Cinder House
Oh, how I loved this wickedly smart, gothic reimagining of Cinderella! In which Ella *IS* the house (or, rather, the house’s ghost), her stepmother is her murderer, and her stepsister is her torturer, and the prince is — well, I won’t spoil it.
About the book
Author: Freya Marske
Publisher: Tordotcom
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
Oh, how I loved this wickedly smart, gothic reimagining of Cinderella! In which Ella *IS* the house (or, rather, the house’s ghost), her stepmother is her murderer, and her stepsister is her torturer, and the prince is — well, I won’t spoil it.
All I can really say is that you must take the small handful of hours it will take you to fly through this novella, because it manages to feel comfortable and extremely fresh all in one. It’s emotional, it’s magical, it’s delightful, it’s dark, it’s queer, and it’s so dang good. I would gladly have stayed for a whole novel’s worth of this story and then some. This is retelling at its best.
Content and Trigger Warnings
Murder / death / violence
Torture
Domestic abuse
Sexual content (minor)
Death of a parent
Animal cruelty (off page)
Blood Over Bright Haven
I almost — almost — let this one slip through the cracks of my TBR. Reader, that would have been a grave mistake. What an incredible firecracker of a standalone fantasy novel!!
About the book
Author: M.L. Wang
Publisher: Del Rey
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
I almost — almost — let this one slip through the cracks of my TBR. Reader, that would have been a grave mistake. What an incredible firecracker of a standalone fantasy novel!!
Blood Over Bright Haven is about a woman named Sciona from the magically/technologically advanced city of Tiran who has worked her whole life to become accepted into the highest levels of magical scholarship — history’s first woman highmage. It’s also about an indigenous man named Thomil who was driven into Tiran’s lowest class by “the blight,” a magical danger outside the safety of Tiran’s borders that’s left his people all but extinct. When Sciona’s male peers assign Thomil as her assistant as a joke, the two form an unlikely pair — and uncover horrifying truths.
This book is doing SO MUCH in less than 500 pages, and it does it so well. Here, in a fast-paced story with an incendiary plot, we grapple with what it truly means to reckon with one’s own privilege and role in oppression, colonialism, violence; the reality of intersectionalism paired with the uncomfortable truth that it does not excuse those with more privilege; the harsh reality of intention vs impact; the cost of taking more than can be sustained and why that’s easier to ignore than confront head-on; and how easy it is for people in power to convince themselves that they are not in the wrong, and the near-impossibility of interrupting that mentality.
I’m not sure I’ve ever met a character who was so unlikeable in the beginning yet demonstrated so much (believable) growth so quickly. The ending is also, in my opinion, exactly what the book demands.
If you liked R.F. Kuang’s Babel, you will love this. And even if you didn’t, I still think you might love this. Please read it!
Content and Trigger Warnings
Racism
Colonialism
Violence / blood / death
Sexual assault / attempted rape
Suicidal thoughts / attempt
The Silmarillion
As a fan girl at heart, I love feeling 10x more informed about Tolkien’s lore and hope to pick up more of his supplemental works someday, perhaps starting with the story of Beren and Lúthien.
About the book
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Publisher: William Morrow (illustrated collector’s edition)
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
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My Review
As a lover of The Lord of the Rings who had never read The Silmarillion, I’ve felt like a pretender for years. Add to that my enjoyment of The Rings of Power, and it was only a matter of time. I’m so glad that I finally decided to take the plunge, following along retroactively with Breanne Rodgers’ 8-week readthrough.
8 weeks was a great pace — it gave me space to absorb what I’d read and then synthesize it with Breanne’s recap post plus a little extra help from Super Summary (a SparkNotes alternative). I absolutely recommend this approach; reading a recap of each chapter after I finished took the pressure off to remember every detail (impossible) and let me just relax and enjoy the ride. Which I did!
I started a reread of The Fellowship of the Ring this past weekend, and I’ve already picked up on things that would have felt meaningless before but stand out now (like the elves introducing themselves as “of the house of Finrod”). As a fan girl at heart, I love feeling 10x more informed about Tolkien’s lore and hope to pick up more of his supplemental works someday, perhaps starting with the story of Beren and Lúthien.
