en-US Sun, 20 Sep 2026 11:36:02 -0700 60 144 41 https://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 246254448 A lonely librarian finds love, friends, and a few ghosts between the shelves in this cozy, paranormal tale from beloved bestselling author Auralee Wallace.

It’s a dark and stormy night…and Amelia Bates is caught in the rain. Life hasn’t always been kind to her, and being a ghostseer certainly doesn’t make things any easier.

Glowing warmly through the autumnal downpour is her safest the library. Amelia, the newly hired librarian, has always relished the comfort of curling up with a novel, vastly preferring it to the company of humans (alive or ghostly).

But Amelia is shocked to discover the building is full of more than quiet stories and warm cups of tea. There are curious, talkative patrons, a shy, bespectacled head librarian who makes her heart skip a beat, and three quirky spirits causing paranormal havoc that endangers the future of the library.

To help the ghosts and save the building, Amelia will have to gather all her bravery and wits, because learning to trust others might just be the first step to a happily ever after she only thought was possible in books.]]> 368 Auralee Wallace 0593818571 Jessica 3
Cons: little emotional connection, too much telling rather than showing

When Amelia Bates lands her dream job working at an old library, she's dismayed to discover it's haunted by 3 ghosts. Her ability to see ghosts has always caused problems, so she created rules to never interact with them. But the library is in danger because the ghosts are unable to move on, so she has to overcome her preconceptions and befriend them.

I really liked Amelia. She had a rough childhood and ghosts contributed to that, so having her at odds with the ghosts in the library makes sense. I loved her snarky inner voice, and how she addressed different parts of herself, like 'hysterical Amelia' and 'rational Amelia'.

The library was great and I'd love to visit and spend some time there perusing the books.

I thought the beginning of the book did a good job of setting the scene and showing how Amelia wanted to improve her skills. She had trouble talking to library patrons despite her desire, and was befriended by both Simon and Rosalinda. But as the book went on, it seemed like everything began to focus on the ghosts to the exclusion of continuing to depict those human relationships. There's a scene where Amelia overhears Simon and Rosalinda talking about how she helped some library patrons, but those scenes should have been shown so the reader could see how she's grown as a person. This telling rather than showing came up more towards the end, where we're told that Amelia has gotten closer to the ghosts by doing various activities with them. But those descriptions didn't show me any emotional connection between the characters to the extent that I didn't feel any emotional kick by the ending. Instead of being told she watched a movie with Bradon, I wanted a scene where the two discuss the film afterwards. There were a few early scenes of Amelia having tea with Rosalinda, but then we're just told it was important to her. After being told that Amelia's customer service abilities have been improved, we're finally given a scene right at the end where she rudely cuts short a conversation with one patron so she can talk to the patron she's wanted to help the whole book.

I was shocked that Amelia never asked people around her for help. Rosalinda believed in the supernatural, so why not confide in her about the ghosts, or at least ask her about Minnie's case? Similarly, why not ask the sailor ghost outside why he's telling people not to go in the building? Does he have a sense of what's going on? I also thought the explanation of why the book kept disappearing unsatisfying given how important the knowledge it held was.

I liked Amelia, but I found the book on the whole didn't give me any emotional connection to characters beyond her. I didn't get to see her grow as a person the way I wanted. I felt her journey was hampered by too much telling rather than showing, especially towards the end of the book.]]> 3.88 2026
author: Auralee Wallace
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2026
rating: 3
read at: 2026/09/07
date added: 2026/09/20
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting protagonist, lovely setting

Cons: little emotional connection, too much telling rather than showing

When Amelia Bates lands her dream job working at an old library, she's dismayed to discover it's haunted by 3 ghosts. Her ability to see ghosts has always caused problems, so she created rules to never interact with them. But the library is in danger because the ghosts are unable to move on, so she has to overcome her preconceptions and befriend them.

I really liked Amelia. She had a rough childhood and ghosts contributed to that, so having her at odds with the ghosts in the library makes sense. I loved her snarky inner voice, and how she addressed different parts of herself, like 'hysterical Amelia' and 'rational Amelia'.

The library was great and I'd love to visit and spend some time there perusing the books.

I thought the beginning of the book did a good job of setting the scene and showing how Amelia wanted to improve her skills. She had trouble talking to library patrons despite her desire, and was befriended by both Simon and Rosalinda. But as the book went on, it seemed like everything began to focus on the ghosts to the exclusion of continuing to depict those human relationships. There's a scene where Amelia overhears Simon and Rosalinda talking about how she helped some library patrons, but those scenes should have been shown so the reader could see how she's grown as a person. This telling rather than showing came up more towards the end, where we're told that Amelia has gotten closer to the ghosts by doing various activities with them. But those descriptions didn't show me any emotional connection between the characters to the extent that I didn't feel any emotional kick by the ending. Instead of being told she watched a movie with Bradon, I wanted a scene where the two discuss the film afterwards. There were a few early scenes of Amelia having tea with Rosalinda, but then we're just told it was important to her. After being told that Amelia's customer service abilities have been improved, we're finally given a scene right at the end where she rudely cuts short a conversation with one patron so she can talk to the patron she's wanted to help the whole book.

I was shocked that Amelia never asked people around her for help. Rosalinda believed in the supernatural, so why not confide in her about the ghosts, or at least ask her about Minnie's case? Similarly, why not ask the sailor ghost outside why he's telling people not to go in the building? Does he have a sense of what's going on? I also thought the explanation of why the book kept disappearing unsatisfying given how important the knowledge it held was.

I liked Amelia, but I found the book on the whole didn't give me any emotional connection to characters beyond her. I didn't get to see her grow as a person the way I wanted. I felt her journey was hampered by too much telling rather than showing, especially towards the end of the book.
]]> 242462700 Discover ancient stone wonders and architectural preservation secrets in the hands of one of the world’s greatest stonemasons.

Across the world and across time, the buildings of the gods and royalty have mostly been made of stone, towering over the homes of us lesser beings who have had to make do with mud, wood or brick. When civilisations wish to create beauty to last – for veneration of the gods or mortal men – it is to stone they turn. Crossing oceans and hauling blocks across thousands of kilometres, to quarry and sometimes plunder pillars and statues to stand sentinel for glory.

As one of the world’s most pre-eminent stonemasons and conservators Simon Warrack has worked in more than thirty different countries and with all major religions. In this book, Simon explores ten different places where he has learnt and plied his trade. From the Trevi Fountain to Angkor Wat, via Great Zimbabwe, Canterbury Cathedral and many more, he takes us to some of the greatest buildings and monuments in the world. Everywhere he goes, despite vast cultural diversity, he finds a communality through stone – a shared desire to conserve and maintain heritage that has spanned continents, cultures and millennia.

The story he tells is of the beauty of stone, restored and accompanied by the sound of chisels. He captures both the joys, skills and the challenges of conservation, as well as how easily restoration can damage the values and traditions it seeks to preserve if conducted with insensitivity. Underlying all his work is his passionate belief that stonemasons and conservators must be guided by the spirit with which people built, carved and cared for their monuments. Without this, monuments may have form and beauty, but they lose the essence and spirit of everything that caused them to be created.]]> 362 Simon Warrack 0008658846 Jessica 0 4.64
author: Simon Warrack
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.64
book published:
rating: 0
read at: 2026/06/11
date added: 2026/09/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 246916562 A plot is brewing between the adventure and romance aisles.



When visiting Twig’s Traveling Tomes, customers will get the exact book they need, even if it isn’t the one they want. As for the proprietor and renowned Book Witch, Louella Twig lives her life sequestered with her stories, just as she likes it.



When devilishly handsome rogue Everett Sharp stumbles in looking to remove some handcuffs—closely followed by Louella’s former tutor, whose prized grimoire has been stolen—her literary sanctuary is fully upended. Only Louella’s magic can locate the grimoire, and teaming up with Everett is her best chance at retrieving it . . . but how can she trust that the man behind the wolfish grin isn’t interested in stealing the book for himself?



With a host of friends old and new, Louella sets off on an adventure she never thought she’d take—and starts to realize that, just like her books, what matters most has always been what’s under the surface.]]> 350 Gryffin Murphy 1967967237 Jessica 4
Cons:

Louella Twig is a defunct witch who pooled her disappointment about her unique book magic not being recognized by her teachers by running a bookshop that can teleport between 4 storefronts. Her magic forces her to offer the book needed by each customer, regardless of whether that's the book they want or if it tells them unwanted truths. When one of her former teachers needs help reclaiming the scattered pieces of his stolen grimoire, she joins forces with a group of new friends, including a handsome former thief, to find them.

This is a cozy fantasy romance novel with low stakes and a lot of lighthearted banter. Louella and Everett engage in a lot of flirtation. There's some kissing towards the end of the book with some heat but no on page spice. It's a slow burn romance. The book also contains an intimate off page side romance, and some positive gay and lesbian representation.

Everett is portrayed as the perfect book lover's boyfriend. A real work of wish fulfillment. He's supportive of everything Louella does, encourages her, catches her when she falls (literally and figuratively), pays for her books, and wants nothing more than to be with her and help her achieve her goals. I imagine his attitude will annoy some readers who prefer more of a personality clash between the protagonists. What's keeping them apart is simply that Louella believes he's only around for the adventure and will leave once things settle down again. She doesn't want her heart broken and can't believe he actually loves her.

The main plot is engaging enough. The pages are disguised as exotic creatures scattered around the 4 realms, giving the group reasons to travel and explore unique locations. Some of the places they go are a lot of fun and the variety of creatures - some I recognized and some I didn't - were really neat. I especially liked the haregons, which sounded adorable.

The side characters were entertaining. I especially liked Midge and seeing her relationship with Oliver develop. Feralorn could be a little annoying, but was used sparingly, so that never became an issue for me.

I liked Louella's magic and how it played out. Seeing her have to give people books about things that were embarrassing or problematic made her sympathetic, especially when she prided herself - and had a real reputation - for getting the right book to the right person.

I thought Everett's prophecy was a little too specific and it seemed to cheapen their attraction somewhat.

All in all it's a fun, lighthearted romp, that doesn't take itself too seriously but does wrap everything up nicely at the end.]]> 4.26 2026
author: Gryffin Murphy
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2026
rating: 4
read at: 2026/07/05
date added: 2026/09/08
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting characters

Cons:

Louella Twig is a defunct witch who pooled her disappointment about her unique book magic not being recognized by her teachers by running a bookshop that can teleport between 4 storefronts. Her magic forces her to offer the book needed by each customer, regardless of whether that's the book they want or if it tells them unwanted truths. When one of her former teachers needs help reclaiming the scattered pieces of his stolen grimoire, she joins forces with a group of new friends, including a handsome former thief, to find them.

This is a cozy fantasy romance novel with low stakes and a lot of lighthearted banter. Louella and Everett engage in a lot of flirtation. There's some kissing towards the end of the book with some heat but no on page spice. It's a slow burn romance. The book also contains an intimate off page side romance, and some positive gay and lesbian representation.

Everett is portrayed as the perfect book lover's boyfriend. A real work of wish fulfillment. He's supportive of everything Louella does, encourages her, catches her when she falls (literally and figuratively), pays for her books, and wants nothing more than to be with her and help her achieve her goals. I imagine his attitude will annoy some readers who prefer more of a personality clash between the protagonists. What's keeping them apart is simply that Louella believes he's only around for the adventure and will leave once things settle down again. She doesn't want her heart broken and can't believe he actually loves her.

The main plot is engaging enough. The pages are disguised as exotic creatures scattered around the 4 realms, giving the group reasons to travel and explore unique locations. Some of the places they go are a lot of fun and the variety of creatures - some I recognized and some I didn't - were really neat. I especially liked the haregons, which sounded adorable.

The side characters were entertaining. I especially liked Midge and seeing her relationship with Oliver develop. Feralorn could be a little annoying, but was used sparingly, so that never became an issue for me.

I liked Louella's magic and how it played out. Seeing her have to give people books about things that were embarrassing or problematic made her sympathetic, especially when she prided herself - and had a real reputation - for getting the right book to the right person.

I thought Everett's prophecy was a little too specific and it seemed to cheapen their attraction somewhat.

All in all it's a fun, lighthearted romp, that doesn't take itself too seriously but does wrap everything up nicely at the end.
]]> 246791188 Discover ancient stone wonders and the secrets of architectural preservation through the eyes and hands of one of the world’s greatest stonemasons.

Around the world and across time, the buildings of the gods and royalty have mostly been made of stone. For more than forty years, the eminent stonemason and conservator Simon Warrack has worked on many of the greatest of them. In Monumental, Warrack takes readers on a charming journey to some of the most extraordinary places where he has plied his trade, including the dazzling churches and palaces of Venice and the celebrated fountains of Rome, the vast temple of Angkor Wat in modern-day Cambodia, the glorious arches and cloisters of Canterbury Cathedral in England, and the ancient, elaborately carved Obelisk of Axum in modern-day Ethiopia.

Everywhere he goes, Warrack finds a communality through stone—a shared desire to conserve and maintain heritage that has spanned continents, cultures, religions, and millennia. He captures the joys and the challenges of working with various kinds of stone—marble, granite, limestone, sandstone, travertine. He describes stonecutters’ tools and techniques as they’ve been passed down through centuries, and the sheer wonder of working so intimately on monuments to human ingenuity and divine belief. And he approaches his work with the passionate belief that conservators must be guided by the spirit with which people built, carved, and cared for their monuments. Without this, form and beauty may endure, but their spirit is lost.

Monumental is a thrilling account of historic conservation at the level of chisel and stone, and a powerful argument for safeguarding our shared history.]]> 368 Simon Warrack 1324075988 Jessica 4
For some reason I was expecting this to be a book on the art of stone carving from the viewpoint of a stone carver, whereas it's actually a standard biography focusing on the author's training and work. The author has had a fascinating life and gives a lot of entertaining asides and digressions that add colour to the narrative. His writing style is fast paced and engaging, focused primarily on the various sites where he worked throughout his career. I appreciated the mini deep dives into local history that fleshed out the backgrounds of those monuments, making the book even more interesting.

There are 2 chapters that deal with Ethiopia, and as someone who's researched its churches and history, and read the Kebra Nagast (Glory of Kings) in translation, I was a little surprised by how he presented elements of their religious writings as historical fact. The sections are brief and hopefully they'll encourage people to research this rich and interesting culture.

The author tends to emphasize the bond of stone masons throughout history and how working with stone is a universal language in most of the chapters, which got repetitive and unnecessary as the book went on.

I had access to an early Advance Reader Copy, so there were more spelling and editorial errors than usual. Those should be cleared up by the time the book is published. Also missing were several illustrations, which simply had place holders. The images that were included were nice for understanding some of the more technical architectural language of the book.

On the whole this was an entertaining read. It was neat learning some of what goes into restoring and preserving ancient monuments made of stone.]]> 4.57
author: Simon Warrack
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.57
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2026/09/08
shelves:
review:
In addition to the intruduction and epilouge, the book has 10 chapters: First steps in stone [Canterbury cathedral, England]; The stones of Venice [Venice]; Doing as the Romans do [Rome]; Embracing Asia [Preah Ko, Cambodia]; The greatest temple in the world [Angkor Wat, Cambodia]; An obelist returns [transporting a stele from Rome to Axum in Ethiopia]; Carving a new Jerusalem[Lalibela, Ethiopia]; Temple of the sun [Umm Al Nar tombs, United Arab Emirates]; Two hundred chisels [Lebanon]; and The house of stone [Great Zimbabwe].

For some reason I was expecting this to be a book on the art of stone carving from the viewpoint of a stone carver, whereas it's actually a standard biography focusing on the author's training and work. The author has had a fascinating life and gives a lot of entertaining asides and digressions that add colour to the narrative. His writing style is fast paced and engaging, focused primarily on the various sites where he worked throughout his career. I appreciated the mini deep dives into local history that fleshed out the backgrounds of those monuments, making the book even more interesting.

There are 2 chapters that deal with Ethiopia, and as someone who's researched its churches and history, and read the Kebra Nagast (Glory of Kings) in translation, I was a little surprised by how he presented elements of their religious writings as historical fact. The sections are brief and hopefully they'll encourage people to research this rich and interesting culture.

