Tag: Fantasy

Serena’s Review: “These Deathless Shores”

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

Book: “These Deathless Shores” by P. H. Low

Publishing Info: Orbit, July 2024

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

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

Book Description: Jordan was once a Lost Boy, convinced she would never grow up. Now, she’s twenty-two and exiled to the real world, still suffering withdrawal from the addictive magic Dust of her childhood. With nothing left to lose, Jordan returns to the Island and its stories—of pirates and war and the heartlessness of youth—intent on facing Peter one last time, on her own terms.

If that makes her the villain…so be it.

Review: I’ve written before about how I often find myself mentally considering certain books to be THE definitive re-telling of any particular fairytale or folk story. For example, it’s hard for me to imagine any story beating Robin McKinley’s “Beauty” as my definitive version of “Beauty and the Beast.” There are also fairytales and stories for which it has been notoriously difficult for me to find this “one true version.” “Peter Pan” is one of these. But I live in ever-lasting hope, so I was excited to check out this new version of the story, this time following grown-up “lost boys” who travel back to the magical island and now find themselves cast as the villains.

Unfortunately, I’m still on the hunt after reading this book. However, that’s not to say that this book didn’t have its own strengths and new takes on the classic story to explore. For one thing, I very much like the overall concept with these former “lost boys” (this is in quotes mostly because one of the main characters is a woman who had disguised herself as a boy when she was in Neverland to avoid the typical role of housekeeper that girls must play while there) travelling back as adults. And not only are our lead characters adults, but the entire story is very adult in tone. This is a bloody, grim look at the horrors that would lie at the heart of an island where kids spend most of their time fighting battles with pirates.

Even more so, the story centers addiction and childhood trauma as primary themes throughout the story. Obviously, these are not happy topics, but I think that added an interesting level of seriousness and severity to the tale. One of my struggle points with this book, however, came down to how it handled some of the discussions about addition. On one hand, I think some of it is incredibly effective, highlighting the on-going difficulties that people face, year after year. However, I’m not quite sure about how it was ultimately handled. Fairy dust is clearly a magical substance, so its addictive properties do not necessarily need to be based in reality. But the story almost dodges some of the harder aspects of this addition in the end of the book, and I’m not exactly sure what message was being conveyed here. That said, I could be missing something, and this all might work fine for other readers.

I also struggled a bit with the characters themselves, particularly Jordan. On her own, she had a lot of the traits I enjoy in my female main characters. She’s flawed, brash, and ruthless. However, I struggled more when it came to her relationship and interactions with Baron, her staunch childhood friend. At times, this relationship felt a bit strange, with Jordan seeming to take advantage of Baron’s friendship and feelings for her, almost bullying him at points. This could be simply that their temperaments were very different, but it just felt rather off throughout.

Overall, this was just an ok read for me. The tone was a bit too grimdark throughout, without enough levity to be found to counterbalance it in the way I wanted. I also liked the broader strokes of the characters, but their relationship also felt a bit off in a way that didn’t allow me to fully connect to their arc together. If you enjoy darker fantasy stories, however, this still might be one worth checking out!

Rating 7: Tackling dark themes of addiction and childhood trauma, this had a lot of potential, but began to feel weighed down by its own grim tone as the story went on.

Reader’s Advisory:

“These Deathless Shores” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists, but it should be on Peter Pan Retellings.

Serena’s Review: “The Night Ends with Fire”

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

Book: “The Night Ends with Fire” by K. X. Song

Publishing Info: Ace, July 2024

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

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

Book Description: The Three Kingdoms are at war, but Meilin’s father refuses to answer the imperial draft. Trapped by his opium addiction, he plans to sell Meilin for her dowry. But when Meilin discovers her husband-to-be is another violent, ill-tempered man, she realizes that nothing will change for her unless she takes matters into her own hands.

The very next day, she disguises herself as a boy and enlists in her father’s place.

In the army, Meilin’s relentless hard work brings her recognition, friendship—and a growing closeness with Sky, a prince turned training partner. But has she simply exchanged one prison for another? As her kingdom barrels toward destruction, Meilin begins to have visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price.

With the future of the Three Kingdoms hanging in the balance, Meilin will need to decide whom to trust—Sky, who inspires her loyalty and love; the sea dragon spirit, who has his own murky agenda; or an infuriating enemy prince who makes her question everything she once knew—about her kingdom and about her own heart.

Review: I’ve been eagerly looking forward to checking out this book since back in January when I put together my picks for our “most anticipated” list for 2024. I love fairytale/fable re-tellings, and “Mulan” is one of those stories that has only been re-imagined a few times, to varying levels of success. I was especially excited that this book was being billed as an adult fantasy novel, as those are even fewer and further between when it comes to this particular subgenre. So I had high hopes going in to this one!

As it turns out, this one didn’t quite live up to these expectations, but let’s start with the positives. First of all, if you’re looking for a “Mulan” retelling that pulls on your nostalgic heartstrings for the Disney movie, than this is the book for you. While it does introduce its own fantasy elements, particularly with the dragons and their magic, it also strongly reminiscent of the Disney film. At times, it almost felt like direct scenes were copied and pasted from one to the other. This could also be a criticism of the book, that it follows a bit too closely, but I also think there are plenty of readers who loved the Disney version and would be happy to see some of it translated fairly directly into a book format, so for them, this is a win.

I also liked the general idea of a lot of what this book was trying to do. It was the execution that let it down. For example, one of the major changes from the Disney version of “Mulan” to this one is a change in the main character’s motivation. Instead of being driven by a sense of duty and the wish to spare her father, Meilin is, yes, attempting to escape an arranged marriage, but also highly motivated by ambition and greed. In some of the book’s more “telling” moments, she outright tells readers that these are her primary motivations. She also wishes to prove that she, a woman, is capable of the same things men are. However, the thought isn’t taken further than that, with Meilin’s focus remaining on her own abilities as compared to men’s versus the general attitude that ALL women are done poorly by with these comparisons. Now, I think it’s entirely possible, even quite effective, to write a character whose motivations are not as sympathetic as others’ or who, while clear-sighted in one way, is very much missing the larger picture. But Meilin was not written as a strong enough character to pull this off.

