Tag: Fantasy

Serena’s Review: “After the Forest”

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Book: “After the Forest” by Kell Woods

Publishing Info: Tor, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: Ginger. Honey. Cinnamon. Flour.

Twenty years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their mother and stepmother are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin, its people starving in the aftermath of a brutal war.

Greta has a secret, the witch’s grimoire, secreted away and whispering in Greta’s ear for the past two decades, and the recipe inside that makes the best gingerbread you’ve ever tasted. As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat.

But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her mysteriously addictive gingerbread, not to mention the rumors about her childhood misadventures, is a source of gossip and suspicion.

And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta’s magic—magic she is still trying to understand—may be the only thing that can save her. If it doesn’t kill her first.

Review: Like Mothman, there seems to be a certain trend towards Germanic fairytales this fall. This is the second fantasy book I’ve read that has pulled from German fairytales or been set in Germany. While I enjoyed the focus on Russian fantasy over the last few years, this feels like a natural next step and a refreshing shift in focus. This story, less a re-telling of “Hansel and Gretel” and more an imagined sequel to that tale, was definitely high on my TBR list for this fall. Unfortunately, while it started out strong and I had high hopes, it didn’t ultimately live up my expectations.

When I started reading initially there were a few flags about the writing style that were immediately raised. But as I kept pushing forward, I became invested in Greta’s story and was particularly intrigued by the romantic interest. Unfortunately, as the story continued, Greta somehow became a worse lead and said romantic interest disappeared for long periods of time. When those things started happening, my initial skepticism about some of the writing kicked back in, and I ended up generally having a fairly bad time after that. I’ll start with the character stuff, however..

Greta starts out as an independent young woman who is dealing not only with the aftermath of her traumatic experiences while trapped by a witch with her brother as children, but also struggling to keep herself and Hansel afloat as he continues to gamble their livelihoods away. To aide with this, she uses a spellbook she stole from the witch who captured them so many years ago to create irresistible baked goods. As such, she early on discusses how careful and wary she has always been towards the spellbook, knowing its original owner’s penchant for horror. But as the book continues, somehow Greta becomes actively stupider and decides, nah, this book I’ve gone years knowing is probably dangerous and evil is probably actually totally fine. This is only one example, but it reflects a larger trend: Greta’s story is told in a disjointed and unnatural manner. There is no grand reason for her to suddenly become dumber about this other than the fact that the book needs her to. Decision after decisions is made in this way, not only be Greta, but by the other characters around her.

At one point, she becomes obviously hypocritical about a late reveal in the story, blows up at the love interest and stomps off. She then meets another character who literally walks her through the errors of her thinking. Then she WALKS BACK to the love interest and apologizes and the story progresses from there. It’s such an unnatural and unnecessary scene. It’s paint-by-numbers character development where it doesn’t seem like the author has even taken the time to fully cover over the paint numbers in the design, having one character literally handhold the other through development.

Beyond that, the book packs in so many different themes and fantasy elements that it quickly turns into a muddled mess. Are we supposed to be interested in the dangers of the spellbook? Or, now I see we have shape shifters, is that the main focus? How about witchcraft, women, and Greta’s own slowly revealed powers? Or, here’s a very late introduction of an entirely new villain and magical curse that we must solve! It all became a hot mess quite quickly.

And now working my way backwards to the writing. I will say, before some of these character problems happened and the story twisted itself into a knot of different focal points, the pacing was fast and interesting and the writing style was capable of drawing me in. That said, the very first chapter did introduce me to something that would plague much of the rest of the story. There’s an initial confrontation with a bear, and the way the story is written, the scene jumps from thing to thing so suddenly that I legitimately thought we were starting out with a dream sequence; it had that same disjointed, disconnected style with no transitions that I associate with authors trying to reproduce the ever-shifting nature of dreams. But no, I soon discovered this was meant to be a simple enough scene. However, the lack of transitions between scenes and even moments within a scene was very distracting, and this strangeness carried throughout the book. I never had a good understanding of how much time was passing, or when we were jumping to another time and location, or anything like that, because there was no attempt to naturally transition from place to place, either literally or metaphorically.

Overall, I struggled with much of this book. It was honestly surprising, because even with the confusion about the non-dream-sequence beginning, the writing was fast and compelling and I thought I would enjoy it. But then things quickly fell apart and I was left quite disappointed by the entire experience. That said, if you’re a big fan of fairytale re-tellings, there may be aspects of this story that appeal. I do think the romance was compelling, and the writing was fast and relatable. But if you’re looking for a more serious fantasy fairytale, this isn’t it.

Rating 6: What started out with a lot of promise quickly fell apart with errors in execution and character development.

Reader’s Advisory:

“After the Forest” isn’t on any good Goodreads lists, but it should be on Hansel and Gretel Stories

Serena’s Review: “Starling House”

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Book: “Starling House” by Alix E. Harrow

Publishing Info: Tor, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: Eden, Kentucky, is just another dying, bad-luck town, known only for the legend of E. Starling, the reclusive nineteenth-century author and illustrator who wrote The Underland–and disappeared. Before she vanished, Starling House appeared. But everyone agrees that it’s best to let the uncanny house―and its last lonely heir, Arthur Starling―go to rot.

Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses or brooding men, but an unexpected job offer might be a chance to get her brother out of Eden. Too quickly, though, Starling House starts to feel dangerously like something she’s never had: a home.

