Category: Serena’s Reviews

Year of Sanderson: “Warbreaker”

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“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: “Warbreaker” by Brandon Sanderson

Publishing Info: Tor, June 2009

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

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

Book Description: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn’t like his job, and the immortal who’s still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago.

Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren’s capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.

By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery, and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker

Review: This is one of the few other standalone fantasy stories that I’ve read by Sanderson (he really hasn’t written many that aren’t parts of larger series). And as I’ve already covered the other, “Elantris,” I knew that I wanted to work this one into this review series. Like that book, it’s been rumored that there will be some sort of sequel to this book eventually, but there are also a few others the author has mentioned wanting to get through before he gets to those. But, being the crazy book-producing machine that he is, readers can feel fairly confident that the sequels will happen eventually.

That being the case, it was fun to go back and re-read this book. I’d only read it once before, but I had a pretty clear memory of what it was about. And most of that comes down to the fact that I absolutely loved this book when I read it the first time, and loved it just as much the second go-around! Honestly, this book checks off so many things in my personal favorites for fantasy stories that it’s not even funny. There are sisters. There is an arranged marriage/forced proximity romance. There’s an interesting magic system. There’s political maneuverings and upheaval. All good stuff, all good stuff.

The story is split between four POV characters, but like the first time I read it, it really felt as if the story lived and died based on the strengths of the two sisters, Vivenna and Suri. I love both of these women so much. They are so different from one another, and the entire book spends a lot of time challenging them on the aspects of their personalities that they thought were strengths and how their true strengths may lie in different arenas altogether. They each start the book with very clear understandings of themselves and the roles that they are expected to play, but by the end, they are both in wildly different positions than they ever would have expected. What’s more, while almost all of the narrative sees these two separated, throughout the course of the story, you feel them each grow to respect the other sister’s own particular strengths. Both of their arcs are very different, but equally fascinating.

As always, Sanderson also has a very unique, complex magic system built into this world he’s created. There are two kingdoms that had at one point been one. There’s an old and new religious system, with the new one made up of living gods who are mortals who die heroically and are then reborn as gods. And throughout it all is woven a system of magic that sees individuals having various levels of Breath, with it all tied to colors. The cover image of this book is not only beautiful in its own right, but perfectly illustrates the magic system at the core of this story.

Sanderson also likes to have mysterious characters who are operating on a different level in his stories. Here we have Lightsong, a god who is questioning everything around him, and the very unknown element, Vasher, who has his own agenda. While I preferred the sisters’ stories over these characters’ chapters, both Lightsong and Vasher added crucial depth to the goings on that make up the larger plot and mystery of this book. And when the reveals do come, there’s a clear bright line running throughout the story laying out clues to the ultimate resolution.

This an excellent, stand-alone fantasy read. It’s definitely satisfying to read as it is, but I’m also very curious to see where a sequel story would go. Probably still a few years wait on that one, but I’ll be at the front of the line to get my copy when it finally does release!

Rating 9: Complete with all of my favorite fantasy themes, “Warbreaker” is further proof that Sanderson doesn’t need an epic series to weave a fully-realized world and magic system.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Warbreaker” is on these Goodreads lists: “High Fantasy” with Female Leads / protoganists and, funnily enough, Arranged Marriages/Marriages Of Convenience.

Serena’s Review: “He Who Drowned the World”

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Book: “He Who Drowned the World” by Shelley Parker-Chan

Publishing Info: Tor Books, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: How much would you give to win the world?

Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor.

But Zhu isn’t the only one with imperial ambitions. Her neighbor in the south, the courtesan Madam Zhang, wants the throne for her husband—and she’s strong enough to wipe Zhu off the map. To stay in the game, Zhu will have to gamble everything on a risky alliance with an old enemy: the talented but unstable eunuch general Ouyang, who has already sacrificed everything for a chance at revenge on his father’s killer, the Great Khan.

Unbeknownst to the southerners, a new contender is even closer to the throne. The scorned scholar Wang Baoxiang has maneuvered his way into the capital, and his lethal court games threaten to bring the empire to its knees. For Baoxiang also desires revenge: to become the most degenerate Great Khan in history—and in so doing, make a mockery of every value his Mongol warrior family loved more than him.

Previously Reviewed: “She Who Rides the Storm”

Review: This was one of my more anticipated reads for the summer, after very much enjoying the first book that came out last year. After the masterful showing that was ‘She Who Rides the Storm,” it was a pretty sure thing that this book would rise to a similar level. However, I wasn’t quite prepared for exactly how dark this book turned out to be.

