Serena’s Review: “The Embroidered Book”

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

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.

Kate’s Review: “What Never Happened”


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

Book: “What Never Happened” by Rachel Howzell Hall

Publishing Info: Thomas & Mercer, August 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher via Spark Point Studio.

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

Book Description: Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, twenty years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to her craft—writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island.

But as Coco learns more about these deaths, she quickly realizes that the circumstances surrounding them are remarkably similar…and not natural. Then Coco receives a sinister threat in the mail: her own obituary.

As Coco begins to draw connections between a serial killer’s crimes and her own family tragedy, she fears that the secrets on Catalina Island might be too deep to survive. Because whoever is watching her is hell-bent on finally putting her past to rest.

Review: Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and Spark Point Studio for sending me an ARC of this novel!

We are once again in a situation where a new to me author’s new book showed up in my inbox, this time in the form of “What Never Happened” by Rachel Howzell Hall. I am pretty sure that I hadn’t heard of Hall until I read about this book, and the description was enough to catch my eye and reel me in. I mean, the very idea of an obituary writer having to deal with a sinister mystery in her day to day life is just eye grabbing, right? I didn’t really know what to expect, but dove on in, and for the most part was pretty happy with what I found!

As a thriller it has a lot of good to great elements. I liked the character of Coco for the most part, with her return to Catalina Island in the midst of a divorce a good plot device that lends room to explore the many things that have made her a complex and damaged person. I found her to be pretty believable in her caginess, and I found the small town hiding darkness under a veneer of community to be well done. There are a few different mysteries at hand, whether it’s who is sending Coco threatening messages in the mail, to what is happening to a number of elderly women on the island whose deaths are ruled accidents or natural (when they are very potentially NOT), to who killed Coco’s family when she was younger and living on Catalina in the house she has returned to. It’s a lot of balls to juggle, but I did feel like Hall juggles them pretty well and manages to make decent connections as the story goes on. There is also the very real aspect of Coco being one of the few Black people in the community, and the way that her race others her, and in other ways puts a target on her back. Whether it’s microaggressions, general ignorance, or outright hostility, it adds another dimension to the thriller elements at hand.

But here is what worked best for me in this book: Hall uses the COVID 19 pandemic, specifically the early days of complete disarray, confusion, fear, and lockdowns, to create a very unique locked room mystery as Coco is not only on an isolated island that is hiding sinister secrets, but is now potentially going to be cut off because of spreading illness. Now that we are in a less acute phase of this pandemic I’m more able to tackle books and media that uses it as a theme, and what I liked about this is that while it certainly isn’t centered (like in the fun thriller “56 Days”), it makes for a plausible and familiar tension that makes Coco all the more isolated and closed off in a potentially dangerous place, whether it’s because of her history, her investigation, or her race. It also really captured those first weeks of the pandemic, and how disbelief feels like it completely shifted seemingly overnight into ‘oh shit this is really happening’. It’s never heavy handed and doesn’t feel overdone, but it’s present enough that it really gave me the willies because man. THAT was a trip.

I do think, however, that the pacing was a little off. Mostly because I found it sometimes felt a bit draggy in the middle. I’m not sure if it was that there were a lot of working parts that had to be addressed or that some of the investigations and inner thoughts of Coco were a little circular, but I do think that the middle could have been tightened up just a bit. Once we got towards the climax it really picked up, though, and a fair number of the reveals made it feel like it was worth the wait.

“What Never Happened” is a solid thriller with some creative locked room elements and always (sadly) relevant notes about racism, small town facades, and who gets to be seen as a victim by greater society.

Rating 7: An enticing thriller that tackles trauma, small town secrets, and the ever present spectre of racism in America, “What Never Happened” is a claustrophobic read.

Reader’s Advisory:

“What Never Happened” is included on the Goodreads list “Mystery/Thriller/Detective Books Featuring and Written by Black Women: Part 6”.

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.

Kate’s Review: “Delicate Condition”


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

Book: “Delicate Condition” by Danielle Valentine

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Landmark, August 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received and ARC from the publisher.

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

Book Description: Anna Alcott is desperate to be pregnant. But as she tries to balance her increasingly public life with a grueling IVF journey, she starts to suspect that someone is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens. Crucial medicines are lost. Appointments get swapped without her knowledge. And even when she finally manages to get pregnant, not even her husband is willing to believe that someone’s playing a twisted game with her.

