Tag: Fantasy

Serena’s Review: “Reign Returned” and “Blood Divided”

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Book: “Reign Returned” by Katie Keridan

Publishing Info: SparkPress, September 2022

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: Kyra Valorian is the most gifted Astral healer the golden-blooded realm of Aeles has seen in ages. When tragedy strikes, Kyra discovers she possesses a life-changing she’s a Recovrancer, able to enter the realm of the dead and recover those who’ve died before their time. Unfortunately, recovrancy is outlawed in her realm. Desperate for answers, Kyra will do anything to get them . . . even partner with a dangerous enemy.

Review: I was approached to review the second book in this series, but, being a duology, it was important that I read the first book first. So, to that end, I’m going to put two mini reviews into one post and cover both books today! Let’s get started with the first book!

Right off the bat, it’s clear that the author has a very approachable style of writing. It was very easy to find myself becoming invested in both of our main characters right from the start. Their various motivations were clear, with their very different backgrounds playing into how they approached decision making when they did come together. Kyra’s dream of following in her father’s footsteps as a healer begins to waver as she uncovers truths about her nation, but throughout the story she maintains an optimistic, hopeful approach to the world. For his part, Sebastian’s history is much darker, as is the way he makes his living current, as an assassin. I appreciated that the author didn’t look away from the reality of what this profession would look like. It’s definitely a steep task to set yourself to show one of your characters killing people, but then make them still sympathetic and worth investment as half of a romantic pair.

The pacing and plotting of the story were all on point. From the first chapter, we are privy to knowledge about Kyra and Sebastian’s history that they only slowly uncover over the course of the story. The reader knows just enough to guess at certain clues, but there were still surprises in store. This isn’t an action-packed story, but the characters (especially some of the fun side characters, like the animal companions and an actual dragon!) really carry the story for much of it. However, the story does build to a good climatic conclusion.

While I like the world-building overall, I was a bit confused at times trying to picture the type of world we’re meant to be envisioning. There were elements that read as very “sci-fi” like comm systems and transporters, essentially, but then there was also the dragon and some unicorns. I have no problem with blending genres as a concept, but here at a certain point it felt more like I just gave up trying to put it all together into a cohesive world and just went with the flow, which isn’t necessarily the way you want to get the reader through.

Rating 8: A solid first book in a duology that definitely left me eager to jump into the second book!

Book: “Blood Divided” by Katie Keridan

Publishing Info: SparkPress, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher

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

Book Description: Kyra Valorian and Sebastian Sayre have finally remembered their pasts as the former Felserpent Queen and King, and now it’s time for them to change the future―by reuniting the realms and bringing peace to Astrals and Daevals. But tensions between Aeles and Nocens have never been higher, and those of silver and gold blood are more divided than ever.

In addition to improving her recovrancy abilities and completing internship, Kyra is determined to uncover her father’s role in the evil Astral experimentation program, no matter the danger. As Sebastian learns to be in a relationship, he finds himself facing the traumas of two very different pasts, forcing him to make tough decisions about his chosen profession and who he wants to be. Meanwhile, Tallus, arch-enemy to the Felserpent monarchy, has also returned―and it will take help from Cyphers, as well as friends both old and new, to find and stop him.

As Kyra and Sebastian struggle to navigate the differences between their past and current relationship, one thing’s part of fulfilling their destiny means accepting their fate. The choices they make will reach all the way into Death in this thrilling found family sequel to Reign Returned.

Review: While the last book didn’t end of a cliffhanger exactly, there was still a massive shift in perspectives made with Sebastian and Kyra remembering their former lives as the Felserpent King and Queen. I was very curious how this would be tackled, as both characters now have to deal with not only the memories of past selves, but must still content with the people they are now and the lives they already lived in these bodies. And, ultimately, I really liked how it was handled here. Having these memories did not suddenly erase the romantic tension, something I was concerned about, but added a new intriguing layer to the proceedings. I also liked how these past life experiences played into the ways that Kyra and Sebastian dealt with the problems they were facing currently.

There were various mysteries that had to still be tackled from the first book, both smaller ones having to do with Kyra’s father and Sebastian’s own personal history, but the last few pages also dropped the fact that a new villain was on the stage. It was fairly easy to predict who this character was, but I did like the way this storyline was tackled, weaving neatly between past events and the current conflicts. The story had a lot of ground to cover in this book, and I felt like things moved along quickly, while also not losing the charm of the first book.

Overall, this was a very creative, well-done fantasy duology that I think is well-below the radar of many readers who would enjoy it. If you’re a fantasy-lover looking for something fresh and unique, this is definitely the duology for you!

Rating 8: An excellent conclusion, full of action, adventure, and romance, perfect for fantasy-lovers of every variety!

Blog Tour: “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch”

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Book: “The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” by Melinda Taub

Publishing Info: Grand Central Publishing, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: from the publisher!

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

Book Description: In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you’re a witch, promises have power . . .

Review: First of all, thanks again to Laurel for reaching out about participating in this blog tour! I obviously love all things Jane Austen, so I jumped at the opportunity to read and review a unique re-imaging like this one. And, spoilers, as I loved it so much, I truly hope this tour helps raise this book up in the awareness of Janeites, as I think it’s the kind of re-telling that will work for a lot of the P &P fans in the community.