Again, right from the start, it’s clear how much talent this author has. The characters are all fully fleshed out, flawed individuals whose motives and choices are as frustrating as they are realistic. The stakes are also often incredibly high, making some of these choices all the more tortuous to read about. Throughout it all, the descriptions and style aspects of the writing are solid and clear, sucking the reader in, even as they may wish they could step back a bit.

When researching a bit for this review, I saw that the author had written on Goodreads mentioning that she doesn’t consider this book grimdark. In the same note, she referred to “Game of Thrones” as grimdark, and one gets the sense that she was likely trying to differentiate her book from that one, a series that has been criticized by some for being overly graphic in its depictions of violence. Now, I understand trying to differentiate your own book, but I also don’t think that authors are the true arbitrators of what subgenre their own book falls within. Yes, this is her opinion, and no one can deny her that. But subgenres like grimdark exist for the readers, not the author. They are there to allow readers to have a broad understanding of what sort of book they are picking up. And, by any understanding of the term grimdark, this book is definitely that.

Without exaggeration, about 90% of this book is made up of horror after horror. The hopelessness and terror of these situations is pervasive throughout the book. And the descriptions being as crisp and vivid as they are, the reader will find no respite from looking right at all of these awful things unfolding before them. Honestly, this book checks off markers on the grimdark list in an almost aggressive manner. And this isn’t a negative thing! People do enjoy grimdark, and I can appreciate it as well. “The Poppy Wars” often fell into this category, and I loved the heck out of those books. But to try to deny that this is grimdark is honestly doing a disservice to readers and setting up unwitting readers to be unprepared for the type of story they are going to be reading. Even from the first book, this one is markedly more dark and difficult to read.

All of this to say, that my actual reading experience of this book would probably put it in the 7 range for rating. It was a hard book to get through, and I wasn’t fully in the right space to want to read something that was this dark for almost the entire read. But, I also recognize the overall quality of the book and writing, so I’ve bumped up my rating. Fans of the first book will likely enjoy this one. But, yes, this is, in fact, grimdark fantasy.

Rating 8: Brutal and relentless, the strengths of this book are also the parts that make it such a challenging, but worthwhile, story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“He Who Drowned the World” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Best Historical Fantasy and August 2023 Releases.

Serena’s Review: “Masters of Death”

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Book: “Masters of Death” by Olivie Blake

Publishing Info: Tor, August 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: NetGalley!

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

Book Description: Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on.

Fox D’Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn’t entirely without his uses—seeing as he’s actually the godson of Death.

When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn’t nearly as distinct as they thought.

Review: After really loving “One for My Enemy,” I’m now fully on board for any books by Olive Blake. So I was super excited when I saw that Tor was re-publishing another book from her back catalog. Plus, the concept of a bunch of supernatural beings all hanging out together and trying to outwit death just sounds like a super fun premise for an urban fantasy story! And while I didn’t love this one quite as much as “One for My Enemy,” it was still a great read overall.

First of all, I do think that the summary of this book given above does mislead radars a bit into thinking that this is primarily Viola’s story. And while she is definitely a main character, probably the second biggest one I would say, I think this is largely Fox’s story. His is the emotional stakes that are truly at the heart of the building conflict with regards to Death and the impossible game that he and the other supernatural beings play. And while I was a bit confused due to this misconception, once I understood the direction things were moving, I was fully on board. Fox, simply put, is a fantastic character in his own right. A snarky, damaged man, a human who has lived his entire life in a supernatural world that he only halfway belongs to, Fox’s story is one of deep-formed loves, both romantic and familial, for beings who only halfway understand him.

I also enjoyed the manner in which this story was told, though I do think that this may be a hit-or-miss aspect of the story for different readers. Similarly to “One for My Enemy,” the story is told in a non-linear manner, with chapters jumping forward and backward in time, sometimes centuries backward. However, I really liked the way these were all strung together. There would be a brief mention of some quirk of a character, and then the story would jump back in the next chapter to show a greater insight into that character’s experiences. You definitely have to be willing to go with the flow, allowing the story to move away from the main plotline at any given moment.

I also really liked the supernatural beings we met and the ways that Blake twisted familiar concepts and beings around from what we typically expect to see. Her take on demons, angels, and even Death himself are all very fresh feeling. Similarly, Viola, a vampire, is not the “Dracula”-like character that we are familiar with, but instead draws from other vampiric myths. I really enjoyed all of these supernatural creatures (and there were a lot of them!), especially as Blake tied their stories to very human arcs of love, betrayal, trust and family.

