Author: thelibraryladiesmn

Serena’s Review: “A Tempest of Tea”

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Book: “A Tempest of Tea” by Hafsah Faizal

Publishing Info: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, February 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

Review: Yet another book that is promoted as a “Six of Crows” read-alike! And, spoiling my own review, I will say that this is one of the few of these books that I’ve read recently where that comparison does seem to hold true! I hadn’t read any other books by this author, but I do know that other readers very much enjoyed her other fantasy series, so I was excited to see what all the fuss was about on that front, too. There were a few things that I think could have improved this read, overall, but it was also such a fun time that I mostly didn’t mind!

But let’s start out with the unequivocally good parts of the book. The story was definitely at its most successful during its main character’s, Arthie’s, POV chapters. And, really, if you have the main character right, you’re already mostly there as far as a good reading experience goes! This is also where the book most resembles “Six of Crows.” Arthie reads as a very similar character to Kaz from that duology. Both are morally grey characters with dark histories that are slowly revealed as the story unspools. And in both cases, morally grey means, you know, actually morally grey. In that Arthie can be manipulative, cold-hearted, and single-mindedly focused on her own goals in spite of others.

But also like Kaz, she is supremely loyal to those she cares about, in this case, her chosen brother, Jin. As I’ll get into, I think the romances were the weakest points of this book. In counterbalance, this sibling relationship between Arthie and Jin was the true heart of the story. Through Jin’s perspective as well, we see how these two characters have essentially re-constructed their lives around one another and their shared goals. As the story unfolds, this relationship is tested and pushed, and much of the stakes regarding their character arcs came down to this counterbalance of trust and secrets.

The world-building was also interesting, with a unique take on vampires and half-vampires, essentially. Some of the details about these beings, and about the world itself, were delivered in a bit of a ham fisted, expositional manner early in the book, but as the book continued, I was pleased to see this tendency smoothing out. I liked the general themes that explored colonialism and imperialism, but, again, I wish at times there had been a bit more subtlety in some of this messaging. Our characters’ stories speak for themselves, and I wish authors would trust readers to draw the correct conclusions without having characters just outright say some of these points.

The plotting was also good, though the story does take a bit to really get going. There’s a lot of planning that goes into the heist itself, and then when it all actually goes down, we find that that’s not even the true peak of the conflict. Instead, the last 25% of the book really sweeps the reader up into a rush of action, reveals, and numerous twists and turns. I was able to predict a few of these switches and turns, but I was also honestly surprised by others, which is always refreshing.

I will say, however, that the book is let down by its romances, both the unfortunate love triangle that is set up for Arthie, and also Jin’s more straight-forward romance with the third POV character, Flick. This was frustrating because I feel like a few adjustments to these romances would have easily elevated this book to a truly excellent level.

First off, Flick didn’t need a POV of her own. Her story had a few interesting moments, but it all could also have been explored through Jin’s perspective and his burgeoning relationship with Flick. Not only would this then allow Jin and Arthie to have more page time, as the true main characters, but by pushing Flick’s development to character interactions with others, we’d actually have better relationship building between her and Jin on the page. As it stands, the reader is mostly just told that Jin and Flick have this burgeoning relationship, but we barely see them truly interact or speak to each other.

And then with Arthie, do away with the love triangle all together. As it stands, it feels like this book spent almost the entire time building up one side of this relationship, only to pull the rug out and point to the other relationship as the end game on literally the very last page. Which, frankly, is a waste of the reader’s time and energy. Arthie is such a great character as it is, and her history and relationship with Jin was more than enough to ground her story in an interesting arc. We could have had small teases of a relationship in her future, but we didn’t actually need anything in this book. As it stands, because there are three POVs and then two love interests for Arthie, her page time is so reduced with each of these romantic options that there’s no opportunity for anyone’s interest in one another other to be more than pure lust-at-first-sight. Which…does not make a compelling love story for any of them.

So, that’s how I’d move this book from an 8 to a 10: remove Flick’s POV, get rid of the love triangle, limit Arthie’s “romance” to more hints of a future plot point, and spend the increased page time (without Flick’s POV) to further build on the Arthie/Jin sibling bond, which is clearly the true heart of this first book, regardless of what comes next. Fixed it! As it stands, however, I still very much enjoyed this book. Arthie was a fantastic character, not only in her own POV chapters but as we see her through other character’s eyes, and the plot and final action of the book perfectly primed me to want to jump into the next book. If you’re looking for a fun, fantasy heist book, this is definitely one to check out!

Rating 8: Some adjustments to the romances may have improved it, but this was a still a romp of a fantasy heist ride that is sure to please fans of “Six of Crows!”

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Tempest of Tea” can be found on this Goodreads list: Some of the Most Interesting Covers

Kate’s Review: “Island Witch”

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Book: “Island Witch” by Amanda Jayatissa

Publishing Info: Berkley, February 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: Inspired by Sri Lankan folklore, award-winning author Amanda Jayatissa turns her feverish, Gothic-tinged talents to late 19th century Sri Lanka where the daughter of a traditional demon-priest—relentlessly bullied by peers and accused of witchcraft herself—tries to solve the mysterious attacks that have been terrorizing her coastal village.

