Tag: 9 Rating

Blog Tour: “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch”

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

Book: “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” by Melinda Taub

Publishing Info: Grand Central Publishing, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you’re a witch, promises have power . . .

Review: First of all, thanks again to Laurel for reaching out about participating in this blog tour! I obviously love all things Jane Austen, so I jumped at the opportunity to read and review a unique re-imaging like this one. And, spoilers, as I loved it so much, I truly hope this tour helps raise this book up in the awareness of Janeites, as I think it’s the kind of re-telling that will work for a lot of the P &P fans in the community.

I will admit to being initially a bit skeptical of the entire premise of this book. Not only was it claiming to re-tell “Pride and Prejudice” from the POV of one of the more unlikable characters in that story, namely Lydia Bennet, but it was also going to mange to re-imagine this Regency world to the point that Lydia was also a witch. Oh, and Kitty’s a literal cat and and Wickham is a demon AND still a potential love interest. I have to say, I was more skeptical of the latter being possible than the former! But man, was I proven wrong! Turns out you can write such a book!

So, I think there are two ways to evaluate this book. One has to do with how it does in regards to maintaining or accentuating the original story. And the other has to do with what success it has with its original characters and concepts. Let’s start with the original stuff, as I think the biggest concern with re-tellings or re-imagings of beloved classics is that the new version will somehow harm what is most enjoyed about the original. And I think that was one of the cleverest conceits of this approach to the story. Lydia shows up on the page very little in the original story, and she’s nowhere to be found, doing who knows what (well, flirting with Wickham), throughout almost the entire second half of the book. By focusing on her story, the author allows the plot of the original to unfold neatly on its own in the background. I was also impressed with the way the author wove Lydia’s story in and out of the plot points of the original, all while creating a story that could have neatly existed right alongside the original, with no one the wiser (well, a few characters the wiser, but they would have their own reasons for not telling).

There were also a number of small Easter egg type tie-ins to the original story that are sure to please fans. Just a small example, but in the original story, there’s a bit of a throwaway line about how, when found in London, Lydia pays no attention to and ignores Mrs. Gardener when she tries to speak with Lydia about her behavior and situation. Here, the author cleverly references these interactions, but comes up with an entirely different reason for why Mrs. Gardener would come away with this re-enforced negative impression of Lydia.

Beyond this, I really liked the original characters, or new versions of old characters. Kitty being an actual cat, of course, was very clever and worked surprisingly well for the story. I also liked demon!Wickham. There were some very clever adjustments to his backstory and timeline that go far to allow him to be a satisfying love interest in this new version, all while retaining enough of his “Wickam-ness” to fit alongside the original. Of course, we also got to spend a lot more time with characters like Mrs. Forster, the woman who befriends Lydia and invites her on the fateful trip to Brighton. I really liked the arc that we saw in this friendship. While the romance is, of course, nice, much of Lydia’s personal arc has more to do with the friendships and sisterhoods she experiences throughout this book. We see close relationships falter, new relationships form, and original judgements of other women be wildly off-base. For example, not only does Miss Darcy play a fairly major role in this story, but we also get a character that is referenced in Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, “Sandition” who also is heavily involved in the overall plot.

And, of course, I really liked Lydia! Her voice, especially in the first half of the novel is familiar and deftly inline with the version we know from “Pride and Prejudice.” But as the story continues, the reader begins to realize that Lydia is an unreliable narrator, and the story becomes more complex on a character level from there. The magic and fantasy elements also worked surprisingly well, weaving naturally in and out alongside our familiar Regency world. Frankly, the story commits to the fantasy elements WAY more than I was expecting; there’s a lot more to it than “Oh, Lydia Bennet as a bit of magic, but it’s no real change!” Really, this book worked in pretty much every way that matters! There was, perhaps, a bit of a drag in pacing towards the middle of the story, but even then, I was having enough fun with the entire experience to be unbothered. If you’re a fan of “Pride and Prejudice” and looking for a completely new take on the story, this book is definitely for you!

Rating 9: The confidence it takes to change famous Austen characters into cats and demons and witches is only matched by the sheer skill with which Taub manages to pull it all off!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Best of 2023: Jane Austen Variations and Best Books with “Witch” in the Title.

Serena’s Review: “The Fragile Threads of Power”

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

Book: “The Fragile Threads of Power” by V.E. Schwab

Publishing Info: Tor, September 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory―Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London.

But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years―and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland’s absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own―but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.

Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

Her name is Tes, and she’s the only one who can bring them together―or unravel it all.

Review: I can fairly confidently say that this was my most anticipated read of 2023. Not only have I enjoyed every V.E. Schwab book I’ve read, but my favorites by were were the three books that made up her “Shades of Magic” trilogy. And its been years and years and years since those books came out! I wasn’t even expecting a return to this world as the original trilogy ended quite neatly. But not only are we returning to the world, but we’re returning to the same main characters (plus a few extras) several years later! The best of the best.