I will say, however, that there were times when I felt like Blake could have benefitted from a bit more of an editorial touch. Look, she has a great talent for snarky banter, and I absolutely devoured much of it. But there were also times where I felt like the actual pacing of the story was bogged down by pages and pages of almost unbroken banter. I get that she has a real talent in this area, and none of the actual dialogue itself was bad; in fact, almost all of it was excellent! But this was definitely a case of too much of a good thing, at points. A bit of trimming would have made the whole thing read more smoothly and, even better, highlighted the true talent for dialogue she has, rather than perhaps over-exposing readers at times.

As I said, I really enjoyed this book! I think it could have benefitted from a bit of editing and, perhaps, a better explanation of how exactly the game that Death plays works. But overall, it was a really fun read, and I blew through it in only two or three sit-downs. If you’re a fan of paranormal or urban fantasies, this is definitely one to check out!

Rating 8: Quirky and fast-paced, Blake draws readers into a paranormal world full of undead creatures who, nonetheless, live lives packed to the brim with love and loss.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Masters of Death” can be found on this Goodreads list: August 2023 Releases

Serena’s Review: “The Water Outlaws”

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Book: “The Water Outlaws” by S. L. Huang

Publishing Info: Tor, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: Lin Chong is an expert arms instructor, training the Emperor’s soldiers in sword and truncheon, battle axe and spear, lance and crossbow. Unlike bolder friends who flirt with challenging the unequal hierarchies and values of Imperial society, she believes in keeping her head down and doing her job.

Until a powerful man with a vendetta rips that carefully-built life away.

Disgraced, tattooed as a criminal, and on the run from an Imperial Marshall who will stop at nothing to see her dead, Lin Chong is recruited by the Bandits of Liangshan. Mountain outlaws on the margins of society, the Liangshan Bandits proclaim a belief in justice—for women, for the downtrodden, for progressive thinkers a corrupt Empire would imprison or destroy. They’re also murderers, thieves, smugglers, and cutthroats.

Apart, they love like demons and fight like tigers. Together, they could bring down an empire.

Review: This was an obvious book request for me! For one thing, the cover is absolutely phenomenal! It’s one of those covers where you buy the book and display it face out on the shelves just to show it off. I was also very intrigued by the book description, what with its talk of rebel women, outlaws fighting for the betterment of those without power of their own. And, to my delight, it followed through on all of its promises!

Now, I know that this book is a reimagination of another classic Chinese story, “Water Margin” and that this is a gender-swapped version of that tale. But not being familiar with the original, I can’t really speak to how this compares to that one. However, I will say that gender swapping stories is not a simple change. One can’t simply write “King Arthur” but Arthur is a woman. No, there is much more to be done to successfully reimagine a story in this way. And while I can’t speak to the original, this book does an excellent job of centering its tale on the unique places in society that the women and other outlaws are struggling against. The limitations placed around them, the definitions foisted upon them. What’s more impressive was how neatly these larger themes were woven within a story that is very action-oriented.

From the very first moment, the book kicks off to a quick start with Lin Chong, an arms instructor, highlighting her fighting prowess in a practice skirmish with a new recruit. I loved the way the action of this fight (and all of the action scenes that followed) was described. It was easy to picture the beautiful, artistic, and yet lethal fighting scenes that were seen in movies like “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and the like. Of course, once Lin Chong joins the bandit group, the action expands to larger scenes with much higher stakes, all of which I found equally thrilling.

I also really liked the overall writing style. Like I said, there’s a lot of action in this story, and it takes a particular skill to write out these scenes in a way that allows readers to fully grasp the scope and scale of what’s happening, all without losing sight of any main characters involved. There was also a sort of “meaty” style to the writing that I’ve come to associate with some of my favorite fantasy fiction. I can’t quite describe what I mean by that, only that I know it when I see it, and it always promises to lead to a great reading experience. What’s more, I was surprised by how funny this book was. Right from the start, I found myself chuckling away at the clever dialogue and smart observations.

The only real issue I had was a bit of disconnect I felt to the characters themselves. Usually, character issues are an instant black mark against a book for me, but this one was so strong in every other area that it wasn’t until halfway through the book that I realized I wasn’t feeling the same sense of connection to the characters that I usually expect to feel with a book I’m enjoying. For some reason, perhaps the fast pace or the “meaty” style of writing, I felt a bit distanced from the characters and their personal stories. Perhaps a bit more could have been done to shine a light on the inner emotions and workings of the characters throughout the story. But that aside from that, an issue that I didn’t even notice until halfway through the story because I was so caught up in the action, I really liked this one.

