The BiblioSanctum

Bookshelf Roundup 05/14/23: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on May 14, 2023 16 Comments

Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I summarize what I’ve finished reading in the last week and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.

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Received for Review

With thanks to Nightfire Books for:

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw, a mermaid tale with its inspirational roots in Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, only the darkness and violence is cranked way up for this twisted horror version.
Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian, a wild west horror epic about the hunt for a witch across demon and monster-infested wastelands. I haven’t treated myself to a horror western in a long time, and I am so excited for this!

With thanks to Tordotcom for:

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang, inspired by the classic Chinese historical novel known as Outlaws of the Marsh (or the more literal, less epic translation Water Margin), a story that I knew quite well when I was growing up. I’ve read the author’s work in the past and I’m curious to see where she’ll go with this one.

With thanks to Angry Robot Books for:

March’s End by Daniel Polansky, a multi-general portal fantasy following a family who has been charged with the protection of a magical land called March. Something about this one is giving me serious Chronicles of Narnia vibes and I can’t wait to check it out.

One book in the digital haul with thanks to Sourcebook Landmark: Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine, pseudonym for young adult author Danielle Vega. It’s about a woman who is desperately trying to get pregnant and is convinced someone is going to great lengths to make sure it never happens. This one recently caught my attention because of comparisons to Rosemary’s Baby, and the upcoming twelfth season of American Horror Story “Delicate” is based on it. Plus, it just sounds absolutely bonkers and terrifying.

Reviews

Recent Reads/Upcoming Reviews

Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read!

#WyrdandWonder Book Review: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Posted on May 11, 2023 27 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Series: Book 1 of The Empyrean

Publisher: Red Tower Books (May 2, 2023)

Length: 512 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros from Red Tower Books is the first “New Adult” book I’ve picked up in years, a category which, I’ve rediscovered, feels a lot like a label for Young Adult just with more mature themes. In other words, expect many of the same genre tropes but with a lot more sexy-times. Still, as the inaugural publication of Entangled Publishing’s new romantic fantasy imprint, I don’t think you can get a more perfect book that exemplifies everything the publisher is going for, featuring a world of dangerous adventure and action, a darkly sensuous romance, and a gritty protagonist who is determined to forge a stronger version of herself by testing her limits. Oh, and did I mention dragons?

The story follows 20-year-old Violet, an unassuming and petite apprentice scribe who had happily consigned herself to a life of research in Navarre’s sprawling archives. But her mother, the famed General Sorrengail of the kingdom’s elite dragon riders, has other plans for her youngest. She has declared that Violet will become a dragon rider as well or die trying—which, with the high mortality rates among new recruits, can be taken quite literally. Still, no one tells the formidable general “no”, let alone her own daughter. Reluctantly, Violet finds herself joining the hundreds of candidates entering the academy this year, all of them hoping to survive the grueling training and live long enough to bond with a dragon.

Despite coming from a military family, Violet immediately feels put of place and unprepared. Everyone expects great things from a Sorrengail, but among the other cadets, her small frame and brittle bone and joint condition quickly get her marked at weak—and weakness is not something to be tolerated. Dragons themselves prize strength and ferocity, so when a significant portion of candidates die each year, it’s seen as a necessary process to cull the unworthy, since only the best of the best should be bonded. While Violet may not have initially aspired to be a dragon rider, neither does she want to die, so she decides to use every skill, trick, and connection to her advantage.

Still, even that might not be enough when her very own family name is a strike against her. Violet’s mother was the general who snuffed out Navarre’s last rebellion, putting all the traitors to death. And although the rebels’ children were spared, they were also forced into military service. One of them is Xaden Riorson, the son of the separatist leader who has also risen among the ranks of the Riders Quadrant, becoming one of their best wingleaders. Because of his history though, he harbors a deep resentment towards the Sorrengail family, and by extension, towards our protagonist as well. But while Violet knows better than to get involved with Xaden, whom she is convinced is out to kill her, fate keeps pushing them onto the same path. Gradually, she begins to see a different side to her enemy, just as she also learns to develop a new passion for dragon riding.

