Tag: 8 Rating

Kate’s Review: “A Haunting on the Hill”

Book: “A Haunting on the Hill” by Elizabeth Hand

Publishing Info: Mulholland Books, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: From three-time Shirley Jackson, World Fantasy, and Nebula Award-winning author Elizabeth Hand comes the first-ever authorized novel to return to the world of Shirley Jackson’s  The Haunting of Hill House:  a suspenseful, contemporary, and terrifying story of longing and isolation all its own.
 
Holly Sherwin has been a struggling playwright for years, but now, after receiving a grant to develop her play, The Witch of Edmonton, she may finally be close to her big break. All she needs is time and space to bring her vision to life. When she stumbles across Hill House on a weekend getaway upstate, she is immediately taken in by the ornate, if crumbling, gothic mansion, nearly hidden outside a remote village. It’s enormous, old, and ever-so eerie—the perfect place to develop and rehearse her play.
 
Despite her own hesitations, Holly’s girlfriend, Nisa, agrees to join Holly in renting the house out for a month, and soon a troupe of actors, each with ghosts of their own, arrive. Yet as they settle in, the house’s peculiarities are made known: strange creatures stalk the grounds,  disturbing sounds echo throughout the halls, and time itself seems to shift.  All too soon, Holly and her friends find themselves at odds not just with one another, but with the house itself. It seems something has been waiting in Hill House all these years, and it no longer intends to walk alone . . . 

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

Happy Halloween, everyone!! This is one of my favorite days of the year, and while I am always sad that the spooky season inevitably comes to an end on this wonderful day, I still look forward to it. Between taking my kid trick or treating and watching the original “Halloween” film, I like making this day special, and this year I have a special final review for Horrorpalooza 2023: “A Haunting on the Hill” by Elizabeth Hand is not only a new haunted house story, it is also an official continuation of Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House”, the formative and influential Gothic horror story about four paranormal investigators in the sinister Hill House. When I heard that there was an authorized sequel that takes place decades after the original, I was very, VERY interested to see what exactly the author was going to do with it. We’ve had some really good interpretations of the Hill House lore in the past few years, and an actual novel sounded ambitious and daunting. But I was very, very satisfied with how it all shook out.

“A Haunting on the Hill” brings new inhabitants to Hill House, set in the modern times. Holly, a playwright who is trying to re-craft an old play about a witch, discovers the empty (but still cared for) mansion while on a drive during a vacation with her girlfriend and creative partner Nisa, and is almost immediately drawn to it. After convincing other members of the play, Stevie (an actor and a close friend) and Amanda (the lead), to join, what begins as a creative endeavor slowly turns into a nightmare. So once again we have four people in Hill House who don’t know just how dangerous it is, with locals and caretakers trying to warn them as their warnings fall unto closed ears, and a house that starts to draw them in. I liked watching the slow spin out as Holly, Nisa, Stevie, and Amanda deal with little things (like things being in one place and ending up in another, or lights being on when they were sure they were off), which then turn into big things (black hares falling down chimneys, or seeing cars barreling towards trees only to have them disappear). Hand takes her time in building up the tension, and adds more tension between the actors who are already on edge for other reasons none of them really want to talk about. She makes it so that the dread is fully taut, and then will let it snap to create genuinely scary moments that feel right out of Shirley Jackson’s playbook.

In terms of how well it blends in with the source material, I think that Hand does a really good job of making this story seem original and unique while still holding some of the tone and themes of “The Haunting of Hill House”. Given that through the original and at least two adaptations (NOT the 1999 adaptation, mind you), one of the main points Jackson was making was that yes, Hill House is haunted, but the people who inhabit it are ALSO haunted by things outside of the mansion. And we get that with our characters in this story, whether it’s Holly aching for success, or singer Nisa, who is rife with her own insecurities while trying to put on a show of great confidence and allure, or actress Amanda who is trying to remake her career after an accident in a previous show that she felt blamed for, or actor Stevie who is still feeling the repercussions of horrific abuse he endured as a tween, vulnerable people come to Hill House and have a slowly building dread as strange thing start to happen. Hand never goes outside of the levels of the original book, slowly upping the ante of suspense with general unease to moments of rapt terror, and it just feels like Jackson’s Hill House is bringing in more victims to keep inside so it doesn’t walk alone. She also manages to pay homage and fit in references to the original text, without feeling like she’s leaning upon it too heavily, or just retelling the tale in a new coating. Hell, she even can explore the less obvious themes of queerness that were hinted at in the original, and bringing in the spirit of Nell and Theo and their complicated relationship through Holly and Nisa. It’s believable as a sequel and it’s worthy of it as well.

“A Haunting on the Hill” is an eerie and unsettling follow up to a beloved horror classic. I felt like it hit the right beats, caught the right tone, and ended up fitting in with the story many know and love.

And with that, on this lovely All Hallow’s Eve, Horrorpalooza 2023 has come to an end! I hope that you have all had a fun and deeply spooky Season of the Witch, and I hope that everyone out there has a fun, safe, and creepy crawly Halloween!!!