Rating 8: Full of the fierceness and power that comes from all groups pushed to the side by society, “The Water Outlaws” is a fantasy story sure to delight.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Water Outlaws” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Queer SFF of 2023

Serena’s Review: “Thornhedge”

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

Book: “Thornhedge” by T. Kingfisher

Publishing Info: Tor, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story.

Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?

But nothing with fairies is ever simple.

Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He’s heard there’s a curse here that needs breaking, but it’s a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…

Review: This is a story of great sadness and loss. Tragedy. Disappointment. No, no, not this book which, like all of Kingfisher’s novels that I’ve read so far, perfectly balances sweetness and sadness. No, this is the story of how out of all the authors attending ALA this past June, the one I was most excited to meet was T. Kingfisher. I even brought along my hardback copy of “Nettle and Bone” to get it signed. And then, the day that she was scheduled for a signing, I found out that she had to cancel. Tearing of garments, I tell you! But at least I did manage to get a hardcover copy of “A House with Good Bones.” Anyways, enough about all of that and on to the review!

So, shocking no one, I loved this book! The last two that I’ve read by Kingfisher definitely fell closer to the horror genre than to fantasy (hence why both previous reviews were buddy reads with Kate!). But my love affair with this author started with “Nettle and Bone” which has a definite fairytale vibe to it. So I was super excited when I saw that she was returning to fairytale fantasies with this one. What’s more, it’s a twisted fairytale where the focus is not on the princess sleeping in the tower, but on the “evil fairy” who cast her into that cursed sleep.

I always love it when authors take a well-known story and twist it like this, and Kingfisher is a master at her craft. Not only does she tackle “Sleeping Beauty,” but the story also contains references to changeling folklore and “The Frog Prince.” These stories are all woven together so expertly that, while familiar, the entire story feels fresh and new. What’s more, per the author’s usual, while the story is sweet and heartfelt, there are also moments of true terror and suspense. Honestly, more so than I was expecting! Once you start getting into some of the history that Toadling has lived through and realize the true stakes of the situation…oof!

I also really liked the exploration of love, especially familial love. Toadling’s life obviously took a major turn when she was stolen away as a baby by the Fae. But instead of living a cursed life, she finds a new family in water beings that others would look at and call monsters. I loved the sweet, honest depiction of how these ties form and how they defy any attempts at definitions or limitations. Beyond that, we also get an interesting look into the limits and depths of parental love with regard to the cursed princess. I don’t want to go into many spoilers, but for such a short book, I think Kingfisher really honed in on the darker side of parenting, and the way certain strengths in a parent can, at times, become weaknesses.

Toadling herself is also an incredibly sympathetic and likable character. So much of her life is chosen for her, and yet, at every turn, she’s constantly trying to do her best, even when she is asked to do things that are quite difficult and unfair burdens to be placed on her shoulders. Much of this story is her slowly taking back control of her own choices and what life she wants to lead. There is also an incredibly sweet romance sprinkled throughout.

I loved everything about this book. For such a short story, it really did manage to pull on nearly every emotion. I was laughing, I was crying, I was genuinely horrified by some of the imagery. Fans of Kingfisher will adore this, and if you’re not a fan of her already, boy, do I have a gift for you!

Rating 10: Kingfisher tackles the sometimes trite “beauty is on the inside” concept and puts together a work of art that proves that who we are is what we choose to fight for.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Thornhedge” can be found on this Goodreads list: Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2023.

Serena’s Review: “Bring Me Your Midnight”

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

Book: “Bring Me Your Midnight” by Rachel Griffin

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: Tana Fairchild’s fate has never been in question. Her life has been planned out since the moment she was born: she is to marry the governor’s son, Landon, and secure an unprecedented alliance between the witches of her island home and the mainlanders who see her very existence as a threat.

Tana’s coven has appeased those who fear their power for years by releasing most of their magic into the ocean during the full moon. But when Tana misses the midnight ritual—a fatal mistake—there is no one she can turn to for help…until she meets Wolfe.

Wolfe claims he is from a coven that practices dark magic, making him one of the only people who can help her. But he refuses to let Tana’s power rush into the sea, and instead teaches her his forbidden magic. A magic that makes her feel powerful. Alive.

As the sea grows more violent, her coven loses control of the currents, a danger that could destroy the alliance as well as her island. Tana will have to choose between love and duty, between loyalty to her people and loyalty to her heart. Marrying Landon would secure peace for her coven but losing Wolfe and his wild magic could cost her everything else.

