Tag: 10 Rating

Serena’s Review: “A Drop of Corruption”

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Book: “A Drop of Corruption” by Robert Jackson Bennett

Publishing Info: Del Rey, April 2025

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

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

Book Description: In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire’s greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.

Review: I’ve never gone wrong picking up another book by this author! But I was particularly excited to grab this sequel, as the first one was the perfect mixture of two things I love especially: incredibly creative fantasy worlds and a Holmes/Watson duo solving complex mysteries. And this was one of those rare sequels where I went in pretty much wanting exactly the same as the first one! And boy, did I get it, and more!

So, I’ll jump straight to the end of the review now and say this was pretty much my idea of a perfect read. Not only did it bring back everything I loved from the first book, but it expanded on the the world-building and fantasy aspects of the story and gave greater depth to our main characters. The mystery itself was also complex and interesting, with numerous twists and turns. There were the right number of red herrings that readers could form their own guesses and theories, but then, when the final reveal came, there were inevitably pieces that were still true revelations.

I also really enjoyed the deeper themes of monarchy and empire that were explored in this book. The first one brushed up on some of these themes as well, but this one really dove into the ideas of kings and their seemingly deep-seated appeal as a form of governance. (On this point, the author included a really excellent author’s note at the end that is definitely worth giving a read!). Throughout the story, there is commentary and exploration of these structures of society, who falls through the cracks and who benefits, and why people cling to form of government that doesn’t serve them. Beyond this, there were some really great discussions of the inglorious but necessary role of justice enforcers and the pursuit of truth, even when it takes you to some dark places. (Of course, this being a fantasy novel, those dark places were more then simply metaphorically “dark.”) Is it ever right to do the wrong thing for the right reason? Who decides and how should justice be served? These are big topics, but the book does a great job of tackling them, without ever feeling heavy-handed or preachy.

Beyond this, I was simply happy to spend more time with Din and Ana. From Din, we saw the challenges that he’s faced, working for such an eccentric woman as Ana for now several years. In some ways, he’s adjusted well. In others, it’s clear he’s still floundering to find his role in this world. For Ana’s part, she’s still brilliant, but also strange in a way that is often perturbing. As the story continued, we began to see more and more glimpses behind the curtain, and there were some great reveals regarding her own history towards the end of the book.

The world Bennet has created here continues to be simply wild. So much creativity, but also so much horror, awaits around every corner. Similarly to the first book, this isn’t the read for you if you struggle with body horror. The dangers of this world present in incredibly unique and disturbing ways, and Bennet doesn’t shy away from fully describing it as such. The stakes of this book are also closely tied to the biodiversity of this world, and it was great exploring how humanity has found a way to live and thrive in a world as perilous as this one.

Overall, this was an excellent sequel, everything I could have wanted from a follow-up book! It took the phenomenal groundwork that was laid in the first book and ran wild with it. Can’t wait to see what comes next!

Rating 10: Deliciously dark, exploring the disturbing nature not only of this wild fantasy world but also of the depths of humanity itself.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Drop of Corruption” is on this Goodreads list: Best Books Ever.

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

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

Publishing Info: Inklore, October 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.

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

Book Description: The rifts between realms grow ever wider as the temporary shelter Persephone had found in the Underworld is destroyed. Apollo has captured Demeter, turning the fugitive goddess over to Zeus in an attempt to win the king’s favor. Persephone and her mother must now stand trial for concealing Persephone’s unsanctioned act of wrath—though the goddess of spring feels secure with Hades on her side.

But safety is not guaranteed in the world of the gods.

As the trial brings to light truths and betrayals that threaten to upset everything—even Hades and Persephone’s relationship—the other gods face perils of their own.

Eros uncovers Ampelus’s secret during a fight in the Mortal Realm. Thanatos and Daphne’s budding relationship is threatened by a vengeful Apollo. Minthe is trapped in her cursed form until Persephone gains full control over her powers. And Hera is haunted by the specter of Kronos, whose influence in Olympus seems to be growing. . 

This edition of Smythe’s original Eisner Award–winning webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

Review: Guys, the end of 2024 was just a lot. A LOT. Not only was my anxiety exploding, I was also having issues balancing out my reviews and reading paths, to the point where when “Lore Olympus: Volume Seven” by Rachel Smythe came out in October, I just whiffed on fitting it in on my review schedule. This shows how totally scatterbrained I was given how much I LOVE this series. But it’s finally time, and I finally picked it up, and I shouldn’t have waited. Because coming back to Hades, Persephone, Hera, Hecate, and all the Greek deities and their shenanigans was so, SO healing.

My anxiety while I was reading this book (source)

So many wonderful beats in this volume, from the cute to the cathartic to the absolutely devastating. We are seeing Persephone and Hades get closer as she continues to stay with him in the Underworld while Zeus wants to bring her and Demeter to trial for hiding Persephone’s wrath that led to the deaths of many mortals sand permission. So we do have some lovely moments of closeness between Hades and Persephone that still feels appropriate and respectful from both of them, while still building up the romance. But my favorite part of this volume for these two is that Persephone has started the therapy process, and is starting to unpack her anxieties, her tumultuous relationship with her mother, and her sexual assault by Apollo. These scenes were so well handled as Persephone goes through so many emotions and breakthroughs, and I really, really appreciated how Smythe shows how raw and messy but powerful and empowering therapy can be for a person like Persephone. Seeing this kind of portrayal of mental health care in a book is always gratifying, and it fits in with the other themes that Smythe has been touching on from the jump.

