Author: thelibraryladiesmn

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.

Year of Sanderson: “The Sunlit Man”

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

“Year of Sanderson” is an on-going, monthly series that will post on the last Friday of each month in which I will cover various Brandon Sanderson-related things. This will largely be comprised of book reviews (some from his back catalog and some from the books being released this year), as well as assorted other topics like reviews of the items in the swag boxes that will be coming out as part of Sanderson’s Kickstarted campaign. Frankly, we’ll just have to see what we get from this series, very much like the Kickstarter itself!

Book: “The Sunlit Man” by Brandon Sanderson

Publishing Info: Dragonsteel Entertainment, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

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

Book Description: Years ago he had comrades in arms and a cause to believe in, but now the man who calls himself Nomad knows only a life on the run. Forced to hop from world to world in the Cosmere whenever the relentless Night Brigade gets too close, Nomad lands on a new planet and is instantly caught up in the struggle between a tyrant and the rebels who want only to escape being turned into mindless slaves—all under the constant threat of a sunrise whose heat will melt the very stones. Unable to understand the language, can he navigate the conflict and gain enough power to leap offworld before his mind or body pay the ultimate price?

Review: Here we are at last, the bittersweet final book of the four new releases from Brandon Sanderon we received this year! I’ll have one more post in this review series, but that will be a post focused on the book boxes I received over the course of the year, so this will be the last official book review of my “Year of Sanderson” series. There have been highs (both “Yumi” and “Tress”) and there have been lows (looking at you “Wizard’s Guide”); where does this last book fall on the spectrum?

As always with these special editions, I want to start off by once again commenting on the high value we’re getting here. These books are simply gorgeous, no two ways about it. Not only does the cover art on the book itself perfectly illustrate the type of sci-fi/Mad Max style book that you’re about to read, but throughout the book, there are so many beautiful spreads. This book is unique to the other three we’ve seen in that it features artwork by many different artists, rather than just a single artist who illustrates the entire project. I think this was an excellent choice; it was lovely to see so many examples of the type of talent that exists out there and the very different approaches that these artists take when depicting the same characters and world. As always, as I was reading, I was always looking forward to the next illustration that I would come across.

Now, this book does stand out from the other three in one very important way. While technically one could read this book without having any prior exposure to Sanderson’s larger catalog, I do think this that would significantly impact the experience of the book. Like the other three, there are references to other stories and worlds peppered throughout this book. But unlike those, this one is very centered around the characters, magic system, and world found in “The Stormlight Archive.” There are so many references, in fact, that I do think it would be a struggle to piece together certain parts of this book without some understanding of that series. Beyond that, this book is infinitely more rewarding to fans who are caught up on the “Stormlight” books. It seems to take place some number of years in the future from where that series has currently left off, so the diligent fan has a plethora of opportunities to try to piece together clues as to what the future has to offer there.

The main character himself, Nomad, is directly connected to that series in a way that will only really hit for fans of the “Stormlight” books. That said, as I was reading this book, I did find myself becoming increasingly frustrated by the delayed reveal of just who Nomad really is. It’s strongly implied early in the book that this is a character that Cosmere fans will recognize, but then the story itself holds off on this reveal for quite some time. For me, instead of increasing the suspense, this central mystery proved to be more of a distraction than a delayed gratification situation. I found myself so busy trying to piece things together who exactly Nomad was that I was often disconnected from the actual story I was reading. Instead, had this reveal come earlier, I could have appreciated these connections to the “Stormlight” books without this mystery eating up my attention span.

When I did focus more on the story at hand, I very much enjoyed it. Sanderson mentions that he was partially inspired by “Mad Max” when writing this book, and that is very evident. Like “Mad Max: Fury Road,” this book has a frenetic energy to it, with the pacing driving forward relentlessly. This does create an exciting reading experience, but I’ll also admit that I had to take more breaks while reading this book than usual simply because the nonstop nature of the story doesn’t give you any breaks itself. As always, though, I’m continually impressed by the sheer creativity of Sanderson’s work. He manages to capture the same energy as “Fury Road” but does so in such a unique manner: the idea of a planet where the entire population must constantly out-run the deadly sunlight.

I very much enjoyed this last book in the secret projects bundle! As a big fan of Sanderson’s work, I enjoyed a book that was very clearly written first and foremost for readers who are all-in on the author’s larger Cosmere series. However, for readers who are less familiar, this book might be more of a struggle.

Rating 8: Relentless and fast-paced, this book will leave you out-of-breath as you try to keep up!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Sunlit Man” is on a bunch of not useful Goodreads lists but it should also be on Best Action/Fantasy Books.

Kate’s Review: “Never Whistle At Night”

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

Book: “Never Whistle At Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology” by Shane Hawk (Ed.) & Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (Ed.)

Publishing Info: Vintage, September 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: A bold, clever, and sublimely sinister collection that dares to ask the question: “Are you ready to be un-settled?” Featuring stories by:

Norris Black • Amber Blaeser-Wardzala • Phoenix Boudreau • Cherie Dimaline • Carson Faust • Kelli Jo Ford • Kate Hart • Shane Hawk • Brandon Hobson • Darcie Little Badger • Conley Lyons • Nick Medina • Tiffany Morris • Tommy Orange • Mona Susan Power • Marcie R. Rendon • Waubgeshig Rice • Rebecca Roanhorse • Andrea L. Rogers • Morgan Talty • D.H. Trujillo • Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. • Richard Van Camp • David Heska Wanbli Weiden • Royce Young Wolf • Mathilda Zeller

Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home.

