Tag: 7 Rating

Serena’s Review: “Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue”

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Book: “Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue” by Kate Pearsall

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, January 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: As Caball Hollow slowly recovers after a tumultuous summer, the James family must also come to terms with their own newly revealed secrets.        18-year-old Rowan James has spent her whole life harboring unpleasant truths—that’s what happens when you can smell people’s lies—and building walls around herself to block them out. Like her younger sister, Linden, who can taste the feelings of others, Rowan has long resented her gift, which has taught her that everyone lies and no one is who they seem to be. So when her old nemesis, Hadrian Fitch, the biggest liar of them all, shows up on her front porch—bloodied, broken, and asking for help only she can give—her first instinct is distrust. But something new is stalking the Forest that surrounds Caball Hollow.       Now things are disappearing. At first, it’s small stuff—like letters, photos, and keys. But then, Rowan notices people around her are losing their memories. And when the body of a neighbor is found in the middle of town, Rowan knows there’s a link between this death and all the events disturbing the Hollow. Can she find what—or who—the link is before it takes another life?

Previously Reviewed: “Bittersweet in the Hollow”

Review: While “Bittersweet in the Hollow” wasn’t a perfect read for me, it got a lot of things right, particularly with regards to the atmosphere of mystery and creepiness that surrounds Caball Hollow. I also always enjoy stories about a bunch of sister with magical powers, so there’s that. Rowan didn’t play a huge role in that story, but I was definitely intrigued by her character and excited to see where her story would go in this sequel!

So, to get it out of the way, this one probably came in at around or a bit below the same level as “Bittersweet:” in that, I definitely see parts that I appreciate, but it also failed to capitalize on its strengths in a way that would have elevated it to a higher level for me. But let’s start with the good, as always. Like “Bittersweet,” one of the biggest strengths of this book is its overall tone and the vibe of this small town and the dark woods that surrounds it. It worked out in a strange way that I was reading two books back-to-back with this general setting (Adrienne Young’s “A Sea of Unspoken Things” was the other), and I found that I appreciated the use of this setting just as much here as I did there.

Beyond the mysteriousness of the woods and the dangers it contains, I also liked the exploration of small-town life. Particularly, the challenge of living in a town with such a limited population where you know everyone, for better or worse. Forgive and forget becomes a necessity to functioning in an environment like this, sometimes for very practical, economic reasons, as we see here with the family’s café that depends on the town folk for business even if some of them have behaved in truly terrible ways.

However, as I read, I found myself really struggling with the pacing and some of the plotting of this book. It’s just a very slow read, taking a long time to really get started, with what feels like numerous “false starts” to the plot. Further, as I continued to read, I was dismayed to see so much time spent on events and characters from the first book. In some ways, Lindon was allowed to overshadow Rowan in Rowan’s own book, which is always disappointing. I’m not sure whether the author simply didn’t have a robust enough storyline for Rowan herself or what. But I do think this book may have been more successful as a novella or shorter companion piece. As it stands, it feels as if Rowan was short-shifted as a main character.

In a similar way, the romance was very lackluster. It wasn’t bad, and I did enjoy moments with the romantic lead. But at the same time, I failed to really feel any chemistry between these two characters. I felt as if I was being told they were developing feelings for one another, but I wasn’t getting any of that on the page. For a character like Rowan with her particular ability with lying, there should have been plenty of material to build a complex romantic relationship, so it was disappointing to see the book flounder in this way.

Overall, this was an ok read. If you enjoyed the first book and Lindon as a character, this one is probably worth reading simply for the large emphasis on the events of that book and that character. If you were hoping for a truly fresh-feeling story and a clear development of Rowan as her own character, however, you may find yourself as disappointed as I was.

Rating 7: The story shines with regards to its atmosphere and mysterious vibes, however, weaker characters brought it down a bit in the end.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue” can be found on this Goodreads list: YA Novels of 2025.

Kate’s Review: “Missing Mom”

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Book: “Missing Mom” by Lynn Slaughter

Publishing Info: Fire and Ice Young Adult Books, January 2025

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

Where You Can Get This Book: Amazon

Book Description: Devastated by her mom’s sudden disappearance and the evidence pointing to suicide, seventeen-year-old Noelle, an aspiring ballet dancer, doesn’t believe her mom would ever have taken her own life. She undertakes her own investigation to find out what really happened to her mother.

Meanwhile, Noelle is dealing with growing romantic feelings for Ravi, her best friend and fellow dancer. And she’s worried about her little sister, Whitney, who won’t talk about why she doesn’t want to visit their dad.

