Tag: Fantasy

Serena’s Review: “Bring Me Your Midnight”

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Book: “Bring Me Your Midnight” by Rachel Griffin

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: Tana Fairchild’s fate has never been in question. Her life has been planned out since the moment she was born: she is to marry the governor’s son, Landon, and secure an unprecedented alliance between the witches of her island home and the mainlanders who see her very existence as a threat.

Tana’s coven has appeased those who fear their power for years by releasing most of their magic into the ocean during the full moon. But when Tana misses the midnight ritual—a fatal mistake—there is no one she can turn to for help…until she meets Wolfe.

Wolfe claims he is from a coven that practices dark magic, making him one of the only people who can help her. But he refuses to let Tana’s power rush into the sea, and instead teaches her his forbidden magic. A magic that makes her feel powerful. Alive.

As the sea grows more violent, her coven loses control of the currents, a danger that could destroy the alliance as well as her island. Tana will have to choose between love and duty, between loyalty to her people and loyalty to her heart. Marrying Landon would secure peace for her coven but losing Wolfe and his wild magic could cost her everything else.

Review: I haven’t read anything by this author yet, but I’m very familiar with the cool, witchy titles and covers of her books. I always eye them in the bookstore with appreciation. But as I don’t always gravitate towards contemporary fantasy, I haven’t actually gotten around to reading either of them. However, reading the description for this one, it sounded a lot like Adrienne Young’s “Spells for Forgetting” which I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, however, this one didn’t reach those same highs.

Before getting into the parts of this book that ultimately left it as a bit of a disappointing read, I do want to focus on a few positive. For one thing, the cover art for this book is beautiful. Like the other books by this author, this one would definitely stand out on bookstore shelves. I also liked the overall concept of the book, with an island made up of witches who must expel their excess magic into the ocean to continue to exist peacefully with those around them. This idea is very interesting, and while the climate change points are not exactly subtle, that doesn’t take away from the overall impact of the set-up.

Unfortunately, as we saw so often in this book, things that should have been interesting would either not be fully explored or would peter out before the reader got to actually experience any conflict. We are told that the ocean currents around the island have become increasingly dangerous. However, other than a second-hand story from Tana’s childhood, we never actually see any dangers on the page. We’re simply told that it is so. Further, when this conflict is ultimately resolved, again, we don’t see anything of it. We are told it happens, and that is the end.

Again and again this sort of thing happened throughout the story. It was very much “telling” the reader how they should feel and what exactly was happening, but there was very little showing. Conflicts would show up throughout the story, but then, often in the same chapter, they were quickly wrapped up. Any attempts by the reader to build on stakes or feel any tension about what is coming next was almost immediately stamped down by a quick resolution.

I also struggled to picture exactly where and when this book took place. There were references to dresses and balls, but then the next moment would refer to a car driving by. It was very unclear what sort of society or world I was meant to be picturing. Is this a modern day story? Some point in the fairly recent past? For a story that is so centered around this unique community and rare, magical island, there was a distinct lack of descriptive prose. Yes, I would have enjoyed some more lyrical descriptions of this quaint town, but I also would have taken a basic description of what exactly I was supposed to be picturing at all.

Beyond this, Tana was a difficult character for me to connect to. She’s meant to be a twenty year old woman, but if I hadn’t been told this, I would very much have pegged her as a fifteen year old. Her voice is very juvenile, and her understanding of her place in the world and her choices was very passive to the point of fairly extreme naivety. At the same time, as her views were challenged, she quickly switched tack, seemingly with very little inner conflict at leaving behind lifetime-held beliefs. I also did not enjoy the romance in this story. It felt very insta-love like, and, again, I failed to connect to the characters or feel real stakes in their relationship.

This book didn’t work for me, which was too bad. I know the author is really popular, however, so if you enjoy more contemporary witchy stories, this may be for you. But if you’re looking for something with much depth, sadly I don’t think this is it.

Rating 6: Unlike the ocean with all of its mysterious depths, this one felt shallow and floundering.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Bring Me Your Midnight” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Flower Faces and YA Releases August 2023.

Serena’s Review: “Brittle”

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Book: “Brittle” by Beth Overmyer

Publishing Info: Flame Tree Press, August 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: NetGalley, copy from the publisher

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

Book Description: After the murder of her father – which no one but her believes happened – Verve just wants to hold her family together and take on the role of provider. Unfortunately, a cruel fae lord believes she knows the location of an ancient magical weapon and steals her away to Letorheas, realm of the fairies. The fae lord seems to want something from Verve that goes beyond the weapon, something that many doubt she can provide. Verve must find a way to navigate the strangeness of Letorheas and embrace a destiny more intertwined with the fae than she would like to believe.

