Tag: 8 Rating

Serena’s Review: “The Last Bloodcarver”

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

Book: “The Last Bloodcarver” by Vanessa Le

Publishing Info: Roaring Brook Press, March 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: NetGalley

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

Book Description: Nhika is a bloodcarver. A cold-hearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch. In the industrial city of Theumas, she is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure.

When Nhika is caught using her bloodcarving abilities during a sham medical appointment, she’s captured by underground thugs and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness of their father’s murder.

But as Nhika delves deeper into their investigation amidst the glitz of Theumas’ wealthiest district, she begins to notice parallels between this job and her own dark past. And when she meets an alluring yet entitled physician’s aide, Ven Kochin, she’s forced to question the true intent behind this murder. In a society that outcasts her, Kochin seems drawn to her…though he takes every chance he gets to push her out of his opulent world.

When Nhika discovers that Kochin is not who he claims to be, and that there is an evil dwelling in Theumas that runs much deeper than the murder of one man, she must decide where her heart, and her allegiance, truly lie. And – if she’s willing to become the dreaded bloodcarver Theumas fears to save herself and the ones she’s vowed to protect.

Review: I feel like there’s been a lot of exciting new Asian fantasy stories coming out this spring, and this one was definitely high on my TBR list, as I’m even less familiar with Vietnamese mythology than Chinese, Japanes, or Korean. The cover art is also very unique and intriguing, and I thought the main character’s magical trait of manipulating human biology had a lot of promise. I also love murder mysteries, so I was excited to see how well these two genres would be blended together. And, well, it was all pretty good!

What first stood out to me was the lush and descriptive style of writing the author employed. The story starts out fairly quickly as far as plot and pacing go, but I was still able to picture the details of this world and character. This felt like a fully realized, fully peopled fantasy world, complete with a culture that felt distinctive and elaborate. Of course, central to the story were Nhika’s bloodcarving abilities, and this detailed style of writing helped to truly flesh out how this power worked. Many fantasy stories devolve to fairly simplistic explanations of their magical elements, but here I felt like we were given a true insiders-look into Nhika’s magic. This felt important as it helped the reader understand why an ability that could be so useful to humanity could also be seen as something to fear and hate.

I also really liked Nhika’s character and the arc she has in this book. Through her eyes, we see the experiences of a diaspora character, a young woman who finds herself in a world that no longer feels like her own. Even more interesting, her experiences as an outsider who does not fit within this world were mirrored in the other main character Kochin who experiences a similar disconnect. But while this disconnection and “out-of-place-ness” might be similar between them, their experiences and views of how they fit (or don’t fit) within this world are very different.

That said, this is one of those rare circumstances where I feel like the story might have been better without any romance at all. I liked both of these characters, but frankly, by the time the romance really started to amp up, I’d forgotten that was even the direction it was heading. These two were very definitely enemies for much of the time, so the change of tone when it came, did feel a bit strange. It was also rather sudden, not feeling nearly as developed as many of the other aspects of the story.

Overall, this was a great debut novel! I had some quibbles here and there with the way the romance was developed, but the writing and world-building were strong and promise of great things to come from this author in the future!

Rating 8: Rich and vivid worldbuilding combined with a compelling vision of the diaspora experience created a fantastic debut all around!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Last Bloodcarver” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Around The World 2024 – Asia Continent and Asian SSF.

Kate’s Review: “A Dowry of Blood”

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

Book: “A Dowry of Blood” by S.T. Gibson

Publishing Info: Redhook, October 2022

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.

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

Book Description: S.T. Gibson’s sensational novel is the darkly seductive tale of Dracula’s first bride, Constanta.

This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession. . .

Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things.

Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband’s dark secrets. With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death.

Review: Earlier this month I reviewed the book “Thirst” by Marina Yuszczuk, a sapphic historical horror tale in which a woman in modern day Buenos Aires is caught up with a woman vampire who has been around for centuries. I made mention of thinking about the “Buffy” characters Darla and Drusilla as I read, and mused that I wish there had been a prequel book about Darla and Drusilla galavanting around Europe with Angelus and Spike being a sexual foursome together. Well, the synchronicity of the Universe kicked in a bit, because shortly after that review was written up, I picked up “A Dowry of Blood” by S.T. Gibson, which had been ALL OVER my social media feeds from various horror influencers. I bought it on a whim with a birthday book gift certificate from my sister, not sure of what to expect. And then when I began reading, I nearly fell out of my chair. Because as the story went on, it was clear that it was going to scratch that Darla/Angelus/Drusilla/Spike itch and all the nasty complications that come with it.

You should have made it clear they were all sleeping together, you cowards!!! (source)

“A Dowry of Blood” is from the perspective of Constanta, a medieval peasant woman turned bride of Dracula after the Count discovers her near death and changes her into a vampire. It’s Constanta finding a newfound supernatural power and an exciting life with her husband, but also finding his dark and manipulative side as he takes on more romantic companions and manipulates them all into loyalty and servitude. I’ve read a few “Dracula” retellings or spin off remixes, but I had never read one from the perspective of his Brides, and this one is such a dark yet also empowering read. Constanta’s story is one of a woman who finds herself in a bad and toxic relationship, and who has to go through the process of understanding it, accepting it, and extricating herself from it, while also feeling a loyalty to her fellow companions, Magdalena and Alexi. The three of them coming together to lean on each other, while trying to figure out how to remove themselves from Dracula, is a nail biter the closer we get to the eventual showdown, and while Gibson basically lays out the outcome from the jump, the suspense is still there.

