Tag: historical fiction

Mini-Reviews: College, Scholar

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Caroline Stevermer, A College of Magics

Faris Nallaneen is the future duchess of Galazon, but until she is of age, her wicked uncle acts as regent. He’s decided to get her out of the way by sending her to Greenlaw, an all-female college with an unusual curriculum. Faris is reluctant at first, but she eventually makes friends, learns unexpected skills, and even discovers a unique magical destiny. After her time at Greenlaw, she must find a way to balance her magical responsibilities with her duties as the duchess of Galazon. I feel like that’s a very boring summary of a very fun book! It’s a quasi-Edwardian fantasy of manners, which is a subgenre I didn’t even know I needed in my life. At one point, Faris’s friend Jane turns an assassin’s bomb into a fashionable hat and then wears it, which gives you an idea of the tone. The magic in the book is not really explained or described in depth, so those who love detailed world-building might be disappointed. But overall, I liked it a lot — so much so that I immediately proceeded to read the sequel!

Caroline Stevermer, A Scholar of Magics

This book is set in the same world as A College of Magics and focuses on Faris’s friend, Jane Brailsford. Jane is now a teacher at Greenlaw and a powerful magician, and she’s been tasked with convincing the new warden of the west to take up his duties. Her mission takes her to Glasscastle, an all-male magical university in England, which takes a very different approach to magic than Greenlaw. There she meets Samuel Lambert, an American sharpshooter who’s been recruited to help Glasscastle with a special weapon for the top-secret Agincourt Project. When Lambert’s work and Jane’s mission collide, they team up to protect the future warden of the west and to discover the true nature of the Agincourt Project. This is another fun romp through an alternate 20th-century England, and I liked it as much as its predecessor. But it took me a long time to read, and I think that’s because of the pacing: nothing much actually happens until at least halfway through the book (and possibly more like two-thirds). Nevertheless, I still enjoyed spending time with these characters in this world!

Mini-Reviews: Gentleman, Goodbye, First

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Amor Towles, A Gentleman in Moscow

In 1922, Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov is arrested and tried for the crime of being an aristocrat. But because he once wrote a poem with a revolutionary message, he isn’t immediately killed; instead, he is sentenced to house arrest for life in Moscow’s Metropol Hotel. As Alexander lives out his days in the Metropol, he befriends a variety of people, including hotel employees, Party officials, a beautiful actress, and (most significantly) a solemn young girl named Nina. Despite the turbulent political situation in the country as a whole, this novel focuses on one man’s life as he adapts to extraordinary circumstances. Like everyone else, I loved this book! The pace is slow, and there aren’t many dramatic events, but it felt like real life to me. There are some delicious satirical jabs at the broader political situation in Russia/the USSR, but the novel focuses primarily on Alexander’s own experiences. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical fiction!

Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White, All the Ways We Said Goodbye

This is one of those historical novels with multiple storylines set in three different time periods. In 1914, Aurélie de Courcelles abandons her luxurious life with her mother at the Paris Ritz and runs to her father’s ancestral home, which is later invaded by German soldiers. In 1942, Daisy Villon is primarily concerned with keeping herself and her children safe in occupied France, but she is eventually drawn into the resistance effort and an illicit love affair. And in 1964, Babs Langford travels from England to Paris in search of information about her deceased husband’s war years. Overall, I liked this book and found it entertaining; there’s a lot of drama and excitement to keep the pages turning, and I do love a good WW2 spy plot. On the other hand, the plot twists and “reveals” are quite predictable. And while I liked all three stories, I think they were a little much for one book; perhaps the authors should have eliminated the 1964 story and focused on the other two in greater depth. As I said, I enjoyed the book overall, but I didn’t like it as much as these authors’ previous book, The Glass Ocean.