And yes, there was a lot to like about this book! First and foremost, for fans of the original trilogy, I’m happy to report that our main characters are just as awesome as you remember them, perhaps even more so as they tackle the ever more complex relationships between one another. I was a bit concerned going in that Lila, Kel, Rys and Luc would be relegated to background characters who just flitted in and out of the main storyline. But rest assured, they play vital, central roles to everything that is happening. Per my experience with the first trilogy, Lila is still far and away my favorite character of the four. As the book plays out, the story jumps backwards in time at several points to show how are characters have lived over the last eight or so years. Through these flashbacks, we get to see Lila as a captain, Lila as a reluctant leader, and, best of all, Lila as a support system for Kel as he deals with the loss of his magic. Of course, her “support” comes in the very hard-nosed style that we all would expect from her.

For his part, Kel’s story was heart-breaking as he traverses the various stages of grief over the loss of the central portion of his identity. Schwab doesn’t shy away from the very dark places that this kind of loss can inflict on people. Rys probably gets the least page time, but for this book, at least, his story is the most straight-forward: learning how to become a king at a very young age. Alucard was the one who surprised me the most, however. In the original trilogy, he felt like the least of the four characters (not necessarily in preference, just in page time and the amount of story given to him). But here he is probably the most central character of the four to the main arch and mystery that makes up the plot of this book. I really enjoyed getting to spend more time with this character, and I’m very intrigued to see where he goes from there.

Now, to the new characters. Yes, of course, they are very good as well, especially Tes, the young girl with the extraordinary ability to see and manipulate magic itself. Her history was interesting, with a complicated and, at times, frightening family. And her abilities open a lot of pathways forward (perhaps too many? She definitely has the potential to run the story into the “Superman problem” where a character is so over-powered that essentially any conflict going forward could be solved by that one person simply intervening). I also liked the Antari queen that we meet in White London. There’s an interesting mystery building there, but I have to admit that she was my least favorite of the group. Not because she was a bad character in her own right, but because she had some stiff competition and there were a few mysteries that I feel are leading in a very obvious, dark direction which makes me struggle to truly connect ot her.

So, that’s a lot about characters, and there’s a reason why: Yes, I mostly read for characters, so that’s common of my reviews. But in this case, the characters were truly the heart of the story. As much as I enjoyed this read, and I really, really did, it definitely suffers as being the first book in a trilogy. Almost 90% of the story is devoted to understanding how our familiar characters ended up where they did and introducing the new characters and their history. Beyond that, there’s a rather short, simple mystery that is resolved at the end. But it’s also clear that Schwab is placing much larger pieces on this chessboard, and much of this book is spent properly positioning everything. That alone is why I had to knock this one down from a 10 star rating. But on pure enjoyment, pure joy at seeing beloved characters back on the page again, this is definitely a top tier book!

Rating 9: It’s a rare feat to return to a beloved fantasy trilogy, pick up fan favorite characters and manage to not break anything in the process, but Schwab makes it look easy! A triumphant return that’s nothing less than masterful!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Fragile Threads of Power” is on this Goodreads list: [ATY 2024] Touch of Magic.

Kate’s Review: “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus”

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

Book: “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” by Stephen Graham Jones & Davide Gianfelice (Ill.)

Publishing Info: IDW, September 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC from the publisher at ALAAC23

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

Book Description: The year is 2112, and it’s the apocalypse exactly as rivers receding, oceans rising, civilization crumbling. Humanity has given up hope, except for a group of Indigenous outcasts who have discovered a time travel portal in a cave in the desert and figured out where everything took a turn for the worst: America.

Convinced that the only way to save the world is to rewrite its past, they send one of their own—a reluctant linguist named Tad—on a bloody, one-way mission to 1492 to kill Christopher Columbus before he reaches the so-called New World. But there are steep costs to disrupting the timeline, and taking down an icon isn’t an easy task for an academic with no tactical training and only a wavering moral compass to guide him. As the horror of the task ahead unfolds and Tad’s commitment is tested, his actions could trigger a devastating new fate for his friends and the future.

Join Stephen Graham Jones and artist Davide Gianfelice for Earthdivers, Vol. 1, the beginning of an unforgettable ongoing sci-fi slasher spanning centuries of America’s Colonial past to explore the staggering forces of history and the individual choices we make to survive it.

Review: Thank you to IDW comics for giving me an ARC of this book, and thank you to Stephen Graham Jones for being SO kind when you signed it!

Back when I had just gotten back from ALA, people were asking me what my highlights were. And one of them was meeting Stephen Graham Jones at a signing at the IDW booth. I was already ecstatic when I saw that he was going to be there, and even more excited when I realized that he was signing ARCs of the first volume of his series “Earthdivers”, a fantasy/speculative fiction/historical fiction series about Indigenous people on a dying earth using a time travel portal to send one of their own back in time to stop America from happening (as America is seen as the main driver of the climate change disaster). I had been eager for this first volume, and getting it WHILE MEETING HIM (and having a lovely conversation!) was just the very best. And “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” is everything I had hoped it would be.

The concept alone is so unique and also so, so bold. I mean, it takes serious spunk to frame a story about the assassination of a man that is still, in a number of places, celebrated every year as the supposed ‘discoverer of America’, but whose horrific crimes and direct and indirect actions towards the Indigenous peoples on this continent are impossible to ignore. Even I was like ‘whoa’ when I read the premise of the comic book, but the rage is earned, and it is palpable on the pages as Tad, the man chosen to go back in time and assassinate Columbus, has to take on a mission with high and dangerous stakes. And low odds of success. I loved seeing Tad grapple with the fact he will never see his wife again, that he has to do things that he never thought he could do, and also really enjoyed seeing him slowly start to accept his mission and the bloody business that goes with it. Jones depicts the brutality of life on the ship, whether it’s the dire conditions or the hierarchy that lends itself to violence, and also shows the less acknowledged aspects of the voyage the ships are on (specifically the religious zeal that Columbus has). I also found the tension building and building and building as Tad realizes that his chances to kill Columbus and stop that version of America from happening are slipping through his fingers, and that if he fails, it was all for nothing, and it could mean the end of humankind. The tension is rife, the violence is visceral, and the anger and desperation is well depicted.

