Author: thelibraryladiesmn

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

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

Publishing Info: Bramble, December 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Kate’s Review: “Where the Dead Wait”

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Book: “Where the Dead Wait” by Ally Wilkes

Publishing Info: Atria/Emily Bestler Books, December 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

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

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

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, December 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

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


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

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

Publishing Info: First Second, June 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(source)

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Highlights: December 2023

It’s so, so dark here in Minnesota, but at least we have all the Christmas lights going up! We’re trying hard not to remember that this is just the start to the long months of dark and cold ahead, and instead drown our sorrows in hot buttered rum and early batches of cookies. And, of course, there are always more good books to look forward to!

Serena’s Picks

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

Publication Date: December 5, 2023

Why I’m Interested: I’m always excited to see self-published authors finally get their due and be picked up by one of the larger publishing houses, in this case Bramble, Tor’s romance imprint. I haven’t read anything by this author before, but I know that she’s written a decent number of popular titles, so I’m excited to see what all the fuss is about! I’m also curious to see her interpretation of vampires and vampiric lore. I think I’m a hard sell on the whole “vampire as a love interest” front…just seems counterintuitive to have a romantic lead who also just wants to eat you for dinner. But I’d be happy to be proven wrong!

Book: “The Dragons of Deepwood Fen” by Bradley P. Beaulieu

Publication Date: December 5, 2023

Why I’m Interested: While I have…complicated…feelings about “Fourth Wing,” I will say that I’m happy if its popularity brings on another wave of excellent dragon books! They are one of those fantasy beasts that always draw me in. Put “dragon” in your title, and at the very least, I’m picking up the book to give it a once-over. I’m also intrigued by the alchemist angle that seems to be incorporated into this book. We’ve seen a big “academia” focus in fantasy recently, often with scholars at the heart of many stories. But alchemists are essentially the scientists of magic, and I always love books that tackle these sorts of characters. Plus, like I said…dragon riders, it’s kind of a no-brainer.

Book: “Ruthless Vows” by Rebecca Ross

Publication Date: December 26, 2023

Why I’m Interested: Talk about a no-brainer! I’ve been on the “Rebecca Ross” train for a while, but it seems that she really gained popularity last year with the first book in this duology, “Divine Rivals.” So I’m sure this will be on many people’s December TBR pile. The first book ended on a fairly significant cliffhanger, so I can’t wait to pick this one up and see where it all goes from here! Ross has always nailed the endings of her series in the past, so I’m fully confident that she’ll pull off another success here!

Kate’s Picks

Book: “Perfect Little Lives” by Amber and Danielle Brown

Publication Date: December 5, 2023

Why I’m Interested: This MAY be the last reference to ALAAC23, as I heard about this when I was at a panel where Amber and Danielle Brown were talking about their new book “Perfect Little Lives”. It’s about Simone, a woman who is haunted by her past where her father was convicted of murdering her mother, leaving Simone basically an orphan. But when a new documentary crew approaches Simone about her mother’s murder, and she reconnects with her childhood best friend Hunter, she starts to wonder if perhaps there is more to the story about what happened to her mother, and if perhaps her father is innocent. It sounds like a thriller that has a lot of potential, and I can’t wait to check it out.

Book: “Where The Dead Wait” by Ally Wilkes

Publication Date: December 5, 2023

Why I’m Interested: I enjoyed Ally Wilkes’s previous horror novel “All The White Spaces”, and knew that anything that she wrote next I would want to give a go. Enter “Where The Dead Wait”, her newest book about polar horror and polar expeditions gone awry. William Day is a former arctic explorer, who fell from grace when one of his missions ended in tragedy, death, and cannibalism, tainting his reputation. When he is approached years later to search for Stevens, his former shipmate with whom he had an intense relationship, and who has now disappeared on a new expedition, Day reluctantly agrees to join the search. But as Day, Stevens’s psychic medium wife, and the new crew go on their journey, Day is haunted by the things he’s done, as well as perhaps something else. It’s the exact right time of year to take on a polar horror story as the days get darker and the temps drop.