The author tends to emphasize the bond of stone masons throughout history and how working with stone is a universal language in most of the chapters, which got repetitive and unnecessary as the book went on.

I had access to an early Advance Reader Copy, so there were more spelling and editorial errors than usual. Those should be cleared up by the time the book is published. Also missing were several illustrations, which simply had place holders. The images that were included were nice for understanding some of the more technical architectural language of the book.

On the whole this was an entertaining read. It was neat learning some of what goes into restoring and preserving ancient monuments made of stone.
]]> 250727343 The Magical Cheese Emporium by Sarah Beth Durst is the fourth magical standalone adventure in the New York Times bestselling series that started with The Spellshop.

When Eloren joined the revolution against the empire, she didn’t expect to lose everything―her job, her purpose, and her closest friend.

After the Great Library burned down and her position as Assistant Librarian burned down with it, she had no other choice but to return to the only home that will have her: her grandmother’s shop.

Now, Eloren is stuck at the Magical Cheese Emporium in the remote island town of Dew, struggling to become the cheesemonger heiress she never wanted to be. But the unicorns won't let her milk them, there’s a monster in the cheese caves, and Eloren is more into books than cheese. The only good thing about coming home is reuniting with Garyn, the childhood friend and clever inventor who, at some point, got a whole lot taller.

When Dew’s governor imposes impossible taxes on small business owners like her grandmother, Eloren knows one thing: she didn’t take down the emperor just so someone else could exploit good people.

Eloren, Garyn, a mouse made of cheese, and Garyn’s (mostly) helpful contraptions set off to rescue the cheese emporium and all the other local businesses. And in saving her community, Eloren might finally agree to call it home.

The Magical Cheese Emporium is a fantasy romance about the places that tell you you’re home when everything burns down and daring to see old friends with new eyes. Prepare for hard work, sparkly dreams, and lots of magical cheese.]]> 416 Sarah Beth Durst 1250400716 Jessica 0 currently-reading 4.47 2027
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2027
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/09/07
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 240019706
One day, she sails to Alyssium and discovers the city is on fire. There’s been a revolution, and the empire has fallen. Marin, with Perri, begins transporting refugees, finding them new homes where they can start over. One such refugee is Dax, a composer who refuses to leave behind his instruments, no matter how much she tries to emphasize the gravity of the situation. Intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, and his charming smile, Marin discovers perhaps she isn’t saving him ― maybe it’s the other way around.

From the acclaimed author of The Spellshop, Sea of Charms is a delightful cosy fantasy for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune.]]> 369 Sarah Beth Durst 1250400678 Jessica 4 4.27 2026
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2026
rating: 4
read at: 2026/08/27
date added: 2026/08/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 61242426
The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.]]> 296 Travis Baldree Jessica 5
Cons:

After completing her last job as an adventurer, the orc Viv takes her final prize, the magical Scalvert Stone, which stories say can draw the heart's desire. She buys a used livery in Thune and fixes it up into a coffee shop. She has to find trustworthy workers, deal with the city's 'protection' gang, and show people who've never heard of coffee what they're missing.

This is a low key, feel good fantasy novel. Viv's a fun character with a shady past and her desire to start fresh is fun to watch. The book moves slowly and basically feels like settling back with a cup of coffee yourself, watching her go through the motions of setting up shop and then dealing with the challenges that come up. There's a hint of romance, but it's understated with very little tension or conflict.

It's a novel about friendship and doing your best and was a pleasure to read.]]> 4.00 2022
author: Travis Baldree
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2026/03/26
date added: 2026/08/19
shelves:
review:
Pros: feel good fantasy, low stakes

Cons:

After completing her last job as an adventurer, the orc Viv takes her final prize, the magical Scalvert Stone, which stories say can draw the heart's desire. She buys a used livery in Thune and fixes it up into a coffee shop. She has to find trustworthy workers, deal with the city's 'protection' gang, and show people who've never heard of coffee what they're missing.

This is a low key, feel good fantasy novel. Viv's a fun character with a shady past and her desire to start fresh is fun to watch. The book moves slowly and basically feels like settling back with a cup of coffee yourself, watching her go through the motions of setting up shop and then dealing with the challenges that come up. There's a hint of romance, but it's understated with very little tension or conflict.

It's a novel about friendship and doing your best and was a pleasure to read.
]]> 217206125 The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.

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 in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.]]> 377 Sarah Beth Durst 1250333970 Jessica 5
Cons:

Kiela works at the Great Library of Alyssium, keeping to herself with her sentient plant assistant Caz. When the library burns down, she escapes with a few forbidden spellbooks she's hidden on a boat. Back at her childhood home on the island of Caltrey, her plan to lie low at her family's old cottage is undermined by her handsome neighbour who keeps coming by. She quickly learns that the island is suffering due to a lack of visiting sorcerers, and starts to learn how to use the spellbooks to bring the island back to prosperity. But spellcasting is dangerous, which is why only sanctioned sorcerers are allowed to practice the art.

Kiela's a fun protagonist who starts off very standoffish and introverted, and slowly grows a group of close friends. Her relationship with Larran is sweet and very slow paced. There is a side romance that shows up at the end that felt like it came out of nowhere, but the main romance is a lovely ride.

I liked that the magic system felt realistic. Seeing Kiela try various things to get the spells to work - changing ingredients, adjusting pronunciations, studying alternatives, was neat. So much of the book is pure fantasy, that having the magic feel more ceremonial and scholarly was great.

I was a little surprised by the sheer variety of magical creatures on this small island. Otherwise the world-building was fun. I liked the political underpinnings of the story and that they were used to enhance what was happening in the main plot.

The atmosphere of the book is so cozy. Even when bad things were happening, I knew everything would turn out ok so I didn't need to stress about things. Great care is taken to describe the sights, smells, and tastes of island life.

This is a wonderful comfort read.]]> 3.95 2024
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2026/07/15
date added: 2026/07/21
shelves:
review:
Pros: slow burn romance, low stakes, cozy atmosphere even when bad things happen, a wide variety of fantasy creatures, realistic magic system

Cons:

Kiela works at the Great Library of Alyssium, keeping to herself with her sentient plant assistant Caz. When the library burns down, she escapes with a few forbidden spellbooks she's hidden on a boat. Back at her childhood home on the island of Caltrey, her plan to lie low at her family's old cottage is undermined by her handsome neighbour who keeps coming by. She quickly learns that the island is suffering due to a lack of visiting sorcerers, and starts to learn how to use the spellbooks to bring the island back to prosperity. But spellcasting is dangerous, which is why only sanctioned sorcerers are allowed to practice the art.

Kiela's a fun protagonist who starts off very standoffish and introverted, and slowly grows a group of close friends. Her relationship with Larran is sweet and very slow paced. There is a side romance that shows up at the end that felt like it came out of nowhere, but the main romance is a lovely ride.

I liked that the magic system felt realistic. Seeing Kiela try various things to get the spells to work - changing ingredients, adjusting pronunciations, studying alternatives, was neat. So much of the book is pure fantasy, that having the magic feel more ceremonial and scholarly was great.

I was a little surprised by the sheer variety of magical creatures on this small island. Otherwise the world-building was fun. I liked the political underpinnings of the story and that they were used to enhance what was happening in the main plot.

The atmosphere of the book is so cozy. Even when bad things were happening, I knew everything would turn out ok so I didn't need to stress about things. Great care is taken to describe the sights, smells, and tastes of island life.

This is a wonderful comfort read.
]]> 240311959 208 Bari Zaki 1789942381 Jessica 4
There are 16 distinct bookbinding projects. Each project starts with a list of required materials and tools. Numbered step by step instructions are accompanied with letter labelled illustrations of most of the steps, so for example, step 2 is illustrated in image C. Bookbinding is complex, and Zaki does a good job of breaking down the steps. Having said that, it can be a little intimidating seeing everything required to put a hand made book together.

As an absolute beginner I felt lost sometimes going through the book. Some of the steps are a bit confusing. Sometimes it feels like there's a step missing, or I'm misunderstanding what's required. I had to read the instructions on what a paper sandwich was a few times to understand that this is to make a lined cover for softbound books. A short paragraph explaining what the paper sandwich was would have been helpful, not just the instructions on how to make one.

While the book has a lot of photos, I was surprised that the project chapters don't all start with an image of the finished binding/project in question. To see what you're making, you often have to skip to the end of that chapter, or even the end of the book.

The book is well made, but I feel like it's designed for people who have at least some experience with book binding already, enough that they're familiar with the terminology.]]> 4.47
author: Bari Zaki
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.47
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2026/06/24
shelves:
review:
The book has 12 chapters plus an introduction, glossary, and resources. The first chapter goes over necessary tools and techniques for making the books included. Then the chapters cover a variety of binding options and book types, like accordion books, screw-post spines, and coptic-stitches. Some of the books use envelopes, and some of the 20 projects include things like covering pencils and butterfly clips with fancy paper.

There are 16 distinct bookbinding projects. Each project starts with a list of required materials and tools. Numbered step by step instructions are accompanied with letter labelled illustrations of most of the steps, so for example, step 2 is illustrated in image C. Bookbinding is complex, and Zaki does a good job of breaking down the steps. Having said that, it can be a little intimidating seeing everything required to put a hand made book together.

As an absolute beginner I felt lost sometimes going through the book. Some of the steps are a bit confusing. Sometimes it feels like there's a step missing, or I'm misunderstanding what's required. I had to read the instructions on what a paper sandwich was a few times to understand that this is to make a lined cover for softbound books. A short paragraph explaining what the paper sandwich was would have been helpful, not just the instructions on how to make one.

While the book has a lot of photos, I was surprised that the project chapters don't all start with an image of the finished binding/project in question. To see what you're making, you often have to skip to the end of that chapter, or even the end of the book.

The book is well made, but I feel like it's designed for people who have at least some experience with book binding already, enough that they're familiar with the terminology.
]]> 234352814 A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montreal turns to a grouchy but charming wizard to help save the shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.

Agnes Aubert leads a meticulously organized life—and she likes it that way. As the proudly type-A manager of a much-needed cat rescue charity, she has devoted her life to finding forever homes for lost cats.

But after she is forced to move the cat shelter, Agnes learns that her new landlord is using her charity as a front—for an internationally renowned and thoroughly disreputable magic shop. Owned by the disorganized—not to mention self-absorbed, irritating, but also decidedly handsome—Havelock Renard, magician and failed Dark Lord, the shop draws magical clientele from around the world, partly due to the quality of Havelock’s illicit goods as well as their curiosity about his shadowy past and rumors of his incredible powers. Agnes's charity offers the perfect cover for illegal magics.

Agnes couldn’t care less about the shop—magical intrigue or not, there are cats to be rescued. But when an enemy from Havelock’s past surfaces, the magic shop—and more importantly, the cat shelter—are suddenly in jeopardy. To save the shelter, will Agnes have to set aside her social conscience and protect the man who once tried to bring about the apocalypse—and is now trying to steal her heart?]]> 353 Heather Fawcett 0593973259 Jessica 3 3.85 2026
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2026
rating: 3
read at: 2026/06/23
date added: 2026/06/23
shelves:
review:

]]> 237353839 240 Toby Amidor 1400355249 Jessica 5
I've tried 3 of the recipes so far and have several more I'm interested in. The blueberry-lemon chia seed pudding was easy to make and delicious. It has a nice lemony tang that perfectly sets off the blueberries. The lentil stew was tasty. I've struggled to find lentil recipes I like, and this one turned out really good. The sheet pan spicy tofu and vegetables took some effort to prepare, but I loved the variety of vegetables, beans, and spices in one dish.

This is a great cookbook with recipes you'll want to incorporate in your weekly schedule.]]> 4.15
author: Toby Amidor
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2026/06/16
shelves:
review:
The book has two parts. The first part has 3 chapters and talks about protein, why it's important, where you find it, and how to incorporate more of it in your diet. It was a lot more interesting than I expected to learn about how protein works and why most people need more in their diets. I also appreciated the recommendation to get protein from a variety of natural sources, not just powders or steak dinners. The author even gives meal plan suggestions with shopping lists. The second part is full of recipes split into 8 chapters: smoothies and shakes; high-protein breakfasts; salads, sandwiches, and wraps; plant-based mains, fish and seafood mains, poultry and meat mains, side dishes, and higher-protein snacks and sweets. The recipes have a good variety and while a lot of them require numerous ingredients, they're generally easy to acquire.

I've tried 3 of the recipes so far and have several more I'm interested in. The blueberry-lemon chia seed pudding was easy to make and delicious. It has a nice lemony tang that perfectly sets off the blueberries. The lentil stew was tasty. I've struggled to find lentil recipes I like, and this one turned out really good. The sheet pan spicy tofu and vegetables took some effort to prepare, but I loved the variety of vegetables, beans, and spices in one dish.

This is a great cookbook with recipes you'll want to incorporate in your weekly schedule.
]]> 21466216
The vector calculus blazing through her head lets her smash through armed men twice her size and dodge every bullet in a gunfight. She can take any job for the right price and shoot anyone who gets in her way.

As far as she knows, she's the only person around with a superpower . . . but then Cas discovers someone with a power even more dangerous than her own. Someone who can reach directly into people's minds and twist their brains into Moebius strips. Someone intent on becoming the world's puppet master.

Someone who's already warped Cas's thoughts once before, with her none the wiser.

Cas should run. Going up against a psychic with a god complex isn't exactly a rational move, and saving the world from a power-hungry telepath isn't her responsibility. But she isn't about to let anyone get away with violating her brain -- and besides, she's got a small arsenal and some deadly mathematics on her side. There's only one problem . . .

She doesn't know which of her thoughts are her own anymore.]]> 305 S.L. Huang Jessica 5 diverse
Cons:

When Cas Russell takes the job to ‘retrieve’ Courtney Polk from a drug cartel, she assumes it will be a simple job. Because she’s VERY good at math, able to calculate vectors on the fly, making her dangerous in a fight. But she didn’t expect her mentor Rio to be working for the cartel. And when the woman who hired her turns out to be more than she seemed, Cas discovers she’s become a target of a mysterious organization, one with people who also have super powers.

This is a fast paced read that took me two days to get through. There are so many twists that it was hard to put down.

It’s an interesting cast of characters, as none of them are really ‘nice’ people. They’ve each got their good and bad qualities. Cas is a morally grey individual, who has no problem killing but also has some lines she won’t cross. Despite being a psychopath I mostly liked Rio. There’s a Dexter feel to him, as a man who’s using his baser urges for what he perceives is good. Arthur Tresting balances Rio on Cas’s other side, being mostly moral, but willing to bend the law when necessary and pretending he doesn’t know about or see most of Cas’s casual crimes.

I loved that Cas’s ‘superpower’ is that she’s just REALLY good at math. Like, so good she can do multiple calculations at once and so dodge bullets and make fancy trick kicks to take out opponents. The fight scenes are surprisingly entertaining.

I thought the rabbit hole of secret organizations was handled well, as was all the self doubt brought on by Dawna’s influence.

I really enjoyed the book.]]> 3.86
author: S.L. Huang
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.86
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2018/08/14
date added: 2026/06/06
shelves: diverse
review:
Pros: fast paced, protagonist is ‘good at math’, interesting characters

Cons:

When Cas Russell takes the job to ‘retrieve’ Courtney Polk from a drug cartel, she assumes it will be a simple job. Because she’s VERY good at math, able to calculate vectors on the fly, making her dangerous in a fight. But she didn’t expect her mentor Rio to be working for the cartel. And when the woman who hired her turns out to be more than she seemed, Cas discovers she’s become a target of a mysterious organization, one with people who also have super powers.

This is a fast paced read that took me two days to get through. There are so many twists that it was hard to put down.

It’s an interesting cast of characters, as none of them are really ‘nice’ people. They’ve each got their good and bad qualities. Cas is a morally grey individual, who has no problem killing but also has some lines she won’t cross. Despite being a psychopath I mostly liked Rio. There’s a Dexter feel to him, as a man who’s using his baser urges for what he perceives is good. Arthur Tresting balances Rio on Cas’s other side, being mostly moral, but willing to bend the law when necessary and pretending he doesn’t know about or see most of Cas’s casual crimes.

