Author: thelibraryladiesmn

Serena’s Review: “Sorcery and Small Magics”

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Book: “Sorcery and Small Magics” by Maiga Doocy

Publishing Info: Orbit, October 2024

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

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

Book Description: Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics.

He can summon butterflies with a song, or turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Such minor charms don’t earn him much admiration from other sorcerers (or his father), but anything more elaborate always blows up in his face. Which is why Leo vowed years ago to never again write powerful magic.

That is, until a mix-up involving a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo’s complete opposite—respected, exceptionally talented, and an absolutely insufferable curmudgeon. The only thing they agree on is that getting caught using forbidden magic would mean the end of their careers. They need a counterspell, and fast. But Grimm casts spells, he doesn’t undo them, and Leo doesn’t mess with powerful magic.

Chasing rumors of a powerful sorcerer with a knack for undoing curses, Leo and Grimm enter the Unquiet Wood, a forest infested with murderous monsters and dangerous outlaws alike. To dissolve the curse, they’ll have to uncover the true depths of Leo’s magic, set aside their long-standing rivalry, and—much to their horror—work together.

Even as an odd spark of attraction flares between them.

Review: While cozy fantasy has been more a miss than a hit this year, I ever live in optimism! Plus, it’s nice to see a romantic fantasy novel marketed as “rivals to lovers” instead of the getting-very-tired “enemies to lovers” (especially when the so-called “enemies” are nothing of the sort more often than not!). Add on top of that the promise of monsters and spooky woods, and this one sounded well-worth my time to check out!

For the most part, I very much enjoyed this one! This is definitely one of those books, however, that lives or dies with its main character. It’s told from a single POV (which I love and always wish would become more the standard), so if readers are not on board with the character, there may be challenges ahead. Beyond that, much of the book is made up of smaller moments between the two main characters, with much emphasis placed on their banter and their growth as they begin to understand and care for one another.

I also really appreciated the fact that this is a true slow-burn romance. By the end, even, very little actual “romance” has occurred. But in this way, the story feels more true and more meaningful. The author spends the time building up this love story slowly, giving the reader plenty of time to become attached to both characters together and separately. It’s also a great way to wet the palate for the sequel, since you’ll be sure to want more of what promises to be a great love story!

I also enjoyed the world-building that we got to see. There were tons of fun magical monsters, mysterious, enchanted rooms, and, of course, the curse that binds our two characters together. I also enjoyed the exploration of the magic system and the way high and low magic, essentially, worked in this world. As a lover of detailed magic systems and world-building, I could have used a bit more in both of these arenas, however. I, for one, always appreciate a map, for example! But, as I said earlier, this is a character-forward story, so this lighter touch on world-building and fantasy elements makes sense and works with the low-key vibes of the book itself.

Overall, this was a quick, fun read and a breath of fresh air for me personally, as it reminded me of the joys that can be found in cozy fantasy. Readers who enjoy slow-burn romances and whimsical fantasy stories should definitely check this one out!

Rating 8: A character-driven cozy fantasy that is full of heart and humor!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Sorcery and Small Magics” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Cozy Fantasy Readathon List and 2024 Debuts.

Serena’s Review: “A Tribute of Fire”

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Book: “A Tribute of Fire” by Sariah Wilson

Publishing Info: Montlake, November 2024

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

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

Book Description: Lia is the princess of Locris, a dying desert nation cursed centuries ago by an earth goddess—one still worshipped by the thriving and adversarial nation of Ilion. Every year, Ilion offers the goddess a sacrifice: two Locrian maidens forced to compete in a life-and-death race to reach her temple. In a millennium, no maiden has made it out of Ilion alive. This year, Lia is one of the hunted.

An education in battle gives her a fighting chance, but the challenges are greater than she feared: Lia’s beloved but untrained sister Quynh has been put in the path of danger. The winding streets of Ilion itself have been transformed into a labyrinthine maze of countless choices and dead ends. And if the risks weren’t significant enough, Lia is reluctantly drawn to the commandingly attractive Jason, an Ilionian sailor she loathes to trust and desires like no man before.

The tribute game is on. It’s up to Lia to lift the goddess’s curse, restore Locris to its former glory, and change the fate of every young woman destined to follow in her path.

Review: I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I was familiar with her name as as a contemporary romance writer when I was approached to cover this book. I’m always excited to see how established authors make the transition into writing in the fantasy genre! Sometimes, I feel like they bring a breath of fresh air to a genre that can feel bogged down in worn-out tropes more often than not. And while the summary itself didn’t feel all that new, it still intrigued me and I went in with high hopes!

And, overall, those hopes were met! As I said, the premise of this one did feel familiar at times, with many fantasy books over the last decade focusing on deadly trials and competitions. However, I really appreciated the way this was woven into the Greek mythology and history of the book. The author’s note was particularly interesting as it added some depth to the points of reference used for this story, many of which I hadn’t been familiar with before picking up this book.