Book: “Salt & Broom” by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Publication Date: December 1, 2023

Why I’m Interested: As we are all fully aware, I love witch stories. I also really love the book “Jane Eyre”. So it’s just a logical conclusion that if you retell “Jane Eyre” and make it witchy, I am probably going to want to get my hands on it. Enter “Salt & Broom” by Sharon Lynn Fisher, which reimagines Jane as a witch who is hired to help keep dark forces at Thornfield Hall at bay. Armed with spells and tinctures, Jane is determined to help her new employer Rochester keep his house settled, but as she starts to fall for him, things start to get all the more complicated. This isn’t the first “Jane Eyre” retelling that brings in supernatural aspects that I’ve read, but I’m always going to be a sucker for this direction in any retelling, especially one of my favorite classics.

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

Serena’s Review: “The Witchwood Knot”

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

Book: “The Witchwood Knot” by Olivia Atwater

Publishing Info: Starwatch Press, November 2023

Where Did I Get this Book:

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

Book Description: Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one. When her bratty young charge transforms overnight into a perfectly behaved block of wood, she soon realizes that the real boy has been abducted by the Fair Folk. Unfortunately, the lord of Witchwood Manor is the only man in England who doesn’t believe in faeries—which leaves Winnie in the unenviable position of rescuing the young lord-to-be all by herself.

Witchwood Manor is bigger than its inhabitants realize, however, and full of otherworldly dangers. As Winnie delves deeper into the other side of the house, she enlists the aid of its dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr Quincy, who hides several awful secrets behind his charming smile. Winnie hopes to make her way to the centre of the Witchwood Knot through wit and cleverness… but when all of her usual tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?

Review: Olivia Atwater came out of nowhere for me as a reader. On a whim, I requested the first book I saw by her, “Half a Soul,” and that’s all it took! I quickly read all three in that series over the course of the summer. I know she has another book coming out sometime in the next year, something about baked good and the supernatural (sounds perfect to me!) so I was super surprised to see this book pop up on NetGalley when I was browsing one night. I didn’t even look into what it was, so I was that much more surprised to find that it is a story set in the same world as her original books, only this time taking place in the Victorian era, rather than Regency. Gothic horror and gothic romance? Count me in!

I’ve loved this shift towards gothic fantasy over the last year or so. Of course, there will always come a point where you can have too much of a good thing, but I haven’t reached it yet, as far as this trend goes. I was curious to see, however, how Atwater would fair taking on this sort of fantasy story. Her original three books were the epitome of light-hearted, comical, comfort reads. But a haunted house story and the gothic vibes that are meant to pair with it, well, that’s an entirely different tone! Low and behold, not only was this shift in tone successful, but the book also explores some fairly dark themes regarding assault and the nature of what makes a monster. I was incredibly impressed by how carefully these topics were covered, all without losing the overall appeal that is at the heart of Atwater’s style.

While this book is definitely more dark than her original trilogy, it also fit naturally within the greater world that had been created. In the other books, we saw hints of the darkness that existed in the world of the Fae and the nature of their strict, but confounding, approach to the rules of existence. Here, those aspects are drawn out and painted in darker colors. This book doesn’t shy away from its moments of horror, with violence seeping into scenes, as well as some truly creepy imagery. That said, this is by no means a horror novel. Not only was it laugh-out-loud funny at times, but within the story was an incredibly sweet romance as well as an unexpectedly touching relationship between Winnie and her ward.

I loved the main characters, as well. Winnie was a strong central character, working to unravel the mysteries at the heart of the Witchwood Knot while slowly beginning to form connections to those around her, breaking down walls that she had long-ago established for her own protection. I particularly liked the slow-burn romance between her and Mr. Quincy. The beginning of the book has him firmly slotted into a villain role, and I was impressed by how thoroughly the author worked to change the mind of both her main character and the reader. It was done in a very slow, subtle way. I will say that some of the character’s physical descriptions were a bit, um, unnerving, especially as a romantic interest. But on the other hand, I’m impressed with Atwater’s sheer audacity at just going with it and not trying to magic away the “otherness.”