When the increasingly cryptic threats drive her out of her Brooklyn brownstone and into hiding in the cold, gray ghost town that is the Hamptons in the depths of winter, Anna is almost at the end of her rope.

Then her doctor tells her she’s had a miscarriage—except Anna’s convinced she’s still pregnant, despite everything the grave-faced men around her claim. Could it be that her mind is playing tricks on her? Or is something more sinister at play? As her symptoms become ever more horrifying and the sense of danger ever more present, Anna can’t help but wonder what exactly she’s carrying inside of her…and why no one will listen when she says something is horribly, painfully wrong.

Review: Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for sending me an ARC of this novel!

Perhaps you have noticed, readers, that we are getting a fair amount of horror books centered around pregnancy and motherhood as of late. Which shouldn’t come as a shock to any well versed and in touch horror reader, given that horror trends tend to like to tap into social anxieties that are going on at the time. And seeing as reproductive rights have been getting struck down and attacked in the United States ever since Roe v Wade fell, it’s just par for the course, anxiety wise. “Delicate Condition” by Danielle Valentine is the newest entry to this sub genre, and it already has a bit of hype going in because it is going to be the inspiration for the new “American Horror Story” season coming out later this year. With all these things swirling around in my mind, I dove into this book, eager to see the directions it went. And I really, really loved it.

“Delicate Condition” has gotten a lot of comparisons to “Rosemary’s Baby”, one of the earliest pregnancy horror tales that really captured the mainstream consciousness, but it tweaks and twists it into something far more powerful. There are so many themes that Valentine addresses when it comes to pregnancy, reproduction, motherhood, and misogyny that on paper it would seem like too much to have to juggle. But it is all done so well. We have Anna, an actress in her late thirties whose career has just had a massive windfall right when she is trying to start a family with her husband Dex, and who has been unable to get pregnant thus far and has started IVF treatments. Already we have so much to work with. For one, we have the woman who wants to have a career and is proud of it but now wants to have a family as well, and feels torn between two desires that seem to compete with each other. We also have the frustrations and heartbreak of infertility that has no explanation, and pregnancy loss, and the stresses and trauma around that. We ALSO have the themes of how the medical field can feel somewhat dismissive and callous when it comes to Anna and her infertility (with notes and acknowledgements that it is even worse for BIPOC women and non gender conforming people), and then her actual pregnancy struggles (more on that in a bit), with her doctors being condescending at times and at other times straight up rude or hostile. On top of all of THAT, Anna is also possibly contending with a stalker, and as that starts to ramp up and even seemingly focus on her pregnancy, her fear is written off as stress or paranoia or hormones by most everyone around her. It captures the real life horrors of the way that people treat and view women, be they pregnant or trying to become pregnant or already mothers, and it made my blood boil.

And then there are the more, shall we say, supernatural horrors of Anna’s pregnancy in this story. Early in her pregnancy Anna seems to have a miscarriage, but as time goes on something is still growing inside of her. Her doctors are unwilling to believe that this is anything outside of a hysterical pregnancy at first, but as time goes on she is clearly pregnant, though her symptoms go from run of the mill to extreme nightmare fuel. I loved how Valentine tackled this, as all of the things that Anna experiences, like hair loss, and skin issues, and pain, these are all things that do actually happen to pregnant women, just to the nth degree. And as these things happen, once again they are dismissed as just normal things an she is basically told to take a Tylenol and drink some water. Even as someone is clearly following her. Even as she is having visions of talons trying to cut through her body. It’s exaggerated, but again, boy does it reflect the actual horrors of pregnancy. I was especially sympathetic to all of the ‘just take Tylenol and rest’ bits, given that early in my own pregnancy (which was generally pretty uncomplicated and easy) I had such bad cramping that I called the generic nurses line and was just told to take a Tylenol and drink more water. I ended up fainting from the pain. It all turned out fine, but in that moment being told to just drink more water and take a painkiller that did NOTHING was stressful and confusing. So as I was reading all of these things that are depicted as a body horror tale, knowing FULL WELL that a lot of it is really something that pregnant people deal with, even if it’s to a less degree, I was just super, super impressed.