But I also liked the ways that Jones depicts the others back on Earth in 2112, as the world is dying due to climate change and they are becoming all the more desperate, especially when they realize that the time portal in the cave may have more dangers than realized. I really liked Sosh, Tad’s wife who is in an uneasy partnership with Yellow Kid, the member of the group who came up with the idea, but has been a little shifty as far as Sosh is concerned. I liked the moral ambiguity that Jones gives a number of his characters, as it raises very difficult questions about the lengths that these characters are willing to go to make this mission a success. And along with that, I really enjoyed how the time travel themes didn’t feel like super hard Sci Fi, and more like fantastical or speculative based in the system in place. We don’t really know what the deal is with this cave, but I have a feeling things are going to be explored as the series goes on.

And I really liked the artwork. I like the use of color and the angles that Davide Gianfelice brings to the page, and I loved the detailed character designs for our main players.

(source: IDW)

What a fantastic start to what is sure to be a fantastic series! “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” is another shining star from Stephen Graham Jones. I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Rating 9: Unapologetic, daring, dark, but hopeful, “Earthdivers: Kill Columbus” is a must read in speculative fiction with a visceral message and lots of what ifs.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Graphic Novels & Comics by The Aboriginal, Indigenous, and Native Peoples of the World”, and “Best Time Travel Fiction”.

Serena’s Review: “A Study in Drowning”

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

Book: “A Study in Drowning” by Ava Reed

Publishing Info: HarperTeen, September 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. She’s had no choice. Since childhood, she’s been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She’s found solace only in the pages of Angharad – author Emrys Myrddin’s beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, and then destroys him.

Effy’s tattered, dog-eared copy is all that’s keeping her afloat through her stifling first term at Llyr’s prestigious architecture college. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to design the late author’s house, Effy feels certain this is her destiny.

But Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task: a musty, decrepit estate on the brink of crumbling into a hungry sea. And when Effy arrives, she finds she isn’t the only one who’s made a temporary home there. Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar, is studying Myrddin’s papers and is determined to prove her favorite author is a fraud.

As the two rival students investigate the reclusive author’s legacy, piecing together clues through his letters, books, and diaries, they discover that the house’s foundation isn’t the only thing that can’t be trusted. There are dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspiring against them – and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Review: First off, what a fantastic cover! I think this one is my favorite of the year, so far. It sets the tone for the novel and is just interesting in its own right, with little details that pop out the longer you look at it. Other than that, this book was an obvious choice to read this month. I struggled a bit with Reid’s most recent book, but I really enjoyed her first. And even in the more recent one, my struggles came down to some personal preferences, as her writing and world-building is beyond reproach, as far as I’m concerned. And man, am I glad I got to this one! This is now my favorite book by this author, overtaking “The Wolf and the Woodsman.”

Per the usual for Reid at this point, she tackles some dark, complicated themes in this book. Specifically, this one deals with the challenges that women historically have faced when daring to venture into realms previously dominated by men. After being denied entrance to the most prestigious, and her preferred, college, Effy must settle for being the only woman in the second, lesser choice. Her experience goes wrong from the very start, and while the majority of this book doesn’t take place at the college itself, her inner journey is largely based around the events that occurred there.

But beyond real world dangers, Effy’s life has been one of constant vigilance against the dark beings that haunt her, beings that she believes are signs of her own mental weakening. This book is promoted as a gothic fantasy, and I can’t think of a better example of the subgenre. You can feel the atmosphere dripping from the pages, with descriptions of crumbling staircases, flooded basements, and a landscape that is unsteady beneath the feet. The side characters only add to this pervasive sense of building doom. The man who runs the house is mercurial and cryptic, his family history full of cobwebs and deceptions. And their are other beings, lurking around corners, with Effy never quite sure how much is real and how much is in her head.

The book is also marketed as an academic rival romance, which I think is less on point. Effy and Preston are rivals for a hot second before quickly coming to a mutually beneficial agreement of cooperation. And, really, I don’t have a problem with that in this case. There are so many other mysteries on hand that I was happy to see the romance play out in a fairly straightforward manner. Effy has enough on her plate without long bouts of snark and delayed understanding between the two. Instead, their romance follows a slow, steady progression, serving as a solid backbone to all of the uncertainty around them.

There is clearly a lot of thought that has went into building this world. Effy and Preston’s nations are at war, there is a religious system built up around folklore and the deification of great artists, there’s a tragic history of large swaths of the countryside suddenly being swallowed by the sea. While I liked all of it in its own right, I was left wanting a bit more from all of these arenas, at the same time. I’m not quite sure what purpose was served by the nations at war, as this never plays into the story in any meaningful way? And while the religion and folklore received more attention, I was still left with some questions by the end.

