Tag: fantasy

Mini-Reviews: Tailors, Sinful, Deadly

2 Comments

Dorothy L. Sayers, The Nine Tailors

Lord Peter and Bunter are trapped by a snowstorm in the town of Fenchurch St. Paul in East Anglia. There, Peter partakes in a bit of New Year’s Eve bell-ringing and learns about a decades-old scandal involving a stolen necklace. Months later, the dead body of a stranger is found in Fenchurch St. Paul’s churchyard, and the town vicar asks Peter to investigate the matter, with tragic results. I liked this installment of the series; it’s a twisty mystery with a few good surprises, although I found the frequent digressions into the theory and technique of bell-ringing tedious. Also, this book isn’t as humorous as many others in the series; it’s a bit darker and moodier. Still, definitely a good read, and I’m happy to be continuing my acquaintance with Lord Peter.

Mary Balogh, Slightly Sinful

***Warning: SPOILERS for Slightly Tempted***

This book overlaps somewhat with the previous Bedwyn book, Slightly Tempted, in which Alleyne Bedwyn goes missing on the day of the Battle of Waterloo and is presumed to be dead. In fact, Alleyne isn’t dead, but he sustained a head injury and now has amnesia — he can’t even remember his name. Fortunately, he is rescued by Rachel York, a beautiful young woman who, having been abandoned by her con artist fiancé, is now living in a brothel. As Alleyne recovers from his other injuries in the brothel, he and Rachel fall in love, but they can’t pursue a relationship until Alleyne discovers his true identity (since he might be married already). Meanwhile, Rachel and her friends from the brothel decide to go to England and force her fiancé to give back the money he stole from them. I was really looking forward to Alleyne’s book, since he’s the lovable rogue of the Bedwyn clan, but I admit I was somewhat disappointed. I think I wanted more of the rest of the Bedwyns, who are necessarily absent for most of this novel. And Rachel was a perfectly fine heroine, but nothing about her really stood out to me. Still not a bad read, but not one of my favorites in the series.

Naomi Novik, A Deadly Education

This book takes place in an alternate reality in which evil beings called maleficaria are devouring all the magically talented children throughout the world. These children’s only hope is to get a place in the Scholomance, a magic school that trains its students in the use of magic and gives them the opportunity to form alliances with each other. But maleficaria are present in the school too, and only the most careful and vigilant students will make it out alive. El (short for Galadriel) is a student in the Scholomance, and she’s trying desperately to hang onto her humanity even though the school wants to turn her into a powerful dark sorceress. Her affinity for evil magic makes her a social outcast — except for Orion Lake, the school’s golden boy, who for some reason keeps trying to help her. This book is nothing like Novik’s Temeraire series or her stand-alone fairy tales, but I absolutely loved it anyway! El’s voice is such fun, and the setting of the Scholomance is fascinating. The book’s pace is actually a bit slow because there’s so much world building, but I didn’t mind that. I’m dying to know what happens next; fortunately, I think the sequel is coming out sometime this summer!

Mini-Reviews: Wasted, Played, Clockwork

1 Comment

Staci Hart, Wasted Words

Cameron Emerson and Tyler Knight have been roommates and good friends for more than a year. Cam is also attracted to Tyler, but she knows they could never be more than friends; they just aren’t a good match. Tyler is an exceptionally handsome ex-football player, the epitome of the popular jock, while Cam is a short, “nerdy” girl who loves comics and doesn’t wear makeup. Of course, that doesn’t stop them from eventually taking their friendship to the next level, but Cam’s insecurities might sabotage their relationship before it truly begins. I wanted to like this book because it’s “inspired by” Jane Austen’s Emma, but I would say the similarities are superficial at best. Cam likes matchmaking and being in control, but that’s really the only Emma-esque aspect of the plot or characters. The writing style isn’t great; the dialogue is unrealistic and the descriptions of love overwrought. I also got very impatient with the conflict, which basically boils down to a lack of communication. I hate when characters who are supposed to be in love won’t TALK to each other! Overall, I was disappointed, and I won’t seek out more by this author.