I loved that Cas’s ‘superpower’ is that she’s just REALLY good at math. Like, so good she can do multiple calculations at once and so dodge bullets and make fancy trick kicks to take out opponents. The fight scenes are surprisingly entertaining.

I thought the rabbit hole of secret organizations was handled well, as was all the self doubt brought on by Dawna’s influence.

I really enjoyed the book.
]]> 240019879 Doppelgängers, corporate intrigue, heartbreak, betrayal, and the harsh permanence of the border: Sublimation is a thrilling and provocative debut for fans of Severance that asks what you'd sacrifice for a different life from award-winning author Isabel J. Kim.

The border cuts you in two.

When you immigrate, you leave a copy of yourself behind, an instance. One person enters their new country; the other stays trapped at home.

Some instances keep in touch, call each other daily, keep their lives and minds in sync in the hopes of reintegrating and resuming a life as one person. Others, like Soyoung Rose Kang, leave home at ten years old and never speak to their other selves again. Rose, in America, never imagined going back to Korea until her grandfather died and her Korean instance called her home for the funeral.

She doesn’t know that Soyoung plans to steal her body and her life.

How far would you go to live the choice you didn’t make?]]> 368 Isabel J. Kim 1250376793 Jessica 5
Cons:

When people move between boarders there's a chance that their curiosity and uncertainty will create an instance of themselves, a version that stays behind while they move forwards, allowing them to, in essence, live both possible futures. When Soyoung and her mother moved from Korea to the United States, they left instances behind. Twenty years later, now going by Rose, she's invited to visit Korea for her grandfather's funeral where she meets her instance that stayed in Korea for the first time. She doesn't know that her grandfather has left her some possessions in his will. She doesn't know that her instance is considering his dying wish, for them to reintegrate.

The book is told from the alternating points of view of Rose and Soyoung, with Yj and Yujin also getting chapters later in the book. Chapter headings explain whose point of view you're inhabiting. The narratives are first person present, which gives the book a feeling of immediacy. It's strange to read though, and took a while to get used to.

I love how the author uses historical literature to give intancing a historical precident. It makes the idea feel weightier. The idea of instancing itself is a unique mechanic for examining how people act and how their own histories change them. It's especially interesting to see how the characters actions and desires change as they learn more about themselves as the book progresses. The book seems to propose that the conditions that lead to forming an instance upon crossing a border also leaves both parts less decisive moving forward. They end up in a state of stasis, unable to move forward with their lives. The book's premise poses a lot of thought provoking questions.

I wasn't really a fan of Rose or Soyoung, as they're not the nicest people. But I found them compelling characters to follow. At times I wanted to take one or both of them aside and tell them to think about the consequences of their actions before they did something drastic. I started out liking Yj and Yujin more, though my feelings toward them became complicated as their relationship became more complex

The book includes a lot of untranslated and unexplained Korean terms. They're mostly food items, but some cultural terms are used too. I felt a little left out as a result, as I couldn't fully understand the text, but I don't think it harms the book at all. And honestly, feeling a little left out gives me a window into how all of the protagonists in the book feel. That the other version of themselves had what they lack. Obviously there will be some readers who know all the Korean, so I suspect this was just a thematically lucky coincidence.

The more I think about the book the more layers I uncover. And there's a lot to think about. It's a challenging, brilliant first novel.]]> 3.55 2026
author: Isabel J. Kim
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2026
rating: 5
read at: 2026/03/21
date added: 2026/06/04
shelves:
review:
Pros: thought provoking, unique mechanic

Cons:

When people move between boarders there's a chance that their curiosity and uncertainty will create an instance of themselves, a version that stays behind while they move forwards, allowing them to, in essence, live both possible futures. When Soyoung and her mother moved from Korea to the United States, they left instances behind. Twenty years later, now going by Rose, she's invited to visit Korea for her grandfather's funeral where she meets her instance that stayed in Korea for the first time. She doesn't know that her grandfather has left her some possessions in his will. She doesn't know that her instance is considering his dying wish, for them to reintegrate.

The book is told from the alternating points of view of Rose and Soyoung, with Yj and Yujin also getting chapters later in the book. Chapter headings explain whose point of view you're inhabiting. The narratives are first person present, which gives the book a feeling of immediacy. It's strange to read though, and took a while to get used to.

I love how the author uses historical literature to give intancing a historical precident. It makes the idea feel weightier. The idea of instancing itself is a unique mechanic for examining how people act and how their own histories change them. It's especially interesting to see how the characters actions and desires change as they learn more about themselves as the book progresses. The book seems to propose that the conditions that lead to forming an instance upon crossing a border also leaves both parts less decisive moving forward. They end up in a state of stasis, unable to move forward with their lives. The book's premise poses a lot of thought provoking questions.

I wasn't really a fan of Rose or Soyoung, as they're not the nicest people. But I found them compelling characters to follow. At times I wanted to take one or both of them aside and tell them to think about the consequences of their actions before they did something drastic. I started out liking Yj and Yujin more, though my feelings toward them became complicated as their relationship became more complex

The book includes a lot of untranslated and unexplained Korean terms. They're mostly food items, but some cultural terms are used too. I felt a little left out as a result, as I couldn't fully understand the text, but I don't think it harms the book at all. And honestly, feeling a little left out gives me a window into how all of the protagonists in the book feel. That the other version of themselves had what they lack. Obviously there will be some readers who know all the Korean, so I suspect this was just a thematically lucky coincidence.

The more I think about the book the more layers I uncover. And there's a lot to think about. It's a challenging, brilliant first novel.
]]> 241258727 224 Tom Horne 1838866620 Jessica 4
The book is heavily illustrated with each chapter having numerous pictures of relevant archaeological finds. It emphasizes the ubiquity of viking culture despite its geographic expansion. I loved the inclusion of so many items from daily life.

The chapters are fairly short, covering a decent amount of information in a superficial way. It's a nice introduction to the life of Vikings, but if you've researched the topic before you won't learn much new.

While the book has information about the objects depicted, and credits for the included photographs, I often wanted to know where the objects were currently housed and that's hard to figure out. Some of the photos are credited to institutions where they're presumably held, but others have Alamy or individual photographer credits, which is less helpful. I may be in the minority for wanting this information though.

It's a great primer on Viking life.]]> 4.20
author: Tom Horne
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2026/05/22
date added: 2026/05/22
shelves:
review:
The book has 7 chapters in addition to the introduction: Playing games: growing up a viking; Production and consumption; House and home; Clothing and adornment; Weapons and war; Trading and raiding; Faith and death. There's an index, a bibliography and picture credits at the end.

The book is heavily illustrated with each chapter having numerous pictures of relevant archaeological finds. It emphasizes the ubiquity of viking culture despite its geographic expansion. I loved the inclusion of so many items from daily life.

The chapters are fairly short, covering a decent amount of information in a superficial way. It's a nice introduction to the life of Vikings, but if you've researched the topic before you won't learn much new.

While the book has information about the objects depicted, and credits for the included photographs, I often wanted to know where the objects were currently housed and that's hard to figure out. Some of the photos are credited to institutions where they're presumably held, but others have Alamy or individual photographer credits, which is less helpful. I may be in the minority for wanting this information though.

It's a great primer on Viking life.
]]> 220809189 Tansy Glenmoss flees the horrors of war, seeking solace in the magical marshlands of Silverfern Hollow.
In a cozy cottage surrounded by blooming gardens and the warmth of a welcoming community, she begins to heal—brewing remedies, growing friendships, and finding an unexpected connection with Orsian, a man whose scars run as deep as her own.
But peace is fragile.
A shadow from her past emerges, and dark magic seeps into the marshlands. As the waters foul and the Folk fall ill, Tansy must confront the nightmares she thought she’d escaped and protect the family and home she never thought she’d find.
Filled with heartwarming moments, quiet resilience, and the healing power of second chances, Tansy’s Tinctures is a cozy fantasy tale of found family, living with PTSD, and finding light in the darkest places.]]> 255 R.S.S. Rodrigues Jessica 3 4.02
author: R.S.S. Rodrigues
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.02
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2026/05/07
date added: 2026/05/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 240019874 Having someone else support your bad decision feels kind of good.

After volunteering to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realizes that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn't know.

Including human children. Ugh.

This may well call for... eye contact!

(Emotion check: Oh, for f—)]]> 244 Martha Wells 1250827000 Jessica 5
Cons: muted action

Murderbot and Three break onto a gigantic planetary torus so Murderbot can rescue several humans important to Mensah. But their escape is complicated by the unforseen need to rescue more humans and navigate the surprisingly complex torus.

This is a much quieter adventure for Murderbot. While there are some fights, due to the nature of the mission and the presence of kids, it needs to keep the killing and mayhem to a minimum. Instead, there are a lot of quick decisions, directed hacking, and clever manoeuvres. The new humans are interesting and their interactions with Murderbot entertaining. The book has a number of unexpected twists.

The world-building is fantastic as each zone in the torus is run by a different group and so has its own transportation, feed, security, etc. None of which Murderbot knows in advance. It’s ability to plan on the fly has greatly improved.

A new feature in this book is Murderbot’s attempts to deal with its trauma by running occasional (and sometimes frequent) ‘emotion checks’. These provide some nice comedic asides as well as showing Murderbot’s growth as it realizes things about itself and the humans.

It’s an enjoyable read.]]> 4.15 2026
author: Martha Wells
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2026
rating: 5
read at: 2025/11/26
date added: 2026/05/05
shelves:
review:
Pros: entertaining new characters, snarky commentary, excellent world-building

Cons: muted action

Murderbot and Three break onto a gigantic planetary torus so Murderbot can rescue several humans important to Mensah. But their escape is complicated by the unforseen need to rescue more humans and navigate the surprisingly complex torus.

This is a much quieter adventure for Murderbot. While there are some fights, due to the nature of the mission and the presence of kids, it needs to keep the killing and mayhem to a minimum. Instead, there are a lot of quick decisions, directed hacking, and clever manoeuvres. The new humans are interesting and their interactions with Murderbot entertaining. The book has a number of unexpected twists.

The world-building is fantastic as each zone in the torus is run by a different group and so has its own transportation, feed, security, etc. None of which Murderbot knows in advance. It’s ability to plan on the fly has greatly improved.

A new feature in this book is Murderbot’s attempts to deal with its trauma by running occasional (and sometimes frequent) ‘emotion checks’. These provide some nice comedic asides as well as showing Murderbot’s growth as it realizes things about itself and the humans.

It’s an enjoyable read.
]]> 247590546 What's a prince to do when the man of his dreams doesn’t want a crown and his cat is banned from the palace?

His Imperial Highness Faraj al-Nadhir has never thought himself a charming sort of prince. He’s shy, round, middle-aged, and always dutiful. But he has also secretly spent years dreaming of a man tending jasmine in a sun-lit window — prophetic visions that led him at last to one blissful night with someone who sees his heart, not his crown.

He did not expect to wake up with a cat walking on his face.

Cat-familiars are forbidden in the Imperial fortress. They might be spies. They might be soul-charmers. They might even sharpen their claws on thousand-year-old tapestries. But Faraj cannot regret that sweet little Sahar chose him — just as he cannot regret Asharan bir Chameli, the enchanting owner of the House of Jasmines. Asharan wants nothing to do with Faraj’s title and power, only his kindness. And Faraj hadn’t expected either the delights or the dilemmas of Asharan’s magical, soft-pawed little gift.

The rules have always been different for the God-Emperor's brother. Faraj never before realized how much.

Now he's breakfasting from community cauldrons in back alleys full of children and kittens. His foresight shows him a thousand paths toward disaster, but not the way through. His devoted chamberlain fears that Faraj has been bewitched by a purring agent of chaos, and Faraj can’t exactly say he’s wrong.

When the choice comes down to betraying his lover's name, his cat-familiar’s life, or his own use of forbidden magic, Faraj does the only thing he can: He gets himself put on trial for heresy, trying to change the laws of the Empire itself.

If his visions always lead him into trouble, he might as well make useful trouble.

CHAI AND CHARMCRAFT is the first book in a cozy and queer Middle Eastern M/M fantasy trilogy brimming with charm, intrigue, later-in-life romance, body positivity, and so many kittens. Here, nobody needs a magical makeover to be loved exactly as they are — and their night of joy together isn't where the story ends. That's where it begins... ]]> 517 Lynn Strong Jessica 3
Cons: very long chapters, slow pacing, some confusion about the world and untranslated terms

After a lifetime of following the rules and causing no trouble, the God-Emperor's brother and prophet, His Imperial Highness Nur-ul-Shuruq Faraj al-Nadhir, sneaks away from the palace in which he lives to visit the proprietor of a bathhouse from his prophetic visions, in the Catsprowl for a night of unbridled passion. When his lover is forced to resummon his cat familiar, Faraj ends up accidentally summoning his own spirit-summoned familiar, a pregnant cat. But the palace doesn't allow cats, especially not ones tied to the soul that can be used to harm or spy on members of the royal family.

The book's stakes are fairly low, trying to change things so cats - or at least Faraj's familiar - are allowed in the palace, and hiding the identity of Faraj's low class lover, so he can't be used against the prince. As the book progresses, there is a decent amount of talk about political maneuvering, especially around the various priests congregating in the city. There was one fairly tense dinner scene, but for the most part the book maintains a low key, cozy feel to it.

The world building is such that the place feels lived in. There's a real ambiance to it based loosely on medieval Egypt. I absolutely loved the catfolk and the complex mix of gods and goddesses worshipped. The author sprinkles in a lot of untranslated terms that are mostly understandable from context. Though it did take me most of the book to realize that kulhad were cups holding chai, rather than denoting a drink. Some things about the world weren't really clear to me. I was confused by whether the priests of Upaja and Bastet worshipped in the same temple or had their own distinct practices. I also questioned a few aspects, like the priests of Upaja were said to carry no coin and collected alms so they could cook and provide food to the poor. These priests are also said to be rotund and when the High Priest serves Faraj he has access to high end snack foods. While the citizenry apparently joke about their weight, no one accuses them of eating the offerings themselves thereby taking food from starving supplicants. When orders devoted to poverty start having overweight clerics, that's usually a sign of corruption and lax devotion.

There is a vocabulary and condensed character guide at the end of the book, though a lot of terms, like kulhad and haveli aren't included. Though the guide is mentioned in the table of contents, I didn't realize it was there until I finished the book. The guide does go over a bunch of terms and the identities of the priests, so it's a good reference. There are also recipes and some other end notes.

The prologue contains an off page gay sex scene. There are mild flirtations and some foreplay, but there's nothing detailed beyond kissing. Later in the book there's some more flirtation and innuendo, but it's otherwise a tame book.

For some reason the first chapter is called a prologue. Prologues are generally set off from the text by time, distance, or character point of view. So it's really strange that the author put the events that kick off the plot in one. Apparently some younger readers are skipping prologues these days, feeling they're unnecessary, and will find themselves very confused if they do that with this book as chapter 1 picks up the morning after.

The early chapters are very long and while the conversations feel realistic, they often stall the story's momentum. The prologue and first chapter set-up the scene, but then it takes several chapters for Faraj to arrive back at his palace and anything new of interest to happen. Scene changes were nice, and the first few pages of each chapter were interesting, but quickly got bogged down in long-winded chatter. I found on the whole that the second half of the book was much more engaging as it brings in a lot of political intrigue. There may be too much intrigue if you're looking for a relaxing cozy, as it made me think about justice, laws, and fairness in society.

There are some sweet scenes of people preparing food together and seeing the kittens of the Catfolk ask Furaj for treats was fun. Faraj and his lover, Asharin, are both very kind and I was hoping to see more of them together in this book. My favourite character was the heretical Archivist Najra who steals every scene she's in.

Overall, while I thought the book had some good points, like interesting characters and detailed prose, the length of the book became a hindrance for me.