We are also getting some more depth and richness for some of our other characters, whether it’s Eros and his changing relationship with Ampelus (who is Psyche in disguise, as suggested by Aphrodite), or Hera starting to have horrifying visions of Kronos (and setting up another potential arc in this story, as we know that Kronos’s strength is growing in spite of his imprisonment). I also really, REALLY loved getting more backstory on the relationship between Hades and Hera, as while I of course ship Hades and Persephone, the connection between these two is tragic even if it’s come to a certain comfortable understanding (and yes, Zeus was involved). We also get more interesting inversions of the original myths that these characters come from, with an especially harrowing and alarming take on the Daphne and Apollo myth that left me completely floored. Smythe is so good at pulling the themes from the source material and adapting it to fit this story, and I am continuously impressed by it.

I’m still absolutely loving “Lore Olympus”. We have ended on another cliffhanger, of course, but luckily it’s only a couple months before the next one comes out!

Rating 10: STOP DEVASTATING ME, RACHEL SMYTHE! This volume has so many heart wrenching beats, but hope is always present as well. Just fantastic.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Lore Olympus: Volume 7” is included on the Goodreads list “Great Graphic Novels Released in 2024”.

Previously Reviewed:

Book Club Review: “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption”

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

We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again reading books that have had film/TV adaptations and then comparing the two mediums. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King

Publishing Info: Thorndike Press, 1982

Where Did I Get this Book: the library!

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

Book Description: Suspenseful, mysterious, and heart-wrenching, Stephen King’s extraordinary novella, populated by a cast of unforgettable characters, tells a powerful tale of crushing despair and liberating hope through the eyes of Ellis “Red” Redding. Red’s a guy who can get you whatever you want here in Maine’s corrupt and hard-edged Shawshank State Penitentiary (for a price, of course), but the one thing he doesn’t count on is an unexpected friendship forged with fellow inmate Andy Dufresne—an inscrutable one-time banker perhaps falsely convicted of brutal, calculated murder who will go on to transform everyone’s lives within these prison walls.

What We Watched: “The Shawshank Redemption” movie

Kate’s Thoughts

When we opted to revisit our “Adaptations” theme for our Book Club, I knew that it was finally time to subject my lady pals to some Stephen King. I didn’t want to throw them into the deep end of King’s horror landscape, as I am one of the few people who really loves straight up horror in the group, but I did want to showcase his writing style. So “Rita Hayworth and Shawkshank Redemption” made the most sense to me. One, the movie is a classic, one that I’ve seen many times as it’s one of my husband’s favorites (I really love it as well). And two, it’s a great taste of King is a small package that can be easily taken on even by those who don’t particularly like horror. It was my second time reading it, and I loved it just as much this time around. I think I loved it even more than my first read.

Oh how I love this story. It’s so simple, so straightforward and matter of fact. King has such a way with creating characters who just speak to the reader, and I really adore Red’s voice and the way that the story really brings to life Shawshank, the prisoners, the horrific circumstances and systems at play, and the importance of hope in the face of hopelessness and finding your community you can find solace within. What I really love about this book is that King creates an objectively thrilling story with high stakes and lots of potential for drama and tragedy, but it flows so well and is so compelling as we learn about Andy and Red and their friendship in a quiet and calm kind of way. Yes, there are moments of terribleness, where people are lost, where people die, where lives are basically over and suffering within the walls of this terrible prison and the sociopaths who run it. But there are also moments of humor, of light, of camaraderie and joy. King finds the complexities in Red and Andy (while Andy still remains a bit of a mystery, which just adds to the compelling aspects of this novella), and really makes it so as a reader you connect with them both and hope that they make it to Zihuatanejo and away from Shawshank Prison. I think that on my first read I considered myself more a fan of the movie while still loving both. But this time around the theme of hope, and the grittiness and ambiguity of hope, really resonated with me. I now think I like book and film the same.

“Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” is a fantastic story. A masterpiece from Stephen King.

Serena’s Thoughts

I’m probably the stereotypical reader of this book, in that I had watched the movie years ago but never got around to reading the actual novella until now. That said, I’ve really enjoyed all the Stephen King books I’ve read (I leave his true horror books to Kate and just skim along through the more thriller/fantasy stuff) so I had high hopes going in. And I wasn’t wrong! I absolutely loved this book!

For being such a short book, it’s impressive just how much is fit into this small number of pages. Not only do we have the actual prison break itself, but the story also thoroughly explores the horrors of the prison system, its inner workings and societies, and how, even over decades and decades, much of this remains unchanged. On top of that, the story follows two incredible characters. First, the narrator, Red. And then, through his eyes, we meet Andy. It obviously all comes down to Red’s voice, as had that not connected with readers, the entire book wouldn’t have worked. Through him, we get a window into the lives of these inmates. He’s both empathetic of the horrors, but also incredibly straight-forward and frank about the realities of simply going on in the face of it all. We also come to understand the biggest challenge of prison life: maintaining any sense of hope in a hopeless place.

What stood out for me between the book and the movie (though there were many things, and I can’t get to them all here) was the depiction of Andy. I think the character worked incredibly well in the movie, but after reading the book, I can also see how Andy was given the “Hollywood treatment.” The book version is actually even more compelling, giving us a glimpse of an incredibly smart, complex, and unique man. While the Andy of the movie had some of your typical “movie magic” hero moments, the Andy of the book shone more in his steadfast unknowability. Even Red, his best friend, admits to feeling as if he only ever scratched the surface of what’s going on in Andy’s head. And by the end of the book, the reader feels the same way.

This was an excellent book! If you’ve watched and enjoyed the movie, I definitely recommend giving this one a go! It’s a short read that you can finish up in one sit-down and is well worth the time its given.

Kate’s Rating 9 : Even better the second time around. This book is filled with heart, tragedy, and hope, and it really shines, showing off King’s skills as a writer across multiple genres.

Serena’s Rating 9: A whopper of a punch packed in such a small book, exploring the horrors of prison life and the perseverance of the human spirit.