Jen DeLuca, Well Played

Stacey loves her small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, and she loves her summer job as a bar wench at the local Renaissance Faire, but she’s starting to feel stuck in a rut. When she impulsively emails Dex MacLean, a Faire musician with whom she had a casual fling, she’s just looking to change things up a little. She never expected that they’d end up corresponding throughout the year — or that he would be so sensitive, vulnerable, and caring. When the next Faire season comes around, Stacey is excited to begin a real relationship with Dex, but life has a few big surprises in store. As with the previous book in the series, this is a fun, low-stakes read. It might almost be TOO low-conflict, and I’m not someone who needs a lot of angst in my books! But the main problem is resolved around halfway through, so there’s not a lot going on in the rest of the book. Still, I liked the setting and the characters, and I’m excited to read the next (and final?) book, Well Matched, when it comes out in 2021!

Nancy Campbell Allen, Beauty and the Clockwork Beast

In this gothic, steampunk fairytale, plucky botanist Lucy Pickett goes to visit the estate of the enigmatic Lord Blackwell to care for her cousin, who has married Blackwell’s brother and who has a mysterious illness. Miles, Lord Blackwell, certainly doesn’t need Lucy distracting him from his own problems, particularly the fact that he’s secretly a werewolf. But of course, they are mutually attracted and must work together to discover what’s really going on with Lucy’s cousin and who, among Miles’s friends and neighbors, might be at the bottom of it. I enjoyed this book so much more than I was expecting to! It’s not great literature, but it is fun escapist fiction, and I’m definitely planning to continue with the series!

Mini-Reviews: Blue, Sorcerer, Queen, Rogue

4 Comments

Lia Louis, Dear Emmie Blue

Emmie has been best friends with Lucas for years — ever since he found the balloon she released into the air when they were just 16. More recently, Emmie’s feelings have deepened into love; so when Lucas invites her to a special birthday dinner and says he has something important to ask her, she’s convinced that he wants to start a romantic relationship. But he actually asks her to be his “best woman” at his upcoming wedding. Emmie is crushed and must now reevaluate her relationship with Lucas and his family, who have always loved her more than her own negligent mother ever did. This book is enjoyable women’s fiction with a romantic subplot (which I loved, even if it was a bit predictable!), but it touches on some heavier themes — not only Emmie’s relationship with her parents, but also a traumatic incident from her past. This book isn’t a keeper for me, but I liked it quite a bit and will look for more books by Louis.

Zen Cho, Sorcerer to the Crown / The True Queen

I was just as delighted by Sorcerer to the Crown on this reread as I was the first time I read it. It’s set in an alternate Regency universe in which England’s magic is disappearing, and the Sorcerer Royal, a man of African descent, must team up with a magically gifted woman to get it back. The sequel, The True Queen, deals with sisters from the island nation of Janda Baik, which has been colonized by the English: one of them is lost in Fairyland, and the other must rely on English magicians for help to find and retrieve her. I love the combination of an Austen-esque setting, mystery, fantasy, and romance, so I really enjoyed both books (perhaps the first a smidge more than the second). Most authors writing in this time period don’t get the style or voice quite right, but I think Zen Cho really nails it! The books are also more diverse than many works of historical fiction set in this period, featuring queer characters and people of color. Definitely recommended if the premise interests you!

Evie Dunmore, A Rogue of One’s Own

This sequel to Bringing Down the Duke focuses on Lady Lucinda Tedbury, an ardent suffragist whose sole focus is convincing Parliament to pass an act allowing married women to own their own property. In pursuit of this goal, Lucie and her friends are trying to buy a London printing press to disseminate their ideas; but they are thwarted by Tristan Ballentine, a notorious rake who has just purchased a 50 percent share in the business. Lucie has known Tristan for years and has always viewed him as weak and contemptible; but the more they’re forced to work together, the more she adjusts her opinion of him. I didn’t enjoy this book as much as the first in the series, largely because I don’t like the “reformed rake” trope and also didn’t find Lucie a very interesting heroine. I think the series is a bit schizophrenic so far; it tries to be a serious examination of feminism, but it also has to hit all the beats of a historical romance novel, and I feel like the split focus detracts from both goals. That said, I’m interested enough to continue with the third book when it comes out next year.

