Tag: Fantasy

Book Club Review: “The Familiar”

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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. This June we celebrated our 10 year anniversary of book club. So in celebration of that milestone, we are re-visiting authors we read way back in those first few years of our book club. 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!

Book: “The Familiar” by Leigh Bardugo

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, April 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family’s social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain’s king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England’s heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king’s favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

Repeat Author: Leigh Bardugo

Kate’s Thoughts

As someone who really has enjoyed Leigh Bardugo’s works I was very excited to read “The Familiar”. For one, it’s another adult book by her, and I absolutely loved “Ninth House” and still need to read “Hell Bent” (gahhhh it’s been so long since it came out!). I actually read it last summer while we were in San Diego, but was more than happy to save up my opinions for Book Club (as I knew around the time I was reading it that Serena was going to pick it). And like “Ninth House”, I quite enjoyed it.

For one I really loved the time period and place, as I don’t really have much working knowledge of The Spanish Inquisition outside of a short unit we did on it in high school, and that was so long ago that my memory of it was fading. But I really enjoyed how Bardugo captured the time, the fear, and the desperation of Luzia to hide herself, until she realized that her powers could actually be something that would show her power, which then fed into her ambition. I also really liked the magical system, because it was complex enough to feel unique, but not so much that it would alter history to make it unrecognizable and unrealistic to be within our world. And finally, I really enjoyed the themes of what makes these kinds of powers ‘miracles’ vs ‘witchcraft/Satanic’, and how those definitions are really more about who gets to decide these things and the motives for how these labels are placed.

“The Familiar” is a grim yet gorgeous work of historical fantasy. Bardugo is such a talent.

Serena’s Thoughts

I’ve already written a raving review for this book, so my thoughts won’t be anything new! That said, in reading it again now six months later, a few things did stand out to me. In particular, I continue to be impressed by how well Bardugo balanced a number of different genres, all with their own typical tropes and plot points. We have the intricate and specific details of historical fiction. The whimsy and tendency towards surprising solutions to complicated problems found in fantasy fiction. And the drama and slow-build of romance. Each was done well and none out-shone the others.

The side characters also stood out more for me in this read. I remember reading this the first time and expecting Valentina, in particular, to only be used as an introduction point to Luzia and her story. But this time, knowing the greater roles that some of these side characters play, I was better able to appreciate the care that went into crafting these sub-plots. While both Valentina and Haulit have much less page time than Luzia, they each still offered unique windows into the lives of women during this time period (much of which seems as if it would be fairly accurate, regardless of the addition of magic).

I also remain impressed that for a story that can be incredibly dark at times, that Bardugo managed to wrap it up in a satisfying way, with a happy-ish ending for our main couple. What’s more, she did this without resorting to deus ex machina magical solutions. Yes, magic was involved, but it was the sort that had been thoroughly explored before and was simply used in an unexpected and creative way.

So, yeah, I still really loved this book! Given its blending of many genres, I also think its the sort of book that will appeal to many readers and will definitely be recommending it this holiday season!

Kate’s Rating 9: An awe inspiring and at times grim historical fantasy, another triumph from Leigh Bardugo!

Serena’s Rating 10: Still just as great as last time!

Book Club Questions:

  1. This story blends fantasy with historical fiction. How well did it manage this balance? Particuarly, what did you know about Antonia Perez and the Spanish Inquisition before reading this and how well do you think these historical events were woven into the story?
  2. As for the fantasy aspects, what did you make of the magic that makes up this world? Particularly the distinctions made between accecptable magic and the sort that leads to heresy and witch burnings?
  3. What did you make of the love story and particularly Santangel? Do you think Santángel was a good man? Do you think she loves him because he’s good in some respects, or in spite of it?
  4. We are introduced to several different women who have approached the challenges they’ve faced in different manners: Valentina, Haulit, and Luzia herself. What stood out to you about these three, particular Valentina and Haulit?
  5. Much of Luzia’s inner life deals with her thoughts regarding ambition versus invisibility. Various other characters gave her their own thoughts on these topics. How do you think ambition and invisibility played a role in Luzia’s choices and perhaps also Santangel’s?
  6. Luzia’s Jewish heritage and religious persecution play a major role in the story. Did anything stand out to you with this theme?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Familiar” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Jewish Fantasy Genre and Historical Fiction With a Dash of Magic.