I hesitate to call this story a romance, as it can be bleak and unsettling seeing how Dracula can hold such abusive power over Constanta, Magdalena, and Alexi, but at the same time there are shades of romanticism between the Brides (and Husband) as they bond, commiserate, and eventually strive for more. There is certainly intimacy, and I loved seeing the relationships between Constanta, Magdalena, and Alexi grow and evolve and strengthen. Watching Constanta evolve and shift and start to find her own power, even against the vampire that she feels she owes everything to, is at times difficult given the content, but is also a story that feels inherently like an unshackling of abusive chains. Hell, even just seeing Constanta go from a dying peasant to a vengeful vampire, who takes out the men who killed her family and tried to kill her, starts this off on an empowering note and shows that Constanta has it in her, even when she is under Dracula’s spell, or at least under his gaslighting, his manipulations, and his abusive tendencies. Looking back at my up-page comparisons to pop culture, maybe it would be more accurate to say this reads like Darla leaving The Master behind and choosing her lovers over him. Regardless, it’s satisfying as hell.

BUT, that said, there are also some really sumptuous and erotic moments in this book when it comes to Constanta exploring her burgeoning sexuality and intimacy with not only her husband, but also the other spouses. Much like Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”, “A Dowry of Blood” does have a bit of a romantic undercurrent about it in spite of the horror and the more toxic thematics. There are so many descriptors and so many beats that make it feel like an indulgence of beauty and decadence (especially if you take into account the epilogue/novella that is included in the edition I have, “An Encore of Roses”. That one was just full on sexy and spicy, and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND SEEKING IT OUT REGARDLESS), while also keeping the tension and the horror there . It also has a lot of really knowing nods to the source material itself, giving these characters a complicated backstory while also harkening to moments from Stoker’s vampire novel without dwelling or relying too much upon them.

“A Dowry of Blood” was a really enjoyable and bloody good read. I love historical vampire horror, and I love it when an author can bring in romantic elements that feel real, scary, and also tender. If Gibson wrote more stories about this group of vampires, I’d absolutely read them.

Rating 9: Erotic, empowering, indulgent, and bloody as hell, “A Dowry of Blood” is a sweeping and entertaining vampire novel that finds the darkness in an abusive situation, while also finding the light in actual love and support and tenderness.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Dowry of Blood” is included on the Goodreads lists “Bisexual Vampire Books”, and “Classic Retellings and Spinoffs: Monster Mash”.

Kate’s Review: “Forgotten Sisters”

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

Book: “Forgotten Sisters: A Novel” by Cynthia Pelayo

Publishing Info: Thomas & Mercer, March 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: A city’s haunted history and fairy-tale horrors converge for two women in an addictive novel of psychological suspense by a multiple Bram Stoker Award–nominated author.

Sisters Anna and Jennie live in a historic bungalow on the Chicago River. They’re tethered to a disquieting past, and with nowhere else to go, nothing can part them from their family home. Not the maddening creaks and disembodied voices that rattle the old walls. Not the inexplicable drownings in the area, or the increasing number of bodies that float by Anna’s window.

To stave off loneliness, Anna has a podcast, spinning ghostly tales of Chicago’s tragic history. But when Anna captures the attention of an ardent male listener, she awakens to the possibilities of a world outside.

As their relationship grows, so do Jennie’s fears. More and more people are going missing in the river. And then two detectives come calling.

They’re looking for a link between the mysteries of the river and what’s housed on the bank. Even Anna and Jennie don’t understand how dreadful it is—and still can be—when the truth about their unsettled lives begins to surface.

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

I’ve been following Cynthia Pelayo on social media for a few years now, and that was where I first caught wind of her newest novel “Forgotten Sisters”. I had hopes that there would perhaps be very early ARCs of it at ALA last year, and while that didn’t come to fruition (hey, a girl can dream and I DID get “Loteria” and “The Shoemaker’s Magician”), I waited patiently for this “Little Mermaid” inspired dark fantasy horror novel. I was pumped when I saw that it was available on NetGalley, and when my request went through I was very eager to start. Pelayo is one of the more unique horror authors out there right now, a multi- Bram Stoker Award winner, and this one was REALLY tantalizing.

While I thought that “Children of Chicago” was more full on malevolent horror, “Forgotten Sisters” leans more into dark fantasy, with references to “The Little Mermaid” being crafted into a melancholy tale about sisters Anna and Jennie. Through Anna’s perspective we learn about the terrible loss that they have endured, the way that they have clung to each other, and the river side house that they have been living in since their childhood, which may be housing a number of ghosts as well as grief and haunting memories. Anna has been running a podcast about the haunted history of Chicago, and while she loves her sister and can’t see herself leaving their troubled home, she does seem to long for more, in spite of Jennie clinging all the more at any hint of Anna pulling away (which becomes all the more complicated when Anna meets a man named Peter through her podcast). When we start we know that Anna isn’t necessarily reliable due to the unknown unresolved trauma she has endured, but Pelayo does a good job of easing into the peeling back of the tragedies that these women have had to live with, and what cost their enmeshment has taken and how that warps Anna’s perceptions. It’s dreamy and weird and uneasy, and it was both mesmerizing and unsettling at once, and while I pieced together bits and pieces just based on hints laid out and a knowledge of the history of Chicago, I thought that it was a well done dark fairy tale at heart. That said, sometimes I got lost in the flowery and dreamlike elements of this part of the story, which could take me out of it once in awhile.