Kate Clayborn, Love at First

Nora Clarke loves her Chicago apartment building; her happiest childhood memories were spent there with her grandmother, and she’s known and loved her neighbors all her life. So when the building’s owner dies and his nephew, Will Sterling, inherits it, Nora is terrified that things will change. In fact, Will has no interest in owning or living in the building, so he decides to rent out his uncle’s unit to short-term tenants. Aghast, Nora is determined to stop him; but the more time she spends trying to persuade Will, the more she is attracted to him. I was a bit nervous about this book since I enjoyed Love Lettering so much, but thankfully I ended up loving this one too! I liked that the characters actually move on from the apartment conflict pretty quickly; they each come to understand the other’s position and are both willing to compromise. The real obstacles to their relationship are their fears and insecurities, which I found very realistic. I was rooting so hard for Will and Nora, and I enjoyed the quirky secondary characters as well (Will’s buttoned-up boss might be my favorite). And as with Love Lettering, I adored Kate Clayborn’s writing style. Fans of contemporary romance with minimal drama, where people actually deal with their problems like adults, should definitely check out this author!

Mini-Reviews: Garden, Murder, Love

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Susanna Kearsley, The Rose Garden

Grieving the untimely death of her sister, Eva Ward decides to scatter her sister’s ashes at Trelowarth House in Cornwall, where they’d spent many happy summers as children. When she gets there, Eva is pleased to reconnect with the Trelowarth family and help them maintain the estate by setting up some new tourist attractions. But she also has some strange experiences and eventually discovers that she’s been going back in time, seeing Trelowarth as it was in the early 1700s. She also meets the house’s former inhabitants, one of whom, Daniel, soon captures her heart. But Daniel’s world is dangerous, especially because of his illicit smuggling career and his Jacobite sympathies. Eventually Eva must decide where she truly belongs. I enjoyed this novel but didn’t love it as much as I loved A Desperate Fortune. I wasn’t particularly interested in the time-travel element or the contemporary storyline; I would have preferred a straightforward historical novel. Maybe that’s why it took me several days to finish the book, even though I liked the overall story, characters, and writing style. It was just missing that spark for me.

Richard Osman, The Thursday Murder Club

The Thursday Murder Club is a group of four residents of a senior living facility, who meet once a week to discuss — and hopefully solve — various cold cases. So when a present-day murder lands on their doorstep (literally; the victim is the boorish owner of the senior living facility), they’re eager to get involved. But as the bodies continue to pile up, the investigation becomes more dangerous, and one of the club members might even be the next victim. I really enjoyed this mystery novel; it’s clever and funny, and I liked all the main characters, pensioners and police alike. I do feel like the plot falls apart a little bit toward the end. But ultimately, it was just a pleasure to read, and isn’t that all you can really ask of a book? There’s at least one sequel planned (coming out this fall in the US), and it’s definitely on my TBR list.

Marisa de los Santos, Love Walked In

Cornelia Brown is a 30-something barista in a Philadelphia café, trying to figure out what to do with her life. Then one day, a Cary Grant look-alike walks into the café and changes everything. Meanwhile, an 11-year-old girl named Clare is having problems at home: her father is absent, and her mother is behaving strangely. As her mother’s condition worsens, Clare becomes increasingly terrified that something awful will happen and she’ll be separated from her mom. When Cornelia’s and Clare’s paths converge, they transform each other in surprising ways. I loved this book and stayed up way too late to finish it! But despite the romantic title and chick-lit-esque marketing, it’s a tough read at times. Clare’s situation with her mother is heartbreaking and difficult, so if you’re not up for reading about mental illness and child neglect/abandonment, maybe skip this one. But the book is certainly hopeful and uplifting overall, and there is even a romance, though it’s not my favorite part of the story. I’m eager to read more by this author!

Mini-Reviews: Fire, Hollow, Duke

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Katherine Center, Things You Save in a Fire

Cassie Hanwell loves being a firefighter in Austin, Texas; she’s extremely good at her job and is happy to devote her whole life to it. So she’s not thrilled when she is forced to transfer to a small town in Massachusetts to care for her estranged mother during a health crisis. The local fire department is old, outdated, and all male, so Cassie knows she’ll have to struggle to be accepted. As Cassie battles her colleagues’ hostility and resists her mother’s attempts at reconciliation, she grows as a person and decides who she really wants to be. I really liked this book and stayed up far too late to finish it! I found Cassie extremely sympathetic, and I loved how tough and competent she was. There’s also a sweet romance that I was completely on board for. I did feel the ending was a bit too neatly tied up in a bow — and this is coming from someone who likes tidy endings! — but aside from that, I enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by Katherine Center.