Next Book Club Pick: “Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King

Serena’s Review: “The Scarlet Alchemist”

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Book: “The Scarlet Alchemist” by Kylie Lee Baker

Publishing Info: Inkyard Press, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

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

Book Description: Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table—resurrecting the dead, for a price.

When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her to the capital, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.

The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they—and secrets of Zilan’s past—catch up with her.

Review: Honestly, this is one of those cases where I didn’t check out a book in a timely manner based on the cover. I really have a hard time with covers that feature models. For some reason, they always make me feel as if the quality of the book itself will be on the lower side. I’m sure I’ve missed out on several winners with this mindset, but I can’t help it! Luckily, I subscribe to a book box that included this book and when I was going through the titles I hadn’t read yet, I decided I should probably give this one a go! And thank goodness I did, since I ended up loving it!

There was so much to enjoy about this book! But one of the things that stood out was the story’s themes of family and sibling relationships. Our main character has been adopted into her aunt and uncle’s family and raised as a sibling of her cousins. With this, comes a lot of baggage about her place. Throughout the story, we see her struggle with feelings of imposter syndrome and a need to justify the love and care she’s been raised with, though from all we see, her aunt and uncle love her like she is their own. More importantly, however, the story follows the close sibling relationship with her cousins. As the plot progresses, these relationships are tested again and again. This isn’t simply a superficial take on the complicated nature of siblings, but instead dives into the warring feelings of love, jealously, and even fear that can make up the deepest bonds.

On the fantasy and world-building side, I very much enjoyed the alchemy in this story. The author does an incredible job of fully fleshing out this magic system, giving it important limits and consequences. Nothing comes for free or easily, and as the story continues, we see the true power and danger of alchemy. At the same time, it’s not an easy answer to every problem. Indeed, half the time it feels as if alchemy itself IS the problem! Towards the end, I was truly wondering how many of these elements were going to be wrapped up. And I’ll be honest: this is the first in a duology, so many of them weren’t! Instead, we were left with a fairly killer cliffhanger in at least one important way!

I also really enjoyed the main character. As I mentioned in the bit about family themes, much of the story centers around Zilan’s feelings about her place in the world. But even as she struggles, her determination and unflinching view of the world carries her through.

There was also a romantic subplot to be found, those this definitely played second fiddle to the rest of the story. I did appreciate the slower build the author gave this element. For example, Zilan meets this character fairly early when he asks her for a huge favor essentially. She blows him off and then literally doesn’t think about him again for many chapters until he shows up in her life again. It’s always refreshing to see a realistic take like this. From Zilan’s perspective, this was some random guy and a brief interaction. There is no reason for her to fixate on him, and, blessedly, she doesn’t! I could go on an entire rant about my feelings about heroines who meet the MMC one time and then seem to devote a significant amount of their inner thoughts to him for the remainder of the book. This is a great example of how to include a romance in what feels like a natural, realistic way. It’s important to Zilan, but by no means the most important thing she is dealing with.

I really loved this book! As I said, it does end on a pretty big cliffhanger in certain ways. Luckily, I have been now rewarded by my own recalcitrance regarding the cover art and don’t have to wait since the sequel came out this fall! I’ll definitely be checking it out soon!

Rating 9: With an intricate magic system and a fantastic lead character, this one is sure to please all YA fantasy fans!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Scarlet Alchemist” can be found on this Goodreads list: Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Fantasy.

Serena’s Review: “The Last One”

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Book: “The Last One” by Rachel Howzell Hall

Publishing Info: Red Tower Books, December 2024

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

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

Book Description: Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help.

Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting.

As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath.

And no one is what—or who—they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.

Review: I was definitely excited to check this one out when the publicist reached out with a copy! From the looks of things, it seemed like it was going to be the sort of romantasy that leaned more heavily into the action than the romance, something that I typically prefer when it comes to balancing the two. However, while this proved to be correct, other factors involved left this one slipping as my reading continued.