These wholly original and shiver-inducing tales introduce readers to ghosts, curses, hauntings, monstrous creatures, complex family legacies, desperate deeds, and chilling acts of revenge. Introduced and contextualized by bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones, these stories are a celebration of Indigenous peoples’ survival and imagination, and a glorious reveling in all the things an ill-advised whistle might summon.

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this collection!

Up until quite recently I would always preface my review of short story collections and anthologies with some version of ‘I don’t really like short stories collections, but I wanted to try out _______ because of _____’. But in recent years, I’ve been enjoying a good number of the short story collections and anthologies I’ve picked up, and have therein become far more willing to give them a go. Especially if the collection appeals to me for one reason or another. And it is these reasons that I picked up “Never Whistle At Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology”, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. Not only have I had greater success with short story anthologies, this one also showcases dark fiction, be it horror, thriller, or dark fantasy, by Indigenous authors. I had read works by some of the authors, but a lot of them were new to me, and I was very eager to hop in and see what the experience was going to be like. And it was intense, but overall positive!

As usual with short stories collections, I will talk about my three favorite stories in the anthology, and then review the work as a whole.

“Kushtuka” by Mathilda Zeller: A young Indigenous woman is pressured to go work for a powerful white man for a dinner party, even though he is manipulative and predatory. But as he and his colleagues feast and put her down, a mysterious creature that looks like her stalks her and the house they are all residing in. This one was one of the stories that was the most straight up horror, with a shape shifting Kushtuka being one threat, but another threat being white people who are more than happy to take advantage of Indigenous people, especially women, when they have power over them. And man, the descriptions of the Kushtuka were TERRIFYING. This was the first story in the collection and it really started it off with a bang.

“Navajos Don’t Wear Elk Teeth” by Conley Lyons: A gay man living in a family summer home for the season meets a mysterious neighbor, with whom he starts an affair. Their relationship becomes intense, and the lover starts to behave in more erratic and violent ways, including showing off a tooth collection with some very strange teeth. This one was just a slow burn of creepiness, with our protagonist finding himself in a frog in a pot of boiling water kind of situation and as unsettling or flat our terrifying things happen and escalate. And there is really just something about a weirdo that collects teeth that really gets under my skin. Throw in some themes about queer identity and the ways that colonialism can appear in unexpected ways, and you have some great symbolism to add to the creep factor.

“Sundays” by David Heska Wanbli Weiden: A recent widower who has been carrying the trauma of sexual abuse at a Catholic boarding school decides that he is going to confront his abuser and take his revenge. While ruminating about his past, his marriage, and the horrific things he experienced at the school, he finds himself face to face with his rapist, and has to make a choice. This one was my favorite of the collection, and it was absolutely one of the hardest ones to read due to the visceral nature and the topics of child sexual abuse and the overall horror stories of the Boarding Schools. Weiden is such a powerhouse of gritty and realistic and DARK thriller stories, and this one was not only very suspenseful, it was also very emotional as it takes on the very real awful realities about the Catholic Boarding Schools that abused and destroyed so many Indigenous families and children. It’s SO upsetting and it’s content warnings all around, but it’s just astounding.

When looking at the collection as a whole, I really liked the variety not only in the types of genres and sub genres that are represented, but also in the writing styles of all the authors and how it reflects their visions and experiences as Indigenous people in the U.S. and Canada in modern society. Some of them were a bit too intense for me, or triggered me for various reasons and that made it so I had a harder time enjoying them, while others sometimes felt a little uneven. BUT, as a whole? It’s pretty good. It has opened my eyes to a number of authors whom I had never heard of and am going to pursue and read more from. For people who like horror, dark fantasy, and/or thrillers, there will almost certainly be something to enjoy in this collection. And I will always promote and showcase stories by Indigenous authors, especially in genres that have been pretty damn white and European in terms of what gets the focus and what gets promoted. What better time than right now to check this out?

“Never Whistle At Night” is another successful anthology experience for me, and it’s a horror and thriller collection that should be sought after by fans of the genres. It has variety and unique perspectives, and I urge people to check it out!

Rating 8: A whole slew of dark tales from so many talented authors, “Never Whistle At Night” is a must read not only for the variety, but the Indigenous voices it showcases.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Never Whistle At Night” is included on the Goodreads list “All Indigenous Peoples 4”.

Serena’s Review: “The Hurricane Wars”

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

Book: “The Hurricane Wars” by Thea Guanzon

Publishing Info: HarperVoyager, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from ALAAC 2023

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

Book Description: All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, Talasyn has found her family among the soldiers who fight for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire’s shadows.

Prince Alaric, the emperor’s only son and heir, has been forged into a weapon by his father. Tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire’s rule with the strength of his armies and mighty Shadow magic, Alaric has never been bested. That is until he sees Talasyn burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. In a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen.

Talasyn and Alaric both know this war can only end with them. But a greater threat is coming, and the strange new magic they can create together could be the only way to overcome it. Thrust into an uneasy alliance, they will confront the secrets at the heart of the war and find, in each other, a searing passion–one that could save their world…or destroy it.

An exquisite fantasy brimming with unforgettable characters, sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, and richly drawn worlds, The Hurricane Wars marks the breathtaking debut of an extraordinary new writer.