First of all, the hype is real. I can see why a book like Fourth Wing would be immensely popular, especially amongst its target audience, even though it is by no means breaking any new ground. Both the fantasy academic setting and the hate-turns-to-love romance are tropes that have been done to death, for instance, not to mention dragons are a perennial favorite. That said, Yarros has somehow managed to take all these familiar ideas and present them in a fresh and entertaining way. Of course, I had a few gripes, mainly to do with some of the predictability in the plot and inconsistencies with the world-building, but taken as a whole, the author clearly knows what her readers crave, and she has written a book that delivers it in spades.

From the beginning, this is a story designed to sink its talons into you. Violet is an every-woman’s heroine—humble, likeable, but purposeful. Life has thrown her a curve ball, and her reaction is pragmatic: to come out of this ordeal alive, she will need to bond with a dragon, so that is exactly what she sets out to do. The trials she and the other rider candidates are put through are brutal, with the very real possibility of death lurking around every corner. It’s a scenario that reminds me a lot of Kettral training in the very excellent Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series by Brian Staveley—recruits are put through the wringer daily, and the competition for a dragon is cutthroat and fierce. Even though Violet is our main character and we know she will survive when many others won’t, the danger still feels very real and immediate.

In terms of relationships, Violet makes friends and alliances early on and encounters just as many who are hostile towards her, but I’m sure what everyone wants to hear about is the romance, which I have to say was expectedly cheesy—though to be fair, not eye-rollingly so. For example, a love triangle situation that feels shoehorned in early on gets shot down pretty quickly, thank goodness, but manufactured drama is still drama (gotta fill that unnecessary angst quota somehow). Predictably, Xaden is also the super hot, mysterious and brooding bad boy who comes out on top to steal Violet’s heart, but Yarros clearly has enough experience creating sexual tension and chemistry that it still made the forgone conclusion of them being together satisfying.

Then there was the aspect of world-building, likely a secondary component in the case of Fourth Wing, but it was still robust enough to impress the heck out of me. It’s the dragons who steal the show in this one, and while they don’t really come into play until after the first third of the novel, let’s just say it’s worth the wait. They’re highly intelligent, and as multiple characters from the book like to remind you frequently, it’s the dragon who chooses their rider and not the other way around (which is why it’s so nonsensical that Violet later on becomes the target of unbonded cadets hoping to kill her and steal her dragon…like her dragon won’t have a say in the matter if that happens? But I digress). The author also gives just enough context into the overall conflict in Navarre to keep readers focused on the dragon riders’ goal, which is to ward its borders against constant attack from a neighboring kingdom whose warriors are armed with their own unique mounts. It’s a relatively straightforward scenario which admittedly won’t hold up to much scrutiny or nitpicking, but like I said, for a book like this, it’s enough.

All in all, I had a really good time with Fourth Wing. While the book might not be presenting anything too new for regular readers of fantasy or romance, Rebecca Yarros nonetheless creates something refreshingly enjoyable by blending the two genres. It’s the immersive writing that truly elevates this novel above other similar offerings which I hope to get more of from the sequel, and needless to say I’m excited to continue the series.

Waiting on Wednesday 05/10/23

Posted on May 10, 2023 7 Comments

Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!

Mogsy’s Pick

Dreambound by Dan Frey (September 12, 2023 by Del Rey)

“In this thrilling contemporary fantasy novel, a father must uncover the secret magical underbelly of Los Angeles to find his daughter, who has seemingly disappeared into the fictional universe of her favorite fantasy series.

When Byron Kidd’s twelve-year-old daughter vanishes, the only clue left behind is a note claiming she’s taken off to explore the Hidden World, a magical land from a series of popular novels. She is not the only child to seek out this imaginary realm in recent years, and Byron—a cynical and hard-nosed reporter—is determined to discover the whereabouts of dozens of missing kids.

Byron secures a high-profile interview with Annabelle Tobin, the eccentric author of the books, and heads off to her palatial home in the Hollywood Hills. But the truth Byron discovers is more fantastical than he ever could have dreamed.

