Tag: 8 Rating

Serena’s Review: “The North Wind”

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

Book: “North Wind” by Alexandria Warwick

Publishing Info: S&S/Saga Press, May 2024

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

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

Book Description: Wren of Edgewood is no stranger to suffering. With her parents gone, it’s Wren’s responsibility to ensure she and her sister survive the harsh and endless winter, but if the legends are to be believed, their home may not be safe for much longer.

For three hundred years, the land surrounding Edgewood has been encased in ice as the Shade, a magical barrier that protects the townsfolk from the Deadlands beyond, weakens. Only one thing can stop the Shade’s fall: the blood of a mortal woman bound in wedlock to the North Wind, a dangerous immortal whose heart is said to be as frigid as the land he rules. And the time has come to choose his bride.

When the North Wind sets his eyes on Wren’s sister, Wren will do anything to save her—even if it means sacrificing herself in the process. But mortal or not, Wren won’t go down without a fight…

Review: I’ve had some trouble recently with fantasy/romantasy stories that are billed as read-alikes to “Beauty and the Beast” or “Hades and Persephone.” To be fair, these are fairly difficult romances to represent in a way that both tells a good love story but also doesn’t make one or both characters fairly unlikable or hard to empathize with. Too often the “Beauty/Persephone” character gets too easily distracted by the hero’s hotness to remember she’s angry and a prisoner. And too often the “Beast/Hades” character is more of a raging a**hat than a romantic interest. All of that to say, I was both excited and nervous to pick up this book, which clearly was going to a tell a story involving these types of characters.

Well, this is how you write these sorts of characters! The story itself is great as well, but I really think that books like this really live and die on how well the main characters are represented. And here, both of them are fantastic. Wren, of course, being our perspective character, was the most important of the two, and I really enjoyed her character arc. As I mentioned above, here is a heroine who retains her sense of self, not one to be distracted into forgetting her anger or suspicion by the sight of a chiseled jaw. Instead, Wren’s story focuses more on her own journey, one that tackles not only trust, but also coping with her life choices (particularly her struggle with alcoholism) and with the toxic familial relationships that have severely impacted her sense of self. While I think the discussion of addiction was well handled, I was even more impressed by the way this author navigated the complicated sibling relationship between Wren and her twin sister. Wren’s story is one of coming to understand how she has previously defined herself and reclaiming her own agency over her actions, choices, and life.

And while she is exploring these concepts, a significant amount of the story is still devoted to her challenging relationship with the North Wind. She doesn’t trust this man, and indeed, I was pleased to see her following through on her distrust and anger throughout a large chunk of the book, almost the entire first half. This very much makes the story a slow burn romance, of the sort that I prefer. Because as both Wren and Boreas come to understand one another, we slowly see them dropping their shields. Love cannot come from lust alone, and this book does an excellent job of prioritizing their growing emotional connection before delivering the goods in the spicey scenes. I also loved the excellent snark and banter between the two, something that continues throughout the book, even when the characters begin to grow closer. Their dynamic is compelling to the end.

I also enjoyed the North Wind and his story. The book doesn’t shy away from grappling with the harsher points of his character, and I was also surprised with some of the reveals that came later in the story. There were some real wallops that come in heavy towards the end of the book, which I think helped add some true depth to this character. He’s also the quiet, stoic romantic hero that always particularly appeals to me, so there’s that.

Aside from the characters, I very much enjoyed the world-building that went into this story. There were many familiar elements, but it also all came together in interesting ways. I also know that this is the first book in a series, each seeming to follow one of the four brothers, the gods/Winds. That being the case, we meet a few characters here that are sure to show up in future books, and I’m especially interested in how one character will be dealt with, given the events of this story.

Overall, if you enjoy romantasy, this is a great slow-burn romantic tale. There was an excellent balance between the fantasy and the love story, and the two main characters were well-written and conceived. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book when it comes out!

Rating 8: A perfect example of how to blend the fantasy and romance genres, with two incredible characters at its heart!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The North Wind” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Feel-good romantasy and Best Books About Mythology

Kate’s Review: “Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit”

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

Book: “Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” by Nadine Sander-Green

Publishing Info: House of Anansi Press, April 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from Zg Stories.

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

Book Description: A woman’s coming-of-age through a toxic relationship, isolation, and betrayal―set against the stark landscape of the far north.

Millicent is a shy, 24-year-old reporter who moves to Whitehorse to work for a failing daily newspaper. With winter looming and the Yukon descending into darkness, Millicent begins a relationship with Pascal, an eccentric and charming middle-aged filmmaker who lives on a converted school bus in a Walmart parking lot. What begins as a romantic adventure soon turns toxic, and Millicent finds herself struggling not to lose herself and her voice.

Events come to a head at Thaw di Gras, a celebration in faraway Dawson City marking the return of light to the north. It’s here, in a frontier mining town filled with drunken tourists, eclectic locals, and sparkling burlesque dancers, that Millicent must choose between staying with Pascal or finally standing up to her abuser.

In the style of Ottessa Moshfegh’s honest exploration of dysfunctional relationships, and with the warmth and energy of Heather O’Neill, Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit illuminates what it’s like to be young, impulsive, and in love in one of the harshest environments in the world.

