Tag: 7 Rating

Serena’s Review: “The Phoenix King”

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Book: “The Phoenix King” by Aparna Verma

Publishing Info: Orbit, 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 Ravani kingdom was born of a prophecy, carved from unforgiving desert sands and ruled by the Ravence bloodline: those with the power to command the Eternal Fire.

Elena Aadya is the heir to the throne—and the only Ravence who cannot wield her family’s legendary magic. As her coronation approaches, she will do whatever it takes to prove herself a worthy successor to her revered father. But she doesn’t anticipate the arrival of Yassen Knight, the notorious assassin who now claims fealty to the throne. Elena’s father might trust Yassen to be a member of her royal guard, but she is certain he is hiding something. 

As the threat of war looms like a storm on the horizon, the two begin a dangerous dance of intrigue and betrayal. And the choices they make could burn down the world.

Review: This book was originally self-published as “The Boy With Fire” before it was picked up by Orbit to be traditionally published under this new title. As such, it already has a fairly devoted fan base who really loved it and, I’m sure, were very excited to get this new version of the book. For me, I hadn’t heard of the book originally, but was excited to check it out, not only due to the hype of previous fans, but because the synopsis sounds right up my alley. I obviously really loved “The Poppy Wars,” so any comparison there is a good sign. And then I was also intrigued by its connections to Hinduism and Indian mythology.

But, while the book overall did have positives, I found myself struggling to read it. Before I get into any of the negatives, I do want to talk about the aspects of the book that I appreciated. For one thing, the writing was very evocative and strong. This very much read as an author who has a firm grip on their own voice and style. The plot moves smoothly (if slowly) and the characterization is fairly solid. I also really liked the book’s depiction of religion and how it is explored throughout the story. While I don’t have a strong knowledge of Hinduism, I liked what we saw here with how it was applied to this fantasy world. As far as world-building goes, I also liked the general idea of mixing fantasy and sci-fi elements into one story.

However, while these all were strengths of the story, my actual experience of reading the book felt like a slog. I think a lot of this has to do with pacing. This book is not short and it takes a long time for any real action to begin. However, at the same time, some of the information is presented in a way that feels rushed or under-explained. The pacing wasn’t helped by the multiple POVs that make up the story. There are many challenges of writing a successful multi-POV novel. The one I’ve most often talked about is the difficulty of writing voices and characters that feel distinct from one another and who have enough of an arch to justify their own page time. But another challenge is the fact that switches in POV can disrupt the pace, and I think that was one of my struggles here.

My second real sticking point was with the characters. I feel like I’ve been running into this problem a lot with some of the recent adult fantasy novels I’ve read lately, but, again, the female POV character, Elena, read much closer to a YA heroine than an adult. Again, no shade on YA heroines, but if a book is billed as an adult fantasy, I expect the adult characters to be going through arcs and challenges that would be typical of that age group. Instead, we see a lot of naivety and a coming-of-age story from Elena, themes which are much more in line with a YA storyline.

For his part, Yassan was more interesting to me, but I did end up becoming quite frustrated with a reveal we get towards the end of the book. I won’t spoil what it was, but it was the kind of reveal that made the fact that we had been in Yassan’s head for large chunks of this book suddenly feel disingenuous. Yassan is not aware that he’s a character in a book and needs to hold back certain information for climatic purposes later in the story. It makes zero sense that he wouldn’t refer to these things in his own inner thoughts, so when it’s later revealed, it’s like a dash of cold water to the reader’s face, casting you out of the reading experience.

Similarly, I didn’t really buy the love story between these two. It wasn’t objectively bad, but I didn’t feel any chemistry between then, and was generally not very invested in their romance. Overall, this was a disappointing read. It definitely has strengths, and I’m sure it will resonate with some readers. Unfortunately, it just didn’t hit right for me.

Rating 7: While the writing is solid and I enjoyed the themes around religion, I struggled to connect with the characters in this one.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Phoenix King” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Indian Inspired Fantasy Books and South Asian Fantasy

Kate’s Review: “Loteria”

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Book: “Loteria” by Cynthia Pelayo

Publishing Info: Agora Books, February 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received a print copy at ALAAC23.

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

Book Description: The Mexican board game of Lotería is a game of chance. It is similar to our American bingo. However, in Loteria instead of matching up numbers on a game board, players match up images.

There are 54 cards in the Lotería game, and for this short story collection you will find one unique story per card based on a Latin American myth, folklore, superstition, or belief – with a slant towards the paranormal and horrific. In this deck of cards you will find murderers, ghosts, goblins and ghouls. This collection features creatures and monsters, vampires and werewolves and many of these legends existed in the Americas long before their European counterparts.

