Tag: 8 Rating

Serena’s Review: “The Ledge”

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Book: “The Ledge” by Stacey Mcewan

Publishing Info: Angry Robot, September 2022

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: After being randomly selected as a human sacrifice, instead of death, Dawsyn finds herself on a quest to save her people from their icy prison…

In a place known as the Ledge, a civilization is trapped by a vast chasm and sheer mountain face. There is no way for anyone to escape the frozen wasteland without befalling a deathly drop. They know nothing of the outside world except that it is where the Glacians reside – mystical and vicious winged creatures who bring meagre rations in exchange for a periodic human sacrifice.

Dawsyn, ax wielder and only remaining member of her family, has so far avoided the annual culling, but her luck has run out. She is chosen and ripped from her icy home, the only world she knows. No one knows what will happen to her on the other side, least of all Dawsyn. Murdered? Enslaved? Worse?

Fortunately, a half-Glacian called Ryon offers to help them both escape, but how can she trust one of the very creatures that plagued her life? Dawsyn is a survivor, and she is not afraid to cut anyone down to live.

Review: This is another title that I requested on Netgalley way back when it was recently released. And here I am, getting to it years later! Shame on me! But I am getting to it, so let’s just focus on that part. Plus, now that I’ve been so late, the remaining two books of this trilogy have also released, so, as I plan on continuing this trilogy, I can jump right into those! But on with the review!

This book did have the dreaded “TikTok sensation” included in its promotional material, but I am pleased to say that this is one of the times that proves why I can’t just immediately discount every book that is tagged in this way! I actually really enjoyed this read! Yes, there are a few predictable tropes and the ending got a little muddled. But at the same time, the skill of the writing and characterization were much better than I usually find in comparable romantasy titles, and I blew through this read in only a few sessions!

It started out on a high note right away with the introduction of the main character and the brutal life she’s lived up to this point. It’s a fairly simple concept: a small group of humans stranded to live on the shelf of a mountainside, vulnerable to not only the harsh climate and one another, but also waiting for the inevitable day when they are cruelly whisked away by winged monsters, never to be seen again. The descriptions of life on this ledge were brutal, harsh, and necessarily violent.

And to survive in this place, Dawsyn (don’t get me started on the names…we have Dawsyn and Ryon…someone needed to take away this author’s “Y” key!) has had to become a warrior. But what makes this truly great is that we aren’t simply told this. We see, again and again, Dawsyn put these skills to the test, not only fighting off other humans but also the much stronger Glacians. There was one moment early in the book that particularly drove this point home, with Dawsyn choosing to end a conflict in the most brutal way imaginable. It’s these moments, where an author fully commits to the world and character they are writing, that raise a book in my estimation.

Further, when Dawsyn and Ryon inevitably begin working together, they don’t simply do away with the conflict between them. For her part, Dawsyn has no reason to trust Ryon and every reason to attempt to escape him, and I was pleased to see her remain in this mindset for a significant amount of time. In this way, by the time the romance begins to kick up more, it felt more earned and I was able to invest in them as a couple because I’d also had the time to come to understand them, especially Dawsyn, as individuals.

As I said, I liked the overall world-building as well. The story moves from the ledge itself fairly quickly, but I also enjoyed learning more about the Glacian civilization and the humans living below in the valley. While some of these twists and turns were a bit predictable, they mostly worked, with only a few stumbling blocks of unnecessary secrecy and “chosen one” plot points. My only true hiccup was a plot decision made at the very end of the book. Essentially, Dawsyn and Ryon come up with a plan to storm a location and seem to go about it in crazily risky manner. From a reader standpoint, I can see why this needed to happen, as part of this plan involved them gaining certain abilities that I’m sure will be necessary in the upcoming books. But as far as an actual plan? It essentially saw them sneak into a guarded location, intentionally get caught, be removed from said location to be executed, escape, and then….storm the exact same location to get back inside. It was just odd and clunky at times.

Overall, however, I had a lot of fun with this book! I think the one thing that really stands out is the overall strength of the writing. The dialogue was good, but there was also proper emphasis placed on descriptive elements. The pacing flowed, and I felt invested in the story from start to finish. If you’re looking for a solid romantasy read, this one is a good start to a trilogy!

Rating 8: Fast-paced and full of action, this is a romantasy worth checking out!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Ledge” can be found on this Goodreads list: Best enemies to lovers

Serena’s Review: “How to Steal a Galaxy”

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Book: “How to Steal a Galaxy” by Beth Revis

Publishing Info: DAW, December 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: Ada had no intention whatsoever to continue working for the rebel group that hired her to retrieve the government’s plans for a nanobot climate cleaner if they weren’t willing to pay her for it, but then they offer a different an undercover mission to a charity gala where Rian will be in attendance. Rian, meanwhile, has volunteered his services for the gala believing that the rare items up for auction will attract Ada’s eye. Hoping to catch her in the act and pin her with a punishable crime, Rian has no idea that Ada’s real mission is to convince him to join the rebels. And the rebels have no idea that Ada’s decided that kidnapping Rian is the most efficient means to an end.How to Steal the Galaxy continues the sexy, rip-roaring good time that Beth Revis began in Full Speed to a Crash Landing, with the return of Ada, Rian, and all the tension, twists, and turns that made the first novella so much fun.

