Happy Friday, everybody! Wow, it’s been a couple of months – I didn’t mean for that to happen!
(Edit: Who accidentally scheduled this for today and had to fix it in post? And also didn’t notice until now because they were busy yesterday and then crashed last night? Couldn’t be me. Definitely not. Ugh. I have got to stop doing this.)
First Line Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers (formerly) hosted by Wandering Words, but I saw it over at One Book More.
What if instead of judging a book by the cover, author or most everything else, we judged it by its content? Its first lines?
If you want to join in, all you gotta do is:
📚 Take a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open it to the first page 📝 Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first 📙 Finally… reveal the book!
Here’s the first line:
My big brother reaches home in the dark hours before dawn, when Leven ghosts take their rest. He smells of steel and coal and forge. He smells of the enemy.
Any ideas on what book it is? If you don’t, here’s another couple of hints…
Still have no idea? Here are some lovely pictures of books to admire while you think about it…
Annnd the book is… 🥁🥁 An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir!
PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers
RELEASE DATE: 28 April 2015
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier – and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined – and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.
What books have you been reading lately? What’s on your TBR that you’re currently the most excited about?
As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!
Late again! Ugh, this is later than October’s. I’m tired of posting my wrap-ups this late in the month. But at least my book reviews for the novels I read last month are posted, unlike last time. So this being late was a sacrifice I was willing to make. Anyway, here comes my reading wrap-up for November 2025!
And I think November was pretty good. At the very least it matched the month before – I read two books two months in a row. The page count wasn’t quite as good as October, though. There’s certainly room for improvement, but with the way this year has been with books and reading, I’ll accept what I can get. Hopefully December is at least just as good.
Anyway, let’s just start talking about my StoryGraph statistics from last month!
November Reading 2025
I read 2 books and 189 pages
😐 MOODS: I had two Moods in November, which is one less than the month before. The Moods from this past month were: Adventurous and Mysterious.
👢 PACE: The books I read last month were both medium-paced.
🔢 PAGE NUMBER: The novels I read were between 129 and 160 pages.
📖 FICTION/NONFICTION: It was once again all fiction. As usual.
🎭 GENRES: There was one Genre on the graph this month, and it’s what’s almost always my top one to read – Fantasy.
📄 FORMAT: This pie chart was correct. Both books I read were digital.
⭐ RATING: My median star rating for last month was 3.75.
📉 PAGES READ DAILY: My reading was practically non-existent for the majority of November. It did finally ramp up near the end of the month, though.
So yeah, my reading in November was okay. I hope I at the very least keep up the pace for the last month of the year. I’d like to read more than two books in a month, but with how December has historically turned out, let’s just say that I’m not going to cross my fingers too hard. I’m planning on being better next year, though.
I have a few books I’m looking into reading next. Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao is one of them, as well as A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, along with The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah, which has been getting pushed back for months in favor of other stuff though I still want to read it. I’m not sure what it’s gonna be yet – it could even be some other book that I didn’t just list even.
Anyway, as always, thank you for joining me in checking out my StoryGraph stats for my November reading in 2025. Thank you also for reading, and I hope you have a great day/night!
Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings (and was previously hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where it was known as Waiting on Wednesday) to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. They’re usually books that have not yet been released.
A modern-day dark academia fantasy with a twist, perfect for fans of Babel and A Deadly Education.
Warren University has stood amongst the ivy elite for centuries, built on the bones – and forbidden magic – of its most prized BIPOC students… hiding the rot of a secret society that will do anything to keep their own powers burning bright. No matter who they must sacrifice along the way.
Ellory Morgan is determined to prove that she belongs at Warren University, an ivy league school whose history is deeply linked to occult rumors and dark secrets. But as she settles into her Freshman year, something about the ornate buildings and shadowy paths feels strangely…familiar. And, with every passing day, that sense of déjà vu grows increasingly sinister.
