Tag: Fantasy

Book Club Review: “The Princess Bride”

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We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Re-visiting some of our past themes, we’re once again reading books that have had film/TV adaptations and then comparing the two mediums. For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Books: “The Princess Bride” by William Goldman

Publishing Info: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, September 1973

Where Did I Get These Books: own it!

Where You Can Get These Books: WorldCat.org | Amazon| Indiebound

What We Watched: “The Princess Bride”

Book Descriptions: What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be…well…a lot less than the man of her dreams?

As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad’s recitation, and only the “good parts” reached his ears.

Now Goldman does Dad one better. He’s reconstructed the “Good Parts Version” to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere.

What’s it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex.

In short, it’s about everything.

Kate’s Thoughts

Even though I’m solidly an older millennial, I didn’t see “The Princess Bride” until I was in middle school, and didn’t really grow up with it as a result. I know that’s perhaps a bit outside the norm for my age group (clock Serena’s experience below), but I enjoyed it enough for what it was. Because of that I was curious, a few years later, to read the actual book by William Goldman, and have distinct memories of reading it while on a family trip to a rental cabin in Wisconsin. When Serena picked it for our book club book I was interested to re-read it after all these years, as I felt like perhaps I’d have a new appreciation for it. And I was, in general, correct.

What I appreciated a bit more this time was the way that Goldman was kind of sending up sweeping fantasy romances, but it never really felt in a condescending way (at least to me; I know there were people in book club who REALLY didn’t care for his sections). Whether he’d ‘redact’ sections that went way too long focusing on decoration, or food, or he would cut out long and rambling other aspects of the story and the backstory of the world it was set within, it felt like a tongue and cheek chuckle at both sweeping fantasy as well as stuck up academics who try to find meaning in so much only to miss some of the points completely.

But that isn’t to say that the story itself of Buttercup and Wesley and their friends and foes is lesser in book form. I still found the story to be very fun, and I am sure that that is part due to the fact that Goldman himself adapted his book into the screenplay. I also really liked that we got the back stories for characters like Fezzik and Inigo, who definitely have memorable roles in the movie, but don’t have much exploration. As a person who always preferred the side characters to Buttercup and Wesley (blasphemy? Maybe! But damn did Inigo do SO MUCH MORE for fourteen year old Kate…), I enjoyed having the extra exposition.

Overall it was a fun revisit with a bit of a new perspective after all this time.

Serena’s Thoughts

Like many people, I watched and loved the movie before I realized there was a book. I mean, I first watched this when I was quite young, so even if I had known there was a book, it probably wasn’t at my reading level! But once I discovered it, you know I gobbled it right up! And have re-read it a few times since! However, it had been a few years since I went back to it, so after we decided to revisit this bookclub theme, I knew that I wanted to select this as my title. Bonus that the movie adaptation is so great as well!

All of this to say, I have probably very few novel things to say about either the book or the movie other than wild gushing. I do love them both. However, as became clear during our bookclub discussion, while telling the same story, the book and movie are very different things. I’d say that the movie is a fairytale romance first and foremost. However, the book is more focused on its comedy elements. This can be seen in the “story within a story” of “The Princess Bride” itself, as well with the framework and the “character” the author portrays himself as, going back and “adapting” this “classic” work. With those expectations in mind, I think each excels at its goals! The movie includes extra scenes focused on the romance, like the reunion between Wesley and Buttercup after falling down the ravine. And the book adds a lot of comedic content with the inclusion of features like the “Zoo of Death” and more intricate backstories for the side characters.

I do think the movie is probably more approachable to general audiences. The casting is truly perfect, and this version reduces the framing device of the “story within a story” to a few wholesome scenes between a grandfather and his grandson. But if you’re looking for a more detailed version of the story with a stronger focus on comedy (especially a lot of jabs at the publishing and entertainment business), definitely give the book a go!

Kate’s Rating 8 : It was a fun revisit to a high school read with a somewhat new set of eyes. It’s both a fun send up but a well done fairy tale romance as well.

Serena’s Rating 9: I love them both! A perfect example of a story being adapted in two different ways, but succeeding in both.

Book Club Questions

  1. This is a story within a story. how does this framing serve the story? Do you think the central conceit works? What do you make of Goldman as a character himself?
  2. The structure of the story uses a lot of parentheticals and asides. Do these work for you?
  3. The book calls itself a “classic tale of true love and high adventure.” Which aspects of each stood out to you, romance and adventure? Was one stronger than the other?
  4. Goldman also wrote the screenplay for the movie. In what ways did he adhere to or later the original story? Were there bits you would have chanted or included/not included?
  5. Mot of the characters are well established in people’s minds based on the movie versions. Did the movie stay true to the versions seen in the book? Were there any that were better in the books? Better in the movie? Did you have a favorite casting?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Princess Bride” is included on the Goodreads lists Best Books Ever and The Best Fairytales and Retellings.