I will admit to being initially a bit skeptical of the entire premise of this book. Not only was it claiming to re-tell “Pride and Prejudice” from the POV of one of the more unlikable characters in that story, namely Lydia Bennet, but it was also going to mange to re-imagine this Regency world to the point that Lydia was also a witch. Oh, and Kitty’s a literal cat and and Wickham is a demon AND still a potential love interest. I have to say, I was more skeptical of the latter being possible than the former! But man, was I proven wrong! Turns out you can write such a book!

So, I think there are two ways to evaluate this book. One has to do with how it does in regards to maintaining or accentuating the original story. And the other has to do with what success it has with its original characters and concepts. Let’s start with the original stuff, as I think the biggest concern with re-tellings or re-imagings of beloved classics is that the new version will somehow harm what is most enjoyed about the original. And I think that was one of the cleverest conceits of this approach to the story. Lydia shows up on the page very little in the original story, and she’s nowhere to be found, doing who knows what (well, flirting with Wickham), throughout almost the entire second half of the book. By focusing on her story, the author allows the plot of the original to unfold neatly on its own in the background. I was also impressed with the way the author wove Lydia’s story in and out of the plot points of the original, all while creating a story that could have neatly existed right alongside the original, with no one the wiser (well, a few characters the wiser, but they would have their own reasons for not telling).

There were also a number of small Easter egg type tie-ins to the original story that are sure to please fans. Just a small example, but in the original story, there’s a bit of a throwaway line about how, when found in London, Lydia pays no attention to and ignores Mrs. Gardener when she tries to speak with Lydia about her behavior and situation. Here, the author cleverly references these interactions, but comes up with an entirely different reason for why Mrs. Gardener would come away with this re-enforced negative impression of Lydia.

Beyond this, I really liked the original characters, or new versions of old characters. Kitty being an actual cat, of course, was very clever and worked surprisingly well for the story. I also liked demon!Wickham. There were some very clever adjustments to his backstory and timeline that go far to allow him to be a satisfying love interest in this new version, all while retaining enough of his “Wickam-ness” to fit alongside the original. Of course, we also got to spend a lot more time with characters like Mrs. Forster, the woman who befriends Lydia and invites her on the fateful trip to Brighton. I really liked the arc that we saw in this friendship. While the romance is, of course, nice, much of Lydia’s personal arc has more to do with the friendships and sisterhoods she experiences throughout this book. We see close relationships falter, new relationships form, and original judgements of other women be wildly off-base. For example, not only does Miss Darcy play a fairly major role in this story, but we also get a character that is referenced in Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, “Sandition” who also is heavily involved in the overall plot.

And, of course, I really liked Lydia! Her voice, especially in the first half of the novel is familiar and deftly inline with the version we know from “Pride and Prejudice.” But as the story continues, the reader begins to realize that Lydia is an unreliable narrator, and the story becomes more complex on a character level from there. The magic and fantasy elements also worked surprisingly well, weaving naturally in and out alongside our familiar Regency world. Frankly, the story commits to the fantasy elements WAY more than I was expecting; there’s a lot more to it than “Oh, Lydia Bennet as a bit of magic, but it’s no real change!” Really, this book worked in pretty much every way that matters! There was, perhaps, a bit of a drag in pacing towards the middle of the story, but even then, I was having enough fun with the entire experience to be unbothered. If you’re a fan of “Pride and Prejudice” and looking for a completely new take on the story, this book is definitely for you!

Rating 9: The confidence it takes to change famous Austen characters into cats and demons and witches is only matched by the sheer skill with which Taub manages to pull it all off!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Best of 2023: Jane Austen Variations and Best Books with “Witch” in the Title.

Year of Sanderson: “Yumi and the Nightmare Painter”

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“Year of Sanderson” is an on-going, monthly series that will post on the last Friday of each month in which I will cover various Brandon Sanderson-related things. This will largely be comprised of book reviews (some from his back catalog and some from the books being released this year), as well as assorted other topics like reviews of the items in the swag boxes that will be coming out as part of Sanderson’s Kickstarted campaign. Frankly, we’ll just have to see what we get from this series, very much like the Kickstarter itself!

Book: “Yumi and the Nightmare Painter” by Brandon Sanderson

Publishing Info: Dragonsteel Entertainment, July 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

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

Book Description: Yumi comes from a land of gardens, meditation, and spirits, while Painter lives in a world of darkness, technology, and nightmares. When their lives suddenly become intertwined in strange ways, can they put aside their differences and work together to uncover the mysteries of their situation and save each other’s communities from certain disaster?

Review: Here we are back again with the third new book from Brandon Sanderson for the year! We have had a bit of an up and down time of it so far, with “Tress” being one of my favorites of his books ever, and then “Wizarding Guide” ending up as one of my lower rated Sanderson books that I can remember. But I’m pleased to report that this book sees a return to much of what I love about Sanderson’s writing: interesting new worlds, and most importantly, very likable leading characters.

Again, I have to mention the absolutely superb quality of these special editions of Sanderson’s four novels this year. This one, in particular, is simply gorgeous. What’s more, the dreamy, romantic style of the art perfectly pairs with the slower, more character-driven and whimsical story that makes up the heart of this book. In the afterword, Sanderson mentions how his wife always pushes him to include more romance in his stories (thank you to her, since I, too, always appreciate a good romantic subplot in my fantasy/science fiction!), and so this book, with its strong emphasis on the slow-burn romance between its two main characters was really a love letter to her. And man, does it work!