Rating 8: An eerie and suspenseful revisit to a classic haunted house story, “A Haunting on the Hill” is a worthy follow up to “The Haunting of Hill House”.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Haunting on the Hill” is included on the Goodreads lists “Horror of Halloween 2023”, and “Queer Releases October 2023”.

Year of Sanderson: “The Emperor’s Soul”

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

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

Book: “The Emperor’s Soul” by Brandon Sanderson

Publishing Info: Tachyon Publications, October 2012

Where Did I Get this Book: from the library!

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

Book Description: Shai is a Forger, a foreigner who can flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic. Condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor’s scepter, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Though her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead.

Probing deeply into his life, she discovers Emperor Ashravan’s truest nature—and the opportunity to exploit it. Her only possible ally is one who is truly loyal to the emperor, but councilor Gaotona must overcome his prejudices to understand that Shai’s forgery is as much artistry as it is deception.

Brimming with magic and political intrigue, this deftly woven fantasy delves into the essence of a living spirit.

Review: Aside from his full length novels (and “full length” includes books that are made up of a page count that would equal several books combined!), Brandon Sanderson has also written a good number of short stories and novellas. I’ve read a few of them but wanted to review one that I hadn’t read before for this series. As there is a second “Elantris” book slated to come out sometime in the next few years, I thought it was a good time to check out this novella that, while not directly connected to that book, takes place in the same world.

I guess it should no longer come as a surprise, but it’s always impressive just how much detail Sanderson can pack into his world-building and magic systems. All the more so in this small book! Further more, while close readers will spot the references to “Elantris,” this book stands fully on its own, meaning that the book can’t rely on previous knowledge and must impart everything that needs to be understood in its slim page count. I was impressed by how well all of this lore worked alongside a fairly compact story that also put in a lot of work in the arc of its main character.

I really enjoyed Shai as a main character. She’s a master thief and forger, relying on a very specific and rare power to pull off her feats. In this story, she is tasked with an impossible mission: to forge the soul of the emperor who teeters on death’s door. Not only was this an interesting exploration of what makes up us as people, but Shai’s story was surprisingly heart-touching as she works to gain the trust and understanding of the man in charge of overseeing her progress. This was a unique relationship, in that it wasn’t a romance, but instead was a sweet exploration of learning to understand those we initially perceive as our enemies, whose beliefs and actions we can’t understand ourselves.

The story also moves at a brisk pace, even if much of the action takes place in a small, confined room. However, as the tension builds, the reader is drawn closer and closer to Shai, attempting to understand just what her plan is. And when it all plays out, it’s a thrilling conclusion, more than making up for the slower action to start with. Overall, this was a very satisfying, short read. It perfectly illustrates many of Sanderson’s strengths as an author while also not requiring a commitment to a massive tome on the reader’s part. For those looking for an introduction to Sanderson’s work, this is a great place to start!

Rating 8: Short but effective, this book is a perfect primer for readers looking to get a small taste of the masterful work Sanderson produces!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Emperor’s Soul” is on this Goodreads list: Original Stories . . . a Breath of Fresh Air and Best Stand-Alone Fantasy Book.

Kate’s Review: “Green Fuse Burning”

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

Book: “Green Fuse Burning” by Tiffany Morris

Publishing Info: Stelliform Press, October 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received a copy from the publisher.

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

Book Description: The debut novella from the Elgin Award winning author of Elegies of Rotting Stars. After the death of her estranged father, artist Rita struggles with grief and regret. There was so much she wanted to ask him-about his childhood, their family, and the Mi’kmaq language and culture from which Rita feels disconnected. But when Rita’s girlfriend Molly forges an artist’s residency application on her behalf, winning Rita a week to paint at an isolated cabin, Rita is both furious and intrigued. The residency is located where her father grew up. On the first night at the cabin, Rita wakes to strange sounds. Was that a body being dragged through the woods?

When she questions the locals about the cabin’s history, they are suspicious and unhelpful. Ignoring her unease, Rita gives in to dark visions that emanate from the forest’s lake and the surrounding swamp. She feels its pull, channelling that energy into art like she’s never painted before. But the uncanny visions become more insistent, more intrusive, and Rita discovers that in the swamp’s decay the end of one life is sometimes the beginning of another.

Review: Thank you to Stelliform Press and Beverly Bambury for sending me a print copy of this book!

The first thing about “Green Fuse Burning” by Tiffany Morris that caught my eye was the cover. When this showed up in my inbox with the cover attached to the email, I saw the cover and was just under its spell. The vivid colors, the creepy image, it just grabbed me. I also haven’t read much eco-horror, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give it a go with this novella. I went in expecting one thing, but once I was done I realized that it completely upended all my expectations.