Next Book Club Pick: “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer

Serena’s Review: “The Otherwhere Post”

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Book: “The Otherwhere Post” by Emily J. Taylor

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, February 2025

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

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

Book Description: Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father’s crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.

Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible words: Your father was innocent.

To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she’ll be trained in the art of scriptomancy—the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father’s past draws more attention than she’d planned.

Her secretive, infuriatingly handsome mentor knows she’s lying about her identity, and time is running out to convince him to trust her. Worse, she begins to receive threatening letters, warning her to drop her investigation—or else. For Maeve to unravel the mystery of what happened seven years ago, she may have to forfeit her life.

Review: It’s been quite a while since I read Emily J. Taylor’s debut novel, “Hotel Magnifique,” but I do clearly remember liking it. So I was excited to see that she was releasing another YA fantasy novel! And I ended up liking this one even more than the first!

There are many things to praise, but I’ll start with the writing quality and the world-building first of all. Taylor writes in a clear, confident tone that easily draws readers into her fantastical world while also centering us around the characters and their own personal stakes. The serious nature of Maeve’s situation was clearly conveyed, while the transition towards more comedic or romantic moments was smooth and natural.

As for the worldbuilding, any time an author attempts to create a secondary fantasy world, there’s a risk of falling into info-dumping holes or unnatural dialogue used as exposition. Not so here. Instead, we are slowly introduced this world, its history, and its magical systems. The nature of the magic was incredibly interesting, and I enjoyed the way additional layers were papered upon the original concept as the story progressed. Beyond this, the history of this world is incredibly important to the story, and as Maeve is attempting to work through the mystery of her father’s life and death, she begins to uncover truths about her world as well. By the end, the magic system and the world itself have been built up by leaps and bounds from the foundations that the book starts with. And then, the bow on top, these are woven together for some great reveals in the very end.

Of course, none of this would work if Maeve herself hadn’t been an excellent character. From the start, her perspective and motives are clearly established, and as she works through the mysteries before her, she never loses sight of what is most important. Further, due to the secretive nature of her childhood, she’s incredibly distrustful, struggling to open up to others well past the point when others would feel secure. I appreciated that this aspect of her nature was so firmly established, even when it worked against Maeve’s own best interests.

I also really enjoyed the romantic subplot. There was a moment early in the book where I was concerned the book was going to go in one direction (I personally struggle a lot with books that hold on too long to secret identities), but luckily it jagged at the last minute. Even with certain secrets revealed, this was still a slowburn romance as these two slowly began to open up to one another with their own various secrets. They had excellent chemistry with each other throughout, however, which made all of their interactions a pleasure to read.

I ended up loving this book! There were several incredibly fresh fantasy elements included and, best of all, Maeve was written as a fully-fleshed out, complex YA heroine, something that I seem to have a harder and harder time finding recently. If you’re looking for a YA fantasy novel to restore your faith in the genre and that it’s still a good fit for you, than this is definitely one to check out!

Rating 9: Breathtaking in its creativity and incredible character work; I especially enjoyed the fantastic main character and the slowburn romance.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Otherwhere Post” can be found on these Goodreads lists: YA Novels of 2025 and 2025 YA Romantasy Releases.

Serena’s Review: “The Blood Orchid”

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Book: “The Blood Orchid” by Kylie Lee Baker

Publishing Info: HarperCollins, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: from the library!

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

Book Description: Since Zilan entered the world of royal alchemists, she has learned that alchemy comes at a price. She has lost loved ones in her search for broader justice against the evil Empress and all she wants now is to find some way to bring them back. Resurrection is her specialty, after all.

In search of the myth of Penglai Island, where it’s rumored life can be fully restored, Zilan starts a new adventure. But when old threats come back to haunt her and the path to Penglai Island means facing down unpredictable, sometimes dangerous, alchemists, she wonders just how high of a price she may be willing to pay.

Previously Reviewed: “The Blood Alchemist”

Review: It’s always nice to jump quickly from a first book in a duology straight into the second. And it was especially useful here, as “The Blood Alchemist” set up a fairly intricate world and complex magical system. Further, this book picks up directly after the events of the first, so I benefited from having those plot lines firmly in my head when I started up this one.