Sherry Thomas, The Hollow of Fear

***Warning: SPOILERS for previous books in the series!***

In this third installment of the Lady Sherlock series, Charlotte Holmes faces her most difficult case yet. Lady Ingram, who disappeared after the events of A Conspiracy in Belgravia, has now been found — dead, in the icehouse on Lord Ingram’s country estate. Of course, Lord Ingram is the prime suspect; everyone knew that he and his wife were estranged, and rumors are swirling about a romance between him and Charlotte. As Scotland Yard builds its case against Lord Ingram, Charlotte works incognito to discover what really happened. I’m very much enjoying this series, and this book is no exception. Though I guessed some elements of the mystery, other plot twists were genuinely shocking. There is a point at which the narrative doubles back to fill in some blanks about earlier events, which I found irritating — it’s the kind of gimmick that would work better in a movie, I think. But otherwise, I liked this book a lot and look forward to seeing what happens next with Charlotte and her friends!

Grace Burrowes, My One and Only Duke

Quinn Wentworth is a convicted murderer awaiting execution. Jane Winston is a minister’s daughter visiting Newgate prison. She’s widowed, pregnant, and desperate to get away from her sanctimonious father, so Quinn proposes marriage. He can provide money for her and the child to live on, and because he’s soon to die, she won’t be stuck with him for long. Jane agrees to the deal, only to be shocked when Quinn is discovered to be the heir to a dukedom and pardoned at the last minute. Now Quinn and Jane must decide whether and how to make their marriage work; but Quinn is determined to find whoever framed him for murder and take his revenge. I found this book mildly enjoyable, but the stakes are pretty low. There aren’t really any obstacles to Quinn and Jane’s romance, and the mystery plot of who framed Quinn doesn’t get a lot of time “on page” either. Basically, I never got emotionally invested in the story or characters. This is the first book in a series, and I am mildly interested in a few of the secondary characters, so I may continue with the series at some point — but I’m not in a big hurry to do so.

Mini-Reviews: Women, Coconut, Belle

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Madeleine St. John, The Women in Black

This novel follows the lives of four women who all work at Goode’s department store in 1950s Sydney, Australia. Patty, in her mid-30s, is married but unhappily childless, and her husband Frank is oblivious to her emotional turmoil. Fay is around 30 and has been going out with men for years, but somehow none of them seem to want to marry her. Lisa, a temporary hire for the Christmas season, dreams of going to university and becoming a poet, but her strict father won’t hear of it. And Magda, a glamorous Slovenian immigrant, is adjusting to a culture very different from her own. I loved this book and devoured it in a single sitting. It’s light and charming and slyly funny, and I became invested in the stories of all four women. I especially loved Magda, who enjoys the finer things in life and is generous in sharing them. There’s a bit of romance, but the main focus is on women’s experiences and relationships. The book reminds me a bit of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, but with a slightly more satirical edge. I expect to revisit it often and would recommend it as a great comfort read!

Amy E. Reichert, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

Milwaukee restaurateur Lou Johnson is having a run of terrible luck. First her fiancé cheats on her; then, that very night, food critic Al Waters samples her cooking — which is subpar because of her distress over the breakup — and writes a scathing review. The day the review comes out, Lou goes to a bar to drown her sorrows and meets Al. They’re attracted to each other and soon strike up a romance. The only problem is, he doesn’t realize she owns the restaurant he panned, and she doesn’t know he’s the hostile reviewer because he writes under a pen name. I’m a sucker for a You’ve Got Mail story, and this is a fun one that made me want to visit Milwaukee and eat some fried cheese curds immediately. I never quite believed in Lou and Al as characters; they seemed like stock types rather than real people to me. But I liked the setting and the overall cheerful, Hallmark-esque vibe of this novel, so I’d consider trying more by this author.