As he uncovers locations from the books that seem to be bleeding into the real world, he must shed his doubts and dive headfirst into the mystical secrets of Los Angeles if he ever hopes to reunite with his child. Soon Byron finds himself on his own epic journey—but if he’s not careful, he could be the next one to disappear…

Told through journal entries, transcripts, emails, and excerpts from Tobin’s novels, Dreambound is a spellbinding homage to Los Angeles and an immersive and fast-paced story of how far a father will go—even delving into impossible worlds—to save his daughter.”

Book Review: The Thick and the Lean by Chana Porter

Posted on May 9, 2023 12 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Thick and the Lean by Chana Porter

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction, Dystopian

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press (April 18, 2023)

Length: 384 pages

Author Information: Website

Imagine a world where prevailing perceptions of food consumption and sex are reversed from the norm—that is, partaking in the act of eating or cooking is considered illicit, while sexual acts are performed freely, frequently, and publicly simply because it is a natural part of everyday life. This is the foundation upon which The Thick and the Lean is built. Part sci-fi dystopian and part food porn, the novel takes place on a fictional planet and follows the lives of two ostensibly unrelated women who are in fact connected by an ancient book of memoirs and recipes written by a kitchen girl named Ijo many centuries ago.

When the story opens, readers are introduced to Beatrice, born and raised in the cultish community of Seagate with a puritanical attitude towards all things related to food. Her church equates starvation to piety, where suppressing your appetite is worship and being overweight is a sign of overindulgence and excess. However, even her strict upbringing could not suppress Beatrice’s lifelong fascination with food, which she has hidden from everyone since she was a young girl. She loves the idea of cooking all sorts of marvelous dishes, of savoring their many different flavors. What Beatrice desires most in the world is to be a chef, but to realize her dream she must escape Seagate to find a new home more accepting of her predilections. Eventually, with the help of a black-market connection, she gets her chance—but in the face of an unknown world, Beatrice soon discovers there is much to learn beyond figuring out how to achieve her own ambitions.

Meanwhile, interwoven into the narrative are also chapters following Reiko, an aspiring artist from a poor family living in the lowest socio-economic tier. So when she is offered a scholarship to attend a distinguished school in the Middle—which is not quite as exalted as the glittering Above, but still far elevated from her own impoverished background in the Bastian—Reiko is excited to be literally moving up in life. But this initial elation is short-lived. She becomes disillusioned by the other more privileged students who will be handed a degree whether they do the work or not, while she must struggle to maintain her scholarship. And then, even that turns out to be a lie. Rather than go home with nothing, Reiko decides to reinvent herself as a cybercriminal, using her hacking skills to con the rich.

At some point, both Beatrice and Reiko come across a book called The Kitchen Girl, excerpts from which are scattered throughout the novel, timed to provide insight into the happenings in each woman’s life.

While fascinating, The Thick and the Lean is a book whose strengths lie more in its themes than its writing or storytelling. Author Chana Porter is clearly out to explore a certain subset of contemporary issues, with the “far-flung planet” setting serving as a flimsy stand-in for our own modern society. However, despite the ideas themselves being quite compelling, everything else was simply underwhelming. World-building was sparse, just enough to serve the story’s purposes, mainly to establish our characters’ origins and motivations that send Beatrice and Reiko on the trajectories of their respective lives. The plot was also on the weaker side, forced to meander through unnecessary dialogue and drawn-out sequences in order to keep the themes on point while simultaneously going way off script. To be honest, I was actually quite taken with the story when I first started the book, but my interest gradually waned towards the middle—right around the time Porter started losing control of the plot. The various threads felt too disparate, and I wasn’t entirely convinced of the connections between Beatrice and Reiko’s narratives. Heck, I wasn’t even entirely sold on the tenuous links holding together the very different stages of each woman’s life.