This book is largely made of up a quest by our main characters in search of the mythical Penglai Island, a place so powerful they hope it will solve the ongoing threat of the Empress. Through these explorations, the lore of this world was greatly expanded upon, introducing powerful new uses for alchemy, some to detrimental effect. We also got to spend more time in the limbo-esque afterlife, with Zilan desperately trying to cling to those she loves, both in the land of the living and the dead.

The pacing was quite action-packed, moving quickly from one dangerous alchemist to another. I really enjoyed these little side quests that were sprinkled throughout to tie together the larger quest. However, from a broader view, there were a few of these that felt rather convenient. Penglai Island has been lost (or rumored to not exist at all) for ages, and yet Zilan and co. seem to almost stumble into the answers they need by chance. As I was having so much fun with the story, this didn’t bother me overly much. But the convenience of some of these plotlines was a bit too obvious to completely ignore.

I also really enjoyed the characters, once again. Zilan, of course, was as excellent as always. However, if you had asked which characters I had least interest in spending prolonged time with in this book, I would have answered with her brother and her bully rival from alchemy classes. And well, what do you know? Those two end up being her primary travelling companions and each brought excellent flavor to the story! Through Wenshu, the author continued her excellent exploration of the complicated nature between siblings. Here, Wenshu and Zilan must deal with the repercussions of her choice at the end of the last book; that is, her decision to save Wenshu instead of Hong. A simple choice that reveals numerous insecurities and challenges on both sides. We also see a redemption arc for Zheng, the character I never knew I needed more of! In a surprising turn, this is the character that added the necessary comic relief to a book that, at times, could have been too tragic and dark.

Unfortunately, while the focus on Wenshu and Sheng was an unexpected high point, we didn’t see much of Hong in this book. On one hand, that makes sense. The guy is dead, after all. We get a few scenes sprinkled throughout as Zilan works to keep her hold on his spirit until she can revive him, but I still ended up missing the lovely dynamic we had between these two in the first book. By the end, I was happy with the way things resolved, but I do wish we had gotten a bit more here.

Overall, this was an excellent conclusion to the duology. The overall conflict was wrapped up in a truly creative and unique way, and one that felt earned with various pieces of the foundation being carefully laid here and in the previous book. If you’re looking for a well-written, well-rounded, unique YA fantasy duology, I highly recommend this one!

Rating 8: Expanded world-building, excellent side characters, and a satisfying conclusion! My romance-loving heart felt a bit deprived on the Hong front, but otherwise, this was a great read!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Blood Orchid” can be found on this Goodreads list: Best books of October, 2024

Serena’s Review: “Swordheart

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Note: Some long-time readers may remember that I reviewed this book 2-3 years ago. Well, T. Kingfisher has seen a surge in popularity since and, as such, many of her back catalog titles are being re-published by Tor/Bramble with new covers and marketing. (I definitely now have to versions of this book, I loved it that much!) As Kingfisher is one of my favorite authors writing today, I wanted to re-surface this review with the updated cover for those who may not be in the know!

Book: “Swordheart” by T. Kingfisher

Publishing Info: Bramble, Feb. 2025

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

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

Book Description: Halla is a housekeeper who has suddenly inherited her great-uncle’s estate… and, unfortunately, his relatives. Sarkis is an immortal swordsman trapped in a prison of enchanted steel. When Halla draws the sword that imprisons him, Sarkis finds himself attempting to defend his new wielder against everything from bandits and roving inquisitors to her own in-laws… and the sword itself may prove to be the greatest threat of all.

Review: Once I discover a favorite author, it can only be expected that you’ll probably see a lot of reviews for them going forward. So as not to just run through them one after another, I’ve been trying to hold off on picking up a new Kingfisher novel until I feel like I’ve been in a bit of a slump. And, for whatever reason, many of my October books were a bit underwhelming. While this was a bummer, it gave me the only excuse I needed, so I immediately jumped back into the world of the Clockwork Boys with this standalone book.

You would think being left a grand estate and all the wealth and prestige that comes with that would be a blessing. But for Halla, the housekeeper turned unexpected heiress, it has lead to nothing but trouble. Hounded by the relatives of the deceased, Halla has all but given up hope of collecting on her inheritance. That is until, when trapped in a cluttered room in a mansion that should by rights belong to her, Halla draws a dusty old sword and finds…a swordsman as well? One who is enchanted to the sword and sworn to protect its wielder for the remainder of their life. But while Halla seems like an easy enough individual to protect, Sarkis, the swordsman, is in for a surprise.

