Tag: Young Adult

Serena’s Review: “Our Divine Mischief”

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Book: “Our Divine Mischief” by Hanna C. Howard

Publishing Info: Blink YA, October 2023

Where Did I Get this Book: ARC from the publisher

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

Book Description: The Goddess Trial is designed to push young people to their edge and mark their coming of age, but Áila LacInis is ready for whatever it brings. She sets sail from her small fishing village to the island of the goddess Yslet, fully expecting a divine encounter, but what she finds is … nothing at all. The goddess is completely absent, and the only thing on the island is a dirty, mangy dog. Suddenly, everything Áila has ever known and believed is upended and her future becomes shrouded in uncertainty.

Hew already completed the Goddess Trial and received the designation of Unblessed. He is an outcast in the village, until he is tasked with assisting Áila through a series of Ordeals the town elders designed to compensate for her failed Trial. For the first time, he has hope he can make something of his life.

Orail isn’t quite sure who or what she is. She remembers little before Áila’s arrival on the island, and now all she knows is that she’ll never leave Áila’s side. But as she begins to realize and remember, she discovers powers—and an identity—she never could have imagined.

Review: I was definitely interested in this book the first time I saw it. There are a lot of similar sounding books floating around in YA fantasy right now, and this one definitely came across as a breath of fresh air. I was even more intrigued when I cracked my copy open and realized that while, yes, this was a dual POV book between the heroine and hero, there was a third POV from the dog, written in a poetry style. What a creative and intriguing choice! Let’s dive in to the review.

This was one of those interesting reads where I enjoyed quite a lot of it, but I think a few style changes or refocusing in certain plot points really would have elevated it to another level. But let’s start with the unequivocal good things first. I enjoyed the world-building we were given here, with its mix of historical fiction based on Irish folklore and its fantasy elements, that of a Goddess who intercedes in her peoples’ lives and gives them their direction. Both of these elements, the historical and the fantasy, were well-balanced. There were moments that read like a fairytale, with Aila undergoing trials with magical solutions, and others that read more like straight historical fiction, with a focus on the political machinations of a foreign prince.

I also really enjoyed Aila as a main character. Her arch is fairly straight forward, but even as her faith in her Goddess waivers, she discovers new strength within herself to face a world that is much more complex that she originally believed. I also really enjoyed the dog, Orail’s, chapters. The use of poetry was very creative as it gave voice to the changing awareness that Orail goes through as she remembers her past, from the simple thoughts of a puppy to the more complex understanding of a fully realized being.

I also enjoyed Hew’s story, but this also gets into what I think held this book back from its full potential. The love story between Hew and Aila was very sweet, and while Hew did have his own storyline, I feel like his chapters ultimately took away from the development of Orail and Aila’s relationship. It’s clear that the author wanted to write a love letter to the relationship between a beloved pet and its owner, and that does come through. But this is a fairly short book, and ultimately, the balance felt off between the three perspectives. Simply removing Hew’s POV chapters, but keeping him as a character with a love story told through Aila’s perspective, would have allowed Orail and Aila’s own story to become more central, which ultimately is more important to the greater arc of the overall story. As it was, Orail’s love and attachment to Aila develops too quickly to truly hit the way it needs to in the climax of the story. By giving more page time to develop this relationship, and keeping Hew as an important character, albeit one without a POV of his own, I think the book could have reached a more successful balance in its ultimate themes and resolution.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. However, it was one of those rather frustrating reads where it had all the right pieces, but it almost feels like the author wasn’t brave enough to write the story that she really wanted. There is an unfortunate trend in YA fantasy where it’s almost expected that if you have a love story, your book must be dual POV for it to be effective. This is absolutely not the case. And beyond that, here, even if the love story is sweet, the relationship between dog and owner is the more important one. You can sense that the author felt this way too, and yet it wasn’t given the prominent position it deserved. It’s one of those cases where I almost wonder if there was publisher pressure to adjust the story. Either way, I’ll definitely check out other books by this author as she has real skill. And even if this one had potential to be stronger, it’s still an enjoyable read as it is written.