Despite all logic, despite all reason, despite all the rules of reality, Ellory knows one thing to be true: she has been here before. And if she can’t convince brooding legacy student Hudson Graves to help her remember a past that seems determined to slip through her fingers as if by some insidious magic… this time, she may lose herself for good.
Are you looking forward to An Arcane Inheritance? What other books are coming out in the next few weeks that you’re looking forward to?
As always, thank you all so much for reading and have a fantastic day/night!
It’s a new week, and before we can move on to the next one, we gotta wrap up the last one! I’m a little later than I usually am, but… eh, it’s not that bad.
Last week wasn’t bad at all. My novel reading wasn’t the best, but my blogging was pretty good, even if it was constrained to a couple of days. I wish my posting could have been more spread out, but considering I did four posts and am nearly caught up to my book reviews, I can’t complain.
Anyway, without further ado, let’s get on with the Weekly Wrap-Up!
Tuesday 12/9: What Stalks the Deep Review / Top Ten Tuesday
Last Tuesday, I finally posted my review for What Stalks the Deep. It’s really been a long time coming, honestly. And with the posting of it, I’m officially caught up on my October book reviews! Yay!
Anyway, What Stalks the Deep is the third installment of T. Kingfisher’s Sworn Solider series of novellas. And I thought it was pretty good. I’m not sure if I liked What Stalks the Deep as much as the first book, but I definitely prefer it to book two. I gave it ★★★★☆.
I also did another post last Tuesday. It’s been quite a while since I double posted, but I also wanted to participate in Top Ten Tuesday this past week.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community. The prompt for last week was Books Set in Snowy Places.
Sunday 12/14: Penric’s Demon & Penric and the Shaman Reviews / Bewitching Book Covers
On Sunday, I posted another book review. Well, I suppose I should say “reviews” instead as I actually evaluated two books. Or novellas, technically. Whatever, semantics.
So yeah, the two books I reviewed were the first two novellas in the Penric and Desdemona series by Lois McMaster Bujold: Penric’s Demon and Penric and the Shaman. I enjoyed both of them, though I preferred the first book over the second a little. I gave Penric’s Demon ★★★★☆ and Penric and the Shaman ★★★✯☆.
I also double posted a second time last week on Sunday. It’s been a few since the last time I did a Bewitching Book Covers, so I thought another one was in order.
Bewitching Book Covers (formerly known as Majestic Mondays and Tasteful Tuesdays), is when I gush over a book cover that I like as well as analyze it (sometimes). I also typically give the book covers funny rating systems – not the usual blank out of five stars kind of thing.
So yeah, that was this past week, at least in regards to books and blogging. I would’ve liked to have read more, but I’m mostly satisfied with how everything ended up going. I hope that this coming week is a little better, though.
Concerning posts for next week, I definitely want to get out my reading wrap-up for November 2025. It’s halfway through the month now, and getting increasingly more ridiculous the longer I go without posting it. (I just wanted to get out my reviews for the books I read first, though, okay?) I also want to participate in a couple of my usual weekly posts, as well as my favorite monthly post. And last, but certainly not least, I’d like to do another book review. I’ve got one last one in the tank and it needs to go out!
For books, I want to read at least one new book, and I’d also like it to be from my To Be Read Stuff, as that’s been languishing for a while. Right now I’m thinking Water Moon by Samantha Sotti Yambao, but that could absolutely change. Then… I’m not sure. I’d like to start up the Dresden Files again and do Dresden December like I talked about last month, but I’m not sure if I’m feeling it anymore. Maybe the time has already passed? I dunno – I sure hope not!
The problem is I also recently acquired A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik, and now I’m kind of really interested in that and possibly it’s sequels, depending on how I like it. It’s also a much shorter series, both in book and page length per book. So yeah, what I’m basically saying is: Who knows what’s next for my reading?
Regarding stuff outside of books and blogging, I’m just kind of hanging out – mostly with my spouse. We’ve mostly been watching YouTube in our spare time lately, though sometimes other stuff around the house as well. We’ve also been eating more at home, which I’m happy about. Things in our lives are finally starting to go back to as close as normal as they can get.