But let’s start with some pros! And first and foremost that comes down to the action! This is a very fast-moving book, chock full of adventure and fight scenes. Right out of the gate, the plot takes off and never really stops. Now, whether the actual story is being advanced with all of this action is another question, but if you’re looking for a fast read, this one should come through for you! I’ll also say that I enjoyed the romance. There wasn’t tons of it, and I think this worked better for the conceit of this book. The MMC knows her past, but she doesn’t, which could lead to a really unfortunate power dynamic. Instead, the love story plays a definite second fiddle and only really moved towards the end of the book. The writing also has a very casual and approachable style of storytelling. Again, this was a specific problem point for me, but it could also be a feature for others, particularly readers who enjoy the very casual voice that you often find in urban fantasy style books.

And look, I enjoy urban fantasy, so once I understood the style of the narration, it was easier to go with it. At the same time, I really have almost zero tolerance for books that have inner monologues where the author actually types out the words “ugh” or “yuck.” It’s a massive pet peeve of mine and immediately throws me out of a book. I can’t seem to ever take a heroine seriously who is written in this style. However, I’m aware that this is an incredibly subjective point, so take from that what you will. That said, I also feel like this mixing of modern language into what feels like a high fantasy book left me feeling very unmoored as to what type of world and setting I was supposed to be picturing. As a fantasy reader who really enjoys worldbuilding, to lose a sense of place in service of quippy modern language is a huge net negative.

From there, while there is a lot of action involved in the book, the pacing was fairly poor. The middle of the book lagged, with very little actually happening of any worth. You’d feel like things should be happening, but then, looking back on the last 50 pages, you’d see that nothing really had. This wasn’t helped by the way the main character’s past was dealt with. She is a character without knowledge of her past and the majority of the book is taken up by this point. Indeed, it began to feel as if the author was intentionally dragging things out in the middle just to prolong this reveal. Which then came at the verrrrry end of the book. And then, by the end, I was left wondering why I had to bother with this book at all? It felt as if I could have read the first few chapters, skipped to the end with the reveal, and then been all set with my prequel chapters out of the way for the next book, the real beginning of the series.

I know this author is quite beloved, so I’m sure there are readers who will gobble this up. Indeed, if you’re a big urban fantasy fan this might work better for you than it will for those who prefer high fantasy. However, I think some of the language decisions and the way the primary conflict regarding her memory was handled ultimately harmed the book.

Rating 6: I can’t get over “ugh” being written out in the first few pages. Sorry, not sorry.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Last One” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2024 Fantasy and Science Fiction Books by Black Authors

Serena’s Review: “The Kiss of the Nightingale”

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Book: “The Kiss of the Nightingale” by Adi Denner

Publishing Info: Tundra Books, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: 1890, Lutèce: In this city, Talents are everything: precious gems that gift unrivalled skills to their owners. The most coveted, Elite Talents, are claimed by the aristocracy, passed through generations by blood magic.

Cleodora dreamed of inheriting her father’s Tailoring Talent, but when he died, the magic died with him. Now she’s left with empty promises, a dress shop she can’t keep afloat, and her bed-ridden younger sister.

But everything changes when she meets the dark-eyed Lady Dahlia Sibille. Dahlia offers Cleodora a Singing Talent – a chance to save her beloved sister and rewrite her own fate. From the first instant, Cleodora is bewitched… There’s just one catch: she needs to steal an Elite Talent from the prestigious Lenoir family.

As Lutèce’s nightingale, Cleodora is the star of the opera’s galas and balls, worlds away from the darkness and dust of home. But the handsome yet infuriating Vicomte Lenoir is nothing like she expected.

Soon, the Vicomte’s teasing smiles win her over, even as Dahlia’s seductive whispers linger in her ears. Torn between Dahlia, who gave her everything, and the Vicomte, who holds the price of her freedom, is Cleodora in danger of losing it all? Or can she prove that magic isn’t the only gift that counts?

Review: Anytime a publisher releases a fantasy book set in Paris with an elaborate mask on the cover, you know they’re trying to pull in the “Phantom of the Opera” fans. Works on me every time! Obviously, reading the book summary, we see an even more direct connection with our main character performing at the opera. However, the read-alikes don’t ever directly mention “Phantom” but instead reference Leigh Bardugo and Bridgerton. All of this to say, I wasn’t quite sure exactly what I was going to get when I picked up this book!

Unfortunately, I did struggle a bit with this one. However, I always want to start with some positives, and for this one, that definitely comes down to the overall tone and vibe of this world. As the cover promises, the story takes place in whimsical, lush, and extravagant version of Paris. The author’s writing was particularly strong in these descriptive areas, with a heavy focus on the fashion of this world (unfortunately, I’m one of those readers who needs less as far as these sorts of descriptions go, but for others, this will be a real strength!).