Content and Trigger Warnings
War, death, and violence
Torture
Death of a parent/child
The Incandescent
This is one of those books you can’t examine tooooo closely, but if you just go along for the ride, you’re going to have a really fun time.
About the book
Author: Emily Tesh
Publisher: Tor Books
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
The Incandescent has been (im)patiently waiting for me to pick it up since it was published earlier this year. It’s got a good amount of hype behind it, especially because it’s the first novel Emily Tesh has published since Some Desperate Glory won the Hugo Award. My verdict: This is one of those books you can’t examine tooooo closely, but if you just go along for the ride, you’re going to have a really fun time.
The story takes place at an English boarding school, but the main character is a teacher — actually, the school’s director of magic, Dr. Saffy Walden. I loved spending time with her as a MC. It was a fun subversion of the dark academia genre, but she’s also lovably curmudgeonly, fiercely dedicated to her job as a teacher, someone who genuinely loves teenagers for all their striving imperfections, bisexual, and occasionally hilarious.
My main squabble with this book is that it feels disjointed. I would bet money that this started as a novella that Tesh later expanded into a novel, because the first 40% is very self-contained. I think the two parts could have been blended better (wait to resolve some of that stuff from the first 40% until the end, for example) and I would have felt more invested the whole time. I was also surprised that we were able to see so much of the plot coming from a mile off, especially because Some Desperate Glory had some of the best plot twists I’ve ever read, but that’s not something that I ultimately mind too much.
Ultimately, this is a FUN book with some bonuses, like the bi rep with a great sapphic side (see: hot butch lesbian modern knight jumping into the fire for her dumb crush), commentary on classism and hubris, and plenty to say about all the ways schools and institutions let down teachers and others on the front lines.
Content and Trigger Warnings
Death and grief
Violence
Classism
Child abuse (minor/mentioned)
Sexual content (very minor)
Someone You Can Build a Nest In
Well, I did not expect this novel — about a (female) blob monster who falls in love with a (human) woman and decides she wants to lay her eggs in her body, after which her offspring would devour her from the inside out — to be one of my favorite reads of the year. And yet! What fun this was!
About the book
Author: John Wiswell
Publisher: DAW Books
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
Well, I did not expect this novel — about a (female) blob monster who falls in love with a (human) woman and decides she wants to lay her eggs in her body, after which her offspring would devour her from the inside out — to be one of my favorite reads of the year. And yet! What fun this was!
Some have called this “cozy horror,” and while I am not so sure about the cozy label (the stakes are high and there’s a lot of trauma here), this book has a feel-good vibe that I really enjoyed. For example, Shesheshen (the monster MC) has a big blue pet bear named Blueberry. So while yes, the fact that Shesheshen is a big blob who can form body parts out of whatever creature she’s eaten technically puts this in “body horror” territory, don’t let that scare you away if horror/body horror isn’t usually your thing. It was much more silly than gross, IMO.
Beyond the fun premise and overall good vibes, I had a ton of fun with the plot — he even got me with the twist. It’s also great ace representation and is full of characters actively helping one another heal from abuse and trauma (which, okay, maybe is a little unrealistic for a monster who is only just learning what it means to love, but WHO CARES). Finally, you should know that this one works great on audio, as the world-building is minimal, we only have one POV, and it takes place in an linear timeline.
I would be happy for this to win the Hugo tomorrow!
Content and Trigger Warnings
Child abuse / toxic relationship
Body horror (but it’s kind of goofy so don’t let this stop you)
Animal cruelty
Death of a parent
The Tainted Cup (Shadow of the Leviathan, #1)
It took me way too long to read The Tainted Cup — its Hugo nomination tipped the scales — because y’all, this was SO much fun and just so well done.
About the book
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Publisher: Del Rey
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
It took me way too long to read The Tainted Cup — its Hugo nomination tipped the scales — because y’all, this was SO much fun and just so well done.
This book is a Holmes and Watson–style murder mystery, if Holmes was an ASD-coded genius woman who blindfolds herself and never leaves the house to avoid overstimulation so she can puzzle out her cases, and Watson was her sneakily superpowered dyslexic assistant with a magically amplified photogenic memory. And if the murder weapon was a fungus that causes entire trees to burst out of its victims' bodies. Oh, and they live in a world where the wet season brings leviathan sea monsters crashing onto land, destroying everything in their path.