Horror wise, I thought that “Green Fuse Burning” had a lot of really well done imagery, and a lot of unique prose choices that make the macabre at times quite beautiful. This is a horror tale that anchors itself in nature and eco-horror, with references to climate change and an eerie and foreboding swamp that draws protagonist Rita into its spell while she tries to work on her art inside an isolated cabin on a lake that has ties to her now deceased Mi’kmaw father. From strange noises at night to standoffish people in town to images of a woman who seems to be made if fiery vegetation, the scares are both deeply unsettling as well as beautifully written (which isn’t TOO shocking as Morris is an award winning poet). The descriptions of the vegetation, the landscape, the gore, it is absolutely what I expect from horror while also being unexpectedly gorgeous. I also really enjoyed how each chapter opened with a description of the various art pieces that Rita creates while in the cabin, that gives the reader and idea of the escalating horror situations that are to come on her journey in the swamp.

But what I liked most about this book is the way that Morris examines grief and loss, and how that not only applies to losing loved ones, but also losing your connection to your heritage through that initial loss. Rita is an Indigenous woman who has a tenuous relationship with her Mi’kmaw heritage and culture, and when her main link, her estranged father, dies, she now feels adrift and as though a part of herself she never really knew has been taken from her with his death. Rita’s journey in the woods on the lake where he grew up has the expected ‘cabin the woods’ beats, but it goes deeper than that and dives into the horrors of this kind of grief. And I also liked how instead of grief being seen as something to be fought or overcome, as some horror stories have done, you get the sense that Rita’s grief isn’t something to be conquered, but something to be accepted and something to sit with. That, too, ties into the colonized nature of Rita’s grief, as within the Western lens (as seen through her white girlfriend Molly), Rita is sent away to process her grief and to come out more artistic and whole, to hide it away until she is done processing it. But as Rita is isolated in the woods and goes through her journey in the swamps and with the Lichen Woman, grief isn’t seen as something to hide, but to, in some ways, embrace.

“Green Fuse Burning” is a meditative and gorgeously written horror story that has moments of intensity, as well as moments of reflection. It’s one of the more unique horror stories I’ve read this year, and I quite enjoyed it.

Rating 8: An unsettling environmental horror that takes on grief and loss, “Green Fuse Burning” is both intense, but also meditative.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Green Fuse Burning” is included on the Goodreads lists “Queer Releases October 2023”, and “Horror To Look Forward To in 2023”.

Serena’s Review: “A Season of Monstrous Conceptions”

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

Book: “A Season of Monstrous Conceptions” by Lina Rather

Publishing Info: Tor, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: In 17th-century London, unnatural babies are being born: some with eyes made for the dark, others with webbed fingers and toes better suited to the sea.

Sarah Davis is intimately familiar with such strangeness—she herself was born marked by uncanniness. Having hidden her nature all her life and fled to London under suspicious circumstances, Sarah starts over as a midwife’s apprentice, hoping to carve out for herself an independent life. As a member of the illegal Worshipful Company of Midwives, Sarah learns to reach across the thinning boundary between her world and another, drawing on its power to heal and protect the women she serves.

When the wealthy Lady Wren hires her to see her through her pregnancy, Sarah quickly becomes a favorite of her husband, the famous architect Lord Christopher Wren, whose interest in the uncanny borders on obsession. Sarah soon finds herself caught in a web of magic and intrigue created by those who would use the magic of the Other World to gain power for themselves, and whose pursuits threaten to unmake the earth itself.

Review: As Kate has mentioned in some of her reviews, there’s definitely a current trend regarding horror and fantasy stories tackling motherhood, pregnancy, and birth. Pretty obvious why, given the national debate around the topic! Plus, regardless of contemporary happenings, there is a long history of birth and motherhood that has veered wildly between the mystical and the horrific. This novella tackles the same subject but adds actual monstrosities to the mix!

I really enjoy books like this that blend genres so effectively. Not only do we have the horror and fantasy elements, but the story takes place in an alternate 17th century London. This allowed the story to utilize not only its fantastical elements, that children are being born with monstrous traits, but also its historical time period as commentary on many aspects of human life. And, while I liked the fantasy aspects, I think the historical setting of this book is its real strength. At times, some of the magic and horror of what was actually going on was a bit hand-waved away with very little explanation. This is a novella, so I do understand not wanting to get too in-depth with some of these elements, but there were times that I was left questioning.

On the other hand, the historical setting felt very alive and drove much of the story. I particularly liked the group of midwives who were covertly running their own operation, attempting to record what was going on before the more official agencies got in to cover things up. Obviously, this isn’t really anything like the show “Call the Midwife” but it also did have similar vibes, especially with the cast of women we meet along the way.

I also really liked our main character. As an outsider in many ways, she had a unique perspective on the challenges tackled in this story. Obviously, having monstrous characteristics herself, her investment in the future of these children and the mothers who birth them is very close to her. If anything, the richness of her own story and the interesting and complex world we briefly explored left me a bit disappointed by the short length of this story. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a novella and not always having to commit to a massive tome (especially as a fantasy reader, a genre that is known for its hefty wordcounts!). But I do think that this book is an example of a concept that was limited by its page count, rather than aided. There was just so much here, I wish we had more time to explore it all!

Rating 8: Creepy, but thought-provoking, my primary complaint is that I wanted more of it!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Season of Monstrous Conceptions” can be found on this Goodreads list: Queer Horror

Serena’s Review: “Night of the Witch”

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

Book: “Night of the Witch” by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: A witch and a hunter. Vengeance is their mission. Love is their destiny.