Review: This was definitely a “cover lust” situation. I just adore everything about this cover, and it was guaranteed that I would read it the moment I saw it. I’m also still always interested in Fae-focused fantasy novels, for my sins. Have I been burned by this particular trope in the past? Yes, I have. But I also can’t quite get “An Enchantment of Ravens” out of my head, which I read many years ago now, but absolutely adored. And, as I discussed recently about authors who improved on a second go-around, I’m always hoping to stumble upon another unexpected hit! Unfortunately, this was not that.

Right off the bat the story started with some very strong ACOTAR vibes. Now, for some, that is an incredible compliment and surely will draw in certain readers right away. For me, however, red flags were going up in every direction. But before I dive into the parts of the book with which I struggled, I do, as always, want to focus on some positives first. As I said, there is definitely an audience out there for this book (however, even this audience I think will feel that they’ve read many similar, better versions of this same story). The writing is also quite approachable and the action starts out right away. This is a fairly short book by fantasy standards, coming in at just over 300 pages. And it’s clear that the author is wasting no time getting to the point.

However, for me, that was where the problems started. I barely felt like I knew, let alone cared, about the main character between the story was immediately barreling into main plot points. What’s more, what I did know about the character had largely come from Verve herself simply informing me of her own traits and how she compared to the other members of her family. Of course, she is the brave, provider type who is too stubborn for her own good. It is this last point that really drew my ire as the book continues.

Per the ACOTAR standard, she is, of course, captured by a Fae lord and caught up in a bunch of Fae drama. In most fantasy novels, this should be the point where things really get good. Here are the opportunities for the heroine to rise to the occasion, to put her oft-declared strengths to the test. But instead, she comes across as foolish, stubborn to the point of stupidity, and petulant in the manner of a toddler. As someone who is currently raising toddlers, in no way do I want to read a novel where the heroine chooses to not listen to good advice and bizarrely ignore blatant realities around her all because she’s “sticking it to the power,” essentially.

Not only did this lead me to actively disliking the main character through much of it (honestly, I was starting to feel sympathy for her captors who were just trying to keep her from self-destructing), but many of her ridiculous decisions were necessary to drive the plot forward. I’ve ranted about this many times, but it’s almost guaranteed for me to low rate a book when I discover a plot that hinges on a character needing to be ridiculous, foolish, or just plain stupid. Yes, there are characters who experience growth through these traits, but even then, the traits themselves shouldn’t be necessary for the plot to move forward, except in the most rare of instances and part of a larger character arc.

I really struggled to like anything about this book, which was really too bad. I do like the overall premise, even if it is fairly familiar. And, again, that cover is a banger. There was also clearly a lot of ideas that were hinted at in this story, a unique religion, a magic system, some world0building. But none of it was fully fleshed out or enough to compensate for the frustrations I felt with regards to the plot and main character. Fans who are very devoted to Fae fantasy may want to check this out, but if you’re wary of the subgenre currently, this one won’t redeem your faith.

Rating 6: Not my cup of tea with a heroine who was annoying at best and actively unlikable much of the time.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Brittle” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Books about Faery.

Serena’s Review: “Forged by Blood”

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Book: “Forged by Blood” by Ehigbor Okosun

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: A brilliant new voice brings a brilliant new novel: debut author Ehigbor Okosun’s first book in an action-packed, poignant duology inspired by Nigerian mythology–full of magic and emotion and set in a highly atmospheric, complex world in which a young woman fights to survive a tyrannical society, having everything stripped away from her, and seeks vengeance for her mother’s murder and the spilled blood of her people.

In the midst of a tyrannical regime and political invasion, Dèmi just wants to survive: to avoid the suspicion of the nonmagical Ajes who occupy her ancestral homeland of Ife; to escape the King’s brutal genocide of her people—the darker skinned, magic wielding Oluso; and to live peacefully with her secretive mother while learning to control the terrifying blood magic that is her birthright.

But when Dèmi’s misplaced trust costs her mother’s life, survival gives way to vengeance. She bides her time until the devious Lord Ekwensi grants her the perfect opportunity—kidnap the Aje prince, Jonas, and bargain with his life to save the remaining Oluso. With the help of her reckless childhood friend Colin, Dèmi succeeds, but discovers that she and Jonas share more than deadly secrets; every moment tangles them further into a forbidden, unmistakable attraction, much to Colin’s—and Dèmi’s—distress.

The kidnapping is now a joint mission: to return to the King, help get Lord Ekwensi on the council, and bolster the voice of the Oluso in a system designed to silence them. But the way is dangerous, Dèmi’s magic is growing yet uncertain, and it’s not clear if she can trust the two men at her side.

Review: I was really excited when I saw this book scheduled for release this summer. I’ve read some great fantasy novels based on various African cultures’ myths, and I was intrigued to see what Nigerian myths and stories had to offer. I also think the cover on this one is really neat. Though it does read as very YA to me, which I find to be a really strange choice for an adult fantasy novel. And, unfortunately, this confusion of reading group is really something that brought this read down for me.