And finally, there is also the way that Valentine brings together a broader story of other women throughout the centuries who are dealing with a similar thing that Anna is dealing with. We get cut scenes and vignettes of women who are pregnant, or have just given birth, or are trying to become pregnant, who are having the same weird encounters, visions, experiences, and horrors that Anna is encountering. It’s all pretty vague and mysterious, but it is done in a way that when Valentine does eventually weave it all together, it fits so well that I just blew my mind. I’m not going to spoil anything here because I just loved the execution and I loved the ultimate reveal as to what exactly is happening. What I will say is while “Rosemary’s Baby” is an obvious comparison that people will know, there is so much more going on, and not everything is as obvious as it seems.

I really loved “Delicate Condition”. It’s another great pregnancy and motherhood related horror tale that cuts to the bone.

Rating 10: A feminist reimagining of “Rosemary’s Baby” themes with a lot of bones to pick with those who discount the experiences of pregnant people, “Delicate Condition” is a perfect read to reflect the horrors of pregnancy, and the culture that touts it as uncomplicated while ignoring its darkness.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Delicate Condition” is new and isn’t included on any Goodreads lists of of now. But if you liked “Graveyard of Lost Children” or “Rosemary’s Baby” this would probably be a good book for you.

Not Just Books: July 2023

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

Serena’s Picks

Netflix Movie: “Extraction 2”

My husband and I both enjoy action movies and, over the past few years, we have fairly diligently made out way through the Netflix original action movies that they’ve been releasing. Most of them we’ve enjoyed. Other, like the more recent “Luther” movie…less so. But Chris Hemsworth always promises a good time, and we enjoyed the first “Extraction” quite a bit and it was a no brainer to check this one out. And I think I might have liked this one even more than the first! It even had a last minute reveal that was a bunch of fun for fans of these Netflix movies.

Apple TV Show: “Ted Lasso”

Per the usual, I’m several years behind the major trends in popular TV. But also per the usual, I will justify this choice by saying that it allows me to binge entire series of shows and be caught up right around when the last season is finishing up. Such was the case with “Succession,” and so we have here, too. I can definitely understand why this very optimistic, very hopeful show was so popular when it first came out. And I think it’s a lovely exception to the general rule we’ve seen lately in TVs and movies where stories have to be aggressively grim and depressing all in the name of supposed “realism.” It’s nice to watch a show about good people just being good to one another.

TV Show: “Alone”

It’s summer, so it’s time for another season of “Alone!” This and “The Great British Baking Show” have quickly become my all-time favorite reality TV shows. Yes, I can still enjoy of season of “Survivor” or “The Amazing Race,” but it really comes down to the cast, and if it’s a miss there, well. But so far, “Alone” has yet to let me down! It’s always interesting to see what choices the various survivalists will make, and it’s fun to couch coach. “No! Never make a log cabin!” “What are you doing fishing without a net??” “What? You really think you’re going to survive off deadfalls for mice?!” So easy to judge, so hard to actually do. The best kind of reality TV!

Kate’s Picks

Video Game: “Stardew Valley”

This isn’t the first time I’ve highlighted “Stardew Valley”, the gentle and calming open world farm simulator game. I initially started playing it a few years ago on my computer, but it tapered off like many games do. But a combination of things got me back into it. For starters, one of our book club friends had just gotten into it on her new Switch, and I was feeling nostalgic. And also, ALA took a lot of emotional energy out of me and I needed a low stakes burnout outlet. So back into it, now on the Switch, I went! I still love this game where you can grow crops, raise animals, make artisan goods, and build relationships with the townspeople, and having played it before I was able to strategize a bit more going in so that I was pretty well set up for a successful farm earlier, which meant I could focus on schmoozing with the townspeople and rebuilding the community a bit more instead of worrying if my crops were going to sustain me. And I’m romancing the same character because I just can’t quit you, Sebastian!

Film: “Barbie”

While my Terror Tuesday friends opted to go for the full “OppenBarbie” double feature, I myself decided to opt out of their afternoon screening of “Oppenheimer” and join them for drinks before seeing an evening screening of “Barbie”. As someone who played with her Barbies far longer than most children do, I knew that I really wanted to see this movie. And oh man did it NOT disappoint. I loved the way that Greta Gerwig captured the pastel and feminine but aspirational aesthetic of Barbie, while also doing a pretty solid critique of misogyny, capitalism, and how the can do spirit of Barbie showing girls that they can be anything is a good start but also a bit naive in a sexist society filled with oppressive power structures. Margot Robbie brought a lot of cuteness and pathos to Barbie, Ryan Gosling was a HILARIOUS Ken, and I actually found myself weeping deeply a lot more than I anticipated? Highly enjoyable!