Fritzi is a witch. A survivor of a brutal attack on her coven, she’s determined to find her only surviving family member and bring the hexenjägers—zealot witch hunters—to justice for the lives they ended. To do this, she will need to take down their leader—Kommandant Dieter Kirch.

Otto is a hexenjäger and a captain, the second in command to Dieter Kirch—but that’s just his cover. Years ago, the hexenjagers burned his innocent mother alive and since then, he has been planning a move against the witch hunters that tore his family apart. And now the time has come for them to pay for what they’ve done.

When Fritzi and Otto are unexpectedly thrown together, neither is sure they can trust the other, despite their common enemy. But all they have is one another, and they both crave revenge. As truths come to light and trust shifts, Fritzi and Otto uncover a far more horrifying plot at the center of the hexenjäger attacks . . . but their own growing feelings for each other may be the most powerful magic of all.

Review: I was able to meet the authors and snag a signed ARC of this way back at the ALA convention in June. Since then, I’ve been regularly pulling it out and trying to decide how early is too early to start reading a book that doesn’t release until October. But the day finally arrived, and this book, while not exactly what I was expecting, definitely lived up to my wildest dreams!

I don’t know why I had this in my head, but I definitely thought this was going to be a single POV book. Now, reading the book description, it seems pretty obvious that it was not going to be that. Honestly, I probably went in with a more optimistic attitude because of this misconception, as dual POV YA fantasy books rarely really work for me. But I’m happy to always be reminded that there are exceptions to that rule! Here, we see the proper equation to creating a dynamic dual POV book.

First, it starts with voice. It was supremely easy to tell the difference in narrative style between Fritzi and Otto. This doesn’t come down to any quirks in dialect or anything like that, but more the clearly different ways the two characters observe and relate to the world around them. Their senses of humor, levels of cynicism, and the various weights of emotional baggage are clearly different from one another, allowing readers to feel fully immersed both characters’ head.

Second, they each have a distinctive arc from one another, without one over-shadowing the other or their combined arcs turning out to be essentially the same story. Yes, they experience many of the same events, but their motivations, choices, and priorities are very much built up on the many years of life they bring to the current situation, lives that were very different from one another. While they find themselves with common enemies, they each have been coming at the problem from unique perspectives. What’s more, they have very, VERY, different relationships with the players involved, affecting how they each process and respond to certain situations.

Third, they have a joint arc that perfectly ties together their separate story lines and weaves a greater overarching plot line. I really appreciated the slow-burn nature of the romance, with each having to slowly come to trust and rely on the other. It’s never believable when I read these “enemy to lovers” stories where the pair immediately seems to get over whatever made them “enemies” to begin with and then just jump easily to “lovers” with no stumbling blocks of distrust, betrayal, or misunderstanding to be found. Here, these characters must quite naturally, over time, come to understand what makes up the other, and thus grow to love and respect them. It also helps that the “enemy” portion of their storyline is largely built on a misunderstanding, albeit it a natural and, in fact, necessary one. It would be truly hard to buy any story that saw a witch fall in love with an actual witch hunter. Instead, the authors found a clever way of side-stepping the issue while still getting at the juicy drama of it all.

I also am really enjoying this current trend towards Germanic fantasy and folklore. (Spoilers, I’ll be reading another Germanic fantasy here in another few weeks!) This book, specifically, included a lot of references to the historical and religious influences that played a role in the region, as well as a good dose of actual German words and phrases. While much of this was on the periphery of the main story, I appreciated these small touches.

I also liked the magic, fantasy, and witchy-ness of this story. While I was able to guess a few of the major reveals about this magic and the players involved, it was all interesting enough to keep me fully engaged with the story throughout. My one major complaint comes down to the ending of the book. It felt like the story had come to a nice, natural conclusion, leaving us with the rare, unicorn of a stand-alone YA fantasy. But alas, at the very last minute, and I mean very last minute, we get a reveal that effectively undoes this resolution. While I’m happy to return to these characters and this world, I’m not sure this ending actually benefited this book on its own merit.

Rating 8: Stellar! Full of danger, intrigue, and forbidden romance, this is how you do enemies-to-lovers stories right!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Night of the Witch” isn’t on any good Goodreads books, really, but it should be on Witchy YA.

Serena’s Review: “The Unmaking of June Farrow”

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

Book: “The Unmaking of June Farrow” by Adrienne Young

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: eARC from the publisher

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

Book Description: A woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Spells for Forgetting.

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

Review: I was super excited when I saw that Adrienne Young was coming out with another book this year. And adult fantasy, at that! As much as I enjoyed some of her earlier YA work, I’ve really enjoyed the turn her writing has taken lately toward adult fantasy, especially of the sort where the fantasy elements are largely in the background of a story more focused on characters, relationships, and mysteries. “Spells of Forgetting” was one of my favorite reads last year, and this one sounded very much like it was up the same alley!

I don’t think I can avoid minor spoilers when talking about this book, but it’s really only a “spoiler” in the sense that the official book summary doesn’t lay it all out there. Any quick perusal of Goodreads will reveal this. But if you’re really vigilant, I’m going to try to discuss quickly at the top the absolutely non-spoiler-y things and then get into the rest towards the end.

