Book Review: A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson

“Why, do you find there to be something of the Reaper about me?” he said, trying to make it sound like a jest but failing utterly.

She immediately abandoned the bread, coming to his side.

“The very opposite,” she said, taking his hand in hers, despite the fact that they were both sticky with bits of dough. “Your Charm doesn’t bring death, Elmwood. It brings back life. And I believe that reflects you perfectly.”

A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson

LENGTH: 432 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Del Rey

RELEASE DATE: 31 March 2026

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

In this witty fantasy romance, a widow blackmails her rakish necromancer neighbor to bring her husband back to life and save her home – only to find herself falling for him instead.

Lady Hildegarde Croft is accustomed to changes in position. After all, she rose from maidservant to lady of the manor when she married Lord Thorgoode Croft. But when he drops dead quite unexpectedly, the plans that would have protected her and the people of Croftholde from her malevolent brother-in-law die along with him. What’s a widow to do?

Fortunately, potential salvation arrives in the form of Lord Erol Elmwood, who is fleeing the consequences of using his forbidden Charm to raise the dead and save his own life. Now he’s injured, destitute, and miserable, stuck hiding out at the neighboring estate.

For Hilde, blackmailing Lord Elmwood to resurrect Thorgoode seems like the perfect solution. For Elmwood, beautiful Lady Croft seems like the ideal distraction from his troubles. The problem is, all she wants from him is the horrifying power he knows he can never use again.

My Review

It was never the people who died peacefully in their beds at the end of a long life who needed resurrecting. No, it was always some wretch pulled untimely from their mortal coil. Whether their death was from the violence of another person’s act or the violence of a body succumbing to illness or accident, it was all violence. It left its indelible mark.

A Widow’s Charm was… okay. It just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, and didn’t really hit for me, unfortunately. The writing wasn’t bad, and I liked the general premise and a few of the characters. But it just didn’t live up to what I was hoping for.

Our dual protagonists were Lady Hildegarde Croft and Lord Erol Elmwood. As much as I wanted to, I couldn’t really get invested in either of these characters. I preferred Hilde, though. I liked her initial motivations, and I thought she was a strong person. Elmwood just kind of annoyed me, however, I did kind of feel for him s little more near the end of the novel.

I much preferred Winthrop, Elmwood’s bestie. His friendship with Elmwood was great. I also liked Hilde’s sister Han, as well as Lady Isobel Warrit. Both seemed more interesting, though Lady Isobel seemed rather childish for her age, and was more often than not treated like an obstacle for the romance than a character. Han was awesome though, and she and Isobel were cute. Apparently, the next book in the series is going to focus on them, which is cool, but I’m currently unsure if I’ll go for it.

I was also more interested in Thorgoode, Hilde’s recently deceased husband, as well as intrigued by their relationship. The Croft servants were also more engaging characters to me, as well. The villain is the Harrier, who was also almost comically evil. I didn’t really like him as an antagonist.

“Stop manhandling me! I met Lady Croft by chance, and she’s been quite neighborly, that’s all. There’s been no cozying.” It was surprisingly difficult lying to Winthrop, but it couldn’t be helped.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t having it. “You’re a terrible liar, Elm-wood, and you should know better than to attempt to deceive your closest friend.”

“What about my lawyer?”

“Even worse!”

The plot was decently interesting, but stalls for much of the book. Fair warning to those who enjoy a mix of story and characters – there isn’t much of that here. A Widow’s Charm either focuses on characters or the sexual tension between Hilde and Elmwood.

Speaking of that, the romance between the two POV characters annoyed me. I’m not always big on dual point-of-view books where both of the characters are two sides of the same romantic relationship, and this was certainly one of those times. The almost constant misunderstandings and thinking things are sexual innuendos was also tiring to read. I audibly sighed quite a few times throughout. It also irritated me how immediately horny Hilde and Elmwood were for each other, particularly Elmwood. I hate insta-love and insta-lust. Plus, I don’t think these two had that much chemistry. I just wasn’t into Hilde and Elmwood as a couple, and since that was like 90% of the book, it was kind of hard for me to take.

(Han and Isobel appeared to have a more appealing dynamic, but we got only glimpses here so it was hard to tell. I’m sure it will be central to the next novel, as it’s their book. But I’m not sure if I’m gonna read that, so…)

The thing I liked the most about the book was the art. I liked it so much I added a star. The cover art is so, so pretty, and the interior chapter headings are also gorgeous. The magic system and the world were also cool. And as I mentioned above, the writing also wasn’t bad. In fact, it was pretty good; the prose was fine. Honestly, some of the lines were truly beautiful.

Death slipped in at the end of a perfectly ordinary day, creeping over the threshold of evening as if it might go unnoticed-as if the consequences of it would not shape all that was to come.

The climax of A Widow’s Charm was also pretty awesome, and the ending was sweet, even if it felt very rushed. Part of it really seemed like the author remembered that there were conflicts that needed resolving, and just spedran it.

This is definitely a more cozy read. It’s perfect for a gloomy day on the couch, if you’re into the sort of stuff it brings to the table. If you like books that focus more on characters, romance, sexual tension, and romantasy, you’ll probably like this one. There’s also going to more to this universe, as I’ve previously mentioned, as this seems to be the start of a series, even if it doesn’t appear to have a name yet.

Anyway, thank you all for reading, and I hope that everybody has an amazing day/night!

See ya ~Mar

MY LINKS:

Goodreads

Instagram

Book Review: Brighter Than Nine by June CL Tan

“Your lack of belief is not proof of something’s lack of existence,” Madam Meng said. “What is real and what is myth? You will often find the truth somewhere in between.”

Brighter Than Nine by June CL Tan

SERIES: Darker By Four #2

LENGTH: 400 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Storytide

RELEASE DATE: 10 March 2026

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The Shadowhunter Chronicles meets Chinese diaspora folklore in this sequel to the #1 Sunday Times bestseller Darker by Four! The Shadowhunter Chronicles meets the Chinese underworld, drawing inspiration from diaspora folklore, in this epic, sweeping contemporary fantasy duology from Jade Fire Gold author June CL Tan.