Rating 7: A sweet fantasy novel with a truly lovely look at the relationship between a beloved pet and its owner, though this theme was undercut by an unnecessary POV for the love interest.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Our Divine Mischief” can be found on this Goodreads list: YA Novels of 2023

Kate’s Review: “Find Him Where You Left Him Dead”

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Book: “Find Him Where You Left Him Dead” by Kristen Simmons

Publishing Info: Tor Teen, September 2023

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

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

Book Description: Four years ago, five kids started a game. Not all of them survived.

Now, at the end of their senior year of high school, the survivors―Owen, Madeline, Emerson, and Dax―have reunited for one strange and terrible they’ve been summoned by the ghost of Ian, the friend they left for dead.

Together they return to the place where their friendship ended with one find Ian and bring him home. So they restart the deadly game they never finished―an innocent card-matching challenge called Meido. A game without instructions.

As soon as they begin, they’re dragged out of their reality and into an eerie hellscape of Japanese underworlds, more horrifying than even the darkest folktales that Owen’s grandmother told him. There, they meet Shinigami, an old wise woman who explains the rules: They have one night to complete seven challenges or they’ll all be stuck in this world forever.

Once inseparable, the survivors now can’t stand each other, but the challenges demand they work together, think quickly, and make sacrifices―blood, clothes, secrets, memories, and worse. And once again, not everyone will make it out alive.

Review: Thank you to Tor Teen for providing me with an ARC of this novel at ALAAC23!

After not feeling like there was much programming or promotionals for the horror genre at ALAAC in 2022, the conference in 2023 had a LOT of really great horror centered stuff! There were a good amount of horror ARCs available and multiple panels about the genre with authors of the genre giving their insights. During one of these panels I received a signed ARC of “Find Him Where You Left Him Dead” by Kristen Simmons, and after hearing her talk about the book and the inspiration she took from Japanese mythology I was very much interested to see what she did with it. I had pretty high hopes, and, unfortunately, the book didn’t quite live up to them.

But first what I did like. The comparisons to “Jumanji” are absolutely spot on. As someone who has had a special place in her heart for that movie ever since she saw it in theaters (I’ve dated myself), I really like how “Find Him Where You Left Him Dead” brings in a game element that these teens have to play, while steeped in the dangerous beings from Japanese folklore and mythology. And that is a great segue into the other thing that I really liked about this book: the Japanese folklore and mythology! Simmons finds some of the more disturbing yōkai and oni to showcase, which makes for some solid horror scenes. There was one in particular with a creature that was hoping to make clothing out of a very nasty item that really set me on edge. When the yōkai are placed front and center and are tormenting the friend group, it makes for unique and interesting reading. It’s also always cool seeing non-Western mythologies and folktales serve and inspiration for fantasy or horror or any genre that looks to stories of the past to influence stories of today, and seeing authors from those cultures have the opportunities to tweak and tinker with it to tell a new story.

But on the flip side, I had a really hard time investing in and getting into the characters. We have multiple POVs in this book, focusing on the friend group of Madeline, Emerson, Owen, and Dax, who played a strange game with their friend Ian four years prior and then left him behind in a cave and no one has seen him since. Now they join back together to play again after Ian’s ghost visits them all, and they know that they have to finish it or they will be trapped forever. It’s a solid build up, but their voices are pretty flat and not very distinct. Sure, all of them are dealing with their trauma in their own ways, but I never really got invested in any of them, which made the stakes of getting out of this alternate world not very high for me. There were also a lot of times they spoke less like teenagers in conversation and more like lessons the audience is meant to learn, and while I agreed with what they were trying to say, it could come off as stilted and throw off the pace of the book. I think that had we had fewer POVs to jump between and had we really gotten to know them better, they probably would have been more interesting to me, but as they were they were just kind of there. Which was a shame because it made the read not as entertaining as I had hoped it would be.

“Find Him Where You Left Him Dead” was a bit of a letdown. The folklore inspiration was spot on, but the rest of the book was pretty run of the mill.

Rating 6: I really loved the Japanese folklore elements of this horror tale, but the characters in “Find Him Where You Left Him Dead” were a bit flat and made it hard to invest in their fates.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Find Him Where You Left Him Dead” is included on the Goodreads lists “YA Asian Horror”, and “A 2023 Halloween Spooky Reads List”.