I loved this book! It was right up there with “Half a Soul” as one of my favorites by this author. I’ve enjoyed all of her books, for sure, but I did appreciate this one more than some for the more serious themes at its heart. The balance felt more complete, with the lightness mixing naturally alongside the darker shades of grey, creating a more fulfilling read all around. Definitely check this one out if you’re a fan of this author or are looking for a solid stand-alone gothic fantasy novel!

Rating 9: Gothic fantasy at its finest, Atwater brilliantly combines her natural light-hearted style with the exploration of darker themes of redemption and what makes a monster.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Witchwood Knot” isn’t currently on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Haunted House Stories and Gothic Fantasy Books.

Kate’s Review: “Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh”

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

Book: “Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh” by C.J. Weiss

Publishing Info: Self Published, October 2023

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

Where You Can Get This Book: Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: A historically malevolent haunted house threatens to end a line of paranormal guardians. Will the family’s latest addition tip the scales in their favor or hurtle them toward their demise?

Garrett Mueller proposes to his girlfriend, Marie Renault. She rejects him, distressing him until he learns why. Her family watches over a haunted house, where every several years a Breach opens to the world of the dead. Everyone related by blood or oath must return, or the Breach widens, endangering the family and world at large. To marry Marie, he must also bind himself to that house.

The Renaults estimate a week until the Breach opens, offering Garrett a short trial period. Despite the risks, he will try it for the woman he loves. The Renaults are professionals when it comes to the supernatural, and they’ve always prevailed. Only, as the week progresses, the family discovers this Breach is shaping up to be one of historically dangerous proportions. Risks mount higher as secrets leak out, threatening to divide the family. And even if Garrett changes his mind, it might be too late to leave.

Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh combines atmospheric haunted house horror with dark family drama, topped with a layer of unsettling worldbuilding. Readers who like smart characters taking on smart foes, deep delves into the supernatural, and twisty psychological narratives will feel right at home. This novel is part of the Virulent Nightmare Origins series and can be read as a standalone or as part of the series in any order.

Review: Thank you to C.J. Weiss for sending me an eARC of this novel!

I was definitely interested in “Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh” by C.J. Weiss, a story about a young man named Garrett, whose proposal to his girlfriend Marie goes awry when she says no. But when she tells him it’s because her family has to hold back supernatural forces from a Breach every few years, and it means dropping EVERYTHING to try and keep these things at bay, Garrett doesn’t really believe her, and agrees to attend the newest Breach period with her family if it means she will give him another chance. That alone sounds interesting and unique. And then when it sounded like family dysfunction and trauma was a huge component a la Mike Flanagan’s “The Haunting of Hill House”, I was all the more intrigued! Bring on the messiness of human relationships to make the ghost problem that much more complicated. So I jumped in and was interested in what I would find.

The ghost mythos and world building is pretty well done in this book! It helps having a newcomer to the Renault Family in Garrett, as him being wholly unfamiliar with The Breach, mekari (aka demonic entities), and all the other supernatural aspects means that he is going to get a crash course that we as the readers get to see first hand. We get a good family connection to The Breach, as well as some creative different subtypes of haunts, be they ghosts or demons, and the ways they can mess with those trying to keep them out. I enjoyed the uncertainty that we were seeing through Garrett, as the assurance is that you will spot a possessed person vis a vis their behavior being off or strange doesn’t REALLY help someone who has just met this family outside of new fiancee Marie. It’s an effective way to build suspense, and it makes the tension build relentlessly at times. There are plenty of moments that come completely out of nowhere as well, and as The Breach gets more and more powerful the horror elements all come to a suspenseful and scary head.

