In short, Isabel Cañas’ Vampire of El Norte is everything you could possibly wish for in a Mexican gothic, with rich folklore, beautiful and atmospheric prose, complex characters, and a forbidden romance rooted in cultural and historical authenticity, to die for. Not to mention how incredibly it shows the “other side” of the Mexican-American war of the late 1840s, in ways you rarely see in mainstream media.
Review: And He Shall Appear by Kate Van Der Borgh
And He Shall Appear is very much a spec-fic character and psychology study, with few and unexpected answers, beautiful if at times self-indulgent prose (which fits perfectly in context) and very lyrical narration carried out by an unreliable and (very cleverly) unnamed narrator.
Review: Guillotine by Delilah S. Dawson
While I have not read anything else by Dawson, I can certainly tell why she is so loved. Her writing is clean and quick, flowing expertly from the page with the economic yet evocative emphasis of a high-level storyteller.
Review: Asunder by Kerstin Hall
Synopsis:We choose our own gods here.Karys Eska is a deathspeaker, locked into an irrevocable compact with Sabaster, a terrifying eldritch entity—three-faced, hundred-winged, unforgiving—who has granted her the ability to communicate with the newly departed. She pays the rent by using her abilities to investigate suspicious deaths around the troubled city she calls home. When a […]
Review: Deep Black (Arcana Imperii #2) by Miles Cameron
If you loved Artifact Space you’re gonna love Deep Black! You’re going to be breathless from all the action, only to catch it long enough to be either cocooned by the warm found family feels or devastated by the emotions and romance. You will be amused, bemused, worried, entertained, stressed, and impressed. And you’re going to love every second of it.
Review: Black Tide Son (The Winter Sea #2) by H.M. Long
H. M. Long raises the bar on what epic high seas fantasy and character work are supposed to be. And she does so spectacularly, by grabbing you by the proverbial lapels and flinging you into edge of your seat action, humor, and so much heart.
Review: The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
With The Spellshop, Durst brings us a tale of bravery and change in the face of life altering events and she does so through characters that are endlessly relatable by virtue of highlighting how we all are but an echo chamber of all those who came into our lives and left something behind, all the events that shaped us into who we are, and all those feelings that we sort through each day regardless how ugly or good they might be. And, finally, this is a book about how sometimes settling or even languishing into certain roles is more dangerous than squaring your shoulders and trying the daunting thing.
Review: The Fireborne Blade (The Fireborne Blade #1) by Charlotte Bond
The Fireborne Blade is a speedy yet enthralling and gritty read to enrich your afternoon with knightly heroics, dragons, magic, and a badass female protag making her way in a man’s world, while trying to reclaim her honor by slaying the dragon and retrieving a legendary magic sword. This is the kind of fresh and modern epic fantasy I am glad to be getting to read more of because it has everything that I love about classic fantasy but is more nuanced and seamlessly inclusive towards its current readership and not everything is like it seems.
Review: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy is a charming and endearing adult comedy with lots of heart, nuanced relationships, cozy LGBTQ+ rep, foulmouthed characters, and a soft yet passionate romance that doesn’t take itself too seriously nor is it afraid to have flawed characters.
Captivating First Lines Pt. 2
Hello again dear reader or listener, I hope you’re enjoying your Sunday! I once again have literary appetizers for you.
Since I recently received a (very amusing) spam bot comment on one of my old list posts, I thought I might as well make a part 2 given it’s been three years! As you can guess from the title, I felt like listing the very first (or first few) lines from books currently on my shelves, that I found especially captivating for one reason or other. Maybe they’re particularly ominous, or amusing, or intriguing, but in each case, they set the tone incredibly well.
Review: The Redemption of Morgan Bright by Chris Panatier
At its core, Redemption is a book about the true horror that is the loss of bodily autonomy and mental health. Something that women have faced (and, depressingly, continue to), in societies that have arbitrarily decided any deviation from certain gendered templates is grounds for taking over their free will and guilt-tripping them into oblivion
Review: Play of Shadows (Court of Shadows #1) by Sebastien de Castell
Play of Shadows is many things, just like its crew of colourful characters, but most of all, it is a fast-paced joy-ride from start to finish, filled to the brim with swashbuckling action, multilayered protagonists, bombastic and/or bawdy personalities, and self-aware melodrama, that is in no way held back by the dark events and ominous foes it presents.