I had a bit of wavering appreciation for the main character. On one hand, I always love stories that revolve around sisterly relationships, and when the story was focused on this, I enjoyed it most. However, as the story progressed, I became more and more frustrated with her decision making and internal thought process. More than once she comes across as incredibly incompetent. I also dislike main characters who are immediately the best at everything, but here we had the other side of the coin. In the same vein, I didn’t particularly enjoy the romance. All of the relationships felt very bland and one-note, and the primary love story never really captured me.

However, my biggest issue came with the world-building. The concept was both too simple and too complicated at times. For one thing, I simply don’t understand why these gems wouldn’t be being stolen all the time by everyone. The story presents Cleodora as this rare being for this approach, but honestly, this is such a basic response to this sort of inequality (where the thing causing the inequality comes down to a basic, material item that is easy enough to steal) that it’s hard to buy that this isn’t a near-universal problem in this world. Beyond that, for being so incredibly powerful, we don’t really see the ways in which a society made of people with these sorts of gifts would be changed from our own. There should be many areas of life that would be directly affected by this. How does law enforcement work? Politics? Wouldn’t corruption being an almost crippling problem within this society?

There were also many nods to “Phantom of the Opera” but not enough to make it anywhere near a direct re-telling. Instead, it walked some strange line where it was clearly influenced by this tale, but also wasn’t interested in following much of the plot of that story. It was odd more than anything else. I’d say, this book would be of most interest to YA fantasy readers who enjoy lush worlds with an emphasis on the descriptions. However, the characters and world-building were on the weaker side.

Rating 6: The writing hits some nice notes with its descriptions of elaborate settings and ballgowns, but the world-building leaves much to be desired.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Kiss of the Nightingale” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Edwardian Fantasy and Fantasy with a healthy dose of romance.

Serena’s Review: “Echoes of the Imperium”

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

Publishing Info: Starwatch Press, October 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Serena’s Review: “The Whispering Night”

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Book: “The Whispering Night” by Susand Dennard

Publishing Info: Tor Teen, November 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Serena’s Review: “The Songbird and the Heart of Stone”

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Book: “The Songbird and the Heart of Stone”

Publishing Info: Bramble, November 2024

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

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

Book Description: Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire—her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who turned her, redemption feels impossible.

But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.

Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the god of death.

Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness—and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.

As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in, and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.

Review: It’s both an enormous privilege and an enormous test of willpower to receive ARC copies of popular titles! Obviously, I was so excited to receive this copy months before publication. But on the other hand, I still had to diligently work through my review/reading order before getting to it, all while it glittered like the worst sort of temptation on my nightstand. Whining about having to be responsible and read it only 2 months in advance rather than 4 is quite something, isn’t it? Anyways, on to the actual, you know, review…

This is only tangentially related, but I do love fantasy authors who follow the trend of creating large fantasy worlds and then writing either stand-alones or shorter duologies all connected through this larger setting. In this way, you get the best of both worlds: incredibly detailed world-building, sprawling histories, and grand scale plot lines all while not having to commit to a huge, ongoing series that will leave you dangling for years on end before getting any sort of resolution. This is now the 4th book set in Broadbent’s Nyaxia world (I believe one is still slated to be released this coming spring, so I’ll review it then most likely), and it’s such a pleasure to return to a known entity with all of the greater insight this bestows. And for a book like this, that’s quite important. Not only are we following a character who was a significant side character in the previous duology, but the entire plot revolves around the ongoing conflict in the realm of the gods and the ways in which this pantheon is royally messed up.

Let’s start with the characters, as I always like to do. I very much enjoyed Mische in the previous duology, so I was excited that we were going to follow her story in the next series. That said, I did struggle a bit more to connect to her character than I have with other Broadbent leading ladies. However, this may simply be because Mische is very different than the other “touch as nails” warrior women that so often feature in the other books. Mische’s strengths are much more of the “soft” variety. She literally smiles in the face of danger; not because she’s reckless, but because a hard life has taught her the strength of disarming those more powerful than she is with cheer and optimism. But as the story progresses, the book dives deeper into her past and her relationship with the god she follows. There, we find the darker side of how this approach has developed. Through this storyline, the book tackles some deep themes of abusive cycles, self-defense, and, essentially, large scale gaslighting. It’s tough stuff, and I appreciated the very real conflict Mische feels when confronting the contradictions in her life. There are no easy answers and years of conditioning are not easily thrown off.