But adding to the tension is the fact that all is not well in the Renault Family during this historical Breach, and that family secrets are starting to come tumbling out as more and more danger comes forth. Not only between immediately family members, but also between lovebirds Garrett and Marie. I will say that I found Garrett to be completely nuts putting EVERYTHING in his life on hold for Marie after they had been together for a kind of brief amount of time, but it kind of works because it shows that he is making a HUGE, unknown commitment for a woman that he doesn’t know all sides of, and how sometimes that can lead to trouble. And trouble comes calling as the Renaults start to turn on each other, lash out, and reveal betrayals that could put all of them in danger as it chips away at their untied front in this ghostly service that leaves the world in the balance. I love a good family drama, so seeing all of these very human problems start to tumble out and cause even more problems was a nice combination. I do like my horror stories to have some nice real world metaphors, and while sometimes this could feel like it stilted the pacing a bit (or just reinforced my disdain at Garrett impetuously going all in on Marie, as well as with her for letting him do so without some fully informed consent until it was too late), it worked well in this. I wish we’d had a little more exploration of all the family members, as some felt more fleshed out than others.

With a good mix of well conceived horror mythology and family drama, “Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh” is a fun and spooky haunted house story. And just remember, your family may have some dysfunction, but at least you don’t have to battle ghosts on top of all that. It’s the little things.

Rating 7: A haunted house story that is also filled with family secrets and drama, “Secrets Gnaw at the Flesh” is a nerve wracking read, and not just because of the ghosts.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Secret’s Gnaw at the Flesh” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists as of now, but I think it would fit in on “Haunted House Stories”.

Serena’s Review: “Fall of Ruin and Wrath”

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Book: “Fall of Wrath and Ruin” by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publishing Info: Bramble, September 2023

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

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

Book Description: Long ago, the world was destroyed by gods. Only nine cities were spared. Separated by vast wilderness teeming with monsters and unimaginable dangers, each city is now ruled by a guardian―royalty who feed on mortal pleasure.

Born with an intuition that never fails, Calista knows her talents are of great value to the power-hungry of the world, so she lives hidden as a courtesan of the Baron of Archwood. In exchange for his protection, she grants him information.

When her intuition leads her to save a traveling prince in dire trouble, the voice inside her blazes with warning―and promise. Today he’ll bring her joy. One day he’ll be her doom.

When the Baron takes an interest in the traveling prince and the prince takes an interest in Calista, she becomes the prince’s temporary companion. But the city simmers with rebellion, and with knights and monsters at her city gates and a hungry prince in her bed, intuition may not be enough to keep her safe.

Calista must follow her intuition to safety or follow her heart to her downfall.

Review: I’ve used this gif before in my “Great Animorphs Re-Read” several years ago, but it’s just to apropos for my feelings now whenever I see that Jennifer Armentrout is coming out with a new romantasy title:

Am I expecting a work of art? No. Am I concerned that, even if I enjoy the first book, the series as a whole will quickly nose dive into nonsense? Yes. But will I still pick it up out of sheer, self-destructive curiosity? Yeah, probably. Plus, Bramble picked up this series, and I was curious to see how Armentrout did in the hands of a large publishing house. Would they be able to wrangle in her use of ellipses? (Spoiler: no, no they could not.)

This is another tough review to write, simply because I did enjoy myself reading this book, but I also can look at it critically and see a good number of flaws. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something about Armentrout’s style, or her near perfect understanding of how to best employ romance tropes, that always manages to reel me in, almost despite myself as a critical reader. So let’s start with the obvious pros, and the first one is just that: readability. I whipped through this book in no time. Partly this is because much of the world-building, characters, and magic felt very familiar from other books and didn’t require much thought from me. But the other part is that the style of writing is very approachable and sure to suck readers in. The story could be funny when it wanted, dramatic when it needed to be, and even suspenseful as the action picked up towards the ends.