Book Club Questions:

  1. What were your thoughts about the book being about Andy, but being from Red’s perspective? How do you think it would have been different had it been from Andy’s?
  2. We find out from the first pages that a lot of these characters (outside of Andy) are very much guilty of the crimes they committed. Did that affect the narrative and how you felt about them as characters?
  3. What did you think King was saying about atonement and imprisonment within the walls of Shawshank? About isolation and community? Grudging acceptance of abuse and resistance?
  4. Zihuatanejo is the end goal for Andy after he leaves Shawshankl and becomes a place that Andy and Red hope to meet up in someday. What do you think Zihuatanejo symbolizes for these two men?
  5. The movie and the book have some clear differences. What were some that really stood out to you? Did you find any preferable over the other?
  6. In the book our narrator Red is a white man of Irish descent, but in the film he is played by Morgan Freeman, a Black man. How do you think changing his race changes the context of the character of Red?
  7. In the movie it’s clear that Red made it to Zihuatanejo and was reunited with Andy, but in the book King opts to leave it open ended whether he makes it to the beach to see his friend. Why do you think King wanted to make it more ambiguous?

Reader’s Advisory

“Rita Hayworth and Shashank Redemption” can be found on these Goodreads lists: World’s Greatest Novellas and I Only Watched the Movie!

Next Book Club Pick: “Delicious in Dungeon” Vols. 1 & 2

Book Club Review: “The Familiar”

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We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. This June we celebrated our 10 year anniversary of book club. So in celebration of that milestone, we are re-visiting authors we read way back in those first few years of our book club. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “The Familiar” by Leigh Bardugo

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, April 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family’s social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain’s king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England’s heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king’s favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

Repeat Author: Leigh Bardugo

Kate’s Thoughts

As someone who really has enjoyed Leigh Bardugo’s works I was very excited to read “The Familiar”. For one, it’s another adult book by her, and I absolutely loved “Ninth House” and still need to read “Hell Bent” (gahhhh it’s been so long since it came out!). I actually read it last summer while we were in San Diego, but was more than happy to save up my opinions for Book Club (as I knew around the time I was reading it that Serena was going to pick it). And like “Ninth House”, I quite enjoyed it.

For one I really loved the time period and place, as I don’t really have much working knowledge of The Spanish Inquisition outside of a short unit we did on it in high school, and that was so long ago that my memory of it was fading. But I really enjoyed how Bardugo captured the time, the fear, and the desperation of Luzia to hide herself, until she realized that her powers could actually be something that would show her power, which then fed into her ambition. I also really liked the magical system, because it was complex enough to feel unique, but not so much that it would alter history to make it unrecognizable and unrealistic to be within our world. And finally, I really enjoyed the themes of what makes these kinds of powers ‘miracles’ vs ‘witchcraft/Satanic’, and how those definitions are really more about who gets to decide these things and the motives for how these labels are placed.

“The Familiar” is a grim yet gorgeous work of historical fantasy. Bardugo is such a talent.

Serena’s Thoughts

I’ve already written a raving review for this book, so my thoughts won’t be anything new! That said, in reading it again now six months later, a few things did stand out to me. In particular, I continue to be impressed by how well Bardugo balanced a number of different genres, all with their own typical tropes and plot points. We have the intricate and specific details of historical fiction. The whimsy and tendency towards surprising solutions to complicated problems found in fantasy fiction. And the drama and slow-build of romance. Each was done well and none out-shone the others.

The side characters also stood out more for me in this read. I remember reading this the first time and expecting Valentina, in particular, to only be used as an introduction point to Luzia and her story. But this time, knowing the greater roles that some of these side characters play, I was better able to appreciate the care that went into crafting these sub-plots. While both Valentina and Haulit have much less page time than Luzia, they each still offered unique windows into the lives of women during this time period (much of which seems as if it would be fairly accurate, regardless of the addition of magic).

I also remain impressed that for a story that can be incredibly dark at times, that Bardugo managed to wrap it up in a satisfying way, with a happy-ish ending for our main couple. What’s more, she did this without resorting to deus ex machina magical solutions. Yes, magic was involved, but it was the sort that had been thoroughly explored before and was simply used in an unexpected and creative way.

So, yeah, I still really loved this book! Given its blending of many genres, I also think its the sort of book that will appeal to many readers and will definitely be recommending it this holiday season!

Kate’s Rating 9: An awe inspiring and at times grim historical fantasy, another triumph from Leigh Bardugo!

Serena’s Rating 10: Still just as great as last time!

Book Club Questions:

  1. This story blends fantasy with historical fiction. How well did it manage this balance? Particuarly, what did you know about Antonia Perez and the Spanish Inquisition before reading this and how well do you think these historical events were woven into the story?
  2. As for the fantasy aspects, what did you make of the magic that makes up this world? Particularly the distinctions made between accecptable magic and the sort that leads to heresy and witch burnings?
  3. What did you make of the love story and particularly Santangel? Do you think Santángel was a good man? Do you think she loves him because he’s good in some respects, or in spite of it?
  4. We are introduced to several different women who have approached the challenges they’ve faced in different manners: Valentina, Haulit, and Luzia herself. What stood out to you about these three, particular Valentina and Haulit?
  5. Much of Luzia’s inner life deals with her thoughts regarding ambition versus invisibility. Various other characters gave her their own thoughts on these topics. How do you think ambition and invisibility played a role in Luzia’s choices and perhaps also Santangel’s?
  6. Luzia’s Jewish heritage and religious persecution play a major role in the story. Did anything stand out to you with this theme?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Familiar” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Jewish Fantasy Genre and Historical Fiction With a Dash of Magic.

Next Book Club Pick: “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King

Serena’s Review: “The Wild Huntress”

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Book: “The Wild Huntress” by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Publishing Info: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, October 2024

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

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

Book Description: Every five years, two kingdoms take part in a Wild Hunt. Joining is a bloody risk and even the most qualified hunters can suffer the deadliest fates. Still, hundreds gamble their lives to participate—all vying for the Hunt’s life-changing prize: a magical wish granted by the Otherking.