Review: I haven’t read anything by this author yet, but I’m very familiar with the cool, witchy titles and covers of her books. I always eye them in the bookstore with appreciation. But as I don’t always gravitate towards contemporary fantasy, I haven’t actually gotten around to reading either of them. However, reading the description for this one, it sounded a lot like Adrienne Young’s “Spells for Forgetting” which I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, however, this one didn’t reach those same highs.

Before getting into the parts of this book that ultimately left it as a bit of a disappointing read, I do want to focus on a few positive. For one thing, the cover art for this book is beautiful. Like the other books by this author, this one would definitely stand out on bookstore shelves. I also liked the overall concept of the book, with an island made up of witches who must expel their excess magic into the ocean to continue to exist peacefully with those around them. This idea is very interesting, and while the climate change points are not exactly subtle, that doesn’t take away from the overall impact of the set-up.

Unfortunately, as we saw so often in this book, things that should have been interesting would either not be fully explored or would peter out before the reader got to actually experience any conflict. We are told that the ocean currents around the island have become increasingly dangerous. However, other than a second-hand story from Tana’s childhood, we never actually see any dangers on the page. We’re simply told that it is so. Further, when this conflict is ultimately resolved, again, we don’t see anything of it. We are told it happens, and that is the end.

Again and again this sort of thing happened throughout the story. It was very much “telling” the reader how they should feel and what exactly was happening, but there was very little showing. Conflicts would show up throughout the story, but then, often in the same chapter, they were quickly wrapped up. Any attempts by the reader to build on stakes or feel any tension about what is coming next was almost immediately stamped down by a quick resolution.

I also struggled to picture exactly where and when this book took place. There were references to dresses and balls, but then the next moment would refer to a car driving by. It was very unclear what sort of society or world I was meant to be picturing. Is this a modern day story? Some point in the fairly recent past? For a story that is so centered around this unique community and rare, magical island, there was a distinct lack of descriptive prose. Yes, I would have enjoyed some more lyrical descriptions of this quaint town, but I also would have taken a basic description of what exactly I was supposed to be picturing at all.

Beyond this, Tana was a difficult character for me to connect to. She’s meant to be a twenty year old woman, but if I hadn’t been told this, I would very much have pegged her as a fifteen year old. Her voice is very juvenile, and her understanding of her place in the world and her choices was very passive to the point of fairly extreme naivety. At the same time, as her views were challenged, she quickly switched tack, seemingly with very little inner conflict at leaving behind lifetime-held beliefs. I also did not enjoy the romance in this story. It felt very insta-love like, and, again, I failed to connect to the characters or feel real stakes in their relationship.

This book didn’t work for me, which was too bad. I know the author is really popular, however, so if you enjoy more contemporary witchy stories, this may be for you. But if you’re looking for something with much depth, sadly I don’t think this is it.

Rating 6: Unlike the ocean with all of its mysterious depths, this one felt shallow and floundering.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Bring Me Your Midnight” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Flower Faces and YA Releases August 2023.

Serena’s Review: “Brittle”

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

Book: “Brittle” by Beth Overmyer

Publishing Info: Flame Tree Press, August 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: NetGalley, copy from the publisher

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

Book Description: After the murder of her father – which no one but her believes happened – Verve just wants to hold her family together and take on the role of provider. Unfortunately, a cruel fae lord believes she knows the location of an ancient magical weapon and steals her away to Letorheas, realm of the fairies. The fae lord seems to want something from Verve that goes beyond the weapon, something that many doubt she can provide. Verve must find a way to navigate the strangeness of Letorheas and embrace a destiny more intertwined with the fae than she would like to believe.

Review: This was definitely a “cover lust” situation. I just adore everything about this cover, and it was guaranteed that I would read it the moment I saw it. I’m also still always interested in Fae-focused fantasy novels, for my sins. Have I been burned by this particular trope in the past? Yes, I have. But I also can’t quite get “An Enchantment of Ravens” out of my head, which I read many years ago now, but absolutely adored. And, as I discussed recently about authors who improved on a second go-around, I’m always hoping to stumble upon another unexpected hit! Unfortunately, this was not that.

Right off the bat the story started with some very strong ACOTAR vibes. Now, for some, that is an incredible compliment and surely will draw in certain readers right away. For me, however, red flags were going up in every direction. But before I dive into the parts of the book with which I struggled, I do, as always, want to focus on some positives first. As I said, there is definitely an audience out there for this book (however, even this audience I think will feel that they’ve read many similar, better versions of this same story). The writing is also quite approachable and the action starts out right away. This is a fairly short book by fantasy standards, coming in at just over 300 pages. And it’s clear that the author is wasting no time getting to the point.