I think it would be a bigger shock than anything if I read a book by this author that I didn’t enjoy. There are enough strengths in her general storytelling ability, her solid characters, and her witty dialogue that it’s hard to imagine a book that felt like a flop. There have been stories I’ve enjoyed more than others, however. So where does this one fit on that scale?

While much of the appeal of this book lay in the strength of the qualities I listed above, there were a few aspects of this story that I found particularly charming. For one thing, Halla is an “older” heroine, coming in with an age somewhere in her 30s. Kingfisher has used several older heroines like this to helm her books, and it’s something I always appreciate. Life and adventure doesn’t only come for twenty-somethings! And, indeed, we get more variety and life experience with an older lead who brings more baggage (both good and bad) to the story. Halla is an unlikely leading lady in that she starts the book out as a bewildered heiress who seems as if she may have been happier remaining a housekeeper for the rest of her life. What’s more, as the story progresses, her romance with Sarkis comes from the perspective of a woman who has already been married once and knows what’s what.

I also appreciated that this was one of the longer books I’ve read by this author. She tends to write books that come in between the 200-250 page count, just enough to be considered full novels instead of novellas, but noticeably shorter than the average fantasy novel out there. On one hands, this is a quality I love as there are so many massive fantasy tomes out there that not only don’t need to be the length they are (and are often worse for it) but the sheer amount of time it takes to read one lengthy novel necessarily limits how many one can get through. That said, I loved being able to settle in to this story a bit more than I have with past, shorter books by this author. I became highly invested in Halla’s journey towards self-worth and Sarkis’s work to restore the humanity he gave up when he became attached to the sword. We learn a lot about their personal histories, so it’s truly gratifying to see them come up against similar challenges here and make different choices.

That said, there came a point around the three quarters mark where I began to feel like the book was quite literally tracing the same road back and forth. This is played for good humorous affect, but the final go around did begin to feel a bit tedious as I began to wish that our characters could finally have something go right for them.

Overall, however, I really enjoyed this book. It was enjoyable and solid in all of the ways I’ve come to expect by this author, and I appreciated the increased page length to really soak in this particular world and these characters and their romance. Fans of this author or for those looking for a cozy fantasy novel, this is definitely a book for you!

Rating 8: Everything you could want from cozy fantasy fiction!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Swordheart” can be found on these Goodreads lists: CozySFF and Above 30 Romance Heroines.

Serena’s Review: “But Not Too Bold”

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Book: “But Not Too Bold” by Hache Pueyo

Publishing Info: Tor, Feb. 2022

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

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

Book Description: The old keeper of the keys is dead, and the creature who ate her is the volatile Lady of the Capricious House⁠―Anatema, an enormous humanoid spider with a taste for laudanum and human brides.

Dália, the old keeper’s protégée, must take up her duties, locking and unlocking the little drawers in which Anatema keeps her memories. And if she can unravel the crime that led to her predecessor’s death, Dália might just be able to survive long enough to grow into her new role.

But there’s a gaping hole in Dália’s plan that she refuses to see: Anatema cannot resist a beautiful woman, and she eventually devours every single bride that crosses her path.

Review: At this point, I think it’s well-established that I am more than happy to explore some of the weirder corners of fantasy/horror stories. I mean, I loved “Asunder” and that was such a wild ride of world-building! Well, this one starts off weird, gets a bit weirder, and then ends in full weirdness. Starting with the premise, which is the idea that anyone would be willing to work in a house run by a giant spider who is more likely than not going to eat you some day. I’ll just get it out of the way now: if you focus too much on the realities behind whether or not anyone would sign on for the basic premise of this book, you’re probably not going to have a great time. But if you’re willing to go with it, there’s some very interesting storytelling to be had.

I’ll also say, if you have trouble with bugs or spiders, this isn’t the book for you. There is spider stuff everywhere, from people handling and eating tarantulas at any given moment, to the very detailed descriptions of Anatema and just how her human/spider bits meld together. I don’t particularly have a problem with bugs or spiders, so I found all of this to be on the pleasantly creepy side, rather than outright horror. That said, there was a particular erotic dream sequence that was…a lot. More, I found the general concept to be interesting: the ways that the human characters dealt with their day-to-day existence and the almost guaranteed gruesome end that was coming to them.

I also enjoyed the writing style and was impressed with the emotional punch that was packed into a story with such a short word-count, under 100 pages. I was a bit surprised by how central the romance was to the story. I went in with the impression that while there was a romantic subplot, the story itself would be more focused on the mystery. Well, it was the opposite, with the mystery taking up very little page time and the romance making up the rest. I didn’t quite buy into Dalia’s feelings for Anatema, but I do think that this book will find an audience with the monster romance lovers out there!