Rui has her life back together – or so it seems. Hailed as a hero, she’s finally on her way to becoming an important member of the Exorcist Guild. But she knows the Hybrid Revenants are still out there, and they’re planning something big. Something evil.

Zizi is trapped in the underworld. As his mortal body deteriorates, he realizes he can access the Fourth King’s memories, which may be the key to keeping the mortal realm safe. To save the girl he loves, he must defy fate – and escape Hell.

Yiran watches from the shadows, magicless once more. When he discovers a dark family secret that changes everything he thought he knew, his hunger for power tempts him toward a possible betrayal. And he must decide what he truly stands for – before it’s too late.

As the consequences of the past wreak havoc on the present, three lives bound by the threads of fate must weave a new destiny for themselves – and the realms.

My Review

“What is fate, if not the universe conspiring?” One mused, turning to the gleaming horizon. “As I once told you, Fate connects us through the past, present, and future. It does not care if you have faith in it or not. It simply is, and we are mere moments in its timeline.”

It’s been awhile since Darker By Four. So you can imagine how pumped I was when I saw that the sequel was releasing early this year. It was one of my most anticipated reads for March. I ended up enjoying Brighter Than Nine, just as I hoped I would. I love it when books that I look forward to end up being good.

First off, I really liked how the characters developed here. Rui was just as awesome as in the first book, even if her point-of-view chapters were a little slower in the first half of the book. Her personality is just as strong and fierce, and I was reminded why she was one of my top FMCs to follow in 2024.

We also got to see a lot of Zizi’s POV here in the sequel, which I was ecstatic about. He was one of my favorite characters in book one, and he was just as great here. His chapters were so fun and interesting. Yiran was also a much stronger character here, compared to the first book, and I loved seeing him grow. He honestly kind of pissed me off in Darker By Four, and while there was a little of that here, it wasn’t nearly as annoying, and he had a great character arc.

I loved seeing more of Ash as well, and was so happy that he got to have a few chapters. I love Ash. It was great seeing more of his perspective on things, like his mentor-student dynamic with Rui, and his brotherly relationship with Yiran. And I also liked Yuki, which I wasn’t sure that I would, since he came out of nowhere in the first novel. But he ended up being an interesting character.

“I see you’re intent on being difficult tonight, Cadet Lin.”

Rui shrugged. “Not any more than usual.”

“I need a coffee,” Ash groaned.

Seeing all of the mythology and lore and magic of Tan’s world get expanded upon from the first novel was also amazing. It’s probably my favorite thing about the book – I loved learning more about the underworld, and meeting the other Kings, and discovering the celestial realm.

The romance was also fantastic. Zizi and Rui’s protectiveness was just as great as in Darker By Four, even if the pining during their separation hurt my heart. And I really liked Yiran and Yuki’s relationship here, it was built up really well.

There were only a few things I didn’t really like about Brighter Than Nine. I disliked that the trio – Rui, Yiran, and Zizi – were split up for so much of the book. Their dynamic and banter were some of my favorite things about the first book. There wasn’t a lot of it in this novel, either, which was a little disappointing. One of my least favorite tropes also made a little appearance in the last quarter of the book, which was annoying, but even with it there was a satisfying resolution to everything.

The other thing that kind of annoyed me were a few lines of dialogue. They just kind of took me out a little. The one that comes to mind is when one of the characters starts talking about which parts of their relationship are trope-y, and similar stuff like that. I dunno, it just felt a little meta and it kind of bugged me.

It was magical. Her city. She would save it, no matter what it took. As they sped on, the noise and chaos seemed to fade. For a moment, everything seemed to slow, and she was able to catch her breath. It was just the wind and her and Zizi. And she found herself wishing that this quiet would last forever.

But other than those few things, I thought that Brighter Than Nine was a fantastic book. I even felt that it was better than the first one. The climax was also good, and I ended up liking the ending a lot.

So yeah, this was a great book. I definitely recommend it, especially to fans of June CL Tan’s other stuff, as well as enjoyers of other Asian fantasy, YA, and anime. This novel was a lot of fun.

Anyway, thank you all for reading, and I hope that everybody has an amazing day/night!

See ya ~Mar

MY LINKS:

Goodreads

Instagram

Book Review: Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews

It hadn’t hurt, the day he had cut out his own heart.

Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews

LENGTH: 327 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Horror, LGBT+, Young Adult, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Feiwel & Friends

RELEASE DATE: 29 October 2024

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him. Protect him. Lie for him.

Kill for him.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality – Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won’t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork – whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew’s wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what’s wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster – Thomas’s drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator…

My Review

Below them something scraped softly over the snowy path. The world smelled of sweet cloying decay, rotten leaves, and earth.

Happy Friday the 13th! What a perfect day to review a horror novel! Anyway, I really liked Don’t Let the Forest In. I had a feeling that I would, but my gut isn’t always correct when it comes to books, so it was nice that I was right this time.

The characters were all very compelling. I liked the main character, Andrew Perrault. From the get go, it’s immediately apparent that he has flaws and that there’s a lot going on with him. He’s a more reserved protagonist, but I didn’t mind that at all. He’s also one of my new favorite unreliable narrators. Thomas Rye was also a great deuteragonist. His personality both contrasts and complements Andrew’s very well, and they match each other nicely. They’re a writer and an artist – a perfect pairing. I enjoyed the side characters as well, like Lana, Chloe, as well as Dove, Andrew’s twin sister.

I really liked how surreal the story felt, both because of the prose and because of the way the narration is. There’s something not quite right about everything going on and it itches at the back of your mind throughout most of the plot, until things finally come to a head near the end of the novel.

“I think someday you’ll hate me.” Thomas’s voice stretched with a loneliness Andrew had never heard before. “You’ll cut me open and find a garden of rot where my heart should be.”

Andrew let the silence sharpen between them, waited until Thomas’s breath caught in quiet anguish from being made to wait. “When I cut you open,” Andrew finally said, “all I’ll find is that we match.”

