Category: Serena’s Reviews

Serena’s Review: “The Hunting Moon”

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

Book: “The Hunting Moon” by Susan Dennard

Publishing Info: Tor Teen, November 2023

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

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

Book Description: Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that’s killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.

On top of that, following her dad’s convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.

As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.

Previously Reviewed: “The Luminaries”

Review: So, it may surprise some of you that I’m even reviewing this book given how little I enjoyed the first book. But as I have liked books from Dennard in the past, I wanted to give this series another go. Some of my negative reaction to the first book came down to aspects of the plot and the writing that I wasn’t expecting. Namely, the fact that it was a contemporary fantasy story and the style of writing itself. Knowing both of those factors now, I wanted to see what my experience of the second book in this series would be like. And, while it still wasn’t a huge success for me, I did end up liking this one more than the first.

Let’s start with what I did like! While the YA and adult fantasy genre has been having a moment in the sun for the last few years, I think this book stands out from the pack in the heavy focus on magical creatures and various monsters. Usually, you have a book that has one monster/mythical creature (like the “Mothman” books we’ve seen this fall), but not a book like this that includes a number of different supernatural beings. Speaking of supernatural, this aspect of the storytelling definitely reminded me of the TV show, “Supernatural,” and that’s a pretty high compliment as far as I’m concerned!

As for the plot itself, I was able to stay mostly invested, however I wasn’t overly surprised by any of the twists and turns that we saw. In fact, there was one particular “reveal” that I thought was so obvious that surely there was something else going on, that characters did in fact know this thing and simply weren’t really addressing it for a mysterious reason, or something! I even went back and looked at my ebook of the first book to confirm that no, I guess this particularly thing wasn’t revealed and was, indeed, still a “mystery.”

Much of Winnie’s story and the romance were just OK for me, too. Having a better sense of the type of book that I was going to read did help set my expectations more appropriately. But this book did highlight that while I can still enjoy YA books, sometimes greatly so, there are distinct examples where a book is not going to fit for the simple fact that I am well past the target age group. The love story, in particular, felt very young, even for YA. And while many of Winnie’s thoughts and feelings read as true to a teenage girl, they were not the sorts of struggles that I personally find as compelling to read about anymore.

All of that said, if you enjoyed the first book, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this one. On the other hand, if the first book didn’t work for you as well, this one probably isn’t going to be turning that opinion fully around, even if it was stronger in some aspects.

Rating 7: While a bit predictable as far as the plot goes, this book will likely appeal to readers who enjoyed this world and these characters, particularly its emphasis on supernatural beings.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Hunting Moon” can be found on this (who knew there was a list for this?) Goodreads list: Animal Sculls on Cover.

Serena’s Review: “Calamity”

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

Book: “Calamity” by Constance Fay

Publishing Info: Bramble, November 2023

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

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

Book Description: She’s got a ramshackle spaceship, a misfit crew, and a big problem with its sexy newest member…

Temperance Reed, banished from the wealthy and dangerous Fifteen Families, just wants to keep her crew together after their feckless captain ran off with the intern. But she’s drowning in debt and revolutionary new engine technology is about to make her beloved ship obsolete.

Enter Arcadio Escajeda. Second child of the terrifying Escajeda Family, he’s the thorn in Temper’s side as they’re sent off on a scouting mission on the backwater desert planet of Herschel 2. They throw sparks every time they meet but Temper’s suspicions of his ulterior motives only serve to fuel the flames between them.

Despite volcanic eruptions, secret cultists, and deadly galactic fighters, the greatest threat on this mission may be to Temper’s heart.

Review: I was so excited when I heard that Tor was rolling out a new imprint, Bramble, a smaller offshoot that would focus on romantic SFF. And this book is exactly why! While there is a whole subgenre now called “romantasy” due to the popularity of romantic fantasy fiction, there seems to be some strange hold out on the science fiction front. Where are my love stories in space? I mean, I get that “romantascific” doesn’t roll off the tongue in quite the same way, but c’mon! But here we are, a good example of just what we’re all missing out on by forgetting that romance can also happen in space.

Honestly, it’s pretty impressive that this book works at all. It’s trying to do a lot of things all at once, many of which are hard to accomplish well even on their own. We have Temper’s story, that of a captain coming into her own as a leader, but we also have that paired against a romance, something that too often ends up hindering the strength of its female member. Beyond that, the story is introducing us to an entire universe with its own political structures that definitely do play into the plot of the book. And lastly, this is the first book in a series, so the story must do a lot of heavy lifting to properly lay out the various crew members of the ship who are likely to feature in their own stories going forward. It’s like black magic (except that’s the wrong genre, sooo) that it all works, but it does!