Overall, this was truly unique read. I’m not sure I can think of anything like it. The writing was incredibly strong throughout, and really, it’s going to come down to your tolerance/interest in spiders whether or not you have a good time with this one!

Rating 8: One of the more unique novellas I’ve read in a long time, deftly mixing horror, fantasy, and, somehow, romance, all into one small package!

Reader’s Advisory:

“But Not Too Bold” can be found on this Goodreads list: All the New Horror, Romantasy, and Other SFF Crossover Books Arriving in February 2025

Serena’s Review: “Greenteeth”

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

Book: “Greenteeth” by Molly O’Neill

Publishing Info: Orbit, February 2025

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: Beneath the still surface of a lake lurks a monster with needle sharp teeth. Hungry and ready to pounce.

Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before, but when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she’s worth saving. Temperance doesn’t know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor.

Though they have nothing in common, these two must band together on a magical quest to defeat the evil that threatens Jenny’s lake and Temperance’s family, as well as the very soul of Britain.

Review: This book was a bit of a roller-coaster ride as far as my experience reading it goes. It started off great, with one of my favorite aspects of the book coming to the forefront right away. That being the unique voice of Jenny Greenteeth. The first quarter of the story is fairly closely tied to Jenny’s own narration of what her life has been, what her unique perspective on morality entails, and various other points of interest. While not a lot of action is necessarily taking place, the strength of her narrative voice and unique perspective easily held my interest.

Unfortunately, things became a bit more complicated when our second main character was introduced, Temperance, a witch who had been condemned to death by drowning and tossed into Jenny’s lake. While Jenny’s own story had been unspooled through her interesting narration, Temperance seems to simply word-vomit her entire history in a few pages’ time. It was frankly a bit baffling, as the author had demonstrated a more subtle approach to storytelling before. But here, not only was all of Temperance’s story presented in the most info-dumping-manner possible, but it also threw me out of the story due to the simple fact that no one could possibly talk like this!

From there, it was a bit more of a struggle to become fully invested in the story once again. As I mentioned, the pacing itself is quite slow throughout. In the beginning, with the focus tightly drawn in on Jenny, this worked fine. But as the story continued, I began to struggle. This became especially difficult when the plot seemed to devolve into a string of fetch quests, each as predictable as the last. And to top it off, the story resolved in a way that was a bit predictable in the most disappointing way. I don’t want to spoil it, and there isn’t anything inherently wrong with the story going the way that it did. But I had been hopeful initially that the author was telling a more wholly unique tale, rather than tying it back into familiar source material.

Overall, this was an ok read. There was a lot of potential, especially with the strength of the narrator, but the pacing and plotting became muddled with a string of mundane side quests and resolved in a disappointingly predictable manner. This last point, especially, is particularly subjective, so other readers may appreciate what this book has to offer in this regard more than I did! I do think it’s worth checking out, however, based on Jenny herself.

Rating 7: Jenny herself was a fantastic narrator, but she was let down by lackluster side characters and side quests.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Greenteeth” can be found on this Goodreads list: Botanical and Horticultural Horror

Serena’s Review: “Upon a Starlit Tide”

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Book: “Upon a Starlit Tide” by Kell Woods

Publishing Info: Tor Books, Feb. 2025

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

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

Book Description: For Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of one of Saint-Malo’s wealthiest ship-owners, the high walls of the city are more hindrance than haven. While her sisters are interested in securing advantageous marriages, Luce dreams of escaping her elegant but stifling home and joining a ship’s crew. Only Samuel—Luce’s best friend and an English smuggler—understands her longing for the sea, secretly teaching her to sail whenever she can sneak away. For Luce, the stolen time on the water with Samuel is precious.

One stormy morning, Luce’s plans are blown off course when she rescues Morgan de Chatelaine, the youngest son of the most powerful ship-owner in Saint-Malo, from the sea. Immediately drawn to his charm and sense of adventure, she longs to attend the glittering ball held in honor of his safe return and begins to contemplate a different kind of future for herself.

But it is not only Luce’s hopes at stake—the local fae are leaving Brittany and taking their magic with them, while the long-standing war with the English means Saint-Malo is always at risk of attack. As Luce is plunged into a world of magic, brutality, and seduction, secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface. The truth of her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.

Or the scales of a sea-maid’s tail.