As sinister forces converge on Starling House, Opal and Arthur are going to have to make a dire to dig up the buried secrets of the past and confront their own fears, or let Eden be taken over by literal nightmares.

If Opal wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it.

Review: This was a book I was always going to read. The cover is right up my alley, of course. But the description of the story with its references to gothic houses and brooding men was also ticking all of the right boxes. On top of all of that, this is the same author who wrote “The Ten Thousand Doors of January,” a book I absolutely adored. Now, all of that said, I was a bit concerned going in due to the fact that this is a contemporary fantasy novel set in our modern world. For whatever reason, I’m very picky about this subgenre of fantasy. But it’s also just a tall task to write a compelling story that introduces magical elements into a world that in every other way is the same as our own. One or the other often is lacking in believability, either the magic or the description of our current society, leading to a disjointed weave where neither element really works with the other. But, frankly, this book served as a relief and reassurance: there ARE contemporary fantasy novels out there that work for me!

There was so much to love about this book, but I think I have to start with the voice of the main character. Yes, the book is broken up between two POVs, but it is not an even split, with Opal narrating the majority of the book. I won’t go off again on my main rants about the success of failure of multi-POV books, but I will note that Harrow takes advantage of an approach that I think vastly helps in this endeavor, and one that is often overlooked by authors. Opal, the primary narrator, tells her story in first person, while Arthur’s chapters are told from third person. Such a simple solution, but one that makes them easily distinguishable from one another without falling into the common trap of writing two voices that sound nearly identical. Third person storytelling is also the dominant form of storytelling across genres for a reason in that it allows a greater lens of commentary and description of events and scenes. So using this method, we are centered in Opal’s very distinctive voice, but through Arthur’s chapters, we are given a wider view of the greater circumstances.

But let’s get back to Opal. First person is a hard writing style to tackle, and one that I feel few authors truly master, often feeling that many books would be elevated form the mundane to the more exceptional had a simple change of tense been employed. But Harrow proves here how successful first person storytelling can be when done right. Opal’s voice is fierce, unique, and so clearly her own from the very start that the reader will immediately feel as if they know the exact type of person narrating the story before many details are even revealed. What’s more, Opal’s narration is clearly that of a somewhat unreliable narrator, which I think is the only honest way to truly do first person narration. When a character can only evaluate people and events from the perspective of their own world-view, their understanding colored by their own insecurities and past experiences, OF COURSE their narration is unreliable! Such is Opal’s story, an honest, and at time heart breaking, look at the harsh realities of poverty and small town life, but one that is also told from the perspective a young woman who has fought every day to make a life for herself and her brother. Opal isn’t a perfect person, but her story is one of self-acceptance, and learning the true nature of trust and family. It’s bracing at times, but ultimately beautiful.

Arthur’s story also covers some deep themes, such as duty, responsibility, choice, and, similar to Opal, family and grief. Of course, tied between them is a lovely slow-burn romance of the exact variety that I prefer. Firstly, their relationship is secondary to the overall story. And secondly, it develops in a natural manner full of small, every day moments and delayed realizations. Beyond these two, the house itself played a very unexpected role. I definitely went into the book expecting a certain type of haunted house story, and while some of this held true, I was also surprised and very pleased with the nuance brought to the house itself. In many ways, it served as an important third character all on its own.

I also loved the setting and overall story. The pacing was steady and gripping from the very start, never once lulling or letting the reader free from its captivating grip. Pieces to the larger mystery are slowly unspooled, all while greater and greater tension brews in the looming conflict between the house, its caretakers, and those who exist beyond it. Every time I felt like I had a good grasp on exactly where this story was going, it would abruptly swerve into an entirely different lane. The end, especially, took a turn I wasn’t expecting at all, but ended up really enjoying.

Honestly, I can’t say enough good things about this book. It’s stayed with me every since I finished it, and it’s definitely been one of those “ruiner” reads where I’ve struggled picking up my next few books because my mind keeps drifting back to this one. This is the sort of book that I think will appeal to a wide range of readers. It is fantasy, of course, but it also has elements of horror and historical fiction. Beyond this, it delves deeply into themes of power, privilege, and rage, topics that I think will interest many readers. And, of course, any fans of Harrow’s work previously should definitely check this one out.

Rating 10: Haunting in the true sense of the word, this book will stick with you long after you’ve finished the last page.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Starling House” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Hansel and Gretel Stories

Serena’s Review: “Flower and Thorn”

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Book: “Flower and Thorn” by Rati Mehrotra

Publishing Info: Wednesday Books, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: Irinya has wanted to be a flower hunter ever since her mother disappeared into the mysterious mist of the Rann salt flats one night. Now seventeen, Irinya uses her knowledge of magical flowers to help her caravan survive in the harsh desert. When her handsome hunting partner and childhood friend finds a priceless silver spider lily–said to be able to tear down kingdoms and defeat an entire army–Irinya knows this is their chance for a better life.

Until Irinya is tricked by an attractive imposter.

Irinya’s fight to recover the priceless flower and to fix what she’s done takes her on a dangerous journey, one she’s not sure she’ll survive. She has no choice but to endure it if she hopes to return home and mend the broken heart of the boy she’s left behind.