I did like the police procedural parts quite a bit as well. I am a huge sucker for a procedural, and Pelayo succeeds at writing gritty and cynical dialogue and setting up interesting and tense crime beats. In this book we have Detectives Kowalski and Rodriguez, a seasoned long timer and an idealistic rookie, who are investigating the mysterious deaths of young men who are found drowned in the Chicago River under strange circumstances. It has hints of the Happy Face Killer theory, and with the criminal history of Chicago always lurking (after all this is the city of John Wayne Gacy and H.H. Holmes, amongst others) you get a more sinister vibe and a sense of dread as these two detectives try to piece things together. I liked their dynamic, and I liked seeing them slowly circle in on a potential serial killer, and the connection to Anna and Jennie and the River itself. It comes together really well and makes for a satisfying combination of dark fantasy and cop thriller, balancing each other out in ways that caught me by surprise.

One of the things that always strikes me when I read a Pelayo book is that she so clearly loves the city of Chicago, and that love comes through her tales even if they are about the darker histories of this city. As a Midwesterner I’ve been to Chicago multiple times, and it’s always a joy seeing the references to various locations and historical footnotes, as she so effortlessly sprinkles them in as well as making her book just so grounded in the city itself. This really comes through in both the hard boiled cop procedural aspects, as well as through the pieces we see of Anna’s podcast. Pelayo has such a strong knack for writing and developing a sense of time and place, and it makes the city shine, even if it’s the darker sides of the history.

“Forgotten Sisters” is another well done dark fantasy horror tale from Cynthia Pelayo. I’m always intrigued by what she writes, and this haunting story is sure to please her fans.

Rating 8: An eerie and melancholy dark fairy tale meets a gritty no nonsense procedural, “Forgotten Sisters” is another tribute to Chicago from Cynthia Pelayo!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Forgotten Sisters” is included on the Goodreads list “Horror to Look Forward To in 2024”.

Kate’s Review: “Peril in Pink”

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

Book: “Peril in Pink” by Sydney Leigh

Publishing Info: Crooked Lane Books, March 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I was sent an eARC by the author via NetGalley.

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

Book Description: Everything is coming up rosé for innkeeper Jess Byrne until a murder on opening weekend gives her B&B’s killer vibe a whole new meaning. Schitt’s Creek meets Only Murders in the Building in this sparkling debut mystery.

It’s the grand opening of The Pearl B&B in Hudson Valley, and owner Jess Byrne has prepared the ultimate, Insta-worthy welcome, complete with her ex-boyfriend—reality singing sensation Lars Armstrong—performing live. As guests check in and mimosas are poured, Lars arrives with his stepdad-turned-manager Bob in tow. But things go south when Bob is found dead, and Lars is the prime suspect.

After a desperate plea from Lars, and knowing the reputation of her B&B is at stake, Jess agrees to help clear Lars’ name, but the more she digs, the less sure she is that he’s innocent. Especially when he’s found at the scene of another murder.

With the guests under lockdown, the B&B in the press for all the wrong reasons, and a killer on the loose, Jess is in over her head. With the help of her best friend and business partner Kat, Jess is determined to uncover the truth before Lars is put behind bars and The Pearl is permanently cancelled.

Review: Thank you to Sydney Leigh for sending me an eARC of this novel via NetGalley!

It may seem kind of funny that the blogger whose focus tends to trend towards horror, thriller, and the darker things in literature, is the one who has some consistent cozy mystery reviews going through her posts. It seems kind of funny to me, even! But I realize that I do like to cast a wide net in my genres, and if a book works for me, it works, even if it’s not as expected. So when Sydney Leigh reached out with her novel that was being compared to both “Schitt’s Creek” and “Only Murders in the Building” (both comfy and cozy shows I really enjoy) I felt like I had to read it! Thus I was sent a copy of “Peril in Pink”, a book about a cute bed and breakfast, an eccentric small town, a charming set of heroines, and a scandalous murder at the opening of their new business venture.

The mystery itself is fairly straightforward with familiar beats for a whodunnit. Jess Byrne and business partner/best friend Kat have opened up The Pearl, a bed and breakfast in their small town of Hudson Valley. When Jess manages to book her ex boyfriend Lars to perform, whose star is on the rise due to being on a popular musical reality show, she hopes it will serve as a fantastic opening weekend, but when Lars’s manager/stepfather George is found dead on the property, it sets off a murder investigation where her new business is a crime scene and her ex boyfriend is the main suspect. Leigh has a huge cast of characters, many of whom are suspects, and knows how to throw in clues and red herrings and multiple twists to create a mystery that kept me guessing. I always love an amateur sleuth who can be a BIT in over their head, and Jess and Kat fit that trope to a T. I also loved the descriptions of The Pearl and their business model, as hey, a cozy mystery needs a hook and this one has a really bubbly one in this adorable Bed and Breakfast.

But it’s the characters that really sell this story for me, as any cast of players in a cozy mystery should. I really enjoyed Jess as our main character, with her hopes and ambitions being lifted up in the story and her investment in this first murder making her easy to root for and become invested in as readers. I really loved her relationship with business partner and best friend Kat, who is a fun sarcastic foil to her earnest nature as they team up to try and save their business as well as Jess’s ex boyfriend from a murder charge. Leigh is very much paying tribute to true crime bestie dynamics here, even referencing “My Favorite Murder” as inspiration for Jess and Kat in their amateur detective ways (as a kind of dormant Murderino myself it made me nostalgic for the show and I may pick it back up!). But even the supporting characters have a certain charm about them, whether it’s Jess’s pragmatic brother Nate and his zen-minded yoga instructor wife Sarah, or Jess’s hippy aunt, or some of Jess and Kat’s high school rivals, and may more. One of the things that I do like about cozy mysteries is that if you have a sparkling cast of familiar characters, it makes for an all the more engaging story.

