The Gaen Empire and the Icarii are two space forces in a war to claim more land, one seeking to make religion prevail while the other believe☆ 4 / 5 ☆
The Gaen Empire and the Icarii are two space forces in a war to claim more land, one seeking to make religion prevail while the other believes only in science.
First Sister travels on one of the ships of the Gaen Empire army, without a name and without a voice, her First Sister status being the only thing preventing any soldier on the ship from claiming her body. When Saito Ren becomes the new captain of the Juno, she is asked by the Sisterhood to spy on her and play the part to keep her title, comfort, and safety. However, Captain Ren is the first person to have given her any sense of freedom, asking her to write down her story, and seemingly being genuine about wanting to learn about her, seeing her as more than just an object.
Lito is a fighting instructor on Venus, a once soldier grieving for his old partner, Hiro, and trying to recover from his PTSD. In Icarii, a rapier and a dagger are connected by implants which help them communicate and become one so missing Hiro is like missing a part of himself for Lito. After being blamed for a terrible battle loss, they were sent on a mission to kill the Mother, the leader of the enemy empire. However, it seems like Hiro has turned and has now been branded as a traitor so it’s now Lito’s responsibility to finish the mission and eliminate his former partner.
We mostly follow these two perspectives throughout the book with interludes taken from some of Hiro’s recordings, stitching these two storylines together. This makes for a plot where these two very individualised experiences act as a microcosm of these two societies which might be more similar than they appear at first glance. Both First Sister and Lito have had very little choice over the lives they’re living and both are pretty much threatened into doing the missions they’ve been given.
A huge part of this book is focused on characters lacking ownership of their own bodies. It’s very obviously shown with the Sisterhood and how their bodies are only objects for soldiers to use but also through the non-consensual implementation of body modifications and implants, and their nefarious uses. One of the ending plot twists relies heavily on this theme and might be cause for discomfort
It felt to me like the story really started on a high note, slowy losing steam, and at times it felt like the pacing was a little uneven but overall this was a very solid first book in this series! I'm definitely interested in seeing how the next ones will go as this part of the story felt very contained.
Maybe I wasn’t as in love with this installment as I was with the first one but it was still a very enjoyable read.
We pick right where we left off in Book 1 after Casteel announces he’ll marry Poppy. Obviously she is very opposed to that and Cas spends a good portion of this book trying to persuade her. He is definitely trying to find a way to protect her as best he can while saving his brother and kingdom as they make their way to Atlantia.
My main criticism of this book is that not much happens, and it could've been so much shorter. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind slower books at all but everything could’ve been streamlined for better pacing. We spend most of our time at one pitstop of their journey being info dumped from all sides and things only really pick up in the last 30-35%. We get a lot of background on Casteel’s life in Atlantia and information about the kingdom itself, its bloodlines and its lore. I love worldbuilding but not when it’s crammed in one book to fill up time instead of showing me that infamous kingdom. While I think some of it was interesting and was actually well used as a building block for the revelations and the ending, some of it was just so repetitive.
Repetitive is also a word I’d use for Poppy here. I was absolutely in love with her character in From Blood and Ash and thought she was well-rounded and easy to root for. Unfortunately it wasn’t really the case here. She is very adamant in believing that anything she does with Casteel is fake (even though this man is out there killing anyone who looks at her the wrong way) and while she mentions it we actually see little of her actually reconciling Hawk with Casteel and coming to terms with the things he’s done. A lot of the plot about her was about her growing powers and how she might be an Empath Warrior and how everyone dislikes her. She just felt a bit.. annoying in this book? And it saddens me a little because I really do want to always be rooting for her.
Let’s talk about these last 30% though because the delivery of that was a 6/5. There is some very satisfying retribution, a magical mountain, gods, and some pretty shocking revelations. I was absolutely in love with how that part all went down and it truly shows that the weakness of the rest of the book was staying stagnant with both plot and characters. This ending was definitely worth it and I think it’s a great set up for the next instalment!
As for the romance in this book, it just didn’t give me the same angst and satisfaction. I feel like my annoyance at Poppy stopped me from fully enjoying all her moments with Cas. Not to say that I’ve stopped loving them together, far from it. One of my favourite parts of their dynamic is actually when they have to join forces in battle, they just work so well together, and I really enjoyed seeing them sharing their vulnerabilities as well.
JLA also introduces us to the concept of heartmates and what it could mean for Poppy and Cas and she also plants the seed for what I think should and could definitely end up in a polyamorous relationship. Kieran is an absolute joy to read about in this book and I just feel happy every time I see him interact with both Poppy and Cas. There’s an easy chemistry between the three of them, and no matter where they end up I really cherish their friendship.
Although this book wasn’t as strong as the first one for me, it was still really intriguing and I’m very curious to see where the pretty dramatic ending of book 2 will bring us in the next one. This series is truly addicting and I will definitely keep coming back to it for every new book.