< REVIEW COPY PROVIDED BY BOOKSIRENS >]]> 4.23 2026
author: Lynn Strong
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2026
rating: 3
read at: 2026/04/16
date added: 2026/04/28
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting world building with a mix of Egyptian deities and catfolk, conversations feel realistic, highly descriptive

Cons: very long chapters, slow pacing, some confusion about the world and untranslated terms

After a lifetime of following the rules and causing no trouble, the God-Emperor's brother and prophet, His Imperial Highness Nur-ul-Shuruq Faraj al-Nadhir, sneaks away from the palace in which he lives to visit the proprietor of a bathhouse from his prophetic visions, in the Catsprowl for a night of unbridled passion. When his lover is forced to resummon his cat familiar, Faraj ends up accidentally summoning his own spirit-summoned familiar, a pregnant cat. But the palace doesn't allow cats, especially not ones tied to the soul that can be used to harm or spy on members of the royal family.

The book's stakes are fairly low, trying to change things so cats - or at least Faraj's familiar - are allowed in the palace, and hiding the identity of Faraj's low class lover, so he can't be used against the prince. As the book progresses, there is a decent amount of talk about political maneuvering, especially around the various priests congregating in the city. There was one fairly tense dinner scene, but for the most part the book maintains a low key, cozy feel to it.

The world building is such that the place feels lived in. There's a real ambiance to it based loosely on medieval Egypt. I absolutely loved the catfolk and the complex mix of gods and goddesses worshipped. The author sprinkles in a lot of untranslated terms that are mostly understandable from context. Though it did take me most of the book to realize that kulhad were cups holding chai, rather than denoting a drink. Some things about the world weren't really clear to me. I was confused by whether the priests of Upaja and Bastet worshipped in the same temple or had their own distinct practices. I also questioned a few aspects, like the priests of Upaja were said to carry no coin and collected alms so they could cook and provide food to the poor. These priests are also said to be rotund and when the High Priest serves Faraj he has access to high end snack foods. While the citizenry apparently joke about their weight, no one accuses them of eating the offerings themselves thereby taking food from starving supplicants. When orders devoted to poverty start having overweight clerics, that's usually a sign of corruption and lax devotion.

There is a vocabulary and condensed character guide at the end of the book, though a lot of terms, like kulhad and haveli aren't included. Though the guide is mentioned in the table of contents, I didn't realize it was there until I finished the book. The guide does go over a bunch of terms and the identities of the priests, so it's a good reference. There are also recipes and some other end notes.

The prologue contains an off page gay sex scene. There are mild flirtations and some foreplay, but there's nothing detailed beyond kissing. Later in the book there's some more flirtation and innuendo, but it's otherwise a tame book.

For some reason the first chapter is called a prologue. Prologues are generally set off from the text by time, distance, or character point of view. So it's really strange that the author put the events that kick off the plot in one. Apparently some younger readers are skipping prologues these days, feeling they're unnecessary, and will find themselves very confused if they do that with this book as chapter 1 picks up the morning after.

The early chapters are very long and while the conversations feel realistic, they often stall the story's momentum. The prologue and first chapter set-up the scene, but then it takes several chapters for Faraj to arrive back at his palace and anything new of interest to happen. Scene changes were nice, and the first few pages of each chapter were interesting, but quickly got bogged down in long-winded chatter. I found on the whole that the second half of the book was much more engaging as it brings in a lot of political intrigue. There may be too much intrigue if you're looking for a relaxing cozy, as it made me think about justice, laws, and fairness in society.

There are some sweet scenes of people preparing food together and seeing the kittens of the Catfolk ask Furaj for treats was fun. Faraj and his lover, Asharin, are both very kind and I was hoping to see more of them together in this book. My favourite character was the heretical Archivist Najra who steals every scene she's in.

Overall, while I thought the book had some good points, like interesting characters and detailed prose, the length of the book became a hindrance for me.

< REVIEW COPY PROVIDED BY BOOKSIRENS >
]]> 247433821

Dassia has been living in borrowed armor and even more borrowed confidence, dodging questions and keeping her feelings locked up tighter than a royal vault. But when her captain sends her on a quest to slay a dragon, Dassia meets a chocolate-obsessed dragon with a flair for the dramatic and zero interest in being slain.

What starts as survival becomes something a friendship, a business partnership, and a cozy chocolate shop in a village where nobody asks too many questions.

Etchling has demands (snacks), opinions (many), and a talent for poking directly at Dassia's emotional armor. Add a charming bookshop mage who has the nerve to see right through her, and Dassia’s defenses begin to melt.

But some meltdowns are how hearts grow softer, especially when chocolate is involved.

A heartwarming and humorous cozy fantasy about found family, second chances, and discovering that the bravest thing you can do is let yourself be known. Perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes and The House in the Cerulean Sea.]]> M.J. Gillbright Jessica 0 did-not-finish 4.05
author: M.J. Gillbright
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.05
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/04/25
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

]]> 238766958 A cursed princess must discover what her heart truly longs for in this charmingly cozy romantic fantasy for everyone who’s ever lost – or found – themselves in a bookshop.

Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar is disillusioned with life as a princess. She longs for real conversation, the chance to build a life of her own making, and uninterrupted reading time.

During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, Tandy’s dream comes true when she finds herself cursed to remain in a run-down bookshop until she unlocks her heart’s desire. Certain that someone will figure out how to break the curse eventually, and delighted by the prospect of an entire bookstore of her own, Tandy settles into life among the stacks. She finds it easy to exchange balls and endless state dinners for teetering piles of books and an irritatingly handsome pirate who seems bent on stealing her stock.

She even starts to believe she's stumbled into her very own happily ever after.

There's just one, minor problem: as Tandy's royal duties go unfulfilled, her frantic parents start sending princes to woo her, each one of them certain their kiss will break the curse. After all, what more could a princess want but a prince?]]> 373 Amy Coombe 0593955536 Jessica 5
Cons: made me cry

Princess Tanadelle de Courcy is in Little Pepperidge to dedicate it's new market square when she runs out of books to read. Desperate for a distraction from her boring royal duties, she visits a bookshop. Her world is turned upside down when she's cursed by the owner to stay until she discovers her heart's desire. Now in charge of the shop, she relishes the first real freedom she's ever had, flirting with a handsome sailor and trying to drum up customers. But she dreads her parents' reaction, knowing they will stop at nothing to break the curse, even if it means sending the 7 princes of the realm to kiss her.

This is a sweet, cozy romance with a lot of heart. Tandy's such a warmhearted and loving princess, and she tries so hard to make everyone around her happy. It's hard not to follow everyone in the book's example by falling in love with her. Watching her learn how to flirt with the sailor is almost painfully cute. I loved seeing her become self-sufficient, learning simple magic to cook and clean, and watching her joy at being able to read any book she wanted late into the night.

The book is LGBT friendly, with a fun romance between two teen girls who end up helping Tandy with the shop.

There are some mildly humiliating things that happen to Tandy, which made me feel bad for her. The book tugs at the heartstrings at times and made my cry at more than one point.

This is a low stakes story with a low spice level that has one fade to black love scene and some cute flirting and banter. The story is heartfelt, sweet and lovely. It is suitable for YA and adult readers.]]> 3.98 2026
author: Amy Coombe
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2026
rating: 5
read at: 2026/03/10
date added: 2026/04/14
shelves:
review:
Pros: caring protagonist, bookshop setting, saphic secondary romance, really tugs at the heartstrings at times

Cons: made me cry

Princess Tanadelle de Courcy is in Little Pepperidge to dedicate it's new market square when she runs out of books to read. Desperate for a distraction from her boring royal duties, she visits a bookshop. Her world is turned upside down when she's cursed by the owner to stay until she discovers her heart's desire. Now in charge of the shop, she relishes the first real freedom she's ever had, flirting with a handsome sailor and trying to drum up customers. But she dreads her parents' reaction, knowing they will stop at nothing to break the curse, even if it means sending the 7 princes of the realm to kiss her.

This is a sweet, cozy romance with a lot of heart. Tandy's such a warmhearted and loving princess, and she tries so hard to make everyone around her happy. It's hard not to follow everyone in the book's example by falling in love with her. Watching her learn how to flirt with the sailor is almost painfully cute. I loved seeing her become self-sufficient, learning simple magic to cook and clean, and watching her joy at being able to read any book she wanted late into the night.

The book is LGBT friendly, with a fun romance between two teen girls who end up helping Tandy with the shop.

There are some mildly humiliating things that happen to Tandy, which made me feel bad for her. The book tugs at the heartstrings at times and made my cry at more than one point.

This is a low stakes story with a low spice level that has one fade to black love scene and some cute flirting and banter. The story is heartfelt, sweet and lovely. It is suitable for YA and adult readers.
]]> 241716289 A magical florist journeys from the kingdom’s capital to its wild woods to fulfill an unusual request, and stumbles upon friendship, conspiracy, and the buds of new love in this debut cozy fantasy.

The book contains hand-drawn floral sketches inside!

Cursed from birth to always tell the truth, magical florist Felicity “Fliss” Farrow chooses her words carefully to avoid trouble. But when she receives an anonymous request for a mysterious flower, her search leads her directly into trouble’s path: to Willoh Vane.

Fliss knows the outcast—yet teasingly handsome—sorcerer is rumored to have used dark magic to corrupt the northern forest five years ago. She’s witnessed the resulting feud with Prince Bastion, whom her best friend, Card, is soon to marry. Despite her divided loyalty, Fliss reluctantly accepts Will’s help with gathering rare flowers and finds herself increasingly drawn to him.

As the royal wedding approaches, Fliss fears the flowers she’s delivered are intended for a sinister purpose. But when her warnings are ignored, can she and Will save the kingdom from disaster, and ultimately discover what Fliss has sought for so long—the truth.]]> 352 Becky Jenkinson Jessica 0 did-not-finish 3.78 2026
author: Becky Jenkinson
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/03/27
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

]]> 86210935
Any adventurer worth their sword knows about Ambrose Beake. The proud, quiet half-elf sells the best, and only, potions in the city—until a handsome new shopkeeper named Eli opens another potion shop across the street, throwing Ambrose’s peace and ledgers far off balance.

Within weeks, they’re locked in a war of price tags and products—Ambrose’s expertise against Eli’s effortless charm. Toil leads to trouble, the safety gloves come off, and right as their rivalry reaches a boiling point…

The mayor commissions them to brew a potion together.

The task is as complex as it is lucrative, pushing both men to the limits of their abilities and patience. Yet as the fires burn and cauldrons bubble…they find a different sort of chemistry brewing.]]> 340 R.K. Ashwick Jessica 0 4.00 2023
author: R.K. Ashwick
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at: 2026/03/20
date added: 2026/03/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 217388100
Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.]]> 375 Sarah Beth Durst 1250333989 Jessica 5
Cons:

Cursed to become a statue for performing an illegal act of sorcery, Terlu is surprised to be awakened in a snowy forest. She finds herself on an island full of enchanted greenhouses whose magic is failing. Their keeper, Yarrow, believes she can fix them, but she doesn't know how to and isn't sure it's worth the risk of performing more illegal magic.

I loved the book. It's the second in the Spellshop series but stands alone very well. I haven't read the first book yet, but plan to after reading this. The stakes were mostly low key, so I never felt stressed about how the plot would be resolved. And I really needed to read something cozy and unstressful. The few tense moments the book had were filled with hope and heart and people doing their best, working together in difficult circumstances. Terla and Yarrow were both honestly good characters who wanted the greenhouses to survive for each other to be happy. The food Yarrow cooked sounded delicious, though I did start to wonder why everything tasted like spring or summer to Terla.

While the idea of greenhouses on their own isn't inventive, Durst fills them with a mix of practical garden vegetables, beautiful flowers, and exquisite magic. Some of the rooms and the creatures within are wondrous and I'd love to visit for real and see them for myself. The sentient plants were a mix of fun and annoying, but I love the idea of them and enjoyed the variety of personalities on display. I loved how magic worked in this world. As someone who's studied several languages, it was neat seeing Terla parse the various meanings words can have and experiment with spells. I loved the winged cat and feel that more fantasy worlds should include them.

The romance was understated and sweet. It progressed naturally and felt measured. There's nothing on the page beyond a few kisses and cuddles, making this appropriate for YA and adult audiences. It is LGBT friendly, with one lesbian couple showing up a side characters later in the book.

If you're looking for a feel good romance with a lot of plants and no spice, this is for you.]]> 4.08 2025
author: Sarah Beth Durst
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2026/03/12
date added: 2026/03/17
shelves:
review:
Pros: sweet story, gorgeous and inventive setting, interesting magic

Cons:

Cursed to become a statue for performing an illegal act of sorcery, Terlu is surprised to be awakened in a snowy forest. She finds herself on an island full of enchanted greenhouses whose magic is failing. Their keeper, Yarrow, believes she can fix them, but she doesn't know how to and isn't sure it's worth the risk of performing more illegal magic.

I loved the book. It's the second in the Spellshop series but stands alone very well. I haven't read the first book yet, but plan to after reading this. The stakes were mostly low key, so I never felt stressed about how the plot would be resolved. And I really needed to read something cozy and unstressful. The few tense moments the book had were filled with hope and heart and people doing their best, working together in difficult circumstances. Terla and Yarrow were both honestly good characters who wanted the greenhouses to survive for each other to be happy. The food Yarrow cooked sounded delicious, though I did start to wonder why everything tasted like spring or summer to Terla.

While the idea of greenhouses on their own isn't inventive, Durst fills them with a mix of practical garden vegetables, beautiful flowers, and exquisite magic. Some of the rooms and the creatures within are wondrous and I'd love to visit for real and see them for myself. The sentient plants were a mix of fun and annoying, but I love the idea of them and enjoyed the variety of personalities on display. I loved how magic worked in this world. As someone who's studied several languages, it was neat seeing Terla parse the various meanings words can have and experiment with spells. I loved the winged cat and feel that more fantasy worlds should include them.

The romance was understated and sweet. It progressed naturally and felt measured. There's nothing on the page beyond a few kisses and cuddles, making this appropriate for YA and adult audiences. It is LGBT friendly, with one lesbian couple showing up a side characters later in the book.

If you're looking for a feel good romance with a lot of plants and no spice, this is for you.
]]> 231406925 Lushly illustrated with stunning artifacts, this volume is the first comprehensive and accessible publication to explore the art, architecture, and material culture of ancient Nubia.

Kings and queens of Nubia reigned over one of the largest empires in the ancient world and had contacts extending north to Greece and Rome, south to sub-Saharan Africa, east to the Red Sea, and west across much of the Sahel. Even a quick look at Nubia’s artifacts reveals the incredible creativity of its artists, architects, craftspeople, and thinkers. Despite their significance, the achievements of ancient Nubia are little known to the public and are often viewed as a subculture, a derivative offshoot of Egypt, Nubia’s northern neighbor. Nothing could be further from the truth. During its over eight-thousand-year lifespan (beginning around 8000 BCE), Nubia indelibly shaped the art and architecture of the ancient world, an influence still felt today.

Ancient Nubian Art is the first comprehensive and accessible treatment of Nubian artistic culture and showcases its vast range—from ceramics, sculptures, and jewelry to tombs, temples, and palaces. Rita E. Freed, curator emerita at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which has the largest collection of Nubian artifacts outside the Nile Valley, contextualizes the development of Nubian art against a vivid backdrop of kingship, power, worship, identity, gender, technology, and internationalism. Her text is accompanied by a foreword by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and sidebars by expert voices from the field.]]> 288 Rita E. Freed 1606069810 Jessica 5
The book follows the chronological history of Nubia, as we can piece it together through archaeological evidence. The early chapters are fairly short, as there isn’t much evidence or material objects. There are at least a few photos per chapter illuminating the text. The chapters get more detailed as empires rose, since they left significantly more behind. The book constantly compares the artwork, homes, clothing, and habits (as well as can be determined) to the more well known Egyptian one. So we’re told that Egyptian artwork is more formulaic, while Nubian artwork has more of a naturalistic look, with freer forms and curvier figures. I was especially interested to learn the ways Nubian metalworkers experimented with enamel to create mixed forms much earlier than appeared elsewhere in the world.