The romance was also well done. I’m not always into books where most of the romance is just yearning. But because of all the horrific things going on, it felt fitting. It really fits in well with the rest of the narrative. And it also helped that Andrew and Thomas both had a lot of natural chemistry.

The horror aspect was probably my favorite thing about Don’t Let the Forest In. I preferred it over the last book I read that focused on horror, Snow Drowned. (Though I do appreciate Eldritch horror sometimes as well.) I tend to prefer it when it’s macabre and surreal like it is here. The way the writing is also accentuates this facet of the novel really well, with the unnatural line breaks within sentences and paragraphs, as well as emphasized and repeated words. I’ve heard people found it reminiscent of E.E. Cummings, and I find that I agree.

Sometimes there was no stopping pain. There was just seeing how much you could swallow before it spilled out your throat.

I also found several elements about the book reminiscent of The Other by Thomas Tryon, an old horror book from the early 1970s. (If you’re also read it, you’ll know what I’m getting at.) And because parts of this book reminded me so much of it, I was able to catch many of the twists extremely early on (I figured out one of them by chapter two or three). This isn’t even close to a bad thing, because I love getting to the end of a book even if I’ve figured things out and being validated that I guessed correctly. The author’s writing style itself is entertaining enough where it also kept me very engaged through the whole novel, as well.

Last but certainly not least, the art here was also amazing, and not just the cover either (though I love that the most). The interior sketches are phenomenal, and they help highlight so many of the scenes that they’re included in. It was great to get a visual of some of the monsters. I also liked the little writings from Andrew’s notebook scattered throughout most of the book, too.

To write something nice, he’d need something nice to say. But his ribs were a cage for monsters and they cut their teeth on his bones.

So yeah, Don’t Let the Forest In was an absolutely solid book. I enjoyed basically everything about it honestly, though not quite enough for a perfect star rating. I’m not sure why – maybe because I’ve read The Other already, and that had already set such a high standard. This was still an excellent novel though. Definitely recommend it.

Anyway, as always, thank you to everyone so much for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!

See ya ~Mar

MY LINKS:

Goodreads

Instagram

Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn | Book Review

Lies, like dreams, tended to turn into nightmares.

Stolen Midnights by Katherine Quinn

SERIES: Stolen Midnights #1

LENGTH: 464 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Delacorte Press

RELEASE DATE: 3 February 2026

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

The first in a new magical young adult romantasy duology from the New York Times bestselling author of To Kill a Shadow. A palace darling and a thief join forces after he unwittingly steals a necklace with the power to change their world forever.

In the city of Andalay, the ruling Fates bestow gifts among society’s most favored. When Damien, a cold and hardened thief, is hired to steal one of those gifts – meant for the “princess” of Ward One, Wren Hayes – he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets.

The gift? A locket containing his own photograph.

Once the locket is opened, hidden truths unravel, shedding light on the ruthless ways of the upper class. Yearning for the three Fates and the magical gifts they bestow, the lords of Andalay will go to any length to keep their power – including murder.

Brought together by destiny, and fighting a dangerous temptation that’s becoming harder to resist, Wren and Damien navigate a seedy world where the truth can destroy not only their lives, but the city itself.

My Review

When the clock chimed midnight on an Aurilian’s eighteenth birthday, a remarkable and utterly beguiling event would occur.

It’s a little later than I intended, but it turned out I had a lot of feelings about this book. And unfortunately, for me at least, Stolen Midnights didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

Don’t get me wrong, there were definitely some things to like – and even love – about this book. But I found myself annoyed more often than not by just as many other things, if not more. I have a lot to say about this novel, as I mentioned, so strap in!

The Characters and Story

There was no question in my mind that Wren Hayes and I had been destined to meet. And without a doubt, our lives were now tied together in a way that would be impossible to unravel.

Wren Hayes is our female lead. At the start of the novel she’s a rich girl expecting the accustomed gift of a magical object that the elite receive on their eighteenth birthdays. But she is left wanting, as it has been stolen by Damien, the male protagonist to this story. He’s basically your typical thief character, sassy and suave (or at least he thought so) with a vulnerable side. And unfortunately, I didn’t care much for either of them. Especially early on – Wren is pretty bratty and naive, and I don’t like the way Damien flirts with Wren for the first half of the novel. But, I do think both of them grew some by the climax of the novel, and I was rooting for them at that point a little. I just wish they’d both stop making stupid decisions.

I found the side characters more interesting this time around, like Ruby and Grayson and Everett, and I was honestly more interested in their backgrounds and stories than I was the MCs. The antagonist kind of came a little out of nowhere for me, though it made sense it was them, but I was screaming at the characters constantly about how the villain’s accomplice was right there stop being stupid it’s so obvious. But I digress – that’s how it goes sometimes with these kinds of novels.

The plot for Stolen Midnights was pretty decent, though it got bogged down a little bit by the main characters and their antics and stupidity. It’s also a relatively simple story with a bit of a mystery going on throughout, and the latter is honestly the only thing that kept me going for a while. Until the missing persons part of the plot was introduced, then I had to know what was up. The author was pretty good at seeding along a mystery, and I wish that that had more focus on it. But instead it was the romance.

The Romance and Writing

A finger pressed into my chest, startling me. “You’ve been watching me,” Wren accused-correctly-doing her very best to sound intimidating. Such an adorable yet incompetent attempt.

“Obviously.” I shrugged, pressing deeper into that little finger of hers. “You were practically begging to be robbed.” Again.

“You would be the expert,” she snipped.

I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t like the romance here. I didn’t think Wren and Damien had any chemistry with each other, at any point in the novel. I also hated how they were constantly sniping at one another. And yes, I get that this was (an attempt at) an enemies to lovers plot, but then I’d rather there wasn’t literal immediate insta-lust happening. Like seriously immediate – basically as soon as they have their first proper conversation. And then it just didn’t stop. This should’ve been more of a slow-burn. But it wasn’t, and I think that the romance suffered for it.

The writing was… okay. It certainly could’ve been better, but it was YA, which doesn’t always have the best quality. It’s not an excuse, because I think YA deserves better, but it is what it is. The prose seemed almost middle grade though, which felt at odds with the numerous cringe worthy lust filled scenes throughout. What I mean to say is: the writing felt like it should’ve been more mature, to match Stolen Midnights tones and themes.