Review: Rati Mehrotra is a rather hit and miss author for me. I’ve read several books by her over the last few years, often without realizing they were written by the same author. Too often I get sucked in by a great book description before I check who actually wrote the book! And, while none of those books really hit the spot for me, there’s just no denying the creative world-building and storytelling at the heart of these books. Indeed, it was these very concepts that drew me in to begin with! And such was the case here, again. In both matters, unfortunately.

But let’s start with what I did like. As with her other books, the world-building and fantasy elements of this story were quite intriguing. I love a desert setting in my fantasy, and this landscape was utilized well in the descriptions of the life and culture of the people who made it their home. I also really loved the idea of magical flowers, with each having different properties, some more powerful than others, and some much more rare. I enjoyed the descriptions of the life of a flower hunter with dangers of hunting items so highly sought after by many different parties. As the story unfolds, this world felt alive and populated. And while the story is firmly a fantasy novel, I did enjoy the nods towards 16th century India and the inclusion of cultural and historical elements form that time and place.

The story also moves along at a fast clip, with various plot elements popping up within the first few chapters and setting our characters off on their various adventures. But while I could recognize that the story was moving at a fast clip, I did struggle to stayed connected to this story. This has been a problem with all of the books I’ve read by this author and I still struggle to put my finger on exactly what the problem is. Partly, I always have a hard time truly connecting to the main characters. Like the previous books I’ve read, objectively, I could recognize that Irinya was a good leading lady, full of spunk and wit. But I just couldn’t really care about her. Something about the voice and tone of the characters feels slightly removed, holding the reader at a bit of a distance rather than drawing you in.

As for the pacing, I also felt that while the story moved fairly quickly, there were also parts that lingered too long on unimportant scenes and descriptions that didn’t add to the overall story and, instead, threw me out of the book. I found myself repeatedly putting the book down and having to pick it up again and make myself keep going. Not because I was actively disliking it, but simply because it couldn’t manage to hold my attention fully. I also found a lot of the twists and surprises fairly predictable, which didn’t help my struggles to connect to the story.

At this point, I think there is something about this author’s style of writing that just doesn’t connect with me. That said, she does have creative ideas for fantasy novels and if you’re a fan of her work, you’ll likely enjoy this one too!

Rating 7: A unique world with intriguing fantasy elements, but I struggled to connect to the characters or the story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Flower and Thorn” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Indian Inspired Fantasy Books and South Asian Fantasy.

Book Club Review: “Snapdragon”

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We are part of a group of librarian friends who have had an ongoing book club running for the last several years. Each “season” (we’re nerds) we pick a theme and each of us chooses a book within that theme for us all to read. Our current theme is song inspirations, where we were given a random song from a random genre and had to pick a book based on the song.  For this blog, we will post a joint review of each book we read for book club. We’ll also post the next book coming up in book club. So feel free to read along with us or use our book selections and questions in your own book club!

Book: “Snapdragon” by Kat Leyh

Publishing Info: First Second, February 2020

Where Did We Get This Book: The library!

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

Song Inspiration: “Blasphemous Rumors” by Depeche Mode

Book Description: Kat Leyh’s Snapdragon is a magical realist graphic novel about a young girl who befriends her town’s witch and discovers the strange magic within herself.

Snap’s town had a witch. At least, that’s how the rumor goes. But in reality, Jacks is just a Crocs-wearing, internet-savvy old lady who sells roadkill skeletons online. It’s creepy, sure, but Snap thinks it’s kind of cool, too.

Snap needs a favor from this old woman, though, so she begins helping Jacks with her strange work. Snap gets to know her and realizes that Jacks may in fact have real magic—and an unlikely connection to Snap’s family’s past.

Kate’s Thoughts

Sometimes people can forget that the Halloween season doesn’t have to be all about the scares! There are plenty of non-scary stories that still feel like they fit in in the season, and “Snapdragon” is one of those stories. Why yes there is a witch and why yes there are bones and skeletons, but this middle grade graphic novel about a girl befriending a rumored witch is a very cozy and charming story about friendship and found family, all with a magical twist.

I thought this was a super cute read, with our intrepid protagonist Snap meeting Jacks, a rumored witch who teaches her about taxidermy and also a little bit of magic. I loved the friendship between Snap and Jacks, as Snap is a LOT and Jacks is very patient. I loved getting to know both of them individually but also through them getting to know each other. I really liked the mentor-mentee relationship, and I liked seeing Snap get to know Jacks and, therein, also getting to know herself AND to learn some things about her family’s past through her friendship with this supposed and friendly witch. The themes of friendship and found family were well presented for the audience, as well as themes of general family love and acceptance and love, whether it’s single mothers doing the best they can, or trans kids finding acceptance from their loved ones as well as their friend circles. You have all these things along with humor and some witchy magic and you have a recipe for a very sweet middle grade fantasy tale!

If you are looking for some adorable witchy fun for your middle grader reader, or even yourself, “Snapdragon” is a breezy and not so spooky choice!

Serena’s Thoughts

Overall, I enjoyed this read. Middle grade fiction was never a real favorite of mine, even when I was a middle grader, but I can definitely see the appeal of this book. In many ways, while it covers important and sometimes heavy topics, this is very much a cozy, feel-good fantasy novel. Snap is a fantastic lead character and probably my favorite part of the book. She was simply a fun person to follow through the story!

I also really liked the inclusion of intergenerational relationships. The story focuses on the relationships between many different characters, but this one stood out to me the most as one that we rarely see on the page, let alone in middle grade fiction that is often focused on peer relationships and maybe parents.

