaga decided to focus the story on both Sarah’s struggles as well as Aisha’s struggles, and how sometimes friendship can be complicated when both people in the relationship are going through things, even if those things are quite different. We follow both of them through their own perspective moments, with Sarah dealing with being fresh out of rehab and teetering back towards alcohol, and Aisha trying to adjust to college while also taking on Sarah in hopes of supporting her and helping her after rehab. Usobiaga is pretty frank about how difficult Sarah’s path is, as she is in a very vulnerable place and not equipped to deal with trying to stay sober after her program has completely. Sarah is an interesting character because I found her to be incredibly maddening, but I also really felt for her. I also liked Aisha’s perspective as she is trying to hold her own in school as her connection to her father is distanced and somewhat strained, while also feeling a loyalty to Sarah even though Sarah is a mess and bordering on taking advantage of Aisha’s kindness. Their friendship is very complex and I really liked getting both of their perspectives to be able to see both sides.

I think that the only hangup I had was that sometimes the time shifts were confusing. There were definitely headers that lets the reader know that we are now in a different place in time, sometimes a decade behind even, but I found myself having to go back and remind myself when a certain moment was taking place because it felt a bit like the other moments in time that we were seeing play out. I’m someone who really likes structured time jumps that follow a pattern, so ones that are a bit more creative tend to confuse me, and this may not be a problem that translates to all readers.

I found “You’ve Got the Map Backwards” to be an emotional and quick read, with characters whose pain felt very real and who we hope will find some healing. I’m happy I took a chance on it!

Rating 7: Shorter and to the point, “You’ve Got the Map Backwards” is a story about addiction, friendship, and a crossroads between two people who mean a lot to each other.

Reader’s Advisory:

“You’ve Got the Map Backwards” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but if you like friendship dramas with some honesty and a little bit of hope, this would be a good match for you.

Serena’s Review: “The Songbird and the Heart of Stone”

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

Book: “The Songbird and the Heart of Stone”

Publishing Info: Bramble, November 2024

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

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

Book Description: Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire—her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who turned her, redemption feels impossible.

But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.

Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the god of death.

Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness—and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.

As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in, and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.

Review: It’s both an enormous privilege and an enormous test of willpower to receive ARC copies of popular titles! Obviously, I was so excited to receive this copy months before publication. But on the other hand, I still had to diligently work through my review/reading order before getting to it, all while it glittered like the worst sort of temptation on my nightstand. Whining about having to be responsible and read it only 2 months in advance rather than 4 is quite something, isn’t it? Anyways, on to the actual, you know, review…

This is only tangentially related, but I do love fantasy authors who follow the trend of creating large fantasy worlds and then writing either stand-alones or shorter duologies all connected through this larger setting. In this way, you get the best of both worlds: incredibly detailed world-building, sprawling histories, and grand scale plot lines all while not having to commit to a huge, ongoing series that will leave you dangling for years on end before getting any sort of resolution. This is now the 4th book set in Broadbent’s Nyaxia world (I believe one is still slated to be released this coming spring, so I’ll review it then most likely), and it’s such a pleasure to return to a known entity with all of the greater insight this bestows. And for a book like this, that’s quite important. Not only are we following a character who was a significant side character in the previous duology, but the entire plot revolves around the ongoing conflict in the realm of the gods and the ways in which this pantheon is royally messed up.

Let’s start with the characters, as I always like to do. I very much enjoyed Mische in the previous duology, so I was excited that we were going to follow her story in the next series. That said, I did struggle a bit more to connect to her character than I have with other Broadbent leading ladies. However, this may simply be because Mische is very different than the other “touch as nails” warrior women that so often feature in the other books. Mische’s strengths are much more of the “soft” variety. She literally smiles in the face of danger; not because she’s reckless, but because a hard life has taught her the strength of disarming those more powerful than she is with cheer and optimism. But as the story progresses, the book dives deeper into her past and her relationship with the god she follows. There, we find the darker side of how this approach has developed. Through this storyline, the book tackles some deep themes of abusive cycles, self-defense, and, essentially, large scale gaslighting. It’s tough stuff, and I appreciated the very real conflict Mische feels when confronting the contradictions in her life. There are no easy answers and years of conditioning are not easily thrown off.

While it took a bit to truly understand and appreciate Mische’s character (though now I love her just as dearly as all of the other fantastic heroines in this world!), I immediately loved the romantic interest. I definitely have a type, and it’s the strong, silent, bookish, and too bound up in the rules brooder. Asar was all of this and more! Literally, no notes on him, he was just perfect. I also really enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine relationship between him and Mische. Too often I’ve read versions of this relationship where the “grumpy” one is just a jerk and the “sunshine” one is just an idiot. Neither is true here. Instead, we simply have differences in temperament, but still two characters who share passion, drive, and a growing respect for one another.