Netflix Show: “Glamorous”

If you are looking for a feel good, witty, queer centered and joyful series to sink into, look no further than “Glamorous”! It’s a little “Ugly Betty” and a little “Devil Wears Prada”, but it definitely stands on its own as a kind of soapy but really delightful story. It follows Marco, a gender nonconforming wannabe influencer who is a bit aimless in pursuit of fashion and make up fame. When the legendary model turned make-up mogul Madolyn Addison ends up at Marco’s mall fashion counter and offers him a job as a second assistant, Marco accepts and is thrown into the corporate make up and glamor world, and finds a cutthroat work place that puts him to the test. It’s always fun seeing Kim Cattrall and she’s a delightful Madolyn, but it’s Miss Benny as Marco who really shines in the lead role. It’s also always great to see so many queer characters and actors in a mainstream show, and a show that has lots of queer joy. What a perfect summer watch!

Year of Sanderson: “The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England”

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 Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England” by Brandon Sanderson

Publishing Info: Dragonsteel Entertainment, April 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

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

Book Description: A man awakes in a clearing in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Chased by a group from his own time, his sole hope for survival lies in regaining his missing memories, making allies among the locals, and perhaps even trusting in their superstitious boasts. His only help from the “real world” should have been a guidebook entitled The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, except his copy exploded during transit. The few fragments he managed to save provide clues to his situation, but can he figure them out in time to survive?

Review: Due to the delayed nature of the first of Sanderson’s four books of the year, here we are with back to back reviews of the first two books he’s releasing. This one was previewed as being a stand-alone fantasy novel that is the only one of the four that doesn’t take place within Sanderson’s larger Cosmere universe. Judging by the title, it was also fairly easy to guess that the tone of this one was going to lean heavily on Terry Prachett style humor. As I’ve had a bit of a hit and miss relationship with Sanderson’s attempts at straight comedy, I was definitely curious to see where this one would land!

Without preamble, the humor in this one wasn’t really for me. But we’ll get to that in a bit. First, let’s focus on what I did like! The story follows a man who wakes up in medieval England and has to slowly piece together not only exactly where he is but who he is. As the story progresses, we see this character slowly begin to confront a past self that is not who he wishes to be any longer. The story works bests when it is exploring these themes of self-discovery, self-loathing, and the drive to change the course of one’s life. There’s also a lot to be found in themes regarding bravery, cowardice, and our understanding of how we fit within the world we inhabit (especially when we don’t fully understand that world itself!)

I also have to discuss the artwork in this book. I really enjoyed the art found in “Tress of the Emerald Sea,” but this one ups the ante even more. Not only do we have a number of full color panels, but every single chapter heading has a unique image, and there are even comic panels sprinkled throughout the story. The production that went into creating this art is simply phenomenal, and there’s no underselling how much these illustrations bring to this particular work. So hats off to Steve Argyle, the illustrator.

While the marketing was spot on in identifying this as a very comedy-focused book, I do think it is misleading to place this within the fantasy genre. In many ways, this really is a science fiction novel, with an emphasis placed on the science of time travel and multi-dimensions, as well as scientific advances in biomedicine. This distinction isn’t make-it-or-break-it, but I do think correctly labeling it as science fiction would better prepare readers for the style of novel they are going to pick up.

Now, I love Brandon Sanderson, and I do think he has comedic skill. However, I also think that sometimes his style of humor can come across as rather juvenile and forced. And that was definitely the case here. Early on, the main character develops a habit of rating the things around him, in the style of Yelp. The first few are funny enough, but it quickly become repetitive and with diminishing returns each time it pops up. Beyond this, while I liked many of the smaller interlude pieces between chapters, here, too, I found some of the attempts at humor just didn’t land for me. As this is a short novel, as compared to Sanderson’s usual door-stoppers, I do think part of the problem was the mismatch in balance between the comedy and the investment in the characters at the heart of the story. Because the story is rather short, I never felt like I was becoming attached to these characters, and without that attachment, I had a lower tolerance for any jokes that fell flat.