Mini-Reviews: Piccadilly, Fairyland, Nightshade

1 Comment

Anthony Berkeley, The Piccadilly Murder

Mild-mannered Ambrose Chitterwick is a detection enthusiast, but apart from one notable exception (detailed in The Poisoned Chocolates Case), he “detects” merely by observing people and drawing conclusions about them. During one such people-watching adventure at the Piccadilly Palace Hotel, however, he actually sees a murder take place! As the star witness for the prosecution, Mr. Chitterwick is approached by the suspect’s wife, who insists that her husband is innocent and begs Chitterwick to reconsider what he saw. I very much enjoyed this Golden Age mystery; it’s well plotted, the central characters are interesting, and there’s plenty of humor in the form of Chitterwick’s formidable aunt. Definitely recommended if you like this type of thing!

Catherynne M. Valente, The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making

A 12-year-old girl named September yearns for adventure, and she finds more than she expected when she is whisked away to Fairyland by the Green Wind. There she meets various Fairy creatures, undertakes a quest, and comes up against the sinister Marquess, who has usurped the throne of Fairy from Good Queen Mallow. This is a book I wanted to like more than I did. The writing style is interesting and unique, but I felt like the book was all style and no substance. September has a variety of adventures, but I’m not sure what was the point of them, if that makes sense. The stakes of the book are never very clear. Ultimately, I think it sort of collapses under the weight of its own whimsy. I don’t plan to continue with the series, but I would consider reading something else by Valente.

Elizabeth Daly, Deadly Nightshade

After the events of Unexpected Night, Henry Gamadge is called back to coastal Maine to assist the police with a new investigation. Several local children have eaten poisonous nightshade berries; one is now dead, and another is missing. The police suspect that someone may have intentionally given the berries to the children, but they don’t have any leads. Complicating matters is the presence of a Gypsy encampment on the outskirts of town; some of the locals view the Gypsies as convenient scapegoats, and tensions are running high. For me, this book was a mixed bag. On the one hand, I liked the writing style and the main characters. On the other hand, the mystery is extremely convoluted — I’m still not entirely sure it all makes sense — and impossible to guess in advance. So I’m still game to read more Henry Gamadge books, but I don’t think I’ll be revisiting this one.

Mini-Reviews: Sapphire, Scandalous, Red, Silver

Leave a comment

Singapore SapphireSlightly ScandalousRed NecklaceSilver Blade

A.M. Stuart, Singapore Sapphire

I love a historical mystery, and this book’s uncommon setting of 1910 Singapore intrigued me, so I decided to give it a try. Overall, I liked but didn’t love it. Protagonist Harriet Gordon is a widow living with her brother and eking out a meager living as a typist. She’s been hired to type Sir Oswald Newbold’s memoirs, but after only a day of work, the man’s throat is cut. Inspector Robert Curran is on the case, and while he and Harriet get off to a bad start, they soon become friendly as they work together to solve the mystery. I think the mystery itself hangs together well, but it definitely takes a backseat to the setting and characters. It was interesting to get a glimpse of Singapore at this point in time, which was home to so many different cultures, both Asian and European. But if you’re looking for a novel with diverse characters, this isn’t it — there are a few Asian secondary characters, but they’re quite two-dimensional and have no impact on the story. Overall, I’m curious enough to give the next book a try, but this one fell a bit flat for me.

Mary Balogh, Slightly Scandalous

This third book in the Bedwyn saga focuses on Lady Freyja Bedwyn, who is much bolder and more direct than the typical Regency lady. Having grown up with four brothers, she can shoot and ride and box with the best of them. She’s also in no hurry to marry; most of the fashionable society men bore her, and she’s still not over a former flame who recently married someone else (as told in A Summer to Remember, though you don’t need to read that book to understand this one). But when Joshua Moore, marquess of Hallmere, proposes a fake betrothal, Freyja agrees to the scheme, not realizing that there is more to Josh than meets the eye. I continue to enjoy the Bedwyn books, and this might be my favorite so far! Freyja hasn’t been particularly likable in the previous books, but this novel gave her much more dimension. And the roguish Joshua, whose carefree manner and bad reputation hide his true goodness, is a hero after my own heart. The book does have some moments of cheesiness, but overall I liked it a lot and look forward to more of the Bedwyns. I find myself more and more excited for Wulfric’s book!