From Blood and Ash gave me everything I didn’t know I needed from it. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a fantasy romance, or at least a fantasy with a good romance in it, and this book delivered just that. It was a very compelling and compulsive read, and I truly didn’t want to put it down.
Poppy has been raised as the Maiden, chosen by the gods themselves to Ascend and be the hope of a kingdom, since her parents’ death after a craven attack. She’s lived a restrictive and sheltered life where she’s not allowed to do many things or talk to many people. She’s always been unsure of her own ascension and what it would mean for her. She hates this secluded life and her only desire is to live like anyone else, to be able to go out and have friends, to make connections. One night she escapes to the Red Pearl, a brothel also attended by card players, to experience something, anything other than what she’s used to really, and meets Hawk, a promising guard she’s noticed since his arrival in the ranks.
After that first encounter, Poppy’s and Hawk’s dynamic is filled with yearning and their relationship is actually pretty slow building. Jennifer L. Armentrout is really good at giving you just enough that you come back for more and eat up every single crumb she’s offering. I absolutely loved the banter and the angst and every shift between Poppy and Hawk was immaculate. Everything was very hot and I was begging for more of it all.
While the romance is truly the selling point of the story for me, I also just really loved Poppy as a character. Sometimes when an author is trying to showcase a character breaking through the societal expectations put on them in a similar setting, the rebelling can feel a little contrite, but this definitely wasn’t the case here. There were so many building blocks to Poppy’s “rebellion” and it never started or stopped at Hawk. She’s learnt how to fight and defend herself but she’s also made friendships and genuine connections when she’s supposed to be without attachments. Vikter and her friends were shining lights of this book as well and their relationship with Poppy really warmed my heart.
I was also very intrigued by this world and the mysteries of this plot in general. There’s a lot we learn about the Ascended, the immortal royals of this world, how they came to be, and the sacrifices made in their names. This story centers Poppy but also the rise of dissenters amongst subjects of the kingdom and we unravel along with her the threads that link everything together.
I legitimately had so much fun reading this book I couldn’t wait to read the second one so I hopped right into it the next day!
Her heart brimming with grief, she sought for similarities in sorrow. Wasn’t the underworld a vast and frightening place? Wasn’t the Earth vast andHer heart brimming with grief, she sought for similarities in sorrow. Wasn’t the underworld a vast and frightening place? Wasn’t the Earth vast and frightening, too? The Above and the Below were two sides of the same coin, and Ellie could feel hurt and lost in each.
KIRBY BEST BOY!!!!
On a serious note though this was such an all-encompassing read that I think can reach readers of many ages. The characters overall read quite young but I feel that it brought humour and a lightness to the book despite some of the darker aspects of the story and I know I would’ve devoured this in one sitting as a young teen. That’s not to say I didn’t still love it now! I really appreciated the world and its magic as well as the topics it discussed; especially as the author portrayed grief in different ways, how traditions have to adapt in a world set on amplifying the hardships of Native communities, or the impact of human activity on climate crises. I would love to know so much more on the lore of this world, of Elatsoe and her family, but also of the other secrets passed down by other people. I’ve had this on my tbr for years now and I wish I’d read it soooner!!!!
read for the Fantasy Book Bingo Challenge: Dreams...more
“You will always be my best friend, Will Reid, before you are anything else, because I have loved you for what feels like all my life, and☆ 5 / 5 ☆
“You will always be my best friend, Will Reid, before you are anything else, because I have loved you for what feels like all my life, and when I loved you first, it was for the friendship you gave me.”
This gave me all the warm feelings, made my heart so soft and my soul feel all fuzzy.
Will is a famous superhero actor and Sexiest Man Alive award winner living in California, Abbie has slowly been healing from a toxic marriage and her divorce for the last couple of years in England, and they’ve been in love since forever. Neither can imagine that the other returns their feelings to the same extent but this year Will has a plan to slowly woo Abbie over the upcoming year to make his feelings known by next Christmas.
Things obviously don’t go to plan once they meet up at Abbie’s grandma’s house in Scotland, even with perfect hot chocolate, but this Christmas miracle might be saved when they have to go on a cat rescue mission in the middle of a blizzard.
“But Grandma still smelled the same, like lily of the valley and cat biscuits and home, and Abbie’s heart settled around her.”
This novella was honestly so charming and every character felt uniquely themselves with wonderful friendships and family dynamics. Abbie’s relationship with her brothers made me smile and laugh through it all and added a good amount of levity to the story. Will has known Abbie’s family since they were children and his mother was on her own, and he has been hers and her twin brother’s best friend their whole lives. Both are scared of upsetting the balance of this friendship but it is truly this foundation that makes their romance so sweet and heartwarming.
While they’re both convinced that the other doesn’t have as deep and lingering feelings, they both know and understand each other so well. There’s just a certain intimacy you can only build through the years by learning the smallest and littlest things about each other and I loved that a lot. We see them struggle through some communication issues, because again, they’re both a little afraid of the depth of their own feelings, but they’re resolved so quickly and they constantly show the care and respect they hold for each other.