Threaded throughout the novel is also the story of Savannah, a young woman whose escape from an abusive marriage nearly two decades earlier turns out to be connected to Noelle’s investigation.

Review: Thank you to Books Forward for sending me an ARC of this novel!

We all know that I’m a huge sucker for stories about missing people, especially when their loved ones take on the mantle of figuring out what happened. So it’s probably not super shocking that when Lynn Slaughter’s new YA mystery “Missing Mom” ended up in my inbox, I was pretty on board to give it a whirl. I’ve enjoyed Slaughter’s mysteries in the past, and when you take a trope I love and offer it up to me I’m almost always going to be game.

Our main narrative is that of Noelle, a teenager whose mother has disappeared unexpectedly, leaving Noelle with her younger sister Whitney and her stepfather Carl reeling and worried. To make matters worse, Noelle has other stresses in her life, like her strained relationship with her father (who Whitney is unwilling to be around), and her growing romantic feelings for best friend/dance partner Ravi. Noelle’s storyline was a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, I did enjoy seeing her try and do her own investigating about her missing mother when the authorities seem to be dropping the ball, as that kind of mystery is always tantalizing to me. On the other hand, I thought that sometimes her voice didn’t feel as authentic and read abrupt or immature. I also thought that her nerves about Ravi and their relationship and the conflicts there felt a bit out of place given all the other traumatic things that were coming out in her life, not only with her mother, but revelations about Whitney (side note/spoiler alert: content warnings are definitely needed in this book for pedophilia and CSAM, so be warned in that regard). But the mystery at hand, especially the one I’m about to talk about, mostly made up for it.

I think that the stronger narrative in this book was that of Savannah, the woman whose story we are following from almost two decades prior as Noelle is trying to find out what happened to her mother. Savannah is a young wife who is starting to realize that her marriage to her new husband Mack is an abusive one. I thought that these chapters were incredibly suspenseful as we see her find herself as a frog in a pot of slowly boiling water, and thought that these were pretty straight forward portrayals of escalating abuse. And while it was a bit simplistic in presentation like the Noelle parts, I was still really hoping that Savannah would find her way out (and honestly I knew she would, but still, I was very eager to see her journey to freedom from Mack and his violence).

So while I think that some of the characters of this book were a bit stilted, I was interested enough in the mystery to find out how it all came together at the end.

Rating 7: A suspenseful mystery with some compelling flashbacks makes for an entertaining read!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Missing Mom” isn’t on any Goodreads lists but it would fit in on “Missing People Books”.

Serena’s Review: “The Starlight Heir”

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Book: “The Starlight Heir” by Amalie Howard

Publishing Info: Avon, January 2025

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

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

Book Description: When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith—one of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm—but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.

But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who draws her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the starbringer—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.

When the rebels carry out a brutal strike, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the starbringer. But Roshan is hiding secrets of his own. And with no control of the power that seems to be stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of the old gods themselves…and the interest of one dark god in particular might be the biggest threat of all.

Review: Not going to lie, a major appeal point for this book was the beautiful cover! So all props to the artist who put this together! I was also excited by the general premise of the story, especially a story focusing on a female blacksmith and all of the potentially badass moments that could exist for a character like that. On top of all of that, I was simply excited to see this marketed as an adult fantasy novel, as I’ve struggled more and more to find books that fit within this category, with most fantasy falling in either YA or romantasy subgenres. So, let’s dive into what the book actually had to offer!

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite work for me, all the more frustrating because I think the author had the bones of a good story here. First and foremost, the world-building was interesting, especially everything that drew from Persian culture and history. I particularly enjoyed all portions of the story when we really got a chance to dig into some of these aspects of the world; unfortunately, these bits were few and far between. There were even some glaring missed opportunities to explore this further, particularly with some of the fashion choices at the ball scenes early in the book.

This ball scene also lead into one of my primary points of struggle with the story: it felt like the author couldn’t fully commit to what sort of story she was trying to write. The first thirty percent or so of the book is taken up with this rather silly bride competition (not sure how an author can make that concept NOT silly, especially in an adult book, but I’d be happy to be proven wrong if someone can provide an example!). But then, as the story progresses, we quickly learn that the entire premise of this competition was completely pointless and the story switches gears into a much more action-packed adventure story. The bride competition would likely have always been a bit of struggle point for me, but it was all the worse when it was immediately undercut in this way. Further, the overall pacing of the book felt very strange, with the first bit so fully committing to a much slower “Bridgerton”-esque style plot and then, with whiplash inducing speed, changing pace completely into a high stakes adventure.

