'Boy Of Chaotic Making' is the third book of the Whimbrel House series, this one about Owein as anyone following the series might guess! We learn more'Boy Of Chaotic Making' is the third book of the Whimbrel House series, this one about Owein as anyone following the series might guess! We learn more about the world and the magic system as we follow Owein on a trip to London to explore the opportunity of being transferred to a human body again.
The sincerity of the characters, the novelty of the magic system and the straightforward writing - things that provided solid foundations for the first two books - were in this book obscured by contrived plots, prosy writing and age old elements like marriage contracts and insecurities. The book does not completely disappoint however, I was invested enough in Owein's story to read until the end to find out what happens.
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers 47North and Charlie N. Holmberg for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the story; One star for the world-building; Half a star for the writing - 3 stars in total]....more
Of Hoaxes and Homicide is the second book in the Victorian Era Miss Hermione mystery series following Violet as she joins an infamous cult to save a fOf Hoaxes and Homicide is the second book in the Victorian Era Miss Hermione mystery series following Violet as she joins an infamous cult to save a friend. The book on the whole is a light fun read but the writing is stilted which detracts from the story.
The character arcs of both Violet and Sephora build upon what is shown in the first book. It's great to see them understand each other better once you get past their childish comments about each other. There are a lot of throwaway references of traveling in India and China inserted into the writing just to show Violet is broad-minded and traveled a lot. These references soon became too many and it's tough to imagine a non-aristocratic government worker (their father) had the leisure or money to travel the length and breadth of India, even if he was stationed there.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The rating is 2 1/2 stars rounded up to 3 stars as the series on the whole is interesting.
[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the writing; 3/4 star for the story; 1/4 star for the world-building - 2 1/2 stars on the whole.]...more
It began as all things did: a girl on the shore, terrified and desirous.
A Study In Drowning is a portrayal of a young girl's life and struggles with mIt began as all things did: a girl on the shore, terrified and desirous.
A Study In Drowning is a portrayal of a young girl's life and struggles with myth, misogyny and mental health in a combination of dark academia and dark faerie tale.
Ava Reid's lyrical prose provides a strong foundation to the novel and easily draws one into Effy's story. Though set in a time in the last century when girls were not even allowed to enroll in particular college courses, her struggles with misogyny were relatable as some of the instances and the writing just ring true.
The writing, hand in hand with the story sets the dark faerie tone of the novel and the inclusion of Angharad, the story within the story and Effy's well-used book, adds to the whole tone. Angharad provides the only functional bridge to understanding for Effy between her world and the world that she sees but everyone else dismisses.
This is overlaid with a mystery in a Gothic mansion and the world-building on the whole supports the story. Effy's character development as an unreliable narrator as the story progresses is interesting.
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thornhedge is the old Sleeping Beauty fairytale but rewritten for the current century - where the sleeping beauty isn't really harmless, the knight doThornhedge is the old Sleeping Beauty fairytale but rewritten for the current century - where the sleeping beauty isn't really harmless, the knight doesn't rescue her in the end, and the faerie that cast the spell on her isn't really malicious.
Kingfisher's diverse characters and their arcs are a strong foundation for this book and the story fits well with their evolution. The world-building is reminiscent of the age-old dark faerie tales and the writing is simple yet powerful. On the whole, this book is a great read for anyone who enjoys revamped fairytales.
Thanks to NetGalley, Tor and Macmillan Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Book of Witches is a solid collection of short stories about witches by a good mix of award-winning authors, some familiar authors whose work I loThe Book of Witches is a solid collection of short stories about witches by a good mix of award-winning authors, some familiar authors whose work I looked forward to and some authors I read for the first time here.
The stories explored witches from several perspectives and many stories had unique tones set by the writing and world-building. The characters were brilliant and relatable. The story arcs were mostly well defined, though some were rambling.
Some stories were hit and miss for me, but that would happen with any anthology. The rating for the whole collection is four stars.
Sophie Keetch's Morgan Is My Name goes beyond Morgan's infamous reputation as a villainous sorceress to a feminist retelling of her childhood and earlSophie Keetch's Morgan Is My Name goes beyond Morgan's infamous reputation as a villainous sorceress to a feminist retelling of her childhood and early adulthood.