Previously Reviewed: “Full Speed to a Crash Landing”

Review: I didn’t plan it this way, I swear, but I somehow ended up scheduling two books by Beth Revis in the same week! To be fair, the first one was a jointly written sequel, so it wasn’t just two Revis books completely. And also also to be fair, there are very few new releases that come out in December, and this one was one of the few titles that I planned on for this month! The entire thing is all the more funny because the first book I read by this author was a YA science fiction book about ten years ago that I…didn’t enjoy. But now, almost a decade later, she’s made her way onto my list of authors to always check out when she releases a new book. And this series of novellas is a perfect example of why that is!

I read the first book in this novella trilogy only a few months ago, but even with some more distance, I’m sure the word that would come to mind when describing it would be “fun.” It told a solid little story, was chock full of adventure, and had an excellent snarky (but complicated!) main character at its heart. And really, it’s that last part that really sold me on the continued success of this series. This book yet again highlights that while Ada can come across as your typical “badass, snarky thief extraordinaire,” her priorities, approach to her work, and sometimes even her own conflicting and tangled moralities, all give her an unexpectedly deep level of characterization for a lead in only two short novellas.

While I think the first book perhaps had more straight action, this one really honed in on the way that Ada works and thinks. This was particularly intriguing when we see her run up against her own limits or when she attempts to explain to others how she draws the lines that she does, what she considers acceptable and unacceptable (always a rich topic for a main character whose career is crime). We do learn more about what drives her, but I was pleased to see the author shy away from the tendency for these sorts of thief characters to quickly veer away from morally grey and fall straight into the typical resistance freedom fighter/Robin Hood re-imagined character that we’ve all read a million times. No, Ada needs to get paid to work.

Of course, we see more of Rian, too, and the development of this romance. Like the first book, I enjoyed the way this romance played out. There is definitely more of it, but it was also never forgotten that these two truly only barely know one another, each having read more about the other from reports than from any true amount of time spent with one another. And, of course, Rian is now aware of Ada’s work and spends the majority of his time throughout this book attempting to thwart her, giving the reader all the enjoyment of watching him fail repeatedly.

For such a short book, I was also impressed by the amount of page time devoted to expanding on the political and social structures of this universe, particularly the ways in which the populations of these other planets view the perils of the original Earth and its struggling population. Without being too heavy handed, Revis does an excellent job of skewering the dangers of leaving crucial projects in the hands of tech billionaires. But at the same time, she takes several swings at the inefficiencies and corruption of government to accomplish the same task. When you write it out, it’s quite dire. But the fact that this book, like the first, is such a fun time is testament to the strength of Revis’s comedic writing and the sheer force of the main character’s personality on the page.

If you can’t tell by now, I had a blast with this book! More so than the first, this set up a lot of moving pieces that are primed to come into play in the next book. And I, for one, can’t wait to see how Ada’s plans all pan out!

Rating 8: Proof that a book can tackle tough topics of climate change, tech billionaires, and corruption while also not skimping on the the comedy, adventure and romance!

Reader’s Advisory:

“How to Steal a Galaxy” can be found on this Goodreads list:Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Books

Serena’s Review: “The Fate of Magic”

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Book: “The Fate of Magic” by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: Fritzi is a champion. After escaping the clutches of Dieter Kirch, the sadistic leader of the witch hunters, Fritzi and Otto have taken refuge among the witches of the Black Forest. Fritzi is finally ready to assume her place on the council as the coven’s goddess-chosen champion. Plagued by distrust and self-doubt, Fritzi throws herself into her duty to serve the goddesses . . . until she uncovers a powerful secret that could mean the very undoing of magic itself.

Otto is a warrior. He swears himself to Fritzi as her bonded protector, certain the peaceful unity of a witch and hunter will heal the wounds he helped make. But as the horrifying plot that threatens the Black Forest’s magic comes to light, Otto will have to face his both his past and what it means to bind himself to a magic he does not fully understand.

Shadows loom. Truths are revealed. And as dangers new and old arise, Fritzi and Otto must stand together against everything that threatens magic—even if the biggest threat might be the very bond they share.

Previously Reviewed: “The Night of the Witch”

Review: As promised, December is full of back catalog titles that released earlier in the year but that I hadn’t gotten a chance to read yet. “The Fate of Magic” has been on my radar all year (so much so that I tried to snag an ARC at ALA, but apparently everyone else had the same idea, so alas for me!). The first book was a great read, full of magic, romance, and an interesting blend between witchy/fantasy elements and historical elements, especially religion in Germany during this time period. While the book ended with the revelation that the big bad hadn’t actually died, it also finished in a vary satisfying manner. That being the case, I went into this one with only one wish: don’t un-do any of the great work that had already been already completed!