Overall, I struggled a bit with this book. I found myself putting it down more than once, and it generally felt like a bit of a trial to get through it. Readers who enjoy Sanderson’s comedic chops, however, will likely feel differently. But if you’re one of the fans who enjoy his more epic and serious work, this might be a miss for you, too.

Rating 7: Probably the lowest I’ve ever rated Sanderson, which is too bad since the artwork was amazing! But there’s no denying the very real struggle that was finishing this book at all for me.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England” is on this Goodreads list: Most Anticipated Adult Fantasy, 2023

Kate’s Review: “Turtle Bread”

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

Book: “Turtle Bread” by Kim-Joy & Alti Firmansyah (Ill.)

Publishing Info: Comixology Originals, May 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.

Where You Can Get This Book: Amazon

Book Description: Yan is looking for a place to belong. She struggles with social anxiety and low self-esteem, making it hard to maintain a job or relationships. When the chance comes along to step out of her comfort zone, Yan joins Baking Club, hoping to share her passion with people who love pastries and cakes as much as she does.

At first, Yan is intimidated by the other members, but as she gets to know them better, she comes to love Baking Club. In fact, Yan realizes that she’s not alone in trying to hide her mental health struggles from her friends. The members of the Club come together to support each other and to bake their way through any problem!

From celebrity baker, cookbook author, mental health advocate, and Great British Baking Show star Kim-Joy, and fan-favorite artist Alti Firmansyah (Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde), TURTLE BREAD is a touching story about community, healing, finding yourself, and–of course–baking!

Review: Unlike Serena, and many people I know and love for that matter, I never got super into “The Great British Bake Off”. I’ve seen a few seasons here and there, and did like what I saw, but haven’t really sought it out. So when I saw a huge advertisement at ALAAC23 for “Turtle Bread”, a new graphic novel by “GBBO” finalist Kim-Joy, it was more the artwork that caught my attention. But once I started looking into it, and learned about Kim-Joy not only as a baker, but also as a mental health advocate, I was even more interested in reading the book. And once I had it on my Kindle, it was a breezy and enjoyable read. Score one for advertising at a library convention!

The plot is fairly straight forward. Yan is a young woman who is living at home with her family, is struggling to find a job, and stumbles upon a random baking club after having another failed interview. She joins up with the members, even though she is very anxious around unfamiliar people and situations, and eventually finds a new passion for herself and starts to find confidence thanks to the support of her friends and her love of baking. I suppose this isn’t too shocking given that it’s written by a “Great British Bake Off” alum, and you know she clearly knows her stuff when it comes to the food that is being discussed and created in the book. I liked the way the group learns and grows from each other, mostly seen through Yan’s eyes, and I really liked the camaraderie and the feel good aspects of this story. It’s simple and charming, and while it doesn’t reinvent any wheels the gentleness of it makes for a very relaxing read.

But the biggest theme in this book is that of Yan’s deep social anxiety and how that affects her relationships with other people, her perception of herself, and her day to day life. I thought that this portrayal of social anxiety and how devastating it can be was pretty spot on, without making it the central focus or feeling like an after school special. Yan slowly opens up to her fellow baking club members, with the gentle encouragement of club head and mom friend Bea. It felt like a pretty realistic depiction of social anxiety and low self esteem, and I liked that it didn’t make it seem like a very clean and cut and dry progression, as Yan doesn’t totally shake the feelings she has and does have moments of stumbles and setbacks. But it’s never done in a way that feels like it’s just milking for more drama or disingenuous. As someone who has some social anxiety of her own, perhaps not to Yan’s degree, it just felt like an honest depiction of how it can affect so much of a person. I also liked the way that the other members of baking club slowly reveal that they too are dealing with personal emotional and mental struggles, and how that doesn’t necessarily define them as human beings who can find joy.

And finally, the art. It’s pretty darn cute. I like the character designs with some clear manga-esque influences, but then the sometimes realistic takes on ingredients to food. And yes, there are indeed recipes in this book, and I really liked how we not only get the instructions on ingredients and how to bake them, but also some really cute visuals that make it all the more easy to understand.

(source: Comixology)

“Turtle Bread” is a very cozy story about baking, friendship, and self discovery and acceptance. I’m happy it caught my eye, and I can’t wait to try out some of the recipes from the book!

Rating 7: A gentle and sweet story about baking, finding one’s passion, and working through social anxiety through supportive community and joyful pursuits.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Turtle Bread” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but I think if you liked “Measuring Up” this could be a good fit!