Sophie does a great job exploring Morgan's fierce character and ambiguous morality with beautiful writing and good world-building. There are some great secondary characters, though all the antagonists seem to be one-dimensional men. The story describes the evolution of her character very well, however, the end feels a bit rushed. It would have been great to see some more of the relationship between Morgan and Arthur.
I enjoyed the book on the whole and seeing Morgan's relentless efforts towards education and helping others.
Small Change is a collection of three novels set in an alternate history world where the Nazis won the war; originally published from 2006 to 2008 andSmall Change is a collection of three novels set in an alternate history world where the Nazis won the war; originally published from 2006 to 2008 and republished in one book here. The premise and the books as a whole are quite good, especially towards the end of the third book where things start to resolve.
The lead character Carmichael is well developed over the course of the three books and his struggles, both internal and external, are understandable. I found most of the other characters to be somewhat underdeveloped however and I couldn't relate to them much, especially the women.
The first two books start out as mysteries which are solved at the end, but the third book is less structured. The world-building is pretty much the UK with Hitler and the writing is simple and straightforward. I did appreciate the exploration of homophobia and anti-semitism issues in the alternate historical time period.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishers for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The rating is Two and a half stars, rounded up to Three stars for the resolution of the whole collection.
The Notorious Scarlett and Browne, second in the series is great for all the reasons I usually like Jonathan Stroud's work - deadpan humor, the brilliThe Notorious Scarlett and Browne, second in the series is great for all the reasons I usually like Jonathan Stroud's work - deadpan humor, the brilliant characters and fun story.
We learn more about the two lead characters in this book and they grew on me, almost sneakily like most of Stroud's characters, by the end. The story is fast paced and engaging, befitting the two outlaws, but also setting the stage for character growth. It was satisfying to see Scarlett confront her past and Albert confront his powers.
The world-building in this series is tantalizingly slow, we find out bits and pieces about the world and the big Cataclysm in this book but I would have liked more information. However, Stroud's writing really brought together everything and kept me engaged - deceptively simple but gripping as always. The focus is kept mostly on the plot and the characters, but hopefully we find out more about the world in the next book!
The rating is 4 1/2 stars and rounded up to 5 as the book on the whole is good. [One star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the characters; One star for the story arc; One star for the writing; Half a star for the world-building - Four and a half stars on the whole.]
Thanks to NetGalley, Jonathan Stroud and the publishers Random House for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport is a multi-layered novel about trying to save a city in a sci-fi setting with a folk tales tone. Samit Basu brings togetherThe Jinn-Bot of Shantiport is a multi-layered novel about trying to save a city in a sci-fi setting with a folk tales tone. Samit Basu brings together a fast paced story with many twists, artificial intelligence with the concept of bot- rights and bright introspective characters trying to do the right thing with his usual witty writing.
The novel is from the perspective of a newly dug up story teller bot whose function is to follow and record a person's story. We see the jinn-bot try to understand the lead characters and people in general as the story progresses; when the characters seem one-dimensional sometimes, it's probably the bot still trying to characterize the people. And indeed, Basu tries to reason the focus on particular aspects of the leads towards the end.
The world-building, along with the writing really support the story's quest; the folk-tale aspects lacing the world liven up the more serious politics of people trying to change the way the cities are ruled. Basu's writing balances action and philosophy in the novel and it was great to see everyone reason through the best course of action.
Heir of Uncertain Magic is a great follow up to the first book of the series Keeper of Enchanted Rooms - and yes, you guessed right, the books are titHeir of Uncertain Magic is a great follow up to the first book of the series Keeper of Enchanted Rooms - and yes, you guessed right, the books are titled after the lead characters in the series. Hulda and Merritt are scrambling to deal with the repurcussions of the events in the first book, trying to fend off new rivalries and dangers all while exploring their fledgling relationship.
The strength of this book, and by extension the series, lies in the strong foundation of the world-building and the magic system. It not only introduces new branches of magic and spells but also dwells on how it affects the environment and the caster. It's good to see the magic follow genetic inheritance rules.
There is substantial character development, even in the relatively short few months since the start of the series. They are willing to introspect, make some tough decisions and grow. It's especially great to see Owein adapt to new conditions.
The story is pretty interesting, equal parts character driven and reacting to external events. The writing itself flows easily and mostly focused on the characters, which I liked in this book.