Review: Thank you to Zg Stories for sending me an ARC of this novel!

While I am usually a person who loves predictability and not so much spontaneity, one of the areas where I DO tend to divert from the norms is my reading. And while that isn’t shown as much on the blog, I found myself compelled to dip my toes outside of my usual genres when the book “Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” by Nadine Sander-Green came across my path. I was wholly taken with not only the setting of a small town in The Yukon (far up North small towns are very near and dear to my heart, even if my frame of reference is more Minnesota and Wisconsin versus Canada), and it sounded like an interesting character study of a woman trying to find herself, and unfortunately being targeted and manipulated by a toxic older man. So while it MAYBE had some thriller potential due to the latter bit of that, I felt that even if it was ultimately not a thriller, I still wanted to give it a go. And I’m happy I did, because “Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” hit a nerve in a good way.

“Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” is a contemporary novel that follows Millicent, a twenty four year old woman who has uprooted her life to take a job at a small town newspaper in an isolated community in The Yukon called Whitehorse. Her only initial connection is her roommate Sophie, a friend from university whom she has drifted from, and her new job has left her with a serious case of imposter syndrome as she is at her heart a poet, not a journalist. The small town setting is both claustrophobic, but also striking and very grounded. I could imagine Whitehorse, I could almost see all the people, and the dark winter landscape as Millicent tries to adjust. I also got a full sense for the community as a whole and the very real issues that happen within the time and place, with references to relevant social issues in the Yukon in regards to politics and the First Nations people who are living there, and the ins and outs of a dying newspaper that Millicent works for. It’s a quieter novel, but I found it very engaging perhaps in part because of that. Millicent is a bit of a fish out of water, and her isolation, even from her supportive roommate and coworkers, makes it easy for her to be drawn to Pascal, a local eccentric who fancies himself and artist and is living a transient lifestyle in a bus like a mercurial bohemian. His eccentricity makes him stand out in this setting, which is so well drawn out by Sander-Greene that his appeal, at least on the surface, is wholly believable (and more on him in a bit).

Another thing I enjoyed about this book is how straight forward it is in terms of the plot and narrative. As we follow Millicent’s story, there are few bells and whistles, very little melodrama, no twists, and no big reveals to upend expectations of the plot. Instead we just have a very clear cut story about a young woman who is trying to find herself in a new environment that can feel quite isolating, and who becomes wrapped up with a manipulative and charismatic man in the hunt for connection. And this thread in the book was what stood out to me the most, this portrayal of a toxic relationship and how a smart young woman could find herself entangled within it. Pascal is absolutely a villain in this book, but his villainy is very well done in that it is very subtle and very easy to see why Millicent, who is yearning for connection and with an idealistic view of the world, could be sucked in by him. He’s charming, his life seems artistic, romantic, and interesting, and how many times have we heard of older men preferring the company of young women because of, at least in part, how much they can control them, and manipulating them to feel connected and genuine. Pascal is sinister as hell, but he never feels like an moustache twirling antagonist that is over the top with his malevolence, and if anything that makes him that much scarier.

“Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” was a gratifying shift from my usual genres, with a powerful new voice for contemporary and literary works. I will certainly be looking out for more works by Nadine Sander-Green in the future!

Rating 8: A compelling, quiet, and intense story about isolation, identity, and finding oneself in the face of abuse and hardship.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on the Goodreads list “The Yukon”.

Serena’s Review: “Ruthless Vows”

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

Screenshot

Book: “Ruthless Vows” by Rebecca Ross

Publishing Info: Wednesday Books, December 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

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

Book Description: Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.

Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.

Previously Reviewed: “Divine Rivals”

Review: Sometimes I find it difficult striking a balance between keeping up with all of the new releases that I’m sure readers are looking for reviews for while also not slipping behind on books that are parts of a series and have sequels coming out during that same period of time. So, alas, here we are several months after the fact for a review for the second half of the wildly popular “Letters of Enchantment” duology. *les sigh*

I’ve been a big fan of Ross’s stories for a while now, so I have been incredibly pleased to see this duology so well received by many readers who are new to her work. That said, while I do like this book and its predecessor, I have to make a small plug for some of her earlier books, which I think are even stronger! But, of course, the focus of this review is this book. The last one ended on a huge cliffhanger, so I went into this one with a lot of pent up anxiety about where the story would go from here! The book picks up two weeks after the events of the previous book, with Iris back in the city and Roman behind enemy lines with his memories wiped.

I was a bit concerned about how this story would play out with our two main characters separated once again and with Roman’s lack of memories, but I was pleased with the way this was dealt with. The author doesn’t wipe the board completely clean, but instead neatly maneuvers the characters through a series of events that keeps the focus strong on their romance. While I still think the first book’s love story was the stronger of the two, I will always appreciate sequels that allow the love story to move further forward, instead of resetting it completely. Yes, we have to see these two rediscover each other to some extent, but we also get a fairly significant portion of the story that deals with them reconciled and moving through the next stages of their relationship.