So, in that order, let’s start with Temper. I really loved this main character! Seriously, she was checking all of the right boxes for me. She was a strong woman, but we also see her make mistakes, and her journey is one of both learning to trust those around her, but also letting others help her when she is prone to going-it-alone. The development of the romance was paced perfectly, neither falling into any insta-love/lust traps or being too drawn out to feel complete. Just when I was beginning to become concerned that her distrust was going to be played up one too many times, the story would swerve into moments of vulnerability and honesty. I also loved the fact that the natural chemistry between the two was first seen in their instant ability to work together as a team under high pressure situations, rather than on the romance front which came later. There was also all of the required quippiness that we love to see in a romance, but this levity also didn’t cut away from the deeper, more heartfelt moments.

For all that this is a romance, there was also a solid plot to this book with all of the requisite world-building that comes with it. I was honestly surprised by just how into the actual plot of the book I became. There was one action-packed scene after another, plus a lot of comedy gold interspersed within as we saw the team tackle the challenges before them. Which leads me to the last aspect of the book that truly impressed me: the crew themselves.

This book was billed as a read-alike for “Firefly.” Now, that’s a big claim to make and, honestly, one that has been tossed around quite a lot for science fiction new releases, mostly without any basis in reality. But I have to say, this is probably the first time where I truly feel like that comparison is warranted! This truly had the same level of group dynamics and chemistry for which “Firefly” was best known. I understood who all of these characters were individually, but I loved them best when they were interacting with each other. The book was also successful in making me very interested in all of their individual romances that are sure to come. I have a pretty good guess as to who the next couple will be (just checked Goodreads, and I see that it’s been updated since I originally read this book and, indeed, the next book is about this couple!) and I can’t wait to check out their story!

Overall, this was a blast of a book to read! It’s definitely not “hard” science fiction, but I was also surprised to find just how much excellent plotting and world-building went into a book that was being released from a romance imprint. I feel like that sounds like a backhand insult to romance, but, let’s be honest, the love story is the primary bit of romance novels, with the plot coming in sometimes as an after thought. But here, the balance is perfect between love story and, well, actual story. Definitely check this one out if you enjoy science fiction adventures and space opera with an emphasis on romance!

Rating 8: If comparisons to “Firefly” are ever warranted, this is it! A romp of an adventure paired with a swoon-worthy romance, I can’t wait to see what this crew gets up to next time!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Calamity” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Get Your Firefly Space Opera Fix.

Serena’s Review: “The Queen of Days”

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

Book: “The Queen of Days” by Greta Kelly

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: For Balthazar and his family of thieves, stealing a statue during the annual celebration of the god Karanis was just a good bit of fun…or a way to stick it to the governor who murdered his parents. And yeah, the small fortune in reward doesn’t hurt—even if his boss also hired the mysterious Queen of Days to join the crew as “the weapon of last resort…”

Whatever that means.

But Bal doesn’t know the ceremony isn’t simply empty words and dusty tradition; it’s true magic. The kind of magic that rips open a portal for the god himself. Only the idol that Karanis planned on using for a body now lies broken at the Queen of Days’ feet. And half of it is missing.

With the aid of a lovable brawler, a society lady turned bomb maker, a disgraced soldier, and a time-eating demon, Bal must hunt down the missing half of the statue if he has any hope of earning his money, keeping his crew alive…and perhaps even saving all of humanity. But as his journey sends him racing through the city—and across realities—he discovers that doing all this might just doom the city.

The city be damned. It’s time to kill a god.

Review: Heaven knows I’ve had an up and down experience with these multi-POV heist books. And yet I keep coming back! I guess it simply feels like one of those situations where if multi-POV is going to work, a heist book is the place to find it! And I’ve read the good, the bad, and man oh man, the ugly. This one stood out, however, in that it has been marketed as an adult high fantasy novel, rather than the typical YA fare that we’ve usually seen. So, let’s see how it stands up to all the other books like this!

I’ll just lead with the bad news: while this wasn’t the bad or the ugly, it was also just on the edge of good for me. In that, I enjoyed this book overall, but the reading experience was also frustrating at times and left me feeling a bit let down in the end. But let’s get into what did work. First off, the writing was strong, vividly depicting the rich world-building that went into this story. It was easy for me to quickly settle myself in this world and look forward to what was to come. I also appreciated the style choice to use both first person and third person to distinguish between a few of the view points. As I mentioned in my review for “Starling House,” I think this “one simple trick” can do a lot to help elevate a multi-POV book into a more interesting reading experience all around.