I also really enjoyed our main character! Too often, we are introduced to FMC with a single badass fight scene in the first chapter…and then the book proceeds to bash readers over the head with reminders that the heroine is badass, but any actual evidence of that fact is nowhere to be seen. Here, Lia remains fierce and driven throughout, reinforcing the fact that she is a woman to be reckoned with. Of course, there is a very “Hunger Games” essence to the affair with the whole “beloved and untrained sister” thing, but even here, I feel like the book did enough to build up this relationship to distance it from too many comparisons.

I also enjoyed the romance, for the most part. Yes, it was a bit on the instalove/lust side, but there was enough chemistry between the two to pull me through. I enjoyed their banter and all of the scenes we had with them beginning to grow closer (of course, he’s an “enemy” so we’re checking off the seemingly required “enemies to lovers” trope that we see in so much romantasy currently). However, I feel like some of the twists and reveals at the end of this book were fairly obvious right from the start. This didn’t necessarily reduce my enjoyment of the book, but it’s something to note.

The story also ends on a fairly significant cliffhanger, so readers should know that going in. As a whole, the book was enjoyable and had a distinct arc, so this ending felt earned. What’s worse in my opinion is when books spend the entire first novel setting up a concept and then end on a cliffhanger right when the point of action/conflict is introduced. This one has enough adventure and intrigue to hold up on its own, so that’s a definite win. Overall, I thought this was a solid fantasy entry from an author making her first attempt in the genre. Romantasy fans should definitely give it a go!

Rating 8: Full of adventure, danger, and a swoon-worth romance, Sariah Wilson’s debut romantasy enters the genre with a bang!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Tribute of Fire” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Best Books About Mythology.

Ripley’s Reviews: “Ripley’s Game”

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“Ripley’s Reviews” is an ongoing series where I will review every book in Patricia Highsmith’s “Ripley” Series, as well as multiple screen adaptations of the novels. I will post my reviews on the first Thursday of the month, and delve into the twisted mind of one Tom Ripley and all the various interpretations that he has come to life within. Up next is the third book in the series, “Ripley’s Game”.

Book: “Ripley’s Game” by Patricia Highsmith

Publishing Info: Random House, March 1974

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

Book Description: Living on his posh French estate with his elegant heiress wife, Tom Ripley, on the cusp of middle age, is no longer the striving comer of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Having accrued considerable wealth through a long career of crime—forgery, extortion, serial murder—Ripley still finds his appetite unquenched and longs to get back in the game.

In Ripley’s Game, first published in 1974, Patricia Highsmith’s classic chameleon relishes the opportunity to simultaneously repay an insult and help a friend commit a crime—and escape the doldrums of his idyllic retirement. This third novel in Highsmith’s series is one of her most psychologically nuanced—particularly memorable for its dark, absurd humor—and was hailed by critics for its ability to manipulate the tropes of the genre. With the creation of Ripley, one of literature’s most seductive sociopaths, Highsmith anticipated the likes of Norman Bates and Hannibal Lecter years before their appearance.

Review: We took a break last month from my “Ripley’s Reviews” Series due to Horrorpalooza (though you got TWO in September), but we are now back to this project and Tom Ripley continues to be loathsome and a literary legend. I was not familiar with the premise of “Ripley’s Game” before I started researching this series, and when I did get to this title I didn’t really know what to expect. I mean, outside of Ripley being the worst. And the worst he was. And it may be getting a LITTLE hard to handle for me.

Highsmith does breathe some new life into her Ripley stories with this third entry, as not only are we now delving somewhat into a Mafia thriller, but we also have two narratives we are following this time around. The first is, of course, that of Tom Ripley, who is still living his best life on his French estate with his vapid wife and all his ill gotten wares. He is approached to be a hitman for an acquaintance, but has no interest and instead suggests his friend seek out a man named Jonathan Trevanny, a lower class man with cancer, as he only ha a few months to live, surely, and may want the money to support his wife and child after he passes. Thing is, Trevanny doesn’t only have months to live, but the rumors make him think that perhaps he IS dying faster, and decides to take on the hits to keep his family supported. But Ripley can’t help himself, and inserts himself into Trevanny’s life further, and with that he’s up to his old tricks. I liked that we got to get into Trevanny’s head in this one, as it really showed his motivations and his anxiety and panic as he and Ripley are engulfed into Mafia dealings and the dangers that come with that. It was certainly interesting going in that direction as well, as you kind of wonder if Ripley may be biting off more than he can chew (but then we know he isn’t; we still have a couple books left). Also, this is another Ripley story that feels VERY queer coded, what with Tom once again obsessing over another man and inserting himself into his life. I know Highsmith had a lot of self loathing regarding her sexuality, and it’s interesting knowing that AND seeing Tom have these moments and layers.