In addition to images of artworks, the book also has some floor plans for palaces and temples, diagrams of houses, etc.

It’s fascinating learning about such a little known culture. Their artwork deserves to be known in its own right, separate from that of Egypt. Hopefully this book will encourage people to learn more about the Nubians and their culture.]]> 4.80
author: Rita E. Freed
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.80
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2026/02/26
date added: 2026/03/03
shelves:
review:
The book consists of 8 chapters in addition to the introduction: Beginnings; Expanding World: A-Group; C-Group and Pan-Grave Cultures Move In; Nubia’s First Empire: Kerma; An Interlude with Egypt; Nubia’s Second Empire: The Napatan Period; Nubia’s Third Empire: The Meriotic Period; and Beyond the Meroitic Empire. There’s a forward by Henry Louix Gates, Jr. that explores what Nubia and Egypt meant to enslaved Africans in America, and why learning about ancient African nations and their accomplishments was so important to black Americans.

The book follows the chronological history of Nubia, as we can piece it together through archaeological evidence. The early chapters are fairly short, as there isn’t much evidence or material objects. There are at least a few photos per chapter illuminating the text. The chapters get more detailed as empires rose, since they left significantly more behind. The book constantly compares the artwork, homes, clothing, and habits (as well as can be determined) to the more well known Egyptian one. So we’re told that Egyptian artwork is more formulaic, while Nubian artwork has more of a naturalistic look, with freer forms and curvier figures. I was especially interested to learn the ways Nubian metalworkers experimented with enamel to create mixed forms much earlier than appeared elsewhere in the world.

In addition to images of artworks, the book also has some floor plans for palaces and temples, diagrams of houses, etc.

It’s fascinating learning about such a little known culture. Their artwork deserves to be known in its own right, separate from that of Egypt. Hopefully this book will encourage people to learn more about the Nubians and their culture.
]]> 58243335
Teal Sorenson has lost everything in the two years since the alien Spectres descended upon the Celestial Expanse: family, friends, even her home. Now condemned to exile on the jungle planet Iolanthe, she can only watch the war from afar…until a chance invasion sends her fleeing into the night.

With the colony overrun, the only place left to go is the jungle, and yet as Teal struggles to survive in a savage alien rainforest that could as easily kill her as save her, she realizes this invasion is more than just a simple offensive strike. Iolanthe has nothing to tempt the enemy: no resources, no strategic value, no military presence. So why are they really here?

The answer could spell the end of the war, and the human race along with it. Now only Teal and a ragtag band of survivors stand between the enemy and certain victory. Mere survival is no longer enough. It’s time to fight.

The battle for Iolanthe has begun.]]> 659 Margaret Fortune 0698404378 Jessica 0 to-read 4.20 2022
author: Margaret Fortune
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2026/02/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 40670312 How far would you go to find The One?

A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you’ll be matched with your perfect partner the one you are genetically made for.

That’s the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love.

Now five very different people have received the notification that they’ve been “Matched.” They’re each about to meet their one true love. But “happily ever after” isn’t guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others…

A word-of-mouth hit in the United Kingdom, The One is a fascinating novel that shows how even the simplest discoveries can have complicated consequences.]]> 418 John Marrs Jessica 5
Cons:

What would you do if there was a scientific way of finding THE ONE, that one person in the whole world who completes you? This is the story of 5 people who take the test, get their matches, and discover that finding THE ONE isn’t at all what they expected.

The book is a near sci-fi psychological suspense. While I did anticipate a few twists, the characters made so many unexpected decisions and were thrown such wild situations that I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.

The book cycles through the five protagonists, and leaves you on constant mini cliffhangers as they discover something new before the narrative swaps to the next character. This keeps things fast paced and interesting. The characters themselves were intriguing and varied, with all of them coming from different backgrounds and wanting something different from their match. It’s interesting seeing what they’re willing to give up and do for their matched partners.

I found the premise thought provoking and the author does a great job of showing how a variety of people react to finding their match. While a lot of the turmoil the program unleashed is hand waved away by some of the protagonists, it’s clear that this has largely reshaped the world and how people approach marriage and relationships.

I though the ending followed the consequences of the protagonists choices and so felt satisfying.

This is an exciting, quick paced, read.]]> 4.07 2016
author: John Marrs
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2026/01/17
date added: 2026/01/27
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting characters, constant plot twists, suspenseful, thought provoking

Cons:

What would you do if there was a scientific way of finding THE ONE, that one person in the whole world who completes you? This is the story of 5 people who take the test, get their matches, and discover that finding THE ONE isn’t at all what they expected.

The book is a near sci-fi psychological suspense. While I did anticipate a few twists, the characters made so many unexpected decisions and were thrown such wild situations that I was on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.

The book cycles through the five protagonists, and leaves you on constant mini cliffhangers as they discover something new before the narrative swaps to the next character. This keeps things fast paced and interesting. The characters themselves were intriguing and varied, with all of them coming from different backgrounds and wanting something different from their match. It’s interesting seeing what they’re willing to give up and do for their matched partners.

I found the premise thought provoking and the author does a great job of showing how a variety of people react to finding their match. While a lot of the turmoil the program unleashed is hand waved away by some of the protagonists, it’s clear that this has largely reshaped the world and how people approach marriage and relationships.

I though the ending followed the consequences of the protagonists choices and so felt satisfying.

This is an exciting, quick paced, read.
]]> 35506021
They've created enough colonies so humanity shouldn't go extinct. But political squabbles have a bad habit of dying hard, and the Brazilian probes are still trying to take out the competition. And the Bobs have picked a fight with an older, more powerful species with a large appetite and a short temper.

Still stinging from getting their collective butts kicked in their first encounter with the Others, the Bobs now face the prospect of a decisive final battle to defend Earth and its colonies. But the Bobs are less disciplined than a herd of cats, and some of the younger copies are more concerned with their own local problems than defeating the Others.

Yet salvation may come from an unlikely source. A couple of eighth-generation Bobs have found something out in deep space. All it will take to save the Earth and perhaps all of humanity is for them to get it to Sol - unless the Others arrive first.]]> 336 Dennis E. Taylor Jessica 0 4.40 2017
author: Dennis E. Taylor
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2026/01/06
date added: 2026/01/06
shelves:
review:

]]> 231126910 A fan-favorite character returns in this action-packed installment of the Hugo Award-winning Wayward Children series.

After Nancy was cast out of the Halls of the Dead and forced to enroll at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, she never believed she'd find her door again, and when she did, she didn't look back. She disappeared from the school to resume her place in the Halls, never intending to return.

Years have passed. A darkness has descended on the Halls, and the living statues who populate them are dying at the hands of the already dead. The Lord and Lady who rule the land are helpless to stop the slaughter, forcing Nancy to leave the Halls again, this time on purpose, as she attempts to seek much-needed help from her former schoolmates.

But who would volunteer to quest in a world where the dead roam freely?

And why are the dead so intent on adding to their number?]]> 149 Seanan McGuire 1250339405 Jessica 5
Cons:

The book picks up a few months in our world after the events of Mislaid in Parts Half-Known. Nancy, living in the Halls of the Dead, where time passes slower, is forced to flee when the hungry ghosts start killing her fellow living statues. She asks her former classmates at Miss Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children for aid, and though it’s against the school’s rules, they embark on another quest.

The book has a beautiful lyricism to it. McGuire’s prose often reads like poetry with a lot of pointed commentary on the human condition. Though the Halls of the Dead have shown up in previous books, we get to learn more about it and it’s rulers. We also get to learn more about Talia, who’s briefly mentioned in the previous book.

It’s cool seeing how the kids’ various talents help them solve the problem. The novella’s the perfect length for this adventure.]]> 3.74 2026
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2026
rating: 5
read at: 2025/12/03
date added: 2026/01/06
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting world-building, beautiful prose

Cons:

The book picks up a few months in our world after the events of Mislaid in Parts Half-Known. Nancy, living in the Halls of the Dead, where time passes slower, is forced to flee when the hungry ghosts start killing her fellow living statues. She asks her former classmates at Miss Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children for aid, and though it’s against the school’s rules, they embark on another quest.

The book has a beautiful lyricism to it. McGuire’s prose often reads like poetry with a lot of pointed commentary on the human condition. Though the Halls of the Dead have shown up in previous books, we get to learn more about it and it’s rulers. We also get to learn more about Talia, who’s briefly mentioned in the previous book.

It’s cool seeing how the kids’ various talents help them solve the problem. The novella’s the perfect length for this adventure.
]]> 33395557
Bob and his copies have been spreading out from Earth for 40 years now, looking for habitable planets. But that's the only part of the plan that's still in one piece. A system-wide war has killed off 99.9 percent of the human race; nuclear winter is slowly making the Earth uninhabitable; a radical group wants to finish the job on the remnants of humanity; the Brazilian space probes are still out there, still trying to blow up the competition; and the Bobs have discovered a spacefaring species that sees all other life as food.

Bob left Earth anticipating a life of exploration and blissful solitude. Instead he's become a sky god to a primitive native species, the only hope for getting humanity to a new home, and possibly the only thing that can prevent every living thing in the local sphere from ending up as dinner.]]> Dennis E. Taylor Jessica 0 4.35 2017
author: Dennis E. Taylor
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at: 2025/12/19
date added: 2025/12/19
shelves:
review:

]]> 32109569 Alternate cover edition for ASIN: B01LWAESYQ]

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it's a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street.

Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he'll be switched off, and they'll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty.

The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad - very mad.]]> 322 Dennis E. Taylor Jessica 0 4.25 2016
author: Dennis E. Taylor
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at: 2025/12/11
date added: 2025/12/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 65211701 Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse.

Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back.

Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.

But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast.

Yeah, this plan is... not going to work.]]> 245 Martha Wells 1250826977 Jessica 5
Cons: some of the quieter sections dragged a bit

System Collapse picks up a short time after Network Effect. Perihelion’s crew is trying to help the colonists on the colony planet reject the claim over them by the Barish-Estranza corporation. They learn of a group that split off and is living in a blackout zone, so Murderbot and a small group go to warn them of what’s going on.

A redacted traumatic event has reduced Murderbot’s operating capacity and lowered its self-confidence. Murderbot’s avoidance of emotion hampers its recovery, even as it makes the SecUnit less able to do its job. Murderbot feels the most human in this book. I thought their resolution to the separated group was brilliant. There are a few honest laughs and more snarky humour.

There are a few fight scenes, but not as many as the previous book.

I did find some of the exploration scenes tense, but they got a bit boring as they stretched on. Though I felt that more my second time reading it than the first.

On the whole it’s an interesting story with Murderbot having to face its trauma, despite its attempts not to.]]> 4.20 2023
author: Martha Wells
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/11/10
date added: 2025/12/05
shelves:
review:
Pros: character development, some interesting fight scenes

Cons: some of the quieter sections dragged a bit

System Collapse picks up a short time after Network Effect. Perihelion’s crew is trying to help the colonists on the colony planet reject the claim over them by the Barish-Estranza corporation. They learn of a group that split off and is living in a blackout zone, so Murderbot and a small group go to warn them of what’s going on.

A redacted traumatic event has reduced Murderbot’s operating capacity and lowered its self-confidence. Murderbot’s avoidance of emotion hampers its recovery, even as it makes the SecUnit less able to do its job. Murderbot feels the most human in this book. I thought their resolution to the separated group was brilliant. There are a few honest laughs and more snarky humour.

There are a few fight scenes, but not as many as the previous book.

I did find some of the exploration scenes tense, but they got a bit boring as they stretched on. Though I felt that more my second time reading it than the first.

On the whole it’s an interesting story with Murderbot having to face its trauma, despite its attempts not to.
]]> 52381770
It worries about the fragile human crew who've grown to trust it, but only where no one can see.

It tells itself that they're only a professional obligation, but when they're captured and an old friend from the past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.

Drastic action it is, then.

Illustrator cover artist: Micah Epstein]]> 350 Martha Wells Jessica 5
Cons:

Network Effect starts with the survey mission mentioned in Fugitive Telemetry. The survey team returns to Preservation space and is immediately attacked by a transport. Murderbot is horrified to learn it’s ART/Perihelion. It needs to learn what happened to its friend while keeping Mensah’s daughter alive.

The story is novel (rather than novella) length, and it needs the space. It’s a fast paced story with a lot of exciting twists. There are some nice flashback scenes on Preservation planet that help develop Murderbot more as a complex entity. This novel also brings up trauma more and how individuals (human, bot, and construct) deal with it. There are some great fight scenes and banter among the characters. Murderbot’s narrative is sarcastic at all the right times.

There’s so much going on and such fun conversations that this is probably my favourite book in the series.]]> 4.42 2020
author: Martha Wells
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/11/04
date added: 2025/12/03
shelves:
review:
Pros: lots of character development, fight scenes, exciting twists

Cons:

Network Effect starts with the survey mission mentioned in Fugitive Telemetry. The survey team returns to Preservation space and is immediately attacked by a transport. Murderbot is horrified to learn it’s ART/Perihelion. It needs to learn what happened to its friend while keeping Mensah’s daughter alive.

The story is novel (rather than novella) length, and it needs the space. It’s a fast paced story with a lot of exciting twists. There are some nice flashback scenes on Preservation planet that help develop Murderbot more as a complex entity. This novel also brings up trauma more and how individuals (human, bot, and construct) deal with it. There are some great fight scenes and banter among the characters. Murderbot’s narrative is sarcastic at all the right times.

There’s so much going on and such fun conversations that this is probably my favourite book in the series.
]]> 53205854
When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people — who knew?)

Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!

Again!

Cover illustration by Jaime Jones]]> 168 Martha Wells 1250765374 Jessica 4
Cons: not much action

Fugitive Telemetry takes place on Preservation Station where Murderbot is acting as Mensah’s security. A murder has just been uncovered, and Mensah suggests station security and Murderbot work together to solve it.

This is basically a murder mystery novella, so there isn’t as much action as the other books in the series have had. The characters are mostly new, though Gurathin and Ratthi show up for a bit. The mystery is good, with some interesting twists.

It’s entertaining, but not my favourite.]]> 4.23 2021
author: Martha Wells
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/11/06
date added: 2025/12/01
shelves:
review:
Pros: several plot twists,

Cons: not much action

Fugitive Telemetry takes place on Preservation Station where Murderbot is acting as Mensah’s security. A murder has just been uncovered, and Mensah suggests station security and Murderbot work together to solve it.

This is basically a murder mystery novella, so there isn’t as much action as the other books in the series have had. The characters are mostly new, though Gurathin and Ratthi show up for a bit. The mystery is good, with some interesting twists.

It’s entertaining, but not my favourite.
]]> 35519109
Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.

But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?

And what will become of it when it’s caught?]]> 172 Martha Wells Jessica 5
Cons:

After its mission on Milu, Murderbot learns that Dr. Mensah has been kidnapped by the GrayCris corporation and heads to TranRollinHyfa to rescue her.

It’s nice seeing some of the characters from All Systems Red again, and how they react to Murderbot’s evolution. There’s a lot of clever hacking and some great chase and fight sequences. Seeing Murderbot back with its favourite human was awesome. I had *feelings* when Murderbot let Mensah hug it. We also learn why it likes The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon so much. As the books progress there’s more subtext regarding trauma and how different entities are impacted by it. An event at the end of the book shows Murderbot some of the benefits of its human side, which is neat. As always, Murderbot's narrative is full of an enjoyable dry humour.

This is one of my favourite novellas in the series.]]> 4.36 2018
author: Martha Wells
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/11/02
date added: 2025/11/28
shelves:
review:
Pros: lots of action, clever hacking and planning, character development

Cons:

After its mission on Milu, Murderbot learns that Dr. Mensah has been kidnapped by the GrayCris corporation and heads to TranRollinHyfa to rescue her.

It’s nice seeing some of the characters from All Systems Red again, and how they react to Murderbot’s evolution. There’s a lot of clever hacking and some great chase and fight sequences. Seeing Murderbot back with its favourite human was awesome. I had *feelings* when Murderbot let Mensah hug it. We also learn why it likes The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon so much. As the books progress there’s more subtext regarding trauma and how different entities are impacted by it. An event at the end of the book shows Murderbot some of the benefits of its human side, which is neat. As always, Murderbot's narrative is full of an enjoyable dry humour.