Being the daughter of the village Capuwa, or demon-priest, Amara is used to keeping mostly to herself. Influenced by the new religious practices brought in by the British Colonizers, the villagers who once respected her father’s craft have turned on the family. Yet, they all still seem to call on him whenever supernatural disturbances arise.

Now someone—or something —is viciously seizing upon men in the jungle. But instead of enlisting Amara’s father’s help, the villages have accused him of carrying out the attacks himself.

As she tries to clear her father’s name, Amara finds herself haunted by dreams that eerily predict the dark forces on her island. And she can’t shake the feeling that it’s all connected to the night she was recovering from a strange illness, and woke up, scared and confused, to hear her mother’s frantic. No one can find out what happened .

Lush, otherworldly, and recalling horror classics like Carrie and The Exorcist , Island Witch is a deliciously creepy and darkly feminist tale about the horrors of moral panic, the violent space between girlhood and adulthood, and what happens when female rage is finally unleashed.

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

If a book has references to “Carrie” and “The Exorcist” and adds in the promise of feminist rage in a not as seen setting, I am absolutely going to want to get my hands on it. That is just catnip for me, really. So seeing the description (and FANTASTIC) cover for Amanda Jayatissa’s new horror novel “Island Witch” really, really caught my interest. I love horror that takes on wider societal themes, I love feminist exploration within the genre, and there is also THAT AMAZING COVER. I was really excited to read this book, and had really high hopes. But I’m dismayed to report that they weren’t really met, at least not as much as I had expected them to.

I’ll start with the good, though. What I really liked about this book was how Jayatissa takes on the concepts of misogyny, religious zealotry, and colonialism and imperialism with her setting of 1800s Sri Lanka, as a young woman named Amara is seeing her village slowly turn against her and her father, the local Capuwa (or demon priest, as he performs rituals and exorcisms to ward off demons) when mysterious attacks leave men dead. Amara is an intriguing main character, as she finds herself a target of her community as their Christian belief system sees her and her family as threatening, and starts to realize that there are other dangers beyond the potential demonic attacks. I love how Jayatissa explores the way that Amara’s community, former friends, and even at times family holds her gender against her, her family against her, and her non-Christian beliefs against her, and how Amara’s desperation to clear her father’s name becomes more about clearing her own. Jayatissa doesn’t shy away from violence, sexism, prejudice, and trauma, and Amara’s journey harkens to other feminist horror tales of women taking back their power from those that want to take it away and snuff it out. I also found a lot of the demon lore and other horror aspects to be pretty good, and at times more ambiguous as opposed to cut and dry about good and evil.

But I had a really hard time with the first person perspective of this book, because while trying to show Amara’s coming of age, and her journey to find out the truth about what is happening in her community and both the dead men and the women they left behind, made for a lot of telling instead of showing. I definitely get that Amara is starting out as a somewhat naive and hopeful person, and has to become more hardened as she is finding out dark truths about those around her and the potential demonic activity, but her voice was very stilted, and at times hamfisted in execution. There were many times that it took me out of the story, and her inner thoughts would project a very obvious plot point that was coming up because of how much telling she was doing. It was too bad, because I think that had Amara’s voice been a little more complex this would have connected a lot better with me.

“Island Witch” was a mixed bag for me. I loved the effort and the greater themes, but the narrative style muddled it up a bit.

Rating 6: Overall I liked the themes of misogyny and colonial oppression and group think, but I thought that the voice of the main character was a little more simplistic than I had hoped for, and made it a stilted flow.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Island Witch” is included on the Goodreads lists “Popsugar 2024 #40: A Horror Book Written by a BIPOC Author”, and “Historical Fiction 2024”.

Book Club Review: “An Extraordinary Union”

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

Book: “An Extraordinary Union” by Alyssa Cole

Publishing Info: Kensington, March 2017

Where Did We Get This Book: The library!

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

Century: 19th

Book Description: As the Civil War rages between the states, a courageous pair of spies plunge fearlessly into a maelstrom of ignorance, deceit, and danger, combining their unique skills to alter the course of history and break the chains of the past . . .

Elle Burns is a former slave with a passion for justice and an eidetic memory. Trading in her life of freedom in Massachusetts, she returns to the indignity of slavery in the South–to spy for the Union Army.

Malcolm McCall is a detective for Pinkerton’s Secret Service. Subterfuge is his calling, but he’s facing his deadliest mission yet–risking his life to infiltrate a Rebel enclave in Virginia.

Two undercover agents who share a common cause–and an undeniable attraction–Malcolm and Elle join forces when they discover a plot that could turn the tide of the war in the Confederacy’s favor. Caught in a tightening web of wartime intrigue, and fighting a fiery and forbidden love, Malcolm and Elle must make their boldest move to preserve the Union at any cost–even if it means losing each other…

Kate’s Thoughts

It’s a bit of an anomaly that I have read a romance author before reading the book selected for book club should that author be a romance author. But in the case of “An Extraordinary Union”, I actually had read TWO books by Alyssa Cole! One of them was her “Hamilton” inspired novella “That Could Be Enough”, which was cute, and the other was her thriller novel “When No One Is Watching”, which I really loved. So I had read Alyssa Cole before book club met, and I MAY have been the only one? ANOMALY I SAY! And while “An Extraordinary Union” wasn’t the usual book that I pick up on my own, I kind of knew what to expect.