Not only is the writing flat from the start, making it difficult to discern any real personality in the characters, including Meilin, but there is a distinct lack of true inner reflection or motivation given for many actions. For example, early in the book, Meilin encounters a prince who makes a throw-away comment about her kung fu abilities being as good as a man’s. She then goes home and there is a single paragraph where she reflects on this line and how it is true: she is as fast as a man and skilled at martial arts. The very next paragraph sees her up and sneaking out of her room and setting off on her journey to impersonate a soldier.

This is a huge, monumental decision, and Meilin seems to make it in the blink of an eye with no deeper thought than “hey, this hot guy said a nice thing about my fighting prowess and I guess he’s right!” It was so off-putting that I honestly went back and had to re-read to make sure I hadn’t missed anything, it was that abrupt. Transitions from paragraph to paragraph, from inner monologue to actions aren’t just the work of English classes, they are necessary for creating well-crafted stories. And it was failings like this that proved that this book wasn’t quite up to the task.

This flatness of tone carried on throughout the book. I simply struggled to care about any of these people. For lack of a better word, the book seemed to lack the heart of the story. In the movie, the deep camaraderie and friendship that Mulan builds up with her fellow soldiers and the love interest are not only engaging on their own, but later pay off with the heightened emotional stakes when the truth of her deception becomes known. Here, the reveal with the love interest falls incredibly flat, with none of the dramatic impact that you’d wish from this situation. And the friendships were almost entirely missing. I was even more put-off on the romance front when another potential love interest seemed to be introduced towards the end of the book? Of course, I can’t say for sure one way or another, but I was getting strong ACOTAR vibes with a Tamlin/Rhysand situation brewing up here. And we all know how I feel about that…

All of this said, I would by no means say that this was a bad book, on its own. Indeed, I think the author has a lot of potential, and I’d definitely be interested in checking out more in the future. I also think this book will be much appreciated by many fantasy readers, especially those who are looking for a close re-telling of “Mulan.” However, the writing and characterization were too weak at times for me to fully recommend it with no caveats.

Rating 7: The strength of the writing wasn’t quite up to the task of telling the story that it wanted, but I still think it will satisfy many readers who are looking for a solid “Mulan” re-telling.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Night Ends with Fire” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Asian SSF and East Asian Fantasy.

Serena’s Review: “Bound to the Shadow Prince”

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

Book: “Bound to the Shadow Prince” by Ruby Dixon

Publishing Info: W by Wattpad Books, July 2024

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

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

Book Description: In order to protect her kingdom from the wrath of a vengeful goddess, Princess Candra must remain locked inside a tower for seven years. Seven long years without a friend―or a lover―by her side. And shut inside the tower with her? A Fellian, the enemy of her people, a fearsome warrior race complete with wings and claws and fangs. Nemeth is terrifying, cruel, and disturbingly magnetic. Candra should kill him for his supplies, but she’s desperate for his company…and his touch.

As time inside the unchanging tower rolls on, Candra uncovers the man behind the stony facade. And when their tenure hits an unexpected snag, Candra and Nemeth are forced to make a difficult choice. They’ll need to face an outside world they no longer recognize, one that threatens their lives and their surprising love.

Review: While I’m aware of the phenomenon that is Ruby Dixon’s “Ice Planet Barbarians” series, I’ve been a bit hesitant to jump in. While I enjoy SFF romance, I’m also incredibly picky with the balance between the fantasy elements and the romance. Plus, I’ve never really pushed my boundaries on the romance genre with more wacky paranormal beings than your usual vampires and werewolves. All of that to say, when I saw that she was releasing a stand-alone romantasy title, I though this would be the perfect opportunity to see what all of the fuss was about!

I’ll be honest, I went into this one fairly skeptical, ready to shift away to my every-growing TBR pile at the slightest provocation. And, initially, that’ s the way I thought it might go. The first few chapters before we get to the tower were a bit of a slog as I found it difficult to really like any of the characters on the page, including our heroine. But hoo boy! The minute the story got to the tower, the love interest was introduced, and the general stakes of the plot (being trapped in a dark tower for seven years) settled in, I was locked in!

If nothing else, Dixon’s style of writing is the definition of “approachable” and “engaging.” She simply has a fun and snappy way of writing that is quick to pull readers in and make the story feel action-packed, even when, objectively not much is really happening (again, see the fact that our main characters are stuck alone in a tower.) Given the restrictions of this setting, it was truly impressive how engaging Dixon made this portion of the story. It was so engaging, in fact, that I was almost disappointed when the story shifted in the second half of the book. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed a lot of that as well. But I will say that I probably would have been more than happy to have spent the entire book simply in the tower with our two main characters.

I also really enjoyed our main characters. Candra was a fun POV character, though as the story continued, I did find myself wishing for a bit more from her with personal growth or a more defined character arc. Some of the late-book action does speak to some changes in her perspective, but it still wasn’t a lot. But what we do get is still enjoyable! On the other hand, I really loved Nemeth! I’ll admit, again, that part of my hesitation about the “Barbarians” series and this one was how well the romance would translate for a very, um, non-human love interest. But Nemeth is so endearing in almost every way that you can’t help but love him! He was bookish and bashful, but also protective and confident when it mattered. It was also nice to have a love interest who so easily embodied the caretaker role in the relationship without this being commented on or seen as in conflict with any of his other character traits.