I will also say that if you enjoy spicy romance, this is the book for you. Conversely, if you don’t enjoy smutty books, this is NOT the book for you. While there is a plot, if you dig around and really look, this book is definitely more focused on its characters and the steamy situations they get themselves into. Perhaps even more so than the other books I’ve read, this book leans in on these scenes, sometimes unnecessarily so, I felt. There was one moment I can remember from early in the book where the main character is having a conversation with one of her friends, and of course they can’t just talk together, they have to be messing around at the same time. This is where the spiciness was a bit much for me. This scene wasn’t part of the central romance, these two characters were actually discussing important things, but for some reason we needed to up the ante and add erotica to the situation.

I did enjoy the central romance, however. Yes, it will feel very familiar to fans of Armentrout’s other books, but it was also satisfying in a similar way. This dynamic between romantic characters clearly works, and I’m definitely a “don’t fix what’s not broken” type of person. That said, the love story, like the characters and the world-building did feel almost TOO familiar at times. As I was reading this book, there were aspects of the world and its magic that honestly felt like “cut and paste” copies of Armentrout’s “Blood and Ash” series. The types of beings that populate the world, Calista’s role as a “special person” with hints of “super specialness” being laid down heavily, even some of the supernatural threats felt like almost exact carbon copies of ones I’ve seen before from her. So, while I was having a fun time and all, I also couldn’t get over the feeling that the author had picked up scraps from her other books and cobbled them into a new story here. Not only did this all seem familiar, but I feel like I can easily see the road this series will travel and, man, does that look familiar, too.

And, alas, the ellipses. I had real hopes that the editors over at Bramble could have exerted some more copyediting control and beaten this writing tic into submission. And yet I feel like there are even more here than in other books! And the more you notice it, the worse it gets. There are, you know, words that can be used to convey hesitation, caution, uncertainty. But instead, every time, she falls back on simply inserting ellipses before, between, and after words. I know she’s a best-selling, popular author. But there’s always room for improvement and this is where professional editors are needed most, places where writers are stuck in certain habits.

So where does this leave us. Like I said, for all of its flaws, my level of enjoyment was mostly around an 8. This is the definition of a “guilty pleasure” read for me. I liked it probably more than it deserves, and I’m fully prepared to flame out on it the same way I did with her other series. On the other hand, objectively, this book felt very familiar to other books she’s written, the spice-levels were verging on ridiculous, and some of her writing bad habits were on full display. So this would probably land it around a 6. To be fair, we’re giving it a solid 7, and you can do with that what you will!

Rating 7: I enjoyed the heck out of this book and judged myself for it the entire time.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Fall of Ruin and Wrath” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Deja Title: _ of _ and _ and 2023 – September Fantasy Releases

Kate’s Review: “Fence: Vol. 2”

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Book: “Fence: Vol. 2” by C. S. Pacat & Johanna the Mad (Ill.)

Publishing Info: BOOM! Box, July 2018

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

Book Description: Nicholas Cox is determined to prove himself in the world of competitive fencing, and earn his place on the Kings Row fencing team, alongside sullen fencing prodigy, Seiji Katayama, to win the right to go up against his golden-boy half-brother.

Tryouts are well underway at King’s Row for a spot on the prodigious fencing team, and scrappy fencer Nicholas isn’t sure he’s going to make the grade in the face of surly upperclassmen, nearly impossibly odds, and his seemingly unstoppable roommate, the surly, sullen Seiji Katayama. It’ll take more than sheer determination to overcome a challenge this big!

From the superstar team of C.S. Pacat (The Captive Prince) and fan-favorite artist Johanna the Mad comes the second volume of this acclaimed, dynamic series. 