As for the characters, I will say that I appreciated that the romantic lead was not of the brooding sort, and instead a much more light-hearted character. I swear, if I read one more romantasy title where the hero is a shadow daddy with black hair and grey eyes, I’m going to swear off the subgenre for many moons. That said, I did feel that this character’s attachment to our heroine walked right up to the line of instalove, coming on very quickly and with very little real foundation to it.

I was much more frustrated with Suraya, however. Part of this comes down to the unfortunate dialogue often given to the character, her speeches chock full of modern lingo that grated on my nerves every time I came across it. At best, this style of dialogue gives me secondhand embarrassment for the author, and at worst, I’m actively cringing. Luckily, by the second half of the book, the story has picked up its pace to the point that the dialogue needed to be devoted to actual plot points, thus reducing these lingo bits. However, throughout it all, I also found myself just wanting…more from Suraya. Her entire concept is one of power and potential, and yet, again and again, she comes across as unable to think for herself or make a decision on her own without reference to those around her. She also spends way too much of her internal musing focused on Roshan’s looks, to the point that it began to be distracting from the rest of the story.

Overall, I didn’t love this book. I feel like the pacing was disjointed and the heroine was let down by poor dialogue. That said, it was also quite readable and I whipped through it fairly quickly. It also reminds me of a lot of other popular romantasy titles that are currently fairly beloved, so I think there are definitely readers out there! I’ll say, it you, too, are tired of brooding heroes, this one might be worth checking out just for the change of pace in the romantic lead!

Rating 7: While there was potential in the world-building and certain plot twists, I struggled with the modern dialogue and the weaker characterization of the heroine.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Starlight Heir” can be found on this Goodreads list: Romantasy 2025

Serena’s Review: “Upon a Frosted Star”

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Book: “Upon a Frosted Star” by M.A. Kuzniar

Publishing Info: HQ, November 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: When the snow falls, she will be free…

The invitations always arrive the same way – without warning, appearing around the city on the first snowfall of the year, simply inscribed with ‘Tonight.’

When struggling artist, Forster, finds an invitation, he’s bewitched by the magic of the evening, swept up in the glamour of this notorious annual party and intrigued as to who is behind them.

Determined to find out more about the mysterious host, Forster discovers an abandoned manor house silent with secrets and a cursed woman who is desparate to be free…

Review: First of all, thanks to Sophia for reaching out about coverage for this book! Somehow, I had totally missed this title, and it’s one of those books where the cover alone promised that it would be the sort of fantasy novel that I should be checking out! There are big time “Seven Swans”/”Swan Lake” vibes happening here, and both of those are two of my favorite fairytales to start with!

While this one didn’t quite hit all of the highs I had hoped for, there were a couple of strengths I wanted to highlight first. The overall feel of this book was very fairytale-like and romantic, you could almost feel the wintery themes jumping off the page! While it’s still fall here in MN, I can see how this would be a perfect read to cozy up with in the midst of winter.

Another strong point was was the rather simple decision to frame the story from the MMC’s perspective. Honestly, I tend to gravitate towards and prefer stories that follow female main characters, but that also makes it all the more refreshing to read a fantasy story like this that follows the male character instead. For his part, Forster was an intriguing character to follow, and I enjoyed viewing this world through his lens. That said, once he becomes enthralled by Detta, many of his inner monologues became a bit repetitive, all too prone to cycle through pining and complaints about the unfair nature of the situation. Some of this is to be expected, but after a while it also started bogging down the tone and pacing of the story.

The pacing itself was also a bit of a struggle. I enjoyed the set-up of the world, meeting the characters, and the first foray to one of these mysterious parties. But as the plot progressed, many of these things began to feel as if they were spinning their wheels. It all began to feel too repetitive, with some of the chapters between these events feeling like filler. By the end, I was left wondering why so much time was spent on side characters (like Forster’s friends) who really played no major role in story or why, if we’re going to get chapter perspectives from Detta, they were introduced so late in the story.

Overall, I think this book is strong in the wintery vibes of its worlds and in the quality of writing, particularly with regards to the dialogue, which I thought was very well done. However, the actual plotting and some of the characterization felt a bit more wobbly. If you’re a fan of this author’s other book, this one is probably worth checking out. And if you’re looking for a nice wintery story, this might also hit the spot!

Rating 7: The strengths lie in the seasonal tone of the story and the strength of some of the writing, however the pacing and plotting are a bit more hit-and-miss.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Upon a Frosted Star” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Fairytale Like Books.

Kate’s Review: “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year”

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Book: “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year” by Ally Carter

Publishing Info: Avon, September 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC24.

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

Book Description: Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.

The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room three days before Christmas.

Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt: She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery. He’s Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy. She hates his guts. He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone. She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor. Assuming they don’t kill each other first.