That said, I did struggle a bit with this particular art style. I found it rather clunky and difficult to parse facial expressions and other important aspects of the scenes. As a fantasy reader, I also found myself wish there had been a bit more with regards to just how the magic works in this world. I’m all for just going with the flow, but for me, this could have used a bit more fleshing out.

Overall, I think this book would appeal to many middle grade readers. However, if middle grade fiction or graphic novels aren’t your natural wheelhouse, you might feel a bit more disconnected from this one, like I did.

Kate’s Rating 7: A sweet and charming story about being yourself and found family, “Snapdragon” is a nice middle grade novel that could be fun for Halloween reading!

Serena’s Rating 7: A lovely little story that explores themes important to the middle graders while presenting a world of wonder and whimsy.

Book Club Questions

  1. The prompt for this book was “Blasphemous Rumors”, as Jacks has a lot of rumors surrounding her. Can you think of another book or story that has a character with rumors about them that may or may not be true?
  2. What did you think about Snap as a main character?
  3. What were your thoughts on the magical systems in this book? Do you think it was well conceived? Did you need more explanation?
  4. Did you like the artwork and character design in this book?
  5. Were there any side characters that you liked? What was it about them that you enjoyed?
  6. What did you think about Jacks’s backstory and connection to Snap’s family?

Reader’s Advisory

“Snapdragon” is included on the Goodreads lists “Comics for Witches”, and “Witchy Middle Grade & Tween”.

Next Book Club Pick: “Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah

Serena’s Review: “A Season of Monstrous Conceptions”

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

Book: “A Season of Monstrous Conceptions” by Lina Rather

Publishing Info: Tor, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: In 17th-century London, unnatural babies are being born: some with eyes made for the dark, others with webbed fingers and toes better suited to the sea.

Sarah Davis is intimately familiar with such strangeness—she herself was born marked by uncanniness. Having hidden her nature all her life and fled to London under suspicious circumstances, Sarah starts over as a midwife’s apprentice, hoping to carve out for herself an independent life. As a member of the illegal Worshipful Company of Midwives, Sarah learns to reach across the thinning boundary between her world and another, drawing on its power to heal and protect the women she serves.

When the wealthy Lady Wren hires her to see her through her pregnancy, Sarah quickly becomes a favorite of her husband, the famous architect Lord Christopher Wren, whose interest in the uncanny borders on obsession. Sarah soon finds herself caught in a web of magic and intrigue created by those who would use the magic of the Other World to gain power for themselves, and whose pursuits threaten to unmake the earth itself.

Review: As Kate has mentioned in some of her reviews, there’s definitely a current trend regarding horror and fantasy stories tackling motherhood, pregnancy, and birth. Pretty obvious why, given the national debate around the topic! Plus, regardless of contemporary happenings, there is a long history of birth and motherhood that has veered wildly between the mystical and the horrific. This novella tackles the same subject but adds actual monstrosities to the mix!

I really enjoy books like this that blend genres so effectively. Not only do we have the horror and fantasy elements, but the story takes place in an alternate 17th century London. This allowed the story to utilize not only its fantastical elements, that children are being born with monstrous traits, but also its historical time period as commentary on many aspects of human life. And, while I liked the fantasy aspects, I think the historical setting of this book is its real strength. At times, some of the magic and horror of what was actually going on was a bit hand-waved away with very little explanation. This is a novella, so I do understand not wanting to get too in-depth with some of these elements, but there were times that I was left questioning.

On the other hand, the historical setting felt very alive and drove much of the story. I particularly liked the group of midwives who were covertly running their own operation, attempting to record what was going on before the more official agencies got in to cover things up. Obviously, this isn’t really anything like the show “Call the Midwife” but it also did have similar vibes, especially with the cast of women we meet along the way.

I also really liked our main character. As an outsider in many ways, she had a unique perspective on the challenges tackled in this story. Obviously, having monstrous characteristics herself, her investment in the future of these children and the mothers who birth them is very close to her. If anything, the richness of her own story and the interesting and complex world we briefly explored left me a bit disappointed by the short length of this story. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy a novella and not always having to commit to a massive tome (especially as a fantasy reader, a genre that is known for its hefty wordcounts!). But I do think that this book is an example of a concept that was limited by its page count, rather than aided. There was just so much here, I wish we had more time to explore it all!

Rating 8: Creepy, but thought-provoking, my primary complaint is that I wanted more of it!

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Season of Monstrous Conceptions” can be found on this Goodreads list: Queer Horror

Serena’s Review: “Night of the Witch”

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

Book: “Night of the Witch” by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: A witch and a hunter. Vengeance is their mission. Love is their destiny.

Fritzi is a witch. A survivor of a brutal attack on her coven, she’s determined to find her only surviving family member and bring the hexenjägers—zealot witch hunters—to justice for the lives they ended. To do this, she will need to take down their leader—Kommandant Dieter Kirch.

Otto is a hexenjäger and a captain, the second in command to Dieter Kirch—but that’s just his cover. Years ago, the hexenjagers burned his innocent mother alive and since then, he has been planning a move against the witch hunters that tore his family apart. And now the time has come for them to pay for what they’ve done.

When Fritzi and Otto are unexpectedly thrown together, neither is sure they can trust the other, despite their common enemy. But all they have is one another, and they both crave revenge. As truths come to light and trust shifts, Fritzi and Otto uncover a far more horrifying plot at the center of the hexenjäger attacks . . . but their own growing feelings for each other may be the most powerful magic of all.