Review: I didn’t love the first book I read by this author. I don’t often talk about transitions in my reviews, but “After the Woods” really highlighted how important a basic technique like this is to good storytelling. I often found myself confused by sudden shifts in focus and disjointed pacing. The characters were also fairly inconsistent. That said, between these struggle points, if you squinted, it was possible to see some true lyricism and style to the writing. With that being the case (and the fact that I’ve yet to come across a truly great re-telling of “The Little Mermaid”) I picked this one up with a hefty dose of wariness but also my usual hope. And wow, am I glad I did!

There are so many places to start with this one! But first and foremost, this is an excellent fairytale fantasy story. It perfectly captures the magical tone found in that sort of story, but also includes the necessary balance points of mild horror and, of course, swoon-worthy romance. I will say, this is rather loosely connected to “The Little Mermaid.” Other than the fact that she’s, you know, a mermaid, there’s not a whole lot of the original tale to be found here, other than a few familiar scenes that, even then, play out in a very different context than they do in the original. On top of that, the story also includes a nod to the “Cinderella” story, leaving the book as an interesting mash up of the two.

But first and foremost, I think this story much more closely lines up with selkie/seal wife fairytales. Like those stories, this one focus heavily on longing, wildness, and freedom. And it is here that the romanticism and lyricism of the writing really shines. The beauty and horror of the sea neatly aligned against the beauty and horror of humanity. And with Luce in the middle, a child of both worlds who struggles to understand herself and where she fits, torn between the great loves of the sea and her family and the man she grows to love. This could be a simplistic story, but there was such a depth of heart to Luce that the entire affair felt poignant and wondrous throughout.

As I mentioned, there were also some horror moments included, perhaps more than I had expected. Again, we were exposed to horror in the more fantastical sense, but it was the actions of the people that were truly despicable. The story’s strong foundation in a historical time and place truly reinforced these human-made horror moments, as some of the more powerful scenes drew from events/actions that were truly carried out.

I also want to heap immense praise on the author for her handling of the love triangle. I don’t want to spoil the way that this plot line plays out, but Woods is clearly winking at readers as she twists her way through some of the common romantasy tropes found in these sorts of stories and with these sorts of characters. And, best of all, she correctly identified when to give up the triangle altogether and allow the true romance to move forward. This is a stand-alone book, after all, so it was great that we were given what felt like a good chunk of time with the primary couple, initial love triangle bedamned.

One small criticms here would be that as these two “romances” were getting started, it felt like Luce’s feelings came a bit out of nowhere, especially for one of them. As the story continued, we were given more of a foundation to build upon. But those initial points of interest felt a bit instalust-y. However, they were saved by the lovely story that followed that delved into the tragedy and beauty of Luce’s position as a child of the sea who loves a man of the land.

I loved this book, if you can’t tell! As much as I love gobbling up books from authors who have a long list of solid titles, there’s something special about finding a great one from an author you didn’t connect with the first go-around. I can pretty much confirm now that this one will end up on my “Top 10” list for the year!

Rating 9: Like the exploring the sea itself, plumbing the dark depth of this book’s mysteries is an adventure into a world of beauty and romance! Perfect for all fairytale fans!

“Upon a Starlit Tide” can be found on these Goodreads lists: The Little Mermaid Retellings and My favorite Fairytale Fantasy novels.

Serena’s Review: “Wooing the Witch Queen”

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Book: “Wooing the Witch Queen” by Stephanie Burgis

Publishing Info: Bramble, February 2025

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

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

Book Description: Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…

Little does Saskia know that the “wizard” she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he’s in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?

Review: When I requested this one, I expected a fairly straight forward fantasy romance story. If I was lucky, I was hoping the humor would click and this would nail down the “fantasy romcom” vibes that it was giving off. Not only did those things turn out well, but the book actually explored some really interesting ideas regarding gender roles and romance.

As that’s the most interesting commentary I have to offer on this book, let’s jump straight into it. It wasn’t until about a third or maybe even halfway in that I really began to hone in on the approach the author was taking in her depiction of these characters and the roles they played with regards to one another. It was incredibly subtle, but as I read, more and more I became aware of the fact that Saskia, in particular, was being presented through the lens that we are more accustomed to seeing the romantic hero through.

When thinking of Fabian, she (rightly) sees her self as the more powerful of the pair, thus often focusing on the protective feelings she has towards him. And, similar to the romance heroes we all know and love, she would often internally and out loud make threats to any who would attempt to harm him. Even down to smaller concerns with regards to his feelings and the way others treat him, she very much takes on the role of guardian. Further, when thinking of Fabian, while appreciating all aspects of him, she regards his physical form with the same sort of interest and regard that we expect to see from the male POV more often than not. For his part, Fabian plays a much “softer” role, often focused on caregiver roles, like ensuring that Saskia eats when she gets caught up in her magical work.