The Cover and World Building

One day our world would change, and all it took to start a revolution was one person.

I know it might be hard to believe at this point, but there were things I quite enjoyed about this book. The cover art and sprayed edges for one thing, are absolutely phenomenal. I almost passed on this novel, or at least put it on my tentative TBR for later, but I couldn’t just walk by that book cover art and ignore it. And combined with the title, there’s a downright lethal combination there. This book was very, very pretty. But I’ve already gushed about the cover art enough in another post.

The world building and the magic system are also interesting. I really liked how the characters frequently talk about places outside of the city of Andalay, and that there’s a map at the beginning of the book. I love maps in books.

The magic system is also intriguing. I found myself invested in the way the knowledge of it evolved as the characters discovered more about how it worked.

The lore and history sprinkled all over Stolen Midnights was also fascinating. I loved the little excerpts at the beginning of some of the chapters, predominantly Wren’s. Not just because it distributed relevant lore for each chapter or two, but also because it tells the reader that Wren is also interested in the history of her world, and that’s one of the few things I liked about her.

The only thing I felt was odd about it was how the lore and the divine leaders of Andalay – the Fates – affected the way the city was run. It’s a patriarchy and women seem to have hardly any rights, but the Fates are women as well. It just seems weird to me that the society is structured that way, especially since the Fates themselves also live in the city with everyone – it doesn’t seem like it should be a patriarchy at all. I understand that they manipulate certain things about how Andalay is run, but nowhere in the book is it mentioned that they’re manipulating it into a patriarchy. I guess we as the reader are just meant to infer that? I don’t know, it seemed a little sloppy is all.

Final Thoughts

But I often got ahead of myself. First I needed to find where Wren Hayes had run off to.

Something told me I should’ve had one more glass of whiskey.

Though I didn’t enjoy a lot of what Stolen Midnights had to offer, there were a few things that I really liked about it. There’s a lot of stuff set up for the sequel here, too, and it seems like it might be more lore and magic focused (though there’s definitely still going to be a lot of romance as well), so I might enjoy it more, if I decide to read it. This book really feels like one half of a whole, or a very long prologue.

Also, I couldn’t find a place to mention this earlier, but several aspects of this novel reminded me of Once Upon a Broken Heart and its sequels. Down to one of the big twists in the book, as well as the big event that happens at the ending. I think it shares the most similarities with the second book, and I suspect the sequel to this book might share some with the last book in the trilogy. They also had a lot of the same vibes and some of the same tropes. I think that a lot of that stuff, however, was executed a little better in Once Upon a Broken Heart. If you like Stephanie Garber’s works, though, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy this book.

Anyway, as always, thank you to everyone so much for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!

See ya ~Mar

MY LINKS:

Goodreads

Instagram

Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson | Book Review

“It is not always in our power to decide what a thing is… But what a thing means? That power may often be claimed.”

Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson

LENGTH: 320 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Ballantine Books

RELEASE DATE: 10 February 2026

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

An ordinary man discovers a hidden world of wondrous supernatural creatures – and an unexpected home – in this enchanting contemporary fantasy debut.

Cryptonaturalist: one who studies cryptids; an expert in or student of supernatural history.

After a series of inexplicable encounters upends his life, Green finds himself alone and terrified in the Appalachian mountains, full of questions about the transformation he’s undergoing and the impossible creatures he’s starting to see.

When he meets a hermit named Valentina, he realizes that something more than chance has brought him to her door. For she has devoted centuries to researching the hidden world of cryptids that Green is only now beginning to perceive.

As Green begins his studies beneath her watchful eye, he comes face to face with time-stopping giant moths, cyclops squirrels, and doorways to elsewhere. Along the way come clues about his own nature and the powerful beings who led him here – and, most wondrous of all, a sense of fulfillment like nothing he’s felt before.

But Green’s new happiness promises to be short-lived, because alongside these marvels lurks a deadly threat to this place he’s already come to love.

Featuring incredible creatures and an unforgettable cast of characters, Strange Animals is a charming, addictive fantasy about the magic all around us.

My Review

“Empathy and curiosity take more courage than blunt force, but it is the wiser long-term path.”

Strange Animals was a pretty interesting book. It’s was one of my anticipated reads for February 2026, and thought it didn’t hit quite the way I’d hoped, I still liked it.

This novel was notably the first time I got to use the green highlighter on my Kindle, the newest color you can now use. I was actually excited about it, which is one of the reasons I mention it. I chose it for what I think is probably an obvious reason (I usually pick my color of highlighter to match the book in some way), the setting and the name of one of the characters. The other reason I’m bringing this up is because, if Kindle had a purple highlighter available, I might have picked that, for something I’ll get into more extensively later.

Anyway, the book follows Green. And no, I’m not sure if it’s his first or last name. Anyway, Green starts off the novel with an intriguing experience – wherein he has a brush with death – key word here being death, of course. Because of this, and the magic acorn that had appeared in his pocket, he decides to go find himself in the Catskill Mountains.

The Characters

“I hear you. You’re trying to make this a lesson about becoming comfortable with the unknown?”

Valentina set aside her coffee cup. “That lesson arrives most days whether or not we invite it. But we are not in the business of passively noting our own ignorance. We are in the business of finding out.”

I had some trouble getting a feel for Green’s personality here for some reason, but I did catch a few things about him. His trauma and confusion from his experience in the prologue, and his curiosity and interet in the new world order he’s found himself tangled up in are what stood out to me the most, though. He’s also kind and brave, as well. Honestly, nothing about him stood out to me as much, unfortunately, as I like to love the protagonists I’m following.

The other characters I found far more interesting. Valentina Blackwood is a mysterious woman who has lived on the mountain for seemingly forever, and is Green’s new cryptonatural teacher. She’s directly direct and intelligent, as well as very nononsence when it comes to being a cryptonaturalist. I absolutely adored her – she was so cool. The mystery surrounding her circumstances and why she became interested in cryptids was just as interesting as the things that happen to Green throughout the story, and I loved discovering the answers to them.