This is one of my favourite novellas in the series.
]]> 35519101
And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

Cover illustration by Jaime Jones]]> 158 Martha Wells 1250191785 Jessica 5
Cons:

This novella picks up where Artificial Condition leaves off, with Murderbot on a transport arriving at RaviHyral station. It sees an interview with Mensah talking about a terraforming platform recently abandoned by GrayCris, and decides to check it out to see if they’ve left any incriminating evidence behind. Sneaking aboard means befriending a bot and protecting a new group of humans.

Murderbot needs to lie its way through a bunch of human and bot encounters, trying to keep its story straight. There’s corporate intrigue and some great fight scenes. Since it doesn’t have access to a repair cubicle or medsystem anymore, Murderbot needs to be more careful about taking damage. So it’s getting clever about how it approaches conflict. It’s really cool seeing it learn and develop as the series goes on.

Murderbot’s dry sense of humour shines through. The fight scenes are great and again, while the novella is short, it’s impactful.]]> 4.19 2018
author: Martha Wells
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2025/10/30
date added: 2025/11/26
shelves:
review:
Pros: complex fight scenes, character development

Cons:

This novella picks up where Artificial Condition leaves off, with Murderbot on a transport arriving at RaviHyral station. It sees an interview with Mensah talking about a terraforming platform recently abandoned by GrayCris, and decides to check it out to see if they’ve left any incriminating evidence behind. Sneaking aboard means befriending a bot and protecting a new group of humans.

Murderbot needs to lie its way through a bunch of human and bot encounters, trying to keep its story straight. There’s corporate intrigue and some great fight scenes. Since it doesn’t have access to a repair cubicle or medsystem anymore, Murderbot needs to be more careful about taking damage. So it’s getting clever about how it approaches conflict. It’s really cool seeing it learn and develop as the series goes on.

Murderbot’s dry sense of humour shines through. The fight scenes are great and again, while the novella is short, it’s impactful.
]]> 32758901 All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that interrogates the roots of consciousness through Artificial Intelligence.

“As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure.”

In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid—a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.]]> 144 Martha Wells Jessica 5
Cons: short

Murderbot is a SecUnit made of cloned human and mechanical parts that’s hacked its governor module so it no longer has to obey commands. It’s been assigned to provide security for a small survey group looking at a new planet. But the group encounters an unknown hostile life form that wasn’t mentioned in the original survey report, which makes them wonder what else was missed - or possibly removed on purpose.

This is a 100 page novella, so it’s fairly short. That means it’s light on the world-building and character development. While you get to know Murderbot pretty well, the other characters, with the exception of Gurathin (who’s a light antagonist) and Mensah (the group leader) felt interchangeable. Having said that, Murderbot is fascinating and you really get inside its head.

The plot was interesting and quick paced. There are some tense moments, though the ending comes up so fast it didn’t feel particularly climactic (which may be due to my reading the story in 2 sittings instead of all at once). Murderbot's narrative has a dry sense of humour and sarcasm, which I love.

It’s fun and entertaining and I’ll definitely read the next one.

=> The books hold up really well to subsequent reads, and I find I'm noticing new and different things each time I read the series. It remains a dryly humorous book with a brilliant protagonist.]]> 4.07 2017
author: Martha Wells
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2025/10/27
date added: 2025/11/26
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting protagonist

Cons: short

Murderbot is a SecUnit made of cloned human and mechanical parts that’s hacked its governor module so it no longer has to obey commands. It’s been assigned to provide security for a small survey group looking at a new planet. But the group encounters an unknown hostile life form that wasn’t mentioned in the original survey report, which makes them wonder what else was missed - or possibly removed on purpose.

This is a 100 page novella, so it’s fairly short. That means it’s light on the world-building and character development. While you get to know Murderbot pretty well, the other characters, with the exception of Gurathin (who’s a light antagonist) and Mensah (the group leader) felt interchangeable. Having said that, Murderbot is fascinating and you really get inside its head.

The plot was interesting and quick paced. There are some tense moments, though the ending comes up so fast it didn’t feel particularly climactic (which may be due to my reading the story in 2 sittings instead of all at once). Murderbot's narrative has a dry sense of humour and sarcasm, which I love.

It’s fun and entertaining and I’ll definitely read the next one.

=> The books hold up really well to subsequent reads, and I find I'm noticing new and different things each time I read the series. It remains a dryly humorous book with a brilliant protagonist.
]]> 36223860 original cover of ISBN 9781250186928

"As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

It has a dark past – one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself Murderbot. But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the A stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks...

Cover illustration by Jaime Jones]]> 158 Martha Wells Jessica 4
Cons:

Beginning directly after the events in All Systems Red, Murderbot hitches a ride on the intelligent transport ART to the mining installation where its mass murder event took place. It needs to reconcile its past before it can decide its future. But visiting the installation means pretending to be an augmented human security consultant. Luckily ART has some ideas to help it with that.

Murderbot and ART are both sarcastic and start off rubbing each other the wrong way, making their interactions very entertaining to read. You get a great feel for the concerns Murderbot has about getting caught while trying to investigate its past. It doesn’t know how to act like a human, so it’s fun watching it help the young humans who don’t know what they’re doing either. More of the wider world is hinted at, with other corporations that put profits over people.

It’s a novella, so it’s on the short side, but the story packs a punch.]]> 4.21 2018
author: Martha Wells
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/10/28
date added: 2025/11/26
shelves:
review:
Pros: interpersonal conflict, new settings and characters, lots of hacking

Cons:

Beginning directly after the events in All Systems Red, Murderbot hitches a ride on the intelligent transport ART to the mining installation where its mass murder event took place. It needs to reconcile its past before it can decide its future. But visiting the installation means pretending to be an augmented human security consultant. Luckily ART has some ideas to help it with that.

Murderbot and ART are both sarcastic and start off rubbing each other the wrong way, making their interactions very entertaining to read. You get a great feel for the concerns Murderbot has about getting caught while trying to investigate its past. It doesn’t know how to act like a human, so it’s fun watching it help the young humans who don’t know what they’re doing either. More of the wider world is hinted at, with other corporations that put profits over people.

It’s a novella, so it’s on the short side, but the story packs a punch.
]]> 237633725 34 Martha Wells 1250425360 Jessica 4 4.12 2025
author: Martha Wells
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/10/29
date added: 2025/11/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 195264190
While trying to watch episode 44 of The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon, Murderbot is—again, what is it with humans?—distracted by something that is technically outside its purview. A miner is suddenly in danger following a pointless (to Murderbot’s way of thinking) argument, and the choice is to risk discovery and leap into action, which would require hitting the pause button during a very exciting part of SanctuaryMoon, or to follow orders and stay still.

This is a tougher choice than it seems. But then, when has Murderbot ever been faced with an easy choice?

A shorter version of this story originally appeared in Wired magazine.]]> 8 Martha Wells 1645241726 Jessica 4 4.29 2018
author: Martha Wells
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/11/12
date added: 2025/11/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 57623348 Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory was originally given free to readers who pre-ordered Martha’s Murderbot novel, Network Effect, the fifth entry in the series. The events occur just after the fourth novella, Exit Strategy.]]> 19 Martha Wells 125083886X Jessica 5 4.03 2020
author: Martha Wells
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2025/11/03
date added: 2025/11/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 44778982 A lady never reveals the true extent of her decay...

Hannah Miles lives a quiet existence, helping her parents conduct research into a most terrible affliction - until a gruesome murder during her best friend's engagement party pulls her from the shadows. With her specialist's knowledge and demure disposition, Hannah is requested to aid the investigation.

Except Hannah discovers her role is to apologise in the wake of the rude and disgraced man tasked with finding the murderer. The obnoxious Viscount Wycliff thinks to employ Hannah purely as a front to satisfy Whitehall, but she'll have none of that.

The two must work together to find the murderer before the season is ruined. But the viscount is about to meet his greatest challenge, and it's not a member of the ton with a hankering for brains.]]> 320 Tilly Wallace Jessica 0 3.95 2019
author: Tilly Wallace
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at: 2025/10/15
date added: 2025/11/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 22328 wrong people…]]> 271 William Gibson Jessica 2 3.87 1984
author: William Gibson
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.87
book published: 1984
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2025/10/05
shelves:
review:

]]> 213618143 The brilliant detective Ana Dolabra may have finally met her match in the gripping sequel to The Tainted Cup—from the bestselling author of The Founders Trilogy.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, an impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—abducted from his quarters while the door and windows remained locked from the inside, in a building whose entrances and exits are all under constant guard.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial investigator, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Before long, Ana’s discovered that they’re not investigating a disappearance, but a murder—and that the killing was just the first chess move by an adversary who seems to be able to pass through warded doors like a ghost, and who can predict every one of Ana’s moves as though they can see the future.

Worse still, the killer seems to be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud. Here, the Empire's greatest minds dissect fallen Titans to harness the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the destruction would be terrible indeed—and the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen Ana solve impossible cases before. But this time, with the stakes higher than ever and Ana seemingly a step behind their adversary at every turn, he fears that his superior has finally met an enemy she can’t defeat.]]> 461 Robert Jackson Bennett 0593723821 Jessica 4 4.44 2025
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/06/18
date added: 2025/06/18
shelves:
review:

]]> 212627760 Lanie Stones is the necromancer that Death has been praying for.

Heartbroken, exiled from her homeland as a traitor, Lanie Stones would rather take refuge in good books and delicate pastries than hunt a deathless abomination, but that is the duty she has chosen.

The abomination in question happens to be her own great-grandfather, the powerful necromancer Irradiant Stones. Grandpa Rad has escaped from his prison and stolen a body, and is heading to the icy country of Skakhmat where he died, to finish the genocide he started. Fortunately for her, Lanie has her powerful death magic, including the power to sing the restless dead to their eternal slumber; and she has her new family by her side.

Grandpa Rad may have finally met his match.]]> 480 C.S.E. Cooney Jessica 4
If you haven’t read book 1 in a while, I highly recommend skimming or reading it again before picking this up, as there’s no recap and little to remind you of what’s happened thus far in the story.

The book has plenty of adventure. There’s the hunt, several dramatic fight scenes, and more magical experimentation. We get to learn more about the world, looking at Leech and Skakmaht. The skinchangers and their form of changeling magic was fascinating, especially how their explanation of the world was subtly different from that of the humans.

I was a bit disappointed by some of the characters who had very small rolls. Makkovian and Datu only show up in a few chapters and Lir is mostly forgotten. I did appreciate that Makkovian has his own quest to perform, showing his life isn’t on hold while Lanie is off doing her thing.

The middle of the book felt a bit slow. There’s a lot of great action and fun new world building and then things sort of pause for a while.

I thought the last third of the book, in Skakmaht, was fantastic. Learning more about the sky houses and the wizard magic was very interesting. I also thought the book had a fitting conclusion.

If you liked the first book this one builds on what was accomplished and fleshes out more of the wider world. Lanie keeps learning new ways of using her necromantic powers, and grows as a person. It’s a worthy conclusion.]]> 4.15 2025
author: C.S.E. Cooney
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/30
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves:
review:
Picking up immediately where book 1, Saint Death’s Daughter, left off, Miscellaneous “Lanie” Stones is hot on the trail of the necromancer ghost of her great grandfather Irradiant Stones. “Grandpa Rad” headed north, possessing the body of Cracchen Skrathmandan. With the help of Duantri, Lanie needs to put her grandpa’s spirit to rest and fulfill her promise to bring Cracchen home. But Lanie isn’t the only one hunting her grandpa. The spirits of the long dead Northern sky wizards he trapped for a century are after him too. And they have a worse fate in mind than releasing the spirit into his god’s rest.

If you haven’t read book 1 in a while, I highly recommend skimming or reading it again before picking this up, as there’s no recap and little to remind you of what’s happened thus far in the story.

The book has plenty of adventure. There’s the hunt, several dramatic fight scenes, and more magical experimentation. We get to learn more about the world, looking at Leech and Skakmaht. The skinchangers and their form of changeling magic was fascinating, especially how their explanation of the world was subtly different from that of the humans.

I was a bit disappointed by some of the characters who had very small rolls. Makkovian and Datu only show up in a few chapters and Lir is mostly forgotten. I did appreciate that Makkovian has his own quest to perform, showing his life isn’t on hold while Lanie is off doing her thing.

The middle of the book felt a bit slow. There’s a lot of great action and fun new world building and then things sort of pause for a while.

I thought the last third of the book, in Skakmaht, was fantastic. Learning more about the sky houses and the wizard magic was very interesting. I also thought the book had a fitting conclusion.

If you liked the first book this one builds on what was accomplished and fleshes out more of the wider world. Lanie keeps learning new ways of using her necromantic powers, and grows as a person. It’s a worthy conclusion.
]]> 216301282 A hilarious celebration of cats in artwork from medieval times

From the year 500 to 1500 numerous medieval manuscripts and works of art portrayed cats as lazy, selfish, and vicious. Centuries later, these masterpieces live on, shining a bright light on the dark age of cats and telling a brand-new story of their glory. Medieval Cats celebrates more than two hundred cats who are up to no good.

Also included are cat facts from the Middle Ages as well as poems and excerpts from literature where cats were mentioned. Both a humorous book and a peek into medieval art and literature, Medieval Cats will appeal to cat and art lovers everywhere.]]> 208 Catherine Nappington 0593837509 Jessica 4
Some of the comments use terms that are out of style in medieval circles, like ‘dark ages’ or are inaccurate, like calling the middle ages ‘prudish’ (fabliaux anyone?).

I learned some new things and discovered some sources and manuscripts I’d like to learn more about.

If you know a cat lover, it’s an entertaining book and fairly quick to flip through. ]]> 3.75
author: Catherine Nappington
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves:
review:
This is a cute adult picture book that showcases images of cats from medieval and later manuscripts. It’s organized into 10 chapters plus an introduction. There are a lot of great colour images of rather bizarre looking cats and mice (medieval artists weren’t always skilled at depicting their subject matter). Between pictures there are humorous modern comments on the photos, quotes from various ages (mostly medieval), and cat facts.

Some of the comments use terms that are out of style in medieval circles, like ‘dark ages’ or are inaccurate, like calling the middle ages ‘prudish’ (fabliaux anyone?).

I learned some new things and discovered some sources and manuscripts I’d like to learn more about.

If you know a cat lover, it’s an entertaining book and fairly quick to flip through.
]]> 60557409  
Winters in the World is a beautifully observed journey through the cycle of the year in Anglo-Saxon England, exploring the festivals, customs, and traditions linked to the different seasons. Drawing on a wide variety of source material, including poetry, histories, and religious literature, Eleanor Parker investigates how Anglo-Saxons felt about the annual passing of the seasons and the profound relationship they saw between human life and the rhythms of nature. Many of the festivals celebrated in the United Kingdom today have their roots in the Anglo-Saxon period, and this book traces their surprising history while unearthing traditions now long forgotten. It celebrates some of the finest treasures of medieval literature and provides an imaginative connection to the Anglo-Saxon world.]]> 268 Eleanor Parker 1789146720 Jessica 5
This is a fascinating book. It’s interesting seeing how daily life changed with the season but the author does so much more. She examines how the Anglo-Saxons FELT about each season, like how winter ice kept them landlocked and trapped. She goes over various terms they used for the seasons and holy days, if and how those changed with the coming of Christianity. To the extent that the primary sources allow, she also details how various holy days were celebrated

There are lots of quotes from various Anglo-Saxon works. I learned about a few new sources I’d like to look up. There are no illustrations in the book, but it doesn’t really need them. This isn’t a visual tour, it’s an intellectual and emotional one.

I found this an interesting book that taught me a lot about how Anglo-Saxons thought about the world and how they lived and celebrated throughout the year.]]> 4.17 2022
author: Eleanor Parker
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/05
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves:
review:
The book details the seasonal beliefs and festivals of the Anglo-Saxons by examining each season and some of its special aspects. After the introduction each season has 3 chapters breaking down it’s most important aspects, followed by references and bibliography.