Anyway, as always thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!
Happy Sunday! I hope everyone has had a good weekend. It’s only been three weeks this time since I’ve posted one of these! Yay!
For anyone who doesn’t know, Bewitching Book Covers (formerly Tasteful Tuesdays, and before that, Majestic Mondays), is a series where I highlight an awesome looking book cover and talk about what I like about it. That’s it, that’s pretty much the point of this post.
This week, the book cover that I’m highlighting is For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn!
Lily is less than thrilled about her arrival to the Afterlife, but what awaits her is more fantastical than she ever could have imagined. Deities wait in line at the coffee shop. Fae flit between realms. Souls find ways to make death a beginning.
As Lily explores everything the Afterlife has to offer, she finds herself drawn to a place most people would rather avoid at all costs: Hell.
What she discovers there subverts everything she’s ever learned, and Lily realizes the demons working at the gate to guide souls need help—badly. Armed with years of customer service experience and pent-up sarcasm, Lily carves out a place for herself among the demons, confronting, sassing, and aiding the spectrum of humanity to redefine justice and redemption.
A chance meeting with Bel, a demon general with a distractingly sexy voice, sparks an immediate and deeply healing friendship. However, the undeniable heat between them simmers, and it’s only a matter of time before it combusts.
Meanwhile, something stirs beyond the boundaries of their world, threatening to destroy everything they’ve ever known and everything that could be… unless they fight like Hell to stop it.
Book Cover Rating: 🔔🔔🔔🔔🔔 • 5 ringing bells
For Whom the Belle Tolls has one of the most gorgeous book covers that I’ve seen in a while. So many things about it – the color, the font, the art itself – are just beautiful. So of course I have to gush about it.
First off, as I just mentioned, the colors are awesome. I am of the mind that you can make most color combinations work, but you can usually never go wrong with purple and orange and gold. And the cover doesn’t.
Secondly, I adore the title font. Many covers usually have typefaces that don’t look all that unique, but this book is one of those that does the opposite. Not only does it simultaneously stand out and match the rest of the cover art at the same time, but it looks like it has its own identity. The W, two Os, and S in Whom and Tolls are particularly prominent.
And last but not least, the artwork itself is fantastic. I’m a sucker for flowers, and the book cover art features gorgeous purple lilies on the top and bottom borders. I also love the golden gate that they’re twisted around, as well as the sparks and mist swirling around. What a great cover!
So yeah, here’s yet another beautiful book cover. What do you think about this cover art? Have you read For Whom the Belle Tolls? If you have, what did you think of it?
Anyway, as always, thank you for reading, and I hope that you have an excellent day/night!
“The gods do not act for our ends, but for Theirs. Presumably, the god has some interesting future in mind for you-for you two. This is not a blessing. Good luck. You’ll need it.”
Two book reviews in a week! Or, I guess since in this post I’ll be talking about two novellas, it’s three book reviews in one week. Haven’t done that in a while – not since earlier this year when I reviewed the first three books in the Ascendance Series.
Anyway, I read the first two novellas in the Penric and Desdemona series a couple weeks ago. And I enjoyed them both a fair amount. It took this long to do this review because I wanted to catch up on my other books reviews on books I Read before these two, and then I couldn’t decide if I wanted to either make this one or two reviews. Obviously, I chose to do the former.
On his way to his betrothal, young Lord Penric comes upon a riding accident with an elderly lady on the ground, her maidservant and guardsmen distraught. As he approaches to help, he discovers that the lady is a Temple divine, servant to the five gods of this world. Her avowed god is The Bastard, “master of all disasters out of season”, and with her dying breath she bequeaths her mysterious powers to Penric. From that moment on, Penric’s life is irreversibly changed, and his life is in danger from those who envy or fear him.