BRANWEN possesses a gift no other human has: the ability to see and slay monsters. She’s desperate to cure her mother’s sickness, and the Wild Hunt is her only option.

GWYDION is the least impressive of his magically-talented family, but with his ability to control plants and his sleight of hand, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his cruel older brother from becoming a tyrant.

PRYDERI is prince-born and monster-raised. Deep down, the royal crown doesn’t interest him—all he wants is to know is where he belongs.

If they band together against the monstrous creatures within the woods, they have a chance to win. But, then again, nothing is guaranteed when all is fair in love and the Hunt.

Review: I am going to start this review off with a general lament: Emily Lloyd-Jones is the most under-rated YA fantasy writer currently putting out books! It’s wild to me that she still seems to fly so far under everyone’s radar. The quality of her storytelling, the strength of her characters, the excellence of her dialogue, and the lovely secondary romances are truly on a whole new level from so many other YA fantasies that seem to take off. It’s bizarre to me. She’s an auto-buy author for me at this point, so it was a given that I was going to review this book. It was all the more exciting when I received an ARC copy to boot!

Sometimes it’s harder to write reviews for books that I absolutely adored than it is for ones I have mixed feelings about. With nothing to question or complain about, it quickly devolves into incoherent gushing. But I’ll start with something that I think makes Jones’s books stand out from much of the current YA fare: she allows her characters to behave in natural ways, making choices that can lead to tragedy and real conflict, and then forcing them to truly live with the results, both in a practical sense as well as an emotional sense. Too often, conflict that is introduced in other similar books is hand-waved away quickly, with characters seeming to easily forgive massive transgressions. Or characters will make bad decisions or poor judgements of character, but because the plot necessitates it, things always work out perfectly. In this way, Jones’s stories and characters feel somehow more real, more true, and I’m easily more invested in their stories. The lows are truly tragic, but this makes the highs all the more sweet.

In particular to this book, there is drawn-out consequence of one character’s choices that comes to play in the final quarter of this book. From this moment on, all of the other characters dramatically shift, and the rest of the book is not only wrapping up the plot, but truly dealing with the emotional fall-out of this situation. There are a few choices here that feel almost shocking. But, importantly, they feel shocking NOT because they are unrealistic; indeed I think they are very true to the impossibilities of the situation. But they feel shocking in the sense that I can’t think of a contemporary author writing in this same genre that has the bravery to fully commit to the decisions her characters would make in their story as Jones does here (and in her other books.)

But, even though I’ve now spent much of this review talking about the darker aspects of this story, this is largely a fun, funny, and sweetly romantic tale for 80% of the book. As I mentioned above, for all that the plotting and world-building is so excellent, one of the things that also stands out is the strength of the dialogue. There were several moments that had me laughing out loud and re-reading a few times before moving on.

On top of this, I’ve now come to rely on the romantic subplots that Jones includes in her fantasy novels. While I like full-on romance novels, as far as my absolute favorite reads go I always tend towards book that have a more reserved approach to the love story. Here, the relationship is clearly secondary to the main plot, but somehow this made the sweet moments we got all the more special. Above all, I appreciate the way the characters slowly come to know and begin to care for one another. There’s not a whiff of instalove or instalust to be found here.

I could go on and on. Even with all of this writing, I didn’t even get to the fantastic fantasy plot, full of adventure and magic. Or the fact that there are fun little nods to her other books that can be spotted throughout. If you haven’t read anything by this author, RUN (don’t walk) to the bookstore and just get all three at once. They’re that good!

Rating 10: One of the most under-rated YA fantasy authors writing today, Emily Lloyd-Jones shines and shows the highs that the genre can truly reach!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Wild Huntress” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Books for rainy tea-filled days  and My favorite Medieval Fantasy novels.

Kate’s Review: “I Was A Teenage Slasher”

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

Book: “I Was A Teenage Slasher” by Stephen Graham Jones

Publishing Info: Simon & Schuster/Saga Press, July 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received a hardcover copy from the publisher at ALAAC24.

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

Book Description: From New York Times bestselling horror writer Stephen Graham Jones comes a classic slasher story with a twist—perfect for fans of Riley Sager and Grady Hendrix.

1989, Lamesa, Texas. A small west Texas town driven by oil and cotton—and a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. So it goes for Tolly Driver, a good kid with more potential than application, seventeen, and about to be cursed to kill for revenge. Here Stephen Graham Jones explores the Texas he grew up in, the unfairness of being on the outside, through the slasher horror he lives but from the perspective of the killer, Tolly, writing his own autobiography. Find yourself rooting for a killer in this summer teen movie of a novel gone full blood-curdling tragic.

Review: Thank you to Simon and Shuster for giving me a hardcover copy at ALAAC24 and thank you to Stephen Graham Jones for signing it!

I mentioned this in our ALA Annual Conference highlights post, but I’ll bring it up again: one of my favorite moments from the conference this year was getting to see Stephen Graham Jones and getting a copy of his newest novel “I Was A Teenage Slasher”. I hadn’t even realized he was going to be at the conference until a day or two before it started, and then getting a copy of this book was an even BIGGER surprise because it wasn’t listed in the schedule. Since it was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, I was absolutely ecstatic, and it was my first ALA read. I gotta say, Jones never disappoints, and this book is, for me, one of his best.