This is a fascinating book. It’s interesting seeing how daily life changed with the season but the author does so much more. She examines how the Anglo-Saxons FELT about each season, like how winter ice kept them landlocked and trapped. She goes over various terms they used for the seasons and holy days, if and how those changed with the coming of Christianity. To the extent that the primary sources allow, she also details how various holy days were celebrated

There are lots of quotes from various Anglo-Saxon works. I learned about a few new sources I’d like to look up. There are no illustrations in the book, but it doesn’t really need them. This isn’t a visual tour, it’s an intellectual and emotional one.

I found this an interesting book that taught me a lot about how Anglo-Saxons thought about the world and how they lived and celebrated throughout the year.
]]> 57220240  
“Enthralling, engaging, and challenging. . . . [Henning] has successfully given hell the right sort of attention, at last filling a major gap in the story and simultaneously charting new territory.”—Jarel Robinson-Brown, Los Angeles Review of Books
 
Throughout the Christian tradition, descriptions of hell’s fiery torments have shaped contemporary notions of the afterlife, divine justice, and physical suffering. But rarely do we consider the roots of such conceptions, which originate in a group of understudied ancient the early Christian apocalypses.
 
In this pioneering study, Meghan Henning illuminates how the bodies that populate hell in early Christian literature—largely those of women, enslaved persons, and individuals with disabilities—are punished after death in spaces that mirror real carceral spaces, effectually criminalizing those bodies on earth. Contextualizing the apocalypses alongside ancient medical texts, inscriptions, philosophy, and patristic writings, this book demonstrates the ways that Christian depictions of hell intensified and preserved ancient notions of gender and bodily normativity that continue to inform Christian identity.]]> 288 Meghan R. Henning 0300223110 Jessica 5 4.40 2021
author: Meghan R. Henning
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves:
review:

]]> 57185878 Giant turtles, impossible ships, and tidal rivers ridden by a Drowned girl in search of a family in the latest in the bestselling Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning Wayward Children series from Seanan McGuire.

Nadya had three mothers: the one who bore her, the country that poisoned her, and the one who adopted her.

Nadya never considered herself less than whole, not until her adoptive parents fitted her with a prosthetic arm against her will, seeking to replace the one she'd been missing from birth.

It was cumbersome; it was uncomfortable; it was wrong.

It wasn't her.

Frustrated and unable to express why, Nadya began to wander, until the day she fell through a door into Belyyreka, the Land Beneath the Lake--and found herself in a world of water, filled with child-eating amphibians, majestic giant turtles, and impossible ships that sailed as happily beneath the surface as on top. In Belyyreka, she found herself understood for who she was: a Drowned Girl, who had made her way to her real home, accepted by the river and its people.

But even in Belyyreka, there are dangers, and trials, and Nadya would soon find herself fighting to keep hold of everything she had come to treasure.]]> 160 Seanan McGuire Jessica 4
Cons:

Nadya was abandoned to a Russian orphanage on birth, having been born without a right hand. She never considers herself lacking something until a Christian American couple adopts her and gets her a prosthetic. Unsure of her future, she falls through a door into a world with giant talking turtles.

This is book 10 of the Wayward Children series, but it is an origin story novella, so while Nadya is a main character in Beneath the Sugar Sky (book 3), you don’t need to read that to understand her story here. Nor do you need to have read any of the previous book to have a full understanding of this book.

McGuire is a master of creating empathy with her characters. Her clear but lyrical prose allows you to follow Nadya’s thoughts regarding her missing hand - how she doesn’t feel its lack, nor does she feel it needs replacing to be ‘whole’. Too often books align with the parents in this situation, expecting gratefulness from the recipient of their ‘aid’, unwanted and unnecessary as it may be.

It’s a thought provoking read, not only for the prosthetic, but also about Nadya’s adoption and some reasons why families choose that option and how it can affect the child in question.

I loved Nadya’s spirit and cleverness. Her kindness. Her resilience.

Belyyreka’s a challenging world to get your head around. I loved the giant turtles and how they were used in the story.

The ending, as usual for the origin novellas in this series, has an abrupt ending. We do know what happens to Nadya next, after this story ends. Strangely, that knowledge left me with more questions of how things go after the end of Beneath the Sugar Sky. Maybe those will be answered in a future novella.

If you haven’t read any of the Wayward Children books, this is another entry point that requires no previous knowledge, and it’s a great little story.]]> 3.98 2025
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/21
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves:
review:
Pros: great characters, thought provoking

Cons:

Nadya was abandoned to a Russian orphanage on birth, having been born without a right hand. She never considers herself lacking something until a Christian American couple adopts her and gets her a prosthetic. Unsure of her future, she falls through a door into a world with giant talking turtles.

This is book 10 of the Wayward Children series, but it is an origin story novella, so while Nadya is a main character in Beneath the Sugar Sky (book 3), you don’t need to read that to understand her story here. Nor do you need to have read any of the previous book to have a full understanding of this book.

McGuire is a master of creating empathy with her characters. Her clear but lyrical prose allows you to follow Nadya’s thoughts regarding her missing hand - how she doesn’t feel its lack, nor does she feel it needs replacing to be ‘whole’. Too often books align with the parents in this situation, expecting gratefulness from the recipient of their ‘aid’, unwanted and unnecessary as it may be.

It’s a thought provoking read, not only for the prosthetic, but also about Nadya’s adoption and some reasons why families choose that option and how it can affect the child in question.

I loved Nadya’s spirit and cleverness. Her kindness. Her resilience.

Belyyreka’s a challenging world to get your head around. I loved the giant turtles and how they were used in the story.

The ending, as usual for the origin novellas in this series, has an abrupt ending. We do know what happens to Nadya next, after this story ends. Strangely, that knowledge left me with more questions of how things go after the end of Beneath the Sugar Sky. Maybe those will be answered in a future novella.

If you haven’t read any of the Wayward Children books, this is another entry point that requires no previous knowledge, and it’s a great little story.
]]> 52027273 A dazzling, inventive, and thought-provoking new novel from the ingenious author of Jennifer Government and Lexicon.

Gilly, Talia, Anders, and Jackson are astronauts captaining a new and supposedly indestructible ship in humanity's war against an alien race. Confined to the ship for years, each of them holding their own secrets, they are about to learn there are threats beyond the reach of human ingenuity--and that the true nature of reality might be the universe's greatest mystery.

In this near future, our world is at war with another, and humanity is haunted by its one catastrophic loss--a nightmarish engagement that left a handful of survivors drifting home through space, wracked with PTSD. Public support for the war plummeted, and the military-industrial complex set its sights on a new goal: zero-casualty warfare, made possible by gleaming new ships called Providences, powered by AI.

But when the latest-launched Providence suffers a surprising attack and contact with home is severed, Gilly, Talia, Anders, and Jackson must confront the truth of the war they're fighting, the ship that brought them there, and the cosmos beyond.]]> 306 Max Barry 0593085175 Jessica 4
Cons: standard aliens, not the most charismatic crew

Jackson, Gilly, Beanfield and Anders are the human crew on the 5th Providence AI ship sent to battle against the alien “Salamanders”. But as their 4 year mission drags on they realize just how little the ship needs them, and how much the aliens seem to be learning from their encounters.

The chapters are told from the point of view of different characters, mainly Gilly, their Intel officer, and Beanfield, the Life officer (whose job it is to keep everyone sane). Things on the ship aren’t as they anticipated, and the characters have personalities that clash more than they complement.

I didn’t really like any of the characters for the first half of the book. Gilly seemed the most relatable, in certain ways. But as the story changed and you got POVs from all of them, their quirks became more understandable as you learned more of their histories and why they act the ways they do.

A lot of emphasis is put on manipulating people on Earth to pay for the war effort. Making videos showing how heroic the Providence crews are, risking their lives. I appreciated the extent to which psychology played a role in the book. There’s so much behind the scenes manipulation that the crew only become aware of as time passes.

The aliens, called Salamanders by the army, are the standard ‘bug’ that comes up in SF a lot. They have hives and appear somewhat intelligent, even if they mostly swarm ships en mass.

It’s an interesting read, with some good commentary on war, AI, and how humans manipulate each other.]]> 3.80 2020
author: Max Barry
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting characters, asks some interesting questions

Cons: standard aliens, not the most charismatic crew

Jackson, Gilly, Beanfield and Anders are the human crew on the 5th Providence AI ship sent to battle against the alien “Salamanders”. But as their 4 year mission drags on they realize just how little the ship needs them, and how much the aliens seem to be learning from their encounters.

The chapters are told from the point of view of different characters, mainly Gilly, their Intel officer, and Beanfield, the Life officer (whose job it is to keep everyone sane). Things on the ship aren’t as they anticipated, and the characters have personalities that clash more than they complement.

I didn’t really like any of the characters for the first half of the book. Gilly seemed the most relatable, in certain ways. But as the story changed and you got POVs from all of them, their quirks became more understandable as you learned more of their histories and why they act the ways they do.

A lot of emphasis is put on manipulating people on Earth to pay for the war effort. Making videos showing how heroic the Providence crews are, risking their lives. I appreciated the extent to which psychology played a role in the book. There’s so much behind the scenes manipulation that the crew only become aware of as time passes.

The aliens, called Salamanders by the army, are the standard ‘bug’ that comes up in SF a lot. They have hives and appear somewhat intelligent, even if they mostly swarm ships en mass.

It’s an interesting read, with some good commentary on war, AI, and how humans manipulate each other.
]]> 616487 Beowulf against the background of early medieval and patristic teratology and with reference to specific Anglo-Saxon texts.

The immediate manuscript context of the monsters in Beowulf is analysed, shedding light on the poet's treatment of the theme of the monstrous and its integration into his work, and a series of parallel discussions consider a range of medieval treatments of the same theme in a variety of analogous texts (all provided with translation), in Latin, Old English, Middle Irish, and Old Icelandic.

The twin themes of pride and prodigies are suggested by tracing changing attitudes towards the concept of pride and establishing a close link between the proud pagan warriors depicted in Christian tradition and the monsters they fight, and with whom they become increasingly identified.

An appendix contains new editions and translations (some for the first time in English) of the Liber Monstrorum, The Letter of Alexander to Aristotle, and The Wonders of the East.

Originally published in 1995 by Boydell & Brewer.]]> 360 Andy Orchard 0802085830 Jessica 0 to-read 4.11 1995
author: Andy Orchard
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.11
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 209050178
This book takes the reader on an immersive journey through medieval manuscript production in the Latin Christian world. Each chapter opens with a lively vignette by a medieval narrator—including a parchment maker, scribe, and illuminator—introducing various aspects of manuscript production. Sara J. Charles poses the question “What actually is a scriptorium?” and explores the development of the medieval scriptorium from its early Christian beginnings through to its eventual decline and the growth of the printing press.

With the written word at the very heart of the Christian monastic movement, we see the immense amount of labor, planning, and networks needed to produce each manuscript. By tapping into these processes and procedures, The Medieval Scriptorium helps us to experience medieval life through the lens of a manuscript maker.]]> 352 Sara J. Charles 1789149169 Jessica 4
Each chapter starts with a fictional first person account of a worker detailing some aspect of manuscript creation. I’m not usually a fan of this kind of thing, but here it helped put me into the correct mindset that I was dealing with a different time and place, and to really let me experience that world for a moment.

The book provides a fantastic overview of how manuscripts changed over the centuries. The author mentions different fonts and decorative elements (various types of pen flourishes, illustration styles, etc). She goes into a lot of detail for how inks and parchment were made (and she’s tried making some herself, which she has documented on her Teaching Manuscripts website and blog - https://www.teachingmanuscripts.com/blog).

The book has a decent number of photos, but given the highly visible nature of the topic, there are more referenced than have been included, which you can look up on your own. Here’s where the ebook is an advantage, as I could cut and paste the references straight into my browser to see the manuscript being discussed. There were a lot of these, so I didn’t look them all up, only ones with elements I was interested in, or wanted the visual to understand the text better. Unfortunately, occasionally the manuscript wasn’t digitized, so unless wikipedia or an article brought up the specific image mentioned in the text, I was out of luck seeing it (ex: Lincoln Cathedral MS 147, fol. 15v. I found a single cropped image of another page on a Lincoln University article via google but not the one referenced). Often the author will give more than one reference though, so if one image isn’t searchable another one likely is.

The language is very clear, making this an enjoyable read. The breadth of information is wonderful. If you’re interested in manuscript production, medieval inks, and how manuscripts changed over time, this is a great resource.]]> 4.41 2024
author: Sara J. Charles
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/22
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves:
review:
The book consists of seven chapters, not including the introduction and conclusion. The chapters are: 1. The Beginnings, 2. Monasticism and Manuscript Production in the West, 500-1050, 3. Locus Scribendi - The Place of Writing, 4. Material World: Parchment and Ink, 5. Illumination and Painting, 6. The Twelfth-Century Renaissance, and 7. The End of the Scriptorium. The book ends with a short glossary, references, further reading, and photo acknowledgements.

Each chapter starts with a fictional first person account of a worker detailing some aspect of manuscript creation. I’m not usually a fan of this kind of thing, but here it helped put me into the correct mindset that I was dealing with a different time and place, and to really let me experience that world for a moment.

The book provides a fantastic overview of how manuscripts changed over the centuries. The author mentions different fonts and decorative elements (various types of pen flourishes, illustration styles, etc). She goes into a lot of detail for how inks and parchment were made (and she’s tried making some herself, which she has documented on her Teaching Manuscripts website and blog - https://www.teachingmanuscripts.com/blog).

The book has a decent number of photos, but given the highly visible nature of the topic, there are more referenced than have been included, which you can look up on your own. Here’s where the ebook is an advantage, as I could cut and paste the references straight into my browser to see the manuscript being discussed. There were a lot of these, so I didn’t look them all up, only ones with elements I was interested in, or wanted the visual to understand the text better. Unfortunately, occasionally the manuscript wasn’t digitized, so unless wikipedia or an article brought up the specific image mentioned in the text, I was out of luck seeing it (ex: Lincoln Cathedral MS 147, fol. 15v. I found a single cropped image of another page on a Lincoln University article via google but not the one referenced). Often the author will give more than one reference though, so if one image isn’t searchable another one likely is.

The language is very clear, making this an enjoyable read. The breadth of information is wonderful. If you’re interested in manuscript production, medieval inks, and how manuscripts changed over time, this is a great resource.
]]> 57220269
Parish churches were at the heart of English religious and social life in the Middle Ages and the sixteenth century. In this comprehensive study, Nicholas Orme shows how they came into existence, who staffed them, and how their buildings were used. He explains who went to church, who did not attend, how people behaved there, and how they—not merely the clergy—affected how worship was staged.
 
The book provides an accessible account of what happened in the daily and weekly services, and how churches marked the seasons of Christmas, Lent, Easter, and summer. It describes how they celebrated the great events of birth, coming of age, and marriage, and gave comfort in sickness and death. A final chapter covers the English Reformation in the sixteenth century and shows how, alongside its changes, much that went on in parish churches remained as before.]]> 496 Nicholas Orme 0300256507 Jessica 4
It is a very detailed study and can be a bit dry at times. The breadth of information however, is incredible. The author researched numerous primary sources to get a broad idea of how people really responded to the church’s demands (tithes/taxes, holy days, weekly worship). Some were pious, others rebellious.

Rather than a chronological overview, the book tackles a subject and shows how it changed over time. I personally found the two chapters on liturgy and how it worked from day to day and over the course of the year (chapters 5 and 6) the most fascinating. It’s really hard to get a firm understanding of how church practice occurred beyond reading primary sources (like the missal or breviary), so a book explaining now only how the services went, but also how they differed as they year progressed was very helpful. The book includes a lot of details about various ceremonies (baptism, marriages, etc) as well.

There are a decent number of colour illustrations throughout the book.