Review: I was able to meet the authors and snag a signed ARC of this way back at the ALA convention in June. Since then, I’ve been regularly pulling it out and trying to decide how early is too early to start reading a book that doesn’t release until October. But the day finally arrived, and this book, while not exactly what I was expecting, definitely lived up to my wildest dreams!

I don’t know why I had this in my head, but I definitely thought this was going to be a single POV book. Now, reading the book description, it seems pretty obvious that it was not going to be that. Honestly, I probably went in with a more optimistic attitude because of this misconception, as dual POV YA fantasy books rarely really work for me. But I’m happy to always be reminded that there are exceptions to that rule! Here, we see the proper equation to creating a dynamic dual POV book.

First, it starts with voice. It was supremely easy to tell the difference in narrative style between Fritzi and Otto. This doesn’t come down to any quirks in dialect or anything like that, but more the clearly different ways the two characters observe and relate to the world around them. Their senses of humor, levels of cynicism, and the various weights of emotional baggage are clearly different from one another, allowing readers to feel fully immersed both characters’ head.

Second, they each have a distinctive arc from one another, without one over-shadowing the other or their combined arcs turning out to be essentially the same story. Yes, they experience many of the same events, but their motivations, choices, and priorities are very much built up on the many years of life they bring to the current situation, lives that were very different from one another. While they find themselves with common enemies, they each have been coming at the problem from unique perspectives. What’s more, they have very, VERY, different relationships with the players involved, affecting how they each process and respond to certain situations.

Third, they have a joint arc that perfectly ties together their separate story lines and weaves a greater overarching plot line. I really appreciated the slow-burn nature of the romance, with each having to slowly come to trust and rely on the other. It’s never believable when I read these “enemy to lovers” stories where the pair immediately seems to get over whatever made them “enemies” to begin with and then just jump easily to “lovers” with no stumbling blocks of distrust, betrayal, or misunderstanding to be found. Here, these characters must quite naturally, over time, come to understand what makes up the other, and thus grow to love and respect them. It also helps that the “enemy” portion of their storyline is largely built on a misunderstanding, albeit it a natural and, in fact, necessary one. It would be truly hard to buy any story that saw a witch fall in love with an actual witch hunter. Instead, the authors found a clever way of side-stepping the issue while still getting at the juicy drama of it all.

I also am really enjoying this current trend towards Germanic fantasy and folklore. (Spoilers, I’ll be reading another Germanic fantasy here in another few weeks!) This book, specifically, included a lot of references to the historical and religious influences that played a role in the region, as well as a good dose of actual German words and phrases. While much of this was on the periphery of the main story, I appreciated these small touches.

I also liked the magic, fantasy, and witchy-ness of this story. While I was able to guess a few of the major reveals about this magic and the players involved, it was all interesting enough to keep me fully engaged with the story throughout. My one major complaint comes down to the ending of the book. It felt like the story had come to a nice, natural conclusion, leaving us with the rare, unicorn of a stand-alone YA fantasy. But alas, at the very last minute, and I mean very last minute, we get a reveal that effectively undoes this resolution. While I’m happy to return to these characters and this world, I’m not sure this ending actually benefited this book on its own merit.

Rating 8: Stellar! Full of danger, intrigue, and forbidden romance, this is how you do enemies-to-lovers stories right!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Night of the Witch” isn’t on any good Goodreads books, really, but it should be on Witchy YA.

Serena’s Review: “Bittersweet in the Hollow”

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

Book: “Bittersweet in the Hollow” by Kate Pearsall

Publishing Info: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: In rural Caball Hollow, surrounded by the vast National Forest, the James women serve up more than fried green tomatoes at the Harvest Moon diner, where the family recipes are not the only secrets.

Like her sisters, Linden was born with an unusual ability. She can taste what others are feeling, but this so-called gift soured her relationship with the vexingly attractive Cole Spencer one fateful night a year ago . . . A night when Linden vanished into the depths of the Forest and returned with no memories of what happened, just a litany of questions–and a haze of nightmares that suggest there’s more to her story than simply getting lost.

Now, during the hottest summer on record, another girl in town is gone, and the similarities to last year’s events are striking. Except, this time the missing girl doesn’t make it home, and when her body is discovered, the scene unmistakably spells murder.

As tempers boil over, Linden enlists the help of her sisters to find what’s hiding in the forest . . . before it finds her. But as she starts digging for truth–about the Moth-Winged Man rumored to haunt the Hollow, about her bitter rift with Cole, and even about her family–she must question if some secrets are best left buried.

Review: Somehow I managed to read two Mothman books in the same number of months? And then, even more strangely, I’m the one reviewing them here on the blog even though Kate’s the big Mothman fan of the two of us! Mostly, that’s because I was trying to get in a few of the more spooky but still fantasy YA novels this fall, and I guess Mothman is having a moment, because that’s what we got! While I had some quibbles with “Together We Rot,” I did like it overall, so I was definitely curious to see what another version of the famous cryptid would present!