All in all, I found “Peril in Pink” to be charming and fizzy, an entertaining mystery that sets the stage for the potential for more bed and breakfast adventures with two fun heroines. I hope we see more of Jess and Kat and whatever crime befalls Hudson Valley!

Rating 8: A fun and cheeky cozy mystery with some Murderino flair, “Peril in Pink” is an entertaining series debut that I intend to follow forward for more charming capers.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Peril in Pink” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but it would fit in on the list “Hotels, Motels, Inns, B’nBs and Guesthouses”.

Serena’s Review: “Sunbringer”

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

Book: “Sunbringer” by Hannah Kaner

Publishing Info: HarperVoyager, February 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: Return to the world of Godkiller in this thrilling sequel to the #1 internationally bestselling fantasy debut, where Kissen and her companions must navigate lands of gods and demons to unravel a dark truth at the heart of their world.

Professional godkiller Kissen and her companions—young noble Inara and knight Elogast—return in a winding adventure in a world overflowing with magic, beauty, and danger.

Previously Reviewed: “Godkiller”

Review: This was definitely one of my most highly anticipated reads for the spring 2024 season. “Godkiller” was one of those great books where I went in with very little knowledge or expectation when I started it and then was blown away by just how much I loved it! It also ended not on a cliffhanger, per se, but on a fairly big action sequences with our characters stumbling to find new ways forward after their initial goals and their plans that were, sometimes quite literally, blown out of the water. So how does this one stand up? Let’s dive in!

I’ll say right from the start that I don’t think this book was quite the high that was “Godkiller.” However, I think that would have been a very high bar to reach, and the goals that needed to be met in this story to lead to the ultimate conclusion in the third book (didn’t know there was going to be a third book until very recently!) also necessitated some of these stumbling blocks. There are a lot of moving pieces, most especially the characters themselves who have to quite literally move from one place to another over a large chunk of space. And, of course, there were some important character beats that had to be hit properly to continue them all along their series-long arcs.

As far as the characters go, Inara largely takes center stage in this book (a bit to my disappointment, as Kissen remains by favorite of the three by far). Her story is very interesting in that she’s a child character, and the book doesn’t shy away from presenting her this way. She can be stubborn, irrational, and sometimes thoughtless about the repercussions of her choices. But she’s also endearing and a girl on the verge of womanhood who finds herself in a disrupted world with very few people on whom she can rely. I also appreciated the fact that the book acknowledged the more tenuous relationship between Inara and Elo. Kissen was the glue that held this group together, and without her, we quickly see these two’s bonds begin to stretch when presented with their differing goals.

Elo’s story was fairly straight-forward, and of the three, felt a bit wayward. He has a clear plot line, but even though action is happening on the page, I felt like the reader was left spinning their wheels during much of his page time. Through him, we also spent a lot of time getting to know various other side characters who, frankly, I just didn’t care about. Worse, the book didn’t really give me reason to care about them; their stories were very must restricted to the minor events of this book, only to, by the end, feel fairly meaningless with regards to the greater story of the trilogy as a whole.

Kissen, of course, was wonderful. She’s simply a more charismatic lead character than Elo or Inara, someone who is fun to read about, pure and simple. Again, however, much of her story felt a bit aimless, especially in the first half. It’s not until the last thirty percent of the book that it becomes clear where her storyline is even going. Once it does, I liked the challenges that Kissen faced when having to re-evaluate her worldview and her role in the future conflict.

As you may have pieced together from these three character explanations, my biggest disappointment for this book was the simple fact that our main three characters spend practically no time together. I’m not sure if Kissen even exchanges any words with Elo?? It’s fairly extreme as far as character separations go, especially for a sequel of a book that had such a strong team dynamic at the center of its story.

That said, while many of my quibbles came down to what felt like “second book syndrome,” I still ended the book on an extremely high note. The story took a few switches that I truly didn’t expect, and the grand scale conflict ahead seems turbulent and morally complicated, the best kind! We had a few important reveals, and I enjoyed the important challenges that our three main characters faced with regards to their views of this world and what the future would look like. They all started in one place, but by the end, each has been significantly challenged to broaden their understanding of what is going on and who they are.

Overall, I think this was a solid sequel. I was disappointed by the lack of time the characters spent together, but I also see the important character beats that they all hit through these more separate adventures. There’s also a great conflict set up at the end that promises a very dynamic and exciting conclusion to the trilogy. Fans of the first book will likely enjoy this one, and I think it’s well worth it just to see where it all goes from here!

Rating 8: A bit of a stumble from the near-perfection of the first book, but still a solid sequel that promises great things to come!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Sunbringer” is on this Goodreads list: Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2024

Serena’s Review: “Where the Dark Stands Still”

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

Book: “Where the Dark Stands Still” by A. B. Poranek

Publishing Info: McElderry Books, February 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher

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

Book Description: Raised in a small village near the spirit-wood, Liska Radost knows that Magic is monstrous, and its practitioners, monsters. After Liska unleashes her own powers with devastating consequences, she is caught by the demon warden of the wood – the Leszy – who offers her a bargain: one year of servitude in exchange for a wish.