And the first non-spoiler fact is that I loved this book! It had a lot of similar features to “Spells for Forgetting” and they worked just as well this time around. Namely, Young’s talent for writing compelling, nuanced, and sympathetic characters. This talent extends beyond her ability to write great leading ladies and romantic interests, but also to the side characters and villains that populate her world. This book, in particular, did some great work with these side characters. By the nature of the story, we see several versions of these characters, and it was fascinating to piece together these pieces of their histories and how they interacted with those around them.

I also liked the mysteries at the heart of this story. There were several, including the truth behind the strange curse/mental illness that afflicts June’s family, as well as the disappearance of June’s mother, and a long-ago, unsolved cold case of the town’s preacher. All of these various mysteries wove in and out of one another, and even as you uncover a portion of the truth from one mystery, it simply adds another layer of unknowns to the remaining questions. I was able to piece together a few bits fairly early on, but there were definitely other reveals that took me by surprise. Depending on your sleuthing abilities, there was a fairly large twist that came late in the game that was actually so monumental that I wish the story had lingered over it a bit longer even than it did.

I also really liked the romance at the heart of this story. The love story is a slow-burn style romance, with much of the book carefully detailing June’s connection to the complicated man she meets after going through the door. Due to the nature of how they meet and the mystery of the door, this relationship faces several deep-seated conflicts built into the very core of who each character is. In my opinion, this is the best sort of love story, one that explores the personal arcs of each individual alongside the burgeoning romance building between them.

And now to the spoiler (sort of??) aspect of the review. Again, I don’t think this is a real spoiler as it’s revealed very early in the book and is commonly referenced in reviews. But the door that appears is in fact a time travel portal, allowing the Farrow women to move backwards and forwards through time. Overall, I really liked the way this conceit was worked into the story. It was explained and given parameters to a certain degree, but Young also didn’t get bogged down into a lengthy description of magic systems and space/time continuums. It is very much a tool at the service of the more character-driven story that makes up the heart of the book. And while I was reading, it was easy enough to simply go with the flow, as I was fully caught up in the stakes of June’s own story. That said, after I finished the book, there were some niggling bits of confusion and questions that began to bother me. On one hand, I think it’s really, really hard to write a time travel book that doesn’t lead to inevitable questions about how it could all possibly work. But the resolution of this book specifically is clearly meant to build to some greater point about how this specific example of time travel works, and I’m not sure it was fully successful in that regard. There were some lingering questions about whether the late game actions of characters really would accomplish what we were told they would.

Beyond that, I also questioned the initial premise a bit, that the Farrow women would understand the give and take of using the door and still continue to use it as they did. We’re told simply “they couldn’t resist, ultimately,” but I feel like this simplistic explanation actually does a massive disservice to the very nature of the complicated, nuanced characters that Young is known for creating. People don’t just do things, all of them making the same choice simply because, and one of Young’s strengths as a writer is her exploration of these differences between how and why people do what they do. This is a fairly minor complaint, but it did stand out at me, mostly because it is so out of step with the rest of the character exploration and explanation that we’re given. And, necessarily, it’s at the heart of much of the Farrow story, over the decades.

But while I did have lingering questions and quibbles, I can’t emphasize enough how much none of this bothered my actual reading experience. And even with these questions, I think the exploration of family, history, and the deep connections formed with those who make up our lives was so expertly done that I have no qualms recommending this to almost anyone, especially those who enjoy character-driven stories and slow-burn romances.

Rating 8: Atmospheric and lyrical, Adrienne Young does it again, painting a story of a long line of women whose lives weave in and out of one another’s creating a beautiful tapestry of love and mystery.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Unmaking of June Farrow” can be found on this Goodreads list: Moody stories about small towns with secrets and magic

Serena’s Review: “Reign Returned” and “Blood Divided”

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

Book: “Reign Returned” by Katie Keridan

Publishing Info: SparkPress, September 2022

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: Kyra Valorian is the most gifted Astral healer the golden-blooded realm of Aeles has seen in ages. When tragedy strikes, Kyra discovers she possesses a life-changing she’s a Recovrancer, able to enter the realm of the dead and recover those who’ve died before their time. Unfortunately, recovrancy is outlawed in her realm. Desperate for answers, Kyra will do anything to get them . . . even partner with a dangerous enemy.

Review: I was approached to review the second book in this series, but, being a duology, it was important that I read the first book first. So, to that end, I’m going to put two mini reviews into one post and cover both books today! Let’s get started with the first book!

Right off the bat, it’s clear that the author has a very approachable style of writing. It was very easy to find myself becoming invested in both of our main characters right from the start. Their various motivations were clear, with their very different backgrounds playing into how they approached decision making when they did come together. Kyra’s dream of following in her father’s footsteps as a healer begins to waver as she uncovers truths about her nation, but throughout the story she maintains an optimistic, hopeful approach to the world. For his part, Sebastian’s history is much darker, as is the way he makes his living current, as an assassin. I appreciated that the author didn’t look away from the reality of what this profession would look like. It’s definitely a steep task to set yourself to show one of your characters killing people, but then make them still sympathetic and worth investment as half of a romantic pair.