When Sanderson’s character work is on point, it really is on point. And here he masterfully manages to play to two of his strengths: creative world-building and unique magic systems, all in the greater purpose of creating a situation where Yumi and Painter spend 90% of the story in close connection to one another. It is very clear, as the story plays out, how much of this world and story are built in service of this primary goal. But while these frameworks are in place to allow for the character plot lines, they also feel compelling and creative in their own right.

I very much enjoyed the two different worlds and cultures that Sanderson gives us here, with Yumi coming from a more traditional, religiously-focused culture, with many restrictions and rituals placed on her existence, and Painter hailing from a more modern world, one with electricity and even a version of TV. This allows for a very real culture clash between the two when each is forced to live in the world of the other and comes to slowly understand who the other person is and why. Each has been shaped by the worlds they come from, but when supplanted into another world, we see the true heart of each. Yumi’s bravery and resilience, Painter’s desire to protect and serve those around him. And each struggling under the enormous pressure put on them from not only outside forces, but from within as well.

The pacing of this story is much more on the slower side of things. Many scenes are included purely for character growth and the incremental, but amazingly sweet, steps that make up Yumi and Painter’s blossoming romance. There are side characters, of course, and a few of them had some legitimate surprises in store, but they all paled in comparison to Yumi and Painter. Indeed, their story was so clearly the heart of the book, that there were times when even these short moments focused on the side characters felt like they dragged the pacing down a bit.

Overall, however, I really enjoyed this book. It was not as action-packed as some of other Sanderson’s stories, but I think its focus on characters and the love story were truly a joy to experience. Pair that with the absolutely fantastic art, and this was an amazing reading experience.

Rating 8: A lovely, character-driven story that highlights how Sanderson’s writing can be more than just amazing magic systems.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Yumi and the Nightmare Paiter” is on this Goodreads list: Books that inspired or are similar to Studio Ghibli / Hayao Miyazaki films.

Serena’s Review: “Shield Maiden”

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Book: “Shield Maiden” by Sharon Emmerichs

Publishing Info: Redhook, October 2023

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

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

Book Description: Both epic and intimate, Sharon Emmerichs’s extraordinary debut novel reimagines  Beowulf  from the perspective of a young woman reclaiming her power. 
 
All her life, Fryda has longed to be a shield maiden, an honor reserved for Geatland’s mightiest warriors. When a childhood accident leaves her tragically injured and unfit for the battlefield, her dreams are dashed—or so she thinks. But a strange, unfathomable power is awakening within her, a power that will soon be put to the test.
 
For when foreign lords and chieftains descend upon Fryda’s home to celebrate her uncle King Beowulf’s fifty-year reign, she realizes not all their guests come with good intentions. Treachery is afoot, and Fryda must gather her courage to fight for her people…as a queen should—as a shield maiden would—and as only Fryda can.
 
But as Fryda’s power grows stronger, something ancient hears its call. For buried deep in her gilded lair, a dragon awakens…and Fryda must prove herself once and for all.

Review: I’m not overly familiar with the story of Beowolf. I know the general plot points, but I’ve never read any versions of the original, only loose re-imaginings. So, to continue that trend, I guess, I was happy to check out this book, another story that approaches the original from a unique angle, this time that of a young woman whose dreams of becoming a shield maiden have been hindered by a tragic accident when she was young.

This book was a bit of a struggle for me, which is too bad, because it was one of the fall titles that I was especially looking forward to. But first, I’ll cover some of the things that worked for me. For one thing, the overall writing I think is fairly strong. I wasn’t distracted by any strange turns of phrase, and the plot moved along smoothly, if somewhat slowly, throughout the story. I was also surprised by some of the choices the author made with perspective, especially the chapters sprinkled throughout that come from the point of view of the dragon that makes an appearance at the end of this story, as with the end of “Beowolf.”

But this last point also gets to a few of my problems with the story. While the writing was strong enough, I felt that the structure of the story was strange. Given the fact that the dragon had not one but multiple chapters of its own, I expected it to play a much larger role in the story itself. As it stands, the dragon only shows up at the end and is very succinctly dealt with, making the build up to this confrontation feel strange in hindsight.

I also struggled with the main character. I liked the exploration of her life attempting to become a shield maiden, seemingly thwarted at every turn by not only her role in life but also the devastating injury she sustain as a young girl which left her with limited use of one of her hands. But beyond these larger strokes, her choices and naivety throughout the story were increasingly difficult not to become frustrated by. She has not only one friend who is enslaved, but her love interest has also lived as a slave of the household. And yet Fryda seems largely unaware of what life is like for these two, close friends she’s known since children. Not only that, she is surprised when she learns of things they experience and the limitations of their existence.

I also struggled with the romance, which was very disappointing, as I went in with high hopes for this aspect of the story. But right from the beginning, I knew this wasn’t going to be for me. In the first scene in which we meet these two, they are obviously both into one another, but in both of their perspectives, the reader is subjected to fairly ridiculous inner thoughts and even outwards expressions of doubt about the other. At one point, they outright ask those around them if they think the other is into them! I believe this book is marketed as an adult fantasy, and this depiction of romance was incredibly juvenile, even by YA standards, a category to which this book shouldn’t belong.