Review: As we are starting to get a bit more past a huge slew of ALA books and horror focused reads for the month of October, I am now going to make an effort to get more into graphic novels again going into the next year. We had the newest “Lore Olympus” to kick that off, and now I am going into the second volume of “Fence”, the YA sports story by C.S. Pacat about ambitious fencers who are trying to make the prestigious team at their school and to prove themselves, while trying to maneuver through teenage love, familial angst, and other stressful factors. I’m glad that we’re back at Kings Row and following their fencers duke it out to make the team! And duke it out they absolutely do.

Tryouts are still in full swing, and Nicholas Cox is hungry to make the team, even after having a bad first match back in Volume 1. He is desperate to make the team so that he can perhaps eventually go up against the half brother he has never met, but to get there he has to get past established Kings Row fencers, and also his rival and roommate Seiji Katayama. I liked seeing Nicholas have a fire lit under his ass this volume, and how we see his strengths come out through fencing technique and pure potential. As someone who fenced for one season, I liked how Pacat makes the tension of a fencing match leap off the page, and how she breaks down the various techniques and how they can work during a match. I also continue to like seeing Nicholas’s driven personality and how he is easy to root for while also being a bit of an endearing doof in other ways. He’s just a fun protagonist, and I’m fully invested in him making his way to his goal. I am a bit curious to see how long these tryouts are going to last, volume wise, but for now I’m still buying in to the plot.

But there is the added bonus that in this volume, as we kind of get to get a bit more into Seiji’s head as the tryouts go on and he starts to show cracks in his armor. Volume 1 was so focused on giving us Nicholas’s backstory that we didn’t really get to explore his rival Seiji. But in this volume, Seiji changes from being mysterious and sullen wunderkind into something a little more rounded and fleshed out. We start to see his insecurities, and we start to see that perhaps he isn’t so perfect, as he has a pretty significant stumble. Heck, I’d even go so far as to say that Pacat is now starting to move on to the other teammates, whether it’s the lothario Aiden or serious and driven Harvard (also, are Aiden and Harvard potentially going to be a thing? That will probably actually be pretty cute, right?). I like getting to know the fencers as they have to face off with each other, and like that it isn’t going to just be the Nicholas and Seiji show.

I will be curious to see where this goes, and when (if?) we get to see Nicholas face off with his half brother. But for now, “Fence: Vol. 2” continues to follow ambitious fencers as they strive to make the team, and builds on their complexity. Looks like I need to get my hands on the next one soon!

Rating 8: The stakes are high and the characters are starting to become more complex as the pressure is on, and “Fence: Vol. 2” continues to shine!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Fence: Vol. 2” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now (this kind of shocks me?), but like the fist volume it would fit in on “Fencing Fiction”, and “Graphic Novels: Featuring LGBTIQ+ Themes”.

Previously Reviewed:

Not Just Books: November 2023

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

Serena’s Picks

TV Show: “Friends”

I’m sure I’m not unique in this, but it was terribly shocking to hear of Matthew Perry’s death, and the only natural reaction there seemed to be was to immediately begin re-watching this show. I tend to re-watch it sporadically. It’s the kind of comfort show that I would guess a lot of us simply stop at when scrolling around in a hotel or the like to have something on in the background (it helps that it seems to always be on some channel or another pretty much 24/7!). Familiar, low stakes, and always good for a laugh. But I hadn’t re-watched it in order from the beginning in some time. We’ll see how far I get, but I’m enjoying seeing some of the older episodes I haven’t watched in a while. And, of course, Matthew Perry is as charming as ever, and will be dearly missed by all fans of the show!

Documentary: “Beckham”

Even for those who aren’t big sports fans or soccer fans, “David Beckham” was definitely a household name during much of the 90s and early 2000s. Not only was he an incredible athlete, but he was also a good looking guy who married a famous woman (Posh from the Spice Girls). He had it all! But this was a great documentary in that it really dived into a lot of what was going behind the scenes during his tumultuous career. I knew most of the bullet points, but it really fleshed out a lot of his story. It also really hit-home just how rare Beckham is, not only as an athlete, but also as a man who, despite huge amounts of fame and media attention, still seems to be stand-up guy, both then and now. It’s a well-done documentary and definitely a must-watch for anyone who enjoys sports mini series!