And I’m pleased to report that this was an excellent sequel! It built on the concepts that were introduced in the first book and expanded on the world and plot in a way that added to the entire experience. I particularly enjoyed learning more about the three goddesses and their history with the way that magic has interacted with and been available to the human world. There were some interesting twists and turns added, and I loved getting a better understanding of these goddesses as actual characters, something I was definitely not expecting going in. I also appreciated that the book introduces what felt like a significant choice that needed to be resolved by the end of the story. There were no obvious or easy answers, and I liked the way the characters were forced to truly grapple with the trade offs either way.

I also really appreciated the way the romance played out. Other authors take note! It IS possible to continue a romantic plotline after the characters have gotten together without inserting stupid, unnecessary drama. If I never read another last scene in a romantasy book where the couple is immediately broken up by the discovery of some secret or another it will honestly be too soon. Fritzi and Otto are facing real challenges, but their relationship ain’t one of them!

Not only is it nice to see perspective kept in check (again, I hate it when characters obsess over personal problems, often that can be solved with a simple conversation, in the middle of world crises), but it was also nice to actually get to see an established couple work together for an entire book! Honestly, I’m struggling to think of another book/series like this, where the couple is just straight-forwardly together through an entire book and just, you know, goes through the plot without interpersonal drama. Instead, the conflict in their relationship was based around learning how to work together, how to best use the new magical bond between them, and how to balance their own approaches to dealing with problems. You don’t need unnecessary drama and constant bouts of distrust and indecision to keep a romantic plotline interesting!

As far as the plotting and pacing, I think the overall story was good. However, there were moments throughout the book that felt like leaps, with the author simply needing to get the characters from point A. to point B. without much room for exploring how this would really work. There was one moment in particular in the middle of the book where the characters jump through so many logical hoops to get to the right choice that it was honestly a bit baffling. I wish there had been a more graceful way to tie in clues to some of these mysteries, rather than the characters seeming to just pull the solution straight from a bag.

Overall, however, I really enjoyed this book! It was a refreshing read in many ways, especially how the duology approached its romantic plotline. Both Fritzi and Otto were incredible characters on their own, which made the balance between their perspectives work perfectly, and the further deepening of the magical system was very intriguing. There were, perhaps, a few odd moments with some of the plotting points, but nothing that was truly immersion breaking. If you enjoyed the first book, I’d definitely recommend this one! And if you’re a fan of YA fantasy, I think this duology on the whole is an excellent return to form for a genre that often feels a bit tired and thin.

Rating 8: With expanded world-building and increasingly high stakes, this book wraps up an excellent fantasy duology!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Fate of Magic” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Witchy Season and Baroque Fantasy.

Serena’s Review: “The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door”

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Book: “The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door” by H. G. Parry

Publishing Info: Redhook, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: Camford, 1920. Gilded and glittering, England’s secret magical academy is no place for Clover, a commoner with neither connections nor magical blood. She tells herself she has fought her way there only to find a cure for her brother Matthew, one of the few survivors of a faerie attack on the battlefields of WWI which left the doors to faerie country sealed, the study of its magic banned, and its victims cursed.

But when Clover catches the eye of golden boy Alden Lennox-Fontaine and his friends, doors that were previously closed to her are flung wide open, and she soon finds herself enmeshed in the seductive world of the country’s magical aristocrats. The summer she spends in Alden’s orbit leaves a fateful mark: months of joyous friendship and mutual study come crashing down when experiments go awry, and old secrets are unearthed.

Years later, when the faerie seals break, Clover knows it’s because of what they did. And she knows that she must seek the help of people she once called friends—and now doesn’t quite know what to call—if there’s any hope of saving the world as they know it.

Review: I really loved “The Magician’s Daughter” when I read it a few years ago! Best of all, it took me by surprise, packing a deeper punch into what I had taken as a rather superficial cozy read at first glance. That being the case, I went into this next book by H. G. Parry with fairly high expectations! And while I will say that I think I preferred “Magician’s Daughter” on the whole, this was still an excellent read on its on right.

This is really a book of two halves. The first one starts off as a fairly straight-forward, HP-like dark academia story, following our main character, Clover, as she first comes to her new school, meets a group of friends, and begins uncovering the mysteries of magic that are tightly wound all around them. But then, as the story continues, the book fast-forwards and we see these characters again later in their lives as they must deal with the repercussions of the decisions they made while in school. It was definitely an interesting structure, and one that I hadn’t been expecting, being at first fully immersed in the school days aspects that made up the first half.