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite work for me, but I do think this is largely down to my own personal preferences in reading more than any major flaws in the book itself. I’ll start with what I did like, as always, but fans of contemporary YA thriller/dark fantasy/horror may want to take the rest of it with a grain of salt as well. So, what I liked. Like the other Mothman book, I felt like this one really nailed its sense of place. Not only did the forest feel as if it was almost a character in its own right, but the entire town and region felt very unique as a culture. I also thought the style of writing was very successful with its building tension and pervasive sense of doom. I mean, I obviously have a fairly low bar for creepiness, definitely as compared to true horror fans like Kate, but if you’re looking for low level horror, I think this definitely has it.

As the book started, I felt like I was going to really like it. I was intrigued by Linden and her magical skill of tasting others’ feelings. And, surprising no one, I was very interested in the sister relationships that were being introduced, with each sister having her own abilities and role in the family. I was also intrigued by the romance that was first introduced, with the character of Cole, a young man who used to be closer with Linden before the events of the summer before (also, I just have to say, there’s something odd about the fact that both Mothman books I’ve read now featured very, very similar romance arcs…what’s with that??). Unfortunately, as the story continued, I found myself becoming less and less invested or interested in the book itself.

Many of the characters and relationships that were introduced quickly fell off the page or failed to deliver on the promises hinted at in the early parts of the books. The sisters quickly became hard to differentiate from one another, that is when we saw them at all. The relationship between Cole and Linden also became increasingly inexplicable. Linden spends a lot of time telling the reader that they have all of this beef between them, but their actual interactions on the page sees Cole being pretty much exclusively pleasant and nice to her.

The pacing also begins to drag quite a bit. It takes a long time for the murder to actually happen, or any pieces to the puzzle of Linden’s lost memories to fall into place. What’s more, once Linden supposedly starts trying to piece together this mystery, the clues seem to more fall into her lap that come about due to any actions on her part. And then, after what became painfully slow pacing through out much of the story, the resolution came charging in in the last 50 or so pages, leaving me with a feeling of whiplash when the story ended.

Honestly, while I was reading this book, I spent quite a bit of time setting it down and wondering whether I just really am not a fan of contemporary fantasy/horror. Even now, it’s hard for me to say whether this review comes from legitimate critiques of the story, or whether many of the things that didn’t work well for me are simply staples of the contemporary genre and I just don’t prefer them. I feel like the pacing is definitely a problem area, but my disconnect with the characters could have come down to a dislike for modern, contemporary characters. If you’re a big fan of YA horror/thrillers, this one might be for you, but I do think it’s on the slower side of things.

Rating 7: Definitely has some spooky moments and I appreciated the sense of place established, but the slower pacing and fairly flat characters left me feeling largely disconnected from this story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Bittersweet in the Hollow” can be found on this Goodreads list: YA Releases October 2023

Serena’s Review: “The Unmaking of June Farrow”

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Book: “The Unmaking of June Farrow” by Adrienne Young

Publishing Info: Delacorte Press, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: eARC from the publisher

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

Book Description: A woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Spells for Forgetting.

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

Review: I was super excited when I saw that Adrienne Young was coming out with another book this year. And adult fantasy, at that! As much as I enjoyed some of her earlier YA work, I’ve really enjoyed the turn her writing has taken lately toward adult fantasy, especially of the sort where the fantasy elements are largely in the background of a story more focused on characters, relationships, and mysteries. “Spells of Forgetting” was one of my favorite reads last year, and this one sounded very much like it was up the same alley!

I don’t think I can avoid minor spoilers when talking about this book, but it’s really only a “spoiler” in the sense that the official book summary doesn’t lay it all out there. Any quick perusal of Goodreads will reveal this. But if you’re really vigilant, I’m going to try to discuss quickly at the top the absolutely non-spoiler-y things and then get into the rest towards the end.

And the first non-spoiler fact is that I loved this book! It had a lot of similar features to “Spells for Forgetting” and they worked just as well this time around. Namely, Young’s talent for writing compelling, nuanced, and sympathetic characters. This talent extends beyond her ability to write great leading ladies and romantic interests, but also to the side characters and villains that populate her world. This book, in particular, did some great work with these side characters. By the nature of the story, we see several versions of these characters, and it was fascinating to piece together these pieces of their histories and how they interacted with those around them.

I also liked the mysteries at the heart of this story. There were several, including the truth behind the strange curse/mental illness that afflicts June’s family, as well as the disappearance of June’s mother, and a long-ago, unsolved cold case of the town’s preacher. All of these various mysteries wove in and out of one another, and even as you uncover a portion of the truth from one mystery, it simply adds another layer of unknowns to the remaining questions. I was able to piece together a few bits fairly early on, but there were definitely other reveals that took me by surprise. Depending on your sleuthing abilities, there was a fairly large twist that came late in the game that was actually so monumental that I wish the story had lingered over it a bit longer even than it did.

I also really liked the romance at the heart of this story. The love story is a slow-burn style romance, with much of the book carefully detailing June’s connection to the complicated man she meets after going through the door. Due to the nature of how they meet and the mystery of the door, this relationship faces several deep-seated conflicts built into the very core of who each character is. In my opinion, this is the best sort of love story, one that explores the personal arcs of each individual alongside the burgeoning romance building between them.