All of this aside, I definitely think there is an audience for this book. For all that the romance wasn’t for me, I think it’s the kind that will appeal to a lot of other readers. If anything, I will admit that it was a breath of fresh air that both characters were rather straight-forwardly interested in each other, without either being grumpy or an “enemy” of the other. But, for me, this book was a bit of a let down.

Rating 7: Solid writing and an approachable romance will likely be a hit for many readers, but I was put off by some of the structure of the book as well as the overly YA nature of the love story.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Shield Maiden” isn’t currently on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Based on Beowulf.

Serena’s Review: “A Multitude of Dreams”

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Book: “A Multitude of Dreams” by Mara Rutherford

Publishing Info: Inkyard Press, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: Princess Imogen of Goslind has lived a sheltered life for three years at the boarded-up castle—she and the rest of its inhabitants safe from the bloody mori roja plague that’s ravaged the kingdom. But Princess Imogen has a secret, and as King Stuart descends further into madness, it’s at great risk of being revealed. Rations dwindle each day, and unhappy murmurings threaten to crack the facade of the years-long charade being played within the castle walls. Nico Mott once enjoyed a comfortable life of status, but the plague took everyone and everything from him. If not for the generosity of a nearby lord, Nico may not have survived the mori roja’s aftermath. But does owing Lord Crane his life mean he owes him his silence? When Lord Crane sends Nico to search for more plague survivors in the castle, Nico collides with a princess who wants to break out. They will each have to navigate the web of lies they’ve woven if they’re going to survive the nightmares that lie ahead.

Review: I pretty much went and placed a request for this book so quickly that I failed to notice much of anything about it…other than the fact that I loved the cover art! When I slowed down and took the time to actually look into the book I was requesting, I was pleased to realize that it was another book by Mara Rutherford, the author of “The Poison Season,” a book I read last winter and very much enjoyed. I also found it very amusing that this book sounds like a medieval, fantasy version of Covid lockdowns, with one of our main characters having spent many years “sheltering in place” in a castle.

While I did have a few quibbles with this one, overall I thought it was a fun, stand-alone fantasy. I liked both of our main characters, especially Imogen. Her history and experiences in the castle were interesting and lead to a lot of great character dynamics between her, her father the king, and her three sisters. But starting here and throughout the rest of this review, most of my main quibbles were that I wish there was a just a bit more…something to this book. These relationships, built around a shared secret, were all rich and ripe for delving into the complex nature of family relationships, especially when external forces twist them. There were moments when the story tackled these concepts, brief flashes into the complicated feelings that Imogen has towards her father, in particular. But I felt like these brief brushes against deeper wells of emotions often left me feeling frustrated that we weren’t devoting more time and attention to these themes.

Nico’s story is the much more action-oriented of the two. His was also the one that lead to probably the most surprising twist of the story. I was honestly not expecting this book to take the turn that it did, but once it did, I was able to catch up quickly to the type of story we’d be reading. After that, some of the other twists and turns were more expected, but not displeasing in their own right. When Nico and Imogen meet, their relationship progresses fairly quickly. It does verge a bit too closely to “instalove” for my taste, given that the entire book takes place over a few days. But as the love story isn’t the main focus of the story, I wasn’t overly bothered by the fact that it came on so quickly.

I will say, I did struggle a bit with the use of Judaism in this book. The author mentions in her note that she wanted to explore how the Jewish population was often targeted when disasters like plague struck a region. But while I think this exploration on its own is interesting (indeed, I think it’s actually been a topic I’ve seen covered in a handful of other fantasy titles within the the last few years), I wasn’t sure that the execution worked as well here. Mostly because the inclusion of Jews made me question the world-building itself. There were no other recognizable ethnic or religious groups included. Instead, the entire world is clearly second-world fantasy (some of the twists and turns take the story to a truly fantastical place), so it was throw me off to suddenly stray across a reference to the Jewish quarter. It simply read as strange. And beyond that, again, here, this was very much a theme and section of the book that was only touched on briefly here and there. It was never truly central to the story. That being the case, to not really make the treatment of Jewish communities a true central portion of your story, the inclusion felt strange when no other recognizable parts of our world were there alongside it. It almost felt like the author had written the entire book in one draft, and then decided she wanted to cover this topic of history as well and simply went back and just inserted references to Judaism into the completed text. It was strange.

Overall, this was an enjoyable book. I read it very quickly and did enjoy the two main characters especially. However, I was also left wanting more from a lot of the themes that were briefly touched upon in the story.

Rating 7: A good read for those looking for a fresh YA fantasy, though it fails to deeply explore many of the themes it introduces.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Multitude of Dreams” can be found on this Goodreads list: Raven & Crow

Serena’s Review: “The Fragile Threads of Power”

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

Book: “The Fragile Threads of Power” by V.E. Schwab

Publishing Info: Tor, September 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: Once, there were four worlds, nestled like pages in a book, each pulsing with fantastical power, and connected by a single city: London. Until the magic grew too fast, and forced the worlds to seal the doors between them in a desperate gamble to protect their own. The few magicians who could still open the doors grew more rare as time passed and now, only three Antari are known in recent memory―Kell Maresh of Red London, Delilah Bard of Grey London, and Holland Vosijk, of White London.