Part of what makes this such a good time is that it’s a contained, well-written mystery. Bennett knows what he’s doing! Plus, it has the welcome feeling of a standalone, because the focus is on the central plot. But at the same time, the background worldbuilding also contains so much potential that could be sneakily explored over the course of many such books. And last but not least, the characters are lovable neurodivergent underdogs fighting for space and worth in a society built to deny it to them. What’s not to enjoy?
I’m so glad to have the sequel sitting on my shelf waiting for me!
Content and Trigger Warnings
Murder, death
Body horror, gore (minor)
Drug use
The Everlasting
A wholly original and unputdownable sweeping, epic, magical story for the ages, this is my favorite book I’ve read so far this year and could easily maintain that #1 spot all the way through.
About the book
Author: Alix E. Harrow
Publisher: Tor Books
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
Alix Harrow is an auto-read author for me. Her books range from quick and fun to certified bangers — and y’all, The Everlasting (out in October) is a CERTIFIED BANGER. A wholly original and unputdownable sweeping, epic, magical story for the ages, this is my favorite book I’ve read so far this year and could easily maintain that #1 spot all the way through.
The Everlasting is about a historian named Owen living in a republic called Dominion, which justifies its present-day colonialism with its origin story of Una Everlasting, a brave and valiant knight who fought to unify the lands for her queen. One day, Owen finds the long-lost original manuscript of Una’s story delivered to his office without a return address. Little does he know that he’s about to find himself back in time, by her side, convincing her to play her part in the greatest legend ever told. Or is it?
I don’t even know where to start with this, friends. The first section (of five) destroyed me, and when I hit 40% I silently screamed and cursed my decision to read this so early (it’s out in October — thanks Tor and Netgalley!) that I had no one to live-text my reactions to. This was the first time in a long, long time that I found myself legitimately angry that I had to stop reading to go to sleep; I wanted to inhale it but also savor every word. THE WAY THIS WOMAN USES WORDS, WHEW!!!
An epic love story, a delicious villain, time travel executed perfectly, I could go on and on. Plus, she has so much to say about what it means to be free, what it means to love someone, what it means to make choices, and the never-ending cycle of colonial propaganda and radicalization. Who writes the legendarium and why? How do stories become myths? It’s timeless and so incredibly timely.
If you don’t all preorder this book and read it immediately upon publication, I will riot. You’ve been warned.
Content and Trigger Warnings
Violence
Death and murder
Sexual assault (off-page)
Suicide/suicidal thoughts (sacrificing oneself)
Child death
Animal death
Assassin's Quest (The Farseer Trilogy, #3)
This book is a long adventure that takes its time, but I sank in and never felt frustrated by its pace. I also think this was my favorite Farseer book; the scope of the world and the story expanded so much!
About the book
Author: Robin Hobb
Publisher: Harper Voyager
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
Assassin’s Quest is the third book of Robin Hobb’s Farseer trilogy, published in the 90s and comprised of the first three books of a total of 15 set in her larger The Realm of the Elderlings series. I’m going to attempt to quickly review this particular book and also the Farseer trilogy as a whole, all without spoilers.
I was a bit nervous heading into Assassin’s Quest for two reasons: first, it’s 850 pages, and the first two books showed me that Robin Hobb tells stories epicly but slowly; second, I’d read in a review that AQ is many people’s least favorite Farseer book. Fortunately, my experience could not be more different. Yes, this book is a long adventure that takes its time, but I sank in and never felt frustrated by its pace (you cannot rush it; that is critical). I also think this was my favorite Farseer book; the scope of the world and the story expanded so much! After all, this universe is called The Realm of the Elderlings, and I didn’t even know what an Elderling was until the second half of AQ. My heart soared and ached alongside these characters the whole way, leading up to an excellent ending.
I’m so glad I picked this trilogy up; it’s not going to be for every reader (if you need a fast-paced plot to stay engaged, be warned), but it was definitely for me. Hobb’s ability to create an entire world filled with excellent characters, human and animal alike, is truly elite. I can only imagine how much more expansive that world will become.
