Tag: Fantasy

Serena’s Review: “Sunbringer”

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

Book: “Sunbringer” by Hannah Kaner

Publishing Info: HarperVoyager, February 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

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

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

Previously Reviewed: “Godkiller”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Serena’s Review: “A Flame in the North”

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

Book: “A Flame in the North” by Lilith Saintcrow

Publishing Info: Orbit, February 2024

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

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

Book Description: An elemental witch and her shieldmaiden journey into a world of ancient myth and unexpected destiny in this sweeping Norse-inspired epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lilith Saintcrow.

The Black Land is spent myth. Centuries have passed since the Great Enemy was slain. Yet old fears linger, and on the longest night of the year, every village still lights a ritual fire to banish the dark.

That is Solveig’s duty. Favored by the gods with powerful magic, Sol calls forth flame to keep her home safe. But when her brother accidentally kills a northern lord’s son, she is sent away as weregild—part hostage, part guest—for a year and a day.

The further north Sol travels, the clearer it becomes the Black Land is no myth. The forests teem with foul beasts. Her travel companions are not what they seem, and their plans for her and her magic are shrouded in secrecy.

With only her loyal shieldmaid and her own wits to reply upon, Sol must master power beyond her imagination to wrest control of her fate. For the Black Land’s army stirs, ready to cover the world in darkness—unless Sol can find the courage to stop it.

They thought the old ways were dead. But now, the Enemy awakens…

Review: This is the second Norse-inspired fantasy I’ve read this month! It’s funny how these trends come and go; even as I go through what I though was a fairly randomly-ordered TBR list, I often find myself reading books with strong similarities to one another. I’ve read a decent amount of fantasy fiction that draws from Norse mythology, and have typically enjoyed them quite a bit, so this was an obvious pick for me. On top of that, I love the idea of taking a typical fantasy duo (the hero and his shield) and switching it to a female heroine/witch and her shieldmaiden. I still enjoy the former as well, of course, but it’s nice to see such variety popping up throughout SFF.

This book is a bit tough to review, simply because some of my struggles with the book came down more to my needing to properly categorize the type of book I was reading. Starting out, it was clear that this book was aiming for a specific sort of high fantasy, the kind that uses dense language, both in the vocabulary chosen and in the longer sentences structures used, and also is playing a long game as far as pacing and plotting go. The story takes its time laying out its world, its characters, and even getting to what seems to be the true action of the story.

As I continued to read, at some point it occurred to me to compare this read to “Lord of the Rings,” and frankly, that kind of saved the experience for me. Both books have a similar dense sort of feeling, the kind that can be overwhelming to begin with, and the sort that then pays off later. Similarly, there were a few world-building aspects that were simply dropped in with very little explanation. For example, at one point they refer to the “All Mother” which, of course, seems like a similar character as Odin the “All Father.” Changes like this are, of course, fine, but then I was left a bit unsure as to where I was supposed to be placing this world. Are we in some sort of alternate world where there is an All Mother instead of an All Father? Or is this our world with magic and this is just changed? Things like this aren’t necessarily a big deal or bad, but it does add to the initial challenge with the point of entry to the story. The reader really has to work for it get dive in.

But this slow pacing did pick up towards the end, and this is where the LOTR comparisons worked even better. If read as the rather slow-paced entry to a grand spectacle, a sprawling series, the dense nature of this book is easier to digest. I also really liked Solveig and her shieldmaiden as characters. The author did a fantastic job with these two, balancing their fierceness with the sort of sly reserve that they would need to employ in the world in which they are living.

This is the kind of book that I would definitely recommend for a specific sort of fantasy reader, those who like epic fantasy and are willing to put in the time with denser language and a slow plot. Readers who want to be immediately drawn in to an action-packed story will likely struggle this one. But, like I’ve said earlier, if you like “Lord of the Rings” and can remember some of the slower parts, especially in “Fellowship,” this book does seem to promise an intriguing series overall!

Rating 7: Tough to get into but well worth it in the end, I think.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Flame in the North” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists currently, but it should be on Vikings and Viking-Inspired Fantasy.