I also really enjoyed the scenes we had from Roman’s perspective, the chance to see behind enemy lines and meet the big bad that was so often discussed in the first story. I particularly enjoyed the exploration of the soldiers who had been forcibly recruited, all struggling with memory loss and fighting for a cause they didn’t choose. In Iris’s chapter, we explored themes of loyalty, resistance, and the experiences of the civilians in a city under siege. Like the first book, these scenes of warfare were all incredibly powerful, presenting some of the many moral challenges faced by those in these situations.

I do think the book struggled a bit with how Dacre himself was dealt with. There were several points in the story where I struggled to understand some of his decision making. For such a powerful god, it didn’t make sense that he was relying on Roman and even Iris so much in the ways that he did. How these two weren’t outright murdered several times is frankly beyond me. But, believability aside, I still liked the overall themes of this book enough to not be too put off by that.

Overall, this was an excellent sequel to an excellent duology! Fans of the first book are sure to love it (who am I kidding though, all of the big fans have already read it by now!) and, with a conclusion as solid as this one, the entire duology is one I’d recommend to readers looking for a fresh take on a YA fantasy novel!

Rating 8: Love, war, and the impossible choices found therein, this duology is one of the best in YA fantasy out there!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Ruthless Vows” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Best YA Sequels and Romantasy.

Kate’s Review: “Missing White Woman”

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

Book: “Missing White Woman” by Kellye Garrett

Publishing Info: Mulholland Books, April 2024

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

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

Book Description: The truth is never skin deep.

It was supposed to be a romantic getaway weekend in New York City. Breanna’s new boyfriend, Ty, took care of everything—the train tickets, the dinner reservations, the rented four-story luxury rowhouse in Jersey City with a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline. But when Bree comes downstairs their final morning, she’s shocked. There’s a stranger laying dead in the foyer, and Ty is nowhere to be found.

A Black woman alone in a new city, Bree is stranded and out of her depth—especially when it becomes clear the dead woman is none other than Janelle Beckett, the missing woman the entire Internet has become obsessed with. There’s only one person Bree can turn to: her ex-best friend, a lawyer with whom she shares a very complicated past. As the police and a social media mob close in, all looking for #JusticeForJanelle, Bree realizes that the only way she can help Ty—or herself—is to figure out what really happened that last night.

But when people only see what they want to see, can she uncover the truth hiding in plain sight?

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

Two years ago I really enjoyed Kellye Garrett’s book “Like A Sister”, as I found it tense, complex, and endlessly readable. Because it was such a win for me I was absolutely interested in reading anything new that she came out with, so of course “Missing White Woman” was going to make my must read 2024 list. Already enjoying the author is a huge plus, but the name alone carries promise of deconstructing certain problematic issues in media and the public when it comes to in real time true crime. Just icing on an already promising cake, really.

Approaching this as a thriller first and foremost, Garrett has once again crafted a really interesting mystery that not only has some solid twists and turns, but a perspective that has some greater weight due to the sad realities of systemic racism (and societal but more on that later) in the United States. Our protagonist is Breanna, a Black woman who is on a much needed short vacation at an Airbnb in Jersey City with her new boyfriend Ty. While it starts out well, the on the last day Breanna wakes up in the house to find not only Ty has disappeared, but there is a dead body in the house, who appears to be that of Jenelle Beckett, a missing white woman whose disappearance has gone viral online. Breanna is met with some suspicion by the cops, though their focus is mostly on Ty, who is missing. It’s a simple story about a woman trying to clear her name and also the name of her new boyfriend, with the help of her former best friend turned lawyer Adore, and it has a lot of good surprises, red herrings, and suspenseful moments based not only in Breanna perhaps being in danger, not only because of not knowing Ty’s involvement, or the public starting to gnash for blood, but also because of the fact she’s a Black woman who is a person of interest in a dead white woman’s murder. It doesn’t help that Breanna has a VERY traumatic history with law enforcement, as she was the victim of police mistreatment when she was a young woman and a police officer pulled her over and profiled her as a Black woman, which led to an unjust arrest and conviction that ruined her life. This means that it not only makes Breanna more likely to be cagey around law enforcement and make her seem more suspicious to them, but that we also have to worry about it happening to her again even though we know she didn’t do it. It’s a dynamic layer that really worked for me.

Garrett also does a fantastic job of tackling some pretty relevant issues in regards to the pitfalls of true crime as it exists on the Internet and on social media platforms. And she does it in a way that doesn’t feel ham fisted or preachy! The most obvious is the subplot of a beauty influencer named Billie Regan who has platformed the story about Jenelle and is blasting it on her TikTok to seemingly build up views and to bring attention to herself/get some clout on the back of someone else’s tragedy. I really enjoyed the transcripts of Billie’s lives as she puts on a huge performance about how worried she is about Jenelle, and how she is feeding the frenzy of her followers and true crime addicts who fancy themselves armchair detectives and whips them into a hysteria about this missing white woman. Add into the way that she does her own unethical and reckless investigating and blasts Ty and Breanna to millions of followers, and makes them targets of random people who are out for blood and it’s all the more upsetting. It combines the already insidious racist implications of the ‘missing white woman syndrome’ (see the title) and how that kind of case gets ALL the focus while victims of color are all too often ignored, with a misguided mob of people who take a real tragedy and try to make themselves a part of it for clout, attention, or to feel like they are doing SOMETHING by targeting two Black people. It would be SO EASY to make this kind of commentary about true crime and social media feel well meaning and correct but SO clunky and preachy that it’s just obnoxious, as we have seen this kind of thing before (looking at you, “Black Christmas” 2019). But Garrett nails the tone, captures the gravity of it, and finds the nuance and trusts her readers to be able to parse it out without having to spoon feed it. Apparently this is a fine line to walk for some, but Garrett succeeds.