But first, let’s start with the good things. Fantasy novels really live and die by their magic systems and their world-building. I think there were some unique ideas for each offered up in this book. Early on, I was definitely intrigued by the nature of this world and how exactly the magical elements wove throughout the way this society operated. Unfortunately, things began to go off the rails fairly quickly.

While I was interested in the magic elements, as the story went on, I struggled to really put together how all of this was meant to work. Further, some of this explanation and continued world-building would be plopped down right in the middle of action scenes, really halting any momentum that had been building. There were also a lot of new terms and language, and these, too, were simply thrown at readers with very little introduction. Perhaps an index or glossary could have helped ease readers in (something that I think most fantasy novels could benefit from, regardless of where they’re pulling their inspiration). These kinds of challenges with pacing and how to properly introduce your reader to a new world are often found with debut authors, and, when given time to grow their craft, can be greatly improved upon in future books. Such is the hope here.

Also, as I said regarding the cover, there felt like there was some disconnect in whom the target audience is meant to be for this book. The overall tone and style of the writing read as very young to me, and many of the choices with the main character also fell into common YA tropes. For example, the main character repeatedly had to not learn from her mistakes and make obvious errors in judgement to simply move the plot in the direction it was meant to go. There was also a very unfortunate love triangle with basically zero chemistry between any of the members. Honestly, if I hadn’t known that this was marketed as an adult fantasy novel, I would never have guessed that it hadn’t been meant as YA.

And that’s not to say that YA has to have simplistic writing or fall into trope-y traps; I’ve read a number of fantastic ones this year. But I do think that adult readers will have a lower tolerance for some of these things, and that this book would have been better suited for a younger audience. Even there, however, there were a number of weaknesses in the writing (there were times where the writing simply failed to properly describe what and how things were happening) and characterization (I think the interactions between almost all of the characters were fairly simplistic and predictable) that would have prevented this one from being a hit for me.

Rating 6: There were hints of what could have been a good story, but the weaker aspects of the writing really prevented me from enjoying this one.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Forged by Blood” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Africa-Influenced Epic Fantasy.

Serena’s Review: “The Embroidered Book”

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Book: “The Embroidered Book” by Kate Heartfield

Publishing Info: Harper Voyager, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: 1768. Charlotte, daughter of the Habsburg Empress, arrives in Naples to marry a man she has never met. Her sister Antoine is sent to France, and in the mirrored corridors of Versailles they rename her Marie Antoinette.

The sisters are alone, but they are not powerless. When they were only children, they discovered a book of spells – spells that work, with dark and unpredictable consequences.

In a time of vicious court politics, of discovery and dizzying change, they use the book to take control of their lives.

But every spell requires a sacrifice. And as love between the sisters turns to rivalry, they will send Europe spiralling into revolution.

Review: I was really excited to check this one out when the publisher reached out with an ARC. It’s a perfect cross-section of two of my favorite genres, fantasy and historical fiction. On top of that, while, like many, I know a decent amount about Marie Antoinette, I knew next to nothing about her older sister. Honestly, if you’d quizzed me on whether she even had and older sister, there’s a 50/50 chance I’d have gotten it wrong altogether!

This book really fell into two categories for me, when organizing my thoughts for this review: the impact of it as a piece of historical fiction, and the impact as a fantasy novel. Overall, this was a positive reading experience for me, but by and large this came down to my enjoyment of the book as a work of historical fiction. As I said, I came at this book with only the basic understanding of Marie Antoinette during her life as Queen of France, and knew next to nothing about her childhood or the life of her sister. Immediately, it was quite clear that the author had done her due diligence with the research that went into re-creating the lives of these two women. I enjoyed witnessing their childhood, and then, through their separation, the similarities and differences they each faced in their roles as rulers. There was a deep exploration of the limited preparedness that women brought to these roles, by the nature of their cloistered upbringing and education, as well as the strict boundaries of their power. Yes, in name, they are rulers of countries. In reality, their roles as women are equally defined and bound by the men in their lives as the “common” women.

As characters, I thought they were each well-drawn and compelling, both coming across at times as sympathetic and at others as incredibly foolish and short-sited. However, due to the historical boundaries placed on the story, their relationship as sisters was hindered by the fact that they are separated fairly early in their lives and then spend the next several decades only communicating via letters and through magical means. I understand why this had to be the case, but it did make the relationship between the two feel fairly watered down.