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

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

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

Publishing Info: McElderry Books, February 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher

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

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

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

Those who enter the wood do not always return…

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Serena’s Review: “To Cage a God”

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

Book: “To Cage a God” by Elizabeth May

Publishing Info: DAW, February 2024

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

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

Book Description: To cage a god is divine. To be divine is to rule. To rule is to destroy.

Using ancient secrets, Galina and Sera’s mother grafted gods into their bones. Bound to brutal deities and granted forbidden power no commoner has held in a millennia, the sisters have grown up to become living weapons. Raised to overthrow an empire―no matter the cost.

With their mother gone and their country on the brink of war, it falls to the sisters to take the helm of the rebellion and end the cruel reign of a royal family possessed by destructive gods. Because when the ruling alurea invade, they conquer with fire and blood. And when they clash, common folk burn.

While Sera reunites with her estranged lover turned violent rebel leader, Galina infiltrates the palace. In this world of deception and danger, her only refuge is an isolated princess, whose whip-smart tongue and sharp gaze threaten to uncover Galina’s secret. Torn between desire and duty, Galina must make a choice: work together to expose the lies of the empire―or bring it all down.

Review: Let’s just say, I’m glad this is the cover for the U.S. version of the book. Check out the U.K. one if you don’t believe me! I mean, it’s definitely a statement…but it’s also not the type of cover I’d necessarily want starting out at me from my shelves! However, what truly caught my interest was the promise of a Russian-inspired fantasy world in which two sisters head up a rebel cause. I mean, that checks a pretty decent number of my personal preferences right there. Add in a dash of romance, and yep, I was excited to check this one out!

This book was a very hot and cold affair as far as my changing enjoyment levels throughout the story. It started off great, I will say. I was immediately drawn in to both Sera and Galina’s narration and their different styles. Here, finally, was a case where the two POVs felt distinct but each was enjoyable. I even felt fairly confident that the prickly but powerful Galina was going to be my favorite of the two. However, this strong start didn’t last. Much to my dismay, as the book progressed, we were introduced to a whopping three OTHER POV characters. And five…five is just too many.

And in this case, it was incredibly apparent that at least two of them had no business having POVs at all. We had a fair number of chapters from one of the Queen’s handmaidens, and yet every single chapter we heard from her, she literally went through the same exact story beats: the Queen killed her sister when her sister was a handmaiden, the Queen is violent and may kill her at any moment, she hates the Queen. Rinse and repeat and get ready to hear the same story about six more times, all to conclude in…yeah, nothing really. From there, we also got a handful (maybe three or four? not enough to amount to anything, that’s for sure) of chapters from Sera’s love interest, Vitaly. Again, this character had no arc or story of his own. The entire purpose of his chapters, apparently, was to give readers a glimpse into his mind as he repeated over and over that he was a bad guy, but he’d do anything for Sera. Which…we’d already heard him say aloud several times to Sera herself, thus completely negating any reason to hear directly from this character himself.

Lastly, we also had chapters from the Princess Vasilisa’s perspective. These, at least, were more worthwhile in that Vasilisa has the remnants of an arc to be found, in that she has had a troubled upbringing with her mother, the Queen, and must face the reality of her mother’s violent and unchanging nature. I’ll also say that this character having POV chapters was fairly necessary for this romance. Not for the reasons you’re thinking though! But because if she didn’t, we’d have had about a grand total of three interactions between her and Galina to build up a romance. As it stands, I really struggled with this romance either way. It’s classic instalove, and if you actually add up the time Galina and Vasilisa spend together, it rounds out to a few hours! Total! Before they’re professing love and Galina is insisting to Sera that Vasilisa will turn on her mother and side with the rebels. And she’s right, a few hours was all it did take! It’s all pretty crazy, and the focus on this romance was one of the reasons my interest in Galina’s storyline dropped quickly from my favorite to one I barely cared about.

Sera, instead, became my favorite character and actually took up the bulk of the action of the book. She’s the only one who is truly doing anything much of the time, and almost all of the action scenes come through her storyline. And if we had taken out Vitaly’s unnecessary chapters which I think managed to actually hurt the romance, I would have enjoyed this second chance love story as well.