I can’t wait to continue with the next trilogy in a month or two!
Content and Trigger Warnings
Violence, blood, war, death
Rape (mentioned later, not explicit)
Still birth
When the Tides Held the Moon
When the Tides Held the Moon was a fun, queer, found-family historical fantasy. I had a few quibbles with it, but ultimately I had a good time and would recommend it to anyone who felt drawn by the premise.
About the book
Author: Venessa Vida Kelley
Publisher: Erewhon Books
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
When the Tides Held the Moon was a fun, queer, found-family historical fantasy about a Puerto Rican man who joins a sideshow on Coney Island in the 1910s and falls in love with the merman the crew captured for the show. I had a few quibbles with it (and with the way it was marketed), but ultimately I had a good time with it and would recommend it to anyone who felt drawn by the premise.
Here’s how the book was introduced on NetGalley: “The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman in this beautifully illustrated queer historical cozy fantasy.” Those comps are perfect, but I wouldn’t call this cozy by any means. It includes real stakes (lives threatened) and heavy themes (lots of racism, homophobia, and even sexual assault). That said, the romance aspect is definitely toned down in a way I’d expect from more of a “cozy” book. So it felt like it walked a weird line between cozy and high-stakes at times. There were also some plotlines that I felt could have been better resolved, tbh.
But overall, net positive on this one. It was a little predictable but not in a bad way, and the found family vibes were excellent, as they always are. The pacing was good and the ending was exciting. I mostly listened to this on audio and I feel like that’s a really good format for it. Also, when you understand the title, you’ll squee!
Content and Trigger Warnings
Racism
Homophobia
Gun violence
Sexual assault/violence (hazy on details)
Notes From a Regicide
All my friends who read both literary fiction and fantasy — this is the one. It is SO for you. And if you are one who goes out of your way to read queer and trans stories? Please veer immediately.
About the book
Author: Isaac Fellman
Publisher: Tor Books
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
All my friends who read both literary fiction and fantasy — this is the one. It is SO for you. And if you are one who goes out of your way to read queer and trans stories? Please veer immediately. I loved this character study of a trans man and his adoptive trans parents, who also happen to be former revolutionaries, living in an evolution of our society a thousand years in the future.
I think the marketing of this book (and possibly even Tor being the publisher) did this book a bit of a disservice, because genre SFF readers are unlikely to jive with it. It’s structured as a book written by Griffon, half a translation of his father’s journal while imprisoned for regicide, half a memoir of his time with his parents. There are very few actual speculative elements, revolutionary action scenes, or explorations of the broader world or even politics; they are a backdrop for the introspection.
But if that sounds like your cup of tea, please give this a shot. Because it is heartbreaking and raw; a look at the ways we heal and hurt ourselves and those we love. It embraces heavy themes like suicide, alcoholism, and more. The prose is beautiful, the kind that stops you in your tracks every once in a while. And in today’s political climate, it’s the perfect read for Pride month and the perfect reminder that queer and trans people have always existed and always will.
Content and Trigger Warnings
Alcoholism (explicit)
Suicide
Child abuse
Homophobia, transphobia
Self harm
Faithbreaker (Fallen Gods, #3)
WHAT an epic, heartbreaking conclusion to a truly excellently written fantasy trilogy. I’m so glad I read it. Hannah Kaner has written us the perfect blend of modern and classic fantasy — a classic, nostalgic, epic storytelling style with a modern approach to queerness and other social issues.
About the book
Author: Hannah Kaner
Publisher: Harper Voyager
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
No spoilers for the first two books (Godkiller and Sunbringer) ahead, but — WHAT an epic, heartbreaking conclusion to a truly excellently written fantasy trilogy. I’m so glad I read it. Hannah Kaner has written us the perfect blend of modern and classic fantasy — a classic, nostalgic, epic storytelling style with a modern approach to queerness, disability, and other social issues.
This third book really delivered in a big way. It tied the first two books together with a high-stakes, exciting (and heartbreaking) ending. All of the POVs are engaging and fun to read. We got significant character growth, even from at least one character I didn’t expect it from. And the relationships between the characters — Kissen and Elo, Elo and Arren, Inara and Lessa, Kissen and Lessa, and even Kissen and Skedi — were so satisfying.