Overall I enjoyed this book. I really liked the idea of spies for the Union during the Civil War, and that one of said spies is a Black woman who has gone deep undercover in hopes of turning the tides of the war. I liked Elle a lot, and I found her motivations believable and was invested in her getting out of her dangerous position while also sticking it to the Confederacy. While I don’t usually do spy books, this one kept my interest because of my background in learning about and presenting this time period at my historical society job. But at the same time Cole balances this aspect with the charming romance between Elle and Malcolm, while also bringing up and parsing out the complications that would arise during this time period for a mixed race couple. I was worried that there might be some sticky aspects to this given the historical context, not only with societal racism, but also misogyny/ misogynoir, but I did feel that Cole did a pretty good job of addressing these things and making sure that Elle and Malcolm were on equal footing, or as close to equal footing as possible.

And this is an ongoing series! So if you like “An Extraordinary Union” and the themes and plot points, you can keep on going! I am considering it, as the set up for the next book is pretty intriguing. Overall I found it to be a solid romance novel with a setting that felt unique.

Kate’s Rating 7: A historical romance filled with intrigue and a backdrop of a critical time during the Civil War, “An Extraordinary Union” is entertaining and sure to please people who like the genre!

Book Club Questions

  1. What did you think of having Elle as a protagonist in this book? Along with that, what were your thoughts on Malcolm as a love interest for her?
  2. What did you think of Cole comparing and contrasting between the two backgrounds that Elle and Malcolm came from, and how they are both from marginalized backgrounds?
  3. What did you think of Susie as one of the antagonists in this book? How did she hold up or subvert the Southern Belle stereotype in literature?
  4. Have you read any fiction books that take place during the Civil War that have stuck with you? What was it about that book or books that resonated?
  5. How does this story compare to other historical romances that you have read?
  6. Would you keep reading on in the series?

Reader’s Advisory

“An Extraordinary Union” is included on the Goodreads lists “#ReadPOC: List of Romance Books by Authors of Color”, and “Historical Romance with Unusual Settings”.

Next Book Club Pick: “Much Ado About Nada” by Uzma Jalaluddin

Serena’s Review: A Fate Inked in Blood

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

Book: “A Fate Inked in Blood” by Danielle L. Jensen

Publishing Info: Del Rey, February 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.

Review: I was really excited when I saw this book was coming out this spring. For one thing, I would have been interested purely on the cover alone. I really like the style of this art, and I think it’s a great example of a cover effectively conveying exactly the sort of book you’ll be picking up. It’s also nice to see character art on a cover that isn’t super cheesy. But, beyond this, I’ve had this author on my TBR list for a while now. I know her “Bridge Kingdom” series is incredibly popular, but I just haven’t managed to getting around to picking it up. So this was a great in for me to start up with this author without having to commit to a multi-book series.

However, this book did leave me with a lot of mixed feelings. I’ll say right off the bat that I’m still very interested in reading this author’s original fantasy series. Reading this book, it’s easy to see that she’s a compelling author, and several of her strengths are just the sort that I look for in my fantasy authors. Her descriptions are clear, her prose runs smoothly, and her dialogue and banter are both funny and earnest. On this last point, I think that too often we forget how important good dialogue is to the appreciation of a story. I’ve read other books where everything else is perfect, but the dialogue itself is written in a way that is either cringey, corny, or simply doesn’t fit with the rest of the vibe of the story. Here, however, I often found myself enjoying the dialogue more than anything else!

There was also strong evidence that the author can write interesting characters. I think the love interest character, in particular, was very effective. I really appreciated that the book was told from a single POV, demonstrating the author’s strong abilities with characterization in that I felt like I understood and knew Bjorn just as well as Freya, even without seeing inside his head. See?? Authors take note! It is possible to write compelling love interests who don’t need chapters to themselves so they can just tell the reader how they’re feeling at all times. You know, showing instead of telling and all of that.

However, on the other side of the character coin, I did struggle with Freya’s character. It was tough, because throughout a lot of the book, I really enjoyed this character and her voice. She had a lot of the bullet point character traits I look for in my heroines, and even had a decent number of action scenes where we got to see these traits at work! But she was also incredibly frustrating to read. About halfway through the book, I found myself continuously putting the book down and trying to understand why I was struggling to remain connected to the story. And part of what I came up with was the fact that Freya’s own story had very few stakes, arc, or motivation Yes, there is action and violence and drama, but Freya herself is only every reacting to the things going on around her. Even worse, while Freya tells us why she’s choosing to allow others to determine her choices, the reader is never given a compelling reason to understand this choice. She must protect her family…but we never see most of her family and those we do see treat Freya terribly in the brief number of pages they have. So, throughout the bulk of the story, we have a character whose entire drive comes down to a choice that makes very little sense to the reader centered around characters the author has made clear are not worthy. It’s fine to write a character who’s been blinded to the realities of those she loves, but we just didn’t get that character work for Freya. She just tells us that she has to protect them…and that’s it. Nothing about why she’s so sure of this belief in the face of their poor treatment. Nothing showing us moments of kindness that she would use to justify her own mistreatment. Just…nothing.