Honestly, this book was a bit of a hot mess. The world-building and fantasy elements (the idea of gods being caged within people who can then harness their powers) all had a lot of potential. But the story fell apart due to failures of craft. There were moments when the writing was incredibly strong, but others when it felt all over the place. And then, worst of all, the decision to include so many POV characters, especially when so many of them had no real arcs of their own, really hurt the overall book. If things had been kept to just Sera and Galina’s stories, I think the story would have been massively more successful. As it stands, the bones of a good book can be seen in this one, but the author got into her own way too many times for it really come together. If you enjoy large casts of characters, however, you may still want to give this a shot. Sera’s story is still enjoyable, if you go in focusing on that.

Rating 7: I enjoyed one of the main characters a lot; unfortunately, she was one of five POVs, which drastically reduced my overall experience.

Reader’s Advisory:

“To Cage a God” can be found on this Goodreads list: Russian motifs in fantasy

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

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

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

Publishing Info: IDW Publishing, February 2024

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(source: IDW)

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Serena’s Review: “Fathomfolk”

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

Book: “Fathomfolk” by Eliza Chan

Publishing Info: Orbit, February 2024

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

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

Book: Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears.
 
But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on peering down from skyscrapers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk — sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas—who live in the polluted waters below.
 
For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to reform. At last, she has the ear of the city council and a chance to lift the repressive laws that restrict fathomfolk at every turn. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn’t hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when a water dragon is exiled to the city.
 
New arrival Nami is an aristocratic water dragon with an opinion on everything. Frustrated by the lack of progress from Mira’s softly-softly approach in gaining equality, Nami throws her lot in with an anti-human extremist group, leaving Mira to find the headstrong youth before she makes everything worse.
 
And pulling strings behind everything is Cordelia, a second-generation sea-witch determined to do what she must to survive and see her family flourish, even if it means climbing over the bodies of her competitors. Her political game-playing and underground connections could disrupt everything Nami and Mira are fighting for.
 
When the extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Even Nami realises her new friends are not what they seem. Both she and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth it, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.

Review: This has definitely been a highly anticipated read for me when I was looking forward through my TBR pile for the spring. The book summary lays out a pretty complicated, rich-sounding world that I was excited to dive into, and the cover art seem to paint a picture of the exact sort of romantic, fairytale-like tone that I look for in much of my fantasy. Plus, it was being marketed as an adult fantasy novel, which on its face doesn’t seem like much. But while there are a bunch of adult fantasy novels published all of the time, there aren’t necessarily many that sound like this.

I’ll just get it out of the way now: I didn’t really enjoy this book and probably would have DNF’d it if I hadn’t received an ARC from the publisher. But before we dive into my struggles with the story, let’s start with a few positives. As the book summary hints towards, there is a lot of creativity and detail to the worldbuilding in this book. I don’t know tons about all of the cultures that were drawn upon to create this world, but it was clear the author was pulling from a number of them and blending them into a unique world. I also really enjoyed some of the details that went into the little things, like the descriptions of the street vendors and the foods they would sell. There was definitely an experience, especially early in the book, of wanting to simply walk down these streets to see it all.

That said, as beautiful as the cover art was for the story, it did mislead me a bit about the time period and setting of this book. It clearly is using elements of historical building styles, implying a less modern setting than what we have here. I was surprised to find cable cars and trams and the like as I read further. There’s obviously nothing wrong with this sort of setting, but it did feel like a bit of a bait and switch as far as my expectations went. (To be fair to the book, I didn’t catch some of the book summary clues; so that’s on me for focusing too much on the cover). I’ll also add that while I enjoyed a lot of the details that went into the world-building, as the book continued, the thing as a whole began to a bit disjointed, with everything and the kitchen sink seemingly thrown in the book. As more and more was added, I felt more and more disconnected from what I was truly supposed to be focused on.