Whisked away to his crumbling manor, Liska soon discovers the sinister roots of their bargain. And if she wants to survive the year and return home, she must unravel her host’s spool of secrets and face the ghosts of his past.

Those who enter the wood do not always return…

Review: Have I mentioned recently my love of dark woods/dark fairytale fantasy books? No? Well, I love them. And this cover is definitely pointing towards that sort of story. Then you look at the book description, and yep, my kind of book! I also enjoy stories where the heroine/hero has a limited amount of time to uncover some sort of mystery or unravel a curse, so this book quickly racked up points of interest for me. And I’m pleased to say that it followed through on almost all of them!

Right away I knew this story was going to work for me (unless something went terrible wrong, like some sort of character assassination midway through the book). The style of writing immediately drew me in, seamlessly merging fast-paced action and lyrical, descriptive passages that set the tone for the world and story itself. Everything felt equally beautiful and dreadful, leaving the reader on tenterhooks, wanting to know more, but feeling Liska’s own sense of increasing wariness and fear as she realizes how little she knows about the myths of her own world. Alongside the writing, the world-building felt complete and immersive. The enchanted castle, woods, and guardian all felt familiar, but the author also put her own twists and turns on everything that it all felt fresh and new.

I also really enjoyed Liska as a central character. Her motivations are clear, and her perseverance and bravery in the face of her ever-changing circumstances made her incredibly sympathetic. Her circumstances and history slowly unfurled as the story continued, hinting at dark secrets in her own past. She also had great chemistry not only with the Lezky but also with a few side characters that showed up a bit further into this book. This latter point, especially, was a bit of a surprise. I wasn’t expecting additional characters so late into the story and am often a bit concerned with this choice, as late characters often have an uphill battle as far as getting good character work in with the limited page count remaining. Luckily, here, we see how it can be done well, with these characters adding important new dimensions to the world and to Liska’s own character arc.

As for the Lezky, I really enjoyed this character. Most especially, I enjoyed the slow-burn nature of his relationship with Liska and the reveals regarding his own complicated history. Their character moments covered all of the bases, from wariness to humor to, eventually, love and caring. I will say, however, that I think this book would have been better served as an adult fantasy novel. Not because there is any explicit, story-wise. More because the Lezkey is a centuries-old being, but because the book is YA, the narrative was struggling to present him as a “boy” for much of the book, which simply rubbed wrong against the character’s own situation and history. I feel like this book is the exact example I’d point to when I talk about the unfortunate habit publishers seem to have where they dub anything that is at all romantic, at all fairytale-like as YA, as if adults are not equally interested in these sorts of stories.

I also feel like the overall tone and execution of the book perhaps might sit better with an adult audience. Not that YA readers can’t appreciate bittersweet and darker tales, but I do worry that this book might not quite find its footing because of this mismatch between reader expectations and reality based on it being marketed as YA. For me, even though this book took a sharper turn into the bittersweet than I typically look for, the overall story and writing as a whole were so strong that I couldn’t help but come away loving it. If you enjoy fairytale fantasy stories and slow-burn romances, definitely give this one a shot! Right now, I feel like it’s flying under the radar, and I really

Rating 8: Whenever you wander into a deep, dark forest, you never know how you might be changed. Reading this book is much the same; you’ll find yourself enchanted, bewitched, and ultimately caught in a spell from which you won’t want to free yourself.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Where the Dark Stands Still” can be found on these Goodreads lists: The Most Beautiful Covers of 2024 and Fantasy Standalone.

Kate’s Review: “Earthdivers (Vol.2): Ice Age”

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

Book: “Earthdivers (Vol. 2): Ice Age” by Stephen Graham Jones, Ricardo Burchielli (Ill.), Patricio Delpeche (Ill.), & Emily Schnall (Ill.).

Publishing Info: IDW Publishing, February 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: Guest artists Riccardo Burchielli ( DMZ ), Patricio Delpeche, and Emily Scnall join Stephen Graham Jones— New York Times best-selling author of The Only Good Indians and My Heart Is a Chainsaw —for a mission to the Ice Age exploring America’s pre-Columbian past!

When Martin and Tawny’s children disappeared, the couple barreled into the desert to track them down at any cost. Instead, they ran afoul of another group of rovers who claimed to be saving the world by traveling through a cave portal to the year 1492 to prevent the creation of America—an idea that defied belief until the grieving parents were lured into the cave and vanished in time and space.

Now alone, Tawny must adapt to the wild marshlands of prehistoric Florida, circa 20,000 BC, and the breathtaking and bloodthirsty megafauna are the least of her problems when she’s caught in a war between a community of native Paleo-Indians and an occupying Solutrean force. Tawny’s odds of survival are in free fall, but she’s a mother on a mission…and she’s holding on to hope that the cave brought her here for a family reunion.

In the tradition of Saga , the next chapter of the critically acclaimed sci-fi epic is here in Earthdivers Vol. 2 . Collects Earthdivers #7-11.