Beyond that, the story was also incredibly frustrating with its central premise. It’s not a spoiler since it’s right there in the book description, but the entire plot is driven around a prophesy that whomever control’s Freya’s fate will reunite the land. Well, I give you approximately one guess to put together the clues of this fate and how exactly it works. Which, fine, I think there is a way to tell a story like this, even if some of its conclusions are obvious to the reader. But it wasn’t just the fact that Freya seemed completely oblivious to the obvious interpretation of this prophesy, it’s the fact that she paired this cluelessness with other wild jumps of logic and assumptions. Throughout the middle portion of the book, she jumps to a pretty crazy assumption, and then, even in the fact of others pointing out this wild leap, and even when she herself acknowledges that she has no real reason to believe this thing other than her own biases, she just…goes right on doing it! And, of course, there are a million clues that makes the reality of the situation obvious to the reader, which just makes Freya’s determined cluelessness all the more frustrating to put up with .

So, that was a fairly big rant. But Freya’s character arc and characterization was a huge struggle for me for much of the middle portion of this book. Which was really frustrating because at other times, I was completely into this world, this plot, and, even Freya herself. There were wild swings in my enjoyment levels; at times I thought I’d be rating this around a 9 and at others, I almost quit. But, overall, I do think there were a lot of strengths to be found in this book. I liked the world-building and the overall plot. And I can see signs that she also knows how to write some fantastic characters. I’m not exactly sure what happened here, honestly. I’ll probably pick up the second book, however, to see where the story goes. And I’m definitely curious about the author’s other books. Was Freya an exception that proves the rule?

Rating 7: There were a lot of good bones to this story, but the main character’s arch was nonexistent for much of the book which ultimately left it feeling a bit flat.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Fate Inked in Blood” can be found on this Goodreads list: Upcoming Romantasy Releases 2024

Serena’s Review: “Heartless Hunter”

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

Book: “Heartless Hunter” by Kristen Ciccarelli

Publishing Info: Wednesday Books, February 2024

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

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

Book Description: On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can’t help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Review: I debated requesting this book for a while. This author has been very hit and miss for me in the past. While I struggled a bit with the first book I read by her (“The Last Nimsara”), I barely managed to not DNF the second book in the trilogy (“The Caged Queen”) and never even bothered with the third one. That said, I do remember thinking that the overall quality of writing was high and that the characters, especially in the first book, were fairly good. Those are two pretty foundational aspects of storytelling, so if an author has those in hand, I always feel like there’s a decent chance that a book by them will work for me. But, while this book didn’t sink to the lows of “The Caged Queen,” it also didn’t change my opinion massively about this author. Let’s get into the details!

I’m going to start off with a point that may at first seem tangential, but I swear, I have a point. A few weeks ago, a reader left a comment on one of my more negative reviews expressing relief that they had passed on the book in question. Specifically, they mentioned being glad that they have a fairly thorough vetting process before accepting books for review. Now, I also vet my book choices, trying to balance what I prefer in my own read alongside trying to cover the books that I know many people are interested in and those for which they may appreciate having reviews that provide some insights. And there’s a whole debate going on currently about how much or little publishers/marketers should rely on tropes when advertising their books. You can definitely see where publishers are falling into the trap that a popular trope is all you need to make a popular book. But, for this kind of vetting process, some basic tropes up front can be very helpful in either grabbing my attention or warning me away. And (finally, my point) this book failed to mention anywhere in its book description that the love stories is not only a love triangle, but a love triangle with two brothers as the options. *sigh* Frankly, if I had know that, I could have steered clear.

I won’t go on and on about the love triangle itself, but I always find the whole “brothers” thing kind of icky in a love triangle. Add on that it’s barely a love triangle since once of the love interests has a POV and the other doesn’t, so you always know which way this is going. And it’s all the more frustrating when the one who is the (of course) enemy is set up as this great love, and the other is the solid guy who’s been Rune’s friend and support system for years. You know, helping her, keeping her secrets…not trying to genocide her people like certain (oh so hot) other brothers.

Anyways, that last point gets to one of my main struggles with this book: the characters. For one thing, it falls into the trap that I find all too often in YA where its main characters have to be teenagers for it to be YA, but the things they’ve accomplished already in life are so incredibly unbelievable in the time they’ve had to do them that my suspension of disbelieve is immediately and thoroughly broken right from the start. Why oh why can’t authors just age up their characters to their early to mid 20s, call it a NA book, and probably get the exact same readership out of their book, but at least now it’s all plausible? I honestly don’t understand it.

I also just didn’t buy the primary “love story” between Rune and Gideon. I’ve read other witch/witch hunter love stories, and there have been some that definitely prove this set up can work. But for me to buy any burgeoning love story, the witch hunter has to have a pretty serious change of heart and regret sequence. But…Gideon just seemed fine with his choices of genocide? Because he had been hurt by a witch? It read as strange, and, more over, it really made me struggle to understand Rune’s willingness to overlook the realities of this guy she was becoming so interested in.