There are so many things I loved about this book I don’t really know where to begin. But I guess the first thing I will talk about is the way it’s another examination of aspects of the slasher genre from Jones, who really REALLY loves his slashers, and knows his slashers front to back. While this is evident in his “Indian Lake Trilogy” with final girl Jade Daniels, it’s approached in a different way in “I Was A Teenage Slasher”, and feels like an inverse. Instead of following a burgeoning Final Girl, we follow a burgeoning slasher killer, and THAT is such an interesting path to take and hasn’t been taken all that many times compared to other storylines in slasher tales. As I was reading I kept thinking about one of my favorite horror movies “Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon”, because in that movie we get a similar angle in that we are getting to know and coming to enjoy a wannabe slasher killer, and in a lot of ways REALLY enjoying him in spite of the fact he’s obviously going to be monstrous by the end. With Tolly Driver we get a lot of that, as Tolly is an awkward misfit in his small town and has had a lot of tragedy happen to him in his life, who is also just kind of a good kid before he is taken over by a drive to be a teenage slasher after a supernatural incident at a teen party. We are solidly in his head, and we get to see all sides of him as he slowly starts his transformation, and as he and his best friend Amber (a fellow outcast in Lamesa, Texas as she is the only Native kid in their school) try to figure out just what is happening to him. I loved this coming of age thread within a slasher story in which the coming of age is that of the killer himself. I also REALLY loved his relationship with Amber, who is so fiercely loyal and whom he really adores, their friendship feeling so real and connected and deep. So much of their connection felt so incredibly genuine that I was just dreading the ultimate heel turn from Tolly, and how much I knew it was going to hurt because of my investment in their friendship. Jones makes them so easy to love, that I ended up gutted in the way only Jones knows how to achieve.

But along with the stellar characters, we also get another fun meta horror romp, with so much self awareness and humor to go with the solidly gory moments that you absolutely need for the slasher sub-genre. Jones cheekily finds ways to show off Tolly’s newfound slasher powers while also poking a little fun at some of the most tried and true tropes in the genre, as once Tolly is on this path, there are certain things that now absolutely happen for him. For example, whenever he picks up a sharp implement like a knife, it makes an over the top SCHING! noise, no matter how gently he does so or how not intimidating the knife is. His speed can vary but his ability to catch up is more about whether he’s being seen or not as opposed to his actual physical abilities (think about the way slashers seem to be able to keep up even when just walking). And so forth. It’s such a fun way to point out the silly things in the sub-genre that are tried and true and don’t REALLY make sense, but no one cares because that’s just how it goes! I loved this and found myself cackling during these moments.

And finally, I love the way that Jones brings the time and place to life in this book. The story as Tolly tells it is in small town West Texas in Lamesa in 1989, and boy did Jones capture all of that to a T. I love 80s nostalgia shit as someone born in the middle of that decade and who has vague pop culture memories of the latter part (and how it bled into the 90s, let’s be real), and the nostalgia is big in this one. As are the realities of growing up in small town Americana for those who are different or don’t fit the mold of what American youth were supposed to be like, as Tolly and Amber both fall into this group and really only have each other through their difficult teenage years even BEFORE Tolly starts to turn into a new Jason Voorhees. And as a bonus to that, Jones even made a Spotify Playlist that is FILLED WITH GLAM METAL, which is a top 3 music genre for me. And not since “Peacemaker” has a glam metal soundtrack felt so, so heartbreaking in certain ways.

Me dancing to “House of Pain” by Faster Pussycat in my spare time. Not pictured, the weeping that almost always comes with it. (source)

“I Was A Teenage Slasher” is probably my favorite Stephen Graham Jones novel yet. We are so blessed to have him in the horror literature community, and his stories continuously blow me away. Horror fans, especially slasher fans, do yourself a favor and go get this book post haste.

Rating 10: So incredibly self aware, meta, and also emotionally charged at times, “I Was A Teenage Slasher” is filled with lots of horror goodness as well as some good old fashioned teenage pathos.

Reader’s Advisory:

“I Was A Teenage Slasher” is included on the Goodreads lists “Slasher Fiction”, and “Indigenous Fiction 2024”.

Serena’s Review: “Foul Days”

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Book: “Foul Days” by Genoveva Dimova

Publishing Info: Tor, June 2024

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

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

Book Description: As a witch in the walled city of Chernograd, Kosara has plenty of practice taming rusalkas, fighting kikimoras, and brewing lycanthrope repellent. There’s only one monster Kosara can’t defeat: her ex the Zmey, known as the Tsar of Monsters. She’s defied him one too many times, and now he’s hunting her. Betrayed to him by someone close to her, Kosara’s only hope is to trade her shadow―the source of her powers―for illegal passage across the Wall to Belograd, where monsters can’t follow.

Life in Belograd should be sweet, but Kosara soon develops a fast-acting version of the deadly wasting sickness that stalks shadowless witches―and only reclaiming her magic can cure her. To trace her shadow, she’ll have to team up with the suspiciously honorable detective investigating the death of the smuggler who brought her across the Wall.

Even worse than working with the cops is that all the clues point in a single direction: one of the Zmey’s monsters has found a crack in the Wall, and Kosara’s magic is now in the Zmey’s hands.

The clock is ticking, the hunt is on, and Kosara’s priorities should be clear―but is she the hunter or the hunted? And in a city where everyone is out for themselves, who can Kosara trust to assist her in outwitting the man―the Monster―she’s never been able to escape alone?

Review: This one caught my eyes easily with its arresting cover. It’s not quite like anything I’d seen before, which immediately drew me in. Then, when reading the book description, I had two thoughts: 1.) this story sounds all over the place and 2.) it could be really awesome if it all comes together right! And, to spoil my entire review now, it was definitely the latter!

Let’s start with the world-building and fantasy elements. Right from the start, the atmosphere of this world was pervasive as well as intriguing. We feel the fear and dread of Kosara’s city, a place plagued by monsters for a brief window of time every year. It is cold, grey, but her home, and one that she loves and will do anything to protect. As the book description mentions, she then travels to the city beyond the wall, a place vibrant and full of life, having safely locked away its troubles (and seemingly all thoughts of trouble) behind a tidy wall. The contrast is stark and we feel Kosara’s bewilderment at the difference. I enjoyed the complicated nature of her feelings about these people and this place, comparing and contrasting it with her own home, with its very different culture and priorities. At the same time, the hardships of her home are not romanticized.