That said, I’m not sure that the first person style helped with some of the characters themselves. Bal, the leader of the group, reads as the main character of the book, something that the first person tense further emphasizes. However, he was also the most frustrating character, often making choices that seemed to prioritize his own goals while risking the safety of his crew. Using the first person perspective, the reader has an up close and personal look at some of the inner workings of these decisions, and, frankly, that didn’t help matters as he fixated on his ex-fiancé and other similarly frustrating topics. On the other hand, I did enjoy the other characters more, something that was probably helped by the more omniscient view from the third person perspective. Plus, cool magical powers are always a draw!

This was also one of those rather frustrating reads where I was able to get into the book quite quickly but struggled to maintain my focus over the course of the book. Much of the plot and pacing felt very familiar, and I wasn’t truly surprised by any of the twists and turns the story took. Of course, a book doesn’t need to be surprising to be a success, but something about the reading experience felt familiar in a bland way, for me. That said, if you’re a high fantasy reader who really enjoys multi-POV books, this one may be worth checking out!

Rating 7: While the world-building was compelling, I struggled to maintain my interest in a story that felt very familiar.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Queen of Days” can be found on this Goodreads list: Best books of October, 2023

Serena’s Review: “What the River Knows”

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

Book: “What the River Knows” by Isabel Ibanez

Publishing Info: Wednesday Books, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book:

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

Book Description: Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been largely left behind or forgotten. Inez has everything a girl might want, except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents—who frequently leave her behind.

When she receives word of their tragic deaths, Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian, an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law. Yearning for answers, Inez sails to Cairo, bringing her sketch pads and an ancient golden ring her father sent to her for safekeeping before he died. But upon her arrival, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path where she soon discovers there’s more to her parent’s disappearance than what her guardian led her to believe.

With her guardian’s infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn, Inez must rely on ancient magic to uncover the truth about her parent’s disappearance—or risk becoming a pawn in a larger game that will kill her.

Review: I’ve been highly anticipating this book ever since I saw it floating around as a title that was releasing this fall. While the author’s previous book wasn’t a homerun for me, I did enjoy it and was excited to see what she had in store next. I also liked the sound of this one, with its mixture of fantasy and historical genres. All of that said, luckily for me I didn’t see the fact that it was also being promoted to fans of “The Mummy” (Brendan Fraiser version!) until after I had read it cuz…yeah, that’s probably one of my favorite movies and this book ain’t that!

This book really didn’t work for me, but as always, I want to start with some positives. First off, I think the true strength of this book comes in the form of dialogue. There were some genuinely funny lines that had me chuckling, and I liked our main characters best in these moments. Once they went back to their internal thoughts, I immediately went back to having problems with the story. I’ll also say that for readers who enjoy will-they/won’t they rather angsty romances, this one might be a good fit. But ultimately, I do think the book struggled in many different arenas.

First off, the pacing of the book was odd. It was one of those strange cases where the action almost started off too quickly. In this instance, I was told quite quickly why I should care about Inez and her concerns, but I wasn’t given enough time with the character to actually establish this myself. Instead, the plot starts off right away and Inez’s decisions immediately come across as foolish as best and downright ridiculous at worst. Foolish decisions can work, but the reader needs to care about the character and understand them as a person to be willing to go along with silly choices without damaging the perception of the character. That said, I’m not sure I was ever going to like Inez, as things didn’t improve as the story continued.

Once she met Whit, Inez became even more difficult to sympathize with. It’s a classic “lust at first sight” situation, and her continued interest in what she soon learns is a man in a committed relationship was pretty unappealing. From a basic structure standpoint, much of the “tension” of the story is built around rather ridiculous inner angst, rather than any actual build-up in the romantic interactions between them. We don’t get any real movement on that front until well past the 50% mark. Whit was fine as a leading man, but he also didn’t strike me as standing out from “classic good looking guy,” complete with all of the stereotypical descriptions that come with that type of character.

Beyond the characters, I also was disappointed with the world-building. There was so much potential to this world, and I was immediately intrigued by the concept of magic that was halfway forgotten and the ties to Egypt and the history of archeology at the time. But…it just kind of went nowhere? Especially the magic. There was never any greater explanation about how any of this worked, why it would ever be forgotten if it was as powerful as it seemed to be, and how any of it really worked together.

Lastly, I have to admit that I was immediately put on my guard in the very first chapter when the writing itself seemed to falter over fairly basic concepts. I can point to two points in the first few pages where the writing actively changes tenses between first person past and first person present and this continued throughout the book. This is just sloppy writing, unfortunately. These weren’t changes used to break between perspectives or chapters, but switches made from one sentence to another. It was incredibly distracting and threw me out of the book each time it happened. Other readers may be less bothered by things like this, so if you’re the sort who doesn’t bat an eye, this may not even be noticeable. But as it significantly impacted my experience of this book, I have to mention it.