The rest of the cast doesn’t get too much page-time, but I still really enjoyed them. Dancer was fun and weird and I loved her character immediately. Clara Rodriguez was also pretty awesome, and I loved meeting her. I even really liked Alf and his two friends, even though they had the least appearance out of everyone. They left a strong impression, though. I also really, really liked another character, but I won’t get into him because of massive spoilers surrounding him.

The Story

“Fear has two fangs. The first is a pervasive sense of helplessness. The second is the enormity of the unknown. Today, we aim to armor ourselves against both. We are not helpless. We are not hiding in our shelters. We are actively seeking information to improve our position. The unknown does not root us where we stand. We are rejecting both helplessness and the premise of unknowability.”

The plot of Strange Animals was also quite interesting, even if the characters stood out to me slightly more. Green’s journey and encounters were very compelling. Not to mention cryptids have always been something fascinating to me, and it feels like they don’t show up in fiction in this way too often. The last time I encountered a novel focusing on them, it was Cryptid Hunters by Roland Smith from forever ago – back when I was just about to start middle school. (It’s a great book though – I think I only read the first book, though I might have also read the second, I’m not sure though. It’s a four book series in any case.)

Speaking of books that I read in middle school, I loved seeing the shout-out to My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George – one of my favorite books I read when I was younger (the entire trilogy is goated, honestly). I can definitely see that the author was inspired for Strange Animals, too.

The Writing

There, just beyond his windshield, the woods drank in radiation from a nearby star and used that energy to create oxygen, to reproduce, to send chemical messages in a language older than humanity, older than the warm blood of mammals.

I think the things I had the most mixed feelings about were the writing and the ending. Anderson’s writing style is beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but it’s almost too beautiful. The purple prose here is honestly too much – it was just heaps of it everywhere, in every chapter. It was incredibly distracting, and made some of the book feel incredibly overwritten. The author dabbled in poetry before this, and you can really tell.

Occasionally it even got to the point where my brain started digging up whenever I’d approach one of the heavy purple prose sections. I’m not a fan of it in the first place, so to see it so much in the novel brought the whole thing down for me somewhat. Despite all this, I do think that some of the writing was still very well done, and pieces of it were quite effective.

The ending was also kind of weird. I didn’t hate it, but one of the characters goes through a metamorphosis mostly off-screen and acts very differently to how they had been for the entire book before. And I didn’t really like that – I like to see my character growth and development happen in real-time, thanks.

Final Thoughts

I write to you today in a language you didn’t know on a page you will never see.

I’d say that Strange Animals was an overall positive experience for me, and I’m glad I read it. The plot and characters were both entertaining, and I really flew through the book whenever I sat down to read it, even despite the purple prose. I think that it was a pretty strong debut novel, too. And the cover is also absolutely stunning – I love everything about it.

As always, thank you to everyone so much for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!

See ya ~Mar

MY LINKS:

Goodreads

Instagram

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune | Book Review

“Sometimes you need to take things on faith,” she said quietly. “Even if you think you have no faith left, I promise you, you do. All of you do. It’s easier, I think, to stay lost. But when you’re found, when you open your eyes, you can finally see the truth for what it is.”

The Bones Beneath My Skin by TJ Klune

LENGTH: 394 pages

GENRES: Science Fiction, Romance, LGBT+, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Tor Books

RELEASE DATE: 26 October 2018 (e-book only) / re-released 4 February 2025 (for print)

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A spine-tingling standalone novel by bestselling author TJ Klune – a supernatural road-trip thriller featuring an extraordinary young girl and her two unlikely protectors on the run from cultists and the government.

There’s nothing more human than a broken heart.

In the spring of 1995, Nate Cartwright has lost everything: his parents are dead, his only brother wants nothing to do with him, and he’s been fired from his job as a journalist in Washington, DC.

With nothing left to lose, he returns to his family’s summer cabin outside the small mountain town of Roseland, Oregon, to try and find some sense of direction. The cabin should be empty. It’s not.

Inside is a man named Alex. And with him is an extraordinary ten-year-old girl who calls herself Artemis Darth Vader. Artemis, who isn’t exactly as she appears.

Soon it becomes clear that Nate must make a choice: let himself drown in the memories of his past, or fight for a future he never thought possible. Because the girl is special. And forces are descending upon them who want nothing more than to control her.

My Review

I didn’t get that. Not before, Art had told him. I don’t think any of us did. Not until they felt a heart beating in a chest like I have. Not until I felt the bones beneath my skin. We’re not alike. Not really. We’re separated by time and space. And yet, somehow, we’re all made of dust and stars.

The Bones Beneath My Skin has been on my TBR for about a year, and I’m very glad I finally got around to reading it. It was weird and wonderful and exhilarating to read, and I had a pretty good time with it.

It’s been awhile since I’ve read TJ Klune, which was a large part of why I finally wanted to read this. I read and reviewed both The House in the Cerulean Sea and In the Lives of Puppets almost three years ago now, in 2023. Far too long to go without reading a TJ Klune novel, and I’m glad I finally rectified it. I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the other two, but it’s still a bit of a banger, and a must-read for fans of Klune’s other works.

Alex reached down and picked up his rifle, snapping it free from the harness. Nate grabbed a dropped metal baton.

“You know how to use that?” Alex asked.

“It’s a stick,” Nate said. “You hit people with it.”

Anyway, the characters were definitely the highlight of this novel. Our POV main character is Nate Cartwright, a young journalist seeking a stay at his inherited cabin to clear his head and figure out where to go next, after suffering some devastating losses. He has the biggest character arc of the bunch, and I loved watching him fall into a found family with Alex and Art. Found families always seem to be one of Klune’s strong suits, and The Bones Beneath My Skin continues this trend.

The other two protagonists – Alex Delgado (not his real last name, but I’m not gonna spoil it) and Artemis Darth Vader – are also phenomenal. Art is especially a treat, and I loved her dialogue. The established father-daughter dynamic was also wonderful, and I enjoyed all of their interactions. The interplay only gets better once Nate started being drawn in – these three are a fantastic trio. Some of my favorite scenes in the book are just the three of them hanging around the cabin doing stuff and talking. The chemistry and dialogue between everyone is also off the charts.