And now to the spoiler (sort of??) aspect of the review. Again, I don’t think this is a real spoiler as it’s revealed very early in the book and is commonly referenced in reviews. But the door that appears is in fact a time travel portal, allowing the Farrow women to move backwards and forwards through time. Overall, I really liked the way this conceit was worked into the story. It was explained and given parameters to a certain degree, but Young also didn’t get bogged down into a lengthy description of magic systems and space/time continuums. It is very much a tool at the service of the more character-driven story that makes up the heart of the book. And while I was reading, it was easy enough to simply go with the flow, as I was fully caught up in the stakes of June’s own story. That said, after I finished the book, there were some niggling bits of confusion and questions that began to bother me. On one hand, I think it’s really, really hard to write a time travel book that doesn’t lead to inevitable questions about how it could all possibly work. But the resolution of this book specifically is clearly meant to build to some greater point about how this specific example of time travel works, and I’m not sure it was fully successful in that regard. There were some lingering questions about whether the late game actions of characters really would accomplish what we were told they would.

Beyond that, I also questioned the initial premise a bit, that the Farrow women would understand the give and take of using the door and still continue to use it as they did. We’re told simply “they couldn’t resist, ultimately,” but I feel like this simplistic explanation actually does a massive disservice to the very nature of the complicated, nuanced characters that Young is known for creating. People don’t just do things, all of them making the same choice simply because, and one of Young’s strengths as a writer is her exploration of these differences between how and why people do what they do. This is a fairly minor complaint, but it did stand out at me, mostly because it is so out of step with the rest of the character exploration and explanation that we’re given. And, necessarily, it’s at the heart of much of the Farrow story, over the decades.

But while I did have lingering questions and quibbles, I can’t emphasize enough how much none of this bothered my actual reading experience. And even with these questions, I think the exploration of family, history, and the deep connections formed with those who make up our lives was so expertly done that I have no qualms recommending this to almost anyone, especially those who enjoy character-driven stories and slow-burn romances.

Rating 8: Atmospheric and lyrical, Adrienne Young does it again, painting a story of a long line of women whose lives weave in and out of one another’s creating a beautiful tapestry of love and mystery.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Unmaking of June Farrow” can be found on this Goodreads list: Moody stories about small towns with secrets and magic

Serena’s Review: “Throne of the Fallen”

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Book: “Throne of the Fallen” by Kerri Maniscalco

Publishing Info: Little, Brown and Company, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: Sinner. Villain. Ruthless.

These are wicked names the Prince of Envy welcomes. They remind him what he isn’t: a saint. And when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows he’ll be called much worse before it ends. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way. With a powerful artifact and his own future at stake, Envy is determined to win, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin—and passion—like no other…

Talented. Darling. Liar.

The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows notorious rake—and satire sheet legend—Lord Phillip Vexley to blackmail her. And now it seems Vexley isn’t the only scoundrel interested in securing her unique talents as a painter. To avoid Vexley’s clutches and a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Waverly Green’s newest arrival, enigmatic Lord Ashford ‘Syn’ Synton, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature . . .

Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Shifting Isles—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm, and encounters with exiled Fae—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love. 

Review: I’ll admit, I knew very little about this book when I picked it up. It was a book that the publisher approached me with, and, giving it a brief once over, sounded like something up my alley. I like fantasy. I like romance. I’m always on the hunt for a good combination of the two. Plus, there’s something oddly appealing about the rather old-fashioned romance book cover art on this one. Reminds me of some of the Nora Roberts stuff we were seeing in the 90s and early 2000s, in the best of ways!

It was only after I started reading that I connected several facts. One, I’ve actually read a book by this author, “Stalking Jack the Ripper,” which I very much enjoyed. And two, that this was an adult spin-off of a popular YA fantasy series, “Kingdom of the Wicked,” that was already published. Before getting into the nitty gritty, I will say that I do think this book works as a spin-off. There are clearly references to characters and plots from this first series, but I didn’t find myself overly confused or struggling to put together pieces from those books to fill out the one I was reading. So, if you haven’t read that series and are interested in this one, I do think it is approachable on that front.

And, while this book didn’t work for me, I do want to touch on a few positives first, as always. Firstly, this author has a very clear, fast-paced style of writing that I think appeals to a lot of readers. Indeed, it was this style of writing that made “Stalking Jack the Ripper” work for me as it did. Secondly, while I haven’t read the other series, I’m guessing that this spin-off will work well for all of the established fans. It’s easy enough to see the similarities and the simple changes (largely the inclusion of more graphic romance scenes) that might have been made to adjust the story for adult fantasy romance readers. So, if you like the original series, this will probably work for you. New readers, however…I think you can find better.

I struggled in a few ways, but the first and most prominent one was the way the pacing and romance of the book played out. I’m not overly prudish about my romance, but there are still a few necessary steps that make a romance work for me. Namely, you need to build up a relationship before you get to any pay-off. And this book…didn’t do that. We get a fairly graphic, if imaginary, scene in which the heroine is fantasizing about being with the hero within the first few chapters of the book, after briefly meeting him once and exchanging, at most a few sentences. To me, scenes like this fail to actually deliver what the appeal is meant to be in romance novels: I have zero investment in these characters together, and thus reading a prolonged, fantasized scene of the two them together after only just meeting them both…does nothing for me. It feels like its being graphic and sexual purely for graphic sexuality’s sake, as if the author was so desperate to make sure it was known that this was an adult fantasy romance that she hurried to squish this scene in, even if it’s completely unnecessary and unappealing in its own right.