The pacing and plotting of the story were all on point. From the first chapter, we are privy to knowledge about Kyra and Sebastian’s history that they only slowly uncover over the course of the story. The reader knows just enough to guess at certain clues, but there were still surprises in store. This isn’t an action-packed story, but the characters (especially some of the fun side characters, like the animal companions and an actual dragon!) really carry the story for much of it. However, the story does build to a good climatic conclusion.

While I like the world-building overall, I was a bit confused at times trying to picture the type of world we’re meant to be envisioning. There were elements that read as very “sci-fi” like comm systems and transporters, essentially, but then there was also the dragon and some unicorns. I have no problem with blending genres as a concept, but here at a certain point it felt more like I just gave up trying to put it all together into a cohesive world and just went with the flow, which isn’t necessarily the way you want to get the reader through.

Rating 8: A solid first book in a duology that definitely left me eager to jump into the second book!

Book: “Blood Divided” by Katie Keridan

Publishing Info: SparkPress, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher

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

Book Description: Kyra Valorian and Sebastian Sayre have finally remembered their pasts as the former Felserpent Queen and King, and now it’s time for them to change the future―by reuniting the realms and bringing peace to Astrals and Daevals. But tensions between Aeles and Nocens have never been higher, and those of silver and gold blood are more divided than ever.

In addition to improving her recovrancy abilities and completing internship, Kyra is determined to uncover her father’s role in the evil Astral experimentation program, no matter the danger. As Sebastian learns to be in a relationship, he finds himself facing the traumas of two very different pasts, forcing him to make tough decisions about his chosen profession and who he wants to be. Meanwhile, Tallus, arch-enemy to the Felserpent monarchy, has also returned―and it will take help from Cyphers, as well as friends both old and new, to find and stop him.

As Kyra and Sebastian struggle to navigate the differences between their past and current relationship, one thing’s part of fulfilling their destiny means accepting their fate. The choices they make will reach all the way into Death in this thrilling found family sequel to Reign Returned.

Review: While the last book didn’t end of a cliffhanger exactly, there was still a massive shift in perspectives made with Sebastian and Kyra remembering their former lives as the Felserpent King and Queen. I was very curious how this would be tackled, as both characters now have to deal with not only the memories of past selves, but must still content with the people they are now and the lives they already lived in these bodies. And, ultimately, I really liked how it was handled here. Having these memories did not suddenly erase the romantic tension, something I was concerned about, but added a new intriguing layer to the proceedings. I also liked how these past life experiences played into the ways that Kyra and Sebastian dealt with the problems they were facing currently.

There were various mysteries that had to still be tackled from the first book, both smaller ones having to do with Kyra’s father and Sebastian’s own personal history, but the last few pages also dropped the fact that a new villain was on the stage. It was fairly easy to predict who this character was, but I did like the way this storyline was tackled, weaving neatly between past events and the current conflicts. The story had a lot of ground to cover in this book, and I felt like things moved along quickly, while also not losing the charm of the first book.

Overall, this was a very creative, well-done fantasy duology that I think is well-below the radar of many readers who would enjoy it. If you’re a fantasy-lover looking for something fresh and unique, this is definitely the duology for you!

Rating 8: An excellent conclusion, full of action, adventure, and romance, perfect for fantasy-lovers of every variety!

Year of Sanderson: “Yumi and the Nightmare Painter”

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

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

Book: “Yumi and the Nightmare Painter” by Brandon Sanderson

Publishing Info: Dragonsteel Entertainment, July 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

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

Book Description: Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other’s communities from certain disaster?

Review: Here we are back again with the third new book from Brandon Sanderson for the year! We have had a bit of an up and down time of it so far, with “Tress” being one of my favorites of his books ever, and then “Wizarding Guide” ending up as one of my lower rated Sanderson books that I can remember. But I’m pleased to report that this book sees a return to much of what I love about Sanderson’s writing: interesting new worlds, and most importantly, very likable leading characters.

Again, I have to mention the absolutely superb quality of these special editions of Sanderson’s four novels this year. This one, in particular, is simply gorgeous. What’s more, the dreamy, romantic style of the art perfectly pairs with the slower, more character-driven and whimsical story that makes up the heart of this book. In the afterword, Sanderson mentions how his wife always pushes him to include more romance in his stories (thank you to her, since I, too, always appreciate a good romantic subplot in my fantasy/science fiction!), and so this book, with its strong emphasis on the slow-burn romance between its two main characters was really a love letter to her. And man, does it work!

When Sanderson’s character work is on point, it really is on point. And here he masterfully manages to play to two of his strengths: creative world-building and unique magic systems, all in the greater purpose of creating a situation where Yumi and Painter spend 90% of the story in close connection to one another. It is very clear, as the story plays out, how much of this world and story are built in service of this primary goal. But while these frameworks are in place to allow for the character plot lines, they also feel compelling and creative in their own right.