I won’t be continuing with this series. And, honestly, given the pacing of the romance and the conclusion of this book, even if I had been enjoying it more, I think I would have struggled to want to continue, as I don’t think this ending lands well at all. Given a quick glance of the Goodreads page, I know that my opinion is a minority opinion, so definitely still give this book a go if you’ve been greatly anticipating it. However, if you love “The Mummy,”… temper your expectations.

Rating 5: Struggles all around: an unlikable leading lady, a strained romantic plot line, and some writing missteps that I just couldn’t get past, unfortunately.

Reader’s Advisory:

“What the River Knows” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Archaeology in Fiction and Palm Trees.

Serena’s Review: “The King -Killing Queen”

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Book: “The King-Killing Queen” by Shawn Speakman

Publishing Info: Grim Oak Press, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher!https://amzn.to/46p7y5w

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

Book Description: In this first book of a new trilogy author Anna Smith Spark calls “a dark love letter to high fantasy,” a woman discovers her unknown past carries with it a terrible future.

When Alafair Goode lay wounded during his quest to destroy Mordreadth the Great Darkness, a witch magicked and saved the future High King’s life to fulfill his destiny. Thereafter, all born to his line also cannot die, to be only undone by natural death.

Decades later, Sylvie Raventress is the devoted apprentice to the Master Historian stepbrother of the High King. It is a life of scholarly pursuit and privilege where one day she will take her instructor’s place and write her own histories. But beside Alafair’s deathbed, Sylvie and his scions learn a surprising truth—she is no orphan but is his named heir. Worse, when he dies, the witch’s curse is no more, leaving all of them suddenly mortal and vulnerable.

With her siblings loathing Sylvie’s selection and vying for her throne, she must rely on a Fae guide, a disgraced former First Knight, and a cantankerous light-weaver to restore the fracturing kingdom and become High Queen. And yet the thing none of them know is destiny has its own part to play too.

Review: I always love supporting authors who publish through smaller publishers, so I was excited to jump on the opportunity to read and review this book when I saw that it was coming out this fall. The cover is simply gorgeous, and a title like that is sure to catch the eye! While the book description itself sounded a bit generic as far as high fantasy goes, there’s also nothing wrong with going back to the basics if it’s done well! And other than few quibbles here and there, I think this was a solid fantasy read.

Right away, the overall tone of this book will hit nicely for classic fantasy readers. While the word “trope” gets thrown around a lot with much derision, often things only become tropes because some core part of the concept appeals to large swaths of readers. Such is the case with this book. We have family curses, orphans who are long-lost heirs, historic battles between Fae and humankind, and, of course, a good ole political battle between siblings all vying for a throne. All of these elements, while familiar, fit together neatly, pulling the reader into an almost nostalgic story that gallops from one scene of intrigue and danger to the next. The book is on the shorter side, but tons of plot and action is stuffed within the pages that we have.

What stood out most of all, however, was the main character, Sylvie. Not only was it also a breath of fresh air to be reading a fantasy novel that wasn’t comprised of a million and one POVs, but Sylvie herself was a fantastic leading lady. While some of the plot of the book wasn’t overly surprising, Sylvie often was. We are introduced to a fairly reserved, bookish sort of character who envisions a quiet future for herself. However, her ability to morph into a clear-eyed, and at times ruthless, heir to the throne who takes the responsibilities and sacrifices of that role seriously was incredibly impressive. It didn’t read as a character switch, which was also quite impressive. Somehow both versions of Sylvie fit alongside one another well, all anchored by her strong sense of commitment to those she loves and her role in the world. It seems like a strange thing to say, but I was so pleased that the author didn’t back down from some of the more ruthless moments that Sylvie must take part in. She doesn’t quibble, she doesn’t waver. It was refreshing, to say the least, to read a female character coming into power who doesn’t feel the need to apologize for the same decisions that a male counterpart would make without blinking an eye.

All of that said, towards the middle of the book, there were a few writing choices that began to grate on me a bit. There were a few moments that I was thrown out of the book by the repetition of facts or by the writing falling too closely to the “telling” side of things, rather than the “showing.” A few more edits could have potentially ironed out a few of these issues, but still, overall I found this to be a very enjoyable read. If you’re looking for a classic-feeling high fantasy novel, definitely give this one a go!

Rating 8: A jubilant return to classic high fantasy, Sylvie’s story is one of action, betrayal, and the strength it takes to rise to the challenges set before you.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The King-Killing Queen” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Fantasy Royalty.

Serena’s Review: “All That Consumes Us”

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

Book: “All That Consumes Us” by Erica Waters

Publishing Info: HarperTeen, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: Ninth House meets The Dead and the Dark in this gothic dark academia novel that delves into the human capacity for great love, great art, and great evil.   Magni animi numquam moriuntur. Great minds never die.  