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

When I first started Stephen Graham Jones’s fantasy/Sci-Fi time travel series “Earthdivers”, for whatever reason I thought that it was only going to be focused on what the first volume covered: the time travel assassination of Christopher Columbus. Why I thought it was only going to be that is beyond me, but when that arc came to an end at the start of “Kill Columbus”, I wondered where we were going next, with no clue or idea as to what the path was going to be. Who were we going to follow now? Was it still going to be historical fiction time travel-y? Our protagonist’s storyline pretty much definitively ended, what is going to happen now? And then I saw the cover for “Earthdivers (Vol. 2): Ice Age”, and I was blown away. BACK IN TIME TO THE ICE AGE?! HELL YES! And when I saw that we were following another time traveller, this time Tawney, a mother who was searching for her children, I was all the more excited. And shocking absolutely no one, “Earthdivers: Ice Age” is suspenseful, intriguing, and enthralling.

I really love that we are starting to explore stories of other characters in the book who have fallen afoul the mysterious cave. In “Ice Age” our focus is on Tawney, a grieving mother who had been looking for her missing twins when she and her friends were lured into the cave by Emily as an act of self defense. When Tawney wakes up, she is no longer in the 22nd century, but all the way back to the Ice Age and the Paleolithic era of humans. This is such a great choice, narrative wise, as it not only opens up a slew of possibilities as to what stories are going to potentially be told next (after all, there were multiple people who ended up in the cave around the time that Tawney did….), but it also gives us lots of different character possibilities. Tawney was a good first choice, because her motivation is based on her love for her kids, and it drives not only her want to survive in this wholly new setting, but also the choices that she makes while there. I really loved Tawney as a main character for this volume, and I loved the idea of the Ice Age as a setting and having her have to figure out how to survive in this totally new environment. Whether it’s dealing with smilodonts, having to adapt to the cold, or trying to find ways to communicate with the people she meets and connects with, it makes for a gripping story of a stranger in a strange land.

And in true Jones fashion, “Ice Age” also taps into societal injustices that feel very true today and places them even in the Ice Age. I wasn’t sure what to expect with this volume, as I thought that the Ice Age would have different hardships, but Jones keeps with the fighting against colonialism theme, using the clashes between Indigenous people and Solutreans (a controversial theory that Europeans settled in the Americas during the Ice Age by traveling over the frozen waters, HERE is a pretty good write up as to why it’s unlikely and also racist). It’s genius because it’s laying not only another kind of invading force story, but also tapping into Tawney’s inner turmoil about how to proceed when she finds herself protecting and becoming attached to a Solutrean child, as she sees her own children in him. These led to some really emotional beats, as Tawney, unlike Yellow Kid in “Kill Columbus”, draws lines when it comes to children as victims, no matter how much it could seem like a ‘greater good’. I also love how Jones has taken this fringe theory of Solutrean discovery and torn it apart by having Tawney basically fight back against the invading forces with her know how from her own time period. It’s very creative and makes for a really interesting volume! Throw in some more backstory for the Earthdivers and their motivations, as well as world building for the ravaged planet they are trying to reset, and the story arc continues to build on its complexity in very rewarding ways.

And finally, the artwork. We have some new artists in this volume, Ricardo Burchielli, Patricio Delpeche, and Emily Schnall. I liked the new styles that they brought, as while they still fit in with the previous Volume, they did bring their own aesthetics and signatures to the work.

(source: IDW)

I’m still really digging “Earthdivers” and how outside the box Stephen Graham Jones is taking it. I can’t wait to see who we follow through the cave next, and what time period it’s going to be.

Rating 8: Another creative and intense time travel story from Stephen Graham Jones! I’m loving the world building at the creative time and place.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Earthdivers (Vol. 2): Ice Age” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists as of yet, but would fit in on “Graphic Novels & Comics By The Aboriginal, Indigenous, and Native Peoples of the World”, and “Time Travel”.

Serena’s Review: “A Tempest of Tea”

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

Book: “A Tempest of Tea” by Hafsah Faizal

Publishing Info: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, February 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by dark, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it—and she can’t do the job alone.

Calling upon a band of misfits, Arthie formulates a plan to infiltrate the dark and glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not every member of her crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever.

Review: Yet another book that is promoted as a “Six of Crows” read-alike! And, spoiling my own review, I will say that this is one of the few of these books that I’ve read recently where that comparison does seem to hold true! I hadn’t read any other books by this author, but I do know that other readers very much enjoyed her other fantasy series, so I was excited to see what all the fuss was about on that front, too. There were a few things that I think could have improved this read, overall, but it was also such a fun time that I mostly didn’t mind!

But let’s start out with the unequivocally good parts of the book. The story was definitely at its most successful during its main character’s, Arthie’s, POV chapters. And, really, if you have the main character right, you’re already mostly there as far as a good reading experience goes! This is also where the book most resembles “Six of Crows.” Arthie reads as a very similar character to Kaz from that duology. Both are morally grey characters with dark histories that are slowly revealed as the story unspools. And in both cases, morally grey means, you know, actually morally grey. In that Arthie can be manipulative, cold-hearted, and single-mindedly focused on her own goals in spite of others.

But also like Kaz, she is supremely loyal to those she cares about, in this case, her chosen brother, Jin. As I’ll get into, I think the romances were the weakest points of this book. In counterbalance, this sibling relationship between Arthie and Jin was the true heart of the story. Through Jin’s perspective as well, we see how these two characters have essentially re-constructed their lives around one another and their shared goals. As the story unfolds, this relationship is tested and pushed, and much of the stakes regarding their character arcs came down to this counterbalance of trust and secrets.