Movie: “65”

I can’t remember what movie I was actually in the theater to see, but I do distinctly remember watching the preview for this one on the big screen, and man, was it effective! I know that this film wasn’t beloved by critics, but I’m honestly a bit surprised it didn’t find an audience! Personally, I had a great romp of time watching this film. It delivers on everything it promises: essentially Adam Driver vs. dinosaurs. It’s also incredibly tense at times and also had some nice (required) call-backs to the most famous dinosaur movie of them all, “Jurassic Park.” It wasn’t doing anything incredible on the writing front, but also, it barely has any dialogue, so I’m not sure why that should matter. Honestly, it’s just a fun, tense, action-packed thriller type movie, and if you go in looking for that, you’re sure to be happy with the experience!

Kate’s Picks

Film: “Talk To Me”

Right before Halloween (but after our October Not Just Books list was finalized) my friend Mark came over to hang out and watch a scary movie for the holiday. I asked him if he would be interested in taking a chance on one neither of us had seen, and I presented “Talk To Me” as the contender, and he was sporting enough to say ‘sure’! So we sat down to watch, and yeah! It was pretty freaky! Mia is a teenager who is still grieving her mother, who overdosed on pills not so long ago. When she hears about a strange party trick involving an embalmed hand and possession which has become viral in their school social media circles, she convinces her best friend to go to a party with her to see it in action. Mia tries it out, and is completely elated by the rush of a supposed spirit entering her body. But then strange things start happening. And she thinks that perhaps she is able to talk to her mother. But when something goes horribly wrong, it becomes less and less clear that she is seeing what she thinks she’s seeing. It’s intense and has some really gnarly moments!

Podcast: “Dateline Presents: Murder In Apt. 12”

When I took my solo trip to Duluth at the beginning of the month, I pretty easily ran through my usual podcasts during my travels. So by the time I was going to be driving home and had two and a half hours to spare, I needed to listen to SOMETHING. So I randomly picked one of Dateline’s special limited series, “Murder in Apt. 12”, figuring it was a case I wasn’t familiar with, and that Keith Morrison is always a gem to listen to. But what I thought was going to be an interesting but run of the mill case was actually far more about police incompetence, the court of public opinion, and how sometimes the legal and justice system are more inclined to double down on falsehoods rather than be embarrassed by the truth and their screw ups. When Nona Dirksmeyer is found dead in her apartment, police focus in on her boyfriend, convinced that he did it. But there was another man who lived in her vicinity, with a history of violence towards women, and filled with lies and deception when questioned about the case. But the police were positive they had their guy, no matter what evidence did come forward as time went on. It’s a very interesting, and disturbing, podcast, and it had me yelling at my radio as I drove home. But also hooting and hollering as Morrison matter of factly calls out one particularly smarmy cop on his bullshit. Man I love Keith Morrison.

TV Show: “The Gilded Age”

I enjoyed “Downton Abbey” when it was at its peak (for the most part; some things were a bit much but I won’t go into it here). I’m not certain why it took me so long to finally check out Julian Fellowes’s new historical drama “The Gilded Age”, but I finally did it this month and was pretty much sucked in right away, much like “Downton”. It follows two wealthy families during the Gilded Age in New York City, one of which is old money from familial wealth passed down, the other new money whose wealth has been obtained through ruthless business, robber baron tactics. While examining class and race divides as well as the social politics of the time, we see people trying to maneuver through a time of great wealth and opulence, as well as great hubris. And the cast is stacked! You have Christine Baranski, Audra MacDonald, Carrie Coon, Michael Cerveris, Taissa Farmiga, and more. SO MANY MORE! I am really enjoying the soapiness and the examination of the time period (I used to work in a historic house that was very much within the Gilded Age in the presented narrative), and the way it explores so many issues that still feel relevant today.