However, for me, that was where the problems started. I barely felt like I knew, let alone cared, about the main character between the story was immediately barreling into main plot points. What’s more, what I did know about the character had largely come from Verve herself simply informing me of her own traits and how she compared to the other members of her family. Of course, she is the brave, provider type who is too stubborn for her own good. It is this last point that really drew my ire as the book continues.

Per the ACOTAR standard, she is, of course, captured by a Fae lord and caught up in a bunch of Fae drama. In most fantasy novels, this should be the point where things really get good. Here are the opportunities for the heroine to rise to the occasion, to put her oft-declared strengths to the test. But instead, she comes across as foolish, stubborn to the point of stupidity, and petulant in the manner of a toddler. As someone who is currently raising toddlers, in no way do I want to read a novel where the heroine chooses to not listen to good advice and bizarrely ignore blatant realities around her all because she’s “sticking it to the power,” essentially.

Not only did this lead me to actively disliking the main character through much of it (honestly, I was starting to feel sympathy for her captors who were just trying to keep her from self-destructing), but many of her ridiculous decisions were necessary to drive the plot forward. I’ve ranted about this many times, but it’s almost guaranteed for me to low rate a book when I discover a plot that hinges on a character needing to be ridiculous, foolish, or just plain stupid. Yes, there are characters who experience growth through these traits, but even then, the traits themselves shouldn’t be necessary for the plot to move forward, except in the most rare of instances and part of a larger character arc.

I really struggled to like anything about this book, which was really too bad. I do like the overall premise, even if it is fairly familiar. And, again, that cover is a banger. There was also clearly a lot of ideas that were hinted at in this story, a unique religion, a magic system, some world0building. But none of it was fully fleshed out or enough to compensate for the frustrations I felt with regards to the plot and main character. Fans who are very devoted to Fae fantasy may want to check this out, but if you’re wary of the subgenre currently, this one won’t redeem your faith.

Rating 6: Not my cup of tea with a heroine who was annoying at best and actively unlikable much of the time.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Brittle” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Books about Faery.

Serena’s Review: “Forged by Blood”

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Book: “Forged by Blood” by Ehigbor Okosun

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: A brilliant new voice brings a brilliant new novel: debut author Ehigbor Okosun’s first book in an action-packed, poignant duology inspired by Nigerian mythology–full of magic and emotion and set in a highly atmospheric, complex world in which a young woman fights to survive a tyrannical society, having everything stripped away from her, and seeks vengeance for her mother’s murder and the spilled blood of her people.

In the midst of a tyrannical regime and political invasion, Dèmi just wants to survive: to avoid the suspicion of the nonmagical Ajes who occupy her ancestral homeland of Ife; to escape the King’s brutal genocide of her people—the darker skinned, magic wielding Oluso; and to live peacefully with her secretive mother while learning to control the terrifying blood magic that is her birthright.

But when Dèmi’s misplaced trust costs her mother’s life, survival gives way to vengeance. She bides her time until the devious Lord Ekwensi grants her the perfect opportunity—kidnap the Aje prince, Jonas, and bargain with his life to save the remaining Oluso. With the help of her reckless childhood friend Colin, Dèmi succeeds, but discovers that she and Jonas share more than deadly secrets; every moment tangles them further into a forbidden, unmistakable attraction, much to Colin’s—and Dèmi’s—distress.

The kidnapping is now a joint mission: to return to the King, help get Lord Ekwensi on the council, and bolster the voice of the Oluso in a system designed to silence them. But the way is dangerous, Dèmi’s magic is growing yet uncertain, and it’s not clear if she can trust the two men at her side.

Review: I was really excited when I saw this book scheduled for release this summer. I’ve read some great fantasy novels based on various African cultures’ myths, and I was intrigued to see what Nigerian myths and stories had to offer. I also think the cover on this one is really neat. Though it does read as very YA to me, which I find to be a really strange choice for an adult fantasy novel. And, unfortunately, this confusion of reading group is really something that brought this read down for me.

But first, let’s start with the good things. Fantasy novels really live and die by their magic systems and their world-building. I think there were some unique ideas for each offered up in this book. Early on, I was definitely intrigued by the nature of this world and how exactly the magical elements wove throughout the way this society operated. Unfortunately, things began to go off the rails fairly quickly.