But barely a glimpse of them have been seen in the last seven years―and a new Antari named Kosika has appeared in White London, taking the throne in Holland’s absence. The young queen is willing to feed her city with blood, including her own―but her growing religious fervor has the potential to drown them instead.

And back in Red London, King Rhy Maresh is threatened by a rising rebellion, one determined to correct the balance of power by razing the throne entirely.

Amidst this tapestry of old friends and new enemies, a girl with an unusual magical ability comes into possession of a device that could change the fate of all four worlds.

Her name is Tes, and she’s the only one who can bring them together―or unravel it all.

Review: I can fairly confidently say that this was my most anticipated read of 2023. Not only have I enjoyed every V.E. Schwab book I’ve read, but my favorites by were were the three books that made up her “Shades of Magic” trilogy. And its been years and years and years since those books came out! I wasn’t even expecting a return to this world as the original trilogy ended quite neatly. But not only are we returning to the world, but we’re returning to the same main characters (plus a few extras) several years later! The best of the best.

And yes, there was a lot to like about this book! First and foremost, for fans of the original trilogy, I’m happy to report that our main characters are just as awesome as you remember them, perhaps even more so as they tackle the ever more complex relationships between one another. I was a bit concerned going in that Lila, Kel, Rys and Luc would be relegated to background characters who just flitted in and out of the main storyline. But rest assured, they play vital, central roles to everything that is happening. Per my experience with the first trilogy, Lila is still far and away my favorite character of the four. As the book plays out, the story jumps backwards in time at several points to show how are characters have lived over the last eight or so years. Through these flashbacks, we get to see Lila as a captain, Lila as a reluctant leader, and, best of all, Lila as a support system for Kel as he deals with the loss of his magic. Of course, her “support” comes in the very hard-nosed style that we all would expect from her.

For his part, Kel’s story was heart-breaking as he traverses the various stages of grief over the loss of the central portion of his identity. Schwab doesn’t shy away from the very dark places that this kind of loss can inflict on people. Rys probably gets the least page time, but for this book, at least, his story is the most straight-forward: learning how to become a king at a very young age. Alucard was the one who surprised me the most, however. In the original trilogy, he felt like the least of the four characters (not necessarily in preference, just in page time and the amount of story given to him). But here he is probably the most central character of the four to the main arch and mystery that makes up the plot of this book. I really enjoyed getting to spend more time with this character, and I’m very intrigued to see where he goes from there.

Now, to the new characters. Yes, of course, they are very good as well, especially Tes, the young girl with the extraordinary ability to see and manipulate magic itself. Her history was interesting, with a complicated and, at times, frightening family. And her abilities open a lot of pathways forward (perhaps too many? She definitely has the potential to run the story into the “Superman problem” where a character is so over-powered that essentially any conflict going forward could be solved by that one person simply intervening). I also liked the Antari queen that we meet in White London. There’s an interesting mystery building there, but I have to admit that she was my least favorite of the group. Not because she was a bad character in her own right, but because she had some stiff competition and there were a few mysteries that I feel are leading in a very obvious, dark direction which makes me struggle to truly connect ot her.

So, that’s a lot about characters, and there’s a reason why: Yes, I mostly read for characters, so that’s common of my reviews. But in this case, the characters were truly the heart of the story. As much as I enjoyed this read, and I really, really did, it definitely suffers as being the first book in a trilogy. Almost 90% of the story is devoted to understanding how our familiar characters ended up where they did and introducing the new characters and their history. Beyond that, there’s a rather short, simple mystery that is resolved at the end. But it’s also clear that Schwab is placing much larger pieces on this chessboard, and much of this book is spent properly positioning everything. That alone is why I had to knock this one down from a 10 star rating. But on pure enjoyment, pure joy at seeing beloved characters back on the page again, this is definitely a top tier book!

Rating 9: It’s a rare feat to return to a beloved fantasy trilogy, pick up fan favorite characters and manage to not break anything in the process, but Schwab makes it look easy! A triumphant return that’s nothing less than masterful!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Fragile Threads of Power” is on this Goodreads list: [ATY 2024] Touch of Magic.

Kate’s Review: “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus”

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

Book: “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” by Stephen Graham Jones & Davide Gianfelice (Ill.)

Publishing Info: IDW, September 2023

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

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

Book Description: The year is 2112, and it’s the apocalypse exactly as rivers receding, oceans rising, civilization crumbling. Humanity has given up hope, except for a group of Indigenous outcasts who have discovered a time travel portal in a cave in the desert and figured out where everything took a turn for the worst: America.

Convinced that the only way to save the world is to rewrite its past, they send one of their own—a reluctant linguist named Tad—on a bloody, one-way mission to 1492 to kill Christopher Columbus before he reaches the so-called New World. But there are steep costs to disrupting the timeline, and taking down an icon isn’t an easy task for an academic with no tactical training and only a wavering moral compass to guide him. As the horror of the task ahead unfolds and Tad’s commitment is tested, his actions could trigger a devastating new fate for his friends and the future.

Join Stephen Graham Jones and artist Davide Gianfelice for Earthdivers, Vol. 1, the beginning of an unforgettable ongoing sci-fi slasher spanning centuries of America’s Colonial past to explore the staggering forces of history and the individual choices we make to survive it.

Review: Thank you to IDW comics for giving me an ARC of this book, and thank you to Stephen Graham Jones for being SO kind when you signed it!