Many of these stories have been passed over time throughout the Americas, and many have been passed via word of mouth, just like the tales the Brothers Grimm collected. These are indeed fairy tales, but with a much more terrible little slant. Published by Burial Day Books.

Review: Thank you to Agora Books and Cynthia Pelayo for handing out copies of this book at ALAAC23!

There were many highlights of being at the ALA Annual Conference, but one of my most anticipated moments was going to see Cynthia Pelayo speak on a panel about thriller novels. I greatly enjoyed Pelayo’s novel “Children of Chicago”, and after the panel she was kind enough to be signing copies of the sequel “The Shoemaker’s Magician” (look for that one in the future!), as well as her short stories collection “Loteria”. I was happy to get both of them, and was very interested in the concept of “Loteria”. Lotería is a Mexican game involving 54 cards with different images and themes, and Pelayo put together a short story collection that takes inspiration from each of the cards. I mean really, HOW COOL. So I hopped on in, not sure of what to expect, but that ended up being a good thing.

Normally I would do my usual ‘pick the best three stories to talk about then talk about the collection as a whole’, but I feel like that’s a little trickier to do for “Loteria”, as there are more than fifty tales in this book. The stories range from flash fiction to poetry to more short story length tales, and the way that Pelayo connects them to each card while putting unique and original twists on them is really, really neat to see. I did have a few that really stood out, such as “The Woman/La Dama”, which is a La Llorona story involving two tourists who see a strange woman while on vacation, or “Death/La Muerte”, about a man who witnesses a strange funeral procession and is approached by a figure in black. I also really liked “The Hand/El Mano”, which goes into vampires and the legend of the Tlahuelpuchi. I really liked seeing what supernatural elements and twists she would bring to her various stories, and while some were familiar to me there were plenty that I wasn’t as familiar with.

And then there are the stories that are of more human horrors, whether it’s “The Mermaid/La Sirena” with stories of human trafficking, or “The Water Pitcher/El Cantarito”, a story about border patrol agents who have no remorse for the way they help facilitate the pain and suffering of migrants hoping to make a better life in the U.S. The very real human suffering that is found on these pages make for chilling tales, made all the more disturbing and upsetting because you know that there aren’t merely stories of myth, legend, and scary story sharing, but actual things that happen to real people. Pelayo isn’t afraid to be brutal and to make the reader see the brutality up close.

The themes and stories span various sub genres of horror and thriller, and while some are stronger than others, overall it’s a pretty well rounded collection. I also love how Pelayo has centered the Latine experience, as all of these tales take inspiration from Latin American folklore, urban legends, mythologies, and cultures. She also has poetry and verse in this collection, and while I am not as into poetry as other people may be, I do like seeing the versatility at hand here and how she connects it to her themes at hand.

If you want a primer for what Cynthia Pelayo can bring to the horror and thriller table, “Loteria” would be a good collection to pick up and explore!

Rating 7: A mixed collection of dark fantasy and horror tales with a creative hook, “Loteria” is a way for rising star Cynthia Pelayo to show her range across many stories, formats, and sub genres.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Loteria” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Great Reads for Halloween”.

Kate’s Review: “The Hurricane Blonde”


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Book: “The Hurricane Blonde” by Halley Sutton

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: A former child starlet is plunged back into the dangerous glitter of Hollywood after discovering a young actress’s body in this scorching thriller about the deadly sides of both fame and family.

Hollywood is a sickness. Few people understand this better than Salma Lowe, progeny of Hollywood royalty and a former child-star turned guide of the Stars Six Feet Under tour bus. Salma spends her days leading tourists around the star-studded avenues of Hollywood, pointing out where actresses have met spectacular or untimely ends. Salma knows better than anyone that a tragic death is the surest path to stardom. Her own sister, Tawney, dubbed the “Hurricane Blonde” for her off-camera antics, was murdered in the mid-’90s, and the case remains unsolved. Salma herself has sworn off acting and just hopes to stay out of trouble…until a real dead body is discovered on her tour, on the property where her sister once lived.

Salma soon realizes something uncanny: it’s not just that this woman is dead at her sister’s address–she also looks just like her, and is wearing Tawney’s distinctive hair clip. When the police investigation goes nowhere, Salma has no choice but to plunge herself back into the world she left behind to search for her sister’s killer…who may have just struck again. But the search for the truth will take her deep into the rot of Hollywood past and present, into her family’s own long-buried and terrible secrets.