“You’re not toast,” she said. “You can be Nathaniel Cartwright. Then you can be someone else. And then if you don’t like it, you can be Nathaniel Cartwright again. You’re not toast. Bread doesn’t have a choice. You do.”

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered.

I also liked a couple of the minor characters, when though they don’t really appear much, or hold a lot of impact to the story. Eddie the gas station guy was great, and I also really liked Nate’s former coworker Ruth. I would have liked to see more of them, because I really liked the scenes with them and Nate, but I understand why they didn’t appear all that often. They kind of felt like they were only there to move the plot forward, though, which is a little unfortunate.

The story is also very engaging, and the pace is perfect. I like how the book starts off a little slower, and then around the halfway point, abruptly begins to ramp up. It just works so well.

The last third of the novel does slow down a bit though, and the plot feels like it goes on a little tangent for a bit, but it also feels necessary and connects nicely to the climax of the book. The ending was fine, but it didn’t hit right for me for some reason. I’m not sure why. It was still a solid read overall, however.

“I wondered what you would be like. Humans. What you would be capable of. How your minds would work. How your hearts would beat. You are animals. Fierce and wild. You are harsh and brutal and beautiful. There is no one like you in all the universe. You have the power for such destruction within you. And such joy. It’s a dichotomy that shouldn’t exist, and yet here it is. Within you. Within all of you.”

But yeah, I quite enjoyed The Bones Beneath My Skin and, as I mentioned above, I’m glad that I finally got around to reading it. Fans of softer sci-fi, aliens, found family, books with LGBT+ stuff, and of course – fans of TJ Klune – will probably like this novel.

As always, thank you to everyone so much for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!

See ya ~Mar

MY LINKS:

Goodreads

Instagram

The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah | Book Review

Every story is a memory. A tale that happened neither here nor there, but in another time and place. Our job as story-tellers is to describe that reality as we understand it. It is the listener who must determine what is and is not.

The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah

SERIES: The Sandsea Trilogy #2

LENGTH: 529 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Orbit

RELEASE DATE: 15 April 2025

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A thief and a prince trapped in the crumbling, magical realm of the jinn must figure out how to save one world in order to return to their own in The Ashfire King, the second book in this epic series of myth and magic, perfect for fans of The City of Brass and The Bone Shard Daughter.

Neither here nor there, but long ago… After fleeing a patricidal prince, legendary merchant Loulie al-Nazari and banished prince Mazen bin Malik find themselves in the realm of jinn. But instead of sanctuary, they find a world on the cusp of collapse.

The jinn cities, long sheltered beneath the Sandsea by the magic of its kings, are sinking. And amid the turmoil, political alliances are forming, and rebellion in the jinn’s capital city is on the rise. When Loulie saves the life of a dissenter – one of her bodyguard’s old comrades – she puts herself in the center of a centuries-old war.

Trapped in a world that isn’t her own and wielding magic that belongs to a fallen king, Loulie must decide: Will she carry on someone else’s legacy or carve out her own?

My Review

There is no such thing as a single truth. There are just the stories we tell others, and the ones we tell ourselves.

It’s been quite some time since the first book in the Sandsea Trilogy. This is true for me as well even though I read and reviewed The Stardust Thief about a year after it came out, I’m also reading and reviewing its sequel nine months after it first released. So it’s been almost as long for me as it had been for everyone else last April.

I don’t know why it took me so long to read The Ashfire King. I got the book the day it came out and I was so excited about it (it was one of – if not my most – anticipated new book of last year), but then I just… didn’t read it. Part of it is because I was currently in the middle of another series and I wanted to wait to read anything else, I think. I’m disappointed it took me this long to read it, though.

Anyway, to the review!

General Thoughts

“So long as I breathe, I will not falter. To live is to persevere. For the world, and in spite of it.”

I did enjoy this book a lot, though not as much as its predecessor – that one I loved. I think it might be because it was a little slower, plus I didn’t vibe nearly as strongly with it as I did the first book. Oh well, I still liked it, though.

When we left our characters at the end of The Stardust Thief, the party was split. Qadir was captured by Omar, Loulie and Mazen were hurtling down into the jinn realm with the ifrit Rijah, and Aisha was fleeing into the desert.

And The Ashfire King pretty much continues from where the first one left off. It should be noted that the book starts off with one of the trilogy’s ‘story sections’ and this one kind of gave a little summary of what happened in the first book, which was very nice after the gap. It was integrated well into the story itself, as well, since there was a new character introduced that needed to be caught up on the events of book one. Not to mention it was in-character, what with Mazen being a storyteller and all.

The Characters and Story

She gasped at the sight of the compass in his hands.

Her compass.

Loulie stifled a cry as she grabbed it from him. The moment she felt its magic humming beneath her fingers, she grinned. Even had she wanted to, she could not have smothered that smile.”You went back for the compass?”

“You came back for me. It was the least I could do.”

Speaking of the main characters, they each continue to have their own little arcs here. Loulie is desperate and determined to get back to the surface and find Qadir, and she’ll do whatever it takes. Mazen is struggling with Omar murdering their father the sultan, his uncertainty of Hakim’s whereabouts, and his fear of returning home. Aisha has sworn revenge on Omar for lying and betraying her, whilst she deals with sharing a body with the Resurrectionist after their bargain in the first novel. And Qadir and what happened to him is unknown, though it is strongly implied he’s been captured by Omar. And everyone’s character development was extremely compelling here – I ultimately really enjoyed where they all ended up at the end of the book.

The plot was pretty slow, as I mentioned earlier. There were a lot of big moments throughout, but the book didn’t really ‘pick up’ so to say until almost two thirds of the way through. I’m not sure if this is a case of middle book syndrome, or if this book is just kind of slower just because it is, but I don’t recall the first book being as much of a slow-burn. I remember being pretty invested in that one for almost the whole time. Don’t get me wrong, the plot here was interesting and I enjoyed all the character moments. But parts of it did feel slow.