Interesting, this role reversal carried over into the spicy scenes as well, with Saskia taking on the more more “dominant” (though I’m not sure that’s quite the right word) role. I won’t go into details of how this all presents, but it’s the kind of thing that you’ll definitely notice if you’ve been catching these gender role swaps throughout the book earlier.

This was such an interesting take on a romantic pairing and really made me think about the sort of actions, behaviors, and even thoughts that I typically think of as “male” in romance novels. Nothing Saskia or Fabian say or do has anything to do with their sex, but it’s also clear that, as a reader, I’m used to seeing certain behaviors from only really the men and others from only really the women. Again, the biggest props of all goes to the subtly with which the author explores these themes. It’s entirely possible to read this book as a fun, romantasy romp and thinking nothing of any of these topics because the story is fun and the characters still read as completely natural and fully fleshed out.

As for the rest of the story, the other big pro that stood out was the humor. I really enjoyed the balance of the comedy with the love story and action portions. It was sprinkled into the story at just the right moments, and I feel like the tone of the comedy worked perfectly with the sort of twisted fairytale we were getting.

Some of the larger plot points were perhaps a bit predictable and derivative, but as the story doesn’t set out to be an overly complex fantasy world, I was happy with what we got. I was also interested in the two other “evil” queens we met. There were moments in this book where I found both to read a bit like caricatures (easy enough to happen with side characters who get very little ultimate page time), but there were also hints to more complexity to be found there once we get to their individual stories. We even get a mini look at what’s to come in the next book at the very end of this one, and I’m definitely looking forward to checking that one out!

Overall, if you’re looking for a fun romantasy read that hits your “Wicked”-deprived heart, this is definitely one to check out!

Rating 8: If you’re having withdrawals from “Wicked,” have I got the book for you! Swoon-worthy and laugh-out-loud funny, this book is a perfect fit for romantasy readers looking for a great twisted fairytale!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Wooing the Witch Queen” can be found on these Goodreads lists: [ATY 2025] Witches, Goddesses, or Nuns and Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2025.

Serena’s Review: “The Outcast Mage”

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Book: “The Outcast Mage” by Annabel Campbell

Publishing Info: Orbit, January 2025

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

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

Book Description: In the glass city of Amoria, magic is everything. And Naila, student at the city’s legendary academy, is running out of time to prove she can control hers. If she fails, she’ll be forced into exile, relegated to a life of persecution with the other magicless hollows. Or worse, be consumed by her own power.

When a tragic incident further threatens her place at the Academy, Naila is saved by Haelius Akana, the most powerful living mage. Finding Naila a kindred spirit, Haelius stakes his position at the Academy on teaching her to harness her abilities. But Haelius has many enemies, and they would love nothing more than to see Naila fail. Trapped in the deadly schemes of Amoria’s elite, Naila must dig deep to discover the truth of her powers or watch the city she loves descend into civil war.

For there is violence brewing on the wind, and greater powers at work. Ones who could use her powers for good… or destroy everything she’s ever known.

Review: I think this book will be one of those odd reads that really works for certain fantasy readers, but then fails to connects to a bunch of others. To start with, the book throws readers into the deep end of an entirely new fantasy world. I’m on the record as very much enjoying this approach to world-building in fantasy, but it’s also a big ask of many more casual readers. For the most part, this approach worked for me here as well. I was more than happy to go along with the story and characters slowly piecing things together as they came.

What didn’t work, however, was that further into the book we did start getting more overt details into these world-building portions. Unfortunately, they often came in long chunks of straight exposition and info-dumping. These larger bits of explanation also came fairly far into the story, meaning that for the readers who would appreciate the straight presentation of facts rather than the immersive nature of the beginning, there’s a decent chance they might have already put the book down by the point they show up.

I also ended up struggling to enjoy many of the characters in this book. For the pros, I very much enjoy mentor/mentee relationships, so I really liked the portions of the book that focused on these two characters. I will also say that there is very little to no romance in this book, so it’s a great option for readers who perhaps feel overwhelmed by the amount of romance in fantasy recently (not me, but I know these readers exist, haha!).

That said, there were simply too many POV characters in this book. I know that I personally have a fairly low bar for the number of characters I want to follow during a book. It typically tops out at around 3, and by far I prefer a single POV altogether. But here there were, I think, 5 or 6 different characters we followed. By necessity, some of those got more page time than others, which often directly influenced my interest in their various stories. However, the sheer overwhelming number of them ultimately decreased my ability to connect to any of them. Beyond that, as I read, it began to be hard to differentiate between them, leaving me unsure of whose story I was finding halfway through a chapter. Again, this is a very subjective take, and I know a lot of fantasy readers enjoy large casts of characters. But it didn’t work for me here.