This is a brief example, but it perfectly illustrates my ongoing struggles with the pacing of the relationship, and these two characters in general. I didn’t particularly like either of the lead characters, and I became increasingly frustrated with the passive nature of the heroine as the story continued. Envy (I won’t even get into the awkward reading nature of the names; I get that it’s the seven deadly sins, but Envy/Syn was so hard to take seriously every time I read t on the page) keeps telling us how feisty Camilla is, but then she seems very passive in any actual action. I was interested in her story when she was initially introduced, but it was hard to connect the type of woman who made a life for herself in the way that she must have with the type of character who was actually on the page.

From some brief sleuthing, I can tell that Envy must have been something of a fan favorite background character in the original series. And, yeah, I can see it. When given the correct moments, he definitely has some snark and spunk, especially of the variety that works great as a side character who pops up to dazzle in a scene. If anything, I liked him more when we saw him interacting with the other Princes of Hell. But when he was serving as the romantic lead, he didn’t connect with me, and I didn’t buy the chemistry between him and Camilla.

Overall, this one really didn’t work with me. Mostly, the pacing and the approach to the romantic elements started off on the wrong foot and the story never recovered from there. However, I’m guessing that this will be an unpopular opinion and that fans of the original series will gobble this one up!

Rating 6: A bit of a disappointment, mostly due to the rushed nature of the romance scenes and my inability to connect to either leading character.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Throne of the Fallen” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Epic High Fantasy/Romance/Mythology in 2023 and Lock and Key.

Kate’s Review: “The Court of Shadows”


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Book: “The Court of Shadows” by Victor Dixen and Francoise Bui (translator)

Publishing Info: Amazon Crossing, September 2023

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

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

Book Description: A fiery heroine seeks vengeance against a royal court of deadly vampires in this epic alternate history set in lavish Versailles.

Louis XIV transformed from the Sun King into the King of Shadows when he embraced immortality and became the world’s first vampire. For the last three centuries, he has been ruling the kingdom from the decadent Court of Shadows in Versailles, demanding the blood of his subjects to sate his nobles’ thirst and maintain their loyalty.

In the heart of rural France, commoner Jeanne Froidelac witnesses the king’s soldiers murder her family and learns of her parents’ role in a brewing rebellion involving the forbidden secrets of alchemy. To seek her revenge, Jeanne disguises herself as an aristocrat and enrolls in a prestigious school for aspiring courtiers. She soon finds herself at the doors of the palace of Versailles.

But Jeanne, of course, is no aristocrat. She dreams not of court but of blood. The blood of a king.

Review: Thank you to Amazon Crossing for sending me an ARC of this novel!

It’s early in the Halloween season (well…. okay it’s early in October, as for me the Halloween season starts the day after Labor Day), and you know that I just had to have a vampire story in my Horrorpalooza line up somewhere. So here we have “The Court of Shadows”, a historical fiction/alternate timeline/ vampire horror tale by Victor Dixen. Originally published in France, it has been translated into multiple languages and now it is hitting the United States. When it ended up in my mailbox I was wholly, wholly interested, and knew that it was going to be perfect to showcase during Horrorpalooza. Vampires in Versailles is just ingenius. And “The Court of Shadows” really sucked me in.

Dixen has created a familiar and yet foreign alternative timeline, in which much of the world has had vampires insert themselves into seats of power to govern countries and to feed upon the lower classes while they use the upper classes to keep them in line. In France King Louis the Sun King has been ruling as a vampire for 300+ years, and has established a court of aristocrats to keep the common folk in line while they are taxed of their blood. It’s such a unique vampire mythos that uses themes of the aristocracy and a parasitic nature (in multiple ways) that works SO WELL in vampire tales and makes them feel fresh. You add in a competition at a prestigious school that creates protectors and right hand men/women for the vampires, all potentially ending with a granted chance at vampirism for the winners, and I was completely enthralled. It makes for some engaging political intrigue as people plot and scheme, and try to make their ambitions bear fruit by any means necessary, all while they are pitted against each other for darker ends. I also highly enjoyed the concept of the Vampyria rule essentially stalling society in time, technology and culture wise, as it reads like France is still very much existing during the reign of the Sun King even though it is three hundred years later (aka, modern day). As a vampire tale, it works very well.

I also really liked Jeanne’s story arc as she goes from rural ‘commoner’ to vengeful imposter with a mission to kill the vampiric King Louis, and where that drive and ambition and journey takes her characterization. When we first meet her she is a bit in the dark about her family’s involvement in a potential rebellion against Vampyria, and in a moment of panic and self preservation she passes herself off as an aristocrat and ends up at a school where she will be trained to protect the vampires from any threats. From there she decides to win the favor and the training competition they are holding, as it will get her close to those who had her family killed, including Louis himself. It harkens back to dystopia tales like “The Hunger Games” or “The Belles”, but what I liked about Jeanne is that her rage and need for vengeance starts to transform her into a calculating, and in some ways merciless and brutal, competitor. I liked the complexity and how at times she was downright vicious, and walking towards the precipice of becoming a villain in her own way. It makes me all the more excited for the next book in the series, “The Court of Miracles”.

I enjoyed “The Court of Shadows”. The intrigue, the competition, the vampires, it all worked for me. I am very interested in seeing where we go from here in the next one.

Rating 9: Filled with political intrigue, complex characters, and a dark fantasy vision of a vampire run world, “The Court of Shadows” is entertaining and a Gothic delight.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Court of Shadows” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but I think that if you enjoyed “The Belles” and general vampire fiction, this could be a good match.