However, wanting more is probably one of the best problems to have with a book! As I said above, this book is all about the atmosphere. Effy and Preston are good characters, but now after reading three books by this author, I think I can say that the strengths of her writing lie more with her world-building and dark fantasy elements. Fans of gothic fantasy should definitely check this one out!

Rating 9: Reid presents a master class on how to write a gothic fantasy, delivering a story where the sense of place is just as much a character as any of the human (or not!) variety.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Study in Drowning” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2023 Dark Academia Releases and 2023 Gothic.

Kate’s Review: “What Kind of Mother”


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

Book: “What Kind of Mother” by Clay McLeod Chapman

Publishing Info: Quirk Books, September 2023

Where Did I Get This Book: I received an ARC at ALAAC23

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

Book Description: After striking out on her own as a teen mom, Madi Price is forced to return to her hometown of Brandywine, Virginia, with her seventeen-year-old daughter. With nothing to her name, she scrapes together a living as a palm reader at the local farmers market.

It’s there that she connects with old high school flame Henry McCabe, now a reclusive local fisherman whose infant son, Skyler, went missing five years ago. Everyone in town is sure Skyler is dead, but when Madi reads Henry’s palm, she’s haunted by strange and disturbing visions that suggest otherwise. As she follows the thread of these visions, Madi discovers a terrifying nightmare waiting at the center of the labyrinth—and it’s coming for everyone she holds dear.

Combining supernatural horror with domestic suspense into a visceral exploration of parental grief, What Kind of Mother cements Clay McLeod Chapman’s reputation as a “star” (Vulture) and “the twenty-first century’s Richard Matheson” (Richard Chizmar, Chasing the Boogeyman.)

Review: Thank you to Quirk Books for providing me with this ARC at ALAAC23!

One of my missions at ALAAC this past summer was to see if I could get my hands on an ARC of Clay McLeod Chapman’s “What Kind of Mother”. After reading “Ghost Eaters” and being wholly blown away and freaked out, his newest book was a must read. I was very happy when I did, indeed, get an ARC, and while I knew it was a high priority read, I would have to prepare myself. For one, Chapman is absolutely no holds barred brutal in his horror stories when he wants to be, whether that be seen through horrifying imagery, or soul shattering pathos. And for another, the themes of this story include a missing and presumed dead child. So combine the two and I’m probably going to be wrecked. But hey, with enough emotional preparation and steeling of oneself, surely I could come out of this relatively emotionally unscathed, right?

Ha ha ha, WRONG. (source)

Chapman has once again knocked me off my feet because his ability to pull out so many elements of multiple genres and apply it to this horror tale is so, so phenomenal. I knew that this was at its heart a horror story, but he also effortlessly brings in glimmers of dark fantasy thriller, with our protagonist Madi. Madi is down on her luck and trying to start over back in her home town, with her teenage daughter in tow (the daughter whose impending birth made a pregnant and teenage Madi flee this town in the first place). She sets up shop reading palms and cold reading clients to tell them what they want to hear. But when she reconnects with old flame Henry, whose own son Skyler disappeared a few years prior when he was a baby, she realizes that she is having actual visions of Skyler, and may be able to find him. As a dark fantasy thriller this is already great. So when Chapman also added in a slight pathos driven romance between the former lovers, as they are both at the end of their ropes and connecting over Skyler’s potential presence. I liked seeing these two desperate characters and seeing them team up, and fall into something potentially emotionally unhealthy. Madi and Henry both have a lot of pain that manifests in different ways, and their complicated personalities and relationship echoes what I expect from gritty complex woman centered thrillers. That alone drew me in. It’s suspenseful and poignant, as the idea of a child going missing is a complete nightmare to me and it felt like Henry’s grief and guilt was pretty spot on.

And then Chapman threw me for a loop that I didn’t at all expect, and it completely fucked me up. I don’t want to go into any spoilers here because I think that it needs to be a surprise. But I will talk about the horror elements in some terms that keep it a bit close to the vest. Firstly, so much nasty body horror. And what I loved about it was that this book isn’t super gory, but Chapman still made me cringe and squirm with some of the descriptions. It’s also incredibly creative in the direction it goes and what it means for the characters who are dealing with it. So the imagery is definitely freaky and unsettling. But then there is the more visceral and personal horror of this book, and that is the grief, fear, and guilt that comes with a missing child for any parent that is going to be reading this story. Chapman really taps into that deep seated horror (one that I absolutely have when it comes to my daughter) and twists the knife, creating moments that are gut wrenching either because of the despair involved, or because as a parent there were moments where something just awful was happening… and I couldn’t really assure myself that I wouldn’t be behaving in a similar way were I in a similar situation. These were the moments that just gutted me, and as the story unfolded in a new way that explored parental devotion and inability to either seek or accept closure, the more disturbed I became. This one is going to sit with me for a long time because of these moments. Goddamn you, Clay McLeod Chapman (I say that mostly in awe of you, sir).

“What Kind of Mother” is just brutal, but it’s a must read for horror fans. Clay McLeod Chapman is an up and coming powerhouse in horror literature, and if you haven’t checked him out yet, now is the time. But be warned: you aren’t going to see crabs the same way after reading this.

Rating 9: Devastating, horrifying, and a brutal depiction of parental grief, guilt, and devotion. I’ll be thinking about “What Kind of Mother” for awhile.