The book also tackles some fairly serious topics about sexual assault, and I’m not sure how well it was handled. I don’t really feel that the book gave this serious topic the framing it needed to be useful. Instead, it felt more like shock value and as a way to justify the things that the characters were thinking and doing. The seriousness of this subject also paired strangely with some of the “Bridgerton”-like aspects of the story, when the book would switch into “society mode” with a strong focus on fashion and gossip. And, look, I enjoy “Bridgeton” and enjoy a good “fantasy of manners” as much (if not more!) than the next person, but it paired very strangely with some of the darker tones of this book.

Overall, I struggled to enjoy this one. Again, the writing itself was strong enough, but the author makes choices with her characters, especially with their romances, that just don’t work for me. However, that said, I do think there are a decent number of readers who will enjoy this one, especially if you’re a fan of this author’s previous work. And, I do think this is a case where the use of tropes in the book description might have helped get this in the right readers’ hands, as well as changing it from YA (why?!?!?) to NA.

Rating 7: For me, this was a 6, but I’ll admit this came down to some very specific preferences of my own. Readers who have a more flexible approach to their romances may enjoy this one!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Heartless Hunter” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Fantasy Romance and Female fantasy authors – Children’s, YA and adult.

Kate’s Review: “Almost Surely Dead”


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

Book: “Almost Surely Dead” by Amina Akhtar

Publishing Info: Mindy’s Book Studio, February 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.

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

Book Description: A psychological thriller with a twist, Almost Surely Dead is a chilling account of how one woman’s life spins out of control after a terrifying—and seemingly random—attempt on her life.

Dunia Ahmed lives an ordinary life—or she definitely used to. Now she’s the subject of a true crime podcast. She’s been missing for over a year, and no one knows if she’s dead or alive. But her story has listeners obsessed, and people everywhere are sporting merch that demands “Find Dunia!” In the days before her disappearance, Dunia is a successful pharmacist living in New York. The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she’s coping with a broken engagement and the death of her mother. But then something happens that really shakes up her someone tries to murder her. When her would-be killer winds up dead, Dunia figures the worst is over. But then there’s another attempt on her life…and another. And police suspect someone close to her may be the culprit. Dunia struggles to make sense of what’s happening. And as childhood superstitions seep into her reality, she becomes convinced that someone—or some thing —is truly after her.

Review: I was such a fan of Amina Akhtar’s “Kismet” when it came out, and I knew that I was going to be waiting on pins and needles for her next thriller novel to make its way to my book pile. And the time has finally arrived, as “Almost Surely Dead” has finally been released! I preordered this book for my Kindle, as between my love for her previous book, the description, and the cover, it was a hugely anticipated release for 2024 for me. And much like “Kismet” before it, once I sat down with it, I basically devoured it in about two sittings.

As a thriller mystery, Akhtar has a lot of the twists, turns, and slow build of suspense that I like to see in the genre. When we first meet Dunia, she is being attacked in the subway by a man she has only seen in passing, and when his attack fails, he throws himself in front of a train, saying that he ‘had to’. This kicks off a strange and unnerving mystery about who wants Dunia dead, and what lengths they will go to to make it happen, with a narrative told from her perspective as she grows more and more paranoid, as well as a podcast transcript that fills in the gaps that she can’t see after she has gone missing. We also get flashbacks to her childhood, and see her family life that consists of her cold mother, her caring (but not long for this world) father, and hot and cold older sister Nadia, as well as an overall fear that she was being haunted by something as a child. Through all of these perspectives, we see a woman who has endured a lot of trauma in her life, and whose recent victimization and subsequent disappearance has a lot of reveals that worked well for me. Some things were a but more obvious than others, but then there would be a huge twist that did, in fact, catch me off guard, and made for a gripping read that I could hardly put down.

And I really, really liked the dark fantasy and horror beats that are whispering throughout this novel. Akhtar does a good job of weaving in the jinn myth and showing how sinister this creature can be, and the ways that it can mess with a person’s perception of reality while pulling them into a devious web. I liked the ambiguity of some of this, while also knowing that SOMETHING supernatural is going on, and that Dunia’s childhood interest in jinns may have had something bigger going on besides just a general fascination. While it’s clear from the jump there there is SOMETHING supernatural going on, Akhtar still manages to effectively blur the lines between otherworldly and all too worldly threats (obsessive exes, toxic parental relationships, trauma), which makes for a suspenseful tale that kept me guessing. I also liked how it was so tied to Dunia’s culture, and how the thing that she may be experiencing isn’t going to be wholly comprehended properly through a Western lens without the cultural context.