I will add here that that this book is DEFINITELY spicy, so readers should have that in mind! I knew it would be, of course, but this book makes “Bride” look like, well, a blushing bride as far as some of its spicy moments go. One thing that stood out in the positive for this book vs. other very spicy books that I’ve read was the timeline and progression of the romance. All too often, romantasy has an “instalust/instalove” problem where the book is so eager to get to the love scenes that character work and plotting suffer, ultimately making the spice scenes read as undeserved. Here, not only do you have to read a significant ways into the book to get to the love scenes, but the in-world timeline is over a year before Nemeth and Candra really start becoming intimate in any way. It was refreshing!

As I mentioned, the second half of the book took a major shift in the plot. And while I liked a lot of what this brought into the story, this is also the part of the book that I struggled with more. For one thing, given the nature of what is going on in the story, the numerous spicy scenes in this later half of the book started to feel like they were breaking up the pacing. They also began to feel a bit repetitive, and I think the book would have been better served, ultimately, to have cut out a few of these. There was also the seemingly required third act/late game challenge of trust thrown into the romance. This is a staple of romance plotlines, where right towards the end something goes terribly wrong (distrust, miscommunication, etc. etc.) that makes our characters start questioning their relationship. I almost always hate this part of romance novels, as I rarely feel as if these moments feel justified or believable. So, too, here. Some of the distrust we see is so obviously misplaced in light of the entire rest of the story that it was almost laughable. For all that I enjoyed the fact that this love story took place over the course of years, it made this late-game trust issue all the more silly. These are characters who recently fell in love or who haven’t had time to fully understand one another. As typical for me with these twists in romance novels, I began to roll my eyes a bit during this part.

Overall, however, this was a really fun read! It’s heavy on the spice and romance, so readers who enjoy that will likely love this one. I was also impressed with the measured pace of the romance and the endearing love interest. I’ll definitely be checking out more from Dixon in the future!

Rating 8: Fast-paced and fun with a nice love story at its heart, definitely one for the spicy romance readers!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Bound to the Shadow Prince” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2024 – Paranormal Romance (Standalones and 1st in Series)

Book Club Review: “A Study in Emerald” & “Snow, Glass, Apples”

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

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!

NOTE: At the beginning of July, accusations of abuse and sexual assault were made against Neil Gaiman by two women. When our book club selected, met and read “A Study in Emerald” and “Snow, Glass, Apples” and we wrote our reviews, this information had not yet come to light. These accusations are deeply concerning and upsetting. Since we had committed to review these books on the blog before these accusations came to light, we’ve decided to post our reviews of these books to fulfill that commitment. That said, if you or someone you know needs help or wants to find someone to speak with confidentially, HERE is a link to RAINN’s resource page, which also links to more information about the organization in general and how to support victims of sexual violence.

Book: “A Study in Emerald” by Neil Gaiman and Rafael Albuquerque (Illustrator), Rafael Scavone, Dave Stewart (Illustrator)

Publishing Info: Dark Horse Books, June 2018

Where Did We Get This Book: The library!

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

Repeat Author: Neil Gaiman

Book Description: The complex investigation takes the Baker Street investigators from the slums of Whitechapel all the way to the Queen’s Palace as they attempt to find the answers to this bizarre murder of cosmic horror!

From the Hugo, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, Nebula award-winning, and New York Times bestselling writer Neil Gaiman comes this graphic novel adaptation with art by Eisner award winning artist Rafael Albuquerque!

Kate’s Thoughts

It’s interesting. As someone who loves a good mystery and thriller, I haven’t read TOO much Sherlock Holmes (outside of the stories I read in middle school for English class, and “The Hound of the Baskervilles” for book club way back when). And as someone who loves horror, I haven’t read ANY H.P. Lovecraft. But I know enough about Holmes, Watson, Baker Street, and Cthulhu thanks to the pop culture and literary zeitgeist. So I could absolutely appreciate a LOT about “A Study In Emerald”, which brings the mythos of Lovecraft’s cosmic horrors to Baker Street and Victorian London. It’s a creative mashup, and I found the story up to the task.

I really enjoyed the creeping horror of this tale, and how it does harken back to the classic Holmes cases, and not just through the characters that we see on the page. There are fun references to other mysteries, there is definitely a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle air to the way that the story unfolds, and the way that Gaiman weaves in the Old Ones and Cthulhu into the story and makes it just seamlessly fit in is really fun. It also works as an interesting comment upon the Colonialist impact that England was having across the world, as the Old Ones are coming in and ruling over everyone with a malicious intent towards power and conquest. And I always enjoy the artwork of Raphael Albuquerque, and his style works really well in this story. It’s compelling and fun, and while it’s a stand alone short story it feels very established. It’s a lot of fun, and I enjoyed it very much.

Serena’s Thoughts

I loved this book! There were so many clever ideas all mixed together in a way that felt totally fresh and unique. And given how many adaptations and variations there have been on Sherlock Holmes and Watson, producing something that feels truly original is quite the accomplishment! Of course, the primary factor there comes down to the inclusion and use of Lovecraft’s classic horror creatures. But there is definitely a way that this could have gone very wrong. Instead, Gaiman never over-played his hand. And while the alternate timeline/history of this world and the role the Old Ones play in it was very interesting, at its heart, the story is still very much a classic Sherlock Holmes mystery. From the framing of the story from the companion’s perspective to the use of verbose language with only limited dialogue, it all felt perfectly in line with the tone of the original. Despite the fact that there are tentacled royalty ruling the world!

I also enjoyed the big twist at the end. As a big Sherlock fan, I was suspicious that this was where we were headed fairly early, but that still didn’t diminish how effective it was. I also think that it was subtle enough that it could still play as a pretty big twist for the majority of readers. It was a clever case of “look at this hand and not the other,” using the Lovecraft elements to great effect. The art also worked perfectly with the overall tone. The sepia color palette worked well to create a sense of the time period, and the inclusion of the little advertisements between chapters was excellent.