The students in Corbin College’s elite academic society, Magni Viri, have it all—free tuition, inspirational professors, and dream jobs once they graduate. When first-gen college student Tara is offered a chance to enroll, she doesn’t hesitate.?  Except once she’s settled into the gorgeous Victorian dormitory, something strange starts to happen. She’s finally writing, but her stories are dark and twisted. Her dreams feel as if they could bury her alive. An unseen presence seems to stalk her through the halls.  And a chilling secret awaits Tara at the heart of Magni Viri—one that just might turn her nightmares into reality; one that might destroy her before she has a chance to escape. 

All That Consumes Us will pull readers into a hypnotizing, dark reverie that blurs the lines of reality and shows that the addictive nature of ambition—and its inevitable price—always claims its due.  

Review: I’ve really loved this current trend in fantasy towards dark academia. It’s no surprise, but many librarians are just the sort to have fond memories of upper education, so sprinkle in a bit of magic, and you’re really onto something! I also really love this cover, as I think it perfectly conveys the overall tone of this book before you even crack open the book. Unfortunately, the story itself didn’t work for me quite as well as the artwork did.

While I ultimately was left frustrated with this read, let’s start with what I did like. As I was putting together this post, I saw one reviewer compare the overall tone of this book to an episode of “Supernatural.” As a huge “Supernatural” fan, not only do I think this is a massive compliment, I also think it’s fairly spot-on as far as the theme and plot of the book. Like the show, the story builds up a creepy, looming presence that focuses on ghosts, possession, and the main character’s slow realization that she may not be in full control of her own actions. There’s a level of psychological horror that works very well, and the writing was very successful at illustrating the spooky nature of the events going on at the school. I particularly enjoyed the growing sense of paranoia and confusion that builds towards the book’s conclusion.

Unfortunately, the book fell apart with the main character herself. I really tried to like Tara, but things didn’t start off well when she immediately threw off strong “not like other girls” vibes when she meets her roommate and with how she generally presents herself to the reader. And then, throughout the novel, she made decision after decision that I just couldn’t understand. Not only were the decisions themselves incomprehensible, but she would literally flip and flop her mind between one thing and another, sometimes within only a few pages of each other. It made for a frustrating read and left Tara a fairly unlikable character. This could be a case of me simply not being the target audience for a YA character, but I do think teenagers can be written better than this.

I didn’t love this book, but I do think that it will appeal to a lot of YA fantasy readers. The pacing is quick and the writing is solid. If you start out the book and find yourself enjoying Tara, than you’re probably through the woods on what bothered me the most. But if you’re an adult reader who is character focused, this may not be the right read for you.

Rating 7: A lot of atmosphere and a creepy build of tension and paranoia were enjoyable, but I struggled to enjoy the book due to my frustrations with the main character.

Reader’s Advisory:

“All That Consumes Us” can be found on this Goodreads list: Best books of October, 2023

Year of Sanderson: “The Emperor’s Soul”

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 Emperor’s Soul” by Brandon Sanderson

Publishing Info: Tachyon Publications, October 2012

Where Did I Get this Book: from the library!

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

Book Description: Shai is a Forger, a foreigner who can flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic. Condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor’s scepter, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Though her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead.

Probing deeply into his life, she discovers Emperor Ashravan’s truest nature—and the opportunity to exploit it. Her only possible ally is one who is truly loyal to the emperor, but councilor Gaotona must overcome his prejudices to understand that Shai’s forgery is as much artistry as it is deception.

Brimming with magic and political intrigue, this deftly woven fantasy delves into the essence of a living spirit.

Review: Aside from his full length novels (and “full length” includes books that are made up of a page count that would equal several books combined!), Brandon Sanderson has also written a good number of short stories and novellas. I’ve read a few of them but wanted to review one that I hadn’t read before for this series. As there is a second “Elantris” book slated to come out sometime in the next few years, I thought it was a good time to check out this novella that, while not directly connected to that book, takes place in the same world.

I guess it should no longer come as a surprise, but it’s always impressive just how much detail Sanderson can pack into his world-building and magic systems. All the more so in this small book! Further more, while close readers will spot the references to “Elantris,” this book stands fully on its own, meaning that the book can’t rely on previous knowledge and must impart everything that needs to be understood in its slim page count. I was impressed by how well all of this lore worked alongside a fairly compact story that also put in a lot of work in the arc of its main character.

I really enjoyed Shai as a main character. She’s a master thief and forger, relying on a very specific and rare power to pull off her feats. In this story, she is tasked with an impossible mission: to forge the soul of the emperor who teeters on death’s door. Not only was this an interesting exploration of what makes up us as people, but Shai’s story was surprisingly heart-touching as she works to gain the trust and understanding of the man in charge of overseeing her progress. This was a unique relationship, in that it wasn’t a romance, but instead was a sweet exploration of learning to understand those we initially perceive as our enemies, whose beliefs and actions we can’t understand ourselves.