Sally Gardner, The Red Necklace and The Silver Blade

This YA fantasy duology set during the French Revolution focuses on Yann, a Gypsy boy with unusual gifts, and Sido, an aristocratic girl with a neglectful father. They meet in The Red Necklace when Yann’s theater troupe performs at Sido’s father’s house, and they are immediately drawn to one another. But when the troupe falls afoul of the powerful and evil Count Kalliovski, Yann must flee the country. Later, when Kalliovski sets his sights on Sido as a bride, Yann returns to rescue her. In The Silver Blade, Yann continues to rescue aristocrats from the guillotine, while Sido waits in England. But his plans are once again thwarted by Kalliovski, who wants Yann’s magic for himself. I found these books enjoyable enough — loved the French Revolution setting and the Pimpernel-esque elements — but didn’t like that they spend just as much time (if not more) on the villain as on the heroes. As a result, Yann and Sido don’t have much dimension; I wanted more time with them and less time describing just how evil Kalliovski is. I’m glad I read these books, but now they can leave my shelves to make room for something new!

Masks, Knight, Souls

8 Comments

Masks and ShadowsHonor's KnightOur Souls at Night

Stephanie Burgis, Masks and Shadows

This novel, set at the Palace of Esterháza in 1779, centers around a group of musicians and a fateful opera performance. Carlo Morelli, a castrato famous throughout Europe, is one of the prince’s guests. Another is Charlotte von Steinbeck, an accomplished pianist whose sister Sophie is the prince’s mistress. As Charlotte and Carlo slowly grow closer, the prince’s opera troupe is rehearsing a new opera by Franz Joseph Haydn, and an assassination plot is brewing that includes the use of dark magic. The various plot lines converge at the opera’s opening performance. I really enjoyed this book — it’s the perfect combination of historical fantasy, political intrigue, and romance. Some of the magical elements were a bit too dark for me, but overall I found the novel very compelling. I’m glad the RandomCAT inspired me to finally read it!

Rachel Bach, Honor’s Knight

This book picks up where Fortune’s Pawn left off: after the climactic battle in that book, Devi’s memory has been wiped, so she can’t remember anything about either the battle or her love affair with Rupert. All that’s left is a strong feeling of revulsion toward him and a sense of confusion about the other crew members. Between that, her visions of small glowing blobs that are apparently invisible to everyone else, and some sort of disease or parasite that periodically turns her limbs black, Devi has more than enough to worry about. This book is a good sequel to Fortune’s Pawn; it explains a lot of the mysterious loose ends from that book and nicely sets up the final book in the trilogy. I also appreciated the character development for Devi, who finds herself having to make complex moral choices for the first time in her life. I’m looking forward to reading the third book sometime later this year.

Kent Haruf, Our Souls at Night

Addie and Louis, both in their 70s, have lived on the same street in Holt, Colorado, for many years. They’ve known each other casually but have never been close friends. Now, however, Addie has a proposition for Louis: she wants him to sleep with her. Not to have sex, but merely to sleep in the same bed, keep each other company, and have someone to talk to at night. Louis is surprised but agrees to the scheme, and the rest of the book deals with the fallout. This isn’t my usual type of book at all — indeed, when I realized that there were no quotation marks, I almost gave up right then — but I’m glad I persevered. This is a lovely but melancholy book about all the ordinary, mundane things that make up a life. There’s no plot to speak of; the book just follows Addie and Louis as they pursue their unconventional relationship, with both positive and negative results. I really liked this one and would highly recommend it!

Mini-Reviews: Q, Manners, Shades

Leave a comment

QMurder Is Bad MannersWell of Shades

Beth Brower, The Q

Quincy St. Claire has put her heart and soul into The Q, a popular publication owned by her Great-Uncle Ezekiel. When Ezekiel dies, she expects to inherit The Q, but she soon discovers that there are conditions attached to the inheritance. She must complete 12 undisclosed tasks within a year, or she’ll lose The Q; and she’ll be supervised in these tasks by James Arch, Ezekiel’s solicitor, whom Quincy thoroughly dislikes. This is a self-published novel, and it shows a bit; the plot tends to meander, and there are several intriguing characters on the sidelines whose stories should have been more developed. But I really enjoyed this book nonetheless; it’s part romance, part coming-of-age tale as Quincy learns what’s really important in life. The setting is great, and I’d love to read more books set in this world! I am definitely interested in reading more by Brower.