As for the plot itself, I really enjoyed this one! It’s essentially a quest storyline, with Mische, Asar, and a few other companions making their way through the depths of the underworld. There’s plenty of action and danger throughout, with each new level uncovering new terrors and deeper traumas that must be explored. I also appreciated the timeline here. This is no quick mission. The story takes place over weeks and even months, I believe. Not only does this make the entire thing feel more plausible and lived, it also lends much needed believability to the growing relationship between our characters. No instalove here! Indeed, it takes several weeks for them to even like one another.

I will say, however, that like “The Serpent and the Wings of Night” before it, this one does end on a massive cliffhanger. It’s gutting! So readers who want a resolved storyline may want to wait for the next book to come out. But, of course, there is no way in heck that I had the type of self-control to hold out for that! We’ve already been over my struggles to wait only a few short months…Either way, fans of Carissa Broadbent are sure to enjoy this latest entry and general romantasy fans should definitely give it a go!

Rating 9: Carissa Broadbent is one of the strongest romantasy authors writing today, and this book highlights once again the true highs the genre can reach!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Songbird and the Heart of Stone” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2024 and Fantasy Romance & SciFi Romance Books: Well-Written, Strong Character Development, and Good World Building! (“Fourth Wing” is first on this list, however, so take this title with a grain of salt!)

Kate’s Review: “Sundown in San Ojuela”

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

Book: “Sundown in San Ojuela” by M.M. Olivas

Publishing Info: Lanternfish Press, November 2024

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

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

Book Description: When the death of her aunt brings Liz Remolina back to San Ojuela, the prospect fills her with dread. The isolated desert town was the site of a harrowing childhood accident that left her clairvoyant, the companion of wraiths and ghosts. Yet it may also hold the secret to making peace with a dark family history and a complicated personal and cultural identity.

Setting out on the train with her younger sister Mary in tow, she soon finds herself hemmed in by a desolate landscape where monsters and ancient gods stalk the night. She’s relieved at first to find that her childhood best friend Julian still lives in San Ojuela, but soon realizes that he too is changed. Haunted.

Yet she’ll have no other choice than to seek out his help as the darkness closes in.

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

I will admit that when I am prepping for ALA I generally find myself more focused on strategy to get ARCs before I look at panels that may be of interest. What can I say, I love getting books. But I usually do find some panels that pique my interest, and this past conference I found one about speculative fiction and indie publishing that was really interesting. One of the speakers was M.M. Olivas, an author I hadn’t heard of before that moment, but whose debut novel “Sundown in San Ojuela” sounded VERY interesting indeed. She described it as a spaghetti western meets the vampire films “Near Dark” and “A Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night”. HOW COMPELLING. I threw it on my NetGalley list and when the time finally came to read it I sat down and dove in.

The spaghetti western influences are definitely there, as are the vampire films that Olivas mentioned, and I found “Sundown in San Ojuela” to be a multi layered story about homecoming, trauma, and identity in the shadow of colonization. Our horror elements take a lot of inspiration from Latine and Chicano folklore and some of the horror stories that come from that, be it Chupacabras, El Coco, or ancient Aztec gods. Throw in some vampires for good measure and you have yourself a real feast of supernatural suspense, with a woman who can see ghosts at the forefront as she confronts her family’s past in Casa Coyotl where her aunt resided until her death. I always love a character who can see ghosts, and Liz is a great protagonist who I was more than happy to root for as she and her sister Mary return to Aunt Marisol’s home in San Ojuela. I also loved Liz’s connection to Santa Muerte, and how she is already searching for dire answers when she realizes that monsters are everywhere in this town she thought she had left behind. I really enjoyed some of the deeper subtexts of this book, especially in relation to the Latine experience in areas near the border, and the generational traumas and violence that has been passed down since the conquistadors and still expresses itself through racism, oppressive immigration laws, and the way Latine people, both citizen and immigrant, are exploited and cast aside.

But the one downside of this book is how there are a number of shifting POVs, and not just in terms of character perspectives. There are lots of characters that get some focus, it’s true, but my bigger qualm was how we would go from first person to third person to sometimes even second person, which is SUCH a tricky voice even when it’s the main one being focused on. Since we were jumping a lot between these different voice types, I found it jarring and a bit of a jolt, which pulled me out of the writing. Which was too bad because I didn’t want to be taken out of the story at hand, so distractions were frustrating. And there was also a bit of wide net that was cast in this book, with LOTS of action going on with LOTS of characters having LOT to do, and I feel like perhaps it could have been tighter. All that said, it didn’t detract from the story too much!

“Sundown in San Ojuela” was a fascinating horror tale with a lot of clear influences that I really dug. I’m so happy that I went to that panel so that I could hear all about it from Olivas herself, because I’m not sure I’d have found it otherwise!

Rating 7: So many great layers and a unique and twisted horror tale is elevated by Latine folklore, though some of the POV shifts are jarring at times, and it sometimes felt like a wide swath that could have been tighter.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Sundown in San Ojuela” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but I kept thinking about Isabel Cañas and V. Castro and their novels as I read this one.