While it took a bit to truly understand and appreciate Mische’s character (though now I love her just as dearly as all of the other fantastic heroines in this world!), I immediately loved the romantic interest. I definitely have a type, and it’s the strong, silent, bookish, and too bound up in the rules brooder. Asar was all of this and more! Literally, no notes on him, he was just perfect. I also really enjoyed the grumpy/sunshine relationship between him and Mische. Too often I’ve read versions of this relationship where the “grumpy” one is just a jerk and the “sunshine” one is just an idiot. Neither is true here. Instead, we simply have differences in temperament, but still two characters who share passion, drive, and a growing respect for one another.

As for the plot itself, I really enjoyed this one! It’s essentially a quest storyline, with Mische, Asar, and a few other companions making their way through the depths of the underworld. There’s plenty of action and danger throughout, with each new level uncovering new terrors and deeper traumas that must be explored. I also appreciated the timeline here. This is no quick mission. The story takes place over weeks and even months, I believe. Not only does this make the entire thing feel more plausible and lived, it also lends much needed believability to the growing relationship between our characters. No instalove here! Indeed, it takes several weeks for them to even like one another.

I will say, however, that like “The Serpent and the Wings of Night” before it, this one does end on a massive cliffhanger. It’s gutting! So readers who want a resolved storyline may want to wait for the next book to come out. But, of course, there is no way in heck that I had the type of self-control to hold out for that! We’ve already been over my struggles to wait only a few short months…Either way, fans of Carissa Broadbent are sure to enjoy this latest entry and general romantasy fans should definitely give it a go!

Rating 9: Carissa Broadbent is one of the strongest romantasy authors writing today, and this book highlights once again the true highs the genre can reach!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Songbird and the Heart of Stone” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2024 and Fantasy Romance & SciFi Romance Books: Well-Written, Strong Character Development, and Good World Building! (“Fourth Wing” is first on this list, however, so take this title with a grain of salt!)

Serena’s Review: “Swordcrossed”

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Book: “Swordcrossed” by Freya Marske

Publishing Info: Bramble, October 2024

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

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

Book Description: Mattinesh Jay, dutiful heir to his struggling family business, needs to hire an experienced swordsman to serve as best man for his arranged marriage. Sword-challenge at the ceremony could destroy all hope of restoring his family’s wealth, something that Matti has been trying—and failing—to do for the past ten years.

What he can afford, unfortunately, is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.

Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his hometown. He didn’t plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible—and inconveniently handsome—wool merchant like Matti.

However, neither Matti’s business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As the days count down to Matti’s wedding, the two of them become entangled in the intrigue and sabotage that have brought Matti’s house to the brink of ruin. And when Luca’s secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the question: how many lies are you prepared to strip away, when the truth could mean losing everything you want?

Review: Let’s be real, the adorable cover vibes of this book are doing a lot of the heavy lifting as far as its marketing goes. I definitely gave it a second look purely based on this factor! That said, I was intrigued by the summary as well. Who doesn’t love dueling and political scheming and a heavy dose of romance?

Let’s start with the dueling itself! I really liked the way it was incorporated into this magical world, with dueling serving as an important form of entertainment often seen at weddings and other important events. Given how dance-like dueling can be when done well, this concept makes a lot of sense. I do wish it had been explored even more, but the story is a romance, first and foremost, so I’m not overly surprised that the book didn’t do a deep dive into this lore. My epic-fantasy-loving soul just always wants more, it seems.

I also really liked our two main characters. They each had interesting backstories, with different weights of expectations that they had to manage. The romance was also sweet and fast-paced. Perhaps a bit too fast paced, however, as there were moments that felt a bit like insta-lust early in the book. It also doesn’t shy away from the more steamy moments, so readers should definitely keep in mind that this is a spicy romance novel! I wasn’t quite expecting this, as the cover and description had lead me a bit further into cozy fantasy territory. But ah well!

