Review: When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (The Singing Hills Cycle #2), by Nghi Vo (Fantasy; 2020) Vo (The Chosen and the Beautiful) is another repeat author for me. When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain follows The Empress of Salt and Fortune, though one could easily be read before the other. When the … Continue reading Review of When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain (Vo)
Tag: book review
Review: Velvet Was the Night (Moreno-Garcia)
Velvet Was the Night, by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Noir, Pulp Fiction; 2021) I have something shocking to tell you. I read a book that does not contain magic! Gasp. That gasp is fitting for another reason: Velvet Was the Night lives in an interesting space between noir and historical fiction. Written by the author of Gods … Continue reading Review: Velvet Was the Night (Moreno-Garcia)
Review: Ariadne (Saint)
Ariadne, by Jennifer Saint (Myth Retelling/Fantasy, 2021) Oh, Ariadne. Not quite the hero you were advertised to be, and not forgettable, either. This story is uneven but has the ability to truly move the reader. That’s because Ariadne the book contains beautiful, emotional prose and some aggravating plot points. This female-centered retelling of the Theseus … Continue reading Review: Ariadne (Saint)
Review: Throne of Glass (Maas)
Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1), by Sarah J. Maas (YA/New Adult Fantasy, August 2012) This was not 100% my kind of book...yet I found myself reading it for hours on end! At 18, Celaena Sardothien is the Queen of the Underworld, the most accomplished assassin in Adarlan and a prisoner at the Endovier … Continue reading Review: Throne of Glass (Maas)
Review: The Poppy War (Kuang)
The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1), R.F. Kuang (Fantasy; May 2018) Warning: Moderate spoilers ahead. This book also requires several trigger warnings. “War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who remains,” says Fang Runin (“Rin”), heroine of The Poppy War, long before the horrors of war reach her. Her journey is jarring, unexpected and … Continue reading Review: The Poppy War (Kuang)
Review: Between Jobs (Gingell)
Between Jobs (The City Between #1), W.R. Gingell (2018; urban fantasy, quirky fantasy) Madcap is a word often associated with Gingell's writing. The beloved City Between series kicks off with a new take on her unique writing style, in which the absurd is juxtaposed onto the ordinary, with extraordinary results. The narrator of Between Jobs … Continue reading Review: Between Jobs (Gingell)
Review: A Trial of Thorns (Rookwood & Vince)
A Trial of Thorns (A Court of Fairy Tales #2), by Helena Rookwood and Elm Vince (June 17, 2021; fantasy, fairytale retelling) (Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.) A Trial of Thorns departs from its roots as a Beauty and the Beast retelling as a major … Continue reading Review: A Trial of Thorns (Rookwood & Vince)
Review: Witches Steeped in Gold (Smart)
Witches Steeped in Gold (Witches Steeped in Gold #1), by Ciannon Smart (Dark Fantasy; April 2021) Aiyca, the witch-led world of dueling narrators Jazmyne and Iraya, is absolutely fascinating. Iraya (“Ira”) is the rightful heir to a toppled throne, sent to prison like so many of her Obeah sistren. Jazmyne is the heir to the … Continue reading Review: Witches Steeped in Gold (Smart)
July 2021 Updates
Hi everyone! Apologies for the, er, absent state of the blog lately. I've been hard at work with revisions on the next book in the Tara's Necklace series, and something had to give. Unfortunately, it was the blog this time (and a whole lot of tidying up!). Reviews in Brief Witches Steeped in Gold, by … Continue reading July 2021 Updates
Review: Tempests and Slaughter (Pierce)
Tempests and Slaughter (The Numair Chronicles #1), by Tamora Pierce (YA Fantasy, 2018) This is the story of how Numair, a beloved character in The Immortals series, became the (ahem; nerdy but a touch amorous) sorcerer we know and love. It's the story you didn't know you needed, with a quieter approach to a Hogwarts-like … Continue reading Review: Tempests and Slaughter (Pierce)