But the second half is where the story really starts to shine, especially as a character-driven narrative. Not only do we see these characters at different points in their lives, but we see how their ambitions and goals have directed their paths forward, sometimes in unexpected ways. They are all compelling, but flawed, people who make mistakes, sometimes correcting and sometimes doubling down all the more. I really enjoyed these themes, especially the way the author explored the way that ambition can begin to corrode relationships between people.

The pacing was a bit on the slow side, but I think that this largely worked given the emphasis on characterization and the exploration of the inner workings of these people. The world-building was also good, though some of the details regarding the fantasy elements were a bit slow to arrive, requiring some patience on the reader’s part to trust that answers will come. I don’t want to go into spoilers, but there were some twists and turns that were truly heart-wrenching, and I’d definitely put this one in the “bittersweet” category, for what it’s worth.

Fans of dark academia and especially readers who are looking for character-driven stories should definitely check this one out!

Rating 8: Exploring themes of ambition and its impact on relationships, this book is as heart-wrenching as it is beautiful!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2024 Dark Academia Releases

Kate’s Review: “Alter Ego”

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Book: “Alter Ego” by Alex Segura

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, December 2024

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

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

Book Description: Alex Segura, LA Times Book Prize–winning author of Secret Identity, returns with a clever and escapist mystery set in the world of comic books. In the present day, a comics legend is given the chance to revive a beloved but forgotten character. But at what price?

Annie Bustamante is a cultural force like none other: an acclaimed filmmaker, an author, a comic book artist known for one of the all time best superhero comics in recent memory. But she’s never been able to tackle her longtime favorite superhero, the Lethal Lynx. Only known to the most die-hard comics fans and long out of print, the rights were never available―until now.

But Annie is skeptical of who is making the offer: Bert Carlyle’s father started Triumph Comics, and has long claimed ownership of the Lynx. When she starts getting anonymous messages urging her not to trust anyone, Annie’s inner alarms go off. Even worse? Carlyle wants to pair her with a disgraced filmmaker for a desperate media play.

Annie, who has been called a genius, a sell-out, a visionary, a hack, and everything else under the sun, is sick of the money grab. For the first time since she started reading a tattered copy of The Legendary Lynx #1 as a kid, she feels a pure, creative spark. The chance to tell a story her way. She’s not about to let that go. Even if it means uncovering the dark truth about the character she loves.

Sharply written, deftly plotted, and with a palpable affection for all kinds of storytelling, Alter Ego is a one-of-a-kind reading experience.

Review: Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me with an ARC of this novel at ALAAC24!

I will admit that when I saw that Alex Segura had written a sequel to his thriller “Secret Identity”, I was a little shocked. Not because I thought that “Secret Identity” was bad! In reality I really liked that novel, but I thought that it had been wrapped up really well, and that the story of Carmen Valdez and her comic hero The Legendary Lynx was finished. When I saw “Alter Ego” at ALAAC24, clearly I had to pick it up, even if I wasn’t sure where it could go. But I was more than happy to find out!

Note: The ARC I had doesn’t have the comic book excerpts included, as I imagine they were still in process when it was printed. So I can’t speak to that aspect of the story. That being said, I remember this device being used very well in “Secret Identity” and imagine it will be the same here. I intend to check out a finished copy ASAP!

As I said, I was way off the mark when I thought that there wasn’t much more to get from the Legendary Lynx’s story, as “Alter Ego” goes in a new, present day direction, and still finds suspense, passion, and a tantalizing mystery and story about being a woman in comics. This time it’s the story of Annie Bustamante, a comics writer, filmmaker, and author, who has been approached to reboot the Legendary Lynx by Triumph Comics and its CEO Bert Carlyle. Given that Annie loves the Lynx and has ever since she was a child, she is intrigued, but skeptical, in part because of the way Triumph wants her to team up with a controversial film director to execute the vision, but also because Bert seems… cagey. And because she’s getting messages of warning about a hidden truth about the Lynx and the danger she may be in. Segura does a great move in this book, as he picks it up a bit where he left “Secret Identity”… and then completely turns it on its head, leaving the Lynx’s still a mystery, and Annie the one to pick up the mantle of figuring it out. I loved how we got new clues, new revelations, and new moments of intrigue, while still harkening back to “Secret Identity” and the various characters within its pages, from Carmen Valdez to her illustrator to others, some of whom have a less than happy fate (no spoilers though). The mystery about the messages, how the Lynx’s true creator has still been hidden, and what it’s going to take to finally reveal the truth, and the dangers associated with it, are taut and well paced.