“He was making her want to feel things with her entire heart, instead of only a secret hidden part, and that wasn’t - it wasn’t right, and it wasn’t safe.”
Abbie is still healing from her last relationship and there’s a big emphasis on it and on how the process takes time. While she is slowly letting herself open herself up more to her family, she doesn’t feel ready to start a new relationship in the fear of being the one who loves too much once again. Will however is patient and understands her boundaries and needs, providing a blanket of safety and warmth.
This was honestly a perfect cozy read during the holiday season!!
“All I've learned of my grandmother so far is that she was a horrible, mean person. And I have her blood. What does that say about me?” “I☆ 4 / 5 ☆
“All I've learned of my grandmother so far is that she was a horrible, mean person. And I have her blood. What does that say about me?” “It says that the most beautiful blooms come from the darkest soil.”
Suraya doesn’t have any friends but when at the age of 5 a dark ghost she decides to name Pink appears in her life and they become inseparable. Pink is an inheritance from her grandmother, a witch, who just passed away and she decides to keep this new friend of hers hidden from her mother’s eyes.
As she grows up and switches schools Suraya finds herself bullied by her peers and Pink takes it upon himself to sow vengeance and retribution. Suraya doesn’t agree with his methods but she doesn’t speak up in fear of losing her only friend.
One day a new girl appears at school, Jing Wei, and she becomes fast friends with Suraya. Pink discovers that he was always at risk of losing her and feels threatened by this budding new friendship. As he starts getting more and more jealous and lashing out, Suraya finds no other solution but to make him leave.
Throughout this story we see the developing friendship between Suraya and Pink and how their dynamic shifts over time. While Pink used to be all she had, this book is about realising one person, one relationship can’t be your everything. Pink, being a bound dark spirit, takes this new friendship as a lack of loyalty rather than Suraya living a normal childhood. This is an amazing portrayal of love and friendship and how quickly it can become toxic and stifling. The author also delves into Suraya’s familial relationships and history and how they have impacted her life up until this day.
There is a lot of nuance with the emotions explored within this story and while the plot is simple and easy to follow it is nothing that I was expecting. While things start off pretty lighthearted with the wonderful scene of Suraya naming her new pelesit Pink, things gradually get darker thematically and spookier as we learn more about Pink’s magic and other dark spirits.
This was a very beautiful and genuine tale about love, grief, friendship and family, interwoven with Malaysian culture, and full of heart.
“Elle was technicolor chaos and the feelings she inspired in Darcy were a hazard straight out of Pandora’s box.”
Darcy is an actuary fir☆ 2.5 / 5 ☆
“Elle was technicolor chaos and the feelings she inspired in Darcy were a hazard straight out of Pandora’s box.”
Darcy is an actuary firm in her desire to never let any relationship get serious and get her heart broken again. Elle is an astrologer running a very popular Twitter account and dreams of her one love.
Darcy’s brother decides to set them up despite everything that opposes them and their first date is a true disaster. They still end up agreeing to a fake relationship when Darcy needs to get her brother off her back about finding love and Elle could need someone like Darcy to show her family her life isn’t a mess.
I was so enthused when I started this book because these characters’ first meeting was a wild ride but so very perfect to set the tone, I just wished the rest had kept up.
Overall I did enjoy Darcy’s and Elle’s relationship and how it progressed throughout the book. After their initial terrible first date they do stay open minded about each other and their interests and build a good understanding of each other throughout.
At the end of the day this book just didn’t really make me feel any strong emotions and that’s what’s left me a little disappointed. I feel like the set up of the whole story was so strong but then my interest in the characters (and what happened to them) just kept wavering. The subplots didn’t blow me away either and were pretty forgettable.
It’s not that anything was inherently bad with anything written but some passages were a little too corny for my taste. And not the kind of tooth aching sweetness that will make you feel fuzzy and smiley, but just overused 2015 Tumblr cheesiness I thought the world had moved passed.
Speaking of, fandoms and fandom spaces were brought up a few times throughout this book but it never felt very organic and always a little contrived and off.
The only true part I actively disliked though was Darcy’s brother. His involvement and meddling is supposedly affecting Darcy’s and Elle’s relationship positively; it’s him, after all, who sets them up and his meddling “helps” them along the way. But I absolutely hated him and his blatant disregard of boundaries that was downplayed at every turn. Every scene with him in it was a struggle to get through for me because he irritated me so much.
It was all still an enjoyable read but I was expecting so much more from it. The strongest parts of the book were definitely more towards the beginning so it was a gradual let down and slowly getting more and more disinterested.
The plot is a little slow moving here which I don’t really mind but I didn’t feel quite the same excitement or sense of novelty I had with the first volume.
In this instalment Olwyn and Rook are still wandering and trying to find Isola. On the way they stubble through a community where all children have disappeared. They suspect the Moro but it seems there is little Olwyn and Rook can do to help them.