Paula Byrne, Belle: The Slave Daughter and the Lord Chief Justice

The idea for this book came from an 18th-century English portrait of two young women — one white, one black — who are portrayed as equals, almost as sisters. The black woman was Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate daughter of an English naval captain and an African slave. She grew up in the house of her great-uncle, the Earl of Mansfield, who happened to be the Lord Chief Justice and who decided several cases that would be crucial to the antislavery movement in Britain. It’s a fascinating story, but unfortunately, there’s very little about Dido in the historical record, and consequently very little in the book! Instead, Byrne focuses on the English slave trade, the status of black individuals in London, the Earl of Mansfield’s legal career, etc. It’s all interesting, but I was hoping for more biography, less history. The book does have numbered endnotes, many of which cite primary sources, yet Byrne also editorializes a fair amount. I’d say it’s more of a popular history than a scholarly one. Overall, I’d recommend it for people who are interested in the period. Apparently there’s also a movie about Dido, called Belle, which I’m interested in watching now.

Here is the portrait of Dido and her cousin, Elizabeth Murray:

Mini-Reviews: Stitches, Murders, Light

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Olivia Atwater, Ten Thousand Stitches

Euphemia “Effie” Reeves is sick of feeling invisible and insignificant. As a maid in a noble house, she is either ignored or mistreated by the family. When she falls for the youngest son of the house, she knows a relationship between them would be impossible, but she can’t help wishing for it anyway. Luckily, she has an ally in the faerie Lord Blackthorn, who is determined to pursue virtue by being kind to the powerless. Unluckily, despite his good intentions, his interference often does more harm than good. When Effie’s dream finally seems to be within reach, she discovers that her desires have changed. Like Atwater’s previous book, Half a Soul, this is a charming fantasy romance with some social satire baked in. I especially loved Lord Blackthorn’s enthusiastic efforts to help, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that they usually led to disaster. Recommended for fans of the genre!

Elizabeth Daly, Murders in Volume 2

Rare manuscript expert Henry Gamadge once again plays detective when Miss Vauregard, a member of one of New York’s most prestigious old families, asks him to discover the true identity of a mysterious young woman who has ingratiated herself with the family patriarch (and holder of the purse strings). As Gamadge investigates, he becomes convinced that the woman is working with someone in the family; things get even worse when the patriarch is murdered and Gamadge himself is the most likely suspect! I enjoyed this novel, which is well plotted and contains such intriguing elements as a hundred-year-old unsolved mystery, a cult, and possible travel to and from the fourth dimension. This is also the book in which Henry Gamadge falls in love, and I would have liked a bit more development of the romance. But overall, I liked this book and will definitely continue with the series.

Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice, Light Raid

Sometime in the future, North America is engaged in a civil war, and 17-year-old Ariadne has been evacuated to neutral territory. But when her parents’ letters become less frequent and stop telling her anything specific, Ari knows that something must be wrong. She flees her foster home to return to HydraCorp, the large and powerful company where her parents live and work, only to discover that her father is falling apart and her mother is in jail for treason. Outraged, Ari intends to prove her mother’s innocence, but she is thwarted by the mysterious Joss Liddell, who is as irritating as he is attractive. As Ari investigates the situation at HydraCorp, she discovers a secret so big that it could change the course of the war. I never felt like I fully understood the world of this novel — the book doesn’t spend any time on exposition — and I’m still not sure what the war is actually about. But I did enjoy this book; it’s action-packed and full of plot twists, and there’s also a fun YA romance. I liked Ari’s narrative voice; she reads as immature sometimes, but that makes sense since she’s a teenager. Overall, while I don’t think this book is as good as Connie Willis’s solo stuff, it’s still an entertaining read.