Review: This is another highly anticipated read for the fall. How do I know? Well, let’s just say that the booth at ALA that had these ARCs was…um…

At the time, I didn’t know why, but I have since discovered that this book was developed from a very popular fanfiction story. And, the world being what it is, of course that fanfiction was Reylo. We’ll get into that more a bit later. All of this being the case, I was a bit apprehensive when I started the book. Me and hyped books don’t have a great track record, and believe it or not, I don’t always love being the downer who rains on fan parades. But the clouds have parted, miracles happen, and I, in fact, enjoyed this one quite a bit!

Overall, I think this book has a lot to recommend it. At the same time, I’m not above admitting that I think this might also be a case of “right book, right mood” for me, as there are definitely aspects of this story that I think, in other books, I’d be focusing on more critically.

It’s always a tough job to re-interpret a previously existing story, but I think this one gives a good template for how it’s done. I haven’t read the original story, and while I can easily see where changes were made, I can also fairly confidently say that if I had read this book blind, I wouldn’t have questioned anything I was reading. The world-building felt complete. The magic system felt fully fleshed out and worked on the strength of its own concept, no “Force” references needed. I also thought the conflict and building romantic tension between the two main characters built in a natural way, not relying on any previously established buy-in of these two as Rey and Kylo cutouts.

The story is split between their POVS, but we spend much more of our time in Talasyn’s head, making her feel like the primary character with only brief glimpses of Alaric. As someone who struggles with dual POV, I appreciated this uneven approach to page time, as it better allowed me to understand Talasyn’s own story and arc. If the next book switches to a bigger focus on Alaraic, that would be a nice balance, too. As it is, Talasyn’s journey in this story is very much centered around loyalty, trust, and the tensions between the family you’re born to and the family you choose. All of this felt very well-established and really centered Talasyn’s conflicts throughout the story, beyond just her relationship with Alarcic. This is one example of how I think this book succeeded for me where other very hyped books have not.

Readers of fan fiction may recognize some of the stylizations of the writing in this book, especially in the way that the romance is built up and ebbs and flows throughout. But I think that the solid world-building and the centering of Talasyn’s history as a solider and her drive to protect those she claims as her own elevates the story beyond some of the limitations often found in books that get too bogged down in the central romantic conflict. Instead, because I felt invested in the larger story, it was easier for me to also become invested in the romance, which had its fair share of drama and angst, something that is usually an immediate turn off for me. But, like the best fan fiction, I was fully in it, fully caught up in the whirl wind of these two.

Beyond that, I appreciated how dark the author allowed this book to be. Both Alaric and Talasyn are soldiers. They have killed people and witnessed horrors. Even more importantly, the book doesn’t fail to take a hard look at Alaric’s role in the destructive force that is his country, a tyrannical institution that has razed everything before it, all in the name of “the greater good.” I especially appreciated the fact that much of this goes unresolved by the end of this book. These are big topics and for Talasyn to somehow get over it, or even for Alaric to open his eyes to the reality around him, all in the first book would have done some severe damage to the believability of the tale. Instead, the story commits’ to the ongoing saga that it is, with this book very much reading as just the jumping off platform for the larger conflict, both world-wide and between these two.

So, where does that leave us? Well, I’m currently debating whether I can resist spoiling myself by reading the original fanfiction or trying to hold out for the second book. So far, so good, but we’ll see how it goes as the months pass. Readers of the original story I’m sure will enjoy this, as well as fantasy lovers who enjoy dramatic, slow-burn romances. However, I can admit that, objectively, this does lean in to the angst and miscommunication as far as the love story goes, so if those are pet peeves of yours, you might need to beware. For me, I guess the rest of it worked so well that, for once, I didn’t mind and simply enjoyed the ride!

Rating 8: Electrifying, with sparks flying not only on the battle field but also within a swoon-worthy enemies-to-lovers romance!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Hurricane Wars ” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2023 and Published fan fiction

Kate’s Review: “VenCo”

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

Book: “VenCo” by Cherie Dimaline

Publishing Info: William Morrow, February 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

Book Description: Lucky St. James, a Métis millennial living with her cantankerous but loving grandmother Stella, is barely hanging on when she discovers she will be evicted from their tiny Toronto apartment. Then, one night, something strange and irresistible calls out to Lucky. Burrowing through a wall, she finds a silver spoon etched with a crooked-nosed witch and the word SALEM, humming with otherworldly energy.

Hundreds of miles away in Salem, Myrna Good has been looking for Lucky. Myrna works for VenCo, a front company fueled by vast resources of dark money.

Lucky is familiar with the magic of her indigenous ancestors, but she has no idea that the spoon links her to VenCo’s network of witches throughout North America. Generations of witches have been waiting for centuries for the seven spoons to come together, igniting a new era, and restoring women to their rightful power.

But as reckoning approaches, a very powerful adversary is stalking their every move. He’s Jay Christos, a roguish and deadly witch-hunter as old as witchcraft itself.

To find the last spoon, Lucky and Stella embark on a rollicking and dangerous road trip to the darkly magical city of New Orleans, where the final showdown will determine whether VenCo will usher in a new beginning…or remain underground forever.

Review: Fall is winding down, with American Thanksgiving later this week and temperatures getting colder and colder here in Minnesota. But I still like clinging to the Autumnal feelings as long as I can, and that means I’m also reading books that just feel like Autumn. That was part of the reason I was drawn to “VenCo” by Cherie Dimaline, a witch story about women drawn together from all parts of North America in hopes of coming to their full strength to help change the world for the better. Witch tales always feel like Fall to me, and I liked the whispers of a feminist edge to this book. Seems like Autumnal reading to me!