Through some visions and spells secrets are revealed and the appearances of other players might shift. At the end of this volume it would seem like the dynamic between our main two characters will shift.
I think that in this instalment we see a more protective side of Olwyn while Volume 1 was more about Rook protecting her, and I really enjoyed that. Allusions to both of their pasts are dropped here and there but I truly can’t wait for their backstories to get a little more substance.
I was thinking this with Volume 1 too but Rook always has the best random side characters helping her. I’m absolutely in love with them all and I wish they’d circle back into the story down the line.
The art of this series is stunning and I’ll definitely come back to it once we have another volume, I’m very intrigued to see where this will go, with what might seem to be higher magical powers being involved and the potential brewing war with Palagrine Rock.
“I am yours, and so I will be your light and laughter. I am yours, so open your eyes to look at me, and open your mouth so that I may kiss it. I am yours, I am yours, and nevermore will I leave.”
I was very impressed and really enjoyed The Empress of Salt and Fortune but this sequel to it made me fall in love with Nghi Vo’s storytelling even harder.
We’re once again following the cleric Chih on their journey, this time without Almost Brilliant, as they’re looking for a path to cross the mountain. Si-Yu and her mammoth offer to help but they wind up being attacked by tigers that would like to make them their dinner. Chih ends up buying them time by narrating the story of the tiger Ho Thi Thao and her human lover, Dieu.
“Some people say that he was only ever a story and that his bones are words and his eyes are laughter, but no. He was real, he was hungry, and now his skin stretches over me like the sky when I sleep.”
The set-up to get to the oral story portion of the book took a little more time here but it also made it so both timelines wound up fleshed out and compelling. Ho Thi Thao’s story is still at the forefront but having Chih and their guide in danger gives it more tension.
The dynamic between Chih, Si-Yu, and the tigers was honestly so interesting and entertaining too. We have this looming threat of the tigers eating our cleric and guide but there’s some moments of levity and just funny banter.
“I will share every meal that I ever have with you, I will let you eat first from every dish and drink first from every cup.”
Different versions of Dieu’s and Ho Thi Thao’s tale exist and seeing the contrast between the humans retelling of it compared to the tigers emphasised their cultural differences and brought an added layer of world-building.
As for their story itself.. it was so beautiful. Dieu and Ho Thi Thao’s relationship follows a very unique path involving bartering, misunderstandings and betrayal. But they’re given the space and time to yearn and hunger and love.
“My eyes are open for always, my mouth is empty for always, and always will my soul reach for yours.”
Throughout this story Dieu recites poetry from a specific book and it is so full of heartbreak and grief. This is a constant thread carefully weaved into this book that adds another dimension of heartache and seeing these two characters recite these verses to each other did things to my heart.
This series of novellas has truly been a revelation for me this year and I can’t wait to read more by Nghi Vo. I’ll definitely be thinking about this one for a long time!
This book didn’t give me quite what I was expecting but it was still a very quick and enjoyable read.
We begin this story in a coffeehouse ☆ 3.5 / 5 ☆
This book didn’t give me quite what I was expecting but it was still a very quick and enjoyable read.
We begin this story in a coffeehouse where a dashing bandit tries to save a waitress from the ire of a customer accusing her of witchcraft. To his dismay Guet Imm, former nun and now former waitress, decides to join his band of thieves. From there we follow their journey and its up and downs to sell, and hopefully protect, sacred artifacts.
This is more slow paced and gives us more time for vulnerable moments between characters and explore their very different relationships. We learn about the war at play and the dynamics this has imposed on the religious orders of this world. Both Guet Imm and Tet Sang give us an insight in the Order of the Pure Moon’s faith, hierarchy, and the tragedy that has befallen them.
At the heart of the story there is a question of how to preserve religious artifacts when those in power would love to see them destroyed. How does one put monetary value on something priceless, and where does one draw the line to save these sacred objects.
I enjoyed Guet Imm’s perspective and character the most, and her curiosity and earnestness made her very endearing. We get to see many different layers to her character and her story and learning more and more about her and her intentions throughout the book was truly a pleasure.
I can’t say that this will be a new favourite but it also comes back to me not finding shorter fiction quite as satisfying so it’s always a caveat I like to point out. I still like trying it out though and maybe one day find the ones that suit me best.
This was such a cute read and so fun to get through! It was hilarious and while I still want more of these characters, I felt very satisfied ☆ 4 / 5 ☆
This was such a cute read and so fun to get through! It was hilarious and while I still want more of these characters, I felt very satisfied with the length of this story which is quite the feat with my track record with novellas. This is a f/f Xianxia with two loveable idiots and the irrefutably golden dynamic which is stoic badass cultivator / endearingly dumbass walking embodiment of chaos demoness. One day, Xiāo Jié saves Liú Jiānghuá’s life and the cultivator feels like she owes her a life debt and follows the demoness to the capital. Except she doesn’t leave after every one of Xiāo Jié’s to put her life in danger for the debt to be repaid. The plot is overall very uncomplicated but the characters (including secondary ones) are so endearing, it was truly just a joy to read.