That said though, in terms of its potential to be one gigantic metaphor, The Thick and the Lean has legs. It’s not subtle either when it comes to its commentary on current societal ills like corporate corruption, the widening gap between the poor and the ultra wealthy, the exorbitant costs of college, environmental degradation, and so much more. But then there are also themes that touch upon experiences on a more personal level, those dealing with an individual’s struggle with body image or the stigma of eating disorders. In particular, these were the ideas I found unique and entrancing, and the layers of analogies in this book provide much that warrants serious consideration. In fact, I wish more of the story had stayed on the topic of food, exploring the complex relationship that cultures and societies have with the rituals of preparing it and consuming it.

In sum, there are things The Thick and the Lean does well, and places where it falls short. Personally, I place more importance on characters and story when I read, so while Chana Porter’s social commentary and messages on body positivity might come from a good place, they are nonetheless secondary to my enjoyment. Perhaps this is why I feel only lukewarm towards the novel, though I’ll also admit it was quite an eye-opening read. I would recommend trying it out if anything in its description piques your interest.

#WyrdandWonder Book Review: Spring’s Arcana by Lilith Saintcrow

Posted on May 8, 2023 11 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Spring’s Arcana by Lilith Saintcrow

Mogsy’s Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of Dead God’s Heart

Publisher: Tor Books | Macmillan Audio (May 2, 2023)

Length: 368 pages | 11 hrs and 24 mins

Author Information: Website

Spring’s Arcana has been compared to Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, and it’s easy to see why. Lilith Saintcrow’s latest is a urban fantasy inspired by Russian folklore where an invisible world of mythological figures and divinities exists alongside the human one. The story follows protagonist Nat Drozdova, whose mother is dying of cancer. Although the relationship between them has been fraught over the years, Nat is devastated and is willing to do anything to help. That’s how she finds herself meeting with a mysterious woman known as Mrs. de Winter (not her real name, Nat strongly suspects) in the luxurious office of a Manhattan high-rise. What this woman can do for her mother that her doctors can’t, Nat doesn’t know, but soon it is revealed that de Winter—whom her underlings refer to as “Baba” or “Grandmother”—is no ordinary mortal.

And neither is Nat, apparently. Turns out that all her life, her mother had been keeping the truth of their lineage from her, and that the illness ravaging her is of supernatural origins. Still, this means it can be cured, but only if Nat can help a witch goddess retrieve a stolen object of great power. Assigned to help her on her quest is Dmitri Konets, an ill-tempered assassin who works for Baba but has also made it clear he wants Nat dead. To save her mother’s life though, Nat will have no choice but to trust Dima, accompanying him deep into a hidden world of fantastical magic and dangerous gods.

So much to unpack here and so much to say about this book, but in the end, I just wish it had been more. Things started well enough, and the story was good until it just…wasn’t.

Still, I’ll start with the positives. The world-building was quite impressive, as urban fantasies go. I truly enjoyed the creativity that went into permeating a modern day setting with elements from Slavic folklore and mythology, and seriously, who doesn’t love a talking cat? We also get to meet a lot of fascinating characters and are treated to some wondrous and powerful displays of magic. Saintcrow is clearly very skilled when it comes to setting up a good scene without having to spend a lot of time spelling it all out, because while much about the supernatural realm is merely suggested in the story, there is still a strong sense of this whole other reality exiting beneath the surface. Of course, having some background knowledge of the legend of Baba Yaga will certainly help to fill in any missing pieces.

That said though, the real buzzkill was the pacing. I’m tempted to say that the novel took its sweet time getting off the ground, but the reality is, it never really made it out of the hangar. To the author’s credit, she does a really good job filling the story with lots of interesting things so you’re never truly bored, but that also goes on to mask the real problem, which is that very little of import actually happens. In fact, it wasn’t until well into the final quarter of the book when it suddenly dawned on me to ask: What have we really accomplished here?

Not much, unfortunately. After a flurry of revelations in the intro where Nat makes several big discoveries about her own past and the truth of the supernatural world, the answers stop coming. The rest of the story pretty much consists of our protagonist being dragged around by Dima like some wide-eyed accessory, trying not to get herself killed. I definitely feel the book would have been a lot better if Nat had more agency and didn’t come across so helpless.