Robin Stevens, Murder Is Bad Manners

In a British boarding school in the 1930s, Hazel Wong stands out for being the only student from Hong Kong. Luckily, she’s best friends with Daisy Wells, a quintessentially English girl whose good looks and pleasant demeanor distract everyone — well, everyone but Hazel — from the fact that she’s also highly intelligent. Daisy and Hazel have formed a secret detective society, but so far their cases have been mundane and easy to solve. That is, until Hazel discovers the body of their science teacher on the floor of the gymnasium! I really enjoyed this book; not only is the mystery surprisingly satisfying for a middle-grade novel, but I also loved Hazel and was fascinated by her relationship with Daisy. They may be best friends, but Hazel is often relegated to the role of sidekick. Fortunately, she starts to realize this and to come into her own more as the book goes on. Overall, I liked this a lot and will definitely plan to continue with the series.

Juliet Marillier, The Well of Shades

I read the first two books in the Bridei trilogy years ago, and I finally decided to pick up this final installment. It focuses mainly on Faolan, Bridei’s trusted spy and assassin, who is on the road once again on a mission for Bridei. Things quickly go wrong when Faolan meets Eile, a 16-year-old girl who is clearly trapped in an abusive household. Faolan helps Eile and her daughter to escape, then decides they must travel with him so that he can keep them safe. Meanwhile, intrigue surrounds Bridei’s court once again: one of his biggest allies seems to have betrayed him; his trusted adviser, Broichan the druid, has disappeared; and a group of Christian monks is asking to live in Bridei’s lands, threatening their traditional way of life. I’m glad I finally finished this series, especially because Faolan was one of my favorite characters and I wanted to see a happy resolution for him. I really liked the Faolan/Eile chapters, but I found some of the other sections less interesting, especially everything involving Broichan. Still, I enjoyed the book overall, and it’s reminded me how much I like Juliet Marillier in general!

Mini-Reviews: Crimson, Still

Leave a comment

Crimson BoundStill Life

Rosamund Hodge, Crimson Bound

I was pleasantly surprised by this YA fantasy novel, which is a (very) loose retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. Protagonist Rachelle is a bloodbound, doomed to eventually lose her soul to the evil Devourer at the heart of the forest. In the meantime, she works as the king’s hired killer — until he commands her to guard his son Armand, whom she immediately distrusts because the people revere him as a saint. Yet when Rachelle discovers a possible way to change her destiny and defeat the Devourer, Armand may be her only ally. I liked the juicy plot and (of course) the romance, but my favorite aspect of this book is its unexpectedly serious examination of evil and atonement.

Louise Penny, Still Life

I’ve read so many glowing reviews of this series, so I’m a little afraid to say that I didn’t love this first installment. Don’t get me wrong; I didn’t hate it either. I enjoyed the setting of a small town in Quebec, which is charming without being too idealized. And the mystery plot is interesting; I especially liked how the victim’s art contains a clue to the solution. But for one thing, I thought the book was doing too many things at once: introducing the town, describing the victim and her friends, introducing Inspector Gamache and his team…it was a lot to keep track of, and it was hard to tell which characters would turn out to be important. That’s normal for a series opener, of course, but it still made the book difficult to follow.

I also felt that the victim’s friend group was a little smug and snobbish. They’re mostly wealthy, mostly educated, mostly not originally from the small town…whereas some of the lower-class “townie” characters are painted as villains without one redeeming quality. Finally, I thought Agent Nichol was treated a bit unfairly. I read her as being on the autism spectrum (not understanding social cues, not able to see beyond the literal meaning of what people told her), so even though she unquestionably behaves badly, I wanted Gamache (and the book) to treat her with a little more compassion instead of writing her off as a clueless jerk. All that said, I may try the next book in the series, since it won’t have to do as much work of introducing the world and characters.