Set in the fantasy world of the author’s acclaimed novels THE CURSE OF CHALION, PALADIN OF SOULS and THE HALLOWED HUNT, this novella has the depth of characterization and emotional complexity that distinguishes all Bujold’s work.
My Review
“You looked a god in the eyes and bore witness for me, by which alone I am preserved.” She took a deep breath, through his mouth. “You looked a god in the eyes. And spoke for me. There is nothing in my power that I will ever refuse you, after that.”
My favorite thing about novellas in general is that they tend to be faster paced than full novels usually are. They’re shorter and therefore have fewer pages to get to the point, and I appreciate that. I tend to enjoy books that are fast-paced is all.
And Penric’s Demon is no exception to this – it’s pace is relatively quick and enjoyable. My favorite thing about this particular novella is the characters, however. Or, at least the two main ones (and another one who isn’t, but we’ll get to her). Penric is our protagonist here, and he’s a lovable ball of awkwardness that I enjoyed following. Desdemona is the demon that he accidentally acquires and is also a fantastic character. I felt that their growing bond and frequent banter was the strongest aspect of this book, and it was definitely my favorite thing about the novella.
I also really liked Ruchia, the old woman who dies at the very beginning of the book. (It’s not a spoiler because it happens less than ten pages in and is in the plot summary.) We don’t get to know her at all well before she passes away, but the stories that are told about her after the fact made me love her and wish we could have seen a little more of her before her death. But I understand why that’s not possible – she is the inciting incident, after all.
The plot and world building were both interesting, especially to someone who hadn’t been exposed to Bujold’s other works before this one. I know that the Penric and Desdemona series of novellas take place in a world the author has previously written in, and are spin-offs, but I had no trouble understanding anything. Bujold explains how her world works in a clear and concise way, and I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not having read any other books in the World of the Five Gods. And I thought it was a solid little book.
So yeah, that’s what I thought of the first novella. Now, let’s move onto the next one!
Young Lord Penric now wears the white robes of the Bastard’s Order, complete with shoulder braids marking him as a divine and sorcerer, while he pursues scholarly studies in the court of the Princess-Archdivine. His demon of disorder, Desdemona, is, of course, present, accounted for, and offering clever commentary, particularly when she grows bored. And so when a Locator of the Father’s Order shows up on the Archdivine’s threshold in need of a sorcerer for a journey and she volunteers Penric, at least Des is thrilled with the prospect of an adventure. As they travel into the mountains to locate Inglis, a shaman accused of murdering his best friend, the situation grows into a test for all of Penric’s developing talents.
Multiple-award-winner and bestselling author Lois McMaster Bujold returns to her World of the Five Gods, the setting of her acclaimed novels The Curse of Chalion, Paladin of Souls, and The Hallowed Hunt. Set four years after the events detailed in the Hugo and Locus Award finalist for Best Novella, Penric’s Demon, Bujold’s newest installment of Penric and Desdemona’s tale is a breaktaking must-read novella for her legion of fans.
My Review
“Your head seems very, uh, crowded,” Oswyl offered at last, into the rather blighted silence that followed this.
“Very,” said Penric. He brightened. “But at least I never lack for tales.”
I found that I enjoyed Penric and the Shaman a little less than Penric’s Demon. Don’t get me wrong – it was still a good book! – I just preferred the first one.
Penric and Desdemona and their bond was the strongest part of book one, and I feel that it was the same way in this one. But this novella featured two additional point-of-views instead of just Penric’s like in its predecessor, so there ended up being far less of the two of them, which was disappointing. But I did like what the new character POVs – Oswyl and Inglis – added to the narrative and it was really interesting seeing Penric and Desdemona from the outside, so I didn’t hate it or anything.
There’s also a pretty decent time skip between the two books, but I didn’t mind it, even though it skipped Penric’s training arc. This also has the added bonus of us seeing how Penric grew into himself, and how he and his demon have finally synchronized as a team.