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

I can honestly say that the first thing about “The Hurricane Blonde” by Halley Sutton that really caught my attention was the cover. I mean, look at that cover! The unsettling neon pastiche framing an anonymous woman alone is very eye catching, but then reading about the plot of this book it just really clinched it. What says the flashy and attention seeking Hollywood culture more than bright colors and a gauche veneer and an unsettling undercurrent? I didn’t really know what to expect from “The Hurricane Blonde”, and while there were some things that didn’t necessarily reinvent the wheel, there were other things that really impressed me. And unsettled me.

In terms of the mystery side to this story, it’s fairly straight forward with some pretty familiar beats. Our protagonist Salma is trying to distance herself from the past traumas of her murdered up and coming starlet sister Tawney, as well as her addictions, her mental health spiral, and the way that all of that was so very public because of her status of being the daughter of Hollywood icons. When a woman is found dead on Tawney’s old property, and she looks just like Tawney did, Salma is suddenly determined to try and figure out how to prove that Tawney was murdered by her ex-fiancé, who is now a powerful director. The story is told in both the present as well as in flashbacks to the time right before and right after Tawney died, presenting clues and puzzle pieces as Salma pushes herself further and further into the dark truths of show business and the way it makes victims of ambitious young women and girls. I kind of figured out a few of the reveals pretty quickly, and Salma’s investigation was pretty much everything I expected it to be.

BUT, for the kind of easy to figure out solutions this mystery thriller has, its greatest strength is the way that it absolutely calls out the toxicity of Hollywood culture in regards to the way it treats the young women who aspire to rise to stardom. And how even in death they can continue to be exploited and dehumanized. We not only have the disturbing and tragedy filled lives of Tawney and Salma, the daughters of Hollywood royalty who ended up dead or in a severely damaging addiction spiral (respectively), but we also see the ways that other women in the story within the industry have had to contend with misogyny, abuse, racism, and how the public makes a spectacle out of very real pain. This books pulls no punches whatsoever, going to dark places with some very disturbing moments and reveals. It really pulls apart Hollywood not only within the story, but also in real life, making mention of other young women whose pain and tragedies are either still spoken of as lore (like Dorothy Stratten, or Dominique Dunne, or the Black Dahlia) or have been revealed many years after the fact (like Loretta Young being raped by Clark Gable and ‘adopting’ her own daughter to avoid the scandal of an out of wedlock child). Certain beats of this book take inspiration from all of this, and that is what makes it stand out.

“The Hurricane Blonde” is a relentless critique of Hollywood abuse and violence towards women who want to find success there. Be prepared for the darkness and the triggers that come with it, but it sets itself apart from other thrillers because of it.

Rating 7: A dark and bleak critique of Hollywood culture and the way it chews up women and spits them out, “The Hurricane Blonde” is a twisted thriller with lots of simmering anger.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Hurricane Blonde” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but similar titles include “Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood”, and “The Lady from the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick”.

Kate’s Review: “Missed Cue”

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Book: “Missed Cue” by Lynn Slaughter

Publishing Info: Melange Books, August 2023

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

Where You Can Get This Book: Amazon

Book Description: When ballerina Lydia Miseau dies onstage in the final dress rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet, homicide detective Caitlin O’Connor is faced with the most complicated case of her career. She strongly suspects that someone murdered the ballerina, and her investigation uncovers several people close to the star who had reasons to kill her. But the autopsy reveals no apparent cause of death. If Lydia Miseau was murdered, who did it, and how?

Meantime, there’s Caitlin’s hot mess of a personal life. She has a bad habit of getting involved with married men. She knows it’s wrong, so why does she keep entangling herself in unhealthy relationships? She’s finally decided to go into therapy to find out.

Review: Thank you to Melange Press for sending me an ARC of this novel!

This is going to sound really sick, but if I am being honest and vulnerable, I am almost always going to be totally interested in a mystery or thriller or what have you if it involves a dead ballerina. As someone who has always been clumsy and on the, shall we say, more ample side, ballet was NEVER going to be in the cards for me. But I have always been SO interested in ballet as a medium and as a culture that could be rife with drama due to competitive and cutthroat undertones. So when I was offered “Missed Cue” by Lynn Slaughter, I was pretty intrigued. I had read another book by Slaughter (“Deadly Setup”) and had enjoyed it for the most part, so I was more than happy to give her another go, especially since this time it involved a dead ballerina and a complicated female detective.

