TL;DR Review: Urban fantasy that strikes an excellent balance between cozy and epic. An insightful exploration of healing from parent-inflicted trauma. Synopsis: You inherited a house, but it has a minor demon problem… Dagon Gunthersson—a powerful demon warrior and a renowned member of Hell’s nobility—stands accused of treason by his commander. His abrupt escape leads […]
Cozy Fantasy
Review: The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi
This is a beautiful, uplifting story exploring a kind of ‘in-between’ place where the dead go to view their memories before they move onto the afterlife. It’s a story that deals with death and grief without actually touching on those subjects directly. You feel for all these people and those they’ve left behind, but it’s also a celebration of their life and what they achieved. The outlier here is the final character, Mitsuru, who tragically dies at the hands of her parents, but ultimately she gets her happy ending still.
Book Review: The Bartender Between Worlds by Herman Steuernagel
TL;DR Review: A dimension-hopping exploration of friendship, love, and the magic of a well-mixed cocktail. Synopsis: Low-stakes magic, crafting cocktails, and discovering the power of who we truly are. Emma grew up as a Hunter of the Cursed—those charged with eradicating monsters and magic from the Kingdom. She’s revered as one of the King’s most […]
Book Review: Amethysts and Alchemy by Rachel Rener
TL;DR – A grumpy/sunshine match made in neurospicy heaven, and a singularly ADORABLE animal companion. Synopsis: I used to eat rocks as a child. The family doctor diagnosed me with pica, dooming me to years of intensive therapy and extensive dentistry work. It wouldn’t be until much later that I would understand the all-consuming, insatiable […]
Review: Even a Hero Needs a Vacation Every Now and Then by August (Tipsy Pelican Tavern #1)
A literary equivalent of playing a video game with your tremendously OP character after the credits have rolled.
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.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Synopsis Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz―a magically sentient spider plant―have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite. When a revolution begins and the library goes up […]
Review: A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Synopsis: Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn’t have any doors between rooms—there are no secrets in this house—and her mother doesn’t allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother’s beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides […]
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.
Review: Quaint Creatures: Magical & Mundane (A Sideways Tale) by Andrew D. Meredith
Synopsis When a city councilor comes into Quaint Creatures and asks veterinary doctor Norrik Softstep to investigate the magical crate confiscated by his customs agency, the entire staff of Quaint Creatures will need all their skills and knowledge to unravel the troubles threatening the relatively peaceful city of Brightfall. From liches seeking city approval for […]
Review: Dragon Rider by Taran Matharu
FROM THE ASHES OF AN EMPIRE, A HERO WILL RISE… ‘A dazzlingly epic and richly complex world of dragons, magic, and rebellion’ Amélie Wen Zhao, New York Times bestselling author of Song of Silver, Flame Like Night ‘A classic fantasy adventure that reminds me of the novels I loved growing up, but with a flair of cultivation from the novels […]
Sorcery & Cecelia: or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Cecelia and Kate) by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Synopsis A great deal is happening in London and the country this season. For starters, there’s the witch who tried to poison Kate at the Royal College of Wizards. There’s also the man who seems to be spying on Cecelia. (Though he’s not doing a very good job of it–so just what are his intentions?) […]