I enjoyed the witch lore and world building of this story. Dimaline makes clear rules and mythos about how witches are called, what functions they serve, and how they interact with the world and with each other. I also liked the way that the coven/VenCo itself was structured, with seven witches working below three top witches that are called The Maiden, The Mother, and The Crone (a clear reference to the Neopagan Triple Goddess). I also liked the way that while there have always been witches, there have also always been witch hunters, and I liked the origins of the SALEM spoons that all of the witches in the coven find to serve as totems that bring them all together. While we don’t get to see a lot of overt magical moments outside of scrying, I did like the implications that these women come together and through their companionship they will bring out their powers while also finding the power of themselves, whether it’s a woman leaving an abusive relationship, or a trans girl becoming comfortable in her own identity and truth. What can I say, I like magical stories that place emphasis on women bringing their strength out through companionship with other women.

All that said, I did think that we could have used a bit more exploration into the characters themselves. While all the members of the coven get some back stories, once their back stories are told they are pretty shallow. I also would have killed to have more backstory for The Maiden, The Mother, and The Crone, as there were a LOT of questions about them that I had once the book was finished (there was a particular revelation that happened in the last two pages that I really would have loved to have more details about!). And going back to the note above about the moments of magic, I do wish that we had seen more of that instead of just the promise that once the witches come together as seven they will be able to solve the world’s problems. It was a lot of telling without a lot of showing, and I really wanted more by the time the book was finished.

“VenCo” is an entertaining witchy read. I had higher hopes than what was delivered, but it’s a cozy read for Autumn.

Rating 6: A fun and witchy tale brimming with sisterhood, “VenCo” is an entertaining fantasy, though it could have used a little more exploration of the characters and their depths.

Reader’s Advisory:

“VenCo” is included on the Goodereads lists “Coven Book Club”, and “Scary Mommy Book Club”.

Diving Into Sub-Genres: Historical Thrillers

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

We each have our own preferred genres of choice. Kate loves horrors and thrillers, really anything that will keep her up at night! And Serena enjoys escaping through hidden doors into realms of magic and adventure. We also read mysteries, historical fiction, graphic novels, etc. etc. And that’s not even counting the multitude of sub-genres contained within each greater genre. In this series, one of us will present a list of our favorites from within a given sub-genre of one of our greater preferred genres.

As I was going back through my previous “Diving Into Sub-genres” posts, it occurred to me that I hadn’t yet posted any Thriller lists. And when I tried to unpack that reality, I kind of realized that I felt a bit daunted trying to disentangle the ins and outs of the sub-genres of thrillers because I tend to focus so much on very specific sub-genres without branching out too much. You are far more likely to find me deep into psychological thrillers, but spy thrillers? Legal thrillers? Military thrillers? Religious thrillers? Not so much! But I did realize that I have gone past psychological thrillers and have also really enjoyed historical thrillers. Which isn’t REALLY surprising because I do love historical fiction! Therefore it’s no shock that I love a historical story with thriller elements.

Historical thrillers are pretty straightforward, definition wise. They are thrillers (of any type really) that take place in a historical setting. Usually the time and place is imperative to the plot and the circumstances, and the action within has to exist within that vacuum (though, admittedly, a couple of my choices are going to be a little loosey goosey with that concept). This list is a collection of some that I’ve really enjoyed, as well as what I want to be a varied swath of different time periods and sometimes cultures that serve as a backdrop to the thrillers at hand.

Book: “11/22/63” by Stephen King

Already with the loosey goosey titles, as this Stephen King story is also very much a Sci-Fi tale with the time travel elements. But the overall meat of the story is very much a historical thriller, as a man from the early 21st Century is sent back to the middle of the 20th to try and stop the Kennedy Assassination. Jake Epping is a high school teacher who stumbles upon the opportunity to go back in time to prevent President Kennedy from being assassinated. Starting years before the murder, Jake plants himself as a regular man from the time, trying to keep tabs on Lee Harvey Oswald and trying to find a way to stop the tragedy, and perhaps others as well. But while he is there, he meets soft spoken and kind school teacher Sadie, and falls in love with her, revealing much of his heart… but also putting his original mission in danger. Stephen King creates a highly suspenseful thriller involving secrets, espionage, love, and the hope for a better reality, while examining not only the culture of 1950s and 1960s America, but also how time travel could potentially interact with this world.

Book: “Velvet Was the Night” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

We have sang the praises of Silvia Moreno-Garcia on this blog many times, and we have reviewed nearly all of her works, including “Velvet is the Night”. I put this one on the list because of the way that Moreno-Garcia explores the corruption, dangers, and shades of idealism of 1970s Mexico City. Maite is a receptionist who has romanticized ideas of love thanks to her love of pulp novels. When she finds herself entangled in the case of a missing acquaintance named Leonora, she is suddenly swept up in a world of gangsters, missing activists, and a petty criminal named Elvis who loves rock and roll and is assigned to seek Maite out before she finds out too much about Leonora. Moreno-Garcia once again brings out her talent for complex characters and well conceived settings, with the suspense running high as Maite and Elvis set on a crash course for danger.