But what I liked the most about this book was our protagonist Annie Bustamante. Annie is driven, to the point, passionate, and a little cynical, and we are given such a rich backstory and character arc that it all falls into place very easily. She has dealt with a lot of hardship and loss, but has a resilience that makes it very believable for her to want to not only give justice to the Legendary Lynx, a character she has loved for most of her life, but that she would continue to pursue the truth about her origins even in the face of some pretty serious danger, conspiracy, and adversity. She is scrappy as hell and the perfect amateur detective, with a chip on her shoulder and a little bit of baggage to boot. And I loved that she is also a devoted and loving mom to her teenage daughter Margot, who never comes off as too precocious or unbelievable. As a Mom to a daughter who is my only child, stories like these always hit a little harder now, and I really appreciated the healthy relationship they had. Everything about Annie really worked for me, she’s one of the best thriller protagonists I’ve seen in a novel in awhile.

I am so glad that Alex Segura decided to do another book in the Legendary Lynx story, as “Alter Ego” really brings more complexity and depth to the story as a whole. If you liked “Secret Identity”, the follow up is definitely something to seek out.

Rating 8: A solid follow up with a really endearing main character and a well done mystery, “Alter Ego” continues the story of the women who pay homage to a long forgotten comics icon.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Alter Ego” is included on the Goodreads list “2024 Mystery Thrillers Crime To Be Excited For”.

Serena’s Review: “Murder in Highbury”

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Book: “Murder in Highbury” by Vanessa Kelly

Publishing Info: Kensington, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from ALA!

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

Book Description: Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .   

But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .   

As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.

Review: I’m always so nervous when a new Jane Austen re-imaging comes out! Of course, I know I will have to read it, but there is so much potential for failure. Austen’s characters are so classic, her tales so iconic, and her style of writing so specific, that it’s very hard for modern authors to properly capture the certain “je ne sais quoi” of the entire endeavor. I’ve read many failures over the years. At the same time, there have been some true gems as well! So, with much trepidation, I nabbed a copy of this while at ALA over the summer!

Well, before we get into details, I’m pleased to report that this one falls solidly in the “great” category as far as Austen re-tellings go! It does an excellent job of not only recreating the basic essence of the main characters that make up “Emma,” but it also does not fall into the trap of too much fan service. Instead, there is a solid and unique mystery at its heart that holds up well, even without the Austen setting and references!

I’ll get to the mystery in a bit, but first off, the primary concern going into any “Emma” variation is how well the author manages to capture the titular character herself! Emma is one of the most beloved of Austen’s heroines (I imagine much to Austen’s surprise as she is well-known for questioning whether any reader would love this heroine as much as she did), but she is also notoriously difficult to get right. She’s smart, confident, and fiercely defensive of those she loves. But at the same time, she can be thoughtless, impulsive, and quick-tongued.

Here, the author made the wise decision to set the story after the events of the original book. Not only does this allow the story to read fully as its own, but it also allows the author to benefit from the growth that Emma went through in her story. Here, she is a happily married woman. So while many of her traits are the same, they are also tempered with the experience that comes with the lessons she originally learned. Like the original, this character was a blast to follow throughout the story. Her nosiness and enjoyment of theorizing about the lives of others pair perfectly with a would-be amateur sleuth. I particularly enjoyed her growing distain for the men in charge of solving the mystery.

I also really liked the romance between her and Knightley. Obviously, all Jane Austen novels devote very little time to the characters after the love confession or marriage, so one of the primary points of interest in books like this one is getting a sneak peak at what the couple could be like afterwards. And I really like what we got here! Knightley’s loving bewilderment for his wife comes through strongly, as well as Emma’s respect for her husband, even if she often disregards his advice. It’s all very wholesome and works perfectly for the sorts of characters we know these two to be.

As for the mystery itself, I thought it was pretty good. There were a decent number of red herrings, and, as I mentioned earlier, I liked a few of the original characters who were brought into to deal with solving the murder. That said, it did become fairly obvious rather early on who was behind it all and even their motivations. But that still didn’t reduce my enjoyment, as I was happy to just exist in this world and follow Emma along through all of her exploits.

I thought this was a romp of a time and I couldn’t be more pleased to now have two series (I believe this is the first in a series) of Jane Austen mysteries that are managing to capture the spirit of the originals so well! I think most Austen fans will be likewise charmed by this tale!

Rating 8: Who knew that Emma would make an extraordinary sleuth? Besides, herself, of course! A wonderful historical mystery that is sure to please Janeites everywhere!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Murder in Highbury” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists, but it should be on Jane Austen Mysteries.

Kate’s Review: “Manmade Monsters”

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

Book: “Manmade Monsters” by Andrea L. Rogers

Publishing Info: Levine Querido, October 2022

Where Did I Get This Book: The library!

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

Book Description: Tsalagi should never have to live on human blood, but sometimes things just happen to sixteen-year-old girls.

Following one extended Cherokee family across the centuries, from the tribe’s homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivers a slice of a particular time period.

Alongside each story, Cherokee artist and language technologist Jeff Edwards delivers illustrations that incorporate Cherokee syllabary.