Reader’s Advisory:

“What Kind of Mother” is included on the Goodreads lists “2023 Gothic”, and “Horror to Look Forward to in 2023”.

Year of Sanderson: “Warbreaker”

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: “Warbreaker” by Brandon Sanderson

Publishing Info: Tor, June 2009

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

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

Book Description: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn’t like his job, and the immortal who’s still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago.

Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren’s capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.

By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery, and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker

Review: This is one of the few other standalone fantasy stories that I’ve read by Sanderson (he really hasn’t written many that aren’t parts of larger series). And as I’ve already covered the other, “Elantris,” I knew that I wanted to work this one into this review series. Like that book, it’s been rumored that there will be some sort of sequel to this book eventually, but there are also a few others the author has mentioned wanting to get through before he gets to those. But, being the crazy book-producing machine that he is, readers can feel fairly confident that the sequels will happen eventually.

That being the case, it was fun to go back and re-read this book. I’d only read it once before, but I had a pretty clear memory of what it was about. And most of that comes down to the fact that I absolutely loved this book when I read it the first time, and loved it just as much the second go-around! Honestly, this book checks off so many things in my personal favorites for fantasy stories that it’s not even funny. There are sisters. There is an arranged marriage/forced proximity romance. There’s an interesting magic system. There’s political maneuverings and upheaval. All good stuff, all good stuff.

The story is split between four POV characters, but like the first time I read it, it really felt as if the story lived and died based on the strengths of the two sisters, Vivenna and Suri. I love both of these women so much. They are so different from one another, and the entire book spends a lot of time challenging them on the aspects of their personalities that they thought were strengths and how their true strengths may lie in different arenas altogether. They each start the book with very clear understandings of themselves and the roles that they are expected to play, but by the end, they are both in wildly different positions than they ever would have expected. What’s more, while almost all of the narrative sees these two separated, throughout the course of the story, you feel them each grow to respect the other sister’s own particular strengths. Both of their arcs are very different, but equally fascinating.

As always, Sanderson also has a very unique, complex magic system built into this world he’s created. There are two kingdoms that had at one point been one. There’s an old and new religious system, with the new one made up of living gods who are mortals who die heroically and are then reborn as gods. And throughout it all is woven a system of magic that sees individuals having various levels of Breath, with it all tied to colors. The cover image of this book is not only beautiful in its own right, but perfectly illustrates the magic system at the core of this story.

Sanderson also likes to have mysterious characters who are operating on a different level in his stories. Here we have Lightsong, a god who is questioning everything around him, and the very unknown element, Vasher, who has his own agenda. While I preferred the sisters’ stories over these characters’ chapters, both Lightsong and Vasher added crucial depth to the goings on that make up the larger plot and mystery of this book. And when the reveals do come, there’s a clear bright line running throughout the story laying out clues to the ultimate resolution.

This an excellent, stand-alone fantasy read. It’s definitely satisfying to read as it is, but I’m also very curious to see where a sequel story would go. Probably still a few years wait on that one, but I’ll be at the front of the line to get my copy when it finally does release!

Rating 9: Complete with all of my favorite fantasy themes, “Warbreaker” is further proof that Sanderson doesn’t need an epic series to weave a fully-realized world and magic system.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Warbreaker” is on these Goodreads lists: “High Fantasy” with Female Leads / protoganists and, funnily enough, Arranged Marriages/Marriages Of Convenience.

Joint Review: “Mister Magic”

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

Book: “Mister Magic” by Kiersten White

Publishing Info: Del Rey, August 2023

Where Did We Get This Book: Kate received an eARC from NetGalley and a physical ARC at ALAAC23, Serena received an eARC from Edelweiss+.

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

Book Description: Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children’s program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly devoted fans still cling to the lessons they learned from the show, the cast, known as the Circle of Friends, have spent their lives searching for the happiness they felt while they were on it. The friendship. The feeling of belonging. And the protection of Mister Magic.

But with no surviving video of the show, no evidence of who directed or produced it, and no records of who—or what—the beloved host actually was, memories are all the former Circle of Friends has.

Then a twist of fate brings the castmates back together at the remote desert filming compound that feels like it’s been waiting for them all this time. Even though they haven’t seen each other for years, they understand one another better than anyone has since.

After all, they’re the only ones who hold the secret of that circle, the mystery of the magic man in his infinitely black cape, and, maybe, the answers to what really happened on that deadly last day. But as the Circle of Friends reclaim parts of their past, they begin to wonder: Are they here by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?

Because magic never forgets the taste of your friendship. . . .

Kate’s Thoughts

I thought I knew exactly what to expect when I picked up “Mister Magic”, because I thought that I knew how Kiersten White ticked and would tell this story. I’ve greatly enjoyed her horror stories in the past, and I thought that this one sounded like an interesting take on the “Candle Cove” creepypasta with some children’s TV nostalgia and deconstruction to boot. But what I got was something that was far more personal and emotional, and something that connected with me in ways I never anticipated, all while being, yes, very creepy. Because yes, “Mister Magic” is definitely a weird fiction dark fantasy horror about a group of adults who are being drawn back into the children’s TV show they participated in as children, but has since been wiped from the pop culture zeitgeist for reasons the reader doesn’t know at first.