I very much enjoyed the two different worlds and cultures that Sanderson gives us here, with Yumi coming from a more traditional, religiously-focused culture, with many restrictions and rituals placed on her existence, and Painter hailing from a more modern world, one with electricity and even a version of TV. This allows for a very real culture clash between the two when each is forced to live in the world of the other and comes to slowly understand who the other person is and why. Each has been shaped by the worlds they come from, but when supplanted into another world, we see the true heart of each. Yumi’s bravery and resilience, Painter’s desire to protect and serve those around him. And each struggling under the enormous pressure put on them from not only outside forces, but from within as well.

The pacing of this story is much more on the slower side of things. Many scenes are included purely for character growth and the incremental, but amazingly sweet, steps that make up Yumi and Painter’s blossoming romance. There are side characters, of course, and a few of them had some legitimate surprises in store, but they all paled in comparison to Yumi and Painter. Indeed, their story was so clearly the heart of the book, that there were times when even these short moments focused on the side characters felt like they dragged the pacing down a bit.

Overall, however, I really enjoyed this book. It was not as action-packed as some of other Sanderson’s stories, but I think its focus on characters and the love story were truly a joy to experience. Pair that with the absolutely fantastic art, and this was an amazing reading experience.

Rating 8: A lovely, character-driven story that highlights how Sanderson’s writing can be more than just amazing magic systems.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Yumi and the Nightmare Paiter” is on this Goodreads list: Books that inspired or are similar to Studio Ghibli / Hayao Miyazaki films.

Kate’s Review: “Black Sheep”

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

Book: “Black Sheep” by Rachel Harrison

Publishing Info: Berkley, September 2023

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

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

Book Description: A cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family’s dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.

Nobody has a “normal” family, but Vesper Wright’s is truly…something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back—mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn’t return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep.

Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin Rosie. It’s to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn’t be the first time Vesper’s been given special treatment. Is the invite a sweet gesture? An olive branch? A trap? Doesn’t matter. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen.

When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a terrifying secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our place in the world.

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

There have been many online discourse controversies that have left me scratching my head over the years that I have been online, and one of the more recent ones was when people in the horror community got fully up in arms about the idea of ‘cozy horror’. There were some who thought that labeling some aspects of the horror genre as cozy was infantilizing, there were some who thought that horror can not have cozy or comforting aesthetics to it by definition, and there were some who were REALLY, REALLY angry from both sides. I myself don’t really use the phrase cozy horror (and I guess I sure won’t now!), but I do think that there are stories and authors that can be described as ‘horror lite’ (in that it’s still VERY valid but I may recommend her to friends who want a read for Halloween but don’t like being super freaked out or disturbed). One of the authors who comes to mind with that is Rachel Harrison, who has written books like “Cackle” and “What Sharp Teeth”, that are definitely horror at heart but have a, shall we say, lighter touch than bloodier or more twisted authors. I happen to really love her books and always recommend them to people from all genre backgrounds, and her newest one, “Black Sheep”, is another to add to the rec list! She’s done witches, she’s done werewolves, and now she’s taking on fundamentalist families and those who dare leave! With a bit of a twist.

I love Harrison’s deft touch in making these horror stories have charming and not as scary elements to them, while still making them feel very solidly in the horror genre. “Black Sheep” has some lighter moments and some nicely drawn pathos to go along with the creepier themes of fundamentalism and toxic family dynamics. Vesper is our main character, who has left her rural tight knit family behind due to their fundamentalist beliefs and how cagey they always made her feel, but decides to return when she receives a wedding invite from her teenage boyfriend and her cousin Rosie, and she wants to maybe throw in some petty drama out of past hurts. Even though she escaped the group, she is a bit of a hot mess (I mean, going to stir up shit at a wedding between an ex boyfriend and a friend, whom you left in the lurch? It’s a choice), and you wonder if that’s due to the fundamentalist sect she was raised in, or if there are other aspects at play that may be more supernatural. But she’s an endearing mess, and you definitely want her to be able to extricate herself from this toxic family dynamic while also finding her own identity that isn’t predicated on the group and their perceptions of her. She makes bad decisions, but she is also clearly dealing with a bit of trauma because of the hot and cold relationship she has with her family and her daring to leave the group and its core belief set. Like many of Harrison’s protagonists, she’s complex and sometimes frustrating, but I liked following her on her journey as the tries to reconcile her background and her future.

I also liked the way that Harrison approaches the group and family on the farm, as while they are definitely true believing fundamentalists who see anyone outside of themselves as less than, she also brings out the more enjoyable traits and aspects. It’s easy to paint groups like this in fiction as cartoon villain-y, or over the top, but Vesper’s family, while being obviously damaging and sanctimonious to a vicious degree, also have glimmers of humanity. Whether it’s a loving aunt who loves to dote on Vesper, or her cousin and childhood friend Rosie who is nervous and also elated for her wedding day, or even the few and far between moments where Vesper’s mother Constance has moments of true affection or sadness regarding the gulf between them, we see how groups like this can have these moments of humanity that are familiar and relatable. Fundamentalists scare me precisely because of the way that can be relatable, and then you may not realize you are being sucked into something until it’s too late.