Lastly, the fantasy elements. There were a lot of unique magical elements introduced early in the book, as well as the brewing conflict that plays out throughout the story about who all should have access to magic. There were some interesting developments here, but in the end, I do feel like this was the weakest aspect of the book. Not only did the climax of this particular arc fail to land with any weight, but, in the end, the story concludes exactly as history has seen in, as if magic was never even a factor. I understand not wanting to re-write history, but you’re also introducing literal magic to this world, so it’s not as if this is ever a “realistic” presentation of the story. Indeed, it felt as if you could lift the fantasy elements out of this story whole cloth and really not feel the change. And that’s not really a criticism, as I think the strength of the story as a piece of historical fiction alone would have been enough to make it a worth-while read. In the end, that’s who I would most recommend this book to, those who enjoy historical fiction and who won’t mind the sprinkled fantasy elements that are included.

Rating 8: Perhaps not making the best use of its fantasy elements, this book is still an intriguing piece of historical fiction that explores the lives and limits of two sisters.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Embroidered Book” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Historical Fantasy Genre Books.

Serena’s Review: “Cassiel’s Servant”

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

Book: “Cassiel’s Servant” by Jacqueline Carey

Publishing Info: Tor, August 2023

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

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

Book Description: The lush epic fantasy that inspired a generation with a single “Love As Thou Wilt.”

Returning to the realm of Terre d’Ange which captured an entire generation of fantasy readers, New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Carey brings us a hero’s journey for a new era.

In Kushiel’s Dart , a daring young courtesan uncovered a plot to destroy her beloved homeland. But hers is only half the tale. Now see the other half of the heart that lived it.

Cassiel’s Servant is a retelling of cult favorite Kushiel’s Dar t from the point of view of Joscelin, Cassiline warrior-priest and protector of Phèdre nó Delaunay. He’s sworn to celibacy and the blade as surely as she’s pledged to pleasure, but the gods they serve have bound them together. When both are betrayed, they must rely on each other to survive.

From his earliest training to captivity amongst their enemies, his journey with Phèdre to avert the conquest of Terre D’Ange shatters body and mind… and brings him an impossible love that he will do anything to keep.

Even if it means breaking all vows and losing his soul.

Review: Words cannot describe how excited I was when I first saw that this book was coming out. I absolutely adored Jacqueline Carey’s “Kushiel’s Dart” trilogy when I first read it (one of my earlier memories of very adult fantasy that I read outside of the classics like Tolkien). I went on to re-read the original trilogy several times and read all of the other books that are set in this world. So, yes, I’m a fan. And, if nothing else, this is definitely a book for the fans!

While I do have some questions about what place this book really holds in the general readership, overall, I think it stands on its own feet as a stellar work of fiction. There’s simply no understating the mastery of language and philosophy that Carey is able to weave throughout her works. This latter point, especially, stood out as an important aspect of this work. As a re-telling, a lot of the second half of the book is a re-tread of the plot from the first book in the original trilogy. But woven throughout the entire book is the ongoing arc of Joscelin’s understanding of the order that he has devoted himself to and how that fits into the greater world that he is exposed to throughout this story. From the original, Joscelin very much came across as one of those “still waters run deep” type of characters, so he is an ideal character for a work like this that can really dive into what was going on within him throughout these events.

I will say, as far as the actual plotting and story goes, I did enjoy the first half of this book more than the second. I loved getting to see a bit of Joscelin’s childhood with his family (making his later interactions with them that we saw in the original work hit that much stronger when we come across those plot points again here), but I really enjoyed the portion that was dedicated to his training as a servant of Cassiel. In the original, it was easy to dismiss his upbringing in this group as slightly naïve, rigid, and lacking in the flexibility of thought necessary to exist within “modern” society. So I found it incredibly refreshing to see the positive impacts and positive relationships that Joscelin formed in his early years. Of course, this made the heart-rending nature of his choices later in the book, again, hit that much harder.

However, I will say that meeting Phedre (something every fan I’m sure goes into this book greatly anticipating) and picking up with the plot from “Kushiel’s Dart” is where I did start to question the role of this book. There’s simply no denying that even when reduced to the non-POV character, Phedre is still the driver of all of the action in this story, with Joscelin reduced to a very passive character. And, of course, there’s really no way around this, as that’s the nature of the original story. But it does position this one awkwardly as its own work of fiction. While the world is introduced in a manner that is approachable to new readers, I’m not sure the story itself, especially this second half, would hold up as well. Instead, the joy is largely found for fans of the series who are already “bought in” to this story and have the background knowledge of the original to add context and intrigue to a plot that, for Joscelin himself, becomes quite passive and reactive.

Overall, I think this is the sort of book that will give a huge pay off to the original fans of this world and this series. Those of us who would do almost anything to simply get more, more, more. As a huge fan of this couple, I was more than happy to retread a familiar story if only to get the glimpses into Joscel’s head regarding when and how he fell in love and experienced this relationship. However, I don’t think it stands as well on its own. Readers should really check out the original trilogy before reading this one to truly appreciate these characters and story.