It’s a shame because the story had so much potential, but there was a clear lack of action to fill one novel, which makes the abrupt cliffhanger ending that much more frustrating. Quite honestly, I’m torn on whether I will pick up the next book. On the one hand, I’m not that emotionally invested in the story or the characters at this point, but on the other, I have a feeling the sequel will go much quicker now that we’ve gotten all the preamble out of the way. It’s a right conundrum, but I’ll probably wait for reviews before deciding if I will continue.

Bookshelf Roundup 05/07/23: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads

Posted on May 7, 2023 15 Comments

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Received for Review

With thanks to Tordotcom for:

City of Bones by Martha Wells, a gorgeous reissue of one of her earliest novels first published in the 90s. Before her Murderbot Diaries took the world by storm, Wells was already creating amazing fantasy worlds and I am so looking forward to visiting this one.

With thanks to Subterranean Press for:

Across the Sorrow Sea by Anthony Ryan, which continues the saga of The Seven Swords with the fifth novella of the series. One of these days I’m just going to have to sit down and read them all at once.

With thanks to Minotaur Books for:

The Trade Off by Sandie Jones, whose mystery thrillers I have been following for a while, and I can’t wait to dive into this next one about the cutthroat world of tabloid journalism.

With thanks to Del Rey for:

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, a historical horror thriller about a curse that haunts a legendary lost film. What I love about the author is that you’ll never know what you’ll get when you pick up one of her books, but they’re bound to be unique and awesome.

In the audiobook haul, a big thanks to Dreanscape Media for a listening copy of A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand, the first book of The Middlemist Trilogy. I’ve also been hankering for some thrillers, and my thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio for ALCs of The Chateau by Jaclyn Goldis and Drowning by T.J. Newman.

Reviews

Recent Reads/Upcoming Reviews

Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read!

YA Weekend: Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong

Posted on May 6, 2023 11 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

Someone Is Always Watching by Kelley Armstrong

Mogsy’s Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Series: Stand Alone

Publisher: Tundra Books (April 11, 2023)

Length: 368 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Kelley Armstrong’s work, but I must confess that, to date, I’ve only pretty much read her adult thrillers. Someone is Always Watching is my first venture into her YA, and I’m thinking, Hmm…maybe I’ve been spoiled.

The story here is a bit dysfunctional, and well, to tell the truth, so are all the characters. We follow a group of teenagers—our protagonist Blythe, her friends Gabrielle, Tucker, and Tanya—as they navigate high school life through several traumatic events. First, Gabrielle experiences paranoia which culminates in a mental breakdown, coming back to herself afterward with no memory of what happened or why is drenched in blood with the dead body of the school’s principal at her feet. Things are not the same between the four friends after that, as Blythe struggles to come to terms with what Gabrielle is thought to have done.

Meanwhile, brother and sister Tucker and Tanya are having problems of their own. Memory lapses and unsettling dreams plague their day-to-day, putting stress on their relationships. Formerly tight with the siblings, Blythe now begins to question all her friendships with no idea who she can trust. Then suddenly, Blythe’s sister Sydney goes missing, but the teens’ parents, supposedly adults that they can trust, all seem to know something they’re not telling.

If the above summary feels vague, that’s because I don’t want to accidentally reveal any spoilers. Also, this book was just strange and, if I’m being brutally honest, kind of a hot mess. All this makes it hard to discuss any story details. The plot was disjointed and chaotic; we jumped from scene to scene with poor transitioning, seemingly with no rhyme or rhythm. While there were twists aplenty, these didn’t seem too well thought out, and felt either too predictable or too unconvincing.

Then there were the characters. On the positive side, I liked how the story explored the psychology of mistrust and gaslighting, and enjoyed the way the author wrote about Blythe and her friends’ reactions to having their identities slowly being stripped away. After all, if you are a product of your life experiences, what does it mean when you can’t remember or start doubting the veracity of your memories? Still, I often found myself frustrated by the teens’ passive responses and lack of ability to come up with any real solutions. Round and round they went, going nowhere fast and dealing with too much trivial drama.