This book gave me a little bit of everything in perfect doses and it was so easy to fall into it fully and completely.
January’s perfect life☆ 4 / 5 ☆
This book gave me a little bit of everything in perfect doses and it was so easy to fall into it fully and completely.
January’s perfect life gets turned upside down the day of her father’s funeral. She’s always been aware of potential parental death with her mother’s battle with cancer but it’s a shock to her when it is her father who passes away first. Not only that, she discovers he had a mistress, her mother refuses to talk about it, her “perfect” boyfriend of many years breaks up with her, and her next book’s deadline is looming.
She finds herself moving into her dad’s second home as she can’t afford rent in New York but starts off on the wrong foot with her grumpy neighbour and writing nemesis, Augustus. Both are suffering from writer’s block and decide to challenge each other to write outside of their comfort zone.
I loved that aspect of the story so much and seeing their writing process, and I definitely think this book is a love letter to that. There’s a lot of talk about the craft of writing, what goes into it, and the emotional investment an author can have in their work. I loved the discussions about stories and their meaning, both to the writer and to the reader, and why authors put out the books they do. It was also a perfect setup for both January’s and Augustus’s rivalry and their non-dates that maybe turned into dates along the way. They slowly become each other’s writing support system and they can commiserate together in the words, or lack thereof, they’re putting together.
Their dynamic naturally shifts throughout the book and the bet seems less important than being there for one another by the end of it. I loved their banter and chemistry and I think their relationship was portrayed very realistically. They both have doubts and fears that make sense with both of their history and they’re learning how to navigate that. I’m personally a big fan of the “but I thought you hated me” trope and almost-chances that are finally taken years down the line. I truly believed in everything that happened between these two characters and the feelings that they had for each other and I was so invested in their endgame.
More than being a romance between two writers, this book takes a deep dive into what grief entails. It explores the anger and resentment that can come with it, that it’s not always so straightforward as mourning and moving on. January is not only mourning her father’s life but also the imagine she had of him, their family life, and the ideals of love she’d built based on that. She finds herself questioning everything in her life up until that point and struggles to believe in a happy ending for herself. She’s facing all of these conflicting feelings and she has to do it without a support system. Her best friend is far away from her and she doesn’t want to bother her when she seems to be happy, and her mother won’t talk about what happened. While feeling alone and like life was happening to other people but not to her, January has to wrestle with that in a house that only brings her more pain and resentment.
Gus also deals with a lot but it takes time for him to open up to January. He has a deep rooted distrust for relationships but he slowly sheds his layers as they spend more time together and start understanding each other better.
Despite the heavier tones present in this book, it keeps a certain lightness and optimism throughout it. I teared up a few times, and laughed, and really felt deeply for both these characters. This story is very much about the journey of life with all its ups and downs, happy endings included.
“You can't run away from darkness...It's everywhere. The only way to see through it is to shine a light.”
Les Misérables is a very meaningful book “You can't run away from darkness...It's everywhere. The only way to see through it is to shine a light.”
Les Misérables is a very meaningful book to me and I’m so happy I got to read this retelling. It already stole my heart by starting off with kids around a mango tree but it’s an absolutely perfect approach for a modern middle grade adaptation. Christina Soontornvat made very smart choices when it came to transferring the story into this Thai-inspired fantasy world while keeping the heart of its message intact. I could go on and on about the parallels that can be drawn and it was so fun being on the lookout for them.
Chattana and its harmless lights seem like a perfect utopia with the Governor at its head providing order and peace since rescuing everyone after the Great Fire that partially destroyed the city. Pong, one of the children of the Namwon Prison, longs for these lights and the freedom that would come with being near them. However, the Governor is not the hero he imagined him to be and his illusions of fairness and justice are shattered in one encounter.
“Is this how a dream died? On the lips of reasonable people?”
After this day, Pong’s sense of righteousness deflates and once he’s able to escape the prison he takes refuge with monks, the only way for him to hide the tattoo branding him as a fugitive. Years later, Nok, the ex-warden’s daughter, sets after him in the hopes of restoring her family’s honour and escape the rumours surrounding her true parentage. While chasing Pong, however, she slowly opens her eyes to the inequalities plaguing Chattana, questioning the privileged outlook she’s always had on justice.
This book explores seamlessly the systems put in place to keep the poorest in darkness with heartfelt commentary and beautiful imagery. The unattainable lights of Chattana seem so beautiful glittering on the surface of water and are not only a perfect allegory of this world’s injustices and the story’s themes but also part of its alluding and whimsical magic.
Other strong points of this book are its endearing characters and complex familial relationships. It’s hard not to root for Pong and his best friend Somkit completely steals the show in my opinion. Their friendship is truly so wholesome but also brings a well appreciated note of humour throughout the book. I have a particular soft spot for Father Cham and his strong belief that small acts of love and compassion are the real magic capable of changing the world.