Really, my only criticism is that in some ways it felt like the prequel to a series. I immediately went on Goodreads hoping to line up the sequel. But alas. I’d definitely read more in this world if given the chance, and I think this is a great read for all Holmes fans out there!

Kate’s Rating 8: A creative mash up of two literary icons makes for an interesting adaptation that works incredibly well.

Serena’s Rating 9: Clever and unique, which is truly an accomplishment considering the plethora of adaptations out there for both Holmes and Lovecraft’s creatures!

Book Club Questions

  1. What were your thoughts on the surprise reveal at the end of the book? Did you see it coming? Did you think it fit well?
  2. Did you like the theme as the monarchs of Europe actually being Old Ones from Lovecraft’s stories?
  3. Did you enjoy the throw back advertisements that separated the sections of the story?
  4. This is a graphic novel that was told purely in captions and with little to no actual speech bubbles. Did you like this creative choice?
  5. What did you think of the art style of this story? Did you feel like it fit the tone of the narrative?

Reader’s Advisory

“A Study in Emerald” is included on the Goodreads lists A Study in Sherlock Holmes and Lovecraft in Victorian Era.

Book: “Snow, Glass, Apples” by Neil Gaiman and Colleen Dorman (Illustrator)

Publishing Info: Headline, August 2019

Where Did We Get This Book: The library!

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

Repeat Author: Neil Gaiman

Book Description: A chilling fantasy retelling of the Snow White fairy tale by bestselling creators Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran.

A not-so-evil queen is terrified of her monstrous stepdaughter and determined to repel this creature and save her kingdom from a world where happy endings aren’t so happily ever after.

From the Hugo, Bram Stoker, Locus, World Fantasy, Nebula Award-winning and Sunday Times-bestselling writer Neil Gaiman (American Gods) comes this graphic novel adaptation by Colleen Doran (Troll Bridge).

Kate’s Thoughts

I already love a fairytale retelling, especially if it is a bit dark and twisted. And I have come to enjoy “Snow White” more as of late because my daughter got a Snow White dress during our Spring Break trip to Disney, which has made me all the fonder of the story. But then you add in not only a version that is told from the perspective of the Evil Queen AND it has a vampire Snow White?? OH HELL YES. Gaiman knows how to do dark in his stories, and this one is SO creepy and twisted, telling a story about a young queen who finds herself a stepmother to a monstrous vampiric child, and wants to keep her kingdom safe from the predatory nature of the girl whose skin is white as snow and lips are red as blood. Snow White’s Evil Queen is so two dimensional in the original tale and many tales that came after it, so for Gaiman to not only make her the protagonist but to also make her flawed but generally a good hearted woman who is trying to use magic to help her subjects is so excellent and such a breath of fresh air. I loved the subversions in the magical elements, and how it harkens to the source material but tweaks it into something new. And something REALLY disturbing.

And I absolutely loved the art style in this book. It feels like a combination of medieval tapestries and art deco aesthetic, and there are so many gorgeous details that leap off the page. It’s truly breathtaking, with few actual panels but free form mural-esque spilling into each other. But it still remains linear and easy to follow along with the very detailed and complex designs. Our book club host asked us what our favorite image was, and I had such a hard time picking because there are so many amazing images.

I loved “Snow, Glass, Apples”. What a compelling reimagining of “Snow White”.

Serena’s Thoughts

I also really enjoyed this one! Probably no great shocker as I love fairytale re-tellings, especially twisted versions of the story. This one, told from the perspective of the “evil” step-mother succeeded on a lot of fronts. First of all, I absolutely adored this art style! I found myself reading this one much more slowly than the first, simply because I wanted to look at all the intricate details on every singled panel. There are several pages that I would buy and frame and put up in my home library, they were that beautiful. I also really enjoyed the “stream of consciousness” style the art used, with several spreads effectively moving the reader through the page without the use of panels or blocks.

I also enjoyed the twist on the “Snow White” tale. I wasn’t prepared for just how dark it was going to get! Fairly early in the story, the reader is introduced to the major “twist” to the tale and you think “Ok, I get where the darkness is going to go.” And then you get about two-thirds of the way and and it’s like “Oh! Nope, this went way darker and in a way more disturbing direction than I had expected!” For the most part, I think this darkness all worked. That said, there were a few brief moments and details that did feel like they were there purely for shock value and not any real narrative purpose.

Overall, I thought this was a very interesting re-imaging of the classic tale. I think the art really stole the show for me. And while I think many fans of dark fantasy will enjoy this one, it’s definitely NSFW, so keep that in mind if you’re reading it in public!

Kate’s Rating 9: A disturbing but horrifically gorgeous reimagining of Snow White.

Serena’s Rating 8: Horrifying in the best way, but the gorgeous art was really the win as far as I’m concerned!

Book Club Questions

  1. What did you think of following the Queen’s POV in this story? Are you used to seeing her side of the “Snow White” story?
  2. Did you buy into the idea of a vampire Snow White? Why or why not?
  3. What are your thoughts on how Gaiman subverted the witchcraft in this versus the original?
  4. What did you think of the aspect of the Spring Faire in this tale and how it related to the Queen’s motivation in the story?
  5. Did you like the art style in this? Did it fit the tone of the tale?

Reader’s Advisory

“Snow, Glass, Apples” is included on the Goodreads lists Snow White Retellings and Graphic Novels with Fairytale or Mythical elements

Next Book Club Pick: “Superman Smashes the Klan” by by Gene Luen Yang

Serena’s Review: “The Sky on Fire”

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

Book: “The Sky on Fire” by Jenn Lyons

Publishing Info: Tor, July 2024

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

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

Book Description: Anahrod lives only for survival, preferring to thrive in the jungles of the Deep with the titan drake she keeps by her side. When an adventuring party saves her from capture by the local warlord, Sicaryon, she is eager to return to her solitary life, but this is no ordinary rescue. Anahrod’s past has caught up with her. And these cunning misfits intend to spirit her away to the cloud cities, where they need her help to steal from a dragon’s hoard.