One quibble that I will note because it probably explains the lower rating number after all the well earned praise: the ending. It’s not a bad ending by any means, but it did feel a bit rushed and anticlimactic because of it. I also would have perhaps liked a little bit more time to see some of the fallout of how it all shook out. I never like feeling super rushed in a thriller.

But that’s just a quibble! Overall I enjoyed “Missing White Woman” quite a bit. It’s engaging and addicting, and with summer coming up and a need for vacation reads about to skyrocket, this is a good one to keep in mind!

Rating 8: A twisty thriller with a really well presented message about racism, social media, and missing white woman syndrome is hampered a bit by an ending that feels a little underwhelming.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Missing White Woman” is included on the Goodreads lists “2024 Mystery Thrillers Crime To Be Excited For”, and “2024 Books By Black Authors”.

Serena’s Review: “Dragon Rider”

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

Book: “Dragon Rider” by Taran Matharu

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, April 2024

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

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

Book Description: Can an orphan captive learn the secrets of the Dragon Riders to stand up and avenge his people? Jai lives as a royal hostage in the Sabine Court—ever since his father Rohan, leader of the Steppefolk, led a failed rebellion and was executed by the very emperor Jai now serves. When the emperor’s son and heir is betrothed to Princess Erica of the neighboring Dansk Kingdom, she brings with her dragons. Endemic to the northern nation, these powerful beasts come in several forms, but mystery surrounds them. Only Dansk royalty know the secret to soulbonding with these dangerous beasts to draw on their power and strength. This marriage—and the alliance that forms—will change that forever. But conspirators lurk in the shadows, and soon the Sabine Court is in chaos. With his life in danger, Jai uses the opportunity to escape with the Dansk handmaiden, Frida, and a stolen hatchling. Hunted at every turn, he must learn to cultivate magic and become a soulbound warrior if he has any chance of finding safety, seizing his destiny…and seeking his revenge.

Review: There’s something great about this title. No dissembling, no “A something of something and something” styling. Just “Dragon Rider.” You know pretty much everything you need to know right from the start: there will be dragons, and there will be people riding them! I think this will be good enough for many fantasy fans, and it certainly was for me!

There was a lot to like about this book, right from the start. It’s the kind of story that plops you down right in the middle of things and leaves it to the reader to wade through the various peoples and places that are presented on the page. Also, right from the get go, it was clear that this was going to be one of those political maneuvering stories where everyone has their own agenda and the intrepid heroes fall into the dangerous plans of others. So it is with our main character who quickly finds himself jumping out of the frying pan and straight into the fire. Of course, a lucky run in with a dragon egg changes his fate and leads to the titular concept of this book.

For all of the fact that some of the book’s core concepts were expected, I was also surprised by a large chunk of the middle of the story. There, the book suddenly turns into a survival story, with Jai and Frida (a young woman he teams up with) having to persist in the face of the elements, starvation, and danger, all while caring for a baby dragon. I really loved this aspect of the story, but I will say that it’s the kind of thing that does impact the overall pacing of the story. If readers are buckled in for a slower ride, one in which you’re immersed in the day-to-day struggles and experiences of these characters, than I think the book delivers! But it is a shift from the expectation that is presented at the start, where the focus is more on court politics.

The story also takes its time really diving into Jai’s experiences learning to manage his magic and to bond with the baby dragon. Again, much of this leads to a major slow down in the story, so it will depend on readers’ interests levels how well this part of the story succeeds. I was also surprised by just how violent this book was at times. It’s definitely not for the weak of heart with some fairly graphic scenes of violence, much of which is committed against Jai himself.

Overall, I thought this was a successful fantasy story. It’s the kind of high fantasy story that will likely appeal to readers looking for a more “classic” dragon rider story than “Fourth Wing.” It is dense and can be slow at times, so readers should keep that in mind when picking it up.

Rating 8: A well-rounded fantasy stories that highlights yet again why dragons are such beloved magical creatures!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Dragon Rider” can be found on this Goodreads list: Dragon Riders

Kate’s Review: “Indian Burial Ground”


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

Book: “Indian Burial Ground” by Nick Medina

Publishing Info: Berkley, April 2024

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

Where You Can Get This Book: WorldCat.0rg | Amazon | Indiebound

Book Description: All Noemi Broussard wanted was a fresh start. With a new boyfriend who actually treats her right and a plan to move from the reservation she grew up on—just like her beloved Uncle Louie before her—things are finally looking up for her. Until the news of her boyfriend’s apparent suicide brings her world crumbling down. But the facts about Roddy’s death just don’t add up, and Noemi isn’t the only one who suspects something menacing might be lurking within their tribal lands.

After more than a decade away, Uncle Louie has returned to the reservation, bringing with him a past full of secrets and horror and what might be the key to determining Roddy’s true cause of death. Together, Noemi and Louie set out to find answers…but as they get closer to the truth, Noemi begins to question whether it might be best for some secrets to remain buried.