I’m picky about my Les Mis adaptations but this truly made my heart feel so full and it did not disappoint.
"It is beautiful, but every stitch bites into her history, the deaths she left behind her, and the home she could not return to."
This was truly a fantastic novella and had so much impact with so little pages.
We follow Chih, a cleric, and their magical hoopoe companion, Almost Brilliant, on their journey to the capital to witness the new Empress’ first Dragon Court. On the way they meet Rabbit, a servant of the late Empress and record the stories she has to share.
“I thought she would never be alone again, not if I could help it. Being close to her was like being warmed by a bonfire, and I had been cold for a long time”
Her account is filled with loyalty and love for the Empress and we can really feel the bond they built through all the years they spent together but she never strays from the harsh truths of her stories. We learn about In-Yo as a person and not a historical figure, about her life and hardships, through the mundane objects that litter the house that used to be the Empress’ place of exile.
While this book shows the slow takeover of the empire by In-Yo, it does so not by showing epic battles or grand schemes but the lives of the hidden people, the servants and spies who stayed a lifetime or were maybe only fleeting. It’s the history of sacrifices untold and quiet hardships. This story shows the importance of all the events that make up a life, and how the most overlooked ones might have been the most impactful.
“It was a terrible gift, but in it I could see her heart, broken when she left the north and then reforged and made hard by the capital of Anh and the waters of Lake Scarlet. It was all she had, and she was giving it to me.”
I think this book also highlights the impact one person can have on someone’s life despite the brevity of their stay. The dynamics and relationships in this were beautiful and each one felt so special and meaningful. It made it so easy to care about the characters even after spending very little time with them. There’s a quality to Rabbit that makes her story and the memories she keeps of other people a little heartbreaking and bittersweet.
The writing in this was so impactful and well crafted. It felt like every word had a purpose and it was all so carefully weaved together, giving enough to the reader to understand, but keeping enough room for the story to fall together on its own. It’s very unhurried and values the accuracy of the feeling and the moment rather than pushing a narrative for the sake of plot. The storytelling is truly so seamless that the overarching political plot just unfolds itself very quietly and effortlessly.
“Chih had grown up with the history of the world in the very walls of their home, fluttering above their head, cooked into the barley they ate. This was the first time they could feel such a weight of it pressing down on them, wrapping around them like a blanket of wet wool.”
I loved the glimpses of the world we get to see with this novella, of this empire that was quietly wrestled into the power of a foreign ruler. I loved how Chich and Almost Brilliant travel for the sake of knowledge and archiving all the histories that exist, how that shows how every memory is important. It’s also implied that an accurate history terrifies the powerful and they would have it reshaped to their ideals.
I was very enthralled by the whole tale and so very enamoured with Nghi Vo’s writing, and the only reason this isn’t a 5 star is because I am greedy and shorter fiction never truly perfectly suits me.
This book is a pure boost of serotonin. This whole story was such a happy experience and everything was so wholesome and sweet, but never fal☆ 4 / 5 ☆
This book is a pure boost of serotonin. This whole story was such a happy experience and everything was so wholesome and sweet, but never faltered from approaching deeper emotional depth with nuance.
Eva Evergreen is the daughter of a very powerful and renowned witch but she herself “only” holds a pinch of magic. Spells don’t come to her as easily as they do to other witches and wizards, they sometimes go awry, and using her magic makes her fall asleep. However, she is determined to go on her Novice Quest to prove herself and help out a town in need. Eva ends up in Auteri and she wonders how much she can help the townspeople before The Culling, an ominous magical storm, reaches them. She is however determined and sets up a semi-magical repair shop and while her techniques might not be 100% magical, doing things her own way might just be what will save them.
Eva is such an easy character to root for! She is determined and passionate, and she just wants to do good. She wants to make life better for the people around her while still being realistically portrayed as a 13 year old with some mood swings and pouty moments. Ultimately she believes in herself and what she’s striving for and she won’t back down no matter how kind and accommodating she can still be to others.
This story goes in a lot of depth when it comes to discussing the weight of expectations. Eva has to wrestle with her own expectations as well as the expectations of others. She looks up to her mother (who is by the way very encouraging, nurturing, and really believes in her daughter’s potential and power) a lot and wishes she could be that powerful. There is also the world’s expectations of what it means to be a witch and Eva does not quite fit in with those preconceived notions. Throughout the book she feels the gaze and judgment of many people but she slowly finds her own way, understanding how to put her magic to the best use possible, how her unique way of doing things works and is not to be dismissed.
Despite the obstacles and naysayers in her way, Eva also finds true and strong friendships along the way. What I liked about all of them is that they were each a little different and the dynamics were distinctive between all these different characters. It made for a heartwarming and wholesome read where all these interactions made me feel a lot of emotions and happiness. I just love good friendships and this was spot on.