As a concept I thought that “Missed Cue” was compelling. We all know that I do have a soft spot for crime procedurals, and I did enjoy the character of Detective Caitlin O’Connor with her skills as a competent detective as well as a bit of a mess in her personal life. It may be a bit of an old reliable character trope in many a detective procedural of someone who is great at their job but a bit bad at recognizing their own emotional pitfalls, but it works for the character and I’m not sick of it yet! Caitlin is not only having to deal with a strange and complicated new case, she is also dealing with some fallout from an affair she had with a married colleague, and ALSO dealing with her partner dealing with his own messed up personal life that is leaking into their partnership, and it makes for some interesting beats that can tie into the mystery at hand. I do think that it felt like at times that were were jumping into a characterization that was already halfway through its journey, as at times I was thinking ‘are there previous books that set up these dynamics and plot points and relationships?’ when, in fact, there are not. And this made it feel like some of the things presented weren’t as realized as they could have been.

I thought the mystery was pretty well developed, with some good suspects with understandable motives, and some fairly well done misdirections to boot. While it was mostly from a third person POV involving Caitlin, there were occasional insights into other characters where we would get their perspectives in certain moments that served to either give more clues that Caitlin wouldn’t have, or to muddy the waters a bit. I think that, like with the characterizations mentioned above, there could have been some expansion on the mystery and the details of everything, as as it was it was very straightforward and linear in how it all unfolded. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does leave me wanting more.

The most interesting and effective part of the story for was actually the moments that we got to see Caitlin in therapy. It is so rare, at least in my experience, in procedurals to see characters, protagonists or not, getting mental health help, even if they desperately need it. And seeing Caitlin in her sessions as she works through some of her issues, whether it’s bad choices she’s made or anxieties about her partner and her love life, was a refreshing addition to the story. It added another dynamic to the story, and it felt pretty original and interesting.

So overall, “Missed Cue” is pretty solid. A thriller with some curveballs and some unexpected upending of tropes thanks to the hard boiled detective actually trying to better herself. It’s nice seeing that kind of thing in a genre where damaged characters are the norm.

Rating 7: A solid thriller with a compelling plot, but I would have loved for the mystery to have more drawn out complexities.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Missed Cue” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Women Who Solve Crimes”.

Kate’s Review: “What Never Happened”


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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”.

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

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

Book: “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”

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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.

Serena’s Review: “Wolfsong”

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Book: “Wolfsong” by TJ Klune

Publishing Info: Tor, July 2023

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

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

Book Description: Oxnard Matheson was twelve when his father taught him a Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then his father left.

Ox was sixteen when the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harboring a secret that would change him forever. The Bennetts are shapeshifters. They can transform into wolves at will. Drawn to their magic, loyalty, and enduring friendships, Ox feels a gulf between this extraordinary new world and the quiet life he’s known, but he finds an ally in Joe, the youngest Bennett boy.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his heart. Violence flared, tragedy split the pack, and Joe left town, leaving Ox behind. Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he’s a man – charming, handsome, but haunted – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

The beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and family.

Review: I was definitely excited when I saw that Tor was republishing this series by TJ Klune. For one thing, I think the colorful, vibrant colors of these new covers are much more in line with Klune’s style of storytelling than the grimdark covers on the originals. Further, I’ve enjoyed the books I’ve read by Klune in the past, and I’m always down for unique fantasy story featuring romance and werewolves!

Per the usual, I do enjoy Klune’s overall style of writing. I know that some struggle with what they perceive as an overly lyrical and flowery approach to word choice and sentence structure, but as a reader who often enjoys lyrical writing, this has always been a bonus for me. Are there times when it may approach the level of saccharine? Perhaps, but, at its core, this is also a romance novel, and I do think that if there is a place for this style of writing, the romance genre is most often where you find it.

I also liked the world that Klune presented here. I grew up in rural/small town northern Idaho, so I’m always partial to stories that take place in small towns. More often than not, paranormal romances take place in urban environments, so it’s always nice to see one set in different locations. I also liked that we see the entire story play out through Ox’s head, the human half of this love story. As I said just recently, I can’t express how relieved I am to open a book nowadays and NOT discover alternating POVs.

However, I did struggle with the romance at the heart of this story. We meet these characters veeerrrry young, and that age issue was really a hang up for me from the very start, as the book doesn’t shy away from the “fated pair” thing right from the start. And that just feels kind of icky with the very young versions of these characters. Beyond that, the age difference is not unsubstantial, especially during the period of time where one of them was 17 and the other several years old. I’ve heard people describe this book as “Twilight but Bella picks the werewolf” and in a lot of ways that is about right. But it’s also right in the unfortunate way: each book has some kind of icky age issues when you get right down to it.