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

Last year I read and reviewed Nick Medina’s “Sisters of a Lost Nation”, a horror novel that had its scariest moments not in the supernatural bits (though those were also great), but in the way it addressed the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women epidemic. It was such a visceral read that I knew I needed to see what Medina was going to write next, and so when “Indian Burial Ground” ended up on my radar I was ACHING to read it. NetGalley came through, and it ended up on my Kindle. I knew that I needed to carve out some time, because it was going to take up my literary focus once I started. And lo and behold my prediction came true. “Indian Burial Ground” had my full attention.

Like in “Sisters of a Lost Nation”, we return to the fictional Takoda Reservation in Louisiana, and not only do we get a revisit to this setting, but also so some of its side characters (I love it when authors do this, honestly, so that was a bit of a treat from the jump). “Indian Burial Ground” is told in two separate timelines. The first is in the modern day, where we mostly follow Noemi, whose boyfriend Roddy was just killed after being hit by a car, the death officially called a suicide. Noemi just can’t believe that Roddy would do that, and starts to think that something else is at play, just as her uncle Louie returns home after being away from the reservation for years. The next is in the summer of 1986, where Louie has been balancing trying to take care of his toddler niece to help out his teenage sister Lula, as well as trying to keep the family above water as their mother sinks deeper and deeper into alcoholism. During this time, strange deaths start to happen on the Takoda Reservation, as well as some desecrations at the tribal cemetary where bones are being stolen. As Louie starts piecing together rumors, histories, and seemingly supernatural clues, he starts to panic over protecting his niece. Medina effortlessly pulls these two timelines together, switching between the perspectives of Noemi and Louie, and shows an undercurrent of unrest on the Takoda Reservation that is still affecting the people who live, or lived, there. The two stories are both compelling in their own ways, one of which being supernatural and eerie, and the other more of a mystery about a tragedy and whether or not the official explanation is the actual one. And then bringing them together to tell a bigger story with realistic truths couched in supernatural horrors.

And the horrors, supernatural or not, are ample, twisted, and deeply emotional. or the more fantastical scares, I enjoyed the folklore inspirations that Medina created for the Takoda characters, with morality tales that are perhaps playing out in real time as members of the community start diverting from the path that is promoted in their culture and identity, and how that is possibly causing the destruction and deaths in the community in the summer of 1986. There were so many bits of unnerving creepiness, and it is clear to me that Medina is very talented at the slow build scary story. Whether it’s a coyote eating from a corpse in a brazen way, or a dead body suddenly rising up as if alive, I was creeped out many times during my read. But it’s also the real life horrors that Medina delves into in this book that pack a serious punch, with themes of addiction, mental illness, systemic racism, poverty, and many other tragic circumstances of the Takoda people living on the reservation. It could be teenage Louie being parentified to care for his cousin and another child in the community, or his and Lula’s mother being in the throes of alcoholism to the point where she isn’t caring for her children anymore, or the possible mental illness that Noemi just can’t accept as a very real truth in Roddy’s life. It were these moments that really got to me because they were all so emotional and frank about living as an Indigenous person on a reservation in America, and the lack of societal supports given.

“Indian Burial Ground” is dark and unrelenting, and it is another triumph from a fresh new voice in horror writing. Definitely recommended.

Rating 8: A deeply disturbing and heart wrenching horror novel that takes its scares from folklore inspiration, as well as the all too real horrors of being Indigenous in America.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Indian Burial Ground” is included on the Goodreads lists “Indigenous Fiction 2024”, and “Horror to Look Forward to in 2024”.

Serena’s Review: “Dragonfruit”

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

Book: “Dragonfruit” by Makiia Lucier

Publishing Info: Clarion Books, April 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. An unwanted marriage, a painful illness, and unpaid debt … gone. But as with all things that promise the moon and the stars and offer hope when hope has gone, the tale comes with a warning.

Every wish demands a price.

Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.

Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time – hope.

But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.  

Review: I always am interested in a book about dragons! But while I’ve read a million and one (still love them though) stories about European-style dragons, I’ve read fewer based on Eastern cultures. And I was particularly intrigued that this story was drawing from Pacific Island mythology, of which I know very little. Plus, the colorful, vibrant cover is very distinct from the other YA fantasy stories out there! I always appreciate it when publishers buck trends in cover art and produced unique covers that actually fit the specific story within!

I really enjoyed this book! Right from the start, the story begins with a bang and never really slows down for the entirety of the story. The world-building, with its history of dragon hunters, dragons, and the magical and rare dragonfruit they produce is all neatly divvied out whenever there’s a break in the action. We quickly learn about our main character Hanalei and the way in which dragonfruit has shaped her life to this point. She was both saved by it, but also estranged from her home country and branded a traitor, losing family, friends, and home all in one swoop. However, as the story continues, we see that Hanalei’s past is not viewed the same by those around her, and when she finally makes her way back home, these old ties come back in surprising ways. I enjoyed the general arch of her character, especially the contradictory feelings she has towards dragons and dragonfruit. More than most others, she understands not only the magic of the dragonfruit, but also the costly price. Even more importantly, she sees what many do not, that this cost is not only born by the humans touched by a curse, but by the dragons themselves, hunted for their young.