None of this was helped by the fact that I didn’t enjoy any of our three main characters. At times annoying, at others incredibly naïve, and at others clearly biased themselves, each character in their own way was fairly unlikable. Again, writing characters who learn and grow can serve as an interesting arc, but between the three, I simply couldn’t find anything to grab onto at any point. I felt like I was just bouncing from one to another in a fairly robotic manner, caring little for who I was reading currently or who I was going to read next. None of them felt truly consistent in their worldviews or even their goals; for a book about sea creatures, I felt out to sea myself as a reader, lost in the flotsam of a plot that didn’t seem to be going anywhere fast.

I also found the pacing to be incredibly slow (often the case for a book that has to establish several POV characters while also building up a complicated world). However, as the story progressed, the pacing never really increased alongside it. It was one of those books that simply felt bland much of the time. There was nothing terrible about the writing, but it also wasn’t engaging and there were some form questions at play with the way scenes would end abruptly or other descriptive elements wouldn’t quite fit.

Overall, I was very disappointed by this book. Most of the time it felt like a chore to read, and I never really found anything that struck my interest or compelled me to want to continue reading. I won’t be continuing with the series, and I can’t strongly recommend this one. If you have a strong interest in Asian folklore, perhaps this is worth checking out, but even then, I think there are stronger examples of books like this out there.

Rating 6: An interesting premise fell apart in the face of a lackluster plot and unlikable lead characters.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Fathomfolk” can be found on this Goodreads list: Asian Mythology Inspired Books

Serena’s Review: “The Tainted Cup”

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

Book: “The Tainted Cup” by Robert Jackson Bennett

Publishing Info: Del Rey, February 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: In Daretana’s most opulent mansion, a high Imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree spontaneously erupted from his body. Even in this canton at the borders of the Empire, where contagions abound and the blood of the Leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death at once terrifying and impossible.

Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears–quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.

Review: There were many reasons this book quickly ended up on my TBR list. For one thing, I really enjoyed Bennett’s “Divine Cities” trilogy when I read it years ago (I enjoyed those books so much that I’ve toyed around with the idea of trying to sneak a re-read in here on the blog). I also somehow never got around to reading his most recent series. So I was pleased to see this book coming out as it was a way to re-acquaint myself with a favorite author without having to commit to a series with a number of pre-existing books. But, almost as important as the author, I’m pretty much always interested in reading a book that is a play on Sherlock Holmes and Watson. And this one sure sounded like a unique take! Not only do you have the classic brilliant detective/assistant character dynamic, but somehow that is then superimposed on a fantasy world that is besieged by kaiju like creatures?? What an odd mix and also count me in!

Let’s start with the world-building first! I was impressed by how fleshed out this world was, and by the careful balance the author struck between the various aspects of the story. It would have been very easy for the entire plot and world to be sucked up by the grandiose nature of the Leviathons. Obviously, gigantic creatures that besiege a continent during certain seasons are an intriguing focal point for a story. However, I was impressed by the way these gigantic threats were held largely in the shadows, serving as a looming threat which inspired more dread than anything else. Used carefully in this manner, the book was then better able to focus on the kind of society and world that would be built up under these sorts of conditions. Not only do you have the balance of constant military action needing to mingle with civilian life, but the Leviathon bring extreme contagions that affect the environment. In many ways, it was these contagions that served as the greater point of horror throughout the story. Not only is the central murder gruesome (a tree bursting out from within a living body), but as the story unfolds, we see many examples of the ways that humanity has had to work to survive in a environment and ecological system that is actively adapting to kill them off.

For all the excellent fantasy elements that went into the world-building as I described above, this book is truly a mystery story at its core. You could take almost the entire plot, adjust the manners of death and a few other small details, and plop it down in any old real-world story and it would largely work as it stands. And, again, the fact that the mystery itself is not over-shadowed by these, at times literally, larger-than-life fantasy elements is proof of the tight control that Bennett has over all of the elements that make up this book. While the fantasy stuff was, well, fantastical, as the story unfolded, my investment was largely focused on these two main characters and the increasingly complicated mystery that they were slowly working through. There were all of the good red-herrings and misdirections that one looks for in a mystery novel, as well as the satisfying payoff when all is finally revealed.