The one character that truly stole the show though was Amber, Eva’s new flamefox. Amber is loyal, mischievous and a bit of a troublemaker which makes him into a perfect, very personable and lovable, sidekick. Amber’s and Eva’s bond also felt truly special and there wasn’t a moment where I doubted they loved each other fiercely and his presence brought me a lot of joy.
The book does not shy away from darker topics as The Culling approaches and the townspeople start to worry about what could happen to them. There are also mentions of grief and absent parental figures and how they affect the children concerned.
At the end of the day it was just heartwarming to see the power of everyone coming together, of believing in yourself and your abilities, and of relying on your friends and the people who support you.
I’m honestly very excited for the next book to come out as the ending hints at broader issues in this world and I also just want to spend forever following Eva’s and Amber’s adventures with magic!
“There are victors and victims. Decide who you want to be. Or the choice will be made for you, witch. And I doubt you’ll like it.”
In all honesty this book doesn’t have much going for it but it was still a lot of fun to get through. Was it riddled with inconsistencies and plot convenience? Most definitely, but it was also a true page-turner and very easily consumable.
I also enjoyed the author’s first book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series and I think it’s because Kerri Maniscalco’s writing has a certain quality to it that makes it easy to be immersed in a story and want to keep reading it despite its flaws.
Kingdom of the Wicked is set in 19th century Palermo where Emilia, a witch, and her family lives and runs a pretty popular restaurant. They live a pretty normal life while hiding their powers from humans until she discovers the horribly mutilated body of her twin sister, Vittoria. Emilia only finds vengeance in her heart and is ready to do anything to find her sister’s murderer. She ends up allying herself with Wrath, one of the Princes of Hell, despite her grandmother’s warnings and discovers that there might be more to her twin’s death than she initially thought.
Emilia ends up being pretty reckless in her decisions and honestly I don’t think she stopped to think for a second about anything. In and of itself this could’ve been fine but the author is trying to portray her character as smart and competent and she is never actually shown being either of those things. The one aspect that actually made me like her a little more was her relationship with her sister. You can tell they were really close and loved each other a whole lot. Emilia’s determination to solve her murder and put anything else aside is very believable and scenes of her processing her grief a little more outwardly definitely made me feel for her. Aside from that I just didn’t really care for her as a character, I found nothing appealing or anything that really stood out to me as more than a one dimensional character placeholder.
“You might hate it. Or love it. But temptation will surge through those magical veins of yours, obliterating all common sense. You’ll want me to save you from the endless torment by giving you everything you love to loathe. And when I do, you’ll thirst for more.”
And this is also why I wasn’t invested in the romance of this book. I just can’t see why Wrath would take a romantic interest in her and there was truly no chemistry between the two of them. I actually enjoyed Wrath’s character and found him intriguing but a lot of his motivations concerning Emilia and the things he did for her just didn’t really make sense to me. The dialogue between the two of them felt really forced while it was aiming for “we despise each other” banter. I feel like if the romance had been more believable to me I would’ve looked past a lot of other things and this book could’ve been an easy 3 star read.
I really enjoyed the setting for the most part especially when it came to the family’s restaurant and all the food descriptions made me feel more immersed, and hungry! This is supposed to be 19th century Italy but it’s all written pretty loosely when it comes to placing the story in a historical context and some elements felt more earlier 20th century to me. It didn’t bother me too much but this feels definitely more like a generic setting rather than an accurate one. I also really enjoyed the city being so lively at night and the descriptions of that, and the recurring trips to the monastery.
And now, for the plot itself. It was very predictable, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it was all just very convenient. A lot of information was withheld by characters with no solid motivation to do so, or in accordance with their personalities, but just for the sake of creating mystery in the book. This mostly came up with the grandmother and it just made me dislike her as a character and every scene with her was very frustrating.
There were also a lot of inconsistencies with what Emilia thought was going on and coming back on things she’d said before or being repetitive processing information that had already been put into the book previously. It felt messy and it led a lot of her reasoning to not make sense at all.
“The devil demanded retribution. A blood sacrifice for power stolen.”
A lot of things concerning the magic in this book were also pretty inconsistent and unclear. There were a lot of things she could just do just because it was what was needed in the moment for the scene to move forward, the rules applying to demons seemed to shift whenever it fit the narrative best, and overall I don’t think the magic system was well established. I did however enjoy the powers of the Princes of Hell and how their influence worked on people. I would’ve liked to delve into those ways more than this book did because at the end of the day these demons who are supposed to be very powerful didn’t feel all that threatening.
Their powers felt very diminished when compared to minor demons being able to bypass the rules they were subjected to and witches truly having more power than they do. Emilia would very easily “trick” these demons (probably to show how smart of a character she is but it only undermined how powerful these demons supposedly were) or do things that they couldn’t. A teenage witch who is honestly lacking in her skills could easily cast a sleeping spell but a Prince of Hell.. couldn’t? It just felt very nonsensical to me and lessened the threat of any possible confrontation.
I would also like to note that a scene pushed forward with Lust’s power where Emilia expressed her discomfort with the feeling of hands grabbing her was handled very dubiously.