This in particular stood out to me, the way in which the dragons were handled. They were very much presented as majestic, wild animals, with that coming all of the beauty and horror of nature. They are wonderous, yes, but they also hunt people, and the book doesn’t shy away from the human cost that exists in a world with natural predators as mighty as these dragons. There is also a strange balance of tone that this brings to the story. As far as as Hanalei and Sam’s story goes, this book can read as a very cozy YA fantasy, with their romance coming across as very sweet and innocent. But on the other hand, there is so much tragedy with the dragons. If you’re bothered by violence towards animals, this one might be a struggle. I do think it was important that the book put to the page some of these scenes, to properly highlight the challenging choices faced by our characters, but there’s also just a lot of it. I definitely shed tears more than once.

I will say that by the end I was left wanting a bit more, especially with regards to the morality of dragonfruit. I appreciated that the author simply laid out these scenes before the reader and trusted that they could come to the correct judgement about the horror of using dragonfruit for wishes, but I wish there had been a bit more acknowledgement of this situation spoken about on the page between the characters. By the end, the reader has a good understanding of things, and you feel that the characters do, too, but there still seemed to be at least one or two important conversations needed to make it feel well-rounded.

On the same note, some of the cozy vibes of this story (which I very much appreciated on the whole!) seemed to coincide with a few almost cartoonish depictions of the books’ villains. There were a few characters, especially in the beginning, who were of the sort where you simply love to hate them. And that is all well and good, but, again, by the end of the story, I was left wanting a bit more depth to all of these characters. I will say that one of these did end up having an interesting arc, though I also felt this was fairly predictable past a certain point.

Overall, however, I very much enjoyed this book! It was a fast read, and I completed it in two sittings. The main characters, especially, were incredibly relatable and I loved their heart-warming romance. I also really loved the dragons of this world, they were an integral part to the story and they did not let me down! If you’re looking for a breath of fresh air in the YA dragon books arena, definitely give this one a shot! Just have some tissues on hand!

Rating 8: Full of heart and tragedy, this is a YA dragon book for all those looking for a fresh entry into a tried-and-true subgenre!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Dragonfruit” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Obscure Books Worth Considering and YA Novels of 2024.

Serena’s Review: “The Hemlock Queen”

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

Book: “The Hemlock Queen” by Hannah Whitten

Publishing Info: Orbit, April 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher

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

Book Description: The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore—a necromancer and former smuggler—to his right hand side. Together they plan to cut out the rot from the heart of the sainted court and help the people of Dellaire. But not everyone is happy with the changes. The nobles are sowing dissent, the Kyrithean Empire is beating down their door, and Lore’s old allies are pulling away. Even Prince Bastian’s changed. No longer the hopeful, rakish, charismatic man Lore knows and loves, instead he’s reckless, domineering and cold. 

And something’s been whispering in her ear. A voice, dark and haunting, that’s telling her there’s more to the story than she knows and more to her power than she can even imagine. A truth buried deep that could change everything. 

With Bastian’s coronation fast approaching and enemies whispering on all sides, Lore must figure out how to protect herself, her prince, and her country before they all come crumbling down and whatever dark power has been creeping through the catacombs is unleashed.

Previously Reviewed: “The Foxglove King”

Review: While “The Foxglove King” wasn’t a perfect read for me, it did solidly set up the series in all of the ways that mattered. The world seemed interesting. The characters drew me in. The ending set up a bigger conflict to come. And, best of all, I wasn’t completely turned off by the love triangle being set up (truly a rare thing). On top of that, Whitten has yet to truly let me down with any of her books, even if I’ve liked some more than others. So it was with great eagerness that I finally got to this book when going through my TBR pile!

This was an incredibly interesting second book in this series. On one hand, I do think it’s the kind of sequel that asks its readers to put a lot of trust in the author and the over-arching plot of the trilogy as a whole. Its’ definitely a middle book, setting up a lot of moving pieces that will not see a conclusion in this story. As well, in the first third to even half of the book, several of the characters read very differently from how they appeared in the first book. Lore, our feisty survivor, spends much of the beginning of this story in a very passive, reactive role. So much so, that we see her willfully sticking her head in the sand about what is going on around her and becoming distrusted to reliably act by those close to her. But, as the story progresses, I really enjoyed the character reflection that this brought about. In the first book, we see a Lore who will fight to survive. But much of survival is also endurance and remaining out of the way in dangerous situations, and in this book we see a Lore who knows how to adapt quickly to whatever circumstances she finds herself in, prioritizing her day-to-day existence over radically challenging anything around her. This is a much less sexy side of survival, but I think there’s a case to be made that this trait is even more important than “fighting.”

I also enjoyed the nice parallels between Lore’s awakening to the reality of her own situation alongside the stirrings of the old gods themselves. We get so much great information and backstory for these gods and the story twisted and turned in many exciting ways. There were tons of reveals, but by the end, I still felt like I had barely scratched the surface of what is currently going on with the gods and what had happened between them in the past.