Serena’s Review: “Flower and Thorn”

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Book: “Flower and Thorn” by Rati Mehrotra

Publishing Info: Wednesday Books, October 2023

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

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

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

Until Irinya is tricked by an attractive imposter.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Serena’s Review: “Night of the Witch”

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

Publishing Info: Sourcebooks Fire, October 2023

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Serena’s Review: “Bittersweet in the Hollow”

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Book: “Bittersweet in the Hollow” by Kate Pearsall

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Reader’s Advisory:

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

Serena’s Review: “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!

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: “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.

Kate’s Review: “Your Lonely Nights Are Over”

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Book: “Your Lonely Nights Are Over” by Adam Sass

Publishing Info: Viking Books for Young Readers, September 2023

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

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

Book Description: Scream meets Clueless in this YA horror from Adam Sass in which two gay teen BFFs find their friendship tested when a serial killer starts targeting their school’s Queer Club.

Dearie and Cole are inseparable, unlikeable, and (in bad luck for them) totally unbelievable. From the day they met, Dearie and Cole have been two against the world. But whenever something bad happens at Stone Grove High School, they get blamed. Why? They’re beautiful, flirtatious, dangerously clever queen bees, and they’re always ready to call out their fellow students. But they’ve never faced a bigger threat than surviving senior year, when Mr. Sandman, a famous, never-caught serial killer emerges from a long retirement—and his hunting ground is their school Queer Club.

As evidence and bodies begin piling up and suspicion points at Dearie and Cole, they will need to do whatever it takes to unmask the real killer before they and the rest of Queer Club are taken down. But they’re not getting away from the killer without a fight.

Along the way, they must confront dark truths hidden beneath the surface of their small desert community. When the world is stacked against them and every flop they know is a suspect, can Dearie and Cole stop Mr. Sandman’s rampage? Or will their lonely nights soon be over . . .

Review: Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this novel!

If there is a surefire way to catch my attention when it comes to a book’s description, it’s to compare it to a piece of media or other book that I absolutely adore. It can be a bit of a gamble! The more I love the referenced TV show/movie/book, the higher hopes I have for the book at hand, and if it doesn’t live up to my expectations, I am going to probably ding the book at hand a bit more than I might otherwise. So talk about a huge gamble for “Your Lonely Nights Are Over” by Adam Sass. Not only does it reference one of my most formative horror movies, “Scream”, it also references one of my all time favorite movies, “Clueless”. And the thought of mashing them up? OH MY GOSH. GIVE IT TO ME. I definitely went in wary that the comparison would fall flat and therein influence my feelings. And while “Your Lonely Nights Are Over” didn’t quite meet the potential that I had hoped for it, it had other unexpected things within that really did work for me.

This is one of those odd times where I’m going to talk about what didn’t work for me before I go into what absolutely worked, because I want to end on a high note because there were things that REALLY clicked. But I WILL say that as someone who has consumed horror for years and years, I pretty much called almost all of the twists and called the killer long before any of these things were revealed. This very well may be just because I have seen and read so many horror things that I can spot twists and turns, but it definitely pulled some of the suspense from the story. I was invested in both Cole and Dearie, and liked how Sass wrote both of them and gave them unique voices that really got their experiences and perspectives across. I think they read less like the “Clueless” comparisons, however, and more like “Mean Girls” in some ways, but they did have me laughing a bit with their bantering and snark.

But what really, really shines in this book is how Sass tackles and explores the theme of loneliness, especially when it comes to the unique loneliness that can come with being a queer person. Dearie and Cole are both VERY close and have a relationship that transcends romantic and platonic, but there are still aspects about each of them during this book that does isolate themselves from each other. On top of that we also get the loneliness of being closeted for some characters, or the loneliness of gay people from generations where coming out came later in life, or just the loneliness of being a queer teenager trying to navigate through life. I loved how Sass dissected this idea and unabashedly puts forth that solidarity between queer people is a way to combat that loneliness and the horrors that it can bring, whether it’s a slasher killer in a story like this, or the real life horrors of bigotry, self loathing, and isolation.

“Your Lonely Nights Are Over” may have been a little predictable for this longtime horror fan, but I really enjoyed other parts of it. It will surely thrill its target demographic, and it should be on YA Halloween book lists this October.

Rating 7: The characters are fun but the mystery is a bit predictable. But I loved the message about loneliness in the queer community and how finding your people can combat it.

Reader’s Advisory:

“Your Lonely Nights Are Over” is included on the Goodreads lists “Queer Horror”, and “YA Serial Killers”.

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