Ghost Talker follows Elinor Chalamet as she solves a mystery for the king using her abilities to sense and communicate with ghosts. The series as a whGhost Talker follows Elinor Chalamet as she solves a mystery for the king using her abilities to sense and communicate with ghosts. The series as a whole has some potential and there were a few interesting threads of stories that might be pursued in future books.
The world-building is interesting with quite a few fantasy elements and the story though starting slowly at first with quite a few tropes, picks up some momentum later on. The characters however, including the two leads Elinor and Tristan seem one-dimensional and not very well sketched, sometimes even coming across as hypocritical. The humor in the whole book is overstated and the writing itself is stilted, perhaps due to translational errors - but these might be fixed in the final edited copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Rook and Castle Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Future is Female! Vol. 2 is a solid collection of stories for anyone looking to read more classic SF by women (or even if not!). I found a good miThe Future is Female! Vol. 2 is a solid collection of stories for anyone looking to read more classic SF by women (or even if not!). I found a good mix of award-winning stories, some authors and stories I'd already read and some authors I read for the first time here.
It's easy to see why these works were trail-blazing in the 1970's and why they are classics still widely read now. The writing is, simply put, powerful. The characters and plots are well constructed for short stories. The world-building gets top marks of course.
Some stories were hit and miss for me, but that would happen with any anthology. The rating for the whole collection is five stars.
[One star for the premise and the whole collection; One star for the characters; One star for the story arcs; One star for the writing; One star for the world-building - Five stars on the whole.]
Thanks to NetGalley and the Library of America for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review....more
The Late Mrs Willoughby, the second book in the series, is a fun read for people who enjoy crossover genres - Jane Austen characters in an Agatha ChriThe Late Mrs Willoughby, the second book in the series, is a fun read for people who enjoy crossover genres - Jane Austen characters in an Agatha Christie setting. The two lead characters Juliette Tilney and Jonathan Darcy (yes, it is easy to guess who their parents are) meet again by chance when they are both invited to stay with friends in the same town and very soon witness another death that they are bound to investigate.
Claudia Gray stays true to the original Austen characters and era while still managing to allow them space to grow, although the two lead characters are original to the series. It's fun to see their friendship evolve as they work together to solve the murder. The story progresses slowly at first but there are enough twists soon and justifies motive, means and opportunity. The writing, though not quite Austen-like, flows smoothly along with the story and introduces just enough Regency Era romance while still sticking to the murder mystery genre. Its good to see neuro-diversity as well as diversity in professions and opinions in such a setting.
The rating which is 3 1/2 stars is rounded up to an integer 4 as the book delivers what it promises.
Thanks to NetGalley, Vintage Anchor and Claudia Gray for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
'Frederica' by Georgette Heyer, first published in 1965, combines her irrepressible humor and style of writing with bold character arcs to give a ligh'Frederica' by Georgette Heyer, first published in 1965, combines her irrepressible humor and style of writing with bold character arcs to give a light-hearted and fun romance. Though titled after the female lead, the story is more about the transformation seen in the male lead Alverstoke due to Frederica and her siblings as he helps launch them into the fashionable London society. He soon finds that taking even nominal care of them might be more than he bargained for, but surprisingly isn't bored by it.
Heyer's writing is funny and engaging as always and her books are recommended for Jane Austen fans. Her grasp of human nature and variety of characters go well together with her description of Regency society and those times.
The story drags a little in the middle of the book, but the strong multi-dimensional characters and the various antics they get up to make up for this and the book as a whole stands well.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
[One star for the premise and whole book; One star for the characters; Half a star for the story arc; One star for the writing; One star for the world-building and description - 4 1/2 stars rounded up to Five stars]....more
Frederica by Georgette Heyer, first published in 1965, combines her irrepressible humor and style of writing with bold character arcs to give a light-Frederica by Georgette Heyer, first published in 1965, combines her irrepressible humor and style of writing with bold character arcs to give a light-hearted and fun romance. Though titled after the female lead, the story is more about the transformation seen in the male lead Alverstoke due to Frederica and her siblings as he helps launch them into the fashionable London society. He soon finds that taking even nominal care of them might be more than he bargained for, but surprisingly isn't bored by it.
Heyer's writing is funny and engaging as always and her books are recommended for Jane Austen fans. Her grasp of human nature and variety of characters go well together with her description of Regency society and those times.