Returning to the “trusting the author” theme, Bastian, too, was a character who read very different at times in this book than he had in the first. Here, I feel like the explanation/understanding of what was going on was fairly easy to predict early on, thus assuaging any fears of fans. But I have still seen several disappointing Goodreads reviews where readers essentially DNF’d this early saying that Bastian had gotten the “Tamlin treatment” from ACOTAR. This book just goes to show how readers need to give stories a chance to develop before jumping to conclusions and potentially missing out on an excellent story.

As for the third member of our group, we see a lot less of Gabe in this book than in the first, which was my biggest disappointment. I did like the scenes we had with him, but he very much felt like a background character for much of the story. This makes sense as far as the story goes, especially with Lore’s own character arc of slowly accepting the truth about their situation, but it does leave him with a much-reduced plot from what we saw in the first.

As far as the romance goes, I feel like the author has to be setting up more of a throuple situation at this point than a true love triangle. If anything, I found Lore’s repetitive thoughts about “why can’t I have both” to be a bit too on the nose, especially given how often she reflected on this point. Now, I don’t love throuple stories personally, but I will say, this is by far the best variation on this type of romance that I’ve read. While it’s not my preference, Whitten has laid down excellent groundwork building up strong relationships between all three characters. There’s also the very real possibility that this will all end in tears. Who knows!

Overall, I thought this was an incredibly successful sequel. The story is slow to start and asks the readers to trust that the characters will work through their challenges, but once it gets going, boy does it move! There is a ton of world-building included in this one, and I also enjoyed the greater scope of the political situation, with other countries now nipping at the heels of a seemingly weakened new King. The story also ends on a fairly massive cliffhanger, so readers beware as far as that goes! But, if you enjoyed the first book this series, definitely check this one out!

Rating 8: A sense of dread slowly simmers to build to a climatic crescendo that will leave readers aching for the next book in the series!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Hemlock Queen” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Most Anticipated Adult Romances of 2024 and Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2024

Kate’s Review: “The Reappearance of Rachel Price”

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

Book: “The Reappearance of Rachel Price” by Holly Jackson

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, April 2024

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

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

Book Description: Lights. Camera. Lies.

18-year-old Bel has lived her whole life in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished and young Bel was the only witness, but she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, long presumed dead, and Bel wishes everyone would just move on.

But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to a true crime documentary. Bel can’t wait for filming to end, for life to go back to normal. And then the impossible happens. Rachel Price reappears, and life will never be normal again.

Rachel has an unbelievable story about what happened to her. Unbelievable, because Bel isn’t sure it’s real. If Rachel is lying, then where has she been all this time? And – could she be dangerous? With the cameras still rolling, Bel must uncover the truth about her mother, and find out why Rachel Price really came back from the dead . . .

From world-renowned author Holly Jackson comes a mind-blowing masterpiece about one girl’s search for the truth, and the terror in finding out who your family really is.

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

Holly Jackson is one of my must read authors, as I absolutely adored her “Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” series (note to self, pick up the novella based in that universe, it’s been on your shelf for far too long!). I also enjoyed her other standalone novel “Five Survive”. So I was, of course, super eager to get my mitts on her newest YA thriller “The Reappearance of Rachel Price”. NetGalley came through, and it’s no surprise that I read the book in about two sittings. Yep, we have another addictive thriller from Jackson on our hands!

Our cast of characters has a few to chew on, led by Bel, teenager whose mother Rachel Price disappeared sixteen years ago, and who has lived with her father Charlie and tried to cope with the feeling of loss and, in some ways, abandonment. Bel is not a likable character, but I imagine that it absolutely reflects the trauma and loss she has been dealing with ever since Rachel disappeared. And not only that, but being defined as the daughter of a notorious missing woman, and all the baggage that comes with it. So while she wasn’t exactly likable, I really did like her, and thought that she was a totally different voice from some of Jackson’s previous characters, and a convincing one at that. I liked how she interacted with those around her, whether it’s her fierce devotion to her family (especially her cousin Carter), or her flirtatious and snarky relationship with Ash, a young man on the camera crew of the documentary, or even her relationship with the newly re-appeared Rachel, as Bel refuses to accept that Rachel is just back and that is that. Her hostility towards her mother is very in character, but it also makes for a compelling reliability issue; after all, Bel feels a HUGE sense of abandonment and resentment towards Rachel (as until she reappeared it was unclear as to if she had just left or met with foul play), so it’s hard to know if her observations of potentially odd behavior are clouded by this. Rachel is also a fascinating character, as you are only seeing her through Bel’s perspective, and it’s hard to gauge what her deal is. Is it really Rachel Price who has returned? If it is her, is she telling the truth about her whereabouts, and if she is, why are there things that it seems like she’s hiding? I liked the weird cat and mouse dynamic that Bel and Rachel have in this book, as it makes the suspense that much higher. And I also have to shout out Ash, the quirky camera assistant whom Bel takes a shine to. He’s a goofy and kind ray of sunshine when she is an abrasive ball of resentment, and their dynamic is pretty cute.