Rating 8: For fans of the original trilogy, this is a must! For new readers, the original story still needs to come first.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Cassiel’s Servant” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Medieval Fantasy Books.

Year of Sanderson: “The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England”

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

“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: “The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England” by Brandon Sanderson

Publishing Info: Dragonsteel Entertainment, April 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: own it!

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

Book Description: A man awakes in a clearing in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Chased by a group from his own time, his sole hope for survival lies in regaining his missing memories, making allies among the locals, and perhaps even trusting in their superstitious boasts. His only help from the “real world” should have been a guidebook entitled The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England, except his copy exploded during transit. The few fragments he managed to save provide clues to his situation, but can he figure them out in time to survive?

Review: Due to the delayed nature of the first of Sanderson’s four books of the year, here we are with back to back reviews of the first two books he’s releasing. This one was previewed as being a stand-alone fantasy novel that is the only one of the four that doesn’t take place within Sanderson’s larger Cosmere universe. Judging by the title, it was also fairly easy to guess that the tone of this one was going to lean heavily on Terry Prachett style humor. As I’ve had a bit of a hit and miss relationship with Sanderson’s attempts at straight comedy, I was definitely curious to see where this one would land!

Without preamble, the humor in this one wasn’t really for me. But we’ll get to that in a bit. First, let’s focus on what I did like! The story follows a man who wakes up in medieval England and has to slowly piece together not only exactly where he is but who he is. As the story progresses, we see this character slowly begin to confront a past self that is not who he wishes to be any longer. The story works bests when it is exploring these themes of self-discovery, self-loathing, and the drive to change the course of one’s life. There’s also a lot to be found in themes regarding bravery, cowardice, and our understanding of how we fit within the world we inhabit (especially when we don’t fully understand that world itself!)

I also have to discuss the artwork in this book. I really enjoyed the art found in “Tress of the Emerald Sea,” but this one ups the ante even more. Not only do we have a number of full color panels, but every single chapter heading has a unique image, and there are even comic panels sprinkled throughout the story. The production that went into creating this art is simply phenomenal, and there’s no underselling how much these illustrations bring to this particular work. So hats off to Steve Argyle, the illustrator.

While the marketing was spot on in identifying this as a very comedy-focused book, I do think it is misleading to place this within the fantasy genre. In many ways, this really is a science fiction novel, with an emphasis placed on the science of time travel and multi-dimensions, as well as scientific advances in biomedicine. This distinction isn’t make-it-or-break-it, but I do think correctly labeling it as science fiction would better prepare readers for the style of novel they are going to pick up.

Now, I love Brandon Sanderson, and I do think he has comedic skill. However, I also think that sometimes his style of humor can come across as rather juvenile and forced. And that was definitely the case here. Early on, the main character develops a habit of rating the things around him, in the style of Yelp. The first few are funny enough, but it quickly become repetitive and with diminishing returns each time it pops up. Beyond this, while I liked many of the smaller interlude pieces between chapters, here, too, I found some of the attempts at humor just didn’t land for me. As this is a short novel, as compared to Sanderson’s usual door-stoppers, I do think part of the problem was the mismatch in balance between the comedy and the investment in the characters at the heart of the story. Because the story is rather short, I never felt like I was becoming attached to these characters, and without that attachment, I had a lower tolerance for any jokes that fell flat.

Overall, I struggled a bit with this book. I found myself putting it down more than once, and it generally felt like a bit of a trial to get through it. Readers who enjoy Sanderson’s comedic chops, however, will likely feel differently. But if you’re one of the fans who enjoy his more epic and serious work, this might be a miss for you, too.

Rating 7: Probably the lowest I’ve ever rated Sanderson, which is too bad since the artwork was amazing! But there’s no denying the very real struggle that was finishing this book at all for me.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England” is on this Goodreads list: Most Anticipated Adult Fantasy, 2023

Serena’s Review: “The Sun and the Void”

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

Book: “The Sun and the Void” by Gabriela Romero Lacruz

Publishing Info: Orbit, July 25

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

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

Book Description: Reina is desperate.

Stuck living on the edges of society, her only salvation lies in an invitation from a grandmother she’s never known. But the journey is dangerous, and prayer can’t always avert disaster.

Attacked by creatures that stalk the region, Reina is on the verge of death until her grandmother, a dark sorceress, intervenes. Now dependent on the Doña’s magic for her life, Reina will do anything to earn—and keep—her favor. Even the bidding of an ancient god who whispers to her at night.

Eva Kesare is unwanted.

Illegitimate and of mixed heritage, Eva is her family’s shame. She tries her best to be perfect and to hide her oddities. But Eva is hiding a secret: magic calls to her.

Eva knows she should fight the temptation. Magic is the sign of the dark god, and using it is punishable by death. Yet, it’s hard to deny power when it has always been denied to you. Eva is walking a dangerous path, one that gets stranger every day. And, in the end, she’ll become something she never imagined.