The third point of success came down to our two main characters. The story is told from the perspective of Din, our “Watson-like” character, as he works with a brilliant, but eccentric investigator, an older woman named Ana. I think Bennett did a brilliant job with these two, perfectly honing in on many of the dynamics that make the “Sherlock/Watson” duo such time-tested favorite. Din is endearing and an approachable “everyman” type character. He is at times bewildered by his strange boss and her ways, but loyal and devoted to supporting her in their investigation. I also liked the hints of his own struggles and secrets that are slowly revealed over the course of the story. We also see the strengths that he brings to this team and that, while brilliant herself, Din has unique contributions that are crucial to their success. In this instance, he has a unique skill (pulled from some of the magic systems of the world) to essentially permanently memorize everything he sees. But, even here, not everything it as it seems.

For her part, Ana is an excellent character in that she is used effectively but sparingly. The risk is always to overplay a character like this, but Bennett wisely and carefully chose his scenes and moments during which to play up Ana’s strange, but brilliant, approaches to investigation. The author also nailed the perhaps predictable, but no less appreciated, moments where Ana effectively lays out all of the pieces of the puzzle as if they were oh, so obvious. While anyone who reads a mystery novel with a detective like this at its heart knows that these sorts of scenes are coming, these moments are somehow always just as satisfying as ever. Especially when the author has been sparing with the build up, as Bennett is here.

I really enjoyed this book! I could probably go on and on praising it, but I think we all get the idea. I’ll say perhaps that the pacing, especially in the first third of the book, was a bit on the slower side. But as that time is spent laying down the building blocks of this world and who both Din and Ana are as characters, I think the slower start is earned. If you enjoy mystery novels as well as unique fantasy settings, definitely give this one a shot!

Rating 9: Genre-blending at its finest, Bennet’s brilliant take on the Sherlock/Watson character duo is only one part of many that makes this creative fantasy novel a must-read!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The tainted Cup” can be found on a lot of generic Goodreads lists like this Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2024, but it should be on Sherlock Holmes Retellings and Reimaginings.

Kate’s Review: “The Bad Ones”

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

Book: “The Bad Ones” by Melissa Albert

Publishing Info: Flatiron Books, February 2024

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

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

Book Description: Goddess, goddess, count to five. In the morning, who’s alive?

In the course of a single winter’s night, four people vanish without a trace across a small town.

Nora’s estranged best friend, Becca, is one of the lost. As Nora tries to untangle the truth of Becca’s disappearance, she discovers a darkness in her town’s past, as well as a string of coded messages Becca left for her to unravel. These clues lead Nora to a piece of local folklore: a legendary goddess of forgotten origins who played a role in Nora and Becca’s own childhood games…

An arresting, crossover horror fantasy threaded with dark magic, THE BAD ONES is a poison-pen love letter to semi-toxic best friendship, the occult power of childhood play and artistic creation, and the razor-thin line between make-believe and belief.

Review: Thank you to Flatiron Books for providing me with and ARC of this novel at ALAAC23!

It has been more than half a year since Serena and I attended to Annual ALA Conference in Chicago, but we have my last straggler of an ARC that I got while on that fantastic trip. When I saw that “The Bad Ones” by Melissa Albert wasn’t coming out until February, I placed it in an organized pile, and coming back to it in January was like letting go of that trip (though we’re planning on going to San Diego in fourish months, so, I’m not exactly shedding nostalgic tears). I loved the cover when I first got it, and it still really stands out as an eerie yet poppy image of a creepy angel. I didn’t really know what to expect, honestly, and once I was in it I started building expectations. Some of which were well exceeded! Others of which were not.