Klune is a very popular author, and I know that this series was well-received its first go around. So I’m sure there are readers who will gobble this up! But if you’re a romance reader who struggles with large age gaps and some of the questionable sides of “mated for life” romance tropes, this one might not be for you.

Rating 7: For some, this will be right up their alley. For me, I couldn’t get past the age issues right from the start, even if it did improve as they aged.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Wolfsong” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Best Shapeshifter/Werewolf books.

Serena’s Review: “Ebony Gate”

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Book: “Ebony Gate” by Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle

Publishing Info: Tor, July 2023

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

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

Book Description: Emiko Soong belongs to one of the eight premier magical families of the world. But Emiko never needed any magic. Because she is the Blade of the Soong Clan. Or was. Until she’s drenched in blood in the middle of a market in China, surrounded by bodies and the scent of blood and human waste as a lethal perfume.

The Butcher of Beijing now lives a quiet life in San Francisco, importing antiques. But when a shinigami, a god of death itself, calls in a family blood debt, Emiko must recover the Ebony Gate that holds back the hungry ghosts of the Yomi underworld. Or forfeit her soul as the anchor.

What’s a retired assassin to do but save the City by the Bay from an army of the dead?

Review: I’ll be honest, I had no idea this was a modern day, urban fantasy novel until the moment I started reading it! I mean, it does mention San Francisco right there in the summary, so I really have no excuse. I think I just focused on the first paragraph and the overall feel of the cover art style. But I was definitely pleased when I did get it all straight in my head! I’m always on the look out for a good urban fantasy series, and this one definitely had a lot of unique ideas being presented right off that set it out to a good start.

While this book wasn’t the perfect fit I was hoping for, there was a lot to like, starting with the aspects that make it unique from other urban fantasy and paranormal novels. For one thing, I really enjoyed the use of San Francisco and China Town as the main location for the story. The location felt fresh and vibrant, and I loved how Chinese culture was woven throughout this aspect of the story. I particularly enjoyed how the various magical families had their own territories and would compete for power and wealth. This book has been marketed as a “female John Wick” story, and you could definitely see how this comparison could be made with this secretive, often violent, society operating within the borders of what we think is regular life.

There were also a lot of interesting magical elements to be found. In particular, the gates themselves and how access and use of them are managed. I also liked the choice to have Emiko herself not being a magic user, instead having to rely on her fighting abilities to make her way through this world. This was especially interesting for her having come from a supremely powerful magical family, and how this lack of magic has defined her life and choices. However, this did lead to times where I found myself becoming more interested in Emiko’s mother’s story than Emiko’s own.

And that speaks a bit to where the story started to come apart for me. Emiko is a pretty straight-forward urban fantasy heroine. I’m not sure quite why this is, but there is a bit of a standard to be found in urban fantasy and paranormal fiction where the leading character isn’t necessarily super complex with loads of depth or personality. And the same can be said about Emiko. Was she the worst? No. But was she particularly compelling on her own? Also, no. Much of the book is spent with her fixating on her own lack of magical abilities and her resistance to falling back into a life of killing (a resistance that is obviously futile as is seen within the first few chapters even). I kept hoping we would get a bit more from her, and it just didn’t come.

But my main struggle came with the style of writing itself. It’s a very straight-forward, “telling” sort of writing. In many ways, again, it does fit with the style of writing often found in urban fantasy/paranormal fiction. But here, I really did find some of it wanting. There was a very repetitive use of language and sentence structure that immediately hit me. Within the first few pages, there was a paragraph where the word “thug” was used to describe a group of people three times. On my kindle, this one word was literally stacked upon itself in three lines. Not only is this an unforgivable lack in creative vocabulary, but it speaks to the overly straight-forward approach to style and substance that the same word needed to be used three times in such quick succession to describe a scene and its action. From there, it really was hard to not be continuously distracted by the weak points of the writing itself. There were filler words dropped in everywhere, and an overall lack of any unique style or expression. Readers who really enjoy urban fantasy and paranormal fiction may be less bothered by this than I am, however, as there is a standard set in this subgenre for a fairly straight forward, “telling” sort of writing.

While I did struggle with this book, I am intrigued by the overall concept and world. Emiko also seems like a great character that can grow a lot in future books, even if all we got here was the very basic foundation for who she is. I will likely continue this series, just to see where it’s all going, and hopefully some of the writing wrinkles will smooth over in future books, as well.

Rating 7: A vibrant new urban fantasy world, if only held back by some weaknesses in the writing and a lack of overall depth to the main character.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Ebony Gate” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Urban Fantasy Books.