If you’re looking for a fantasy trilogy that feels somehow nostalgic and also fresh, this is your sign to read this one!
Content and Trigger Warnings
War, violence, and death
Sexual content (minor)
Animal death
The River Has Roots
The River Has Roots is a slim novella — seriously, it’s short, the itty bitty little print edition also includes a bonus short story in the back — but it offers a truly beautiful reading experience.
About the book
Author: Amal El-Mohtar
Publisher: Tordotcom
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
The River Has Roots is a slim novella — seriously, it’s short, the itty bitty little print edition also includes a bonus short story in the back — but it offers a truly beautiful reading experience.
The story reads as a dreamy fairy tale, centering on two sisters who care for the weeping willows that line a magical river by singing to them. But when one sister rejects a neighboring bachelor in favor of the fae partner who holds her heart, the spell of their perfect life is broken.
You simply must “tandem read” this book, listening along as you read the hardcover — the print edition is stunningly illustrated, and the audio edition features gorgeous singing and sound effects like guitar and rushing water. To choose one format over the other would be a mistake.
If you’re looking for the perfect way to spend a Friday evening, this book is it. I can tell you from experience.
Content and Trigger Warnings
Murder, death, violence
Body horror
Homophobia
The Dark Mirror (The Bone Season, #5)
This is the best non-romantasy fantasy series I have read in a very LONG time, and I desperately want you to read it.
About the book
Author: Samantha Shannon
Publisher: Bloomsbury
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
I’m going to review this book without any spoilers for the first four, because I know many people (like me) are coming to The Bone Season for the first time now that the looooong long wait between books four and five is over. This is the best non-romantasy fantasy series I have read in a very LONG time, and I desperately want you to read it.
The background info: Shannon published the first Bone Season book in her early 20s and then quickly published the next three. Then she took a break to write other awesome stuff like The Priory of the Orange Tree and its companions. In all that intervening time, she matured and became an even better writer. So before returning to write TBS5, she went back and fully revised the first four. I started my TBS journey earlier this year with those “Author’s Preferred Texts,” as they’re called, and I loved them. But I was still excited to get to this book, because it’s the first one where she’s fully planned, plotted, and drafted it from scratch using her current skillset — she has picked this series back up at the height of her powers.
In a publishing landscape obsessed with romantasy, this feels like a refreshing return to dystopian fantasy being what it is meant to be and not trying to be anything else. (That’s not to say there’s no romance — almost all fantasy has at least one love story in the plot — but it took MANY books for the slow-burn central romance to pay off here [and OMG WHEWWWWW was it worth it].)
I cannot emphasize enough how good this series is. Paige is an incredible protagonist, Warden is perfect, and Jaxon is possibly one of the best characters I’ve ever read. All these books, but especially The Dark Mirror, are expertly plotted and paced. I laughed and I cried (and cried and cried — HOW COULD YOU, SAMANTHA!).
Here’s hoping now that Shannon is happy with the first five books, we get books six and seven QUICKLY. I will be at those midnight release parties!
Content and Trigger Warnings
Violence / war / death
Grief
PTSD / panic attacks
Torture
Medical content
Sexual content
A Sorceress Comes to Call
As of this writing, A Sorceress Comes to Call is nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, AND Locus Awards. This book was an awesome standalone; I inhaled the whole thing on audio during one very long car ride.
About the book
Author: T. Kingfisher
Publisher: Tor Books
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
As of this writing, A Sorceress Comes to Call is nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, AND Locus Awards. The people love T. Kingfisher! And for good reason. I thought this book was an awesome standalone; I inhaled the whole thing on audio during one very long car ride.
The novel takes elements from the Brothers Grimm’s “Goose Girl,” and it brings it with those gothic fairy tale vibes. It has two main characters: Cordelia, abused daughter of the murderous sorceress Evangeline; and Hester, middle-aged elder sister to the Squire on whom Evangeline has set her sights (with the goal of marrying him and taking his money). Soon, Cordelia realizes she’s the only one who can stop her mother’s violence for good, and she and Hester join forces in an unlikely but determined pair.