I also really enjoyed seeing more of this world. As I mentioned above, this is my first experience with this setting. I liked it during the first novella and I’m glad I got to observe more of it.
Penric, propped up on one elbow, studied him thoughtfully. He finally said, “A bit of free theological advice. Do not deny the gods. And they will not deny you.” As Oswyl stared at him, he went on, “Dangerous habit, mind you. Once you start to let Them in through that first crack, They’re worse than mice.”
So yeah, that’s what I thought about the first two novellas of the Penric and Desdemona series. They were both pretty good, even if I did enjoy one a little more than the other, and I definitely recommend it even if you havent read anything in the World of the Five Gods before. I think there’s a pretty decent chance I might come back to it someday, too. For now though, I’m gonna try to get back at my TBR.
And as always, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have an amazing day/night!
It almost isn’t Tuesday anymore, but Happy Tuesday anyway! It’s been almost two months, but I’m back participating in this post!
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly post currently hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It celebrates lovely lists, wonderful books and the bookish community. This week’s topic is Books Set in Snowy Places.
Anyway, without further ado, let’s get started!
Winterspell by Claire Legrand
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawsett
Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Snow Drowned by Jennifer D. Lyle
Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens
Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer
A Winter’s Promise by Christelle Dabos
Do you like books with a snowy setting? If so, what are your favorite ones? What kinds of books do you like to read during the early winter?
As always, thanks so much for reading, and I hope that you have an amazing day/night!
The next novella in the New York Times bestselling Sworn Soldier series, featuring Alex Easton investigating the dark, mysterious depths of a coal mine in America
Alex Easton does not want to visit America.
They particularly do not want to visit an abandoned coal mine in West Virginia with a reputation for being haunted.
But when their old friend Dr. Denton summons them to help find his lost cousin—who went missing in that very mine—well, sometimes a sworn soldier has to do what a sworn soldier has to do…
My Review
“Another fungus?” I asked sharply. Denton drank down his whiskey and signaled for another one. Ingold watched me, his arms folded, and I wondered how much Denton had told him about what we saw in the tarn.
“Not a fungus,” Denton said, when the waiter had left again. “At least, I don’t think so. But more lights in the deep.”
I was very pleased with What Stalks the Deep. It was definitely a step up from What Feasts at Night and, to me at least, nearly on par as the first novella in the Sworn Solider series, What Moves the Dead.
Alex Easton and Angus are back in a brand new adventure, and they’re both just as wonderful as before. Especially Angus, he’s the best – the highlight of every scene that he’s in. Easton is great too, of course, and I love their narration, but Angus is just… Angus.
“We’ll get to the wasps in a moment,” said Denton. “May I introduce my friend, Mr. John Ingold? John, this is Lieutenant Alex Easton and Angus… ah… forgive me, it occurs to me that I don’t actually know your full name.”
“No one does,” said Angus gruffly.
This book also features the return of Dr. Denton, who was a major supporting character in the first novella. It was nice to see him again. Denton contacts the two for help locating his cousin, actually, which is what sets off the plot of the book. We’re also introduced to a new character, Ingold, who through his connection with Denton, is far more interesting than the characters introduced in book two.
The story here also pulled me in more than the one in the second novel, and the atmosphere was back on point. It’s a little different when compared to What Moves the Dead, but the vibes were similar enough to draw me in the same way. The setting was also a little bit more interesting to me. Nothing like a small town and a creepy old mine to set the tone.
Unlike What Feasts at Night, I actually enjoyed the monster here, as well as the twist involved with it. Similar to the story and atmosphere, the creature feature here was more akin to the one in the first book, which I felt was far better than in the second one. Less supernatural this time around, which I appreciated. The buildup also reaches a satisfying conclusion for me, and I enjoyed how things wrapped up.
“Rules of life,” Angus said. “Be true to your friends, don’t cheat at cards, don’t piss on the less fortunate, and don’t steal other people’s skeletons.”
“You just added that last bit now,” I said.
“Obviously should’ve been there all along.”