Review: Thank you to Avon for providing me with an ARC of this novel!

This month is flying by, just like EVERY December flies by and I find myself scrambling to complete my holiday shopping and tasks. At the very least Hanukkah isn’t starting until the 25th, so my preparedness has a little bit of wiggle room thanks to both holidays falling at the same time this year. Which brings a little respite. And since we are now so close to the winter holidays, it’s time for me to do my week of holiday themed books! I saw “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year” by Ally Carter at ALAAC24 this summer, and knew that it was going to be one of my holiday book spotlights. I mean, what’s not to love? A Christmas romcom/mystery with two bickering author would be lovers at the heart of it? Of course I’m interested! And I was able to basically read it in one go while on a flight at the start of the month!

As a mystery, it was fine. I do like a locked room mystery, and this one is a fairly standard set up. We have two mystery writers, Maggie and Ethan, who are kind of rivals (mostly in her mind), and who have been invited to an English countryside estate of famous thriller author Eleanor Ashley for Christmas. Both leap at the chance, though Maggie isn’t thrilled to see Ethan, and is less thrilled when the company Eleanor keeps is filled with stuffy and prickly upper crusters. And then Eleanor disappears from a literal locked room, and everyone is a suspect in her disappearance. And of course Maggie and Ethan have to team up to try and solve what happened, and find out if there is a potential murderer in their midst. It’s a pretty classic whodunnit tale, and it hits the beats you’d imagine. As a cozy mystery this fits pretty well, but didn’t really reinvent the wheel.

But while the mystery itself was pretty run of the mill, this definitely reads like a Hallmark Christmas movie, and that works in its favor. I have a tradition of watching cheesy Christmas rom coms with some friends every holiday season, and I felt like this book has a lot of the elements of the movies of this ilk that work the best for me. There is some solid witty and flirty banter between Maggie and Ethan, with a solid tension to start that isn’t aggressive enough to make me feel weird about them coupling up. There are, of course, misunderstandings and miscommunications, and a festive backdrop with a cast of characters who don’t really contain much depth or complexity, but do act as sufficient supports for the would be couple as they try to solve the mystery and figure out if anyone around them is, in fact, a danger to everyone in the isolated and snowed in country estate. I also enjoyed Maggie’s vibes of being incredibly alone during the holidays, as it channeled Sandra Bullock in one of my FAVORITE Christmas movies “While You Were Sleeping” (which I saw later Ally Carter confirmed she was going for on Threads. It was a successful channeling!). And Ethan was charming and a nice foil to her as well, and it made me root for them.

So on the whole “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year” worked better as a romance for me than it did as a complex mystery, but it really brings in the holiday vibes. I fully suggest settling in with a nice cup of cocoa, a warm blanket, and a cozy fire on a chilly winter’s evening as you read this one.

Rating 7: A cute holiday mystery and rom com that is a charming read for the upcoming holidays.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year” is on the Goodreads lists “Holiday Season Romance Reads”, and “Best Reads of the Holiday Season”.

Serena’s Review: “A Monsoon Rising”

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

Book: “A Monsoon Rising” by Thea Guanzon

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, December 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: NetGalley!

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

Book Description: After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. When the time comes to act, can she trust him, or must she ignore her heart for the sake of so many others?

As the master of the Shadowforged Legion, Alaric has trained for battle all his life, but marrying a Lightweaver might be his most dangerous challenge yet. With tensions between nations churning, he needs to focus on the greater threat—the Moonless Dark, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything. Only he and Talasyn can stop it, with a powerful merging of light and shadow that they alone can create together. But saving their world from this disaster is a mere preface to his father’s more sinister schemes, and his wife is a burning flame in the darkness, tempting both his loyalties and his desires.

The Hurricane Wars aren’t over. It’s time to choose what—and who—to fight for. The world holds its breath amidst a whirlwind of new magic and old secrets that could change everything.

Previously Reviewed: “The Hurricane Wars”

Review: December is always a slow month for new books. That being the case, I was relying on this sequel as one of my few newly released books to cover (I often devote my other review days during December to catching up on various sequels that I couldn’t fit in during the months in which they came out). I very much enjoyed “The Hurricane Wars” when I read it last year and thought that it did a great job setting up the world and the characters, leaving an intriguing pathway forward for the story to take! But, while I still enjoyed a lot of what this book had to offer, this is one of those titles that I can hold up in the future as an example of “middle book syndrome.”