Review: This was definitely a “cover lust” request for me! I mean, that’s just an awesome cover all around: the vibrancy, the colors, the leopards! I always gravitate towards covers that don’t feature characters (though there are some exceptions) which is kind of funny since my reading preferences are definitely character-centric. I’m a conundrum! Anyways, unfortunately, the book itself didn’t live up to the potential of the cover for this one.

I did like the overall world-building of this book. We do get quite a lot of detail about the various stratifications in the culture, as well as lots of information on the various foods, dialects, and traditions of various people. But even here things quickly began to go off the rails for me. This is a long, long book, over 500 pages, and you feel that right away. While the ideas behind much of the world-building are interesting, the way everything is laid out quickly begins to read as tedious and pace-killing. Yes, I enjoy a meticulously created world. But it is so important that the way that the world is explored and expanded upon is presented in a way that feels natural to the story and doesn’t affect the overall pacing. Here, there were a number of times where the pacing absolutely stalls out as the author takes a jaunt down various world-building lanes. I think a lot of this could have been helped with a stronger, more firm edit of the book as a whole. This would have not only reduced down the world-building to the aspects that are most interesting and necessary, but, ideally, a sure-handed editor could have helped streamline the way some of this information was presented so as to not hamstring the pacing as much as we see here.

I also really struggled to enjoy our two main characters. My complaints really come down to two factors: passivity and a level of naivety that borders on the implausible. Early on in any book, passivity and a naïve nature can be a boon to a character’s arc, something they must recognize and overcover over the course of the story. But here, both of our characters seem to spend the majority of the story bogged down by these two things. Plot points and action are happening to and around them, with each character simply reacting to decisions made by others. Beyond this, the naivety of each quickly becomes less and less understandable. They trust who they should not. They are surprised by reveals that the reader can see a mile away. And they, in general, do not feel like characters who should be helming their own story. Instead, it’s almost as if two background characters in another story suddenly popped up and were helming their own tale, but still don’t really have much to offer for themselves.

I also struggled with the writing itself, though this is clearly a very subjective area. There were moments where I felt like the author was using language that felt anachronistic to the world she had created, words like “troubleshoot,” etc. And while there were some unique descriptions of scenes and objects, I struggled to really connect to any of it. I was simply bored much of the time.

I always have a hard time writing reviews like this where much of my main complaint is that I had a hard time getting through it. There is nothing objectively terrible about it, but the book also didn’t connect for me in any way. I think there was a lot of potential, especially in the world-building and history of this story, but the book was let down by its two lead characters who were difficult to root for as they were so consistently, and obviously, being manipulated by those around them. Readers who are very interested in world-building and who have a higher tolerance for frustrating lead characters may enjoy this one. But I do think there are better books like it out there.

Rating 7: A long book that doesn’t justify its page-length with two lackluster main characters at the helm.

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Sun and the Void” can be found on these Goodreads lists: 2023 Queer SFF and July 2023 Releases.

Serena’s Review: “Wolfsong”

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Book: “Wolfsong” by TJ Klune

Publishing Info: Tor, July 2023

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

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

Book Description: Oxnard Matheson was twelve when his father taught him a Ox wasn’t worth anything and people would never understand him. Then his father left.

Ox was sixteen when the energetic Bennett family moved in next door, harboring a secret that would change him forever. The Bennetts are shapeshifters. They can transform into wolves at will. Drawn to their magic, loyalty, and enduring friendships, Ox feels a gulf between this extraordinary new world and the quiet life he’s known, but he finds an ally in Joe, the youngest Bennett boy.

Ox was twenty-three when murder came to town and tore a hole in his heart. Violence flared, tragedy split the pack, and Joe left town, leaving Ox behind. Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he’s a man – charming, handsome, but haunted – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.

The beloved fantasy romance sensation by New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, about love, loyalty, betrayal, and family.

Review: I was definitely excited when I saw that Tor was republishing this series by TJ Klune. For one thing, I think the colorful, vibrant colors of these new covers are much more in line with Klune’s style of storytelling than the grimdark covers on the originals. Further, I’ve enjoyed the books I’ve read by Klune in the past, and I’m always down for unique fantasy story featuring romance and werewolves!

Per the usual, I do enjoy Klune’s overall style of writing. I know that some struggle with what they perceive as an overly lyrical and flowery approach to word choice and sentence structure, but as a reader who often enjoys lyrical writing, this has always been a bonus for me. Are there times when it may approach the level of saccharine? Perhaps, but, at its core, this is also a romance novel, and I do think that if there is a place for this style of writing, the romance genre is most often where you find it.