What Stalks the Deep was a solid addition to the Sworn Solider series, with a return to form with its monster, unsettling setting and tone, and fast pace. If there’s ever another addition to the series, I’ll definitely read it. I think fans of this series will like the continuation, as well as fans of Kingfisher’s other horror stories.
As always, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have an amazing day/night!
Hey there, it’s Monday again. Which means it’s time to wrap up the past week!
Last week was pretty good – I read a book and I did more than two blog posts. So I’m definitely going to count that as a win, especially considering my reading and blogging activity during the last couple of months. Not to mention, I actually got a book review out, too! Yay!
Anyway, without further ado, let’s get on with the Weekly Wrap-Up!
Tuesday 12/2: The Most Interesting Looking New Books of December 2025
Last Tuesday, I posted a list of the books that I’m looking forward to this month. Or, at least the ones that I think look the most interesting. It was the The Most Interesting Looking New Books of December 2025. As always, it’s basically only fantasy and science fiction, as those are the two genres I primarily read. This time there were four books on my list.
On Wednesday, I participated in another Can’t-Wait Wednesday for the first time in several weeks. Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme currently hosted by Tressa @ Wishful Endings. It focuses on books you’re looking forward to reading, usually new releases.
This past Saturday, I finally did another book review. It was the first time in a few months. There was a lot of really tough IRL stuff that was going on the last few months, so I’ve been behind on some stuff. But I’m catching up!
Anyway, I reviewed A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro. It’s a YA Sherlock Holmes reimagining set in the modern day. It had some fun references to the original and some pretty good writing, though there was some stuff I didn’t really like about it. I gave it ★★★✯☆.
So yeah, that’s what I did last week regarding books and blogging. I’m pretty happy with how it all turned out. Hopefully I can keep it up during the coming week!
I’m honestly not sure what I’m gonna read next. At this point, I’m almost tempted to just cover my eyes and randomly grab one of the new books I got a few weeks ago. I’ll figure it out somehow. For blogging, I’m planning on posting one book review – hopefully even two – this week. I still gotta catch up! I also want to do my November 2025 reading wrap-up, and hopefully another couple of posts.
Last week was also the first snow of the month, and part two of the first snow of the year in my area. The first snow started the week before, technically, but Thanksgiving was also that week, so I mostly focused on that during last week’s wrap-up. It was nice to see some fluffy white snow on the ground, after the roads were cleared.
Now that Thanksgiving week is over, my spouse and I were also starting to try to be healthier. I have a feeling we’re not going to really get into it until after the new year, though. There are just too many holidays this time of year.
Anyway, as always thank you for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/night!
GENRES: Mystery, Contemporary, Young Adult, Fiction
PUBLISHER: Katherine Tegen Books
RELEASE DATE: 1 March 2016
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
The first book in a witty, suspenseful new series about a brilliant new crime-solving duo: the teen descendants of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. This clever page-turner will appeal to fans of Maureen Johnson and Ally Carter.
Jamie Watson has always been intrigued by Charlotte Holmes; after all, their great-great-great-grandfathers are one of the most infamous pairs in history. But the Holmes family has always been odd, and Charlotte is no exception. She’s inherited Sherlock’s volatility and some of his vices–and when Jamie and Charlotte end up at the same Connecticut boarding school, Charlotte makes it clear she’s not looking for friends.
But when a student they both have a history with dies under suspicious circumstances, ripped straight from the most terrifying of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Jamie can no longer afford to keep his distance. Danger is mounting and nowhere is safe–and the only people they can trust are each other.
My Review
Truth be told, I liked that blurriness. That line where reality and fiction jutted up against each other.
It’s been a heck of a while since my last book review – and it’s more than overdue. And seeing as I’m in a good headspace finally, and I have the time, I decided that it’s time for me to catch up. So here we go: My review for A Study in Charlotte.