I suppose if you are into YA thrillers, this one is perfectly serviceable. It’s twisty, it’s fun, it’s a little edgy. It has plenty of suspense and even some romance. On the surface, it checks all the boxes, but for me, I personally wanted something more. I also think I’ve come to expect much more from Armstrong as a writer, and this book felt lacking in polish compared to the quality I’m used to from her work. The story didn’t flow as smoothly, the pacing was wonky, the themes weren’t very well realized—everything was in place but just felt a little…off.

That said, if you are a Kelley Armstrong fan, Someone is Always Watching is probably still worth reading, but I will say it’s probably my least favorite of her books that I’ve read so far. And okay, it’s also possible that I might have just hyped myself a bit too much for this one. Though I won’t say no to her future YA, next time I’ll definitely learn to adjust my expectations.

#WyrdandWonder Book Review: The Warden by Daniel M. Ford

Posted on May 4, 2023 13 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Warden by Daniel M. Ford

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of The Warden

Publisher: Tor (April 18, 2023)

Length: 320 pages

Author Information: Website

Everyone needs a necromancer—even a sleepy off-the-map village like Lone Pine. But for newly minted necromancer Aelis de Lenti, the prospect of being assigned to the remote stretches of the kingdom are far from her idea of glory. Having graduated at the top of her class at the Magisters’ Lyceum, the young noblewoman had expected a position befitting her wealth and social status in one of the glittering cities, not some insignificant backwater town where nothing ever happens.

But that’s the way with life: nothing ever quite works out as planned, but you’ll also never know how much you’re capable of until your limits are tested. No sooner had Aelis accepted her fate as Warden of Lone Pine than strange things start happening in town. As it turns out, keeping the peace here will require a lot more than breaking up tavern brawls and finding lost sheep. There’s sinister magic involved, putting the townsfolk in danger as its effects start to take hold. With renewed purpose, Aelis realizes just how much Lone Pine has come to mean to her, and now she must use everything she’s learned to rescue it in its hour of need.

For fans of Dungeons & Dragons and old-school quest narratives, The Warden by Daniel M. Ford is one to put on your reading list. Much of this world where you can find humans living alongside orcs, elves, and dwarves is a nod to D&D, especially its magic systems and concepts. Even the plot plays out like an RPG campaign, which the author clearly had fun writing. That said, the resulting story will feel a bit disjointed in places, composed of a few major “questlines” punctuated by the occasional side quest. Admittedly, sometimes it was great and sometimes it wasn’t. And a book like this might work for you, or it might not. Still, I have to say, heading into this novel with the awareness that it was inspired by D&D, it helped me a lot to know what to expect.

So, real talk, you’re not going to get the most original world-building. However, the good news is that the story and the characters make up for this and other minor shortcomings. At its heart, The Warden is about a rich city girl who finds herself out of her element. An intelligent and hardworking overachiever, Aelis knows she’s destined for greatness, so when she is sent to Lone Pine, a post that she feels is way too much beneath her, our protagonist is understandably a little grumpy. Not that Lone Pine is all that pleased about her presence either. Living on the edges of the kingdom, the villagers are distrustful of anything they don’t understand, and magic is a source of fear and superstition for them. It also doesn’t help that Aelis is very good at what she does and isn’t shy about admitting it, a confidence that can look a lot like arrogance, which tends to turn people off.

Needless to say though, Aelis is eventually humbled by the good and honest people of Lone Pine, and starts to win a few of them over herself. Just this journey alone made the book worth it. In this community of mostly farmers, there were many standout side characters that filled out and livened up the cast, from the curious young Pippen to the beautiful half-elf Maurenia who captures Aelis’ heart. Of course, as our protagonist grew more at home, another side of her personality also began to emerge—a more caring, humorous, and sympathetic side—proving that there is more depth to her snobbish and self-absorbed persona than previously observed. Under that unflappable exterior she shows to the world, she’s actually just as scared and insecure as anyone.