I also liked the world that Klune presented here. I grew up in rural/small town northern Idaho, so I’m always partial to stories that take place in small towns. More often than not, paranormal romances take place in urban environments, so it’s always nice to see one set in different locations. I also liked that we see the entire story play out through Ox’s head, the human half of this love story. As I said just recently, I can’t express how relieved I am to open a book nowadays and NOT discover alternating POVs.

However, I did struggle with the romance at the heart of this story. We meet these characters veeerrrry young, and that age issue was really a hang up for me from the very start, as the book doesn’t shy away from the “fated pair” thing right from the start. And that just feels kind of icky with the very young versions of these characters. Beyond that, the age difference is not unsubstantial, especially during the period of time where one of them was 17 and the other several years old. I’ve heard people describe this book as “Twilight but Bella picks the werewolf” and in a lot of ways that is about right. But it’s also right in the unfortunate way: each book has some kind of icky age issues when you get right down to it.

Klune is a very popular author, and I know that this series was well-received its first go around. So I’m sure there are readers who will gobble this up! But if you’re a romance reader who struggles with large age gaps and some of the questionable sides of “mated for life” romance tropes, this one might not be for you.

Rating 7: For some, this will be right up their alley. For me, I couldn’t get past the age issues right from the start, even if it did improve as they aged.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Wolfsong” isn’t on any Goodreads lists, but it should be on Best Shapeshifter/Werewolf books.

Serena’s Review: “The Jasad Heir”

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Book: “The Jasad Heir” by Sara Hashem

Publishing Info: Orbit, July 2023

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

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

Book Description: In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever.

Ten years ago, the kingdom of Jasad burned. Its magic outlawed; its royal family murdered down to the last child. At least, that’s what Sylvia wants people to believe.

The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can’t think about how Nizahl’s armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people—not if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.

In a moment of anger Sylvia’s magic is exposed, capturing Arin’s attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she’ll escape persecution.

A deadly game begins. Sylvia can’t let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.

Review: I really wasn’t sure what I would be getting when I requested this book. On one hand, I was very intrigued by the “Egyptian-inspired” aspect of the story (more on that later). But on the other hand, much of what is described in the summary sounds very familiar. How many books have I read in the last few years where magic is outlawed and some heir to some throne somewhere is on the run only to be called upon to once again take up their crown? However, as I said recently, sometimes popular things are popular for a reason, and I was happy to be wrong with my initial concerns with this one! Indeed, I enjoyed it quite a bit!

First off, let’s get my little note about the inspiration for this book out of the way. Most likely this was a completely personal failing on my part, because I don’t think I know enough about Egyptian culture, religion, or history to truly appreciate the “inspired by” aspects of this story. Instead, I mostly fixated on the fact that there is a large river that is central to the geography of the various kingdoms which was obviously a stand-in for the Nile. I was able to recognize the near-personification of this river as a clear call-back to the relationship the regions surrounding the Nile had/have to that great waterway. But, other than that, I really felt like a lot of the Egyptian aspects were going over my head. Readers who are more familiar may get more out of these aspects of the story than I did. Honestly, if that line hadn’t been right there in the summary of the book, I don’t think I would have made the connection, even with the all-important river.

Even without perhaps fully appreciating these aspects of the story, I really enjoyed this book! Much of this comes down to how much I enjoyed the main character. Here was a truly flawed and complex individual who was also incredibly sympathetic and understandable. Her life has been one of horror, pain, and loneliness. Her memories are scattered and her ability to rely on or trust anyone but herself has been broken many times. Out of this rises a woman who knows that she makes selfish choices, but while she berates herself for this quality, much of the book is spent with her diligently examining why people make heroic choices, even in the face of horrible odds or against their better interest.

Beyond this, she was simply a fun character to spend time with. The dialogue was funny at times and heart-breaking at others. And, best of all, we got to see her in action in a number of bad-ass action set pieces. I also enjoyed her very slow-burn relationship with the man that should be her natural enemy. This was a true “slow burn” in the sense that months pass over the course of this story, and the characters truly do go through the ringer to slowly make their way towards understanding and caring for one another. This is exactly how you pull off this sort of relationship. Anything other than this meticulous and slow build simply reads as unrealistic between characters like these who have no reason to like or trust one another quickly. I also really liked the romantic hero, Arin, on his own. I do have a think for the quiet, meticulously powerful ones, and he checked a lot of boxes for my reading preferences.

There was also a lot put into the world-building and history of this world. And I’ll be honest, even halfway through, I was still struggling to keep straight exactly which gods were connected with which kingdoms, how the various cultures were different from one another, and how exactly this world was laid out. I read this book on my Kindle, so I do think this was one of those situations where having a map would have helped me quite a lot. Especially given the fixation on maps that Arin himself is referenced as having!

The story does end on a fairly substantial cliff hanger. And there are a lot of dangling mysteries to be had, not only about both of our main characters, but about what truly happened in the history of this world, both recent and long ago. But I think it’s well worth the torment, and any fans of detailed, fantasy worlds and compelling heroines should definitely check this one out!