Book: “Mademoiselle Revolution” by Zoe Sivak

The French Revolution has always had a certain allure about it, with rolling heads and promises of societal upheaval, ultimately leading to a brutal Empire led by Napoleon Bonaparte. But what I love about Zoe Sivak’s “Mademoiselle Revolution” is that she tells the story from the eyes of a formally upper class Black woman from Haiti who escaped the Haitian revolution only to find herself in the midst of Robespierre’s. Sylvie, the biracial daughter of a white plantation owner, escapes to Paris after most of her family is killed during the Haitian Revolution. Feeling guilty for her complacency in her former home’s racist structures, she is immediately taken with charismatic Robespierre, who speaks of revolution in France. At first Sylvie is swept up in the idealism. But then things start to spiral out of control. I love Sylvie as a character and how she fits into actual historical events and social circles, and I love how Sivak frames it all through the eyes of a Black woman.

Book: “From Hell” by Alan Moore

I know that he’s a bit of a controversial figure in comics and graphic novels, but I really love Alan Moore. I find so many of his works absolutely phenomenal, but one that really stands out for me is “From Hell”, his graphic novel about the Jack the Ripper Whitechapel Murders and the failed investigation that came after (perhaps because of a royal conspiracy). While the investigation is the main plot, Moore takes it to interesting heights by making the focus not on who Jack the Ripper was (his identity in this is clear almost from the start), but on how a culture that is driven by violence, corruption, and misogyny, all to keep a Royal Family scandal under wraps, is just as complicit in the deaths as the murderer himself. I love how dark and enigmatic this book is, and how it gathers so much from years and years of Ripperology (yes that’s a thing) to create a narrative that indicts Victorian England as a whole.

Book: “The Red Palace” by June Hur

Now we switch things up a whole lot, and travel to 17th Century Korea, seeking out a murder mystery involving a palace nurse, an intrepid police inspector, and a potentially violent prince. And to make it all the more interesting, June Hur’s “The Red Palae” is partially inspired by a true story from this time period in Korea (back then known as Joseon). Hyeon is an illegitimate teenage girl, and has few options because of this, so when she has the opportunity to become a palace nurse she takes it. But then her mentor is accused of murdering four women in one night, she has to team up with police inspector Eojin, who is also determined to find the real killer. The problem? Their investigations point towards the crown prince himself as the culprit. This is a setting I haven’t seen as much in historical thrillers, and I really love how June Hur captures the time and the people to create a riveting story of political intrigue and danger.

Book: “The Lost Apothecary” by Sarah Penner

And we have our other loosey goosey title with Sarah Penner’s “The Lost Apothecary”, as it has dual timelines between the present day and the 18th century in Londan, England. In the present, Caroline is visiting London on what should have been an anniversary trip, but became a solo vacation when she discovered her husband was cheating on her. While exploring the city she stumbles upon a mysterious vial, her interest in researching its origins is piqued. Little does she know at first that it’s connected to a string of murders in the late 1700s, as a woman named Nella had a back alleys apothecary where she would sell herbs, remedies…. as well as poisons to help women be rid of violent men whom they couldn’t escape otherwise. I loved the dual timelines of this story as Caroline searches for answers, and as Nella hopes to stay hidden, and how it draws parallels between life back then and life now.

What are some of your favorite historical thrillers? Let us know in the comments!

Serena’s Review: “Tonight, I Burn”

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

Book: “Tonight, I Burn” by Katharine J. Adams

Publishing Info: Orbit, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: A thorn witch with the power to walk between the realms of Life and Death finds herself at the center of a magical rebellion—and a dangerous romance—that could destroy her coven and her soul in this dark and decadent debut. 

Thorns, Tides, Embers, Storms, and Ores. All five covens are bound in servitude to the tyrant High Warden of Halstett. 

Penny Albright is a daughter of the thorn coven, forced to patrol the veil between the realms of Life and Death. Each night, one thorn witch—and only one—must cross the veil by burning at the stake. Each morning, that witch draws on their magic to return. Failure to follow the rules risks the veil and risks them all.

But one morning, Penny’s favorite sister Ella doesn’t return. And that night, determined to find her, Penny breaks the rules. She burns in secret. And she discovers that all isn’t as it seems in Life or Death. 

Her journey leads her to Malin, a devastating lord with too many secrets; to Alice, a mysterious captive prophet; and to a rebellion brewing in the shadows beneath the city. And as Penny’s world splits, she’ll face a devastating choice. Because it’s not just her sister’s life that hangs in the balance. It’s the fate of all magic. 

All it takes is one witch—and one spark—to set the world ablaze.

Review: I’ve read a number of witch books this fall and mostly enjoyed them all! Of course, it is the time of year for this type of book, but it also seems that there is a current trend in YA and adult fantasy towards these types of stories recently. That being the case, I was excited to check out this book that promised an intricate new world, darker thematic content, plus a swoon-worthy romance! Unfortunately, while I think it might work well for other readers, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I had hoped.

But let’s start with the positives. Right there in the premise the book is setting up a truly dark existence, one in which a witch must be burned at the stake every night to patrol the realm. Yes, they are meant to come back to life the next day, but that does very little to combat the true horror of a death in that manner every night. This was such an interesting concept to begin with. Added on top of that you have the mystery of why one witch fails to return which propels the action of our heroine. It’s an excellent set up and I was quickly pulled into the general concept of the story.

However, as the book progressed, I began to struggle. First with the heroine herself and then with the romances as they were introduced. Fairly quickly, I began to feel frustrated with Penny and some of her decision making. It felt at times that she was simply doing things to prove that she was doing something in the first place, rather than for any true reason. Moments like this left me with the impression of her as a fairly immature character. Again and again she received praise for making decisions that were, on their face, pretty bad.