I also really enjoyed the various monsters we encounter throughout this book. At first, it felt like we weren’t really getting much page time or action with these monsters, instead hearing more about Kosara’s experiences in the past dealing with these beings. But as the pacing ramps up, about a third of the way into the story, we start to get some truly action-packed scenes, full of horror and excitement. Truly, it’s been a while since I’ve read a fantasy story that so effectively pulled me into these sort of scenes; I often found myself on the edge of my seat, wondering how Kosara and Asen were going to escape.

As for Kosara herself, man, she has to be one of my new favorite leading ladies of the year! On her own right, she’s a strong, independent character who is used to going it alone. Her past is rife with trials and mistakes, all of which have lead her to distrust those around her, sometimes to the detriment of her own situation and any burgeoning relationships she’s trying to form. In this way, her relationship with Asen is particularly interesting. Even as she slowly begins to trust and like him more, the habits of a hard life are difficult to fully shed, and we see her continuously struggle against her own worst tendencies and to have to later deal with the repercussions of these choices. I also really enjoyed the slow-burn romance between them. It’s very, very much a backburner part of the story, however, so readers shouldn’t go into it expecting much on this front. For me, however, this is almost the exact level of romance I look for in my preferred fantasy reads: it’s there, it has sweet moments, it has a lot of potential, but it’s not the main point of the story.

What’s more, much of the character arch of this story is tied up in Kosara’s relationship with the antagonist of the story, her ex, the monster, the Zmey. This was simply fantastic. For one thing, it’s a nice rebuttal (perhaps too strong of word, maybe “counterbalance” would be better) to the many fantasy romances out there where the male love interest can often come across (or actually be!) quite abusive (usually emotionally or verbally). Here, we see the after effects on a woman who escaped an abusive relationship. What’s more, we see the ongoing challenges of being exposed to this sort of person, the way their power over their victim can remain, despite escape, despite “knowing better.” Kosara can recognize the dangers and abusive tactics of the Zmey, but she can also understand why women keep coming to him, and why she, herself, still feels drawn to him, despite all of this. It was all supremely well done, and not a subject I see covered this well very often. This is the dark side of the “but I can change him” story that we often see go the other way.

As you can tell, I loved this book! I started out this review thinking to give it a “9” on my rating scale, but now after writing about it, I realize I haven’t come up with a single criticism, and indeed, spent a good chunk of time talking about how rarely good it is at covering some its themes. If that’s not a “10” rated book, I don’t know what it! I highly recommend this to all fantasy readers, especially those who enjoy Naomi Novik, Margaret Rogerson, or Emily Lloyd-Jones!

Rating 10: Fantastic in every sense of the word, with a world brimming with magic and peopled with characters you can’t but fall in love with!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Foul Days” can be found on these Goodreads lists: The Most Beautiful Covers of 2024 and Eastern European Fantasy.

Kate’s Review: “Against the Darkness”

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Book: “Against the Darkness” by Kendare Blake

Publishing Info: Disney Hyperion, April 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

Book Description: This epic finale to the The Next Generation trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake ( Three Dark Crowns ) features the next generation of Scoobies and Slayers who must defeat a powerful new evil.

For generations, the Slayer was supposed to be the chosen, the one girl in all the world with the power to stand against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness. When Willow used the scythe to call up all the potential slayers at once, it changed everything. For years, the slayers have been working and fighting together as a team. Then the Darkness came, killing many slayers and trapping the rest in an alternate dimension. And Frankie Rosenberg, the world’s first Slayer-Witch, found herself fighting evil alone. Sort of.

Sure, she has her new Scooby Gang, plus the help of her mom, Willow; Watcher, Spike; and even the brooding-but-hot Hunter of Thrace. But even though they have a master plan (obviously), the gang is more fragmented than ever.

So maybe it really is up to Frankie—and Frankie alone—to stand against the darkness. With Jake’s wild werewolf brother back in town, Dark Willow threatening to return, and the Darkness preparing for the final stage of their attack, now is not a great time to wallow in teen angst. After all, she’s the Slayer. It’s time to slay.

Review: Well, I knew that this moment was eventually going to come, and I honestly held off a bit because I was reticent to approach it. But Kendare Blake’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” reboot series is coming to an end, and it closes out with “Against the Darkness”, in which Frankie Rosenberg, Slayer-Witch of Sunnydale, and her new set of Scoobies have to fight against the Big Bad for one final showdown, with supportive former Scoobies Willow, Oz, and Spike in tow as Buffy remains trapped in a hell dimension. I have absolutely adored this interpretation of the “Buffy” characters since the first book, and I was VERY nervous approaching the end. Partially because I am always nervous about the end of a series I am enjoying, but also because so many of these characters are near and dear to my heart, and I wanted them to be okay. I should have trusted Blake, because “Against the Darkness”, for lack of a better word, slays.

As we are closing in on the end of this trilogy, Frankie, Hailey, Jake, Sigmund, and the original Scoobies left behind in Sunnydale are trying to stop rogue slayer Aspen and her group of traitors known as The Darkness, and free Buffy and the other slayers from the hell dimension Aspen trapped them within. Frankie continues to be an utterly charming main character who has the weight of the world on her shoulders, who feels like a fantastic predecessor to Buffy Summers because she has similar challenges, but is her own person without feeling like a clone. Her biggest obstacles this time around are 1) she knows time is running out for Buffy and the slayers all trapped in a hell dimension, especially with Aspen making moves against her, 2) her mother Willow is going to more and more dangerous lengths to try and harness her magic to help Buffy, and 3) her good friend and fellow Scooby Hailey has imbedded herself as a spy by trying to get into Aspen’s good graces… and Aspen is having more of an effect on her than the Scoobies would like. It all feels like an old school “Buffy” end of season arc, and Blake captures the wit, the suspense, the pathos, and the heart that the show had throughout its run. Frankie is so easy to love and so easy to root for, and she is a such a well rounded character that she blends in with familiar faces from the source material swimmingly. I love her relationship with Willow, I LOVE her slayer/watcher relationship with Spike, but I also love her relationships with her friends because it feels so nostalgic.