But something that I did notice this time around is that I am starting to be a bit put off by Ripley and the things that he is doing. And I don’t mean that in a pearl clutching kind of way, after all this is Tom Ripley we are talking about here. It’s not like I think that he’s just ‘misunderstood’ or whatever. But I think that this time around, unlike in the two previous books, mostly the first book, Ripley seems to be absolutely destroying the life of Trevanny for no other reason than pettiness and a misplaced obsession. It’s one thing if Ripley is going in and wreaking havoc on the likes of the Greenleaf family, in that even though I’m not letting him off the hook for Dickie’s murder, at least there is some villainy of the selfish millionaire class that makes it feel more ‘fun’ in a way. Kind like in the “You” books where Joe Goldberg is a villainous murderer and stalker, but the people he is up against are all so unlikable and vile in their own ways that it’s more satirical and entertaining (while still making the various murders of the women he’s obsessed with just horrifying). In this book Ripley is gaslighting and setting up a lower class picture framer WITH CANCER to commit murders and drive him to the point of insanity all because he insulted him at a party once, and we don’t REALLY get the sense that Highsmith was unpacking the parallels of having a fun villain while dealing with the horrible things he’s done. I’m kind of grappling with this and trying not to feel like a hypocrite, and maybe that’s a feeling I have to own and Highsmith had the last laugh here. But this one felt a bit more misery filled than the previous two books, and as such I didn’t enjoy it as much.

We will see where we get with the next in the series, “The Boy Who Followed Ripley”. I don’t think that the bloom is off the rose yet, and I WILL say that I will be VERY interested to tackle a film adaptation of this one down the line.

Rating 6: I was quite in favor of two perspective narrative, but this was Ripley at perhaps his most vile, and the humor and satire didn’t balance it out as much for me this time.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Ripley’s Game” is included on the Goodreads list “The Vilest Man in Fiction”.

Serena’s Review: “Where the Library Hides”

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Book: “Where the Library Hides” by Isabel Ibanez

Publishing Info: Wednesday Books, November 2024

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

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

Book Description: 1885, Egypt

Inez Olivera is left reeling from her cousin Elvira’s murder, and her mother’s betrayal, and when Tío Ricardo issues an ultimatum about her inheritance, she’s left with only one option to consider.

Marriage to Whitford Hayes.

Former British soldier, her uncle’s aide de camp, and one time nemesis, Whit has his own mysterious reasons for staying in Egypt. With her heart on the line, Inez might have to bind her fate to the one person whose secret plans could ruin her.

Previously Reviewed: “What the River Know”

Review: Surprise! I decided to finish up this duology after all. Sometimes my completionist tendencies get the better of me, and even though I didn’t really enjoy the first book, I thought I might as well finish up the duology. After all, the first book was fairly universally beloved, and my struggles were definitely in the minority. So who knows? Maybe the second time is the charm!

Well, I’ll say that this duology will not go down as a great read overall, but I’ll give credit it where it is due and say that this second entry is a definite improvement on the first. So let’s start with these positives. One thing that I struggled with in the first book was the inexplicable magic system. I still have questions about the history of the world and the role that magic has played in it, but this book did a good job of digging further into how all of this worked together, which I appreciated.

This book also benefited in being the second in the series, which helped with some of my pacing concerns from the first book. There, I felt like the action worked against the character development of our main character. But here, as we’ve already met and followed Inez’s story through one book, when this story’s plot took off, I didn’t feel as if I was following around a character I barely knew. In that way, I felt like the fast-paced tone of this book better fit with the story it was telling and was less of a hinderance to the character arcs themselves.

However, the one place where I continued to struggle was with the characterization as a whole. I just can’t get myself to like Inez. She’s the kind of female main character who I feel like exists primarily on sass and spunk, but then when you step back from the book and actually look at her story, it’s one full of blundering around making silly decisions and being rewarded for it because it is necessary to the plot. She seems incapable of reading those around her, misunderstanding almost everyone she meets. And, worst of all, she seemed to instantly forgive the romantic interest for a massive breach of trust, pretty much for no other reason than instalove purposes.

Whit also continued to be an annoyance. At best, he remained a stereotype of YA romantic heroes. But, unfortunately, he went downwards from there. Like I mentioned, part of the book includes some fairly despicable actions/lies told by this character that he is then simply let off the hook for with zero repercussions. What’s worse, by the end of the book, there is a character switch that comes out of nowhere, with Whit suddenly morphing into an endearment-loving sweetheart. Who is this guy and where did he come from? Character arcs do involve changing from one thing to another, for better or worse, but it should be shown on the page as something happening gradually and as a direct result to what is going on in the story. Here, he seemed to turn into this completely different person by the end of the book, seemingly to almost gaslight the heroine and the reader into forgetting who he had been throughout the rest of the series.