Later on, a greater mystery is also hinted at which involves Aelis’ presence in Lone Pine. In the back of my mind, it had always bothered me why the Lyceum had decided to squander her talents by sending her to the frontier. Surely it had to be more than just character building? In the final third of the book, a major “quest” reveals the answer, and I am curious to see how everything will come together. With the way it ends, a second book is certainly incoming, and I’m definitely checking it out when it arrives.

Waiting on Wednesday 05/03/23

Posted on May 3, 2023 7 Comments

Mogsy’s Pick

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (January 16, 2024 by Del Rey)

“An intrepid professor must uncover faerie secrets in the delightful and heart-warming second instalment of the Sunday Times bestselling Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore, and has catalogued many secrets of the Hidden Folk in her encyclopaedia with her infuriatingly charming fellow scholar, Wendell Bambleby, by her side.

But Bambleby is more than just a brilliant and unbearably handsome scholar. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, in search of a door back to his realm.

By lucky happenstance, Emily’s new project, a map of the realms of faerie, will take them on an adventure to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new friendships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.”

#WyrdandWonder Book Review: A Sleight of Shadows by Kat Howard

Posted on May 2, 2023 11 Comments

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

A Sleight of Shadows by Kat Howard

Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of The Unseen World

Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press (April 25, 2023)

Length: 320 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

It’s been close to six years since An Unkindness of Magicians came out, and after all this time, I worried I would not remember enough of the story before I picked up its sequel, A Sleight of Shadows. As it turned out though, getting back into the world was remarkably easy. There were both good and not-so-good reasons for this, which I will be going into in a bit.

But first, we catch up with our protagonist Sydney, who has lost all her magic ever since sacrificing her powers to destroy the House of Shadows during the last Turning. In the aftermath, the magical community that makes up the Unseen World is still reeling with the changes, one of them being the ascendance of House Prospero. Meanwhile, rising star magician Laurent Beauchamps is also looking for new recruits to join his newly established House by reaching out to outsiders like himself. One of the candidates is Mia Rodriguez, who has always known she was different. She was just a little girl when she discovered she could sometimes make things move with her mind, and she seizes upon Laurent’s invitation to join his school as an opportunity to learn as much as she can about magic.

But even with Sydney’s sacrifice, the House of Shadows cannot be so easily defeated. Now it is rebuilding itself, and with both relief and chagrin, Sydney also finds her magic coming back slowly but surely. With the other Houses weakened though, everyone is looking for someone to blame, and naturally, all eyes fall on Prospero, who seems the least affected. At a loss as to what to do, their leader Grace turns to Sydney for help, hoping her past experiences with Shadows can help unlock some answers.

As you can imagine, having a sequel come out so many years after the original presents a lot of challenges. I will confess that I had forgotten many details of the story and all the characters involved, and the fact that A Sleight of Shadows takes place immediately following the events at the end of An Unkindness of Magicians was also a brave decision by the author. It means this novel is squarely aimed at fans of the first book, as there is simply too much in here that builds upon already existing foundations for newcomers to jump on board.

To her credit though, Kat Howard did a fantastic job catching readers up. References to what happened were made subtly and organically without the use of awkward info dumps. Within a few chapters of being back in the Unseen World, it was like I’d never left.

However, given the amount of time we’ve been away from these characters, I will say I felt noticeably disconnected from them this time around. The distance can even be felt in the writing. In one striking example, a somewhat major character who was also in the first book dies, and the scene felt muted—the emotions just weren’t there, not even in the words.

And in truth, another reason why it was so easy to get back into this world is because the plot held little substance. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying nothing of significance happened, because the plot was plenty packed and eventful. But it’s also true that the stakes just didn’t feel as high, and the overall conflict was relatively small-scale.

That said, if you enjoy urban fantasy, A Sleight of Shadows does a great job carrying on the tradition of the first book’s themes, featuring a secret world of wealth and luxurious magic hiding beneath the surface of the mundane. As a sequel, it also fulfills its purpose of expanding what we know of the Houses and added a whole lot more to the series lore. Kat Howard’s prose feels as rich and gorgeous as ever, bringing the setting and characters to life in magnificent detail, and I’m grateful for the gentle way she eased me back for a fun, comfortable, and lowkey return to the Unseen World.