I did have one small quibble that I wanted to note, however. I mentioned the podcast transcript device earlier, and I overall enjoyed that choice and how it made it so we could see other sides of the mystery that Dunia herself couldn’t see or portray in a first person perspective. I also just love ‘found media’ and epistolary tropes. But the one thing that took me out of it a bit was how two dimensional the two podcast hosts, Amanda and Danielle were, and how they really just felt like personifications of the criticisms of ‘true crime appeal’ as a whole. Whether they are simpering over the mystery in a disingenuous way, or hawking products in a gauche manner, or being clueless and distasteful in how they present the case (or in how they have taken it on as a podcast), it felt a BIT like a not at all subtle ‘true crime is gross’ take that has been done a LOT in the past few years when it comes to using true crime as a plot point. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily fully disagree with this take (and this is coming from someone who listens to true crime podcasts), and do think that some platforms DO tread a bit into a distasteful and exploitative area. But as a take it’s not really a new one, and in this case it was ham-fisted and more about statement versus driving the plot forward. If it had been less obvious about it I’d probably have enjoyed it more.

But that’s merely a drop in a sea of a really fun and entertaining thriller! “Almost Surely Dead” was a breezy and suspenseful read, with dark fantasy and horror elements that meshed well with the story. Another win from Amina Akhtar!

Rating 8: A fast paced and suspenseful thriller tale with solid horror elements, “Almost Surely Dead” is another fun and gripping read from Amina Akhtar!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Almost Surely Dead” is included on the Goodreads list “2024 Mystery Thrillers Crime To Be Excited For”.

Serena’s Review: “Projections: A Novel”

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Book: “Projections: A Novel” by S. E. Porter

Publishing Info: Tor Books, February 2024

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

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

Book Description: Love may last a lifetime, but in this dark historical fantasy, the bitterness of rejection endures for centuries.

As a young woman seeks vengeance on the obsessed sorcerer who murdered her because he could not have her, her murderer sends projections of himself out into the world to seek out and seduce women who will return the love she denied―or suffer mortal consequence. A lush, gothic journey across worlds full of strange characters and even stranger magic.

Sarah Porter’s adult debut explores misogyny and the soul-corrupting power of unrequited love through an enchanted lens of violence and revenge.

Review: It’s been a hot minute since I read “Vassa in the Night,” but what I do remember, I remember fondly. I vaguely remember struggling a bit with the characters, but enjoying the world-building and lyrical nature of the story. Don’t quote me on that, but I feel like I can remember some pretty interesting magical concepts, but at the same time, practically nothing about Vassa herself. From these mists of memories, I have to say I’m pleased to see the author jumping over to adult fiction! As is confirmed in this book, I think adult fiction much better suits the strengths found in her lyrical style to storytelling.

I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when I started this one. The cover is fantastic and was definitely giving creepy vibes, and the book description was leading me to think we’d be following the ghost, Catherine, individually throughout the story. But I wasn’t expecting the multiple time lines and the manner in which the story unfolded. It was both intriguing and frustrating. Intriguing, because the stories explores a large period of time, giving the reader glimpses into many aspects of the world and systems in place. Frustrating, because like Catherine, the reader is left raging at Angus, Gus, throughout the book, longing for his demise, forced to witness him in all of his misogynistic glory again and again.

That said, I really appreciated the look into Gus’s character that we see here. He’s such a lowkey sort of evil, a man who think he deserves the love of those he chooses, and then reacts violently and viscously when he is denied. It’s as terrifying as it is familiar. But what have been a simplistic exploration of this theme rose to a new level through the author’s careful work in this book. The story is presented meticulously and intentionally, using its various timelines to really sharpen the fine point it is making. Catherine is angry, the book is angry, and the author does a diligent job in portraying this anger as justified, warranted, and, in its own terrible way, necessary.

That said, this book is long, coming in at just shy of 500 pages. Given the dark nature of its themes, and the ongoing struggles of its characters, this left the reading experience as somewhat challenging at times. I can’t point to any exact moments that could be cut to winnow down the length, but I do think the book would have been more readable to a general audience if it had been edited down just a bit. That said, if you enjoy the style of writing presented here and become invested in Catherine’s story early on, as I did, the length isn’t a deterrent. If you enjoyed lyrical, historical fiction with strong feminist themes, definitely check this one out!

Rating 8: Ambitious and powerful, Porter weaves a careful tale of misogyny, cruelty, and the anger of a woman who refuses to remain a victim.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Projections: A Novel” is on this Goodreads list: Books I’m Dying to Get My Hands On

Kate’s Review: “The Hollow Dead”

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Book: “The Hollow Dead” by Darcy Coates

Publishing Info: Poisoned Pen Press, February 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: When Keira first woke alone in a strange forest, she remembered only two things: that she could speak with the dead, helping them move on from the mortal world, and that sinister mask-wearing men were hunting her. She had no idea what she’d done to earn their hatred or what dangerous secrets she may have uncovered. Until now.

Peeling back layer upon layer of the mystery surrounding her origins, Keira has finally learned that the strange masked men work for Artec, an organization profiting off spectral energy produced by hundreds of chained, tormented souls. Their goal is to spread their macabre cemeteries across the world, using the agony of the dead to extend their power and reach―and only Keira and her loyal group of friends can stop them. But there are still mysteries to uncover in Keira’s foggy memories, and as she prepares to fight for the souls of the tormented dead, what she doesn’t know about her own past may come back to haunt her.

Review: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for sending me an ARC of this novel!