Overall, while the characters were still a struggle for me, this was a definite improvement on the first book. I feel like both the world-building and pacing were better handled. There were still some plot points that I found unlikely to the point of disbelief, but I was mostly able to lose myself in the inertia of the story. That said, the characters became increasingly annoying and unlikable as I read. However, those who enjoyed the first book will likely love this one. And if you were on the fence, it may still be worth checking out!

Rating 7: While the characters still proved to be a stumbling block to my enjoyment, I did think this one improved on the first book with more complex world-building and a better paced story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Where the Library Hides” can be found on many Goodreads lists, including Most Interesting World.

Kate’s Review: “This Girl’s A Killer”

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

Book: “This Girl’s a Killer” by Emma C. Wells

Publishing Info: Poisoned Pen Press, September 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: Meet Cordelia Black. Cordelia loves exactly three things: her chosen family composed of her best friend Diane and her goddaughter; her hairdresser (worth every penny plus tip); and killing bad men.

By day she’s a successful pharmaceutical rep with a pristine reputation and a designer wardrobe. By night she’s culling South Louisiana of unscrupulous men—monsters who always seem to evade justice, until they meet her. It’s a complicated yet fulfilling life that requires complete and total control at all times. But when the evening news starts throwing around the words “serial killer,” pressure heightens for her in the South, and it’s only exacerbated when Diane starts dating a man Cordelia isn’t sure is a good person—someone who might unravel everything Cordelia has worked for. Soon Cordelia’s world spirals, and she loses her grip on those tightly held threads that keep her safe.

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

Horrorpalooza is over, and now I start to work back towards the books that I read before October that didn’t fit a horror theme to fit within that month’s review schematics. We had a cartel thriller on Saturday, and now we get back to good old fashioned women’s centric thrillers with Emma C. Wells’s novel “This Girl’s a Killer”. This has been on my list for awhile now, and now the time has finally arrived. With admittedly mixed results.

There were definitely things that did work, however. Most obviously to me is that I do love stories like this, with sarcastic and quippy morally grey narrators doing pretty terrible things but for fairly understandable reasons. I enjoy the idea of a pharma rep named Cordelia (I just kept thinking of Cordelia Chase from “Buffy”) being professional and put together by day, and then murdering abusive and violent men by night after the legal system fails to do anything about them. I enjoyed the story arc at hand, with her having an ‘oh shit’ moment when finding out that her company is recalling the drug she uses for her schemes (as it works SO WELL to knock men out you see), and then things slowly falling more and more out of control. Partially because she kind of starts dating a cop, partially because she really hates her best friend Diane’s new boyfriend. The thriller aspects are more about how and whether she will get away with her crimes, but it’s also a little tongue in cheek which gives it a bit of zip.

But on the flip side, it isn’t really anything that I haven’t seen before in the women’s centric poppy serial killer tale. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as I did find this book to be a very quick read and an entertaining one at that. After all, who doesn’t like to read about terrible predatory men getting justice doled out from a pissed off woman with a serial killing habit to feed? The problem is that Cordelia as a protagonist is trying to be “Promising Young Woman” vis a vis “Dexter”, but I didn’t feel like she had the complexities to back it up and is instead a bit of a caricature without the depth I was hoping for. Girlboss serial killer who loves her bestie and her high fashion labels and aesthetic is fine, but I was really hoping that she’d be a bit more interesting. I have similar criticisms for the supporting characters, with said bestie Diane being a little on the saccharine side and her daughter Samantha being precocious as hell bordering on a little unbelievable. As an escapist bloody romp this works, but I think that had the characters been stronger it really could have knocked it out of the park, and it didn’t quite get there.

It’s kind of strange to refer to a story about a serial killer in designer clothes as ‘cozy’ reading, but if you like thrillers you will probably feel that same vibe. Overall “This Girl’s a Killer” is pretty fluffy thriller fun that doesn’t take itself super seriously. I can dig that vibe this time of year.

Rating 6: Fun for what it is, but none of the characters moved outside of static two dimensional personalities and the story suffered for it.

Reader’s Advisory:

“This Girl’s a Killer” is included on the Goodreads list “Best Serial Killer Books”.

Highlights: November 2024

The candy high is passing (our kids’ candy highs, not ours…no…) and the madness of the holiday season is already setting in! What better time to escape from responsibility into the world of books?? Here are some titles that we’re most looking forward to this November!

Serena’s Picks

Book: “Wheel of the Infinite” by Martha Wells

Publication Date: November 19, 2024

Why I’m Interested: This is actually a re-release of a novel that Wells published way back in 2000, I believe. I was reading her books near that time, but somehow missed this one. I’m thrilled, however, that her back catalog is finally get the loving attention it deserves and was super excited to add this to my reading list for November when I saw that Tor was putting out a new edition this month! A few things can always be counted on from this author: wholly unique second-world settings and strong main characters. Can’t wait to see what she has in store this time!