So this was a bit of a mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the world that was introduced, but there were too many info dumps to make it smooth sailing. And I really like the focus on the mentor/mentee relationship, but there were too many other characters distracting from these two’s stories that I watered down the entire affair. I’ll likely stick around for the next book, as I’m definitely curious to see where the story goes from here.

Rating 7: A lot of potential and a strong central relationship was a bit hampered by shaky world-building and too many POVs to keep up with.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Outcast Mage” can be found on this Goodreads list: All the New Fantasy Books Arriving in January 2025.

Serena’s Review: “The Forest King’s Daughter”

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Book: “The Forest King’s Daughter” by Elly Blare

Publishing Info: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, February 2025

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

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

Book Description: Once upon a time, among the bloodred trees of Thirstwood, a young forest princess became friends with a lonely demon boy. He gifted her an amber ring, a worthless trinket…or so he thought…because no sooner did he slide it onto her finger than the demon queen and forest king declared war.

Years later, Cassia is a crucial force in her father’s army, wielding her ring of light that can blind and disorient hundreds of demons at a time. Then battle-hardened Zeru abducts her, planning to steal the ring back to fix his costly childhood mistake. Exhausted, terrified, and more than a little mistrusting, Cassia is forced to travel with Zeru to a place they both believed only existed in storybooks, one where their childhood friendship slowly rekindles into something much more. But it’s only a matter of time before the war they’ve escaped comes for them, and a hidden threat to forest folk and demons alike grows in the shadows.

From the author of the Frostblood Saga comes the first book in an enchanting, adventure-filled fantasy series about the daughters of the powerful forest king, sure to leave readers breathless and desperate for more.

Review: This was an obvious book request for me! Everything about the summary above sounds like it has been tailored for me. Further, I’ve had a lot of good luck with Little Brown Books and their selection of YA fantasy. They seem to curate an author list that often produces some of my favorites in this genre and reading age. So how did this one turn out? Let’s dive in!

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I did have complaints here and there, but for the most part, this was a fun ride. Right from the start, I enjoyed the writing style, which had the sort of lyrical, fairytale quality that I prefer in fantasy stories like this. The two main characters were also introduced in an interesting way, with the reader first meeting them as children when they are unlikely friends. And then later, after things go terribly wrong, when they are older teens/adults on opposite sides of a war. It was a nice twist on the typical enemies-to-lovers romance plot, with the additional factor of initial friendship and trust from when they were children complicating their perspectives as adults.

I will say, in what would be a bit of a recurring problem throughout, there were some frustrating moments when both Cassia and Zeru made some truly wild leaps of logic and interpretation with regards to their shared history. In fact, one of my primary complaints about the book as a whole was the discordant feeling of these two main characters. For the majority of the book, each are written as highly competent, mature individuals. But then, on a fairly regular basis, they would each come up with the most ridiculous interpretation of the events surrounding them or the other’s motivations of intentions. It was the kind of writing where you could see the authors fingers all up in the narrative. The characters NEEDED to think a certain way to justify the arc of the story and romance. But in any reality, it made no sense to do so. Cassia, in particular, was incredibly naïve, especially about her father, way past the point of believability.

That said, I did actually enjoy the romance itself. When I started the book, I thought I had a pretty good grasp on how things would play out. Instead, the author swooped in with a major jump shift halfway through the book, re-positioning the stakes and, essentially, the world-building of this entire story. And through these changes, the romance itself veered into new and interesting territory. There was a bit of a “cake and eat it too” plot point with regards to Zeru and Cassia’s process of moving through their trust issues, but as the entire concept was so creative, I’ll give it a pass.

There were also some decent twists and turns in the larger conflict between the elves and demons. While some of the villains were plainly obvious from the start, there were a few twists with regards to other characters’ motivations that were revealed closer to the end. The pacing and plotting, overall, was steady throughout, and any moment where I began to become frustrated with some of the character inconsistency was quickly glossed over by another exciting story beat.

This is a solid YA fantasy story, and I think it’s well worth checking out if you’re looking for an original entry in the genre!

Rating 8: A few frustrations with character inconsistency aside, this was a lovely fairytale-like romance story with a surprisingly unique take on several classic fantasy tropes.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Forest King’s Daughter” can be found on this Goodreads list: Romantasy TBR 2025