The world-building was also interesting, with a unique take on vampires and half-vampires, essentially. Some of the details about these beings, and about the world itself, were delivered in a bit of a ham fisted, expositional manner early in the book, but as the book continued, I was pleased to see this tendency smoothing out. I liked the general themes that explored colonialism and imperialism, but, again, I wish at times there had been a bit more subtlety in some of this messaging. Our characters’ stories speak for themselves, and I wish authors would trust readers to draw the correct conclusions without having characters just outright say some of these points.

The plotting was also good, though the story does take a bit to really get going. There’s a lot of planning that goes into the heist itself, and then when it all actually goes down, we find that that’s not even the true peak of the conflict. Instead, the last 25% of the book really sweeps the reader up into a rush of action, reveals, and numerous twists and turns. I was able to predict a few of these switches and turns, but I was also honestly surprised by others, which is always refreshing.

I will say, however, that the book is let down by its romances, both the unfortunate love triangle that is set up for Arthie, and also Jin’s more straight-forward romance with the third POV character, Flick. This was frustrating because I feel like a few adjustments to these romances would have easily elevated this book to a truly excellent level.

First off, Flick didn’t need a POV of her own. Her story had a few interesting moments, but it all could also have been explored through Jin’s perspective and his burgeoning relationship with Flick. Not only would this then allow Jin and Arthie to have more page time, as the true main characters, but by pushing Flick’s development to character interactions with others, we’d actually have better relationship building between her and Jin on the page. As it stands, the reader is mostly just told that Jin and Flick have this burgeoning relationship, but we barely see them truly interact or speak to each other.

And then with Arthie, do away with the love triangle all together. As it stands, it feels like this book spent almost the entire time building up one side of this relationship, only to pull the rug out and point to the other relationship as the end game on literally the very last page. Which, frankly, is a waste of the reader’s time and energy. Arthie is such a great character as it is, and her history and relationship with Jin was more than enough to ground her story in an interesting arc. We could have had small teases of a relationship in her future, but we didn’t actually need anything in this book. As it stands, because there are three POVs and then two love interests for Arthie, her page time is so reduced with each of these romantic options that there’s no opportunity for anyone’s interest in one another other to be more than pure lust-at-first-sight. Which…does not make a compelling love story for any of them.

So, that’s how I’d move this book from an 8 to a 10: remove Flick’s POV, get rid of the love triangle, limit Arthie’s “romance” to more hints of a future plot point, and spend the increased page time (without Flick’s POV) to further build on the Arthie/Jin sibling bond, which is clearly the true heart of this first book, regardless of what comes next. Fixed it! As it stands, however, I still very much enjoyed this book. Arthie was a fantastic character, not only in her own POV chapters but as we see her through other character’s eyes, and the plot and final action of the book perfectly primed me to want to jump into the next book. If you’re looking for a fun, fantasy heist book, this is definitely one to check out!

Rating 8: Some adjustments to the romances may have improved it, but this was a still a romp of a fantasy heist ride that is sure to please fans of “Six of Crows!”

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Tempest of Tea” can be found on this Goodreads list: Some of the Most Interesting Covers

Kate’s Review: “Almost Surely Dead”


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

Book: “Almost Surely Dead” by Amina Akhtar

Publishing Info: Mindy’s Book Studio, February 2024

Where Did I Get This Book: I own it.

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

Book Description: A psychological thriller with a twist, Almost Surely Dead is a chilling account of how one woman’s life spins out of control after a terrifying—and seemingly random—attempt on her life.

Dunia Ahmed lives an ordinary life—or she definitely used to. Now she’s the subject of a true crime podcast. She’s been missing for over a year, and no one knows if she’s dead or alive. But her story has listeners obsessed, and people everywhere are sporting merch that demands “Find Dunia!” In the days before her disappearance, Dunia is a successful pharmacist living in New York. The daughter of Pakistani immigrants, she’s coping with a broken engagement and the death of her mother. But then something happens that really shakes up her someone tries to murder her. When her would-be killer winds up dead, Dunia figures the worst is over. But then there’s another attempt on her life…and another. And police suspect someone close to her may be the culprit. Dunia struggles to make sense of what’s happening. And as childhood superstitions seep into her reality, she becomes convinced that someone—or some thing —is truly after her.

Review: I was such a fan of Amina Akhtar’s “Kismet” when it came out, and I knew that I was going to be waiting on pins and needles for her next thriller novel to make its way to my book pile. And the time has finally arrived, as “Almost Surely Dead” has finally been released! I preordered this book for my Kindle, as between my love for her previous book, the description, and the cover, it was a hugely anticipated release for 2024 for me. And much like “Kismet” before it, once I sat down with it, I basically devoured it in about two sittings.

As a thriller mystery, Akhtar has a lot of the twists, turns, and slow build of suspense that I like to see in the genre. When we first meet Dunia, she is being attacked in the subway by a man she has only seen in passing, and when his attack fails, he throws himself in front of a train, saying that he ‘had to’. This kicks off a strange and unnerving mystery about who wants Dunia dead, and what lengths they will go to to make it happen, with a narrative told from her perspective as she grows more and more paranoid, as well as a podcast transcript that fills in the gaps that she can’t see after she has gone missing. We also get flashbacks to her childhood, and see her family life that consists of her cold mother, her caring (but not long for this world) father, and hot and cold older sister Nadia, as well as an overall fear that she was being haunted by something as a child. Through all of these perspectives, we see a woman who has endured a lot of trauma in her life, and whose recent victimization and subsequent disappearance has a lot of reveals that worked well for me. Some things were a but more obvious than others, but then there would be a huge twist that did, in fact, catch me off guard, and made for a gripping read that I could hardly put down.