Book: “Servant of Earth” by Sarah Hawley

Publication Date: November 19, 2024

Why I’m Interested: Yes, another Fae fantasy book. There’s definitely a bit of fatigue setting in as far as Fae romantasy stories go, at least for me. But I’ve also still read a few great ones over the last few years, so I never want to wholly give up on the subgenre. Plus, the cover on this one feels unique from the art we typically see on this sort of story. The story itself, however, sounds rather familiar: deadly trials, powerful Fae, multiple potential love interests…All of these can be great, as well, of course! We’ll just have to wait and see!

Book: “The Songbird and the Heart of Stone” by Carissa Broadbent

Publication Date: November 19, 2024

Why I’m Interested: This was probably one of my most highly anticipated titles for the year, so of course it was going to show up on this list! I loved the first duology in this world and was only too eager for any excuse to return to this story! Making it even better, this story follows Mische who was a fairly significant side character in the first two books! The story also seems to be a quest-like story that follows our characters as they travel into this world’s underworld, which sounds awesome as well! I’ve been waiting so long to read this one, and I’m so excited the time has finally come!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Guilt and Ginataan” by Mia P. Manansala

Publication Date: November 12, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I’m so happy that the “Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery” series reliably has a new book every year, and given that I try to soak in the cozy in November this is going to be a perfect read to match the vibes. And this one even takes place in the Fall, which makes it all the more seasonally appropriate! There’s another murder afoot in Shady Palms, this time happening during the annual Corn Festival, and also involving amateur detective Lila Macapagal is on the case. Especially since her friend Adeena is found unconscious next to the body. I really enjoy this series, and can’t wait to see what recipes come with it this time around!

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

Publication Date: November 19, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I saw M.M. Olivas on a panel at ALAAC this past summer and was very intrigued by the book she was promoting. That book happened to be “Sundown in San Ojuela”, as she said she took inspiration from spaghetti westerns as well as the films “Near Dark” and “A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night”. I mean, COME ON. Of COURSE I wanted to read it. When Liz returns to San Ojuela after years of being away (and after enduring a trauma that left her clairvoyant), she has to not only face family strife, but also a monster that has been consolidating power for years. This has been on my radar for almost half a year at this point and it’s finally time to jump on in.

Book: “Heart Shaped Lies” by Elizabeth Agyemang

Publication Date: November 26, 2024

Why I’m Interested: I love a nice sudsy murder mystery, and given that this one is saying that it’s “John Tucker Must Die” meets “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” I was totally on board to give it a go. Tommy Harding is a popular online prankster, who just so happens to be stringing along three women as his star rises. But when his infidelities are exposed by a mystery person, Kiara, Priscilla, and Nevaeh leave him in the lurch. Problem is that the next day he winds up dead, and the three of them become the most obvious suspects. I have high hopes for this one!

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

Kate’s Review: “All Our Wars”

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

Book: “All Our Wars” by Stephanie Vasquez

Publishing Info: SparkPress, October 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: For fans of Katie Gutierrez’s More Than You’ll Ever Know and Netflix’s Narcos comes a high-stakes thriller about the daughter of a high-ranking Mexican cartel leader dragged back to the life she fought hard to escape.

Twelve years have passed since Sofia De Luna’s mother was murdered. Sofia now leads a quiet life, far from the cartel violence she was raised amidst. But when her narco father’s retirement catapults her to head of the family, that peaceful existence is upended.

Unhappy with this changeover of power, Sofia’s brothers and cousins are wary of her desire to legitimize the family and her insistent questions about her mother’s mysterious death. Meanwhile, in Mexico’s uncertain political climate, Andres Herrera, the ex-sicario accused of Sofia’s mother’s murder, sees the opportunity for his exit from the drug business. He just needs Sofia, his first love, to uphold the truce between the cartels before the war brewing at the border trickles down to Mexico City, marring the upcoming election.

After a chance meeting with a disenfranchised DEA agent reveals the true depths the Torres will go to keep their power, Sofia decides she must stop the war her cousins have put in motion. But if she sacrifices her family for the dream of peace, will she meet the same fate as her mother?

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

My organized crime fiction experience is pretty limited to mafia movies like “The Godfather” and lots of the Scorsese catalog (“Goodfellas” is a favorite movie of mine, Terror Tuesday people and I have made it a Christmas tradition to watch it and eat lasagna). I’m not really someone who reads a lot of organized crime stuff, and I can’t think of any off the top of my head. But I’m always game to try new sub genres, so when “All Our Wars” by Stephanie Vasquez ended up in the inbox I felt that it was a sign that it was time to try out an organized crime thriller.