But it’s also a story about childhood trauma, trying to leave a repressive and high control society and culture, and the repression of oneself to live the way others, namely parents and adult figures, think one should to make their own lives easier. I loved the sinister imagery of Mister Magic and the slow dropping of clues from various found texts, I loved following Val as she is brought back into the fold with her former “Mister Magic” compatriots as they all return for a reunion (held by a mysterious podcast in the town in which they filmed the show), and I loved seeing all of them realize that something is very wrong, and it’s NOT just the potentially supernatural elements. As someone who has been trying to raise a very spirited toddler in ways that won’t cause lasting emotional turmoil (and as someone who felt a need to repress my own emotional difficulties as a child and teenager, which led to a VERY dark mental state), this book really cut me to the bone. I applaud Kiersten White for exploring these themes, and for being vulnerable in her author’s notes about her own journey to leave a group that was causing her trauma.

I really enjoyed “Mister Magic”. It spoke to me in ways I never could have predicted, while also creeping me all the way out.

Serena’s Thoughts

Like Kate, I also went in feeling like I knew a decent amount about the kind of book I’d be reading. I’ve enjoyed White’s books in the past, and I felt like this would be a good collab since it would be creepy but not like “trauma level” horror of the ilk that Kate can handle but I definitely can’t! But also like Kate said, the story given in the blurb is only half of what this book has to offer, and the much more straight-forward half at that (believe it or not, the fact that a TV show might have been real is the simple part!). There was a lot of depth to be found in this one, exploring childhood (how it’s experienced by children and how adults idealize it), family (how the “real” families can sometimes be damaging and the joy that can be found in families created oneself), and in the power of oneself, in the face of forces telling you who you can be.

Reading the author’s note, it’s also very clear that this is a personal book for Kiersten White. And while I applaud her for taking a very large topic and finding a creative way of talking about it without, you know, talking about it, I do think that the read itself suffered a bit from the pacing and the mashing together of “typical horror/thriller” and the commentary on larger themes. There were points in dialogue where characters would literally just go on a several-paragraphs-long mini speech just laying all of these greater points out. And while I loved the insightfulness of what was actually being said, it did take me out of the actual book itself. I struggled to connect at these moments, feeling clearly that no one would actually speak like this.

But, again, in total I think this was a highly ambitious book and that it accomplished everything it set out to do. If its quality as a straightly told horror/thriller is dinged a bit by the tendency of its themes to rise above its plots, than in this case, that’s a deal I’m willing to make!

Kate’s Rating 9: Creepy, personal, VERY emotional and hopeful, “Mister Magic” upended my expectations in the best ways.

Serena’s Rating 8: Packing in layers upon layers in themes regarding individuality, identity, and personal strength in the face of oppression, this book will suck you in and take you to some dark, but important, places.

Reader’s Advisory

“Mister Magic” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Creepy Kids”.

Serena’s Review: “The Jasad Heir”

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

Book: “The Jasad Heir” by Sara Hashem

Publishing Info: Orbit, July 2023

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

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

Book Description: In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever.

Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic outlawed; its royal family murdered down to the last child. At least, that’s what Sylvia wants people to believe.

The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can’t think about how Nizahl’s armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people—not if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.

In a moment of anger Sylvia’s magic is exposed, capturing Arin’s attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she’ll escape persecution.

A deadly game begins. Sylvia can’t let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.

Review: I really wasn’t sure what I would be getting when I requested this book. On one hand, I was very intrigued by the “Egyptian-inspired” aspect of the story (more on that later). But on the other hand, much of what is described in the summary sounds very familiar. How many books have I read in the last few years where magic is outlawed and some heir to some throne somewhere is on the run only to be called upon to once again take up their crown? However, as I said recently, sometimes popular things are popular for a reason, and I was happy to be wrong with my initial concerns with this one! Indeed, I enjoyed it quite a bit!

First off, let’s get my little note about the inspiration for this book out of the way. Most likely this was a completely personal failing on my part, because I don’t think I know enough about Egyptian culture, religion, or history to truly appreciate the “inspired by” aspects of this story. Instead, I mostly fixated on the fact that there is a large river that is central to the geography of the various kingdoms which was obviously a stand-in for the Nile. I was able to recognize the near-personification of this river as a clear call-back to the relationship the regions surrounding the Nile had/have to that great waterway. But, other than that, I really felt like a lot of the Egyptian aspects were going over my head. Readers who are more familiar may get more out of these aspects of the story than I did. Honestly, if that line hadn’t been right there in the summary of the book, I don’t think I would have made the connection, even with the all-important river.

Even without perhaps fully appreciating these aspects of the story, I really enjoyed this book! Much of this comes down to how much I enjoyed the main character. Here was a truly flawed and complex individual who was also incredibly sympathetic and understandable. Her life has been one of horror, pain, and loneliness. Her memories are scattered and her ability to rely on or trust anyone but herself has been broken many times. Out of this rises a woman who knows that she makes selfish choices, but while she berates herself for this quality, much of the book is spent with her diligently examining why people make heroic choices, even in the face of horrible odds or against their better interest.