Back when I had just gotten back from ALA, people were asking me what my highlights were. And one of them was meeting Stephen Graham Jones at a signing at the IDW booth. I was already ecstatic when I saw that he was going to be there, and even more excited when I realized that he was signing ARCs of the first volume of his series “Earthdivers”, a fantasy/speculative fiction/historical fiction series about Indigenous people on a dying earth using a time travel portal to send one of their own back in time to stop America from happening (as America is seen as the main driver of the climate change disaster). I had been eager for this first volume, and getting it WHILE MEETING HIM (and having a lovely conversation!) was just the very best. And “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” is everything I had hoped it would be.

The concept alone is so unique and also so, so bold. I mean, it takes serious spunk to frame a story about the assassination of a man that is still, in a number of places, celebrated every year as the supposed ‘discoverer of America’, but whose horrific crimes and direct and indirect actions towards the Indigenous peoples on this continent are impossible to ignore. Even I was like ‘whoa’ when I read the premise of the comic book, but the rage is earned, and it is palpable on the pages as Tad, the man chosen to go back in time and assassinate Columbus, has to take on a mission with high and dangerous stakes. And low odds of success. I loved seeing Tad grapple with the fact he will never see his wife again, that he has to do things that he never thought he could do, and also really enjoyed seeing him slowly start to accept his mission and the bloody business that goes with it. Jones depicts the brutality of life on the ship, whether it’s the dire conditions or the hierarchy that lends itself to violence, and also shows the less acknowledged aspects of the voyage the ships are on (specifically the religious zeal that Columbus has). I also found the tension building and building and building as Tad realizes that his chances to kill Columbus and stop that version of America from happening are slipping through his fingers, and that if he fails, it was all for nothing, and it could mean the end of humankind. The tension is rife, the violence is visceral, and the anger and desperation is well depicted.

But I also liked the ways that Jones depicts the others back on Earth in 2112, as the world is dying due to climate change and they are becoming all the more desperate, especially when they realize that the time portal in the cave may have more dangers than realized. I really liked Sosh, Tad’s wife who is in an uneasy partnership with Yellow Kid, the member of the group who came up with the idea, but has been a little shifty as far as Sosh is concerned. I liked the moral ambiguity that Jones gives a number of his characters, as it raises very difficult questions about the lengths that these characters are willing to go to make this mission a success. And along with that, I really enjoyed how the time travel themes didn’t feel like super hard Sci Fi, and more like fantastical or speculative based in the system in place. We don’t really know what the deal is with this cave, but I have a feeling things are going to be explored as the series goes on.

And I really liked the artwork. I like the use of color and the angles that Davide Gianfelice brings to the page, and I loved the detailed character designs for our main players.

(source: IDW)

What a fantastic start to what is sure to be a fantastic series! “Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” is another shining star from Stephen Graham Jones. I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Rating 9: Unapologetic, daring, dark, but hopeful, “Earthdivers: Kill Columbus” is a must read in speculative fiction with a visceral message and lots of what ifs.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Earthdivers (Vol. 1): Kill Columbus” isn’t on any Goodreads lists as of now, but it would fit in on “Graphic Novels & Comics by The Aboriginal, Indigenous, and Native Peoples of the World”, and “Best Time Travel Fiction”.

Serena’s Review: “A Study in Drowning”

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Book: “A Study in Drowning” by Ava Reed

Publishing Info: HarperTeen, September 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: Edelweiss+

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

Book Description: Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. She’s had no choice. Since childhood, she’s been haunted by visions of the Fairy King. She’s found solace only in the pages of Angharad – author Emrys Myrddin’s beloved epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, and then destroys him.

Effy’s tattered, dog-eared copy is all that’s keeping her afloat through her stifling first term at Llyr’s prestigious architecture college. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to design the late author’s house, Effy feels certain this is her destiny.

But Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task: a musty, decrepit estate on the brink of crumbling into a hungry sea. And when Effy arrives, she finds she isn’t the only one who’s made a temporary home there. Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar, is studying Myrddin’s papers and is determined to prove her favorite author is a fraud.

As the two rival students investigate the reclusive author’s legacy, piecing together clues through his letters, books, and diaries, they discover that the house’s foundation isn’t the only thing that can’t be trusted. There are dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspiring against them – and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Review: First off, what a fantastic cover! I think this one is my favorite of the year, so far. It sets the tone for the novel and is just interesting in its own right, with little details that pop out the longer you look at it. Other than that, this book was an obvious choice to read this month. I struggled a bit with Reid’s most recent book, but I really enjoyed her first. And even in the more recent one, my struggles came down to some personal preferences, as her writing and world-building is beyond reproach, as far as I’m concerned. And man, am I glad I got to this one! This is now my favorite book by this author, overtaking “The Wolf and the Woodsman.”

Per the usual for Reid at this point, she tackles some dark, complicated themes in this book. Specifically, this one deals with the challenges that women historically have faced when daring to venture into realms previously dominated by men. After being denied entrance to the most prestigious, and her preferred, college, Effy must settle for being the only woman in the second, lesser choice. Her experience goes wrong from the very start, and while the majority of this book doesn’t take place at the college itself, her inner journey is largely based around the events that occurred there.