As for the mystery elements, Jackson really knows how to keep her readers guessing. I have a terrible habit of trying to figure out the twists in any book that I’m reading instead of just going along for the ride, but in “The Reappearance of Rachel Price”, I found myself trying to guess and never quite getting it right. At first, when the documentary crew starts to film and we are learning about Bel and Rachel and the rest of the family, we find out that Bel thinks Rachel just ditched her, while the community thinks that Charlie had something to do with her disappearance (even though he was exonerated by a jury), so when Rachel reappears, and seems to be hiding things, we get a whole new level of mystery. She lays the puzzle pieces throughout the narrative and has enough misdirection throughout that for me the answer was just out of reach, and I while I was somewhat on the right track I was still surprised by elements of it. She also builds up the suspense in a very well paced way, and I found myself questioning and getting nervous in the same ways that Bel was as the story progressed. And while one of the final pieces and explanations/solutions didn’t QUITE fall into place for me and felt a little too easy (I won’t be spoiling it however), one small stumble is easily forgiven because everything else was so earned and meticulously planned for. I love a tightened up thriller that seems to cover everything, it makes it all the more satisfying once you reach the end.

“The Reappearance of Rachel Price” is another triumph from Holly Jackson! She is a powerhouse in Young Adult Thrillers, and I am already very much looking forward to whatever she comes up with next. I can hardly wait.

Rating 8: A suspenseful mystery with some really well done twists, “The Reappearance of Rachel Price” is another great thriller from Holly Jackson!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Reappearance of Rachel Price” is included on the Goodreads list “2024’s Most Awaited Books”.

Serena’s Review: “Empire of Shadows”

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

Book: “Empire of Shadows” by Jacquelyn Benson

Publishing Info: Crimson Fox Publishing, April 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley

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

Book Description: One trifling little arrest shouldn’t have cost Ellie Mallory her job, but it’s only the latest in a line of injustices facing any educated woman with archaeological ambitions.

When Ellie stumbles across the map to a mysterious ancient city, she knows she’s holding her chance to revolutionize Pre-Colombian history. There’s just one teensy complication. A ruthless villain wants it, and Ellie is all that stands in his way.

To race him to the ruins—and avoid being violently disposed of—she needs the help of maverick surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling rogue who can’t seem to keep his dratted shirt on.

But there’s more than Ellie’s scholarly reputation (and life) on the line. Her enemies aren’t just looters. They’re after an arcane secret rumored to lie in the heart of the ruins, a mythical artifact with a power that could shake the world.

Between stealing trousers, plummeting over waterfalls, and trying not to fall in love with her machete-wielding partner, will Ellie be able to stop the oracle of a lost empire from falling into the wrong hands?

Empire of Shadows is the first book in Jacquelyn Benson’s smart, swashbuckling Raiders of the Arcana series. Read it now and dive into a rip-roaring historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Romancing the Stone and The Mummy.

Review: After the letdown that was “What the River Knows,” especially after learning that book had been hyped as a read-alike for “The Mummy,” I’ve found myself with a hankering to truly find a book that meets that bill. But while in the past this urge would typically draw me back towards whatever book comes next in the Amelia Peabody list, I strayed upon this book when perusing NetGalley and low and behold! There was “The Mummy” right there in the promotional material! And, luckily for me, this one more closely hit the mark, if not quite perfectly.

There are a few core pieces that I think readers are looking for when they pick up a book like this: action-packed adventure, a healthy dose of comedy, and a sweet, slow burn love story. This book delivers on all fronts! I will say that the book does take a bit to really get going, but when it does, boy, does it move. I think from a structure point, the book might have been better served if it had started a bit more forward in the story with some of Ellie’s backstory about how she came to be where she was being told through flashbacks. As it stands, it takes several chapters and a fairly significant chunk of text to get to the real meat of the story. I think the character work and overall comedic tone of the writing is strong enough to carry readers through, but I’ll admit to a temptation to skip ahead to the part where she finally gets to South America and meets Adam.

But like I said, once they team up and get started on their adventure, the pacing really moves. There are plenty of side adventures and mini action-packed set pieces that sweep the reader through the book, never knowing what will come next. There was also a good balance of action driven from the environment through which they’re travelling as well as from the villains of the story that they are racing from and against. On the last point, I was surprised with some of the directions the story took with this regard. There was a mid-point switch in the book that definitely took me by surprise, but I think worked very well to change up the structure of the story.

And, of course, I very much enjoyed both Ellie and Adam as characters. Again, I think Ellie’s backstory could have been given to us in a different manner, but I still liked what we got from her: a woman who is dissatisfied with the choices in front of her and, fairly recklessly but bravely, decides to take things into her own hands at last. Adam’s story is more subtle, but I also enjoyed some of the details of his own history and the way his life up to this point impacted his choices and priorities after meeting Ellie. I also really enjoyed their sweet, slow-burn romance. There are a few obstacles here and there, but this definitely falls on the cozy side of the genre, and I really loved it.

Overall, this was a thrilling adventure, and I loved every minute of it! I think it truly will appeal to fans of “The Mummy” and other romantic adventures of its ilk. Just make sure to give it a shot for the duration of the slightly slow start.

Rating 8: With adventure around every river bend and a swoon-worthy slow-burn romance at its heart, this book is sure to please readers looking for a “The Mummy” read-alike!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Empire of Shadows” isn’t on any Goodreads lists but it should be on “The Mummy” Inspired Books.