The story also moves at a brisk pace, even if much of the action takes place in a small, confined room. However, as the tension builds, the reader is drawn closer and closer to Shai, attempting to understand just what her plan is. And when it all plays out, it’s a thrilling conclusion, more than making up for the slower action to start with. Overall, this was a very satisfying, short read. It perfectly illustrates many of Sanderson’s strengths as an author while also not requiring a commitment to a massive tome on the reader’s part. For those looking for an introduction to Sanderson’s work, this is a great place to start!

Rating 8: Short but effective, this book is a perfect primer for readers looking to get a small taste of the masterful work Sanderson produces!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Emperor’s Soul” is on this Goodreads list: Original Stories . . . a Breath of Fresh Air and Best Stand-Alone Fantasy Book.

Serena’s Review: “Our Divine Mischief”

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

Book: “Our Divine Mischief” by Hanna C. Howard

Publishing Info: Blink YA, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher

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

Book Description: The Goddess Trial is designed to push young people to their edge and mark their coming of age, but Áila LacInis is ready for whatever it brings. She sets sail from her small fishing village to the island of the goddess Yslet, fully expecting a divine encounter, but what she finds is … nothing at all. The goddess is completely absent, and the only thing on the island is a dirty, mangy dog. Suddenly, everything Áila has ever known and believed is upended and her future becomes shrouded in uncertainty.

Hew already completed the Goddess Trial and received the designation of Unblessed. He is an outcast in the village, until he is tasked with assisting Áila through a series of Ordeals the town elders designed to compensate for her failed Trial. For the first time, he has hope he can make something of his life.

Orail isn’t quite sure who or what she is. She remembers little before Áila’s arrival on the island, and now all she knows is that she’ll never leave Áila’s side. But as she begins to realize and remember, she discovers powers—and an identity—she never could have imagined.

Review: I was definitely interested in this book the first time I saw it. There are a lot of similar sounding books floating around in YA fantasy right now, and this one definitely came across as a breath of fresh air. I was even more intrigued when I cracked my copy open and realized that while, yes, this was a dual POV book between the heroine and hero, there was a third POV from the dog, written in a poetry style. What a creative and intriguing choice! Let’s dive in to the review.

This was one of those interesting reads where I enjoyed quite a lot of it, but I think a few style changes or refocusing in certain plot points really would have elevated it to another level. But let’s start with the unequivocal good things first. I enjoyed the world-building we were given here, with its mix of historical fiction based on Irish folklore and its fantasy elements, that of a Goddess who intercedes in her peoples’ lives and gives them their direction. Both of these elements, the historical and the fantasy, were well-balanced. There were moments that read like a fairytale, with Aila undergoing trials with magical solutions, and others that read more like straight historical fiction, with a focus on the political machinations of a foreign prince.

I also really enjoyed Aila as a main character. Her arch is fairly straight forward, but even as her faith in her Goddess waivers, she discovers new strength within herself to face a world that is much more complex that she originally believed. I also really enjoyed the dog, Orail’s, chapters. The use of poetry was very creative as it gave voice to the changing awareness that Orail goes through as she remembers her past, from the simple thoughts of a puppy to the more complex understanding of a fully realized being.

I also enjoyed Hew’s story, but this also gets into what I think held this book back from its full potential. The love story between Hew and Aila was very sweet, and while Hew did have his own storyline, I feel like his chapters ultimately took away from the development of Orail and Aila’s relationship. It’s clear that the author wanted to write a love letter to the relationship between a beloved pet and its owner, and that does come through. But this is a fairly short book, and ultimately, the balance felt off between the three perspectives. Simply removing Hew’s POV chapters, but keeping him as a character with a love story told through Aila’s perspective, would have allowed Orail and Aila’s own story to become more central, which ultimately is more important to the greater arc of the overall story. As it was, Orail’s love and attachment to Aila develops too quickly to truly hit the way it needs to in the climax of the story. By giving more page time to develop this relationship, and keeping Hew as an important character, albeit one without a POV of his own, I think the book could have reached a more successful balance in its ultimate themes and resolution.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. However, it was one of those rather frustrating reads where it had all the right pieces, but it almost feels like the author wasn’t brave enough to write the story that she really wanted. There is an unfortunate trend in YA fantasy where it’s almost expected that if you have a love story, your book must be dual POV for it to be effective. This is absolutely not the case. And beyond that, here, even if the love story is sweet, the relationship between dog and owner is the more important one. You can sense that the author felt this way too, and yet it wasn’t given the prominent position it deserved. It’s one of those cases where I almost wonder if there was publisher pressure to adjust the story. Either way, I’ll definitely check out other books by this author as she has real skill. And even if this one had potential to be stronger, it’s still an enjoyable read as it is written.