I’ve experienced several Sherlock Holmes reimaginings, as well as quite a few things that were clearly inspired by the work. I’ve never read the original, though I probably should give how I enjoy the retellings and such. And this one was no different – I liked several things about this story. (A few things did annoy me, however, but that’s how it always goes.)
The Characters and Story
We weren’t Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. I was ok with that, I thought. We had things they didn’t, too. Like electricity, and refrigerators. And Mario Kart.
First off: the characters. 🖊️ Jamie Watson 📖 is our protagonist, as well as a descendant of Dr. Watson. Much like his ancestor, he also narrates the story. I thought he was alright and liked his personality, though I did find him to be kind of cookie-cutter. Our deuteragonist was 🔎 Charlotte Holmes. 🧪 I don’t think I have to even state who she’s descended from. Like her ancestor, she’s a murder magnet, the violin, and has a predilection to solving mysteries. Well, most of her family does; either that or they’re all hyper intelligent. It’s a whole thing. She was okay. Like Jamie, I unfortunately found her to be a little generic, though I really liked their rapport and thought they were a pretty good duo.
None of the other characters really stood out too much to me, except for Jamie’s father. I thought that Jamie and his dad had an interesting relationship, and finding out what was straining their relationship was one of the more compelling threads of the novel. Charlotte’s brother was also intriguing, when he finally appeared, as well as her interactions with him.
🖋️ The story 📒 itself was kind of slow and didn’t really stand out to me either, even though I ended up liking it well enough, once I got closer to the end. But parts of it were really slow to me. I found the twist and the antagonist kind of obvious, however, and was a little bit annoyed at the author’s attempt to throw the reader off the scent. Especially when I found the murderer to be as obvious as it was. I did think that the climax, ending, and epilogue were very good, and they convinced me to give this book an extra half star.
The Romance and Writing
Oh my God,” I said as she startled. “Oh my God. You just wanted to come here to-”
“There are excellent opportunities for observation and deduction here.”
“-to dance.” I was trying very hard not to laugh. “Would you like to?”
“Yes,” she said, and fairly dragged me out onto the floor.
💘 The romance 💝 was okay. I thought that Jamie and Charlotte definitely had some chemistry, and the slow-burn was definitely one of the better parts of the book. I thought that the two complemented one another pretty well, which is important in a Holmes and Watson dynamic.
✏️ The writing 🗒️ itself was also pretty good. Though I found parts of the novel to get slow, I never found any of it to be overwritten, which was nice. Especially as overwriting is one of my biggest pet peeves as a reader (as is slowness, but ehhh). The prose was good and the dialogue sounded pretty natural.
I also really enjoyed all of the 🐍 little nods 💎 to Sherlock Holmes. Charlotte’s science lab being Sciences 442. There being a helpful and caring older lady, who was clearly a reference to Mrs. Dobson, not to mention there being a character with the last name Dobson in the book, as well. And let’s not forget about all the cases featured in the book, as they were based on Sherlock Holmes cases. Even the title is a reference to A Study in Scarlet. Not to mention all of the myriad of other references I know I missed (I don’t know much about the original material, okay?).
Final Thoughts
“You have my implicit forgiveness, you know, even when you’re driving me crazy.”
“Jamie.”
“Charlotte.”
“Do come home soon. It won’t be London without you.”
“You never knew me in London.”
“I know. I intend to fix that.
So yeah, all in all, I thought that A Study in Charlotte was pretty okay. It was well constructed and there was a solid dynamic between the two main characters. The plot was kind of slow, though, and the chapters were really long, and I didn’t really gel with that. I did enjoy the story as a whole, though. I think fans of Sherlock Holmes reimaginings, and possibly of the original material, might like it.
I don’t think that I’m gonna continue with this series, unfortunately. For one thing: there was a lot of stuff going on IRL when I read it. But also, it just didn’t really grab me. And I just have far too many things in my TBR at the moment. Maybe I’ll be feeling the sequels someday – you never know.
And as always, thank you so much for reading, and I hope you have an amazing day/night!