And then we get into the romance and the love interests. So, I’ll be honest, part of this is on me in that I read the book description and didn’t pick up on the fact that this was a polyamory story. In my defense, I don’t think it’s super obvious in the summary either. But either way, as a reader I often struggle to enjoy polyamory stories. That being the case, I usually avoid them simply so I don’t have a host of middling to negative reviews here on the blog of a subgenre that I know others enjoy but just aren’t for me. Know thyself and all of that.

This book does a good job (back hand compliment time!) in highlighting one of my struggles with this type of romance: it’s hard enough to write a solid, fully-fleshed out love story between two characters in the page count of a single book; thusly, it’s almost impossible to do justice to three characters and two love stories within the same number of pages. And here, like in so many other instances, I simply couldn’t become invested in these romances. Sure, they were each attracted to each other. But beyond that? I never felt like any time was given to why these characters were falling for one another, what true connections bound them together other than the fairly rote parallels between Penny’s powers and the fact that one love interest represents Death and the other Life. Beyond that, I personally just don’t enjoy polyamory romances, so this was probably never going to be a great success for me. But for readers who do enjoy these stories, this might still work, though objectively, in this case, I still think the love stories themselves were fairly watered down to simple attraction and not much else.

Overall, I really enjoyed the world-building and magic of this world, but I struggled with the main character and the romances too much to truly enjoy this book. But if you’re a fan of polyamory stories and want to check out an interesting, fresh take on witches and witch burning, this might be a good book for you!

Rating 6: Not to my taste, but it did offer some interesting fantasy concepts that I’d never come across before!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Tonight, I Burn” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Vampires and Werewolves and Witches…Oh My!

Kate’s Review: “Lore Olympus: Volume 5”

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

Book: “Lore Olympus: Volume 5” by Rachel Smythe

Publishing Info: Inklore, October 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.

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

Book Description: Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love–the Greek tale of Hades and Persephone gets a romantic modern update in the gorgeously illustrated, Eisner Award-winning Lore Olympus, including behind-the-scenes content!

“You want to know about The Bringer of Death.”
 
It is Persephone’s birthday, and she receives the ultimate gift: Hades confesses his desire for her, leading to their first kiss. But that doesn’t necessarily make things easier for the goddess of spring, who is still in over her head in gossip-driven Olympus. Persephone feels intense guilt over the official breakup between Hades and Minthe, she is struggling to find her footing in her fast-paced job, and—worst of all—the shades of her past are slowly coming to light.
 
After an unexpected encounter with Apollo, Persephone flees into the depths of the Underworld. Concerned for her safety and determined to find her, Hades must team up with Artemis, Eros, and Hera, but they’re working against a ticking clock. Zeus knows about the bloody secret in Persephone’s past, and now the furious king of the gods will stop at nothing to bring her to justice.

Review: “Lore Olympus: Volume 5” has actually been out since October, but with my Horrorapalooza theme for that month leading up to Halloween it meant that I had to delay reviewing Rachel Smythe’s newest volume of the reimagined Greek Mytho until long after it had come out. Which was difficult, because given that this is one of my favorite series at the moment (and possibly all time) I am always ready and willing to sing it’s praises as soon as I can. But that doesn’t matter, because here we are and I am fully, fully ready to jump into this next part of the story for Hades, Persephone, and all my favorite (and most loathed) Greek Gods and Goddesses and everything in between.

One of the things I really like about this series is that Smythe is doing a slow burn in terms of getting Hades and Persephone together, but is doing it in a way that feels, I suppose, ‘responsible’ on Hades’s part. There is something of a power imbalance between the two in this series (though obviously not in the same way as the original story, thank goodness), but instead of having Hades and Persephone throw that to the wayside, we do see Hades struggling with that dynamic and trying to hold boundaries. Partially because Persephone has requested that they do in spite of their attraction, and partially because as the story progresses he starts to realize that he doesn’t really KNOW Persephone outside of his perceptions of her as an ideal. But not to worry, there is still a lot of sexual tension, it just feels like it is a bit more on the same level between the two characters. We also see Hades genuinely worry about her even though he knows that she is hiding something on some level, and that first and foremost he wants her safe (especially after she feels a need to try and hide away after another awful encounter with Apollo; him trying to piece together where she could be and looking for her is a great arc for him at this point in time).

There is also finally some payoff for the hints that have been dropping about Persephone as the ‘Bringer of Death’ in this volume, and without spoiling anything, man does it pay off. Persephone has, up until this point, been portrayed as a bit naive and seemingly innocent to the ways of the world, though we have started to realize that she has been a bit stunted because of her mother Demeter’s overprotectiveness and that has very much contributed to this portrayal. Persephone isn’t this way because OBVIOUSLY that’s how Persephone as a goddess should be, but more because she has been isolated and hidden away and that has had an effect on her emotional growth, and when she was in the mortal realm she had started to realized as such. This conflict with her mother, this conflict within herself, and these constraints on her person all combine to create a very huge moment that would surely send ripples through the world of the Gods, and the reveal is both shocking, but also perhaps a little… unreliable, given who provides us with the context. That said, it REALLY gives us some insight not only into Persephone, but also Demeter, and ALSO how the Gods are, in fact, not infallible, even when they are generally kind and gentle, as Persephone is. I loved finally getting some answers about what Persephone (and other Gods and Goddesses) have been hiding, and it explains a lot of her actions up until now.