Beyond this, she was simply a fun character to spend time with. The dialogue was funny at times and heart-breaking at others. And, best of all, we got to see her in action in a number of bad-ass action set pieces. I also enjoyed her very slow-burn relationship with the man that should be her natural enemy. This was a true “slow burn” in the sense that months pass over the course of this story, and the characters truly do go through the ringer to slowly make their way towards understanding and caring for one another. This is exactly how you pull off this sort of relationship. Anything other than this meticulous and slow build simply reads as unrealistic between characters like these who have no reason to like or trust one another quickly. I also really liked the romantic hero, Arin, on his own. I do have a think for the quiet, meticulously powerful ones, and he checked a lot of boxes for my reading preferences.

There was also a lot put into the world-building and history of this world. And I’ll be honest, even halfway through, I was still struggling to keep straight exactly which gods were connected with which kingdoms, how the various cultures were different from one another, and how exactly this world was laid out. I read this book on my Kindle, so I do think this was one of those situations where having a map would have helped me quite a lot. Especially given the fixation on maps that Arin himself is referenced as having!

The story does end on a fairly substantial cliff hanger. And there are a lot of dangling mysteries to be had, not only about both of our main characters, but about what truly happened in the history of this world, both recent and long ago. But I think it’s well worth the torment, and any fans of detailed, fantasy worlds and compelling heroines should definitely check this one out!

Rating 9: What a wonder! A debut that is rich in world-building and lead by a fantastic, feisty heroine, Hashem checks all the boxes as a SFF author to keep your eyes on!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Jasad Heir” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Egyptian Mythology.

Serena’s Review: “Bonesmith”

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

Book: “Bonesmith” by Nicki Pau Preto

Publishing Info: Margaret K. McElderry Books, July 2023

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

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

Book Description: Gideon the Ninth meets the Game of Thrones White Walkers in this dark young adult fantasy about a disgraced ghost-fighting warrior who must journey into a haunted wasteland to rescue a kidnapped prince.

Ready your blade. Defeat the undead.

In the Dominions, the dead linger, violent and unpredictable, unless a bonesmith severs the ghost from its earthly remains. For bonesmith Wren, becoming a valkyr—a ghost-fighting warrior—is a chance to solidify her place in the noble House of Bone and impress her frequently absent father. But when sabotage causes Wren to fail her qualifying trial, she is banished to the Border Wall, the last line of defense against a wasteland called the Breach where the vicious dead roam unchecked.

Determined to reclaim her family’s respect, Wren gets her chance when a House of Gold prince is kidnapped and taken beyond the Wall. To prove she has what it takes to be a valkyr, Wren vows to cross the Breach and rescue the prince. But to do so, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with one of the kidnappers—a fierce ironsmith called Julian from the exiled House of Iron, the very people who caused the Breach in the first place…and the House of Bone’s sworn enemy.

As they travel, Wren and Julian spend as much time fighting each other as they do the undead, but when they discover there’s more behind the kidnapping than either of them knew, they’ll need to work together to combat the real a dark alliance that is brewing between the living and the undead.

Review: While I haven’t yet gotten around to “Gideon the Ninth” (I knoooow, what’s my deal??), I have always loved fantasy books that deal with death/ghost magic and necromancy. Dark? Yes. But often that same darkness leads to a lot of delicious action and plot! “Sabriel” by Garth Nix was probably one of my first introductions to this particular subgenre of fantasy, and I’ve been a convert ever since! All of this to say, I knew the moment I saw the awesome cover for this one and read the description that this book would be right up my alley. And that it was!

So, I read and reviewed the first book in Preto’s first YA trilogy, “Crown of Feathers.” It…wasn’t my favorite. But I do love to discover that either an author has improved their style, or that the first go around was just a fluke disconnect in taste! Without having read the second two books in that trilogy, I can’t say whether I would have liked them more due to more confidence in the author’s style or what. What I can say, is that I absolutely loved this one and will be lining up for more as soon as possible!

This book had so many things that I liked. The world-building was interesting, with a history of magical “smithing” families who have different connections to substances like gold, iron, and, of course, bone. What’s more, their land is plagued by the fact that the dead will rise again if they are not put to rest by bone smiths. Such is our protagonist. Wren is everything I love in a heroine. She’s brave to the point of foolish, a bit selfish, but also has the skills to back up a lot of her talk. Naturally, her story is one of finding a balance between her more thoughtless tendencies to rush in without thought and the need to sometimes step back and wait. She also comes from a supremely dysfunctional family, and I loved the unravelling mysteries to be found in Wren’s past.

The pacing and plotting were also tight and fast-paced throughout the story. I picked it up and never wanted to put it down! There were some excellent action scenes, as well as some descriptions and perils that were verging on horror. I was able to guess a few of the twists, but there were also genuine surprises to be found in this story. What’s more, there were several moments where the story walked right up to a YA trope or pitfall, seemed to stare at it a bit, and then neatly sidestepped the issue that I was all geared up to hate. I love it when authors manage this!

I also really enjoyed the love interest and side characters. Julian was stoic, competent, and also had a lot to learn about his view of the world. More importantly, this author took advantage of a writing choice that I REALLY wish authors would utilize more often. The book is told from Wren’s perspective for 95% of the story. But sprinkled throughout, we have two or three chapters from Julian’s perspective, and even a few from the captured prince’s. Why don’t authors do this more often?? This choice was so much more effective than had the author tried to make this the ever-popular, and often unfortunate, alternating dual POV story. So rarely is there truly enough story to justify two equally balance POVs. Instead, you often have characters repeating things that were discussed or dealt with in the previous chapter. Or you have one compelling character who has a legitimate story arch and then….another character who’s just kind of there. Instead, Preto gave us a few needed glimpses behind the curtains that clued the reader (but not Wren) in on what was going on in the heads of both men, but didn’t cut into a story that was, at its heart, Wren’s own. It was a very restrained decision, and one that I think speaks very highly to the skills of the author to know what is (and isn’t) needed to make the story sing.