The story itself felt fairly predictable, with even some of the romantic notes feeling a bit repetitive as we hit them with first one character and then the other. The last third, in particular, felt fairly expected, with the book hitting pretty much every note that one might expect. But, again, with the romance as the primary focus, this isn’t necessarily a net negative. It all just depends on what balance a reader is looking for between plot and love story. I typically veer more towards wanting more plot, but readers who are there mostly for the romance will likely be pleased with this one!

Rating 8: Full of adventure and witty characters, this is a fun romantasy romp!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Swordcrossed” isn’t on many Goodreads lists, but it is on Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2024.

Blog Tour: “Servant of Earth”

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Book: “Servant of Earth” by Sarah Hawley

Publishing Info: Ace, November 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: Kenna Heron is best known in her village for being a little wild—some say “half feral”—but she’ll need every ounce of that ferocity to survive captivity in the cruel Fae court.

Trapped as a servant in the faeries’ underground kingdom of Mistei, Kenna must help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials, one for each branch of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn’t, the punishment is death—for both mistress and servant.

With no ally but a sentient dagger of mysterious origins, Kenna must face monsters, magic, and grueling physical tests. But worse dangers wait underground, and soon Kenna gets caught up in a secret rebellion against the inventively sadistic faerie king. When her feelings for the rebellion’s leader turn passionate, Kenna must decide if she’s willing to risk her life for a better world and a chance at happiness.

Surviving the trials and overthrowing a tyrant king will take cunning, courage, and an iron will… but even that may not be enough.

Review: There are a million and one Fae romantasy titles coming out nowadays (it’s probably a tie between dragons and Fae, though I think Fae has the lead). It’s a good problem to have if you enjoy these subgenres (which, in theory, I do, regardless of some of the bigger misses I’ve read recently), but it also makes it difficult to wade through and decide which titles to check out. That being the case, I was excited when I was approached to participate in this blog tour! Yes, please take some of the decision making out of my hands!

This book was a bit of a hit-and-miss experience, but there were definitely aspects that I enjoyed. For one thing, I’m always down for a fantasy story that involves sentient weapons! No on will do it better than T. Kingfisher with “Swordheart,” but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate other author’s take on the concept! And this one was pretty fun!

I also enjoyed exploring this Fae world. I always appreciate it when authors don’t shy away from some of the darker aspects of Fae that are often present in older fairytales and folklore. Of course, this is often immediately counteracted by some super sexy shadow daddy of a character (yep, we potentially have one here as well!). But this book definitely goes into some darker themes, elevating the danger that our heroine faces to levels that truly feel threatening at times.

The writing was also strong and compelling, and I found it easy to become drawn into the story. However, as the book progressed, some of the plot points and twists started to feel pretty obvious. One fairly major reveal, in particular, was telegraphed so early and so strongly that it ended up landing with a bit of a thud when it was finally confirmed. It had gotten to the point where there was literally no other explanation for what was going on, which made it a bit frustrating to deal with a main character who wasn’t putting two and two together.

I also struggled with the romance. I can’t say for sure, but it feels like this one may be going the ACOTAR route, with one love interest being set up at the beginning and then with another to take over as the true partner in the next book. Personally, I always struggle with books that go this route. For me, it makes it feel as if I’ve wasted an entire book’s worth of character growth and interaction on a story that was, essentially, meaningless preamble before we get to the true good stuff.

It also doesn’t help that this book, like ACOTAR and so many like it, goes with the obvious choice where the handsome, charming one may end up being the jerk and the cold, dark one is actually the greatest guy ever. If some author wants to truly write a unique and compelling romantasy novel with an actual twist, for the love of god, I beg you, write your first guy as the cruel dark one and then have him (surprise!) end up actually just being cruel and then have the kind, charming one (let’s make him blonde to really shift the tropes) swoop in to show a heroine how healthy relationships should look! If anything, this would be a true twist in a genre that is too often drowning in predictable plots and tropes.

Overall, this was an enjoyable enough read. It felt overly familiar in a lot of ways and relied on particular tropes that I find tedious. However, the writing was strong and the world-building had potential. For those not feeling worn out by the current trends, this one is likely a great next read!

Rating 7: A bit too predictable to be truly enjoyable, however I enjoyed exploring this world and would probably be interested in seeing where the story goes from here (particularly with regards to the direction of the romance).