Rating 7: A sweet fantasy novel with a truly lovely look at the relationship between a beloved pet and its owner, though this theme was undercut by an unnecessary POV for the love interest.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Our Divine Mischief” can be found on this Goodreads list: YA Novels of 2023

Serena’s Review: “After the Forest”

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Book: “After the Forest” by Kell Woods

Publishing Info: Tor, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: Ginger. Honey. Cinnamon. Flour.

Twenty years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their mother and stepmother are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin, its people starving in the aftermath of a brutal war.

Greta has a secret, the witch’s grimoire, secreted away and whispering in Greta’s ear for the past two decades, and the recipe inside that makes the best gingerbread you’ve ever tasted. As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat.

But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her mysteriously addictive gingerbread, not to mention the rumors about her childhood misadventures, is a source of gossip and suspicion.

And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta’s magic—magic she is still trying to understand—may be the only thing that can save her. If it doesn’t kill her first.

Review: Like Mothman, there seems to be a certain trend towards Germanic fairytales this fall. This is the second fantasy book I’ve read that has pulled from German fairytales or been set in Germany. While I enjoyed the focus on Russian fantasy over the last few years, this feels like a natural next step and a refreshing shift in focus. This story, less a re-telling of “Hansel and Gretel” and more an imagined sequel to that tale, was definitely high on my TBR list for this fall. Unfortunately, while it started out strong and I had high hopes, it didn’t ultimately live up my expectations.

When I started reading initially there were a few flags about the writing style that were immediately raised. But as I kept pushing forward, I became invested in Greta’s story and was particularly intrigued by the romantic interest. Unfortunately, as the story continued, Greta somehow became a worse lead and said romantic interest disappeared for long periods of time. When those things started happening, my initial skepticism about some of the writing kicked back in, and I ended up generally having a fairly bad time after that. I’ll start with the character stuff, however..

Greta starts out as an independent young woman who is dealing not only with the aftermath of her traumatic experiences while trapped by a witch with her brother as children, but also struggling to keep herself and Hansel afloat as he continues to gamble their livelihoods away. To aide with this, she uses a spellbook she stole from the witch who captured them so many years ago to create irresistible baked goods. As such, she early on discusses how careful and wary she has always been towards the spellbook, knowing its original owner’s penchant for horror. But as the book continues, somehow Greta becomes actively stupider and decides, nah, this book I’ve gone years knowing is probably dangerous and evil is probably actually totally fine. This is only one example, but it reflects a larger trend: Greta’s story is told in a disjointed and unnatural manner. There is no grand reason for her to suddenly become dumber about this other than the fact that the book needs her to. Decision after decisions is made in this way, not only be Greta, but by the other characters around her.

At one point, she becomes obviously hypocritical about a late reveal in the story, blows up at the love interest and stomps off. She then meets another character who literally walks her through the errors of her thinking. Then she WALKS BACK to the love interest and apologizes and the story progresses from there. It’s such an unnatural and unnecessary scene. It’s paint-by-numbers character development where it doesn’t seem like the author has even taken the time to fully cover over the paint numbers in the design, having one character literally handhold the other through development.

Beyond that, the book packs in so many different themes and fantasy elements that it quickly turns into a muddled mess. Are we supposed to be interested in the dangers of the spellbook? Or, now I see we have shape shifters, is that the main focus? How about witchcraft, women, and Greta’s own slowly revealed powers? Or, here’s a very late introduction of an entirely new villain and magical curse that we must solve! It all became a hot mess quite quickly.

And now working my way backwards to the writing. I will say, before some of these character problems happened and the story twisted itself into a knot of different focal points, the pacing was fast and interesting and the writing style was capable of drawing me in. That said, the very first chapter did introduce me to something that would plague much of the rest of the story. There’s an initial confrontation with a bear, and the way the story is written, the scene jumps from thing to thing so suddenly that I legitimately thought we were starting out with a dream sequence; it had that same disjointed, disconnected style with no transitions that I associate with authors trying to reproduce the ever-shifting nature of dreams. But no, I soon discovered this was meant to be a simple enough scene. However, the lack of transitions between scenes and even moments within a scene was very distracting, and this strangeness carried throughout the book. I never had a good understanding of how much time was passing, or when we were jumping to another time and location, or anything like that, because there was no attempt to naturally transition from place to place, either literally or metaphorically.