Mini-Reviews: Necromancer, Dimple, Scrapbook

Leave a comment

Death of the NecromancerWhen Dimple Met RishiScrapbook of Frankie Pratt

Martha Wells, The Death of the Necromancer

This gaslamp fantasy follows Nicholas Valliarde, otherwise known as Donatien, the leader of a notorious criminal enterprise in the city of Vienne. He has one goal: to ruin the life of the Count of Montesq, who had Nicholas’s foster-father executed on a false charge of necromancy. In the middle of a heist that would further this goal, however, Nicholas runs into an unexpectedly life-threatening situation and soon learns that a real necromancer may be at work in the city. I really enjoyed this novel, especially the setting, which is like a fantastical version of 18th-century France. There’s also a really great friendship that arises between Nicholas and the police inspector who’s been tracking his criminal alter-ego. I will definitely continue with the Ile-Rien series, although this one stands alone quite well.

Sandhya Menon, When Dimple Met Rishi

Dimple and Rishi are Indian American teens who have never met, but their parents are friends and have tentatively arranged a marriage between them. Rishi knows about the arrangement and is happy about it; he loves his family and his culture, and he trusts his parents to choose an appropriate wife for him. Dimple, on the other hand, is more interested in computer coding than marriage, and she’s desperate to attend a prestigious summer program — one that Rishi happens to be attending also. When they meet, Dimple is enraged to discover the marriage arrangement. But the more she gets to know Rishi, the more she ends up liking him. This is a cute YA rom-com with insight into a culture I know little about. I recommend it if the premise intrigues you!

Caroline Preston, The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt

This “novel in pictures” tells the story of Frances “Frankie” Pratt, an ambitious American girl who leaves her hometown to attend college, then travel to New York and Paris in hopes of becoming a writer. The book purports to be Frankie’s scrapbook of these eventful years of her life, with just a few sentences of narration on each page. The photos are of authentic 1920s artifacts — advertisements, ticket stubs, postcards, and the like — and I was very impressed by the author’s dedication to finding these artifacts and creating a story around them. That said, the scrapbook conceit is the cleverest part of the book; the plot and characters are all fairly two-dimensional. Still, this is a fun, quick read that would appeal to people who enjoy scrapbooking or are fascinated by the 1920s.

Review: Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant

Leave a comment

Chronicles of Chrestomanci vol 1Diana Wynne Jones, Charmed Life and The Lives of Christopher Chant

In Charmed Life, Cat Chant is alone in the world except for his sister Gwendolen: their parents died in a steamboat accident when they were very young, and they have no family except each other. Gwendolen is a gifted witch, and her talents soon outstrip the capabilities of the local magic teacher. So when Cat and Gwendolen are invited to live with the Chrestomanci, the most powerful enchanter in the world and governor of all magic, Gwendolen is ecstatic — until it becomes clear that Chrestomanci won’t teach her any magic. As Gwendolen plots her revenge, Cat gradually realizes that he may have unsuspected talents of his own. The Lives of Christopher Chant takes place 25 years earlier and gives the backstory of how the Chrestomanci came to be. Christopher is able to travel between worlds while he’s dreaming. When other magicians discover this talent and seek to use it for their own ends, Christopher is caught in a battle between good and evil — but which side is he really on?

I dimly recall reading Charmed Life as a child, but I’d forgotten almost all the details. It was a pleasure to revisit the book, which perfectly depicts Cat’s alienation and confusion as he is thrust into a new environment. And I adored Christopher in both books — he’s such a fun enigma as the Chrestomanci, but his origin story makes him an even more interesting and fleshed-out character. In both cases, I felt that the books ended just as they were getting interesting: Cat learns something important about himself, but we don’t get to see what he does with that knowledge. Similarly, Christopher survives his first test as Chrestomanci, but I wanted to see more of his story as he grows into his power. There are a few more books set in this world, so perhaps they’ll fill in some of the blanks, but I was a bit frustrated that these books both ended where they did! Still, I enjoyed both of these books a lot and will continue with the Chronicles of Chrestomanci.