Overall, this was an excellent read. I had a blast reading it, and I think it has the sort of cross-over appeal that will make it great for both YA and adult fantasy fans!

Rating 9: Darkly brilliant, this story plops you down in a fantastical world chock full of wonder and horror. You probably wouldn’t want to live there, but man, it’s a blast to visit!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Bonesmith” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on something like this list Popular Necromancy Books.

Serena’s Review: “Thief Liar Lady”

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

Book: “Thief Liar Lady” by D. L. Soria

Publishing Info: Del Rey, July 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: NetGalley!

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

Book Description: I’m not who you think I am.

My transformation from a poor, orphaned scullery maid into the enchantingly mysterious lady who snagged the heart of the prince did not happen–as the rumors insisted–in a magical metamorphosis of pumpkins and glass slippers. On the first evening of the ball, I didn’t meekly help my “evil” stepmother and stepsisters primp and preen or watch forlornly out the window as their carriage rolled off toward the palace. I had other preparations to make.

My stepsisters and I had been trained for this–to be the cleverest in the room, to be quick with our hands and quicker with our lies. We were taught how to get everything we want in this world, everything men always kept for themselves: power, wealth, and prestige. And with a touchingly tragic past and the help of some highly illegal spells, I would become a princess, secure our fortunes, and we would all live happily ever after.

But there’s always more to the story. With my magic running out, war looming, and a handsome hostage prince–the wrong prince–distracting me from my true purpose with his magnetic charm and forbidden flirtations, I’m in danger of losing control of the delicate balance I’ve created…and that could prove fatal.

Review: I was both excited and nervous when I first picked up this book. On one hand, I love fairytale retellings, and it seems like it’s been a bit since I’ve read one lately. On the other hand, “Cinderella” has always been a particularly hard nut to crack, as far as I’m concerned. There’s just so little “there” there. I mean, she meets the guy for three nights and then they get married. Kind of a tough sell for modern audiences who want a bit more foundation to their romances. “Ella Enchanted” did it well. But that book is also middle grade fiction and decades old at this point. And this one is not only not middle grade, but it’s not even YA (the usual haven of fairytale retelling). Nope, straight adult fantasy! But wow, was I impressed with this book!

There were a lot of really smart choices that I think the author made right off the bat that got this book off to a good start. For one thing, the story opens up after Cinderella/Ash has won her prince. After the balls. After the glass slipper. From there, we also swiftly learn that this fairytale romance is not what it seems. Ash herself is not what she seems. Instead of the picture perfect maid-turned-princess, she’s a spy with her own agendas. And I say agendas, plural, because there are layers to the schemes behind her journey to the palace. As the story progresses, we have a few jumps backward in time, so we do see some of the actual ball and events seen in the traditional fairytale. But even here, there are twists and turns behind how these events played out and what was truly going on behind the scenes. All of this gave the story an incredibly fresh, unique feel. Yes, you can clearly see the influences from the original. But 90% of the book is its own story.

This leads to the second choice the author made that I think was incredibly smart: changes to our main characters. Ash, of course, is no Disney princess. Her history, while containing many of the same bullet points from the original story, is one that has shaped a very different woman. Indeed, she’s partly aligned with her “evil” stepmother to further their own hatched plans. But further, she has her own political motivations, fighting for her mother’s homeland, a country that has suffered greatly under the pressure and power of this realm’s king. She’s brave, brash, and a truly morally grey character. She makes no excuses for the fact that she is bespelling and using the prince for her own ends. I enjoyed her entire arc throughout this story. It is a journey of accountability, of compromise, and of understanding just what sacrifices she is willing to make for the sake of a cause.

I also really enjoyed the fact that the romance was changed around. Instead of the prince (who is both sympathetic for being manipulated by Ash but also incredibly unlikable at different points), the love story is shifted to a different character. I really loved the slow burn nature of this romance. And even more than that, I enjoyed how the development of this romance forced Ash to confront some of the realities behind the choices she was making and the people she was working alongside. Beyond the shifts to Ash and her prince, I really like the roles the evil step-sisters played in the story. We don’t get tons of page time with them, but I think there was some really interesting commentary to be found there about sibling relationships, especially those formed in abusive households.

The writing was also incredibly strong. The book both made me laugh out loud, but was also incredibly sad at various points. Indeed, my one complaint about the book comes down to a bit of a dissonance in tone. I like the fact that the book went to some dark places (honestly, way darker than I was ever expecting). But then the switch in tone from light, funny, and action-packed to incredibly tragic, and back and forth…it became a bit hard at times to fully make that switch when the story took a sudden swerve one way or the other.

But even with this minor quibble, I was so pleased with this book! I had a blast reading it, and it’s definitely the sort of story that I can see myself re-reading many times in the future.

Rating 9: Fresh, vibrant, and bringing us a morally grey “Cinderella” who you can’t help but root for!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Thief Liar Lady” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Cinderella Retellings.