Overall, I struggled with much of this book. It was honestly surprising, because even with the confusion about the non-dream-sequence beginning, the writing was fast and compelling and I thought I would enjoy it. But then things quickly fell apart and I was left quite disappointed by the entire experience. That said, if you’re a big fan of fairytale re-tellings, there may be aspects of this story that appeal. I do think the romance was compelling, and the writing was fast and relatable. But if you’re looking for a more serious fantasy fairytale, this isn’t it.

Rating 6: What started out with a lot of promise quickly fell apart with errors in execution and character development.

Reader’s Advisory:

“After the Forest” isn’t on any good Goodreads lists, but it should be on Hansel and Gretel Stories

Serena’s Review: “Starling House”

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Book: “Starling House” by Alix E. Harrow

Publishing Info: Tor, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland–and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.

Review: This was a book I was always going to read. The cover is right up my alley, of course. But the description of the story with its references to gothic houses and brooding men was also ticking all of the right boxes. On top of all of that, this is the same author who wrote “The Ten Thousand Doors of January,” a book I absolutely adored. Now, all of that said, I was a bit concerned going in due to the fact that this is a contemporary fantasy novel set in our modern world. For whatever reason, I’m very picky about this subgenre of fantasy. But it’s also just a tall task to write a compelling story that introduces magical elements into a world that in every other way is the same as our own. One or the other often is lacking in believability, either the magic or the description of our current society, leading to a disjointed weave where neither element really works with the other. But, frankly, this book served as a relief and reassurance: there ARE contemporary fantasy novels out there that work for me!

There was so much to love about this book, but I think I have to start with the voice of the main character. Yes, the book is broken up between two POVs, but it is not an even split, with Opal narrating the majority of the book. I won’t go off again on my main rants about the success of failure of multi-POV books, but I will note that Harrow takes advantage of an approach that I think vastly helps in this endeavor, and one that is often overlooked by authors. Opal, the primary narrator, tells her story in first person, while Arthur’s chapters are told from third person. Such a simple solution, but one that makes them easily distinguishable from one another without falling into the common trap of writing two voices that sound nearly identical. Third person storytelling is also the dominant form of storytelling across genres for a reason in that it allows a greater lens of commentary and description of events and scenes. So using this method, we are centered in Opal’s very distinctive voice, but through Arthur’s chapters, we are given a wider view of the greater circumstances.

But let’s get back to Opal. First person is a hard writing style to tackle, and one that I feel few authors truly master, often feeling that many books would be elevated form the mundane to the more exceptional had a simple change of tense been employed. But Harrow proves here how successful first person storytelling can be when done right. Opal’s voice is fierce, unique, and so clearly her own from the very start that the reader will immediately feel as if they know the exact type of person narrating the story before many details are even revealed. What’s more, Opal’s narration is clearly that of a somewhat unreliable narrator, which I think is the only honest way to truly do first person narration. When a character can only evaluate people and events from the perspective of their own world-view, their understanding colored by their own insecurities and past experiences, OF COURSE their narration is unreliable! Such is Opal’s story, an honest, and at time heart breaking, look at the harsh realities of poverty and small town life, but one that is also told from the perspective a young woman who has fought every day to make a life for herself and her brother. Opal isn’t a perfect person, but her story is one of self-acceptance, and learning the true nature of trust and family. It’s bracing at times, but ultimately beautiful.

Arthur’s story also covers some deep themes, such as duty, responsibility, choice, and, similar to Opal, family and grief. Of course, tied between them is a lovely slow-burn romance of the exact variety that I prefer. Firstly, their relationship is secondary to the overall story. And secondly, it develops in a natural manner full of small, every day moments and delayed realizations. Beyond these two, the house itself played a very unexpected role. I definitely went into the book expecting a certain type of haunted house story, and while some of this held true, I was also surprised and very pleased with the nuance brought to the house itself. In many ways, it served as an important third character all on its own.

I also loved the setting and overall story. The pacing was steady and gripping from the very start, never once lulling or letting the reader free from its captivating grip. Pieces to the larger mystery are slowly unspooled, all while greater and greater tension brews in the looming conflict between the house, its caretakers, and those who exist beyond it. Every time I felt like I had a good grasp on exactly where this story was going, it would abruptly swerve into an entirely different lane. The end, especially, took a turn I wasn’t expecting at all, but ended up really enjoying.

Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about this book. It’s stayed with me every since I finished it, and it’s definitely been one of those “ruiner” reads where I’ve struggled picking up my next few books because my mind keeps drifting back to this one. This is the sort of book that I think will appeal to a wide range of readers. It is fantasy, of course, but it also has elements of horror and historical fiction. Beyond this, it delves deeply into themes of power, privilege, and rage, topics that I think will interest many readers. And, of course, any fans of Harrow’s work previously should definitely check this one out.

Rating 10: Haunting in the true sense of the word, this book will stick with you long after you’ve finished the last page.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Starling House” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Hansel and Gretel Stories