But once again it’s my OG original favorites who captured my entire heart in this book. Blake really gives me everything I need from the “Buffy” characters from the show. I loved seeing Willow struggle with trying to use her magic to help her daughter as well as Buffy and the other imprisoned slayers, and how it treads her towards her Dark Willow tendencies. I loved how Oz has so effortlessly fit into this story even though he left the show in season four, as Blake makes him a perfect addition to the team not only for his cousin Jake, but also for Willow, his ex and now close friend. I loved seeing Giles show up (yes it’s a spoiler but it’s GILES, I HAD TO!) and take his place as a wise but still a bit snarky Watcher to help pull the group back together when it’s most needed. And, of course, Spike. My beloved Spike has stayed true to his kind of reckless and impulsive sarcastic self, emotions constantly on his sleeve, but his paternal relationship to Frankie is so touching, and brings out so much more in him that shows his caring and loving side that always comes out when most needed. And I don’t want to spoil much here, but Spuffy shippers? THE PAY OFF IS PHENOMENAL. I tried to not be a Spuffy shipper for awhile even though I was hardcore into them in high school, but Kendare Blake has brought me fully back into it because my GOD. THESE TWO.

I just love them so much. (source)

And once again, so many wonderful Easter eggs and references to the source material. Is it fan service? Probably yes. But Blake does do this in a way that flows well within this story so that even if you don’t know that it’s a knowing nod to something from the show it just feels organic and doesn’t stick out awkwardly or like a sore thumb.

What a fantastic end to a very enjoyable series. “Against the Darkness” sticks the landing, does justice for all the Scoobies, old and new, and gave this “Buffy” fan an ending that I will happily revisit over and over again. That’ll put the marzipan back in your pie plates, bingo, indeed. If you know, you know.

Rating 10: A fantastic and super satisfying ending to a “Buffy” follow up I have adored from the start.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Against the Darkness” is included on the Goodreads lists “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, and “YA hunting ghosts/monsters/zombies”.

Previously Reviewed:

Kate’s Review: “First Light”

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Book: “First Light” by Liz Kerin

Publishing Info: Tor Nightfire, April 2024

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

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

Book Description: “I came all this way to watch you burn.”

It’s been nine months since the catastrophe in Tucson sent Mia fleeing from her home. But she’s not running away from the darkness―she’s running toward it, obsessively pursuing the man who gave her mother a thirst for blood and destroyed their lives.

But when Mia finds the monsters she’s been hunting and infiltrates a secret network of fugitives, she discovers she might have been their prey all along. To escape their clutches, she’ll have to reckon with her mother’s harrowing past and confront a painful truth: that they might be more alike than she ever imagined.

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

After “Night’s Edge” blew me away last year, I had high high hopes for Liz Kerin’s follow up, though I was also apprehensive for a few reasons. The first is always that fear that a follow up to a well loved read will somehow be a let down or underwhelming. The second and more relevant reason here is that “Night’s Edge” left off on such a bummer of a note that I was steeling myself for a story that had the very real potential to destroy me. And you know what? It did.

Actual image of me sobbing over my kindle in the dark at 3am during an insomnia charged reading session (source).

Before I go into the things that kicked my emotions square in the ass, I want to talk about “First Light” in how it has expanded and further explored the vampire themes and the horror/thriller themes as a whole. So first a refresher where we are as we start this book (and this review will have spoilers for “Night’s Edge”, though I’m going to do my best to avoid spoilers for this one): our protagonist Mia is a young woman living in a world where vampires, or Saras, are confirmed as real and seen as threats to the world. Her mother Izzy had been turned into a Sara by her toxic boyfriend Devon when Mia was a child, and since then Mia had been helping hide her mother’s condition, protecting her, devoting her life to her, and bloodletting to her when needed. When Mia met and fell for a free spirited musician named Jade and was going to leave, Izzy lashed out and was going to kill Jade, so Mia killed her. Now we are catching up with Mia, who is now obsessed with finding Devon and getting her revenge on him for ruining her mother’s life and therein her own. She has been tracking him and the fringe group he runs, known as ADAPT, that has been recruiting Saras online to join them and to make more Saras so that Saras can outnumber humans, and become apex predators.

While there is some bit of Mia that knows this is on a whole wrong, she is more driven by her personal hatred of Devon, and the cat and mouse game that ensues, both at a distance and close up, it riveting, tense, and very well done. I liked learning more about how society has been trying to contain and control Saras, as we go from underground terrorist groups to charity run Sara houses that try to keep them safe and cared for (but also away from others), as well as how Mia finds herself drawn to a Sara named Cora, who may know something about Devon’s and ADAPTs whereabouts. The action rarely stops as we jump from past to present, and I found it incredibly engaging as a horror thriller and very unique and enjoyable as a vampire story and all the bloody bells and whistles that go with it. I especially was horrified by some of Devon’s manipulations and greater plans if only because he is still SO charismatic, which is terrifying in and of itself.