But what of the other characters? Oh, don’t you worry, there are PLENTY of awesome character moments and character developments in this one. I was especially keen on some of the things that Hera gets to do in this volume, but to be honest Hera is always killing it and I so love that Smythe has given her so many things to do and has given her so much depth. We get some more hints towards her own past traumas and the things she has given up to be Zeus’s queen, and how she could be SO MUCH MORE and how this has beaten her down. But we also get to see her wield these powers in other protective ways that make for very satisfying beats and scenes (God I love Hera in this). But the character who is really getting her layers peeled back in Minthe, who is still reeling over her ugly confrontation with Hades and how she can’t seem to stop sabotaging herself and her happiness. Smythe gives so much grace to Minthe , who definitely has self regulation and impulse control issues as well as a very poor self image. All these things lead to her lashing out over and over. But she does this without letting her off the hook for her nastiness towards others, particularly Hades and Thanatos, and I love how complex she gets to be. She still has a ways to go (get AWAY from Thetis, Minthe, she’s AWFUL!), but you can see glimmers of hope that she’s going to figure it out.

“Lore Olympus: Volume 5” continues a fantastic reimagining of my favorite Greek Myth. Now we just have to wait until May for the next Volume, and I know I already have it on pre-order.

Rating 9: We’re finally getting some insight into Persephone’s secret backstory, and Hera is getting some amazing moments of her own. Throw in some humanizing moments for Minthe and we have another fantastic entry into this Greek Mythology reimagining.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Lore Olympus: Volume 5” is included on the Goodreads list “October 2023 Most Anticipated Romance Releases”.

Previously Reviewed:

Serena’s Review: “Foxglove”

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

Book: “Foxglove” by Adalyn Grace

Publishing Info:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, August 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

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

Book Description: The captivating sequel to the Gothic-infused Belladonna, in which Signa and Death face a supernatural foe determined to tear them apart.

A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He’s hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago…and now he’s determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.

Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate’s past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate’s unexpected games—all with their destinies hanging in the balance.

Dangerous, suspenseful, and seductive, this sequel to Signa and Death’s story is as utterly romantic as it is perfectly deadly.

Review: After loving “Belladonna” when I read it two summers ago, this was one of my most anticipated reads for this year. But as you may have noticed, this was published back in August and here I am only just getting to a review in November. Well, that’s because I have very complicated feelings regarding this book, and even while composing this review, I’m not quite sure how I feel about it all. So, let’s just see where things take us.

One thing I can easily say without qualification is that overall quality of the writing remains excellent in this book. The author has a natural, seamless style to her writing that excels at both painting vivid settings as well as describing deep wells of emotion. My struggles with this book were definitely not down to any lack of ability or talent. Ultimately, I think it’s the structure of the book that failed it. And even saying that, I don’t necessarily have a good solution to the problem, which is probably why I’ve held off on reviewing this one for so long. It’s hard to write a critical review when you can also look at it and understand why all of the choices were made and not have many alternative options to offer for improvement. It’s the rock-meets-hard-place of reviews!

The book is essentially now trying to tell two stories, and that is most notably demonstrated by the fact that the POV is now split between Signa and Blythe. Unfortunately, the needs of either character’s arc individually negatively affected the outcomes of the other character’s story throughout the book. For example, we meet Fate at the very end of the first book. Much of this book is made up of Signa and Death attempting to out-maneuver Fate who, for his own reasons, is out to claim Signa for his own. Thusly, Fate is very much the antagonist of this tale and can be truly despicable at times. Conversely, from Blythe’s perspective we see the fairly obvious set up for book three that is placing these two in a distinctive “enemies-to-lovers” position. So here you have Fate who has been (rightly!) a villain for most of this book also being set up as a romantic interest for the other main character. It’s an uncomfortable and awkward experience when trying to establish how you’re meant to feel about this character.

Further, there’s a great mystery at the heart of this book about Signa’s own identity and Fate’s interest in her. But the very nature of this mystery is at its core one that undercuts much of the progress made in the previous book. “Belladonna” was a perfect exploration of Signa’s identity and abilities, so to have that all regurgitated here was both frustrating and disappointing. Especially when, given the nature of other story decisions, much of the explanation for this mystery felt very obvious right from the start to anyone who was paying attention. I will say, I very much appreciated how the author avoided allowing any of this upheaval to undercut the love story between Signa and Death. There is a very real way that this could have played out differently in a much more angsty, disappointing manner. On the other hand, while what we got from these two was ultimately very good, there also wasn’t very much of it, again because the story was trying to do too much. Death barely showed up on the page at all, it seemed.

The interesting part of this all is that I didn’t dislike Blythe’s chapters. It would be easy to look at this book and think that the solution would be to simply cut out her POV and allow the story more breathing room to finish up Signa’s story. But, as much as I loved Signa in the first book, she was also a fairly passive, frustrating character in this book. There’s another murder mystery (here is the REAL part of the story that could perhaps have been cut somehow) and yet while Signa is constantly saying that she is working on figuring this murder out, Blythe is the one who takes action. Much of this book is Signa reacting to what is going on around her and Blythe, for better or worse, charging in full speed to do something, anything about the madness swirling around her. And, while Fate is made out largely as a villain in this book, the few glimpses we get of him and Blythe outside of this arena were very compelling. For example, they play a game of croquet and I was getting major Anthony/Kate vibes from Fate and Bythe’s competive nature.