Serena’s Review: “The Sun and the Void”

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

Book: “The Sun and the Void” by Gabriela Romero Lacruz

Publishing Info: Orbit, July 25

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

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

Book Description: Reina is desperate.

Stuck living on the edges of society, her only salvation lies in an invitation from a grandmother she’s never known. But the journey is dangerous, and prayer can’t always avert disaster.

Attacked by creatures that stalk the region, Reina is on the verge of death until her grandmother, a dark sorceress, intervenes. Now dependent on the Doña’s magic for her life, Reina will do anything to earn—and keep—her favor. Even the bidding of an ancient god who whispers to her at night.

Eva Kesare is unwanted.

Illegitimate and of mixed heritage, Eva is her family’s shame. She tries her best to be perfect and to hide her oddities. But Eva is hiding a secret: magic calls to her.

Eva knows she should fight the temptation. Magic is the sign of the dark god, and using it is punishable by death. Yet, it’s hard to deny power when it has always been denied to you. Eva is walking a dangerous path, one that gets stranger every day. And, in the end, she’ll become something she never imagined.

Review: This was definitely a “cover lust” request for me! I mean, that’s just an awesome cover all around: the vibrancy, the colors, the leopards! I always gravitate towards covers that don’t feature characters (though there are some exceptions) which is kind of funny since my reading preferences are definitely character-centric. I’m a conundrum! Anyways, unfortunately, the book itself didn’t live up to the potential of the cover for this one.

I did like the overall world-building of this book. We do get quite a lot of detail about the various stratifications in the culture, as well as lots of information on the various foods, dialects, and traditions of various people. But even here things quickly began to go off the rails for me. This is a long, long book, over 500 pages, and you feel that right away. While the ideas behind much of the world-building are interesting, the way everything is laid out quickly begins to read as tedious and pace-killing. Yes, I enjoy a meticulously created world. But it is so important that the way that the world is explored and expanded upon is presented in a way that feels natural to the story and doesn’t affect the overall pacing. Here, there were a number of times where the pacing absolutely stalls out as the author takes a jaunt down various world-building lanes. I think a lot of this could have been helped with a stronger, more firm edit of the book as a whole. This would have not only reduced down the world-building to the aspects that are most interesting and necessary, but, ideally, a sure-handed editor could have helped streamline the way some of this information was presented so as to not hamstring the pacing as much as we see here.

I also really struggled to enjoy our two main characters. My complaints really come down to two factors: passivity and a level of naivety that borders on the implausible. Early on in any book, passivity and a naïve nature can be a boon to a character’s arc, something they must recognize and overcover over the course of the story. But here, both of our characters seem to spend the majority of the story bogged down by these two things. Plot points and action are happening to and around them, with each character simply reacting to decisions made by others. Beyond this, the naivety of each quickly becomes less and less understandable. They trust who they should not. They are surprised by reveals that the reader can see a mile away. And they, in general, do not feel like characters who should be helming their own story. Instead, it’s almost as if two background characters in another story suddenly popped up and were helming their own tale, but still don’t really have much to offer for themselves.

I also struggled with the writing itself, though this is clearly a very subjective area. There were moments where I felt like the author was using language that felt anachronistic to the world she had created, words like “troubleshoot,” etc. And while there were some unique descriptions of scenes and objects, I struggled to really connect to any of it. I was simply bored much of the time.

I always have a hard time writing reviews like this where much of my main complaint is that I had a hard time getting through it. There is nothing objectively terrible about it, but the book also didn’t connect for me in any way. I think there was a lot of potential, especially in the world-building and history of this story, but the book was let down by its two lead characters who were difficult to root for as they were so consistently, and obviously, being manipulated by those around them. Readers who are very interested in world-building and who have a higher tolerance for frustrating lead characters may enjoy this one. But I do think there are better books like it out there.

Rating 7: A long book that doesn’t justify its page-length with two lackluster main characters at the helm.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Sun and the Void” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2023 Queer SFF and July 2023 Releases.

Kate’s Review: “A Twisted Love Story”

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

Book: “A Twisted Love Story” by Samantha Downing

Publishing Info: Berkley, July 2023

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

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

Book Description: Wes and Ivy are madly in love. They’ve never felt anything like it. It’s the kind of romance people write stories about. But what kind of story? Because when it’s good, it’s great. Flowers. Grand gestures. Deep meaningful conversations where the whole world disappears. When it’s bad, it’s really bad. Vengeful fights. Damaged property. Arrest warrants.