Review: A couple years ago I saw the short story collection “Manmade Monsters” by Andrea L. Rogers on my social media feed. It definitely caught my eye, but for whatever reason I never made the move to request it or pick it up. And I don’t even remember why I decided to pick it up recently, I just saw it was available at the library and thought to myself “Oh, I’ve been meaning to read this!” So I grabbed it on a whim (and it actually ended up working out timing wise as I do like to showcase Indigenous authors and novels on Thanksgiving). And I’m happy to say that it was a whim that worked out!

As per usual for a short story collection, I will first review my three favorite stories, and then I will review the collection as a whole.

“Ama’s Boys”: Still love me a feminine rage story, and this story about an immortal predator really understood that particular assignment. A girl who has been a vampire like creature has been wandering in and out of Oklahoma for one hundred and fifty years, targeting young pliable men as her prey, though never wanting to kill, merely feed. But she meets a boy that may have a predatory nature of his own. This was a creepy vampire-y tale that had a bit of a feminist twist, and our narrator Ama is calculating and as ethical as she can be, while slowly realizing that her newest companion is a bit more of a threat than she is used to. I really liked the ending of this one, and also liked the implications of what Ama had been through when she was still human during the times of Manifest Destiny and the genocide that came with it.

“Deer Woman”: I have loved the various Deer Woman mythologies for awhile now, and I’m always excited to see a new interpretation of it, and this one was stellar. Sali, Quanah, and Lisa are best friends and working on an art project at their high school about Deer Woman. When Lisa goes missing, much like Quanah’s cousin Lilli a few years prior, Sali and Quanah try to figure out what happened to her. Bringing in themes such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, misogyny, colonialist attitudes in a more modern era, and some more feminine rage (I clearly am still in a holding pattern with my feelings as of late), this one is eerie and dark, as well as unwavering in its message of pushing back against gender based violence, especially towards Indigenous girls and women.

“I Come From the Water”: This may have been my favorite story in the collection because I found it so hauntingly beautiful on so many levels. A teenage girl still feeling from her father’s death is trying to keep her family from falling apart, when a mysterious alien creature suddenly finds itself trapped in her pool, desperate to find a way home. When these two connect, a journey of salvation, identity, and hope commences. As someone who is a huge sucker for stories that involve humans connecting on a deep level with otherworldly beings (I will once again sing the praises of “Starman”! SEE “STARMAN”!), and the bittersweet dichotomy between teenager Walela and mysterious Sakonige, one a mourning child trying to keep her mother and sister afloat (whilst also grappling with questions about her own sexuality) and the other a lost alien trying to find its way home, really moved me. I am amused that once again my favorite story in a horror collection is probably the one that feels the least like a horror tale. But man. I just loved this one.

As a whole, I think that there were some hits and misses. Definitely more hits than misses, but I do kind of wish that the familial line connection had been a little more apparent outside of some references here and there. But what I did find really impressive was how the stories, though all written by one author, had such different unique voices and approaches that it could have easily been multiple authors in my mind had I now known the contents. I also want to shout out the really lovely artwork by Jeff Edwards, with images accompanying each short story.

I’m glad that I finally picked up “Manmade Monsters”! Sometimes it is worth going back and picking up a book that fell by the wayside for whatever reason.

Rating 8: A well crafted collection of stories passing through a family of Cherokee, “Manmade Monsters” is a subtle Indigenous horror collection that delves into multiple sub-genres and has a very specific perspective that I enjoyed.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Manmade Monsters” is included on the Goodreads lists “Indigenous Voices”, and “Native American Female Authors”.

Kate’s Review: “Heart-Shaped Lies”

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Book: “Heart-Shaped Lies” by Elizabeth Agyemang

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, November 2024

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

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

Book Description: John Tucker Must Die meets A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder in this tongue-in-cheek thriller about three feuding exes of a social media prank star who are forced to work together to solve the mystery of his death when his deactivated account resurfaces online with claims that one of them murdered him.

Kiara, Priscilla, and Nevaeh have nothing in common—except they just found out that they’re all dating Tommy Harding, the internet’s most famous teen prank star.

KIARA is the girlfriend who the cameras know and love, the academic star who Tommy parades around in public to keep his image in check.

PRISCILLA is Tommy’s co-star. As a beauty influencer and an accomplice to Tommy’s notorious antics, she’s always known that the two of them could be the Internet’s power couple—if only he would confess to his girlfriend what really goes on during their ‘rehearsals’.

And NEVAEH is the good girl, the pastor’s daughter who’d never dream of dating a boy who’s already taken.

When a viral post from Tommy’s social media account exposes his cheating ways during their high school class trip to Florida’s biggest theme park, the girls are crushed—and furious. Tommy claims his account was hacked. Now, Kiara, Priscilla, and Nevaeh want him out of their lives. Forever. After all, Tommy doesn’t just hold their hearts—he holds their secrets, too. But when Tommy’s body is found the next morning, their so-called wish becomes a twisted reality. Because Tommy may be gone, but the internet is forever. And the girls are about to go from strangers to suspects….