The story drags a little in the middle of the book, but the strong multi-dimensional characters and the various antics they get up to make up for this and the book as a whole stands well.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
'A Most Agreeable Murder' is a light-hearted and fun read following Beatrice Steele as she struggles to hide her fascination with solving murders in a'A Most Agreeable Murder' is a light-hearted and fun read following Beatrice Steele as she struggles to hide her fascination with solving murders in a Regency Era society with many rules about propriety. Julia Seals is clearly inspired by Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and Agatha Christie in the creation of her characters and story, but she introduces a lot more humor into her writing and world-building to give this comedic romance in a mystery setting.
At the beginning of the book, Beatrice Steele finds herself in a locked room mystery (or a locked mansion in a hailstorm mystery) and has to put aside her prejudices to solve it, all while trying to save her family estate from entailment. As the story unfolds, she finds that many of the people around her are also hiding something from the rest of the world. The story arcs well until the end which seems a little cluttered. The characters are interesting and it is good to see some diversity in stories of that era. The main characters see some development and some of the others are also fleshed out as the story progresses, but a few are not believable and seemed to be sacrificed to have comedy/ red herrings in the plot. The writing and the world- building go hand in hand to provide a lot of laughs in this read even though some of the humor is on the nose. It is not clear if the setting is indeed Regency Era with regards to some of the propriety rules the women have to follow like having to be very strong and baking scones themselves, but it's definitely funny.
The Last Graduate, the second book of the Scholomance series, picks up from this cliffhanger with all the brilliance of Keep far away from Orion Lake.
The Last Graduate, the second book of the Scholomance series, picks up from this cliffhanger with all the brilliance of the first book - and more! The book follows El through her last year at the Scholomance as her friends (yes, she realizes she has friends!), and she try to rescue every student from the world's maleficaria until the very last graduate.
El's character growth is considerable in this book, always listening to her conscience and driving the story forward - her bubble of 'us' grows from one to three to dozens to hundreds, her sarcasm and impertinence notwithstanding. Orion's character arc provides a great complement to El's as he finally finds himself looking beyond just fighting mals and cares about something for himself.
The world-building is well done, especially as we hear it from El's snarky point of view. We find out more about how this world works along with the magic system. The Scholomance itself is finally seen as an individual entity with (artificial or natural) intelligence as it 'protects all the wise-gifted children of the world'. It actively prods El and the other students towards definite plans and conclusions, even driving the story at certain points.
Novik's masterful writing interspaces the story with world-building as well as character growth. Many secondary characters are given time and space to grow and overcome the politics of the outside world, some even proving we can't truly know what people would rise to do in a crisis. It was wonderful to see many people take the reins on different projects and working together in the end. The book, on the whole, makes for a great second part of the series and ends with a cliffhanger (of course) for the third and final book!
Thanks to NetGalley and the Random House Publishing group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
'I decided that Orion needed to die after the second time he saved my life.' - A Deadly Education takes off with one of the most riveting opening sent'I decided that Orion needed to die after the second time he saved my life.' - A Deadly Education takes off with one of the most riveting opening sentences in fantasy!
Naomi Novik weaves a refreshing take on the magic boarding school trope with masterful narrative pacing, unforgettable characters and intricate world-building. What I enjoyed most is the tone of the book, set by the smart and impertinent lead El and her many sarcastic inner musings. The complementary character arcs of El and Orion, of whom you find out a lot in just the first few opening words, drive the story forward and are made a lot more distinctive by their personalities. The characters, including many secondary ones, are quite well-formed and are made relatable teenagers even though they face extraordinary unrelatable circumstances. El manages to retain her wit and sass even while fighting her destiny of becoming a dark goddess of death and destruction!
The novel is set in the Scholomance, a magic boarding school with a sort of AI giving personalized course structures for each student; and they learn by surviving not only exams but also the aforementioned extraordinary circumstances such as frequent attacks by mals /monsters. The layered world-building does require some exposition but it's packed in well along with the action, keeping the story moving forward at a good pace. More importantly, this book is enjoyable and provides a good foundation for the next books in the series.
Overall, the book has great diversity and quite distinct characters. It was heartening to see Naomi Novik acknowledge and apologize for racially insensitive comments on dreadlocks. And the series deserves some extra points for trying to create a matter-of-fact cosmopolitan environment, including all the politics.
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