Month: March 2025

Mini-Reviews: Shaman, Feast, Earl

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Lois McMaster Bujold, Penric and the Shaman

Four years after making the acquaintance of the demon Desdemona, sorcerer Penric has become a divine in the Bastard’s order. In that capacity, he is asked to participate in the hunt for a runaway shaman who’s responsible for the death of a young nobleman. His partner, the in-world equivalent of a police officer, distrusts all sorcerers and isn’t impressed by Pen’s youth and affability. But as they work together, they come to understand one another better—and realize that the shaman also isn’t quite what he seems. This novella has a lot of world-building that I found a bit hard to follow, even though I’ve read The Hallowed Hunt, which introduced the concept of shamans in this world. There’s also not much conflict; all the major players are well-intentioned and willing to collaborate to solve their problems. But I did enjoy the story and liked seeing Pen impress those who initially underestimated him. I’m excited to continue this series!

Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast

I just got back from my first trip to Paris and thought this would be the perfect book to read while I was there! It’s Hemingway’s fictionalized account of his life in Paris in the 1920s with his first wife, Hadley. He talks about his favorite cafés, his writing process, his affinity for gambling and skiing, and his many friends and acquaintances in the Parisian literary world, such as Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald. I wouldn’t say I’m a huge Hemingway fan, but I do admire his writing style, and there are plenty of wonderfully evocative turns of phrase in this book. I think it’s a bit uneven—which is fair, as it was incomplete when he died and published posthumously—and I’m not sure I’ll ever want to reread it. I think it’s a bit too inside-baseball unless you’re intimately familiar with Hemingway and all the people he describes. Still, it’s reminded me that I would like to read more of Hemingway’s fiction.

Caroline Linden, An Earl Like You

Hugh Deveraux has just inherited an earldom, and with it a mountain of debt that his father had kept secret. With a widowed mother and two sisters to support, he needs money fast. He tries to recover his fortunes at the gaming tables, where he receives an unusual proposal: Rich merchant Edward Cross wants his daughter, Eliza, to marry an aristocrat. If Hugh is willing to be the bridegroom, Cross will pay all his debts and give Eliza a hefty dowry. Hugh is reluctant at first, but when he meets the warm and down-to-earth Eliza, he decides to go through with the marriage. But what will happen when Eliza discovers that her handsome suitor is only after her money? I quite enjoyed this variation on the marriage-of-convenience plot, where only one partner knows it’s a marriage of convenience. Hugh’s deception is appalling, especially because the kind and trusting Eliza thinks it’s a love match, and the book treats this conflict with the gravity it deserves while still making Hugh a likable and redeemable character. I liked this one and may try more from the author.

Mini-Reviews: Firebrand, Unhoneymooners, Bummel

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Kristen Britain, Firebrand

Karigan is back in her own time but wounded and grieving after the events of Mirror Sight. Eventually she gets a new mission to distract her: She’ll head to the northern edge of the kingdom in search of allies in the coming war between Sacoridia and Second Empire. Meanwhile, an elemental spirit summoned by Grandmother attacks the royal family and abducts King Zachary. While I didn’t hate Mirror Sight, I’m glad this book takes us back to the series’ familiar setting and characters. I liked that Karigan has realistic human responses (sadness, anger, despair) to all the suffering she’s endured throughout the series. I also really enjoyed getting a bit more of Zachary’s POV than usual! The book is still far too long and has too many characters, and I could have done without some of the more melodramatic bits of violence near the end. But overall I enjoyed this one and will definitely continue with the series.

Christina Lauren, The Unhoneymooners

Olive and Ethan have never gotten along, even though her twin sister is marrying his brother. But when everyone at the wedding gets food poisoning except the two of them, they find themselves in the awkward position of taking their siblings’ places on the (nonrefundable) honeymoon to Hawaii. As they pretend to be married while participating in the various resort activities, Olive is surprised to discover another side to Ethan and finds herself falling for him. But a conflict between their siblings might derail their fledgling romance. This is my first encounter with Christina Lauren, and I enjoyed the book, but given the hype surrounding these authors, I think I was expecting a bit more. The initial conflict between Olive and Ethan felt very contrived and made me dislike Olive for jumping to conclusions. I did like the later conflict involving their siblings, which felt more realistic and gave some real stakes to the story. Overall, it’s a perfectly good read, but it just didn’t grab me.

Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men on the Bummel

In this sequel of sorts to Three Men in a Boat, narrator J. and his friends Harris and George decide to take another trip, this time a bicycle tour of Germany. But of course things start going wrong from the start, and the three men get into a variety of humorous scrapes. Meanwhile, J. often digresses to give his views on issues such as English vs. German education, the Germans’ passion for law and order, and why long descriptions of scenery aren’t necessary in a travelogue. Like its predecessor, this little book is a quick and enjoyable read, full of humor and satire. The book pokes gentle fun at the British traveler abroad, various countries’ attitudes toward foreigners, and the travel genre as a whole. There’s no plot to speak of, just a series of vaguely connected anecdotes. Worth a read if you enjoy this sort of light humor, though I remember liking Three Men in a Boat more.

N.B. According to Google Translate, “Bummel” can mean a stroll, spree, tour, wander, ramble, or saunter. All accurate descriptions of what J., Harris, and George get up to!

Mini-Reviews: Rake, Wildwood, Mistake

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Eva Leigh, My Fake Rake

Lady Grace Wyatt and Sebastian Holloway have been friends for years, as both are socially awkward, scientifically minded nerds. Grace is infatuated with another scientist, but he sees her only as a colleague. So she and Sebastian concoct a plan: He’ll become a stylish, sought-after rake, then publicly flirt with Grace to make her crush jealous. But their plan goes awry when Grace and Sebastian find themselves wildly attracted to each other. I wanted to like this book – it seemed like a silly but fun gender-flipped take on the makeover trope (he takes off his glasses and is suddenly hot!) – but the execution fell flat. The hero and heroine are both anachronistically progressive (at one point, the hero refuses tobacco because it would be culturally appropriating Native American rituals), and their scientific interests try but fail to substitute for actual personalities. Ultimately, the book just wasn’t well-written or fun enough to compensate for these issues, and I don’t plan to try more by Leigh.

Juliet Marillier, Wildwood Dancing

Jena and her four sisters have a happy life as the daughters of a loving and prosperous merchant. Moreover, every full moon they’re able to visit the Other Kingdom, where they dance till dawn at the fairy court. But things change when Jena’s father travels south for his health, leaving the girls virtually alone. Jena’s sister Tati falls in love with a mysterious denizen of the Other Kingdom, and her cousin Cezar tries to take control of her father’s estate and business. Can Jena and her frog companion, Gogu, right these wrongs before it’s too late? I adored this book when I first read it and still liked it a lot this time around. Marillier’s prose is magical, and she creates a believable and immersive world. I really liked the incorporation of fairy tales and folklore, not just “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” but also “The Frog Prince” and vampire legends. I also appreciated the moral complexity of the book’s villain, Cezar, despite the intended YA audience. I prefer Marillier’s adult work, but this is still a very good read.

Sarah Mayberry, Her Best Worst Mistake

Martin is a conservative, buttoned-up corporate lawyer. Violet is a free spirit who wears scandalous outfits and likes breaking the rules. They’ve disliked each other for years but have had to get along because Martin was dating Violet’s best friend, Elizabeth. But when Elizabeth suddenly dumps Martin, Violet feels sorry for him and reaches out – only to discover a shocking sexual chemistry between them. But could that chemistry be the beginning of something more? This is a novella (about 150 pages) that manages to pack in quite a bit of backstory for the two main characters, setting up their opposites-attract dynamic and the conflicts that initially keep them apart. I liked both Martin and Violet and found their journey to love believable, if a bit sudden. There are several steamy scenes near the beginning, but the overall romance is surprisingly sweet. Recommended if you like the premise.