Mini-Reviews: Cherwell, Vanity, Field

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Mavis Doriel Hay, Death on the Cherwell

Four students at Oxford’s (fictional) all-female Persephone College meet to discuss the formation of a club in opposition to the college’s unpopular bursar. During their meeting, they spot a canoe floating down the Cherwell river — with the bursar’s drowned corpse inside. The girls are questioned by the police and, realizing they and their fellow students might be suspects, decide to launch their own investigation. I enjoyed this Golden Age mystery, although I wanted more undergraduate hijinks; most of the book has a light, humorous tone, but the final few chapters are quite somber. It’s interesting that this book was published in the same year as Gaudy Night, another mystery novel set at an Oxford women’s college. Gaudy Night is clearly the superior novel, but Death on the Cherwell works well as a less weighty counterpoint.

Kevin Kwan, Sex and Vanity

Lucie Tang Churchill has never felt accepted by her family; as someone with half Chinese and half European ancestry, she doesn’t quite fit in with either side. As a result, she’s always striven for perfection in every aspect of her life. But when she meets the quiet, handsome, unsuitable George Zao at her cousin’s wedding, Lucie is attracted to him and soon feels her perfect life spinning out of control. This novel is a breezy update of E.M. Forster’s A Room with a View, and while I love the original, I wasn’t quite as impressed by the retelling. It’s a fun read — I especially enjoyed the author’s snarky footnotes — but I couldn’t relate to the characters’ ultra-wealthy, jet-setting lifestyle. The book is filled with name-dropping of people, places, and luxury brands I’ve never heard of. I found Lucie shallow and didn’t understand what George saw in her. Overall, I think this book would make a fun beach read, especially for people who enjoy reading about yachts and couture clothing and hip restaurants. I see the appeal of it, but I definitely prefer Forster’s original novel!

Ellis Peters, The Potter’s Field

In this installment of the Brother Cadfael series, the abbey is given a tract of land known as the Potter’s Field. As the brothers begin to plow the field, they unearth the skeletal remains of an unknown woman. She is most likely the wife of one of the brothers, who deserted her to pursue his religious vocation. Could Brother Ruald be responsible for her death? Brother Cadfael and Hugh Beringar investigate to discover the woman’s identity and find out what happened to her. I love this series because, even though there’s always at least one mysterious death, the overall tone is very gentle and peaceful. Justice always prevails, and usually Cadfael helps a pair of young lovers get together, as he does in this book. It’s the perfect antidote to the anxieties of modern life, and I’d definitely recommend the whole series.

Mini-Reviews: Longbourn, Dates, Half, Wrong

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Tracy Kiely, Murder at Longbourn

In this cozy contemporary mystery, Elizabeth Parker goes to visit her Aunt Winnie, who owns a bed and breakfast called the Inn at Longbourn on Cape Cod. Aunt Winnie is hosting a New Year’s Eve murder mystery party — but disaster strikes when one of the guests is really murdered. Because the dead man wanted to force Aunt Winnie to sell the inn to him, she becomes the police’s prime suspect. Confident that her aunt is innocent, Elizabeth does some amateur sleuthing to find the real killer. I don’t normally read contemporary cozies, but this was a pleasant read that kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed the nods to Pride and Prejudice (yes, there are a Darcy and a Wickham for our heroine to choose from) and to Agatha Christie (characters named Jackie and Linnet!). I may continue with the series, since the books are available at my local library.

Jenny Bayliss, The Twelve Dates of Christmas

Thirty-four-year-old Kate Turner lives in a small English village with few opportunities to meet single men. So as the holiday season approaches, she decides to sign up for the Twelve Dates of Christmas, a local matchmaking event where she’ll go on 12 dates with 12 different men in the hope of finding romance. Naturally, some dates are better than others, and a few are downright awful; but as Kate tries to envision a future with these men, she must also confront her feelings for her long-time best friend, Matt. This was a fun, light, predictable book that I enjoyed, although it’s not necessarily a keeper for me. Still, I’d recommend it to those looking for a cute holiday read.