And as for the horror elements, they are definitely there! Whether it’s some bits of body horror or moments of bloody violence, Harrison, while being more on the lighter side of the horror scale still can get under your skin and have scenes where you are reminded that oh yes, you are indeed reading a horror novel. There are other things that I might have otherwise gone into in this review, but I’m trying very hard to be vague because there is a bit of an element of surprise that is needed in this book.

“Black Sheep” is a fun mix of family drama, existential rumination, and affable horror tale. I so enjoy Rachel Harrison and what she is doing with her ideas within the genre, and it’s always a treat to see what she comes up with next.

Rating 8: A fun and subversive tale that examines family dynamics, destiny, and dysfunction, “Black Sheep” is a surprising horror lite novel from Rachel Harrison.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Black Sheep” isn’t included on any Goodreads lists yet, but it would fit in on the Goodreads shelf “Domestic Horror”.

Serena’s Review: “Murder at Midnight”

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

Book: “Murder at Midnight” by Katharine Schellman

Publishing Info: Crooked Lane Books, September 2023

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

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

Previously Reviewed: “The Body in the Garden” and “Silence in the Library” and “Death at the Manor”

Book Description: Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Ashley Weaver, when a body is found shot to death after an unexpected snowstorm, Lily Adler quickly realizes that some people will stop at nothing to bury their secrets this holiday season.

Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to returning to Hertfordshire to spend time with the family of her late husband. She is also excited that Captain Jack Hartley, her friend and confidante, will be visiting his own family after a long voyage at sea. With winter quickly approaching, Lily is most excited at the prospect of a relaxing and enjoyable Christmastide season away from the schemes and secrets she witnessed daily in London.

At a neighborhood ball, she soon becomes reacquainted with a friend of her late husband, Peter Coleridge, a wealthy man who not only manages Irish investments, but also a fund that most of the locals of Hertfordshire take part in. There, she also learns Jack’s sister, Amelia, is the subject of much of the neighborhood gossip—although Amelia refuses to explain if there is any truth to it. For a brief moment, Lily wonders if she ever really left London.

When a snowstorm forces several guests, including both the Adlers and the Hartleys, to stay the night, Lily quickly deduces that all is not well this holiday season. In the morning, a maid discovers the body of a guest in the poultry yard, shot to death—and he is the same man that is scandalously linked to Amelia.

Lily accepts the offer to assist in the investigation, but will she find more than what she bargained for the more she digs? Or will she herself be buried deep within the snow?

Review: Time for another historical mystery review! At this point, I’m really only up-to-date with this series and Sherry Thomas’s “Charlotte Holmes” series. There’s just not enough time in the day to get to all of the books I want, and, unfortunately when push comes to shove, I’ll often prioritize SFF over historical fiction and mysteries. But I do seem to be able to manage to keep up with these two series. I was particularly interested in this latest Lily Adler book due to the fact that while I had enjoyed all of the books up to that point, I had real problems with the latest one. So in my mind, the quality of this latest book would be really telling for my continued enjoyment of the series! And I’m happy to report that while we may not have recaptured the highs of the first book or two, this one is a solid entry in the series and enough of a return to form to ensure my continued reading of these books.

There was a lot to like in this new Lily Adler book. For one thing, I really love this style of mystery, where a large group of suspects (and victims!) are trapped in a location together and must solve a murder. The format allows for a large cast of characters, tons of red herrings that are believable, and much emphasis placed on interpersonal relationships, something that I always focus on in my reading. I also enjoyed the exploration of the group dynamic, which we see done expertly here. As Lily and her companions go longer and longer trapped together in this house, we see the breakdown of conventions and norms, the reduction of individuals to their more basic instincts, and the tendency for people to circle the wagons and “other” anyone who doesn’t fit within strict definitions of right and wrong. For her part, Lily Adler sweeps through these tensions with grace and a practical eye for how these dynamics can relate to guilt and innocence, misplaced fear or rightfully felt concern to hide one’s involvement in a crime. I also really enjoyed the fact that while I was able to piece together some clues to the mystery, there were many other twists and turns that I didn’t spot coming!

I also really enjoyed the continued interpersonal and romantic dynamics. In the previous book, a new love interest was introduced, and while I didn’t have any issues with this character on his own, I was already firmly in the corner of Lily and Jack. So of course I was beyond pleased when Jack himself returned in this book and played a fairly central role. But I also was surprised by how much I enjoyed the continued exploration of Lily’s relationship with this other suitor. The relationship took a few surprising turns, and I was impressed by the way the author used this relationship to highlight the true choices that women faced in this time, even when partnered to a good man by every definition.

I also really enjoyed meeting some new characters, notably Jack’s younger sister Amelia who plays a central role in this story. We also get some POV chapters from her, which I very much enjoyed. Fans of the series are sure to enjoy this one!

Rating 8: All in all, this was an excellent entry in the series. I was glad to see the return of fan favorite characters, and was pleased to see an improvement in the mystery itself.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Murder at Midnight” can be found on this Goodreads list: Historical Mystery 2023