Fate angry clapping as a human woman outplays an immortal at croquet

So, where does this mess of a review (and book, honestly) leave us? I’m not sure. The story we get for Signa and Death is necessary to wrap up their own tale. And the introduction to Fate and Blythe is necessary to set-up what I imagine will be solely their story in book three. But these two stories don’t sit well together at all, often actively undercutting the success of the other. I was probably most disappointed with the change in Signa from the spunky, coming-into-her-own woman we had in the last book to the much more passive character we had here, one who is again retreading tired ground about her powers and identity. But I’m also super excited about Blythe’s story going forward, so in that way, the book was definitely a success as I’ll be first in line to get my hands on that one. Ultimately, I think that this book will be a bit disappointing to fans of the first book. That said, I also strongly recommend reading it to those same fans as I’m hopeful that some of the discomfort of this book will pay off in the potential strength of the next.

Rating 7: Weighed down by added characters and lore, “Foxglove” fails to live up to the high that was “Belladonna.” That said, it introduces a lot of strong potential for the third book, and I’ll definitely be checking that one out when it arrives!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Foxglove” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Flower Faces and Death as a Character.

Kate’s Review: “The Professor”

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

Book: “The Professor” by Lauren Nossett

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, November 2023

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

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

Book Description: On a spring afternoon in Athens, Georgia, Ethan Haddock is discovered in his apartment, dead, apparently by his own hand. His fatality immediately garners media not because his death reflects the troubling increase of depression and mental health issues among college students, but because the media has caught the whiff of a scandal. His professor, Dr. Verena Sobek, has been taken in for questioning, and there are rumors his death is the result of a bad romance. A Title IX investigation is opened, the professor is suspended, and social media crusaders and trolls alike are out for blood.

Marlitt Kaplan never investigated love affairs. A former detective turned research assistant, she misses the excitement of her old job, but most of all the friendship of her partner, Teddy. When her mother, a professor at the university and colleague of the accused professor, asks for her help, she finds herself in the impossible position of proving something didn’t happen. Without the credentials to interview suspects or access phone records, she will have to get closer to a victim’s life than ever before. And she quickly finds herself in his apartment, having dinner with his roommates, even sleeping in his bed. But is she too close to see the truth?

In her relentless pursuit to uncover the mystery behind Ethan’s death, Marlitt will be forced to confront the power structures ingrained in the classroom against the backdrop of a historic campus and an institution that sometimes fails its most vulnerable members.

Review: Thank you to Flatiron Books for sending me an eARC of this novel via NetGalley!

Now that we are out of October I’m trying to catch up on my other genres outside of horror. I feel like even outside of Horrorpalooza I’ve been neglecting my thriller tastes, and am actively trying to turn that around. So after “The Intern”, we now turn to another thriller with a professional label in the title: “The Professor” by Lauren Nossett. I do love a juicy scandalous read, and on paper it seemed like this book would deliver on that. Disgraced former detective? An academic scandal? A potential affair? Well all of that sounds pretty sudsy to me! But “The Professor” didn’t really go in that direction. Which was mostly a good thing.

As a thriller, “The Professor” checks a lot of boxes I’ve come to expect and it generally does them pretty well. As our protagonist Marlitt investigates a potential affair in the aftermath of a college student’s suicide, we learn about her disgraced departure as a detective and how she feels a need to prove herself as well as feels a need to do a favor for her mother, who is a colleague of a professor who is under investigation in the aftermath of the student’s death. As she tries to learn more about Verena, the professor who is surrounded by rumors, and tries to learn about Ethan, the student who ended up dead, she treads closer and closer to obsession. Marlitt has a lot of the features of a damaged female protagonist of the genre, but I liked that we don’t dwell on it too much within the narrative, nor did we get a lot of repetitive moments of how she’s damaged and why she’s damaged and OH LOOK HOW DAMAGED SHE IS. Her actions can be reckless, but they speak for themselves and never feel overwrought. I also found myself surprised by a number of reveals within the mystery of what happened to Ethan, be it from Marlitt’s investigation or the perspective chapters we would get from both Ethan and Verena in flashback form. Nossett lays out the clues and knows when to reveal them or piece them together. I will say, however, that sometimes the pace was a little slow and the story could drag, getting bogged down in these different investigations. But that said, things do speed up the closer we get to the big climax.

But the theme that really resonated with me in this book is how we slowly get to see just what was going on with Verena, and how due to who she was and the prejudices that come with that made her the perfect target for gossip and hostility in the wake of her student’s death. Through flashbacks we get to know Verena as a new German professor, and how her heritage of being Turkish and German and as an immigrant to America Other her not only with her students, but also with the public when rumors start to swirl. Marlitt’s investigation is being done at her mother’s behest, and as she learns more and as we learn more about Verena through her own experiences and flashbacks one starts to wonder if the hostility towards her is possibly due to misogyny and xenophobia and the way that academia hasn’t quite reckoned with the ways that it enforces these things. It’s an interesting angle that I don’t always expect from thrillers of this nature, and I found that refreshing.

“The Professor” is a solid thriller that goes outside the box in unexpected ways. It’s a bit slow at times, but I did think that the payoff was ultimately worth it.

Rating 7: Some pretty good reveals, a complicated protagonist, and a look at the toxicity thrown due to rumors and prejudices make for an enjoyable thriller (albeit at times a slow one).

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Professor” is included on the Goodreads list “2023 Dark Academia Releases”.