While I was interested in the magic elements, as the story went on, I struggled to really put together how all of this was meant to work. Further, some of this explanation and continued world-building would be plopped down right in the middle of action scenes, really halting any momentum that had been building. There were also a lot of new terms and language, and these, too, were simply thrown at readers with very little introduction. Perhaps an index or glossary could have helped ease readers in (something that I think most fantasy novels could benefit from, regardless of where they’re pulling their inspiration). These kinds of challenges with pacing and how to properly introduce your reader to a new world are often found with debut authors, and, when given time to grow their craft, can be greatly improved upon in future books. Such is the hope here.

Also, as I said regarding the cover, there felt like there was some disconnect in whom the target audience is meant to be for this book. The overall tone and style of the writing read as very young to me, and many of the choices with the main character also fell into common YA tropes. For example, the main character repeatedly had to not learn from her mistakes and make obvious errors in judgement to simply move the plot in the direction it was meant to go. There was also a very unfortunate love triangle with basically zero chemistry between any of the members. Honestly, if I hadn’t known that this was marketed as an adult fantasy novel, I would never have guessed that it hadn’t been meant as YA.

And that’s not to say that YA has to have simplistic writing or fall into trope-y traps; I’ve read a number of fantastic ones this year. But I do think that adult readers will have a lower tolerance for some of these things, and that this book would have been better suited for a younger audience. Even there, however, there were a number of weaknesses in the writing (there were times where the writing simply failed to properly describe what and how things were happening) and characterization (I think the interactions between almost all of the characters were fairly simplistic and predictable) that would have prevented this one from being a hit for me.

Rating 6: There were hints of what could have been a good story, but the weaker aspects of the writing really prevented me from enjoying this one.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Forged by Blood” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Africa-Influenced Epic Fantasy.

Serena’s Review: “The Embroidered Book”

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Book: “The Embroidered Book” by Kate Heartfield

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: 1768. Charlotte, daughter of the Habsburg Empress, arrives in Naples to marry a man she has never met. Her sister Antoine is sent to France, and in the mirrored corridors of Versailles they rename her Marie Antoinette.

The sisters are alone, but they are not powerless. When they were only children, they discovered a book of spells – spells that work, with dark and unpredictable consequences.

In a time of vicious court politics, of discovery and dizzying change, they use the book to take control of their lives.

But every spell requires a sacrifice. And as love between the sisters turns to rivalry, they will send Europe spiralling into revolution.

Review: I was really excited to check this one out when the publisher reached out with an ARC. It’s a perfect cross-section of two of my favorite genres, fantasy and historical fiction. On top of that, while, like many, I know a decent amount about Marie Antoinette, I knew next to nothing about her older sister. Honestly, if you’d quizzed me on whether she even had and older sister, there’s a 50/50 chance I’d have gotten it wrong altogether!

This book really fell into two categories for me, when organizing my thoughts for this review: the impact of it as a piece of historical fiction, and the impact as a fantasy novel. Overall, this was a positive reading experience for me, but by and large this came down to my enjoyment of the book as a work of historical fiction. As I said, I came at this book with only the basic understanding of Marie Antoinette during her life as Queen of France, and knew next to nothing about her childhood or the life of her sister. Immediately, it was quite clear that the author had done her due diligence with the research that went into re-creating the lives of these two women. I enjoyed witnessing their childhood, and then, through their separation, the similarities and differences they each faced in their roles as rulers. There was a deep exploration of the limited preparedness that women brought to these roles, by the nature of their cloistered upbringing and education, as well as the strict boundaries of their power. Yes, in name, they are rulers of countries. In reality, their roles as women are equally defined and bound by the men in their lives as the “common” women.

As characters, I thought they were each well-drawn and compelling, both coming across at times as sympathetic and at others as incredibly foolish and short-sited. However, due to the historical boundaries placed on the story, their relationship as sisters was hindered by the fact that they are separated fairly early in their lives and then spend the next several decades only communicating via letters and through magical means. I understand why this had to be the case, but it did make the relationship between the two feel fairly watered down.

Lastly, the fantasy elements. There were a lot of unique magical elements introduced early in the book, as well as the brewing conflict that plays out throughout the story about who all should have access to magic. There were some interesting developments here, but in the end, I do feel like this was the weakest aspect of the book. Not only did the climax of this particular arc fail to land with any weight, but, in the end, the story concludes exactly as history has seen in, as if magic was never even a factor. I understand not wanting to re-write history, but you’re also introducing literal magic to this world, so it’s not as if this is ever a “realistic” presentation of the story. Indeed, it felt as if you could lift the fantasy elements out of this story whole cloth and really not feel the change. And that’s not really a criticism, as I think the strength of the story as a piece of historical fiction alone would have been enough to make it a worth-while read. In the end, that’s who I would most recommend this book to, those who enjoy historical fiction and who won’t mind the sprinkled fantasy elements that are included.