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

I’m going to date myself a bit here, but as an Elder Millennial I kind of (very luckily) missed the bridge from the social media of my young adulthood (College only Facebook, Livejournal) to what we have today (TikTok, YouTube), and all the now defunct stuff in between (Vine!). So I haven’t really gotten sucked into YouTube personalities and influencers and the power that they can have over their audience and their narrative, sometimes enabling the very worst of people and giving them a lot of money. One that I think about a lot are the Paul Brothers, who got started on Vine doing provocative videos, moved to YouTube, and now have a HUGE cash cow of an audience and have made careers for themselves as a pro wrestler and a boxer, while being really TERRIBLE people (the list of their bullshit is endless). I really don’t get it, but hey, they’re worth millions so what the hell do I know? I kept thinking about the Paul Brothers as I read Elizabeth Agyemang’s new YA thriller “Heart-Shaped Lies” in which a wildly popular social media prank star is murdered, and his three lady friends are all suspects. Because man, Tommy Harding is the absolute WORST, and reading about his murder and the fallout proved to be VERY entertaining.

As a mystery thriller, I found this book to be well crafted and engaging. We have three perspectives that we are getting our information from, all three of them being teenage girls who have been involved with the narcissistic social media prank king Tommy Harding. The first is Kiara, Tommy’s official girlfriend who is driven, clever, and the perfect girlfriend to counter balance his ‘boys will be boys’ image. The second is Priscilla, a wannabe beauty influencer who is Tommy’s on camera collaborator, who he has been having an affair with off screen. And the third is Neveah, a somewhat sheltered girl who is has been having a long distance and text/picture relationship with Tommy and thinks it’s true love. They all are betrayed by Tommy in one way or another, and they all have reasons to possibly want him dead after his account is hacked and various damning things about each of them are leaked. I really liked how Agyemang lets us get into each of their heads while also keeping a bit of plausibility that any of them COULD have been the killer. It’s a device that can be hard to juggle, especially with multiple characters, but in this case their perspectives and the other clues that we get as the story goes on through their eyes separately made for a solid mystery at the sum of its parts, and I was left guessing about who the perpetrator could be up until the reveal!

And on top of the well thought out mystery that kept me guessing, I really do love a soapy story, especially in a thriller, and ESPECIALLY if it makes the characters more complicated. And man was the soap really bubbling in this book, which was a plus to be sure. You have a love quadrangle (but the center of the triangle is TERRIBLE so you don’t really have to pick a ‘team’), you have sneaky teenagers doing sneaky things, you have enemies turned allies, you have requited love and secrets and oh so much more! I really enjoyed the ongoing drama and tension going on between Kiara, Priscilla, and Neveah as they are trying to clear their names but don’t REALLY know if they can trust each other. And I enjoyed the way that I could just want to slap some of the characters for their choices and actions and yet was fully able to understand each of them to a degree (at least of the three main ladies. There’s no redemption for Tommy, and while he was two dimensional in some ways I’m going to allow it because as mentioned about, the Paul Brothers-ness of it all made it easy to hate him and is obviously realistic). I really love soap and I’ve been missing it lately, so this one really hit all the right notes for me.

All in all, I really enjoyed “Heart-Shaped Lies”. It had been awhile since I had scratched the particular itch of sudsy thrillers, and this gave me everything I needed and more in that department.

Rating 8: A compelling mystery, some nice soapy elements, and some interesting characters made this a fun thriller and a wild ride!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Heart-Shaped Lies” is included on the Goodreads list “YA Novels of 2024”.

Serena’s Review: “Echoes of the Imperium”

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Book: “Echoes of the Imperium” by Nicholas and Olivia Atwater

Publishing Info: Starwatch Press, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: Captain William Blair has taken shady jobs before—what goblin hasn’t? But this shady job has pirates off the port bow and legendary aethermancers knocking at his cabin door. Unfortunately, Wil has sworn an Oath to escort his newest dubious passenger wherever she wants to go… and a goblin must be worth his word.

The ragtag crew of the Iron Rose once survived the fall of an empire—but none of them are interested in revisiting the experience. As the dregs of the Imperium rise again to claw at their heels, Wil and his crew must face the literal ghosts of their past… or else history may well repeat itself.

Review: Something unfortunate seems to have happened with the marketing of this book. In that, I follow upcoming fantasy releases very closely (obviously, I need to for the blog!) and am even more on the look-out for new titles from authors whose books I’ve enjoyed in the past, like Olivia Atwater. But the only reason I became aware of this book was through a note included on the Kickstarter email I received when my order of the special edition of ‘The Witchwood Knot” was shipping out! Of course, I then immediately skipped off to place a request on Netgalley. But with my packed reading schedule, here we are with a review coming out about a month after the book has actually dropped, all because I didn’t hear about this one in a conventional manner!