Let’s start with the good however! Much of what I enjoyed from the first book is still strong here. For one thing, the writing is compulsively readable. While I could step back and have critiques of the pacing, plotting, and some of the character beats, while I was reading it I felt fully immersed. I read it over a few days and largely enjoyed the entire experience. Not a lot really happens in this book (one of my main criticisms) so it speaks to the author’s talent with readability that I never felt bored as I was making my way through the book.

I also still very much enjoyed our main characters and their love story (mostly). One thing that I appreciated the most was the fact that Talasyn and Alaric are following a more traditional “enemies to lovers” path. In that, this book doesn’t easily do away with the fact that these two have been on opposing sides of the war for years, have fully realized histories before they began falling for one another, including loyalties, friendships, and ideologies. None of these could or should be easily set aside just because they meet someone they begin to have feelings for (honestly, I can’t count the number of romantasy titles that really struggle with this aspect of the entire “enemies to lovers” trope. If your characters can get over being “enemies” within the first book, let alone the first half of the book, then they were either A.) never enemies to begin with or B.) are simply poorly written with no actual characterization to them outside of this burgeoning love story). The love story does make progress throughout, but the book also takes place over a few months time, adding another layer of believability to this relationship. But even still, by the end, they are by no means clearly on the same side, even still.

And now, the counter argument to everything I said above: while I appreciate the slow-burn nature of this book, I’m not convinced this needed to be a trilogy. For all that the slower nature of the plot works for the romance, it also doesn’t work for the trilogy as a whole. There were numerous scenes in this book that felt wholly unnecessary or as if they were simply inserted into the story because an editor had pointed out that no actual action had taken place for chapters and chapters, with the focus only being on the characters’ inner thoughts and building love story.

Part of this has to do with how the book has tried to balance two different points of conflict: one is the upcoming apocalyptical event that only Talasyn’s and Alaric’s combined magic can save everyone from and the other is the actual war that they both have been fighting. By essentially saving the entire war conflict for the next book, it made this book’s handling of this huge threat, the Moonless Dark, feel almost like a strange side quest that didn’t really matter.

And then there were even some fairly major reveals and twists in this area that are revealed towards the end, but, again, by the nature of the structure of the trilogy as a whole, I wasn’t quite sure what I was supposed to do with this revelation. It was this big moment, and then it just felt like it landed with a thud and was quickly kicked into the corner to set up the final events for the third book. Was this plotline really necessary? Instead, it felt like this entire set-up only existed as an excuse to make Talasyn and Alaric work together over the course of the first and now this book; I felt like I could see behind the curtain and spied the author wrangling the plot into place only in service of getting the romance from point A to B, not something you ever want to see.

But, as I said, I read this book very quickly and still enjoyed the actual reading experience. If I came away wondering a bit why this had to be an entire book, instead of re-structured into a more tightly plotted duology…well, that’s unfortunately often the case in fantasy fiction these days. That said, the set up for the third book is very good and I’m excited to see where it all goes!

One last note on the romance: while I appreciate the true slow-burn nature of the love story, I truly hope that the betrayals/secrets/lies aspect gets dealt with early in the next book. I’d love to see a significant portion of the plot devoted to these two finally working together. Two books as “enemies” and one book as “lovers/allies” is, for me, the correct balance.

Rating 7: Fans of the first book will likely enjoy this one, and, at its peak it highlights a true commitment to telling an “enemies to lovers” romance. But, on the other hand, there’s very little true plot to be found here.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Monsoon Rising” can be found on this Goodreads list: Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2024.

Kate’s Review: “You’ve Got the Map Backwards”

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

Book: “You’ve Got the Map Backwards” by Brian Usobiaga

Publishing Info: Self Published, April 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an epub from the author.

Where You Can Get This Book: Amazon

Book Description: A year removed from high school, lifelong friends Aisha Kinseya and Sarah Piedmont find themselves lost in different places. Struggling with depression, Sarah’s growing dependency on alcohol lands her in rehab. Aisha, in the midst of her second year of college, finds herself increasingly isolated as a crippling anxiety begins to overwhelm her.

Finding solace in familiarity, the two girls reunite only to have their friendship fracture. As they search for answers, Aisha and Sarah discover how relationships can change. How knowing someone your entire life doesn’t mean you know them forever, and how, if you want to grow, there are certain things you must leave behind.

Review: Thank you to Brian Usobiaga for sending me an epub of this novella!

We are starting to wind down 2024, with Thanksgiving next week and then the whirlwind of the holidays kicking into overdrive. I had such an anxiety filled year that I’m actually kind of behind on my reading goals, if I’m being honest, and usually that means that I’m not really taking chances or risks in genres outside of the ones I love. But that said, when author Brian Usobiaga reached out to me with his novella “You’ve Got the Map Backwards” a few months back, even though I KNEW that I was going to be going outside my genre, I was so intrigued by the premise that I wanted to give it a go! So let’s depart from horror, thriller, cozy mystery, and graphic novels to take on a coming of age contemporary novella!