But beyond real world dangers, Effy’s life has been one of constant vigilance against the dark beings that haunt her, beings that she believes are signs of her own mental weakening. This book is promoted as a gothic fantasy, and I can’t think of a better example of the subgenre. You can feel the atmosphere dripping from the pages, with descriptions of crumbling staircases, flooded basements, and a landscape that is unsteady beneath the feet. The side characters only add to this pervasive sense of building doom. The man who runs the house is mercurial and cryptic, his family history full of cobwebs and deceptions. And their are other beings, lurking around corners, with Effy never quite sure how much is real and how much is in her head.

The book is also marketed as an academic rival romance, which I think is less on point. Effy and Preston are rivals for a hot second before quickly coming to a mutually beneficial agreement of cooperation. And, really, I don’t have a problem with that in this case. There are so many other mysteries on hand that I was happy to see the romance play out in a fairly straightforward manner. Effy has enough on her plate without long bouts of snark and delayed understanding between the two. Instead, their romance follows a slow, steady progression, serving as a solid backbone to all of the uncertainty around them.

There is clearly a lot of thought that has went into building this world. Effy and Preston’s nations are at war, there is a religious system built up around folklore and the deification of great artists, there’s a tragic history of large swaths of the countryside suddenly being swallowed by the sea. While I liked all of it in its own right, I was left wanting a bit more from all of these arenas, at the same time. I’m not quite sure what purpose was served by the nations at war, as this never plays into the story in any meaningful way? And while the religion and folklore received more attention, I was still left with some questions by the end.

However, wanting more is probably one of the best problems to have with a book! As I said above, this book is all about the atmosphere. Effy and Preston are good characters, but now after reading three books by this author, I think I can say that the strengths of her writing lie more with her world-building and dark fantasy elements. Fans of gothic fantasy should definitely check this one out!

Rating 9: Reid presents a master class on how to write a gothic fantasy, delivering a story where the sense of place is just as much a character as any of the human (or not!) variety.

Reader’s Advisory:

“A Study in Drowning” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2023 Dark Academia Releases and 2023 Gothic.

Serena’s Review: “Witch of Wild Things”

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Book: “Witch of Wild Things” by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland

Publishing Info: Berkley, September 2023

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

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

Book Description: Legend goes that long ago a Flores woman offended the old gods, and their family was cursed as a result. Now, every woman born to the family has a touch of magic.

Sage Flores has been running from her family—and their “gifts”—ever since her younger sister Sky died. Eight years later, Sage reluctantly returns to her hometown. Like slipping into an old, comforting sweater, Sage takes back her job at Cranberry Rose Company and uses her ability to communicate with plants to discover unusual heritage specimens in the surrounding lands.

What should be a simple task is complicated by her partner in botany sleuthing: Tennessee Reyes. He broke her heart in high school, and she never fully recovered. Working together is reminding her of all their past tender, genuine moments—and new feelings for this mature sexy man are starting to take root in her heart.

With rare plants to find, a dead sister who keeps bringing her coffee, and another sister whose anger fills the sky with lightning, Sage doesn’t have time for romance. But being with Tenn is like standing in the middle of a field on the cusp of a summer thunderstorm—supercharged and inevitable.

Review: Cozy fantasy is a term that I both am a bit skeptical of (it seems like another way of differentiating “serious” SFF from “that woman stuff” which I don’t think benefits anyone) and a subgenre that I’ve struggled to enjoy. But I do like romances and I do like sister drama and I do like low-level family magic, so I thought this one was definitely worth a shot. However, in the end, I don’t think this is the best example of any of these themes.

But I’ll start with what I did like. For the most part, the main character was a good lead. I enjoyed her voice, and in particular, her relationships with a few of the women in her life were very interesting and explored a level of complexity that I hadn’t expected. For example, Sage has a close friend who has a struggling marriage, and I appreciated the care that went into the balancing act that is supporting a friend in this situation where, to an outsider, the problem and solution seems easy, but to the friend whose life is in the balance, things are much more complicated. I also really appreciated the exploration of Sage’s relationship with the woman who took over the care of Sage and her sisters when they were young. There were some very nice points about grief and the burdens we can place on those around us when caught up in devastating positions. But, even here, there were moments where the depiction of this relationship took a bit of jarring turn towards the simplistic, with Sage taking on a rather “perfect victim” persona that left me wanting.

And this speaks to many of my problems with the other relationships in this books. Many of the characters, including Sage herself at times, came across as simple and without any real depth of character. The romantic hero is the most bland example of handsome perfection that I’ve come across in a long time. Pick out some romance hero tropes, and he checks them all of neatly, right in a row. And then the relationship between Sage and her angry younger sister, Teal, verged on the ridiculous at times, with Teal coming across as an unbelievable caricature of irrational anger.

Beyond this, I struggled with the overall tone of the novel. At times, Sage definitely took on a more YA sounding voice, testing my ability to believe her to be a 29 year old woman who has actually lived in the world. This isn’t helped by the inclusion of some truly cringe-worthy AOL conversations from her teenage years. And, unfortunately, these blasts from the internet-past can’t be simply skipped as they are key to understanding the unfolding relationship between Tenn and Sage in the present day.

There were bits and pieces of the story that I liked, which did help me get through it. But I often found myself struggling to really invest in any of these characters or care about the romance at the heart of it. I do think there are readers who will enjoy this, but I think the biggest failure lies with its inability to depict adult characters who…well…behave and think like adults.