There’s only one in the cloud cities, dragons rule, and the hoard in question belongs to the current regent, Neveranimas―and she wants Anahrod dead.

Fans of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series and Rebecca Yarros’s The Fourth Wing will enjoy this page-turning adventure with conniving dragons, high-stakes intrigue, a daring heist, and a little bit of heat.

Review: I somehow still haven’t read Jenn Lyons’ popular “Chorus of Dragons” series. And, as it is with all multi-book series, at a certain point it begins to feel a bit intimidating to start! So I was thrilled to see she was releasing a standalone fantasy book this summer! What better way to get on the bandwagon without having to commit to an entire series right from the start! It was helped by the fact that the book itself has an excellent cover. It’s eye-catching enough on its own, but it gets even better the longer you look at it, when you start noticing the details of the castle and city. So definite props to the artist on this one!

Unfortunately, this wasn’t quite the homerun of a read that I was hoping for. I will say that it’s easy to see how this author could be capable of producing a beloved fantasy series, and, given some of my problems with this book in particular, some of the weaknesses I found here could easily translate into strengths in a longer format. Some of these strengths include excellent world-building.

I loved the idea of flipping the entire “dragon rider” concept on its head. This is a hugely popular trope in SFF fiction, and, while enjoyable, myself and many other fans are often left scratching our heads when reading about some of these partnerships. Why, oh why, are the humans the more powerful members of these societies when so often the dragons are described as having more powerful magic, greater physical abilities (obviously), and often a much higher general IQ than their human compatriots. So I loved the what Lyons did here by flipping this relationship around to show a society where the dragons, not the humans, are the more dominant members of this society.

I also liked the expanse of this world and that we travelled to numerous locations throughout the story. Yes, this could also feel like a bit much at times, especially given that it was all packed into one, stand-alone book, but it was also incredibly interesting and made the world feel lived in and worth exploring to discover what else might be in store.

Where things began to fall apart was with the characters, and the problems were twofold. First, there were simply too many of them. As I read on, there seemed to be more and more characters added to the list well-past the point of reason. This increase in characters also resulted in a love triangle quickly rearing its head. The story took a different tact here, shifting the traditional love triangle into a polycule as the story went on, but as I’m not personally a fan of polycule romances, this sadly wasn’t an improvement. The characters all quickly began to fall flat as well, each seeming to only be defined by one or two overall traits with little other characterization to be found, either in the beginning or as the story progressed. I also felt no chemistry between any members of the romance, which really put the nail in that coffin for me. At times, some of these interactions were downright cringe-y.

That said, there was potential to be found here, even in these fairly stale characters. Again, given a longer book or a series, perhaps the author could have built out these characters better, helping them feel as full and realized as the world itself. So, while I didn’t love this book, I’m still very intrigued to check out the author’s other work. If you’re a fantasy reader who enjoys polycule romances, this might be one to add to the list! But I do think it fell a bit flat, overall.

Rating 7: A lot of potential to be found, but weak character ultimately let this one down.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Sky on Fire” can be found on this Goodreads list: 2024 SFF Books with Female Leads or Co-Leads.

Serena’s Review: “Black Tide Son”

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

Book: “Black Tide Son” by H.M. Long

Publishing Info: Titan Books, July 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: NetGalley!

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

Book Description: A captured pirate reveals shocking news to Mary and Samuel that sends them in urgent pursuit of Samuel’s twin brother, Benedict, but their search uncovers much more than they bargained for. While evading a cunning new foe, Mary and Samuel must navigate the complexities of their own growing bond as they launch a rescue mission within one of the most secure fortresses on the Mereish Coast.

Previously Reviewed: “Dark Water Daughter”

Review: I remember saying in my review for the first book in this duology that it reminded me of the high that the original “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie delivered. Like the movie, it was just a blast from start to finish. Similarly, it left me hankering for more and I eagerly began waiting for the sequel. Well, we all know how that turned out with those movies (though I will say that I don’t hate the sequel quite as much as others)… But I’m happy to report that this book sequel did not share a similar fate. In fact, I enjoyed it just as much as the first!

I’ve already used the word “blast” to describe this book, and I can tell that it will be a struggle to refrain from simply spamming that word throughout. Because one of the first things that stands out about this sequel is the adventurous romp it is from start to finish. The first book was action packed as well, but it did had to slow down more at times to properly introduced our two main characters. This book doesn’t have to spare the page time for that, so instead the writing whips the reader up in the first few pages and then doesn’t let you go until the final stop! That’s not to say that there aren’t quieter, more reflective moments, but even these are all bookended by sweeping action sequences. Our heroes spend the majority of the book racing from place to place, and, like them, the reader will be left simply trying to keep up with the events around them (but in the best way possible!).

I will say that this book was a bit less boat-focused than the first book. Going in, I’d have said this shift might have knocked the book down a notch, as the emphasis on naval/pirate shenanigan’s was one of the primary appeals of the first book. But the story more than made up for it by focusing a large chunk of the action on our main characters and a few other characters racing first to break Sam’s brother out of a heavily guarded prison and then from the various parties wishing to re-capture them all. The book also expanded on the political maneuverings between the various nations that make up this nautical world, especially their varying levels of understanding of the magic that exists and the ghists.

And, lastly, I can’t not talk about our main characters, Sam and Mary. Man, I love these two so much! For her part, we see Mary’s growing partnership with the ghist she is bound to and the incredibly creative abilities their teamwork produces. These abilities, alongside her own powerful weather singing magic, did have the potential to maker her a bit overpowered, but the author showed incredible restraint in this area, using all of these elements carefully and judiciously throughout. As for Sam, we learn much more about his (and his brother’s) backstory in this book. Indeed, much of the secondary arc is centered around his search for a cure for his poisoned abilities. I also absolutely LOVED the way Sam’s and Mary’s romance progressed. There were so many ways this could have gone wrong, and then every time, right when I began to be concerned, Long would completely nail it. Unlike the first book, Sam and Mary are together throughout most of this book, and the few quiet moments we get are almost all devoted to them feeling out the next steps to their relationship.