After plowing through the first three books of Darcy Coates’s “Gravekeeper” series last year, it occurred to me that now I was going to be back on the usual reading timeline, as being caught up means having to wait for the next book in a series. Luckily, “The Hollow Dead” has arrived, and being the fourth novel in the series I was curious about what to expect. Were we going to get more answers about Keira’s mysterious past/memory loss? Were we going to see what Artec, the evil corporation using the energy of captives ghosts to make a profit, was planning for continued evilness? Would Keira and Mason finally get over their awkwardness and finally KILL ALREADY?! A fourth book in my opinion, can become the point where unanswered questions become frustrating, so I went in hoping that wouldn’t happen. And good news! “The Hollow Dead” keeps the pacing up and makes some significant moves that signal where we are headed going forward!

We have been waiting for some answers regarding Keira’s past and her connection to the mysterious corporation Artec, and while Coates has been giving good hints and little details up until now, “The Hollow Dead” is the book that really gives us insight, answers, and details. And I have to say, I really, really enjoyed how well Coates timed all of it out so that it kept interest piqued without getting overdrawn. It was clearly time to do some big reveals, and without spoiling anything I thought that they were done pretty well and in a satisfying way. The questions and suspense of Keira’s gift and connection to Artec has been a huge part of the “Gravekeeper” series, and I’m happy to say that Coates has managed the lofty build up very well. This one veered more towards thriller versus horror, but given that Keira, Mason, and Zoe have always had a witty and bantery tone and the story premise has always had thrilling elements, I was wholly fine with the shift. This series has always harkened back to action-y horror tales like “Buffy” and “Ghostbusters”, so it fit. It has also made the plot and characters progress enough that we are seemingly set up for a conclusion, which both excites me and saddens me because I’m not sure I’m READY to leave Blighty and all the people there?

Speaking of, one of the other standouts about “The Hollow Dead” is how we are still seeing some great spotlighting on the eccentric people of the town even beyond Keira’s inner circle. Whether it’s hints of a budding romance between town crank (turned less of a crank due to Keira’s help) Dane Crispin and café waitress Marlene, or the emo oddball Gothic florist’s son Harry teaming up with Keira et al to try and stop Artec as a getaway driver, or even the introduction of another ghost in need of Keira’s help, I really love the living and dead of the town, and seeing how Keira has slowly become part of the community. Hell, even our main characters are still growing and evolving his far in, as Zoe is almost immediately thrown into a family tragedy, and Keira and Mason REALLY have to start dealing with their burgeoning but often pushed aside feelings for one another. Coates has really made it easy for me to invest in SO MANY characters in this series, and I quite enjoy seeing the different ways she gives them moments to shine (I am SUCH a Dane and Marlene shipper now just based on the ONE moment we got of them).

“The Hollow Dead” seems like it’s starting the process of wrapping up Keira’s story in Blighty. I am very curious to see how Coates is going to wrap it all up, as this does kind of read like a penultimate novel in a series. Absolutely interested in where this goes. I guess I have to wait!

Rating 8: A thrilling new entry into a fun and at times creepy series, “The Hollow Dead” gives Keira some answers, and starts to tie up threads for her and her friends while showcasing the reasons we love them so much.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Hollow Dead” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it would fit in on “Reads for Spooky Season and Fall Vibes”.

Previously Reviewed:

Joint Review: “What Feasts At Night”

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

Book: “What Feasts At Night” by T. Kingfisher

Publishing Info: Tor Nightfire, February 2024

Where Did We Get This Book: Kate received an eARC from NetGalley,

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

Book Description: After their terrifying ordeal at the Usher manor, Alex Easton feels as if they just survived another war. All they crave is rest, routine, and sunshine, but instead, as a favor to Angus and Miss Potter, they find themself heading to their family hunting lodge, deep in the cold, damp forests of their home country, Gallacia.

In theory, one can find relaxation in even the coldest and dampest of Gallacian autumns, but when Easton arrives, they find the caretaker dead, the lodge in disarray, and the grounds troubled by a strange, uncanny silence. The villagers whisper that a breath-stealing monster from folklore has taken up residence in Easton’s home. Easton knows better than to put too much stock in local superstitions, but they can tell that something is not quite right in their home. . . or in their dreams.

Kate’s Thoughts

When Serena told me there was going to be a new “Sworn Soldier” story, I knew that I was already game to read it because of how much I enjoyed “What Moves the Dead”. I wasn’t sure of what to expect, as while the first book in the series was a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher”, I didn’t know if Kingfisher intended to do more Poe, or another classic horror author/story. But when I saw the description and saw that it had a ‘breath stealing monster’, and that the title implied that it was happening at night, I FLIPPED because I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE A NIGHT HAG!!!