This was just such a good time, filled with themes of found family and finding your voice and strength. Kingfisher knows how to tell a story, and what more could you want from a premise like this? Did I mention there’s also a dry-humored butler, “the one who got away” (or did he?) from Hester, and a horse familiar named Falada? And the ending was GRIPPING — I could not stop listening. If I had been reading in print I would have been flying through those pages.
I still have four more finalists to go, but I wouldn’t be mad if this won the Hugo!
Content and Trigger Warnings
Child abuse
Emotional abuse
Murder/death/blood
Gifted & Talented
Do I think this is a “can’t miss” book? Probably not. Was it deeply entertaining? Absolutely. If you’re looking for something funny and unserious and also heartfelt, pick this up.
About the book
Author: Olivie Blake
Publisher: Tor Books
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
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My Review
I’m not much of a television watcher, so I haven’t seen Succession, but it definitely seems like this is a spin on that concept but ~with magic~. I can’t speak to whether it feels stale to those who’ve watched the show, but I had a hell of a good time.
Meredith (a tech founder), Arthur (a politician), and Eilidh (a former professional dancer) are the children of the recently deceased CEO of the world’s biggest tech+magic company. They travel back to his estate to plan the funeral and see who he trusted (or loved?) enough to leave them his shares in the company. But there are questions about the will, so while the lawyers figure it out, the three siblings turn toward their own personal crises and their relationships to one another.
Admittedly, this book starts off slow. I spent the first 25% or so wondering if I was pushing myself through yet another set of unlikeable characters in a dysfunctional family. But then I laughed for the twentieth time and the side characters were fantastic and suddenly I was deeply attached and rooting for each of them and MY HEART WAS IN IT. The plot was a little predictable, but I didn’t mind at all.
Do I think this is a “can’t miss” book? Probably not. Was it deeply entertaining? Absolutely. If you’re looking for something funny and unserious and also heartfelt, pick this up.
Content and Trigger Warnings
Death of a parent, grief
Eating disorder (remembered in someone who’s dead now)
Drug use
Pregnancy
Car accident/chronic pain
The Mask Falling (The Bone Season, #4)
This was such a satisfying read. The pacing continues to be perfect, the twists are twisty, the lore deepens with each installment, loyalties have layers upon layers, and Page and Arcturus are perfection.
About the book
Author: Samantha Shannon
Publisher: Bloomsbury
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
Buy and support indie bookstores (+ I earn a small commission):
Bookshop.org (print or ebook) | Libro.fm (audio)
My Review
I’ll be brief here, as we’re mid-series and this has been out for awhile at the time of this review.
I continue to have SUCH a great time reading this series and I’m SO glad I waited until The Dark Mirror was out before picking it up — both because I’m glad to have read the revised editions AND because WHAT WAS THAT ENDING? I cannot BELIEVE that all of you original fans waited THIS LONG for book five after a cliffhanger like that. Y’all are the real MVPs, wow.
In all seriousness, though, this was such a satisfying read. The pacing continues to be perfect, the twists are twisty, the lore deepens with each installment, loyalties have layers upon layers, and Page and Arcturus are perfection.
TBS is now solidly on my list of series to recommend far and wide.
Content and Trigger Warnings
Torture/PTSD
Panic attacks
Pregnancy (minor)
Violence
Royal Assassin (The Farseer Trilogy, #2)
As a reader who loves both fantasy and character-driven literary fiction, Robin Hobb’s books are a special kind of reading experience. I liked Royal Assassin even more than the first book.
About the book
Author: Robin Hobb
Publisher: Harper Voyager
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
Buy and support indie bookstores (+ I earn a small commission):
Bookshop.org (print or ebook) | Libro.fm (audio)
My Review
As a reader who loves both fantasy and character-driven literary fiction, Robin Hobb’s books are a special kind of reading experience — one I can really sink into and let both halves of my heart enjoy. They just have this perfect classic fantasy vibe (minus, thankfully, the misogyny).
I enjoyed Assassin’s Apprentice, but I think I liked Royal Assassin even more. The pacing is better: it covers a much shorter timeline, focusing on a specific set of events instead of 10 years of Fitz’s life. That means it avoids most of the “and then and then and then” that occasionally plagues the first book. Both the Skill and the Wit are explored more deeply, which I appreciated. I also respected the way Hobb gave Fitz time to work through the impossibilities of his situation; it was very believable. Nighteyes is a true gift. And I definitely did not have that ending on my bingo card!