But at its heart, beneath all the vampire goodness and gore and vengeance parable is a story about healing and a story about a woman having to find herself after losing her complicated mother, who had been the only person she had really truly lived for, and now has to live without. Mia is focusing so much of her energy and time on tracking down Devon and getting revenge for Izzy and for herself, that she isn’t trying to heal from the terrible loss not only of Izzy at the end of “Night’s Edge”, but also the loss of a functional childhood long before she has gotten to this part and new traumas as this narrative goes on. She obsesses with finding Devon and his ADAPT group of potential terrorist Saras, doing research, delving into volunteer work at a Sara house to try and get information from those who may know something, and falling into a bottle as well as a desire for revenge, that she isn’t finding closure or peace. But Kerin, instead of making this a tragic tale of all consuming revenge, does that on that as a warning, and has Mia start to navigate her traumas even as she gets close to her goal. Even if that means reconciling devastating truths about her mother. Even if that means having to accept new truths about herself. Even if that means seeking closure with Jade, her love interest and spark for a yearning for a better life in “Night’s Edge”, and learning to trust people again, specifically Cora, a Sara that has potential connections to ADAPT and whom Mia first seeks out for information purposes, but then starts to fall for. There are so many gut wrenching moments as Mia goes on this journey, and it all culminates with a lot of action that feels incredibly fulfilling while still tearing my heart out for various reasons. It’s just so good.

“First Light” is a fantastic conclusion to the story of Mia and her vampire mother Izzy. I absolutely loved this book and will dive headfirst into anything that Liz Kerin writes next, whether it’s expanding upon her Sara world building, or bringing us something totally new. Simply exquisite.

Rating 10: A tense, unforgiving, and deeply emotional sequel that tackles vengeance, identity, and forgiveness and expands upon an already unique and effective vampire mythos.

Reader’s Advisory:

“First Light” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Best Adult Vampire Books”.

Previously Reviewed:

Serena’s Review: “The Familiar”

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

Book: “The Familiar” by Leigh Bardugo

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, April 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family’s social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain’s king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England’s heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king’s favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

Review: I’ve had a mixed past reading Leigh Bardugo’s books. I started out really enjoying the first book in her original Grisha trilogy, “Shadow and Bone.” But then I disliked the way the love triangle was handled so much that I was pretty much hate-reading the series by the time I got to the final book. Sure, I liked the ending, but I was pretty put off by the entire experience. Then, however, I picked up the “Six of Crows” duology and absolutely loved it! On top of that, while I haven’t read “Ninth House,” Kate gave it a 10 in her review a few years ago. Sooo, when I saw this book coming out, I thought now was the time to revisit her work. It helps that this book is disconnected from the Grishaverse entirely and was set in a place and time period that I’ve rarely seen tackled in fantasy fiction. And now that I’m finished…well, consider me converted! If this is what Bardugo is producing currently, I’m all in!

There is so much to love about this book that I barely know where to start! But let’s start with something I’m always on the look out for when reading books like this: how well does it blend genres? Here, Bardugo is not only writing a fantasy story, but she’s attempting to blend it into a real time and place in our own world. With that comes a lot of challenges, but when done right, like here, it can be the best of both world. And while Luzia’s magic and the magical competition she finds herself entrenched within drive much of the plot of the story, I think it’s truly the historical setting that breathes life into this book.

This story is rich with all of the intricate details that one looks for from a historical fiction book: the lush descriptions of fashion and architecture, the political maneuvering driving a country’s leaders, the cultural norms and restrictions placed on its people. And central to it all, Luzia’s precarious place in a culture that demonizes “unholy” magic as well as her own Jewish heritage. All of this and more is woven in so neatly alongside fantastical events that it truly begins to feel believable that this was simply a lost element of the historical record. In this way, it very much reminded me of reads like “The Golem and the Jinni” where the historical setting and commentary felt as if they played a more primary role to its fantasy elements.

I also really enjoyed the characters, but especially Luzia herself. She’s a fully formed, complicated character with all of the joys and struggles that come alongside that. Early in the story, numerous characters warn her about the dangers of her own ambitions, and I was truly impressed by the delicate manner in which this was handled. Restricted to a life as a scullery maid, Luzia’s dreams of basic comforts, safety, and the recognition and appreciation of her power are all understandable, especially to the modern reader. She’s never demonized for wanting more. That said, the book never loses sight of the time period and place during which it is taken place. There are no easy solutions to the realities of the world around her; no magical wand-waving that can re-form the world into one where Luzia’s dreams of her future can be easily made true. This is not a story of revolution or grand sweeting changes to a real-world historical time line. Instead, it is a careful exploration of the very real lives that people, especially women, lead. That said, it’s not all doom and gloom.

Woven throughout the story was one of my favorite slow-burn romances that I’ve read in quite some time. Like Luzia, Santangel is a complicated, imperfect being. His story is slowly revealed over the course of the book, and we learn of the backstory that lead him to be who he is now and understand the choices he makes. For much of the book, I was truly concerned about how this love story was going to be resolved, given the restrictions on his character. But, like everything else, this all fell neatly in line by the end of the book, leaving us with a bittersweet, but satisfying ending. And for those concerned, I’d say it veers closer to the “sweet” than the “bitter.” Take from that what you will.

The fantasy elements were also fantastic. It starts off slowly, but the story eventually builds to full-scale, action-packed magical scenes. Honestly, I was kind of surprised by just how far into the fantasy aspect the book leaned at certain points. There were some truly suspenseful scenes, and I enjoyed the way Luzia’s magic was used. There were enough restrictions on what she could do that there was sufficient tension and conflict building throughout the story, but there was also a sense of whimsy, that anything could be possible if it could be dreamed.

Truly, I can’t say enough good things about this book. The writing was incredibly sharp, the character work was deep and complicated, and there was an excellent balance between the increasing danger and stakes of Luzia’s situation and the sweet, slow-burn romance building between her and Santangel. Fans of Bardugo’s work are sure to love this one, and I would also highly recommend it to any fantasy readers, especially those who enjoy historical fiction, as well.

Rating 10: A masterpiece of historical fantasy fiction, with “The Familiar” Bardugo has proven once again why she’s one of the most exciting authors writing in the genre today.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Familiar” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Jewish Fantasy Genre and Historical Fiction With a Dash of Magic.