The Romance and Writing

Remembering the last time they had flown-the last time he had convinced Loulie to fly – he smiled and said, “Are you scared, Loulie?”

She cast a sharp look back at him. Just as they had been then, her eyes were filled with defiance. She gave him the same answer.

“Never.”

The climax was great though, and I generally liked the ending (except for the cliffhanger – ugh). The romance and relationship development is also a very slow-burn, but that was fine as it works for this story and makes sense with the characters. (I will confess to being unsure of its existence occasionally, however, with how slow it is, lol.)

The novel’s writing is also just as strong as its predecessor. I again also really enjoyed the way the little story sections were written and stylized. It’s probably one of my favorite things about this series.

Final Thoughts

His dedication flummoxed her. But then she realized she felt the same way. She did not know when it was she had come to rely on Mazen bin Malik, but at some point, the thought of losing him had become unbearable.But he was safe. They were safe.

But he was safe. They were safe.

For a moment, Loulie let herself believe it. She leaned her cheek into Mazen’s chest and thought, I refuse to lose anyone again.

Somehow, she would make certain of it.

The Ashfire King is a pretty good sequel to The Stardust Thief, and it clearly sets up the third book in the trilogy well. I definitely recommend it to fans of the first book – I think they’ll probably enjoy it. I also think it’s a good read anytime of the year, though you should definitely only read it if you’ve read the book one.

As always, thank you to everyone so much for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!

See ya ~Mar

MY LINKS:

Goodreads

Instagram

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa | Book Review

Books have tremendous power. There are timeless stories, powerful enough to have survived through the ages. Read lots of books like these – they’ll be like friends to you. They’ll inspire and support you.

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

SERIES: The Cat Who… #1

LENGTH: 198 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Magical Realism, Fiction

PUBLISHER: HarperVia

RELEASE DATE: 29 October 2024 (originally released 5 February 2017)

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Bookish high school student Rintaro Natsuki is about to close the secondhand bookstore he inherited from his beloved bookworm grandfather. Then, a talking cat named Tiger appears with an unusual request. The feline asks for – or rather, demands – the teenager’s help in saving books with him. The world is full of lonely books left unread and unloved, and Tiger and Rintaro must liberate them from their neglectful owners.

Their mission sends this odd couple on an amazing journey, where they enter different mazes to set books free. Through their travels, Tiger and Rintaro meet a man who leaves his books to perish on a bookshelf, an unwitting book torturer who cuts the pages of books into snippets to help people speed read, and a publishing drone who only wants to create bestsellers. Their adventures culminate in one final, unforgettable challenge – the last maze that awaits leads Rintaro down a realm only the bravest dare enter…

My Review

“Reading a book is a lot like climbing a mountain.”

“What do you mean?”

His curiosity piqued, Rintaro had finally looked up from his book. His grandfather wafted his teacup slowly under his nose as if savoring the aroma of the tea.

“Reading isn’t only for pleasure or entertainment. Some-times you need to examine the same lines deeply, read the same sentences over again. Sometimes you sit there, head in hands, only progressing at a painstakingly slow pace. And the result of all this hard work and careful study is that suddenly you’re there and your field of vision expands. It’s like finding a great view at the end of a long climbing trail.”

I haven’t read a translated book for over a year and I’ve only ever read and reviewed two so far on this blog – one in 2023 and then one in 2024 (not counting One Piece, as that’s a little bit different) – and I’ve wanted to get into another novel like that again for a while. So when I received The Cat Who Saved Books as a gift a couple of months ago, I was excited. And not only is it a foreign novel, but it features the perfect duo – a cat and books. So I knew I had to read it. And I’m glad I’m finally reviewing it.

This book isn’t quite what I expected. Admittedly, this may be because it’s been a couple of months since I looked at the synopsis and I skimmed it when I read it, but I was surprised a little bit by the novel. I’m honestly glad that I forgot what it was about though, as I believe that I enjoyed it more because of it.

The Characters

“You seem strangely unperturbed to see me, Mr. Proprietor,” said the cat in its distinctive deep voice. Its jade eyes had that knowing gleam. “It’d be helpful if you reacted with a little more amazement. I would be much more amused.”

“I’ve been thinking about how you called where we went ‘the first labyrinth.’ That means there’s going to be a second one, right?”

“Such amazing powers of wisdom. Such penetrating in-sight! Guess that’ll save me the trouble of explaining.”

The book follows 👓 Rintaro Natsuki, 📖 a hikikomori (“shut-in”) bookworm that recently lost his grandfather, and is struggling with moving forward. He doesn’t have much time to grieve, however, as very soon after a talking tabby cat named 📚 Tiger 🐾 shows up and demands he go on a quest with him to save books.

I liked Rintaro, and felt he was pretty relatable, as someone who’s always been an introvert who loves books, as well as someone who lost an individual very dear to me quite recently. It was also wonderful to see him gradually come out of his shell and create bonds with others as the novel went on. His interactions with Tiger and his new friend Sayo were particularly fun. 🖋️ Sayo Yuzuki 🗒️ complemented him pretty well, too, and their budding romance was cute.

The ✨ magical realism 🌀 aspect of the book was also fantastic. I haven’t read too much of that kind of thing, so I always forget how whimsical stories with it can feel. This is also definitely a fantasy book, but the magical realism was definitely stronger.

The Story

“A book that sits on a shelf is nothing but a bundle of paper. Unless it is opened, a book possessing great power or an epic story is mere scraps of paper. But a book that has been cherished and loved, filled with human thoughts, has been endowed with a soul.”

I really enjoyed the meta commentary on the modern day relationship between people and books. So many people nowadays frequently do the things featured in the labyrinths here. In the book community, there are tons of individuals who point out and complain about how people don’t really read books like they used to. And how some will just get books that they’ll never read to fill up a bookshelf so they’ll look smart. Or how people will frequently just look up summaries or exclusively use Spark Notes and [Insert Book Title] for Dummies instead of reading. Or how publishers will basically always publish the most popular thing and it’s hundreds of copycats (though this is something that’s kind of always been a thing).