The intrigue, politicking, and tension regarding a power vacuum in a cartel family in this book made for a suspenseful read. Sofia is the daughter of a powerful cartel boss in Mexico, who left her family behind after her mother Maria was murdered and her close friend/lover Andres, now an ex-sicario, was accused of the murder but never taken to task for it. When she comes to visit at her father’s behest, she is told that she is next in line to run the business, just in time for her father to be killed under murky circumstances. All of this alone is interesting from the jump because I liked seeing the way that Sofia has to balance her own desires to stay out of it along with the familial pressure to stay, especially since it could cause a hostile takeover from her cousins should she make the wrong move, especially since the brewing power struggle between cartels could have a ripple effect all across Mexico. I really liked Sofia as a main character, and seeing her try to do the right thing while uncovering lots of disturbing truths regarding her family had me invested, especially as she starts to work alongside a DEA agent to try and get more answers and potentially put herself in even more danger. The ins and outs of the crime family and the violent realities of the business are engaging and interesting.

But what I enjoyed most about this book was the way that Vasquez presents a number of complicated and passionate familial and romantic relationships, and seeing how these relationships fit into the political and business interests of the cartel and the groups that benefit from them. Some of the more obvious ones are the relationships between Sofia and her former love Andres, or the romance between her brother Diego and his lover Yolotli, both of which I found to have an aching longing that gave them some complexity. But the one that I really liked was getting insight into the backstory of Sofia’s mother Maria and her relationship with Andres’s father Martin, and their doomed romance that was stopped before it could really start thanks to the fact Maria’s father betrothed her to Alberto, the heir apparent to a powerful cartel, who ends up being Sofia’s father. We see the way that Maria has her own desires but feels like she needs to push them away, and how her involvement in Alberto’s business starts to make her fear for herself and her children, and how she is still drawn to Martin in the years after their romance never quite happened. We get a lot of information about Maria, and we see how she has affected Sofia and her own values. I think Maria was my favorite character, and seeing her path juxtaposed with Sofia’s was a great choice.

“All Our Wars” was outside of my sub genre box, but I’m happy I took a chance on it. Maybe I should check out more of this sub genre.

Rating 7: A cartel thriller mixed with some tense family drama, “All Our Wars” was outside my usual reading sub genres but was a satisfying detour.

Reader’s Advisory:

“All Our Wars” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Drug Cartel”.

Serena’s Review: “The Wild Huntress”

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Book: “The Wild Huntress” by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Publishing Info: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, October 2024

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

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

Book Description: Every five years, two kingdoms take part in a Wild Hunt. Joining is a bloody risk and even the most qualified hunters can suffer the deadliest fates. Still, hundreds gamble their lives to participate—all vying for the Hunt’s life-changing prize: a magical wish granted by the Otherking.

BRANWEN possesses a gift no other human has: the ability to see and slay monsters. She’s desperate to cure her mother’s sickness, and the Wild Hunt is her only option.

GWYDION is the least impressive of his magically-talented family, but with his ability to control plants and his sleight of hand, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his cruel older brother from becoming a tyrant.

PRYDERI is prince-born and monster-raised. Deep down, the royal crown doesn’t interest him—all he wants is to know is where he belongs.

If they band together against the monstrous creatures within the woods, they have a chance to win. But, then again, nothing is guaranteed when all is fair in love and the Hunt.

Review: I am going to start this review off with a general lament: Emily Lloyd-Jones is the most under-rated YA fantasy writer currently putting out books! It’s wild to me that she still seems to fly so far under everyone’s radar. The quality of her storytelling, the strength of her characters, the excellence of her dialogue, and the lovely secondary romances are truly on a whole new level from so many other YA fantasies that seem to take off. It’s bizarre to me. She’s an auto-buy author for me at this point, so it was a given that I was going to review this book. It was all the more exciting when I received an ARC copy to boot!

Sometimes it’s harder to write reviews for books that I absolutely adored than it is for ones I have mixed feelings about. With nothing to question or complain about, it quickly devolves into incoherent gushing. But I’ll start with something that I think makes Jones’s books stand out from much of the current YA fare: she allows her characters to behave in natural ways, making choices that can lead to tragedy and real conflict, and then forcing them to truly live with the results, both in a practical sense as well as an emotional sense. Too often, conflict that is introduced in other similar books is hand-waved away quickly, with characters seeming to easily forgive massive transgressions. Or characters will make bad decisions or poor judgements of character, but because the plot necessitates it, things always work out perfectly. In this way, Jones’s stories and characters feel somehow more real, more true, and I’m easily more invested in their stories. The lows are truly tragic, but this makes the highs all the more sweet.

In particular to this book, there is drawn-out consequence of one character’s choices that comes to play in the final quarter of this book. From this moment on, all of the other characters dramatically shift, and the rest of the book is not only wrapping up the plot, but truly dealing with the emotional fall-out of this situation. There are a few choices here that feel almost shocking. But, importantly, they feel shocking NOT because they are unrealistic; indeed I think they are very true to the impossibilities of the situation. But they feel shocking in the sense that I can’t think of a contemporary author writing in this same genre that has the bravery to fully commit to the decisions her characters would make in their story as Jones does here (and in her other books.)