(source)

This is, quite obviously, not the usual kind of fare that I spotlight on this blog, but I was intrigued by the story as someone who has had falling outs with close friends once we hit a certain age and different paths in life (not due to any addiction issues or anything like that, however). And I liked that Usobiaga decided to focus the story on both Sarah’s struggles as well as Aisha’s struggles, and how sometimes friendship can be complicated when both people in the relationship are going through things, even if those things are quite different. We follow both of them through their own perspective moments, with Sarah dealing with being fresh out of rehab and teetering back towards alcohol, and Aisha trying to adjust to college while also taking on Sarah in hopes of supporting her and helping her after rehab. Usobiaga is pretty frank about how difficult Sarah’s path is, as she is in a very vulnerable place and not equipped to deal with trying to stay sober after her program has completely. Sarah is an interesting character because I found her to be incredibly maddening, but I also really felt for her. I also liked Aisha’s perspective as she is trying to hold her own in school as her connection to her father is distanced and somewhat strained, while also feeling a loyalty to Sarah even though Sarah is a mess and bordering on taking advantage of Aisha’s kindness. Their friendship is very complex and I really liked getting both of their perspectives to be able to see both sides.

I think that the only hangup I had was that sometimes the time shifts were confusing. There were definitely headers that lets the reader know that we are now in a different place in time, sometimes a decade behind even, but I found myself having to go back and remind myself when a certain moment was taking place because it felt a bit like the other moments in time that we were seeing play out. I’m someone who really likes structured time jumps that follow a pattern, so ones that are a bit more creative tend to confuse me, and this may not be a problem that translates to all readers.

I found “You’ve Got the Map Backwards” to be an emotional and quick read, with characters whose pain felt very real and who we hope will find some healing. I’m happy I took a chance on it!

Rating 7: Shorter and to the point, “You’ve Got the Map Backwards” is a story about addiction, friendship, and a crossroads between two people who mean a lot to each other.

Reader’s Advisory:

“You’ve Got the Map Backwards” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but if you like friendship dramas with some honesty and a little bit of hope, this would be a good match for you.

Kate’s Review: “Sundown in San Ojuela”

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Book: “Sundown in San Ojuela” by M.M. Olivas

Publishing Info: Lanternfish Press, November 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: When the death of her aunt brings Liz Remolina back to San Ojuela, the prospect fills her with dread. The isolated desert town was the site of a harrowing childhood accident that left her clairvoyant, the companion of wraiths and ghosts. Yet it may also hold the secret to making peace with a dark family history and a complicated personal and cultural identity.

Setting out on the train with her younger sister Mary in tow, she soon finds herself hemmed in by a desolate landscape where monsters and ancient gods stalk the night. She’s relieved at first to find that her childhood best friend Julian still lives in San Ojuela, but soon realizes that he too is changed. Haunted.

Yet she’ll have no other choice than to seek out his help as the darkness closes in.

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

I will admit that when I am prepping for ALA I generally find myself more focused on strategy to get ARCs before I look at panels that may be of interest. What can I say, I love getting books. But I usually do find some panels that pique my interest, and this past conference I found one about speculative fiction and indie publishing that was really interesting. One of the speakers was M.M. Olivas, an author I hadn’t heard of before that moment, but whose debut novel “Sundown in San Ojuela” sounded VERY interesting indeed. She described it as a spaghetti western meets the vampire films “Near Dark” and “A Girl Who Walks Home Alone at Night”. HOW COMPELLING. I threw it on my NetGalley list and when the time finally came to read it I sat down and dove in.

The spaghetti western influences are definitely there, as are the vampire films that Olivas mentioned, and I found “Sundown in San Ojuela” to be a multi layered story about homecoming, trauma, and identity in the shadow of colonization. Our horror elements take a lot of inspiration from Latine and Chicano folklore and some of the horror stories that come from that, be it Chupacabras, El Coco, or ancient Aztec gods. Throw in some vampires for good measure and you have yourself a real feast of supernatural suspense, with a woman who can see ghosts at the forefront as she confronts her family’s past in Casa Coyotl where her aunt resided until her death. I always love a character who can see ghosts, and Liz is a great protagonist who I was more than happy to root for as she and her sister Mary return to Aunt Marisol’s home in San Ojuela. I also loved Liz’s connection to Santa Muerte, and how she is already searching for dire answers when she realizes that monsters are everywhere in this town she thought she had left behind. I really enjoyed some of the deeper subtexts of this book, especially in relation to the Latine experience in areas near the border, and the generational traumas and violence that has been passed down since the conquistadors and still expresses itself through racism, oppressive immigration laws, and the way Latine people, both citizen and immigrant, are exploited and cast aside.