But yeah, it was nice to see a book point this out, particularly one that actually came out before these topics started being big discussions in the book community. I also loved the 🍀 hopeful and optimistic tone 🤞 that The Cat Who Saved Books had concerning books and how humans are changed and inspired by them. Because books are powerful.

I also liked how there weren’t really any antagonists or villains here, not truly. Just misguided individuals who loved books, but who lost their way at some point. The book also comes together and ends nicely.

Final Thoughts

“Books have souls,” repeated the cat softly. “A cherished book will always have a soul. It will come to its reader’s aid in times of crisis.”

The calm, measured voice warmed Rintaro’s heart. He looked over and saw the cat faintly smiling.

“I told you that you weren’t alone.”

The thing that I thought was probably the weakest – or at least the most awkward part of the novel – was the translation. But that’s usually one of my biggest issues whenever I read a book that was originally in a different language. This translation was one of the better ones, but it did take me a couple of chapters to get into it, as the text felt pretty clunky at first. But, I did get used to it after a while, and it was definitely a pretty decent translation.

The 🖌️ novel’s artwork 🎨 was also beautiful. I love the cover, as well as the cloud motif, that’s present both inside of the outside of the novel. The main colors chosen are also gorgeous and complement and contrast one another wonderfully.

I definitely recommend The Cat Who Saved Books to those who enjoy magical realism, like to read translated fiction, and are huge book nerds. I know books that were originally in another language aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, which is why I mention it. But this is also a good book. I definitely enjoyed and am glad that I ended last year finishing a book I liked.

As always, thank you to everyone so much for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!

See ya ~Mar

MY LINKS:

Goodreads

Instagram

The Glass Scientists: Volume Three by S.H. Cotugno | Book Review

That’s who I was. Who knows who I’ll be next?

The Glass Scientists: Volume Three by S.H. Cotugno

COMIC: The Glass Scientists

LENGTH: 240 pages

GENRES: Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Graphic Novel, LGBT+, Fiction

PUBLISHER: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

RELEASE DATE: 2 December 2025

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Witness the epic conclusion to the webcomic phenomenon about star-crossed lovers and misunderstood monsters in this third and final graphic novel!

Last we saw Dr. Jekyll he was on stage about to welcome everyone to his grand exhibition—the event meant to save his Society for Arcane Sciences and his way of life—when he collapsed, pulled under by his devilish alter ego Mr. Hyde. When he wakes, Jekyll assumes everything is doomed, but in a surprise to just about everyone, he couldn’t be more wrong. The event was a success, his band of rogue scientists now all have patrons, and business is booming. What’s more, he even plucks up the courage to do the scariest, craziest thing of all: confess his feelings for Lanyon. Everything is finally coming up Jekyll!

Oh, if only the good scientist remembered his physics, because what goes up must inevitably come crashing down. Just when everything Jekyll has worked and hoped for is finally within his grasp, the barrier between his dueling personalities is shattered. Both Jekyll and Hyde are thrown into a constant wrestling for control of both their minds and bodies, which seem to switch without rhyme or reason. In the chaos, Jekyll’s secret has never been more at risk of being exposed, and he won’t get any help concealing it from his other half. Hyde has finally gotten a taste of life as a free man, and if Jekyll (or anyone else) dares to take it away, well, we should all brace for impact.

My Review

“Will you please… help me save the Society?”

Yes! I’m finally posting this review! And then I’ll be all caught up on my book reviews and stuff!

Anyway, as with the other two volumes of this graphic novel, I really enjoyed The Glass Scientists: Volume Three. It concluded the very well-done retelling of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde that Cotugno started years ago in a very satisfying way. I won’t spoil anything, but I will say that the ending here is definitely different from the story this is based on.

Everything I said in my review of volume one of this comic still stands, regarding some of the plot and especially the characters. So I’m not going to really talk about them as much because I feel that I’d be being a little redundant there. A lot of the stuff I said in my review of volume two can also be applied here, but so much of Volume Three builds on a lot of the set up in the last couple of chapters of Volume Two in particular, so I’ll be talking about that more. (Not that anything isn’t set up in Volume One but… you know.)

In this volume of The Glass Scientists, everything between Jekyll and Hyde is finally coming to a head. Lanyon and Jekyll’s slow-burn romance finally culminates here, and it’s lovely while it lasts. Because after that everything kind of starts to unravel. And it’s a wild emotional ride to the end from there. I touched on the angst that starts in Volume Two. Well, it’s in full force here. Jekyll and Hyde have a lot of shit to sort out, and said sorting out is what takes up most of the pagetime in this volume. And it’s awesome.

The art is still amazing and I really enjoy it. I really like the author’s art style in general, actually. And, of course, there’s extra stuff here like in the other two volumes. And I loved it. Cotugno not only gives us insights to their creative process and development of their characters, but also provides us with an open-ended epilogue that was very good.

So yeah, I’m sorry if I’m not talking about the plot or characters as much as I usually do in my reviews, but this is Volume Three in a graphic novel and I don’t want to spoil too much. The Glass Scientists is a solid retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde though, and I loved all of the references to other stuff written in the 19th century. I still super enjoyed this volume and definitely recommend it to fans of volumes one and two, gaslamp fantasy, comics and graphic novels and the original novel The Glass Scientists is inspired by.

As always, thank you to everyone so much for reading, and I hope you have an awesome day/night!

See ya ~Mar

MY LINKS:

Goodreads

Instagram

Penric’s Demon & Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold | Book Review

“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.

But yeah, let’s get onto the review proper!

Penric’s Demon by Lois McMaster Bujold

SERIES: Penric & Desdemona #1

LENGTH: 129 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Spectrum Literary Agency, Inc

RELEASE DATE: 6 July 2015

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

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!

Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold

SERIES: Penric & Desdemona #2

LENGTH: 145 pages

GENRES: Fantasy, Fiction

PUBLISHER: Spectrum Literary Agency, Inc

RELEASE DATE: 23 June 2016

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

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!

See ya ~Mar

MY LINKS:

Goodreads

Instagram