Reader’s Advisory:

“Servant of Earth” can be found on this Goodreads list: Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2024

Serena’s Review: “Wheel of the Infinite”

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Book: “Wheel of the Infinite” by Martha Wells

Publishing Info: Tor Books, November 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: With her previous novel The Death of the Necromancer, Wells established herself as a skilled fantasy world-builder with the ability to blend mystery and intrigue with plenty of buckle and swash. Here she departs from more familiar pseudohistorical European settings for the Celestial Empire, a land where life moves in eternal circles and the wishes of departed ancestors can have as much influence as the living on day-to-day life. Itinerant ex-priestess Maskelle was once the Voice of the Adversary, vessel to a spirit created by the Ancestors and given the task of punishing injustice and evil. When a false message from an interfering evil spirit led her to commit murder, Maskelle left the faith, only to return now, years later, answering the summons of the Celestial One. Someone–or something–has corrupted the great Wheel of the Infinite, distorting the sacred patterns which must be faithfully recreated at the end of each year to ensure the continual existence of the world. The only way to repair the pattern is to find the being responsible for disturbing it, and so the Adversary’s Voice is needed once again, despite the past. Assisted by the swordsman Rian, a lordless bodyguard from distant Sitane, Maskelle uncovers an intricate plot whose roots were set into motion long ago–a plot responsible for the murder which forced her to leave the faith. Engaging characters and a convincing setting make this novel of ancient schemes and twisted magic an excellent and memorable read.

Review: I’m so pleased to see Martha Wells finally receiving the acknowledgement and credit she is due! She’s been putting out solid fantasy novels for so many years at this point, that it was criminal how rarely her name came up in discussions of great fantasy authors still currently writing today. I’ve been a big fan for many years, but even I still haven’t read her entire back catalog, so I was thrilled to see that Tor was re-releasing “Wheel of the Infinite,” giving me the perfect excuse to finally get to it!

If you’re a fan of Wells’ writing, there are some things that you come to expect: solid writing, no-nonsense characters, and, most importantly, incredibly creative and unique second-world fantasy settings! And this one came through on all counts. I’ll start with the world-building, however, as I truly think it’s what elevates Wells’ writing above many other fantasy works being produced today.

Like her other books, the minute you start reading this story, it’s clear that you are now suddenly in a totally foreign environment, complete with different cultures, religions, and magic. The premise of this book focuses heavily on the primary religion of this world and the ways in which it is used to essentially re-create the entire world every so often. I don’t want to go into details about how it all works as this way lies spoilers, but there are so many fascinating levels included in how it all works. There are enough points of references to concepts readers will recognize from our own world to make it all approachable, but as the story continues to spin, all of these concepts weave together into some truly great twists towards the middle point and then again at the very end.

I also was predisposed to love the main character of this book, as it features the rarest of rare fantasy leads: the middle-aged woman! And Maskelle highlights all the strengths that this sort of character brings to the story. She’s experienced, smart, and takes no-nonsense from those around her. Her power is earned through years of grit and she has a full life’s worth of experiences and mistakes to draw from that further pad out her current character arc.

Even more rare than the character herself, the romance was also a rare beast with the romantic interest, Rian, being about a decade younger than Maskelle’s mid-forties. Even better, there was no rumination on this fact. They simply met, were attracted to one another, and fell into a fairly straight-forward relationship from there. While I enjoy romantasy and romance novels, they are often full of what can feel like unnecessary drama and deception. It made it all the more refreshing to read this book about two adults who simply act on their feelings while never losing sight of themselves in the mix.

The only thing that prevents this book from reaching a 10 rating was the fact that at points some of the descriptions and world-building felt a bit repetitive and too much a focal point of the narrative. For example, while I appreciate the thought that went into the architecture of this world, there were times where I felt like these details were a bit excessive, especially when describing layouts and buildings that I still struggled to picture. It feels weird to complain about too much world-building, but such it is! And still, if I had to pick, I’d choose Wells’ approach here to many of the other fantasy books out there that are lacking in these details!

This is an excellent stand-alone fantasy novel, and I highly recommend it to all fantasy readers, especially those who may be feeling worn out on all of the current tropes making their rounds.

Rating 9: With a mature heroine, a fully fleshed-out world, and a mystery full of action and adventure, Wells proves that you can have it all in fantasy fiction!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Wheel of the Infinite” is somehow not on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Best Fantasy with Unique Worlds.