This was pretty much the perfect sequel for me. It built on all of the great ideas presented in the first book, allowed its characters to grow both as individuals and as a couple, and expanded the world and magic system in every way. It also wrapped up the story in a completely satisfying manner, though it did seem to leave a crack in the door for future installments. If you enjoyed the first book, this is a worthy sequel in every way. And, generally, I can’t recommend this duology enough to fantasy readers looking for adventure and slow-burn romance!

Rating 9: Chock full of adventure, romance, and an incredibly unique magical world. If you ever thought “hey, I want pirates but with magic!” than this is the duology for you!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Black Tide Son” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Nautical Fantasy and Can’t Wait Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2024.

Serena’s Review: “The Spellshop”

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

Book: “The Spellshop” by Sarah Beth Durst

Publishing Info: Bramble, July 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: NetGalley!

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

Book Description: Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

Review: Sarah Beth Durst is one of those strange authors for me. On one hand, I’ve really loved some of her books; I gave “The Bone Maker” a 9 rating! But on the other hand, while I started out enjoying her “Queens of Renthia” trilogy, by the end, I was incredibly frustrated by the series and gave the final book a 5 rating. But given how much I’ve enjoyed some of her books, she’s still an “auto-request” author for me. Plus, “The Spellshop” sounded like just the sort of cozy fantasy I was hankering for!

So, with that introduction out of the way, I’ll jump to the end of the review and say that this book fell solidly in the middle of things for me. It didn’t live up to the highs that I’ve enjoyed from this author, but it also was far from the worst. But let’s start with the things I unequivocally liked. And the first thing that comes to mind is the tone and “vibe” of this story. This book leans in hard to the “cozy” aspect of its subgenre, and, for the most part, does it very successfully. It’s whimsical, humorous, and full to the brim with lovable characters, including a wide cast of fantastical villagers, a beguiling leading man, and, of course, the hilarious sentient spider plant that is Kiela’s best friend. Durst’s style of writing is also well suited to this sort of light-hearted fare, and it was easy to want to sink into the lush scenes that were painted on the page.

There were two aspects of the story, however, that began to drag it down. One of them was Kiela herself. I have to say, I was honestly surprised by this turn of events since when Kiela was first introduced, she was hitting all of the right notes for me. Her devotion to her books was both compelling but also funny at times, and her general reflections on her circumstances were initially quite interesting and had me eager to follow her on her journey. However, once she really started to settle in to the run-down cottage, things took an extreme turn for the worse. What I had initially pegged as a love of solitude that was played up a bit for laughs I quickly realized was in fact Kiela being incredibly naive and, at times, fairly rude. I was shocked when I realized that she somehow thought she was going to live in this abandoned cottage and no one was even going to notice, that she’d somehow be able to sustain herself completely independently based on…what? It was honestly so silly that I was taken aback. From there, she proceeds to be “rescued” from this silliness by her kind-hearted, handsome neighbor who essentially feeds her and fixes her house. And she proceeds to berate him and be rude. I understood the first time, but then she seems to double down, and I found myself beginning to mentally root for her neighbor, thinking he could do better and should just leave her to her own foibles.

I also began to struggle with the world-building and plotting as the story continued. I simply don’t understand how this magic system operates in the way it does. It seems that all that is needed in this world to do magic is to know the correct incantation and say it. That being the case, it was incredibly hard to believe that this information had been successfully restricted in the way that it had. Beyond that, I began to question more basic things. For example, when we first visit the tiny local village, Kiela describes meeting a handful of very diverse fantasy beings. We’re talking a faun-like creature, another faun-like creature but with wings, a centaur, a being with four arms, Kiela herself (a blue humanoid being) and more. All of these on what we are repeatedly (!) told is a tiny, remote island. And, I’m sorry, I just couldn’t stop wondering about how the biology of this all worked! These sure sound like different species of people, and yet they’re all on a tiny island where you have to imagine there are very few of each and…well, you understand my confusion. It was things like this that left me feeling as if the actual cohesion of the world-building was sacrificed at the alter of cozy vibes. All of these people were adorable in their own right and clearly stood in for the type of “quirky villagers” you’d find in a similar cozy mystery. But this is a fantasy world still, these things need to make sense as well.

I also struggled a bit with some of the plot and Kiela’s own motivations and priorities. She begins the story hyper-focused on protecting the secrets of the books at all costs. Again, we hear all about this repeatedly (if you haven’t caught up, being a bit repetitive was also a sticking point). But as the story continues, she quickly flips to not only selling the spells of these books but outright teaching others how to use them (again, from a practical point, would this be a believable choice for someone whose only source of income is selling these spells??).

Overall, this was just an ok book for me. There were moments that were truly enjoyable, and when I wasn’t distracted by questions about the world or Kiela’s decisions, I could find myself sinking easily into the experience of the story. But that’s just it, it felt more like an experience than a fully-realized story. If you’re a big cozy fantasy fan, this might still be a great fit for you! But if you’re a fantasy reader who needs there to be more meat on the bones of your fantasy world, this one will come up lacking.

Rating 7: Vacillating wildly between enjoyably cozy moments and frustrating pitfalls in world-building and characterization, this book was a bit all over the place.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Spellshop” isn’t on any relevant Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Cozy Fantasy Romance reads.

Serena’s Review: “The Curse of Sins”

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

Book: “The Curse of Sins” by Kate Dramis

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Casablanca, June 2024

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

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

Book Description: After discovering she’s prophesied to save the realm, Aya’s duty should be clear: return home with once-sworn enemy Will to serve their queen in the coming war against a rival kingdom…one whose pursuit of dark magic could bring the realm to its knees.