Rating 9: What a wonder! A debut that is rich in world-building and lead by a fantastic, feisty heroine, Hashem checks all the boxes as a SFF author to keep your eyes on!

Reader’s Advisory:

“The Jasad Heir” isn’t on any Goodreads lists yet, but it should be on Egyptian Mythology.

Joint Review: “Silver Nitrate”

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Book: “Silver Nitrate” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publishing Info: Del Rey, July 2023

Where Did We Get This Book: We received eARCs from NetGalley and Edeweiss+!

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

Book Description: From the New York Times bestselling author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothic comes a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film–and awakens one woman’s hidden powers.

Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend, Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, though she’s been in love with him since childhood.

Then Tristán discovers his new neighbor is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he can change their lives—even if his tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.

Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her, and Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend.

As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán may find that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies.

Kate’s Thoughts

I always look forward to Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s new books, because I know that I am almost assuredly going to be a well done take on whatever genre she wants to tackle. We’ve seen horror, we’ve seen fantasy, we’ve seen noir, and romance. She really knows how to be a chameleon and jump from genre to genre, and “Silver Nitrate” is no exception. This time we have a little bit of magical realism, a little bit of historical fiction, and a little bit of good old fashioned occult horror. As well as the real life horrors of post WWII Nazis fleeing to Latin America. Man, that’s another thing I love about Moreno-Garcia; she deftly inserts historical context from a place I have little knowledge of into her stories, and I find it so, so fascinating every time.

“Silver Nitrate” is both an exploration of mystic occult intrigue as well as a history lesson in Mexican cinema. I really loved learning all of these historical tidbits about movie history in Mexico, and the film industry in general and the inner workings of it. I was having to go and look into some of her references (okay, many of her references), but that made the experience all the richer because I LOVE connecting historical dots and how it can really elevate a tale. And she always does it in a way that flows very well, never taking me out of the story too much (just enough to go on a tangent or two). The history of Mexican cinema was just such a fun angle to me, and I really enjoyed learning more and seeing that side of the story.

And as for the horror aspects of this story, Moreno-Garcia once again really evokes the creepy in her narrative. Whether it is strange imagery that Tristán is seeing after getting in too deep, or the idea of a cursed film in general, or the very real scares of the idea of Nazis using mysticism as a way to gain power, there are so many unsettling aspects of this book and Moreno-Garcia balances them all. She can do flat out horror, or building unease, and both parts on the horror spectrum fit in very well within the story.

Another delightful story from Silvia Moreno-Garcia! I love that we get new content by her pretty consistently, and I cannot wait to see what kind of genre hopping she takes on next!

Serena’s Thoughts

Another summer comes, another Silvia Moreno-Garcia book to joint review here on our blog! At this point, it’s well established how much we both enjoy this author. But one of the things I appreciate the most is how I can never anticipate what sort of story I will get from her next. Yes, she often incorporates fantasy and horror elements (hence both of our love of her work!), but the exact sort of story is always very different. Last summer found us reading a re-imaging of “The Island of Doctor Moreau.” And this summer we do a deep dive into the 90s and classic Mexican film history.

I’ll be honest, I know next to nothing about this topic, so I spent a large portion of this book with my phone open to Google, frantically researching the various directors and actors mentioned. But, as I said, this is one of the great joys of her work. I also went down several rabbit holes regarding Nazis and mysticism; always a fun time! I really liked how these two seemingly very disconnected topics were woven together so neatly. One thing that stood out to me on this read is the unique approach to fantasy and magic systems that this author takes. That is, she doesn’t worry about it much. Much of the magic in her books is used to enhance the overall tone of the book, with very little put into explaining to readers how exactly any of this works. She’s a perfect answer to the types of fantasy fans who insists that complex systems with clear rules, ala Brandon Sanderson, is the only way to portray magic.

I also really liked our main two characters. Their relationship, a friendship built over decades of knowing one another, was such a true depiction of this sort of rare person in one’s life. Someone who you understand so well that you, on one hand, can’t stand them, but on the other hand, love them more than life itself. I particularly liked the swapped nature of their personalities from the sort that we typically see, with Montserrat taking on the more aggressive, proactive role, with Tristan very much serving as the softer one of the two.

Overall, this was another excellent story by this author. See you all next summer (fingers crossed!), can’t wait to see what we’ll be reading next time!

Kate’s Rating 8: A fun combination of horror, history, and occultism.

Serena’s Rating 8: A fascinating mix of historical deep dives and truly creepy moments!

Reader’s Advisory:

“Silver Nitrate” is included on the Goodreads lists “Vintage Media in Dark Fiction”, and “Non-Caucasian Protagonists in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, and Paranormal Romance”.