HELL YEAH, one of my favorite folklore beings that fills me with ALL THE DREAD! (source)

Quick folklore lesson: a Night Hag, also known as a Boo Hag, a Mare, Karabasan, Witch Riding, and many other things, is almost certainly sleep paralysis, in which someone wakes in the middle of the night, unable to move, with a feeling of something pressing on your chest making it hard to breathe. I have been obsessed with Night Hag mythology ever since I went to Savannah for the first time and was fully terrified by the idea of a demonic force sitting on your chest and sucking your essence out of you while you slept. So “What Feasts at Night” is one HUNDRED percent up my alley, and I loved what Kingfisher did with it within her fictional setting of Gallacia. The slow build up of Alex slowly realizing that the people in the community they have recently returned to are falling ill by something mysterious and unknown, and starting to realize that perhaps it isn’t just superstition, was a great slow burn of eeriness and the exact kind of unsettling atmosphere I would want and expect from a Night Hag story. But Kingfisher always knows how to balance out the scares with some humorous moments as well, and there were PLENTY of moments that I was laughing out loud as well as reveling in the creepiness of the plot. And finally, I liked getting to know Alex a little bit more, whether it’s through flashbacks to their time in combat and how they are still coping with that, or with seeing them interact with familiar faces as well as new ones as they try to figure out what killed their old friend, and what may be targeting others as well.

“What Feasts at Night” was another spooky and spirited horror lite story from T. Kingfisher! Love seeing Night Hags in any story, and this one was pretty well done!

Serena’s Thoughts

Unlike Kate, I had no idea what type of horror story this was drawing from when reading the description. I’ve read other horror stories about beings that come in dreams or at night and sit on one’s chest (and the connection to sleep paralysis) but I didn’t know anything about the history of this type of being or any of its names. That’s all to say, even without any background knowledge, man, Kingfisher nailed the creepiness of this creature! I’ve never had sleep paralysis, but I do have “exploding head syndrome” fairly regularly, so I have a visceral reaction to this sort of story about some nefarious being/thing taking advantage of the vulnerability of sleep. While the horror stuff was definitely a slow burn affair, when it arrived, it was truly creepy. There was one scene in particular with the horses that really stuck with me, both because it was so viscerally horrifying, but also because…never mess with the horses!!

As for the rest of it, like Kate, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a return to this world. The first book was so successful on its own, perfectly introducing this character and world and neatly wrapping up that tale by the end in a way that felt complete. But I was pleasantly surprised by what we got here. Alex remains an excellent lead character with a distinct, often hilarious, POV. I also really enjoyed that the story took place in their homeland of Gallacia. We heard a decent amount about this fictional country in the first book, but we got even more here. I loved the whole “lovingly exasperated” take that Alex and the locals seem to have about their own country and its culture and history. Again, lots of laugh-out-loud lines to be found here.

Overall, I loved this book just as much as the first! Sign me up for a return to this world and character at any time! Can’t wait to find what other normal life event (like sleep) Kingfisher will manage to make terrifying for me…

Serena’s Rating 8: Leave it to Kingfisher to write a book that left me terrified to go to sleep but also cackling my way through the night.

Kate’s Rating 8: A fun take on Night Hag mythology and folklore, “What Feasts at Night” is scary, entertaining, and another enjoyable horror lite tale from T. Kingfisher!

Reader’s Advisory

“What Feasts At Night” is included on the Goodreads list “Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasty of 2024”, and “Horror to Look Forward to in 2024”.

Puffin in Bloom: Jane Austen Editions

Every once in a while, a publisher will reach out to us with the opportunity to promote upcoming titles or new editions of books. Sometimes this will include book reviews, book excerpts, or simply highlights of the books in question. We are always happy to bring all things books to our readers!

You can never have enough copies of Jane Austen novels (or any great novels, really!) Doing a quick mental count, I believe I have around 4-5 copies of “Pride and Prejudice” alone! One of those is included in a beautiful Barnes and Noble Jane Austen omnibus; one I bought simply because it has the 1995 BBC miniseries cover; another was my original paperback from college; etc., etc. All of this to say, I was super excited to see that Puffin in Bloom was releasing beautiful, new editions of “Pride and Prejudice” (thank you to the publisher for sending me this copy as pictured above!), “Emma,” and “Sense and Sensibility.” The floral covers fit perfectly with Austen’s themes, and my current copy looks great on my shelves! Here they are and I’ll throw in some links to my own reviews of these books/adaptations from my “Year with Jane Austen” series I did a few years ago.

Book: “Pride and Prejudice”

Book Review: Part I & Part II

Movie Reviews: 1995 BBC Mini Series, 2005 Movie, “Bridget Jones’s Diary”, & “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries”

Book Description: The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen’s radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.

Book: “Emma”

Book Review: Part I & Part II

Movie Reviews: 1996 Movie, 2009 BBC Mini Series, “Clueless”, & “Emma Approved”

Book Description: Emma Woodhouse is one of Austen’s most captivating and vivid characters. Beautiful, spoilt, vain and irrepressibly witty, Emma organizes the lives of the inhabitants of her sleepy little village and plays matchmaker with devastating effect.

Book: “Sense and Sensibility”

Book Review: Part I and Part II

Movie Reviews: 1995 Movie & 2008 BBC Mini Series

Book Description: Marianne Dashwood wears her heart on her sleeve, and when she falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby she ignores her sister Elinor’s warning that her impulsive behaviour leaves her open to gossip and innuendo. Meanwhile Elinor, always sensitive to social convention, is struggling to conceal her own romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. Through their parallel experience of love—and its threatened loss—the sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love.