But their vicious cycle of catastrophic breakups and head-over-heels reconnections needs to end fast. Because suddenly, Wes and Ivy have a common enemy–and she’s a detective.

There’s something Wes and Ivy never talk about–in good times or bad. The night of their worst breakup, when one of them took things too far, and someone ended up dead. If they can stick together, they can survive anything–even the tightening net of a police investigation.

Because one more breakup might just be their last…

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

As we all know, I really enjoy books that have soap opera levels of drama, and if you have it happening within one of my preferred genres that’s all the better. This usually happens within thrillers, and I am far more likely to read one if it has some interpersonal dramatic nonsense to pad out and prolong the mystery and suspense. With all this in mind, “A Twisted Love Story” by Samantha Downing really caught my eye. The cover is pretty neat for one, and for another it promised two toxic people in an on again and off again relationship whose terrible romance led to something deadly. That just reeks of the kind of extra-ness that I love in a story. And I have also had luck with Samantha Downing in the past. So really I thought this was going to be a slam dunk. And, unfortunately, it was not.

But, as we always do, let’s start with the good. The premise definitely has a lot of promise, and there were things that I did like about it. I particularly liked it when we had a POV focus on the detective that is kind of keeping her eye on Wes and Ivy, Karen, as we get enough insight into her character to make her pretty fleshed out and interesting in her motives for doggedly pursuing cases that involve abusive relationships. Is it a unique insight? Not really. But it’s still fun to get into her mind and to see how this has become a bit of an obsession for her, and how her own experiences and biases can affect her ability to do her job to a certain extent.

But ultimately, I had a hard time getting through this book, and I think that the main reason for that was that Ivy and Wes are very, very unlikable, and not really in the kind of fun way that I look for in ‘people behaving badly’ books. At first I enjoyed seeing their weird egging each other on dynamic, but it was a pretty static relationship progression in that they were always really shitty to each other, and weren’t really fascinating or well rounded to make up for it. I do love a hot mess of a story, I will be the first to admit that, but Ivy and Wes just didn’t interest me. There wasn’t anything really ‘fun’ about their really toxic relationship, and I just had a hard time keeping interested mainly because not only were they difficult, the supporting characters weren’t really engaging either. And to make matters worse, the mystery itself wasn’t super enticing to me. I kind of figured out one of the twists pretty early on, and on top of that it just wasn’t very compelling of a mystery. We know that Wes and Ivy did something really bad during one of their toxic meltdowns and then never spoke of it again, but I wasn’t given much reason to really care about what it was because they were such trash people that the suspense wasn’t there.

And then there is also a random curveball thrown in that I couldn’t make heads or tails of as to why it happened. I don’t want to spoil anything and it was probably a way to keep the detective connected to Wes and Ivy, but it felt clumsily done. Overall, a lot of it fell pretty flat for me. Which is too bad because I definitely was enticed by the description!

So ultimately “A Twisted Love Story” wasn’t for me. I can appreciate a story of awful people doing awful things, but ya gotta give me a little bit of fun with that, and this one didn’t feel like a lot of fun.

Rating 5: Two reprehensible main characters and a kind of weak mystery made “A Twisted Love Story” less of a fun sudsy read and a bit more of a slog.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Twisted Love Story” is included on the Goodreads list “2023 Mystery Thrillers Crime To Be Excited For”.

Another Take: Summer 2023

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

Don’t just take it from us, other readers like these books, too! And we have decided that we would like to showcase other reviewers and bloggers that have their own thoughts and feelings about books that we have loved. Here are a few of the books we’ve enjoyed recently and what other bloggers have to say about them.

“Witch King” by Martha Wells

After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.

But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?

Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.

He’s not going to like the answers.

Serena’s Review (10 rating)

Winter is Coming

Novel Notion (4.5/5 stars)

Nerds of a feather (9/10 rating)

“Garden of the Cursed” by Katy Rose Pool

Since fleeing the gilded halls of Evergarden for the muck-filled canals of the Marshes, Marlow Briggs has made a name for herself as the best godsdamn cursebreaker in Caraza City. But no matter how many cases she solves, she is still haunted by the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow’s old friend and scion of one of Caraza’s most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families.