And I really, really liked the dark fantasy and horror beats that are whispering throughout this novel. Akhtar does a good job of weaving in the jinn myth and showing how sinister this creature can be, and the ways that it can mess with a person’s perception of reality while pulling them into a devious web. I liked the ambiguity of some of this, while also knowing that SOMETHING supernatural is going on, and that Dunia’s childhood interest in jinns may have had something bigger going on besides just a general fascination. While it’s clear from the jump there there is SOMETHING supernatural going on, Akhtar still manages to effectively blur the lines between otherworldly and all too worldly threats (obsessive exes, toxic parental relationships, trauma), which makes for a suspenseful tale that kept me guessing. I also liked how it was so tied to Dunia’s culture, and how the thing that she may be experiencing isn’t going to be wholly comprehended properly through a Western lens without the cultural context.

I did have one small quibble that I wanted to note, however. I mentioned the podcast transcript device earlier, and I overall enjoyed that choice and how it made it so we could see other sides of the mystery that Dunia herself couldn’t see or portray in a first person perspective. I also just love ‘found media’ and epistolary tropes. But the one thing that took me out of it a bit was how two dimensional the two podcast hosts, Amanda and Danielle were, and how they really just felt like personifications of the criticisms of ‘true crime appeal’ as a whole. Whether they are simpering over the mystery in a disingenuous way, or hawking products in a gauche manner, or being clueless and distasteful in how they present the case (or in how they have taken it on as a podcast), it felt a BIT like a not at all subtle ‘true crime is gross’ take that has been done a LOT in the past few years when it comes to using true crime as a plot point. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t necessarily fully disagree with this take (and this is coming from someone who listens to true crime podcasts), and do think that some platforms DO tread a bit into a distasteful and exploitative area. But as a take it’s not really a new one, and in this case it was ham-fisted and more about statement versus driving the plot forward. If it had been less obvious about it I’d probably have enjoyed it more.

But that’s merely a drop in a sea of a really fun and entertaining thriller! “Almost Surely Dead” was a breezy and suspenseful read, with dark fantasy and horror elements that meshed well with the story. Another win from Amina Akhtar!

Rating 8: A fast paced and suspenseful thriller tale with solid horror elements, “Almost Surely Dead” is another fun and gripping read from Amina Akhtar!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Almost Surely Dead” is included on the Goodreads list “2024 Mystery Thrillers Crime To Be Excited For”.

Serena’s Review: “Projections: A Novel”

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

Book: “Projections: A Novel” by S. E. Porter

Publishing Info: Tor Books, February 2024

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

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

Book Description: Love may last a lifetime, but in this dark historical fantasy, the bitterness of rejection endures for centuries.

As a young woman seeks vengeance on the obsessed sorcerer who murdered her because he could not have her, her murderer sends projections of himself out into the world to seek out and seduce women who will return the love she denied―or suffer mortal consequence. A lush, gothic journey across worlds full of strange characters and even stranger magic.

Sarah Porter’s adult debut explores misogyny and the soul-corrupting power of unrequited love through an enchanted lens of violence and revenge.

Review: It’s been a hot minute since I read “Vassa in the Night,” but what I do remember, I remember fondly. I vaguely remember struggling a bit with the characters, but enjoying the world-building and lyrical nature of the story. Don’t quote me on that, but I feel like I can remember some pretty interesting magical concepts, but at the same time, practically nothing about Vassa herself. From these mists of memories, I have to say I’m pleased to see the author jumping over to adult fiction! As is confirmed in this book, I think adult fiction much better suits the strengths found in her lyrical style to storytelling.

I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when I started this one. The cover is fantastic and was definitely giving creepy vibes, and the book description was leading me to think we’d be following the ghost, Catherine, individually throughout the story. But I wasn’t expecting the multiple time lines and the manner in which the story unfolded. It was both intriguing and frustrating. Intriguing, because the stories explores a large period of time, giving the reader glimpses into many aspects of the world and systems in place. Frustrating, because like Catherine, the reader is left raging at Angus, Gus, throughout the book, longing for his demise, forced to witness him in all of his misogynistic glory again and again.

That said, I really appreciated the look into Gus’s character that we see here. He’s such a lowkey sort of evil, a man who think he deserves the love of those he chooses, and then reacts violently and viscously when he is denied. It’s as terrifying as it is familiar. But what have been a simplistic exploration of this theme rose to a new level through the author’s careful work in this book. The story is presented meticulously and intentionally, using its various timelines to really sharpen the fine point it is making. Catherine is angry, the book is angry, and the author does a diligent job in portraying this anger as justified, warranted, and, in its own terrible way, necessary.

That said, this book is long, coming in at just shy of 500 pages. Given the dark nature of its themes, and the ongoing struggles of its characters, this left the reading experience as somewhat challenging at times. I can’t point to any exact moments that could be cut to winnow down the length, but I do think the book would have been more readable to a general audience if it had been edited down just a bit. That said, if you enjoy the style of writing presented here and become invested in Catherine’s story early on, as I did, the length isn’t a deterrent. If you enjoyed lyrical, historical fiction with strong feminist themes, definitely check this one out!

Rating 8: Ambitious and powerful, Porter weaves a careful tale of misogyny, cruelty, and the anger of a woman who refuses to remain a victim.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Projections: A Novel” is on this Goodreads list: Books I’m Dying to Get My Hands On