But the one downside of this book is how there are a number of shifting POVs, and not just in terms of character perspectives. There are lots of characters that get some focus, it’s true, but my bigger qualm was how we would go from first person to third person to sometimes even second person, which is SUCH a tricky voice even when it’s the main one being focused on. Since we were jumping a lot between these different voice types, I found it jarring and a bit of a jolt, which pulled me out of the writing. Which was too bad because I didn’t want to be taken out of the story at hand, so distractions were frustrating. And there was also a bit of wide net that was cast in this book, with LOTS of action going on with LOTS of characters having LOT to do, and I feel like perhaps it could have been tighter. All that said, it didn’t detract from the story too much!

“Sundown in San Ojuela” was a fascinating horror tale with a lot of clear influences that I really dug. I’m so happy that I went to that panel so that I could hear all about it from Olivas herself, because I’m not sure I’d have found it otherwise!

Rating 7: So many great layers and a unique and twisted horror tale is elevated by Latine folklore, though some of the POV shifts are jarring at times, and it sometimes felt like a wide swath that could have been tighter.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Sundown in San Ojuela” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but I kept thinking about Isabel Cañas and V. Castro and their novels as I read this one.

Blog Tour: “Servant of Earth”

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Book: “Servant of Earth” by Sarah Hawley

Publishing Info: Ace, November 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: Kenna Heron is best known in her village for being a little wild—some say “half feral”—but she’ll need every ounce of that ferocity to survive captivity in the cruel Fae court.

Trapped as a servant in the faeries’ underground kingdom of Mistei, Kenna must help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials, one for each branch of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn’t, the punishment is death—for both mistress and servant.

With no ally but a sentient dagger of mysterious origins, Kenna must face monsters, magic, and grueling physical tests. But worse dangers wait underground, and soon Kenna gets caught up in a secret rebellion against the inventively sadistic faerie king. When her feelings for the rebellion’s leader turn passionate, Kenna must decide if she’s willing to risk her life for a better world and a chance at happiness.

Surviving the trials and overthrowing a tyrant king will take cunning, courage, and an iron will… but even that may not be enough.

Review: There are a million and one Fae romantasy titles coming out nowadays (it’s probably a tie between dragons and Fae, though I think Fae has the lead). It’s a good problem to have if you enjoy these subgenres (which, in theory, I do, regardless of some of the bigger misses I’ve read recently), but it also makes it difficult to wade through and decide which titles to check out. That being the case, I was excited when I was approached to participate in this blog tour! Yes, please take some of the decision making out of my hands!

This book was a bit of a hit-and-miss experience, but there were definitely aspects that I enjoyed. For one thing, I’m always down for a fantasy story that involves sentient weapons! No on will do it better than T. Kingfisher with “Swordheart,” but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate other author’s take on the concept! And this one was pretty fun!

I also enjoyed exploring this Fae world. I always appreciate it when authors don’t shy away from some of the darker aspects of Fae that are often present in older fairytales and folklore. Of course, this is often immediately counteracted by some super sexy shadow daddy of a character (yep, we potentially have one here as well!). But this book definitely goes into some darker themes, elevating the danger that our heroine faces to levels that truly feel threatening at times.

The writing was also strong and compelling, and I found it easy to become drawn into the story. However, as the book progressed, some of the plot points and twists started to feel pretty obvious. One fairly major reveal, in particular, was telegraphed so early and so strongly that it ended up landing with a bit of a thud when it was finally confirmed. It had gotten to the point where there was literally no other explanation for what was going on, which made it a bit frustrating to deal with a main character who wasn’t putting two and two together.

I also struggled with the romance. I can’t say for sure, but it feels like this one may be going the ACOTAR route, with one love interest being set up at the beginning and then with another to take over as the true partner in the next book. Personally, I always struggle with books that go this route. For me, it makes it feel as if I’ve wasted an entire book’s worth of character growth and interaction on a story that was, essentially, meaningless preamble before we get to the true good stuff.

It also doesn’t help that this book, like ACOTAR and so many like it, goes with the obvious choice where the handsome, charming one may end up being the jerk and the cold, dark one is actually the greatest guy ever. If some author wants to truly write a unique and compelling romantasy novel with an actual twist, for the love of god, I beg you, write your first guy as the cruel dark one and then have him (surprise!) end up actually just being cruel and then have the kind, charming one (let’s make him blonde to really shift the tropes) swoop in to show a heroine how healthy relationships should look! If anything, this would be a true twist in a genre that is too often drowning in predictable plots and tropes.