As the investigation draws Marlow into a web of deadly secrets and powerful enemies, a shocking truth emerges: Adrius’s curse and her mother’s disappearance may just be clues to an even larger mystery, one that could unravel the very foundations of Caraza and magic itself.

Serena’s Review (8 rating)

Hidden in Pages (4/5 stars)

Confessions of a YA Reader

One Book More (4.5/5 stars)

“Thief Liar Lady” by D. L. Soria

I’m not who you think I am.

My transformation from a poor, orphaned scullery maid into the enchantingly mysterious lady who snagged the heart of the prince did not happen–as the rumors insisted–in a magical metamorphosis of pumpkins and glass slippers. On the first evening of the ball, I didn’t meekly help my “evil” stepmother and stepsisters primp and preen or watch forlornly out the window as their carriage rolled off toward the palace. I had other preparations to make.

My stepsisters and I had been trained for this–to be the cleverest in the room, to be quick with our hands and quicker with our lies. We were taught how to get everything we want in this world, everything men always kept for themselves: power, wealth, and prestige. And with a touchingly tragic past and the help of some highly illegal spells, I would become a princess, secure our fortunes, and we would all live happily ever after.

But there’s always more to the story. With my magic running out, war looming, and a handsome hostage prince–the wrong prince–distracting me from my true purpose with his magnetic charm and forbidden flirtations, I’m in danger of losing control of the delicate balance I’ve created…and that could prove fatal.

There’s so much more riding on this than a crown.

Serena’s Review (9 rating)

Utopia State of Mind

Kirkus Review

Laughing Loving and Books

“Graveyard of Lost Children” by Katrina Monroe

At four months old, Olivia Dahl was almost murdered. Driven by haunting visions, her mother became obsessed with the idea that Olivia was a changeling, and that the only way to get her real baby back was to make a trade with the “dead women” living at the bottom of the well. Now Olivia is ready to give birth to a daughter of her own…and for the first time, she hears the women whispering.

Everyone tells Olivia she should be happy. She should be glowing, but the birth of her daughter only fills Olivia with dread. As Olivia’s body starts giving out, slowly deteriorating as the baby eats and eats and eats, she begins to fear that the baby isn’t her daughter at all and, despite her best efforts, history is repeating itself. Soon images of a black-haired woman plague Olivia’s nightmares, drawing her back to the well that almost claimed her life—tying mother and daughter together in a desperate cycle of fear and violence that must be broken if Olivia has any hope of saving her child…or herself.

Baby Teeth meets The Invited in a haunting horror novel about the sometimes-fragile connection between a woman’s sense of self and what it means to be a “good” mother.

Kate’s Review (10 Rating)

Horror DNA (4/5 Stars)

Books, Bones & Buffy (3.5/5 Stars)

I’m Shelf-Ish (4 Stars)

“Dead of Winter” by Darcy Coates

From bestselling author Darcy Coates comes Dead of Winter, a remote cabin in the snowy wilderness thriller that will teach you to trust no one. There are eight strangers. One killer. Nowhere left to run.

When Christa joins a tour group heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains, she’s hopeful this will be her chance to put the ghosts of her past to rest. But when a bitterly cold snowstorm sweeps the region, the small group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Despite the uncomfortably claustrophobic quarters and rapidly dropping temperature, Christa believes they’ll be safe as they wait out the storm.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

Deep in the night, their tour guide goes missing…only to be discovered the following morning, his severed head impaled on a tree outside the cabin. Terrified, and completely isolated by the storm, Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers. One of them kills for sport…and they’re far from finished. As the storm grows more dangerous and the number of survivors dwindles one by one, Christa must decide who she can trust before this frozen mountain becomes her tomb.

Kate’s Review (8 Rating)

It’s All About Books! (4.5 Stars)

Jen Ryland Reviews

Caffeinated Reviewer (4.5 Stars)

“The Only One Left” by Riley Sager

“At seventeen, Lenora Hope Hung her sister with a rope“

Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.

“Stabbed her father with a knife, Took her mother’s happy life“

It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—”I want to tell you everything”.

““It wasn’t me,” Lenora said. But she’s the only one not dead“

As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought.

Kate’s Review (8 Rating)

Asha Reads (5/5 Stars)

The Bibliophile Chronicles (4.25/5 Stars)

Criminal Element