Rating 8: Perhaps not making the best use of its fantasy elements, this book is still an intriguing piece of historical fiction that explores the lives and limits of two sisters.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Embroidered Book” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Historical Fantasy Genre Books.

Serena’s Review: “Cassiel’s Servant”

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

Book: “Cassiel’s Servant” by Jacqueline Carey

Publishing Info: Tor, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: The lush epic fantasy that inspired a generation with a single “Love As Thou Wilt.”

Returning to the realm of Terre d’Ange which captured an entire generation of fantasy readers, New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Carey brings us a hero’s journey for a new era.

In Kushiel’s Dart , a daring young courtesan uncovered a plot to destroy her beloved homeland. But hers is only half the tale. Now see the other half of the heart that lived it.

Cassiel’s Servant is a retelling of cult favorite Kushiel’s Dar t from the point of view of Joscelin, Cassiline warrior-priest and protector of Phèdre nó Delaunay. He’s sworn to celibacy and the blade as surely as she’s pledged to pleasure, but the gods they serve have bound them together. When both are betrayed, they must rely on each other to survive.

From his earliest training to captivity amongst their enemies, his journey with Phèdre to avert the conquest of Terre D’Ange shatters body and mind… and brings him an impossible love that he will do anything to keep.

Even if it means breaking all vows and losing his soul.

Review: Words cannot describe how excited I was when I first saw that this book was coming out. I absolutely adored Jacqueline Carey’s “Kushiel’s Dart” trilogy when I first read it (one of my earlier memories of very adult fantasy that I read outside of the classics like Tolkien). I went on to re-read the original trilogy several times and read all of the other books that are set in this world. So, yes, I’m a fan. And, if nothing else, this is definitely a book for the fans!

While I do have some questions about what place this book really holds in the general readership, overall, I think it stands on its own feet as a stellar work of fiction. There’s simply no understating the mastery of language and philosophy that Carey is able to weave throughout her works. This latter point, especially, stood out as an important aspect of this work. As a re-telling, a lot of the second half of the book is a re-tread of the plot from the first book in the original trilogy. But woven throughout the entire book is the ongoing arc of Joscelin’s understanding of the order that he has devoted himself to and how that fits into the greater world that he is exposed to throughout this story. From the original, Joscelin very much came across as one of those “still waters run deep” type of characters, so he is an ideal character for a work like this that can really dive into what was going on within him throughout these events.

I will say, as far as the actual plotting and story goes, I did enjoy the first half of this book more than the second. I loved getting to see a bit of Joscelin’s childhood with his family (making his later interactions with them that we saw in the original work hit that much stronger when we come across those plot points again here), but I really enjoyed the portion that was dedicated to his training as a servant of Cassiel. In the original, it was easy to dismiss his upbringing in this group as slightly naïve, rigid, and lacking in the flexibility of thought necessary to exist within “modern” society. So I found it incredibly refreshing to see the positive impacts and positive relationships that Joscelin formed in his early years. Of course, this made the heart-rending nature of his choices later in the book, again, hit that much harder.

However, I will say that meeting Phedre (something every fan I’m sure goes into this book greatly anticipating) and picking up with the plot from “Kushiel’s Dart” is where I did start to question the role of this book. There’s simply no denying that even when reduced to the non-POV character, Phedre is still the driver of all of the action in this story, with Joscelin reduced to a very passive character. And, of course, there’s really no way around this, as that’s the nature of the original story. But it does position this one awkwardly as its own work of fiction. While the world is introduced in a manner that is approachable to new readers, I’m not sure the story itself, especially this second half, would hold up as well. Instead, the joy is largely found for fans of the series who are already “bought in” to this story and have the background knowledge of the original to add context and intrigue to a plot that, for Joscelin himself, becomes quite passive and reactive.

Overall, I think this is the sort of book that will give a huge pay off to the original fans of this world and this series. Those of us who would do almost anything to simply get more, more, more. As a huge fan of this couple, I was more than happy to retread a familiar story if only to get the glimpses into Joscel’s head regarding when and how he fell in love and experienced this relationship. However, I don’t think it stands as well on its own. Readers should really check out the original trilogy before reading this one to truly appreciate these characters and story.

Rating 8: For fans of the original trilogy, this is a must! For new readers, the original story still needs to come first.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Cassiel’s Servant” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Medieval Fantasy Books.