But as always, first the good. I really thought that Albert captured the complicated, sometimes toxic, and certainly enmeshed relationship between our narrator Nora and her missing best friend Becca. You get to see through Nora’s perspective as well as a series of flashbacks for Becca just how close these two girls are, and how they mean so much to each other, but how that can also lead to codependence and an unhealthy relationship. I thought it was great that neither girl was being judged for this, per se, but how it is also pointed out that both girls, especially Becca, have some pretty hefty baggage that is seeping into their interactions, and how that isn’t fair to either of them. Albert is careful not to villainize Becca, and instead looks at the ways that teenage girls can be failed by a community that tries to hide or look away from trauma or predation, and how that can damage a person. I also did like seeing Nora slowly piece together the mystery of her missing best friend, and the other missing people who disappeared on the same night, and how that connects to the town’s past. The mystery itself was well conceived and it had me guessing for awhile.

But the downside of all of this is that “The Bad Ones” is a horror/supernatural/dark fantasy tale, and I think that this was the weaker aspect of the novel. I liked the slow reveal of Becca and Nora’s Goddess Game and how it was far more powerful than Nora realized, and I REALLY loved the imagery of the creepy angel statue in the cemetery that was looming throughout the narrative (it reminded me of the Black Angel in Iowa City, which I loved to visit when I was in town seeing my Aunt). But once we got into the full on nitty gritty of the horror and supernatural aspects, and we got one of the big reveals in the last third of the book, I was left underwhelmed, as it was suddenly a whirlwind of wrapping things up and tying it all together. The revealed motivations of the bigger picture (no spoilers) were also pretty well worn territory, thematically wise, and while I liked said motivations, it didn’t set itself apart from other stories like this. This could, however, be more about my own vast experience with these kinds of stories, and me not being the target audience.

“The Bad Ones” is a book I found entertaining and enjoyable, and I know exactly who I would recommend it to. I will definitely be keeping my eye on Melissa Albert going forward, as this one had lots of potential, horror wise, and lots of wins, realism wise.

Rating 6: I really liked the mystery at hand and thought that the exploration of enmeshed friendships was interesting, but the supernatural and horror bits weren’t as fleshed out as I had hoped they would be.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Bad Ones” is included on the Goodreads lists “Bubblegum Horror”, and “Horror to Look Forward to in 2024”.

Serena’s Review: “A Tempest of Tea”

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

Book: “A Tempest of Tea” by Hafsah Faizal

Publishing Info: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, February 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Serena’s Review: A Fate Inked in Blood

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

Book: “A Fate Inked in Blood” by Danielle L. Jensen

Publishing Info: Del Rey, February 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: Netgalley!

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

Book Description: A shield maiden blessed by the gods battles to unite a nation under a power-hungry king—while also fighting her growing desire for his fiery son—in this Norse-inspired fantasy romance from the bestselling author of The Bridge Kingdom series.

Bound in an unwanted marriage, Freya spends her days gutting fish, but dreams of becoming a warrior. And of putting an axe in her boorish husband’s back.

Freya’s dreams abruptly become reality when her husband betrays her to the region’s jarl, landing her in a fight to the death against his son, Bjorn. To survive, Freya is forced to reveal her deepest secret: She possesses a drop of a goddess’s blood, which makes her a shield maiden with magic capable of repelling any attack. It was foretold such a magic would unite the fractured nation of Skaland beneath the one who controls the shield maiden’s fate.

Believing he’s destined to rule Skaland as king, the fanatical jarl binds Freya with a blood oath and orders Bjorn to protect her from their enemies. Desperate to prove her strength, Freya must train to fight and learn to control her magic, all while facing perilous tests set by the gods. The greatest test of all, however, may be resisting her forbidden attraction to Bjorn. If Freya succumbs to her lust for the charming and fierce warrior, she risks not only her own destiny but the fate of all the people she swore to protect.

Review: I was really excited when I saw this book was coming out this spring. For one thing, I would have been interested purely on the cover alone. I really like the style of this art, and I think it’s a great example of a cover effectively conveying exactly the sort of book you’ll be picking up. It’s also nice to see character art on a cover that isn’t super cheesy. But, beyond this, I’ve had this author on my TBR list for a while now. I know her “Bridge Kingdom” series is incredibly popular, but I just haven’t managed to getting around to picking it up. So this was a great in for me to start up with this author without having to commit to a multi-book series.