But, even though I’ve now spent much of this review talking about the darker aspects of this story, this is largely a fun, funny, and sweetly romantic tale for 80% of the book. As I mentioned above, for all that the plotting and world-building is so excellent, one of the things that also stands out is the strength of the dialogue. There were several moments that had me laughing out loud and re-reading a few times before moving on.

On top of this, I’ve now come to rely on the romantic subplots that Jones includes in her fantasy novels. While I like full-on romance novels, as far as my absolute favorite reads go I always tend towards book that have a more reserved approach to the love story. Here, the relationship is clearly secondary to the main plot, but somehow this made the sweet moments we got all the more special. Above all, I appreciate the way the characters slowly come to know and begin to care for one another. There’s not a whiff of instalove or instalust to be found here.

I could go on and on. Even with all of this writing, I didn’t even get to the fantastic fantasy plot, full of adventure and magic. Or the fact that there are fun little nods to her other books that can be spotted throughout. If you haven’t read anything by this author, RUN (don’t walk) to the bookstore and just get all three at once. They’re that good!

Rating 10: One of the most under-rated YA fantasy authors writing today, Emily Lloyd-Jones shines and shows the highs that the genre can truly reach!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Wild Huntress” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Books for rainy tea-filled days  and My favorite Medieval Fantasy novels.

Kate’s Review: “It Will Only Hurt For A Moment”

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Book: “It Will Only Hurt For A Moment” by Delilah S. Dawson

Publishing Info: Del Rey, October 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: In this highly atmospheric thriller from the Bram Stoker Award–nominated author of The Violence, a young woman hopes to reinvent herself at an isolated artists’ colony . . . only to be drawn into its dark, twisted past.

Sarah Carpenter is starting over. She’s on the run—leaving behind her unsupportive, narcissistic ex-boyfriend and alcoholic, abusive mother—and headed for a new beginning at Tranquil Falls, a secluded artists’ colony on the grounds of a closed hotel. There, with no cell signal or internet to distract her, she hopes to rediscover her love for pottery and put the broken pieces of her life back together.

But when Sarah uncovers the body of a young woman while digging a hole for a pit kiln, things start to fall apart. Her fellow artists begin to act in troubling ways. The eccentric fiber artist knits an endless scarf. The musician plays the same carousel song over and over until his fingers bleed. The calligrapher grins with ink-stained teeth. Not to mention the haunting dreams Sarah has night after night.

When she discovers glass shards in her clay, Sarah wonders if someone is out to get her—or if she’s losing her grip on reality out here in the wilds, where the pounding of the waterfall never, ever fades. As she investigates the beautiful valley and the crumbling resort looming over them all, she unearths a chilling past that refuses to remain buried . . .

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

I gotta say, this Halloween season went by way too fast. I had a Halloween party this past weekend and a number of my friends and I were lamenting that October went by so fast, especially since the election is next week and none of us feel totally ready to see how that is going to shake out. Hell, my anxieties about that has plagued me pretty much all year, no doubt contributing to my near mental breakdown this past summer, some health problems, and the fact that I am SO behind on my reading as we enter the last two months of the year. But the horror I’ve read this month as been great, and I am SO thrilled to end my favorite month with Delilah S. Dawson’s newest novel “It Will Only Hurt for a Moment”. I loved her book “The Violence”, and this new one sounded like a perfect Halloween read. And it definitely scratched not only the scary itch, but also the dread that I’ve been feeling as of late thanks to the pulsing feminine rage this book has. Because same, girl.

Actual footage of me the past month. Months. Years.. (source)

As a horror novel it ticks a lot of the boxes that I really enjoy. Is there an isolated setting? Check. Is there a dark history to said isolated setting? Check. Is there a wide swath of strange characters who could be hiding something? Check. Are there ghosts? Big ol’ check. We follow Sarah, an artist who has been selected to join an artist’s colony/program located in the woods and at the site of an old fancy hotel, who just wants to be able to process some trauma by delving into pottery and having some self reflection time. But her fellow artists start acting strange, she starts having bad dreams, and she finds a long buried corpse that went unnoticed, and who appears to have tried to claw her way out of her coffin. I really enjoyed the way that Dawson slowly pieces together the mystery and slowly turns the dial of tension up so that the scares build and creep up slowly until they burst. The descriptions of the weird things that her fellow artists were doing, or the strange dreams that she was experiencing, were strange and surreal and unnerving to be sure.