But with part of the prophecy still undiscovered, and their queen’s intentions increasingly suspect, Aya’s very purpose is quickly brought into question. With betrayal lurking around every corner, she and Will are forced to lie, manipulate, and hide what they’ve become to one another as they struggle to learn the truth before dark magic destroys them all.

And with secrets and lies trailing Aya wherever she goes, she has to wonder…do the gods truly want her to save the realm…or simply watch it burn?

Previously Review: “The Curse of Saints”

Review: So, if you go back and read my review of the first book, you’ll see that I gave it a fairly middling review. That said, I distinctly remember filing this one in the “circle back around to” category in my head. Yes, I struggled with aspects of the first book, but I also remembered enjoying the world-building and the bare bones of the characters. I also had high hopes that now that the initial work had been done to introduce these characters and this world, the second installment would be freed up to tell a more complete and satisfying story. So, I requested this sequel. Alas, in this particular case, all of this strategizing was for not, and I ended up just as (in fact, even more!) frustrated with this second outing than I was with the first.

We always try to start with positives with our reviews, even the more negative ones. But I’ve got to say, it’s a bit of a struggle with this one. Essentially, every single thing that bothered me about the first book was present again here, except somehow, now even worse. That being the case, I guess a positive would be that if you enjoyed the first one, you’ll probably like this one! They are very similar, and if you enjoyed the angstiness of the characters, the long page length, and the arbitrary feel to whether or not certain story elements were crucial to the plot, well…you’ll like this one too! Also, if you like the “misunderstanding” trope in romances, than you’ll enjoy this love story a heck of a lot more than I did. I’ll also add that I don’t think the author’s writing style is bad. She can string together some very nice turns of phrase, and, again, I do think there are a lot of interesting ideas and world-building that went into this series. That said, things are never really pulled together in a coherent manner.

One of the things that annoyed me the most in the first book was the flip/flop relationship between Aya and Will, with them trusting one another one moment, then, bizarrely, swinging the complete other direction and keeping massive secrets from one another (at best!) or trying to kill one another again (at worst!). I was hopeful going into this book that we would leave this element behind. After all, there were some large reveals at the end of the first book, and the characters had, seemingly, grown over the course of that book. So, imagine my dismay when I cracked this one open and found even more of the same! C’mon now! At points it was so bad that it felt like the author was having to manually get into the story and rewind her own characters’ growth and arcs in completely unnatural ways just to increase the “drama” and brooding of it all. When I see this in a book, I begin to question whether the author really has a steady hand on the characters at all. Is there an inability to write them in any other way? Do they have no other inner lives to speak of? I can’t emphasize enough how frustrating it was to see the character work unspun like this, all for the sake of angst, seemingly.

I also continued to be thrown out by the incompetence of these characters. As I noted in my first review, there is a direct conflict between the types of people we are told Aya and Will are and the ones we see on the page. They aren’t just average spies and fighters; no, they are each at the very top, the Queen’s closest advisors, essentially helping her run the entire country. And, like the first book, I saw none of this skill on the page. Again and again, these characters would blunder through scenarios that should have been well within their skillsets. Worse, they failed to pick up on very obvious plots swirling around them in a way that was, frankly, laughable at times.

The book was also way too long for the amount of plot it contained. Again, there were elements of this plot line that I enjoyed, but there were also numerous instances where things seemed to happen for no real reason. And then were forgotten, with a similar lack of concern to cohesion. This book could have been severely edited down, and I think it would have helped every aspect of the story. A shorter page count would have tightened up the plot and, importantly, limited the page time devoted to the characters brooding.

I think this is it for me and this series. I’m glad I gave it another go, as there have been several instances where I’ve come back to a series or an author and been pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, the author doubled down on everything that frustrated me about the first book here in the second, killing any interest I might have had in the third. However, if you did enjoy the first one, you’ll likely enjoy this one more than me!

Rating 5: Overly long and lacking in substance, this book didn’t seem to know what to do with its characters other than regress them into brooding messes.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Curse of Sins” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on SFF Spy Books.

Serena’s Review: “A Rivalry of Hearts”

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

Book: “A Rivalry of Hearts” by Tessonja Odette

Publishing Info: Crystal Moon Press, June 2024

Where Did I Get this Book: NetGalley!

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

Book Description: Two rival writers.
One prestigious publishing contract.
A bargain of hearts and seduction.

They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she’s trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget. The terms? Whoever can bed the most lovers during their month-long dueling book tour wins a coveted publishing contract.

The win should be easy for Edwina. She’s known for penning scintillating tales of whirlwind romance. There’s just one her imagination vastly exceeds her bedroom experience. But when failure means plummeting her career back into obscurity, losing isn’t an option.

Her handsome fae rival, William Haywood, poses an even greater challenge. Not only are his looks as aggravatingly perfect as his track record behind closed doors, but he has his own reasons for playing to win, and he won’t go down without a fight. Unless, of course, it’s a different kind of going down. In that case, he’s fair game.

Edwina and William clash in a rivalry of romance. But what happens when their objects of desire…turn out to be each other?

Review: I requested this one from NetGalley kind of on a whim. On one hand, it sounded like the kind of book that would be right up my alley: historical fantasy with a hefty dose of humor and romance! But on the other hand, I’ve been burned by the “cozy” subgenre of fantasy/romance many times in the past, so I’m always fairly apprehensive, especially when reading a new-to-me author. But this book is proof that it’s good to still go out on a limb with these things! Not only did I enjoy this book, but now I have an author with a back catalog that I can’t wait to check out!

There was so much to like about this book that I’m not quite sure where to start! I guess what it often comes down to with books like this, for me, is tone. How well does the author manage to capture the voice of her characters and do these inner voices translate into the cozy nature of the story itself. And on both counts, the answer is definitely yes! The banter was excellent, often leaving me chuckling aloud. And each main character perfectly balanced their growing interest in the the other character alongside a more meaningful personal arc. While the narrative was sweet and funny throughout much of it, this added level of heart helped balance out the book into a well-rounded finished product.