Overall, this was an enjoyable enough read. It felt overly familiar in a lot of ways and relied on particular tropes that I find tedious. However, the writing was strong and the world-building had potential. For those not feeling worn out by the current trends, this one is likely a great next read!

Rating 7: A bit too predictable to be truly enjoyable, however I enjoyed exploring this world and would probably be interested in seeing where the story goes from here (particularly with regards to the direction of the romance).

Reader’s Advisory:

“Servant of Earth” can be found on this Goodreads list: Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2024

Kate’s Review: “Snow Drowned”

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Book: “Snow Drowned” by Jennifer D. Lyle

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, November 2024

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

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

Book Description: There’s a saying on Fall Island: if you’re not careful, the snow will get you.

Gracie Hutchinson has lived on Fall Island her whole life and knows there’s some truth to those words. Fall’s snowstorms have a spooky way of claiming people, making them disappear without a trace or driving them mad. Now, with a hundred-year-storm approaching, most of Fall’s residents have fled to the mainland. But not Gracie. Left behind her with physician father, she braces for landfall.

Gracie’s not the only one left behind. Her classmate Joseph Wescott, descendant of the legendary pioneer who founded Fall Island, has stayed, too. After a chance encounter, the two stumble across something more unsettling than the snow: a ritually mutilated corpse. By night, as the snow begins to fall, it becomes clear that whoever (or whatever) murdered the man they found has their sights set on Gracie.

Seeking refuge at Wescott Manor, Gracie feels safe surrounded by dozens of locals hunkered down in the huge house. But as the storm assaults the island, Gracie discovers secrets that have been kept since Fall was settled. If she can’t uncover the hidden history and terrifying truth about Fall Island before the storm’s end, she’ll be the next to disappear into the snow.

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

Being a Minnesota girl, I know a thing or two about snowstorms. I actually kind of enjoy a nice hardcore blizzard, assuming that I’ve had enough time to prepare for it (i.e. stock up on comfort food, wine, and a bunch of books or movies/TV shows) and that I don’t have to drive in it. It’s probably no surprise, then, that I really like wintery horror stories, so of course I really wanted to read “Snow Drowned” by Jennifer D. Lyle. The description had me thinking of Stephen King’s amazing miniseries “Storm of the Century”, so I thought I knew what I was getting into. But I was wrong, and wrong in a good way.

Unfortunately I can’t really tell you WHY I was wrong because of spoilers, so I will give you other reasons as to why this book worked pretty well for me. The first is that I genuinely enjoyed the slow burn build of the horror and mystery at the heart of Fall Island as a monumental snow storm is approaching. We follow Gracie, a teenager whose family has been on Fall Island for generations, and who has been a bit isolated at home as she and the rest of the island awaits for a huge storm to hit. But when she and Joseph Wescott, the heir apparent to the devout founding family of the town centuries ago, find a body that seems to have been ritually murdered, things start to spiral out of control. I liked seeing Gracie hole up with the Wescotts in their mansion, and how Lyle slowly unfolds that this well regarded and deeply religious family has some dark secrets, and that Gracie is, unfortunately, about to play a key role. The Gothic vibes of the island were well done and the family was unsettling and sinister, and it had me turning the pages looking for more.

In an attempt to avoid spoilers but talk a little about other things that worked, I can say that “Storm of the Century” is accurate, but you have to throw in some folk horror and a family conspiracy edge that harkens to “Ready or Not” and other privileged wealthy antagonists. Lyle holds these things pretty close to the vest, and I was genuinely caught off guard a few times as I read this book. Lyle lays out the clues, and she does it in a way that make perfect sense but still kept me guessing at least part of the time. I also really loved the swerve that we took right before the climax of this action, as I was expecting one kind of sub genre and then got something all the more interesting that had a GREAT pay off. There was a bit of a quibble I had that kind of knocked some points off, and that was the ending wrap up had another swerve moment that made me groan, and then set up for a potential sequel. Would I read the sequel? Possibly! But the initial ending was so satisfying that I wish we hadn’t even laid the groundwork at the last moment.

Winter is coming, folks, and “Snow Drowned” is going to be a perfect horror read for a snowy dark night. A YA horror winner in a genre that sometimes gets a bit rocky in that age group, which I’m always happy to see.

Rating 7: A YA horror that had some solid surprises and scares, though the ending was a bit of a disappointment.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Snow Drowned” isn’t on many Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Horror Novels Set (largely) in Winter/Snow”.