But what worked best for me in this was the way that Dawson compares and contrasts the kinds of misogyny and abuse that women have had to contend with throughout history to that which they have to contend with today, peeling back insidious ways that the treatments have, in some ways, become more insidious and clandestine. In the modern time Sarah is reeling from the end of a long term relationship with her boyfriend Kyle, who she had come to realize was manipulative and emotionally abusive towards her. As she looks back at the relationship she sees the way he’s isolate her, how he’s denigrate her interests and separate her from her circle of friends, how he made sure that she was always dependent on him and felt the need to put him before herself. As she starts to learn the dark secrets of Tranquil Falls, and the history of the site and the way that women there were trapped within the confines of the era in which it was at its height, we find out horrors of women who were discarded, silenced, abused, and locked away for treading outside the expectations of their gender. There are some VERY upsetting moments portrayed in this book that could definitely be triggering for some people, so take that into account. But the rage and the fighting back that Sarah does, and the ghosts of the women who were subjected to such madness and violence make their rage and resistance known as well. I found it to both amplify my very present anxieties regarding next week, but to also give it a catharsis in some ways. Shitty men rarely get away with their shittiness in a Delilah S. Dawson novel, and I, for one, really needed to see that play out. Even if it terrified me at times and set me on edge.

“It Will Only Hurt For a Moment” is another stellar horror novel from Delilah S. Dawson, brimming with secrets and understandable anger. It’s not too late to pick it up for one last horror tale for the season.

And with that, Horrorpalooza comes to an end once more. And it feels like the right read to end with this year. I’m still feeling so much dread and terror about how next week’s election is going to go. But it’s good to see that there are other people who are making art to reflect similar feelings. Happy Halloween everyone. I hope that you all have a safe and fun and spooky holiday tonight. I hope that I can leave my personal terrors behind and it stays limited to this most wonderful holiday.

Rating 8: Filled with an eerie build up and many bursts of feminine rage, “It Will Only Hurt for a Moment” is a seething horror novel about misogyny, both old and new.

Reader’s Advisory:

“It Will Only Hurt for a Moment” is included on the Goodreads list “October 2024 Horror”.

Serena’s Review: “Blood Over Bright Haven”

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Book: “Blood Over Bright Haven” by M.L. Want

Publishing Info: Del Rey, October 2024

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

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

Book Description: An orphan since the age of four, Sciona has always had more to prove than her fellow students. For twenty years, she has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry. When she finally claws her way up the ranks to become a highmage, however, she finds that her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues will stop at nothing to let her know she is unwelcome, beginning with giving her a janitor instead of a qualified lab assistant.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was once more than a janitor; before he mopped floors for the mages, Thomil was a nomadic hunter from beyond Tiran’s magical barrier. Ten years have passed since he survived the perilous crossing that killed his family. But working for a highmage, he sees the opportunity to finally understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the Tiranish in power.

Through their fractious relationship, mage and outsider uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever—if it doesn’t get them killed first. Sciona has defined her life by the pursuit of truth, but how much is one truth worth with the fate of civilization in the balance?

Review: I haven’t gotten around to reading it, but I can’t count the number of times I’ve had the book “The Sword of Kaigen” pop up as a recommended title. So much so that I went ahead and ordered a copy through the recent Kickstarter that was live recently even though I still haven’t read it! All of this to say, I was very excited when I found an ARC of this title at ALA and immediately scheduled it down as one to review this fall. Let’s dive in!

As I said, it’s been unavoidable to not hear all of the praises sung for Wang’s previous novel. This left me with quite a high bar of expectation going into this one, and I’m happy to say that it largely lived up to this! So many aspects of this book were masterfully done, from the gaslamp/dark academia world-building, to the deep characterization of our two main characters, to the careful and thorough exploration of themes of misogyny, prejudice, ambition, and the careful balance between one’s intentions and the corresponding results.

As characters are always at the forefront for me, let’s start there. I really enjoyed both of our main POV characters. Sciona’s story, however, stood out. She begins as what I have to believe is an intentionally unlikable character, full of ambition and self-interest. Given the barriers that have been placed before her, however, it’s also easy to see how she has become the person she is. To succeed, she has had to “buy in” more fully than any of her peers, face added challenges, and constantly push through the prejudices of those around her. In doing so, she has needed to fully entrench herself in the culture into which she is trying to make headway. As her story unfolds, and she discovers more about her world, we see her grapple with the shocking revelations buried beneath much of her existence.

The story also grapples with many challenging topics. I was especially impressed with how carefully and thoroughly these themes were explored. Nothing was presented on a platter to the reader with a simple platitude or a bright arrow pointing towards “THE RIGHT WAY.” Instead, the book presents situations and conflicts, from the practical to the more abstract, and lets the reader, alongside the characters, struggle with the morality of it all. How far does one’s intentions take you when the results are bad? Or the opposite?

By the time we get to the end, I was deep in all of the feelings. As is expected, given the themes, the story goes to some dark places and there are no easy answers to be found here. However, I also can’t say that it doesn’t resolve in a way that felt earned and also necessary. Overall, I thought this was an excellent read and I’m excited to check out the author’s previous book when I finally get my hands on a copy!

Rating 8: Detailed world-building, intricate character work, and a thorough exploration of difficult but important themes all cement Wang’s place as a fantasy author to keep one’s eye on!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Blood Over Bright Haven” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2024 Dark Academia Releases