Olivia Atwater, Half a Soul

After a dangerous encounter with a faerie as a child, Dora Ettings has been left with half a soul. As a result, she has trouble feeling and processing emotions, which makes her prone to socially embarrassing situations. When Dora and her family travel to London for the Season, she just wants to avoid getting into trouble. But the Lord Sorcier takes an interest in her case, and he and Dora soon find themselves working together to combat a plague with a mysterious connection to Faerie. I’m a sucker for the “magical Regency” genre, and I greatly enjoyed this book. Can’t wait to pick up the next in the series! Definitely recommended if the premise appeals to you.

Cecilia Grant, A Christmas Gone Perfectly Wrong

In this Regency Christmas novella, Andrew Blackshear is on the way to buy his sister a Christmas present when he comes across the beguiling Lucy Sharp, who happens to be the daughter of the man he came to meet. After a series of accidents, Andrew ends up driving Lucy to a house party, but even more misfortunes arise, forcing them to spend multiple nights together. Andrew values propriety and self-control above all, but he can’t help being wildly attracted to Lucy. The more time they spend together, the more they consider whether they are compatible enough for marriage. I liked this novella and especially enjoyed how Andrew and Lucy both came to appreciate each other’s good points. A cozy little story to end the year with!

Mini-reviews: Diadem, Conspiracy, Dangerous

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Jean Merrill, The Girl from the Diadem

Actress Belle Barclay is losing her voice, which means her career is ending and she needs to plan for her future. An opportunity drops into her lap when the young Earl of Orsett offers to hire her for one last acting job: she’ll accompany him to a house party, posing as his love interest, so that his parents, appalled by the prospect of an actress as their daughter-in-law, will permit him to marry his penniless childhood sweetheart instead. Of course, complications ensue, and the house party descends into a farce of miscommunications and unrequited loves. Belle congratulates herself on being above the fray, only to discover that she’s fallen in love with the worst possible man. This short novel is a delightful Edwardian romp, and while it’s not quite as good as Heyer or Wodehouse, it feels a bit like a combination of the two. Definitely recommended if you can find a copy — I had to buy a used one in pretty bad condition from Thriftbooks, but it was worth it!

Sherry Thomas, A Conspiracy in Belgravia

I really liked the first Lady Sherlock novel when I read it earlier this year, and this second installment in the series is equally good. Charlotte Holmes has left her family to live independently with Mrs. Watson, and she works as a consulting detective under the name of the fictional Sherlock. Her latest client comes as a surprise, however: Lady Ingram needs her help to locate an old flame, who turns out to have ties to Charlotte herself. When Charlotte takes the case, she discovers that it’s much more complicated than she originally assumed — not least because she is secretly helping the wife of the man she loves. The plot thickens wonderfully in this book, and I can’t wait to continue with the series and see what new twists and turns will arise! I highly recommend this series, but you really need to start with the first book, A Study in Scarlet Women.

Mary Balogh, Slightly Dangerous

In this final book of the Bedwyn saga, we finally get Wulfric’s story. The Duke of Bewcastle has always prided himself on his propriety, his detachment, and the competent performance of his duty. But now that all his siblings are married and gone, he finds himself lonely and vaguely dissatisfied. He impulsively accepts an invitation to a friend’s house party, where he meets the widowed Christine Derrick. She is outgoing, fun-loving, and always getting into some improper scrape — in other words, just the sort of woman to repulse the Duke of Bewcastle. But much to his surprise and chagrin, Wulf is drawn to Christine, and she to him. But can two such different personalities ever compromise enough to form a lasting relationship? This book is Balogh’s take on the Pride and Prejudice formula, and as such I enjoyed it immensely. Wulf is a man after my own heart — I love an uptight, emotionally repressed hero who gradually learns to unbend a little. I wasn’t 100% sold on Christine at first, but as the book went on, and especially after she met the other Bedwyns, she won me over. I probably won’t keep every book in this series, but this one will stay on my shelves for the foreseeable future!

Mini-Reviews: Tailors, Sinful, Deadly

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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!