Olivia Atwater always talks about her husband’s influence and input into her books in her author’s notes, so I’m not surprised to see a book coming out that is now written by them both together. You never quite know how well a book will worked when trying to combine two people’s writing styles, but I think this one turned out well! I can recognize elements of Olivia’s style, but the book is also very different from the one’s she’s written alone.

Overall, the main difference is one of tone. Olivia’s books are often on the lighter side, with a few creepy elements thrown in here and there. This one, however, is much darker in a lot of ways. Right from the start, the authors don’t shy away from putting their characters through the ringer. There was a particularly impactful scene that came within the first 20% of the book that had me surprisingly emotional, especially coming from characters whom I’d only just been introduced to!

One of my favorite parts of this book was the world-building and overall themes of pirate adventures! While the plot was very fast paced (especially in the first half, things slowed down towards the back half), this was definitely a character-based story. Much of the fun of the reading experience was simply following the characters as they got into one type of trouble or another. Pirates are always a good time, but pirates in airships are something else! That said, much of this action does revolve around the characters themselves, so your enjoyment of the book will come down to how invested you become in these people and their stories.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this book! It reminded me a lot of “Treasure Planet” and is definitely a breath of fresh air from the type of fantasy books I more often gravitate towards. That said, while I appreciate the inclusion of an asexual main character, I did find myself missing Olivia Atwater’s lovely romance storylines. But that’s mostly a me issue, as that’s not what this book is or was ever meant to be. I guess I’m mostly just hankering for the next entry in her “Victorian Faerie Tales” series!

Rating 8: All the best of the steampunk genre, this character-driven story is a romp of a ride from start to finish!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Echoes of the Imperium” isn’t on any Goodreads lists but it should be on Flying Ships and Air Pirates.

Serena’s Review: “The Whispering Night”

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Book: “The Whispering Night” by Susand Dennard

Publishing Info: Tor Teen, November 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: Winnie Wednesday’s future is looking bright. Hemlock Falls is no longer hunting the werewolf, she and Erica Thursday are tentative friends, and Winnie finally knows exactly where she stands with Jay Friday.

With everything finally on track, Winnie is looking forward to the Nightmare Masquerade, a week-long celebration of all things Luminary. But as Luminaries from across the world flock to the small town, uninvited guests also arrive. Winnie is confronted by a masked Diana and charged with an impossible task—one that threatens everything and everyone Winnie loves.

As Winnie fights to stop new enemies before time runs out, old mysteries won’t stop intruding. Her missing father is somehow entangled with her search for hidden witches, and as Winnie digs deeper into the long-standing war between the Luminaries and the Dianas, she discovers rifts within her own family she never could have imagined.

What does loyalty mean when family and enemies look the same?

Previously Reviewed: “The Luminaries” and “The Hunting Moon”

Review: This series has been one of the stranger reading journeys. I really struggled to enjoy the first book, so much so that I had mentally written off the idea of continuing the series altogether. But then I received an ARC for the sequel and thought I’d give it a second chance. While it still wasn’t my favorite, it was also a marked improvement on the first. And, well, here we are, finishing off the trilogy with the release of the third book! And, to continue the trend, I think this one was the strongest of the lot!

Part of the strength of this one comes down to the fact that it is benefitting from all of the leg work done in the first two books. Here, the romance has been thoroughly explored and established, with Winnie and Jay feeling fairly sure of one another. This allows the love story to playout in a supporting role, there as a minor subplot and to bring some heart and humor to the story, but without needing to get bogged down in too much drama or angst.

Further, much of the world-building has been done. Not only are readers familiar with this world, but the first two books set up a number of secrets and reveals that could be finally explored in this last installment, giving this book all of the payoff that was sometimes lacking in the first two books. Further, the action was markedly increased in this book. I’d say there is about twice as much action here than in the second book, perhaps even more. Again, because we don’t need to spend as much time with the drama of the romance, the plot is allowed free reign to run wild!

I also feel like Dennard’s writing style is benefitted most with this more plot-forward type of storytelling. Much of my frustration from the first book (and even the second a little) had to do with the characterization and the drama that played out in these aspects. She also did a good job wrapping up dangling mysteries from way back in the first book, and, for the most part, I think all of these revelations and resolutions landed well.

Overall, this was a very satisfying end to a roller-coaster ride of a trilogy. Now that it is wrapped up, and wrapped up well, I’d definitely feel more confident recommending it to teen readers. I do think it lands solidly in YA, however, and isn’t necessarily one of those YA novels that has great cross-over appeal to adult readers. Nothing wrong with that! But it is worth noting since many adult fantasy fans also check out YA titles.

Rating 8: Full of action and suspense, this book serves as a solid ending to the trilogy, stabilizing the entire series into a worthwhile endeavor for YA readers!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Whispering Night” can be found on this Goodreads list: October 2024 Horror