However, this book did leave me with a lot of mixed feelings. I’ll say right off the bat that I’m still very interested in reading this author’s original fantasy series. Reading this book, it’s easy to see that she’s a compelling author, and several of her strengths are just the sort that I look for in my fantasy authors. Her descriptions are clear, her prose runs smoothly, and her dialogue and banter are both funny and earnest. On this last point, I think that too often we forget how important good dialogue is to the appreciation of a story. I’ve read other books where everything else is perfect, but the dialogue itself is written in a way that is either cringey, corny, or simply doesn’t fit with the rest of the vibe of the story. Here, however, I often found myself enjoying the dialogue more than anything else!

There was also strong evidence that the author can write interesting characters. I think the love interest character, in particular, was very effective. I really appreciated that the book was told from a single POV, demonstrating the author’s strong abilities with characterization in that I felt like I understood and knew Bjorn just as well as Freya, even without seeing inside his head. See?? Authors take note! It is possible to write compelling love interests who don’t need chapters to themselves so they can just tell the reader how they’re feeling at all times. You know, showing instead of telling and all of that.

However, on the other side of the character coin, I did struggle with Freya’s character. It was tough, because throughout a lot of the book, I really enjoyed this character and her voice. She had a lot of the bullet point character traits I look for in my heroines, and even had a decent number of action scenes where we got to see these traits at work! But she was also incredibly frustrating to read. About halfway through the book, I found myself continuously putting the book down and trying to understand why I was struggling to remain connected to the story. And part of what I came up with was the fact that Freya’s own story had very few stakes, arc, or motivation Yes, there is action and violence and drama, but Freya herself is only every reacting to the things going on around her. Even worse, while Freya tells us why she’s choosing to allow others to determine her choices, the reader is never given a compelling reason to understand this choice. She must protect her family…but we never see most of her family and those we do see treat Freya terribly in the brief number of pages they have. So, throughout the bulk of the story, we have a character whose entire drive comes down to a choice that makes very little sense to the reader centered around characters the author has made clear are not worthy. It’s fine to write a character who’s been blinded to the realities of those she loves, but we just didn’t get that character work for Freya. She just tells us that she has to protect them…and that’s it. Nothing about why she’s so sure of this belief in the face of their poor treatment. Nothing showing us moments of kindness that she would use to justify her own mistreatment. Just…nothing.

Beyond that, the story was also incredibly frustrating with its central premise. It’s not a spoiler since it’s right there in the book description, but the entire plot is driven around a prophesy that whomever control’s Freya’s fate will reunite the land. Well, I give you approximately one guess to put together the clues of this fate and how exactly it works. Which, fine, I think there is a way to tell a story like this, even if some of its conclusions are obvious to the reader. But it wasn’t just the fact that Freya seemed completely oblivious to the obvious interpretation of this prophesy, it’s the fact that she paired this cluelessness with other wild jumps of logic and assumptions. Throughout the middle portion of the book, she jumps to a pretty crazy assumption, and then, even in the fact of others pointing out this wild leap, and even when she herself acknowledges that she has no real reason to believe this thing other than her own biases, she just…goes right on doing it! And, of course, there are a million clues that makes the reality of the situation obvious to the reader, which just makes Freya’s determined cluelessness all the more frustrating to put up with .

So, that was a fairly big rant. But Freya’s character arc and characterization was a huge struggle for me for much of the middle portion of this book. Which was really frustrating because at other times, I was completely into this world, this plot, and, even Freya herself. There were wild swings in my enjoyment levels; at times I thought I’d be rating this around a 9 and at others, I almost quit. But, overall, I do think there were a lot of strengths to be found in this book. I liked the world-building and the overall plot. And I can see signs that she also knows how to write some fantastic characters. I’m not exactly sure what happened here, honestly. I’ll probably pick up the second book, however, to see where the story goes. And I’m definitely curious about the author’s other books. Was Freya an exception that proves the rule?

Rating 7: There were a lot of good bones to this story, but the main character’s arch was nonexistent for much of the book which ultimately left it feeling a bit flat.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Fate Inked in Blood” can be found on this Goodreads list: Upcoming Romantasy Releases 2024