I also really liked the way the romance itself played out. This was very much a rivals-to-lovers scenario, but the author wisely didn’t draw out the rivals aspect of it beyond the point of reason (something that I often see in other romances like this, the same with enemies-to-lovers). Importantly, while their “rivalry” starts out in the typical “bad first impression” manner, as the story progresses, each character is given real stakes behind why they must compete with the other. I also enjoyed the “he falls first” aspect of this romance, especially given William’s unique backstory with regards to forming attachments and affection.

For her part, Edwina was an excellent leading character. I’d have to go back and check, but I believe we get more chapters from her perspective than Will’s, and this makes sense as she’s the avatar for the reader, also experiencing the land of Fae for the first time. I also enjoyed the overlay of Edwina’s life in the human world with all of the historical outfittings that come with that now travelling through the land of Fae that has very different fashions and cultures.

This was a blast of a read in pretty much way! This is definitely a spicy romance, so keep that in mind if you pick it up. That said, I think these scenes were done well, being both romantic and, notably, not off-putting with weird word choices and out-of-character actions. The plot is fairly straight forward, as you might expect. But the lovely characters, sweet romance, and bright sparkling world more than made up for it! Plus, we are introduced to the next couple in line to get a story, and I’m definitely going to check out that book the second it comes out!

Rating 8: Whimsical and romantic, this is a great book for any cozy fantasy fan looking for their next spicy read!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Rivalry of Hearts” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Pink Flowers – Covers and June 2024 Most Anticipated Romance Releases.

Serena’s Review: “The Wren in the Holly Library”

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

Book: “The Wren in the Holly Library” by K. A. Linde

Publishing Info: Entangled: Red Tower Books, June 2024

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

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

Book Description: Can you love the dark when you know what it hides? Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.

Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight. In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce…of sorts.

But tonight, Kierse—a gifted and fearless thief—will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library…not knowing it’s the home of a monster. He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.

Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk. But he’s been playing a game across centuries—and once she joins in, there will be no escape…

Review: I was excited to check this one out when a publicist reached out with a copy for review! For one thing, the cover is lovely, and I’m always happy to have more pretty books. On top of that, either the author or the publisher knew what they were doing to pique a librarian’s interest: 1.) simply include the word “library” in your title (yes, we are that easy to please) and 2.) blurb the book as a vague re-telling of “Beauty and the Beast.” You know, the story where the hero gifts the heroine an actual library. So, let’s see how this all bore out!

While this wasn’t quite the perfect read I was hoping for, there was still a lot of really good stuff included, so let’s start with all of the positives. One of the first things that stood out to me was the unique world-building. I very much enjoyed the modern urban fantasy setting and the way the author played with the idea of a New York City that is still recovering from a massive reveal: that monsters are real. Especially in the first section of the book, we spend a decent amount of time roaming the streets with our main character and her friends, exploring all the various ways in which this shift in reality affected every bit of society. In some ways, nothing has changed, with the rich still able to essentially buy their way out of the monster problem. But in a myriad of more subtle ways, the entire culture of the city has shifted, from the lack of a night life to the delicate balance of politics at play between the city’s human and monster populaces. I very much appreciated how much time and effort the author put in to creating this world, and it was one of the things that really pulled me through the first half of the book when I was struggling a bit with the pacing and character work.

The characters were a bit more of a mixed bag. On one hand, I liked the fact that many of the characters, especially our two main leads, were truly morally grey characters. Our heroine essentially spends the first bit of the book telling readers that she got into theft simply because she enjoyed stealing, full stop. And then turned out to be good at it, hence her job. Unlike “bestest best assassins” who never kill anyone and when they do they then break down with massive internal crises, I appreciated that the author simply allowed her characters to be a bit questionable. This is a dark world, and in many ways, we see again and again that only those able to adapt have even survived up to this point.

That said, I did struggle to really connect to Kierce (weird name alert). In the first chapter, I really enjoyed her. She meets the mysterious love interest, and, overall, manages herself well, being both reasonable in her actions, entertaining in her commentary, and, notably, not simply overcome by good looks as so many heroines seem to be. That said, as the story continued, I struggled more and more to maintain my interest. Part of the problem, I think, is that shortly after this first chapter, Kierce goes back into the world and the reader is quickly introduced to a huge cast of supporting characters, all with various connections to Kierce and her life. It simply became overwhelming, and given how many of them there were, I was never quite sure where I was supposed to be directing my interest. Further, because so many characters are introduced quickly, many of them felt like they were presented in a flurry of “check box traits lists” before the reader was hurried on to meet the next one.

This wasn’t helped by the very nature of the story; that it, it’s one chock full of betrayal and secrecy. That being the case, for most of the read, I was left feeling off-balance and, again, unable to connect to any of these characters as they were constantly revealing/withholding information and betraying one another, to the point that it was almost easier to disconnect a bit than to try to keep track of motivations on an individual basis.

And, lastly, I didn’t particularly enjoy the spicy scenes in this one. The dialogue in these scenes, especially, felt a bit cringe-y to me. But this is an incredibly subjective area, so I’m sure other readers will not struggle with it the way I did.

All of that said, I do think this book has potential as the beginning of a series. The world-building was interesting and the writing was fairly strong throughout. Honestly, I think this will be a hit for a lot of urban fantasy fans who are looking for a spicy romance read as well. I struggled with some of the character work, but I’m also hopeful that some of this is now resolved in this first book and I will enjoy the sequel more. If this one has been on your TBR list, it’s probably worth checking out!

Rating 7: An intriguing world people with truly morally grey characters, though perhaps a bit too keen to betray and withhold information from one another.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Wren in the Holly Library” should be on this Goodreads list: Speculative Fiction Heist/Caper Stories