“In the end, the monster we feared didn’t come from Hell. He came from privilege.”
The writing itself is pretty easy to read and makes it so the reading experience itself was enjoyable. I do feel though like there were some passages or quotes that sounded good on paper but did not make sense in context. There’s not much point in saying that demonic forces aren’t at work and privilege is the source of evil when this story fully revolves around demons, their world and their schemes, and there is absolutely no commentary whatsoever about any sort of privilege in this whole book. It would’ve been interesting to overlap that with the work of these literal personifications of sin but it’s not really the case here. There were allusions to witch hunts and the killing of innocent women because of that, but it never actually delved into what persecution and oppression truly means. The main character is never shown as being stifled in any sort of way and these remarks just feel off and like a half-hearted attempt at white feminism 101.
The ending of the book was pretty much what I had expected it to be so I didn’t feel either let down or shocked, and I think it gives a definite opening for the sequel. Overall I was far from miserable reading this book but there were truly so many things piling up and taking away from a story that had potential.
“This was the great shame of Bethel: complacency and complicity that were responsible for the deaths of generations of girls. It was the s☆ 3 / 5 ☆
“This was the great shame of Bethel: complacency and complicity that were responsible for the deaths of generations of girls. It was the sickness that placed the pride of men before the innocents they were sworn to protect. It was a structure that exploited the weakest among them for the benefit of those born to power.”
It was honestly so hard to give this book a rating because it started out so strong but I slowly lost interest in the plot and the ending was so tangled and felt like such a let down.
Immanuelle lives within the Bethel community, led by the Prophet and following Holy Protocol, and is the living testament to her mother’s forbidden relationship with an outsider. She does her best to fit in despite the shunning of her family and while other girls are picked to be one of the Prophet’s wives she knows she’ll never be one of them. However it appears Ezra, the Prophet’s heir, has taken an interest in her, and we see their developing relationship as Immanuelle investigates the curse plaguing the town with his help.
“Relics were all that remained of those who were lost to the Darkwood. For what the forest took it rarely returned.”
The thing I loved the most in this book was the atmosphere, especially when Immanuelle found herself wandering in the Darkwood and the witches she found there. All the witchcraft part of the story was very eerie and all the descriptions relating to it were captivating. I wish we’d learnt and seen more of witchcraft. Despite playing such a huge role in the events of this book it doesn’t really go into depth and this was my favourite part overall so it’s a bit of a shame. The parts in the spooky forest were truly my favourites and I really liked learning about the past of the witches and getting to understand their stance on the situation at hand. I just wished I could’ve grasped the extent of their powers a little better and seen more of them!
Other than the Darkwood I did also enjoy the initial setting of Bethel and its very puritan community. The author really shows the hold the Prophet (and the line of countless other ones before him) has on all these people and how normalised all the disturbing things he does are within this community. There’s a lot of discussions about power and the complacency of people in the face of a system that only benefits the powerful, and there were many effective moments that reflected them.
The Prophet doesn’t apply the same rules to himself that he does to others and while his position and its impact on this society were interesting, the Prophet himself as a character was lacking in my opinion. He didn’t feel very threatening or much of a well fleshed out character with solid motivations. When he remained a glimpse of the shadow in the main character’s life he held a certain amount of mystery and weight but when we get to actually meet him and have characters interact with him, everything kind of just falls apart. This is especially true towards the end of the book where none of his actions make sense and I was just confused about his character.
This also paralleled a lot of the main character’s actions not making sense either to me. Beyond her motivations being pretty flimsy (I’m still pretty dubious of her wanting to save a community that has belittled her and rejected her times and times again) I feel like truly the ending of this book just had too many nonsensical twists thrown in and some things got very repetitive. Not only did they feel random in terms of plot, but it also felt weird with the overall pacing of the book and all the action just felt out of place.
“Shared or spilled, it seemed that blood did not matter as much as appearance did. And so, no matter how many centuries passed, no matter what they rendered in service of Bethel's betterment, it seemed the Outskirters would always be consigned to the fringes.”
The author also explores Immanuelle’s disconnect from a part of her identity. While her father was from the outskirts and paints her as different and less worthy than the average person in Bethel, she has no real connection to that part of herself. I think that was shown very powerfully through the book as Immanuelle’s search for answers also leads her to a family she has never known. I loved seeing her learning more about her mother and her father’s family and exploring her own identity. Apart from that though I just didn’t really care for the main character too much. It’s not that I disliked her but I just never felt drawn to her. I think that’s overall an issue I had with all the characters of this book, including Ezra, and while some of them pushed the plot forward they just didn’t feel very substantial.
The experience of reading this book was truly a bit of a rollercoaster because I kept feeling drawn to it for its atmosphere but the more I read from it the more my star rating decreased. I do think that most of it was still pretty interesting but the ending was its true downfall for me. I’d definitely recommend if you want something very atmospheric that blends religious cults and witches, but to me the concept and ideas were stronger than the execution.
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