Rating 6: Not for me, though I do think the depictions of the beautiful location and some of the lyrical moments had merit.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Witch of Wild Things” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Mushrooms, Toadstools, Fungus and The Witches.

Book Club Review: “The Wee Free Men”

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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: “The Wee Free Men” by Terry Pratchett

Publishing Info: Doubleday, May 2003

Where Did We Get This Book: The library!

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

Song Inspiration: “Fairies Wear Boots” by Black Sabbath

Book Description: Armed only with a frying pan and her common sense, Tiffany Aching, a young witch-to-be, is all that stands between the monsters of Fairyland and the warm, green Chalk country that is her home. Forced into Fairyland to seek her kidnapped brother, Tiffany allies herself with the Chalk’s local Nac Mac Feegle – aka the Wee Free Men – a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men who are as fierce as they are funny. Together they battle through an eerie and ever-shifting landscape, fighting brutal flying fairies, dream-spinning dromes, and grimhounds – black dogs with eyes of fire and teeth of razors – before ultimately confronting the Queen of the Elves, absolute ruler of a world in which reality intertwines with nightmare. And in the final showdown, Tiffany must face her cruel power alone…

In a riveting narrative that is equal parts suspense and humor, Carnegie Medalist Terry Pratchett returns to his internationally popular Discworld with a breathtaking tale certain to leave fans, new and old, enthralled.

Kate’s Thoughts

We all know full well by now that I am not the biggest fantasy fan, genre wise. It just usually doesn’t hit for me, so I came into this rendition of book club with not a lot of experience with Terry Pratchett. I have read “Good Omens”, the super fun novel he co-wrote with Neil Gaiman, but I haven’t read any of his “Discworld” series. I did, however, love the humor and cheekiness of “Good Omens”, so I was excited to have a chance to see Practchett on his own. “The Wee Free Men” was my second experience with him, and I found his voice absolutely delightful.

“The Wee Free Men” is part witch tale, part coming of age, part humor filled romp. There were multiple laugh out loud moments for me, with Pratchett just excelling in quippy moments and dialogue that cracked me up while also having genuinely heartwarming beats about family and growing up. I liked Tiffany and I liked her journey of learning about her role as a witch (a role that has been in her family, whether overtly known or not), and while there were still fantasy pitfalls that I don’t connect with as much, it wasn’t so overwrought that I lost interest. I liked the mythos involving the Wee Free Men, the fairies, and other mystical beings that show up (I was cackling when there was mention of Headless Horsemen, so many fun references to other fantasy tales!) to shine or cause trouble. But I alsoliked watching Tiffany have to overcome obstacles in hopes of finding her younger brother and saving him from a cruel queen. And oh man, the Wee Free Men. How feisty and how charming!

“The Wee Free Men” is a goofy and delightful fantasy story from Terry Pratchett, an author who is deeply missed in the genre. I could see myself reading more “Discworld” due to his voice and whimsy. It’s a fun book.

Serena’s Thoughts

As much as I am the fantasy reader for this blog, I, too, am not overly familiar with Terry Pratchett’s work. I’ve read a few stand-alone books here and there, but, like Kate, I haven’t read any of the books in his famous “Discworld” series. Honestly, I’m kind of intimidated by the entire idea! But if this book is any indication, I should definitely check it out.

In a lot of ways, it reminded me of Catherynne M. Valente’s “Fairlyand” series. Not only did Tiffany’s straight-forward approach to courage and adaptability to the strangeness around her remind me of September, but the overall tone of the story was very similar. There was a whimsical style to the storytelling that is very engaging. And the laugh-out-loud witty moments were often paralleled neatly beside incredibly insightful reflections on human nature and relationships. Like Kate mentioned, there are also a lot of fun references and Easter Egg like nods to various other fantasy elements and tropes. It’s the kind of story that, tonally, can read like it’s meant for a younger audience, but then when you really dive in, many of the jokes and quips depend on the deeper well of knowledge present in adults.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was, quite simply, a fun time. And the type of fun where the book almost tricks you into missing the fact that it actually has a lot of deeper thoughts to convey.

Kate’s Rating 7: A cute and at times poignant fantasy tale from a cheeky author who is greatly missed, “The Wee Free Men” is funny and endearing.

Serena’s Rating 8: Fun and creative, this book will likely appeal to fantasy readers who enjoy the absurd but reflective nature of authors like Catherynne M. Valente and her ilk.

Book Club Questions

  1. Have you read any other Discworld books before this one? If so, as it’s a Young Adult targeted novel, how does it compare to the other books in the series?
  2. What did you think of the mythology that Pratchett created for this story? Did you like certain characters or beings more than others?
  3. Terry Pratchett is known for being a big tongue in cheek with his fantasy stories Do you like the tone that he used for this book?
  4. What did you think of Tiffany’s journey in the novel?
  5. Did you catch any homages or tributes to other fantasy stories in this book?
  6. What did you think of the description of Fairyland?
  7. Do you think you would read any more Tiffany Aching books? Any other Discworld books?

Reader’s Advisory

“The Wee Free Men” is included on the Goodreads lists “Best Heroine in a Fantasy Book”, and “Wise Women, Witches, Midwives, Healers, and Strong Girls”.

Next Book Club Pick: “Snapdragon” by Kat Leyh