Content and Trigger Warnings
Violence, blood, and death
Torture
Sexual content (minor)
Pregnancy
Oathbound (Legendborn, #3)
THAT ENDING. Fourth book when?!?!?
About the book
Author: Tracy Deonn
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
Buy and support indie bookstores (+ I earn a small commission):
Bookshop.org (print or ebook) | Libro.fm (audio)
My Review
This will be a quick review since we’re mid-series, but WHEW y’all, Tracy Deonn just keeps delivering.
Oathbound picks up within seconds of where Bloodmarked left off (thankfully, lol). No spoilers for the other books here, but suffice to say that we get a good amount of time with not only Bree, but also (in some expected and some unexpected ways) Nick and Sel. I thought the pacing of the book was excellent, and I loved the plot circumstances that brought Bree and Nick back to the same place.
And yeah. THAT ENDING. Fourth book when?!?!?
Content and Trigger Warnings
Racism
Grief
Violence
Upon a Starlit Tide
Upon a Starlit Tide bills itself as The Little Mermaid mixed with Cinderella into a dark historical fantasy — and it delivers excellently. Kell Woods clearly knows and loves her fairytales and folklore. I had so much fun reading it.
About the book
Author: Kell Woods
Publisher: Tor Books
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
Buy and support indie bookstores (+ I earn a small commission):
Bookshop.org (print or ebook) | Libro.fm (audio)
My Review
Upon a Starlit Tide bills itself as The Little Mermaid mixed with Cinderella into a dark historical fantasy — and it delivers excellently. Kell Woods clearly knows and loves her fairytales and folklore. I had so much fun reading it.
The story is about a girl named Lucinde, adopted daughter of one of the wealthiest merchants in Saint-Malo, which is protected from attack by the magic of its resident fae creatures. Her two sisters spend their days dreaming of advantageous marriages, but Lucinde just wants to take to the sea. When she rescues a handsome, shipwrecked man from drowning, her family is invited to a ball at his estate — and of course, everything changes.
I ended up loving this book, despite the fact that I found the pacing of the beginning a bit slow. I started off intrigued but not quite pulled in — and then just as I started to get a little frustrated, the ball scene happened and the story really picked up, and I never looked back. It has just the right amount of romance, darkness, mystery, action, and folklore. It doesn’t take long to figure out where the story is going, but also, you have no idea how you’ll get there, and the journey is well worth your time. I especially loved how Woods evolved Lucinde’s sisters from their role of “wicked stepsisters” and gave them so much more nuance by the end.
If you love fairy tales and retellings, pick this one up!
Content and Trigger Warnings
Violent torture
Murder/death
Ableism
Sexual content
Death of a parent
The Dawn Chorus (The Bone Season, #3.5)
I’m glad that I decided not to skip the supplementary novellas in this series. Like The Pale Dreamer (#1.5), this one was fast, short, fun, and felt like a fully worthwhile into a few key characters and relationships.
About the book
Author: Samantha Shannon
Publisher: Bloomsbury
More info:
The StoryGraph | Goodreads
Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the review.
Note: This title is available as an ebook only.
My Review
I don’t always read supplemental materials (like optional novellas) when I make my way through a fantasy series, but so far with The Bone Season, I’m glad that I have. Like The Pale Dreamer (#1.5), this one was fast, short, fun, and felt like a fully worthwhile into a few key characters and relationships.
Without really spoiling anything from the preceding books, I will say that in The Dawn Chorus (a phrase that made an appearance in the text in a way I found quite lovely), we get to see Paige recovering from severe trauma, cared for by Warden. She is drowning in the early days of PTSD, and we get to watch her not only process that trauma but also begin to pull herself back into a stable state.
I so enjoyed this quick, focused look at the always-developing dynamic of their relationship, and the extra depth we get for both characters.
If you’re reading this series, don’t sleep on the novellas!
Content and Trigger Warnings
Torture, confinement
Trauma, PTSD, panic attacks
Vomit
Medical content
Addiction