I learned so much from this book. From seemingly simple things like the difference between a rector and a vicar, to how much medieval practice survived the Reformation’s attempts at reform. If you’re interested in the Catholic church, how churches were run in the middle ages, or liturgy and religious practices in England, you really need to pick this up.]]> 4.18 2021
author: Nicholas Orme
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/01
date added: 2024/11/19
shelves:
review:
This is a book about worship and attendance of the medieval church in England. Specifically, the book focuses on parish worship, that is, worship for the populace in villages and towns (as opposed to monasteries and cathedrals, where worship was for their members). It consists of nine chapters: Origins and the Parish, The Staff of the Church, The Church Building, The Congregation, The Day and the Week, The Seasons and the Year, The Life Cycle, The Reformation and Reflections.

It is a very detailed study and can be a bit dry at times. The breadth of information however, is incredible. The author researched numerous primary sources to get a broad idea of how people really responded to the church’s demands (tithes/taxes, holy days, weekly worship). Some were pious, others rebellious.

Rather than a chronological overview, the book tackles a subject and shows how it changed over time. I personally found the two chapters on liturgy and how it worked from day to day and over the course of the year (chapters 5 and 6) the most fascinating. It’s really hard to get a firm understanding of how church practice occurred beyond reading primary sources (like the missal or breviary), so a book explaining now only how the services went, but also how they differed as they year progressed was very helpful. The book includes a lot of details about various ceremonies (baptism, marriages, etc) as well.

There are a decent number of colour illustrations throughout the book.

I learned so much from this book. From seemingly simple things like the difference between a rector and a vicar, to how much medieval practice survived the Reformation’s attempts at reform. If you’re interested in the Catholic church, how churches were run in the middle ages, or liturgy and religious practices in England, you really need to pick this up.
]]> 54493401
Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, Ryland realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Hurtling through space on this tiny ship, it’s up to him to puzzle out an impossible scientific mystery—and conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And with the clock ticking down and the nearest human being light-years away, he’s got to do it all alone.

Or does he?]]> 476 Andy Weir 0593135202 Jessica 4
Cons: got a bit tedious at times

When Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship in an unknown location next to 2 dead astronauts he doesn’t know what’s going on or who he is. As the days pass he slowly pieces together that his mission is humaity’s last hope of stopping an invasive microscopic alien species that’s slowly devouring the sun’s energy. After arriving at his target, he learns that humanity isn’t the only species at risk.

This is a mostly hard SF novel. That is, there’s a lot of accurate science and math used to flesh out the made up scenarios. I appreciated that as an elementary school science teacher Grace explains complex things in simplistic terms, but towards the end the constant asides of formulas and calculations got a bit tedious.

The plot is interesting. Learning what happened on Earth via flashback’s that directly relate to what Grace is doing in the present was great. It allowed for character development and story progression. Rocky is also a wonderful character.

The book deals with alien contact in unique and often unexpected ways.

Humour is very subjective and hard to pull off well. I thought the author did a great job. While nothing was laugh out loud funny, I enjoyed how the author bypassed swearing. A few jokes were low brow body humour, which I am not a fan of, but I didn’t find anything particularly objectionable.

I loved how the world came together to build the Hail Mary. So often science fiction pits nations against each other, so having them co-operate made this feel more optimistic as a result, even though the situation was dire at times.

It’s a great book. I found it mostly fast paced and fairly quick to read.]]> 4.50 2021
author: Andy Weir
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/31
date added: 2024/10/15
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting protagonist, optimistic SF

Cons: got a bit tedious at times

When Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship in an unknown location next to 2 dead astronauts he doesn’t know what’s going on or who he is. As the days pass he slowly pieces together that his mission is humaity’s last hope of stopping an invasive microscopic alien species that’s slowly devouring the sun’s energy. After arriving at his target, he learns that humanity isn’t the only species at risk.

This is a mostly hard SF novel. That is, there’s a lot of accurate science and math used to flesh out the made up scenarios. I appreciated that as an elementary school science teacher Grace explains complex things in simplistic terms, but towards the end the constant asides of formulas and calculations got a bit tedious.

The plot is interesting. Learning what happened on Earth via flashback’s that directly relate to what Grace is doing in the present was great. It allowed for character development and story progression. Rocky is also a wonderful character.

The book deals with alien contact in unique and often unexpected ways.

Humour is very subjective and hard to pull off well. I thought the author did a great job. While nothing was laugh out loud funny, I enjoyed how the author bypassed swearing. A few jokes were low brow body humour, which I am not a fan of, but I didn’t find anything particularly objectionable.

I loved how the world came together to build the Hail Mary. So often science fiction pits nations against each other, so having them co-operate made this feel more optimistic as a result, even though the situation was dire at times.

It’s a great book. I found it mostly fast paced and fairly quick to read.
]]> 9086146 www.jamesbarclay.com]]> 416 James Barclay 1591028485 Jessica 2
Cons: minor inconsistencies in characters and events add up and bump you out of the story

While doing a routine mercenary job, the Raven loses a member and follows an enemy Xetesk mage into another dimension. After these experiences the remaining members of the Raven realize two things: they're getting old and the world is a stranger place than they thought.

The mage, Denser, later hires them for an extremely important and dangerous mission, to find a spell that can defeat the newly escaped Wytch Lords, mages that almost destroyed the world in the past and are more powerful than the combined might of the 4 mage colleges put together.

Meanwhile, a Dordovan research mage, Erienne, and her children are kidnapped and pumped for information about the same spell Denser is looking for: Dawnthief. It is a spell that can destroy the world in the wrong hands.

This is a book with a lot of action. It's brutal and realistic, much of the tension due to Barclay's willingness to kill off members of his team - starting with all the characters I liked.

It's an old style fantasy quest, with a decent amount of character development and an interesting magic system. The politics between the mage colleges and that for the Korina Trade Alliance are interesting too, fleshing out the world.

Reading Dawnthief I noticed a lot of minor inconsistencies, characters acting bizarrely given recent circumstances - nothing major, and quite possibly nothing others would notice (reviewing makes you EXTREMELY picky about details). If it only happened a few times it wouldn't have bothered me, but they popped up enough that they periodically pushed me out of the story. Things like a shape changed wolf picking up an object in its mouth and then attacking someone by biting the person's throat (what happened to the object? Is it under the wolf's tongue? Did the wolf swallow it or drop it?) and wondering where 'the Barbarian' was from, and what made him a barbarian with regards to the other characters. As I said, they were generally nit picky things that most people wouldn't notice but which made this book a fairly slow read for me.

If you like the idea of Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy mating with Terry Brooks' Sword of Shannara, this is the book for you.
]]> 3.32 1999
author: James Barclay
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.32
book published: 1999
rating: 2
read at: 2011/08/13
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
review:
Pros: old style fantasy quest, interesting magic system, high tension, surprising willingness to kill off main characters

Cons: minor inconsistencies in characters and events add up and bump you out of the story

While doing a routine mercenary job, the Raven loses a member and follows an enemy Xetesk mage into another dimension. After these experiences the remaining members of the Raven realize two things: they're getting old and the world is a stranger place than they thought.

The mage, Denser, later hires them for an extremely important and dangerous mission, to find a spell that can defeat the newly escaped Wytch Lords, mages that almost destroyed the world in the past and are more powerful than the combined might of the 4 mage colleges put together.

Meanwhile, a Dordovan research mage, Erienne, and her children are kidnapped and pumped for information about the same spell Denser is looking for: Dawnthief. It is a spell that can destroy the world in the wrong hands.

This is a book with a lot of action. It's brutal and realistic, much of the tension due to Barclay's willingness to kill off members of his team - starting with all the characters I liked.

It's an old style fantasy quest, with a decent amount of character development and an interesting magic system. The politics between the mage colleges and that for the Korina Trade Alliance are interesting too, fleshing out the world.

Reading Dawnthief I noticed a lot of minor inconsistencies, characters acting bizarrely given recent circumstances - nothing major, and quite possibly nothing others would notice (reviewing makes you EXTREMELY picky about details). If it only happened a few times it wouldn't have bothered me, but they popped up enough that they periodically pushed me out of the story. Things like a shape changed wolf picking up an object in its mouth and then attacking someone by biting the person's throat (what happened to the object? Is it under the wolf's tongue? Did the wolf swallow it or drop it?) and wondering where 'the Barbarian' was from, and what made him a barbarian with regards to the other characters. As I said, they were generally nit picky things that most people wouldn't notice but which made this book a fairly slow read for me.

If you like the idea of Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy mating with Terry Brooks' Sword of Shannara, this is the book for you.

]]> 49430803 In this sequel to Where Oblivion Lives, the first entry in the Los Nefilim series set during the Spanish Civil War, a coded notebook containing the identities of Los Nefilim’s spies falls into enemy hands, and Diago is faced with an impossible betray Los Nefilim or save his family.

February 1939

Catalonia has fallen. Los Nefilim is in retreat.

With the Nationalist forces hard on their heels, the members of Los Nefilim—Spanish Nephilim that possess the power to harness music and light in the supernatural war between the angels and daimons—make a desperate run for the French border.

Diago Alvarez, a singular being of angelic and daimonic descent, follows Guillermo and a small group of nefilim through the Pyrenees, where the ice is as treacherous as postwar loyalties—both can kill with a single slip. When a notebook of Los Nefilim’s undercover operatives falls into a traitor’s hands, Diago and Guillermo risk their lives to track it down. As they uncover a pocket realm deep within the Pyrenees, Diago discovers his family is held hostage.

Faced with an impossible betray Los Nefilim, or watch his family die, Diago must nurture the daimonic song he has so long denied in order to save those he loves.]]> 368 T. Frohock 0062825763 Jessica 5
Cons: scenes of torture some may find disturbing

It is 1939 and the Spanish Civil War has gone poorly for the Republicans, backed by los Nefilim. With his wife and daughter, heir to his crown, sent to Paris in advance, Don Guillarmo is pursued by Nationalist forces while crossing the Pyrenees. A betrayal alerts him to the existence of a pocket realm where his brother Jordi, backing the Nationalists, is helping the Germans plan an invasion of France.

While this is technically the second in a trilogy (following 3 novellas), the book is designed to stand on its own. There’s enough background information to jump in here, but I do feel you won’t get the same emotional kick if you aren’t aware of the relationship between Diego, Miquel and Raphael.

The book cleverly ties the Nefilim (offspring of angels and demons) into the history of the Spanish Civil War and the coming second world war. There’s a bibliography at the back of the book that shows the author’s done their research regarding the period and how LGBT characters fit in historically, while also allowing readers to expand their own knowledge if they’d like to learn more.

The book gets very tense at times, with depictions of torture. Though horrible things happen, it never felt gratuitous. The story is fast paced, with several point of view characters, so the horror is never overpowering.

The book really shines with its family relationships. The love Diego and Miquel have for each other, and their desire to help each other through difficult circumstances shines through. I also liked seeing Raphael become a young man, making mistakes and learning hard lessons.

The Grigori was horrifying and I can’t wait to learn more about it and the other fallen angels.

I’m really enjoying this series and look forward to the final volume.]]> 4.32 2020
author: T. Frohock
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2021/03/24
date added: 2024/09/23
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting characters, tense, fast paced

Cons: scenes of torture some may find disturbing

It is 1939 and the Spanish Civil War has gone poorly for the Republicans, backed by los Nefilim. With his wife and daughter, heir to his crown, sent to Paris in advance, Don Guillarmo is pursued by Nationalist forces while crossing the Pyrenees. A betrayal alerts him to the existence of a pocket realm where his brother Jordi, backing the Nationalists, is helping the Germans plan an invasion of France.

While this is technically the second in a trilogy (following 3 novellas), the book is designed to stand on its own. There’s enough background information to jump in here, but I do feel you won’t get the same emotional kick if you aren’t aware of the relationship between Diego, Miquel and Raphael.

The book cleverly ties the Nefilim (offspring of angels and demons) into the history of the Spanish Civil War and the coming second world war. There’s a bibliography at the back of the book that shows the author’s done their research regarding the period and how LGBT characters fit in historically, while also allowing readers to expand their own knowledge if they’d like to learn more.

The book gets very tense at times, with depictions of torture. Though horrible things happen, it never felt gratuitous. The story is fast paced, with several point of view characters, so the horror is never overpowering.

The book really shines with its family relationships. The love Diego and Miquel have for each other, and their desire to help each other through difficult circumstances shines through. I also liked seeing Raphael become a young man, making mistakes and learning hard lessons.

The Grigori was horrifying and I can’t wait to learn more about it and the other fallen angels.

I’m really enjoying this series and look forward to the final volume.
]]> 52588586 In this epic conclusion to the Unraveled Kingdom trilogy that began with Torn and Fray, the magical seamstress Sophie Balstrade joins forces with her brother the revolutionary leader and her betrothed the Crown Prince in a deadly bid to change history.

The civil war that the charm caster Sophie and the Crown Prince Theodor tried so desperately to avert has come to Galitha.
While Theodor joins Sophie's brother and his Reformist comrades in battle, hoping to turn the tide against the better-supplied and better-trained Royalist army, Sophie leverages the only weapon she has: charm and curse casting. She weaves her signature magic into uniforms and supplies procured with the aid of unlikely foreign allies, but soon discovers that the challenges of a full-scale war are far greater than the entrepreneurial concerns of her small Galithan dress shop.
The fractured leadership of the Reformist army must coalesce, the people of Galitha unite against enormous odds, and Sophie create more than a little magical luck, in order to have a chance of victory.

Rowenna Miller's enchanting fantasy series, the Unraveled Kingdom, is perfect for fans of The Queen of the Tearling and Red Queen.



The Unraveled KingdomTorn
Fray
Rule]]> 432 Rowenna Miller 0316478695 Jessica 4
Cons: limited romance, no HEA

The country is at war, with Royalists fighting Reformists. Sophie Balstrade helps purchase necessary supplies before joining Theodor and her brother at the army camp. Sophie must decide what magic she’s willing to perform to help her side win.

Book 3 of the Unravelled Kingdom series starts a short time after the end of book 2. If you haven’t read the previous volumes you’ll be completely lost.

Magic gets more developed in this book as Sophie’s skills improve and she’s able to do more with her powers. The West Serafans also use magic a few times, in a different way from Sophie, which was interesting. She’s not really doing any sewing anymore, as she has new ways of affixing charms and curses to a wider variety of materials.

There’s a decent amount of warfare, including a few battles, but it’s mostly strategy. There’s a lot about the logistics of maintaining an army, namely about supplying, billeting, clothing, and training an army.

This is a fantasy novel, not a category romance, so the happily ever after ending isn’t promised. I was still a bit disappointed I didn’t get it though. The romance elements are very light, with Sophie and Theodor being an established couple. I loved seeing their interactions, though they don’t spend much time together.

There’s a long denouement that goes over what happens after the war ends. It’s great to see how things develop a bit, though I wasn’t happy with one major decision, it was realistic and fit the story.

It’s a good ending to the trilogy, if not quite the happy ending I was hoping for.]]> 3.82 2020
author: Rowenna Miller
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/16
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves:
review:
Pros: more magic development, battles,

Cons: limited romance, no HEA

The country is at war, with Royalists fighting Reformists. Sophie Balstrade helps purchase necessary supplies before joining Theodor and her brother at the army camp. Sophie must decide what magic she’s willing to perform to help her side win.

Book 3 of the Unravelled Kingdom series starts a short time after the end of book 2. If you haven’t read the previous volumes you’ll be completely lost.

Magic gets more developed in this book as Sophie’s skills improve and she’s able to do more with her powers. The West Serafans also use magic a few times, in a different way from Sophie, which was interesting. She’s not really doing any sewing anymore, as she has new ways of affixing charms and curses to a wider variety of materials.

There’s a decent amount of warfare, including a few battles, but it’s mostly strategy. There’s a lot about the logistics of maintaining an army, namely about supplying, billeting, clothing, and training an army.

This is a fantasy novel, not a category romance, so the happily ever after ending isn’t promised. I was still a bit disappointed I didn’t get it though. The romance elements are very light, with Sophie and Theodor being an established couple. I loved seeing their interactions, though they don’t spend much time together.

There’s a long denouement that goes over what happens after the war ends. It’s great to see how things develop a bit, though I wasn’t happy with one major decision, it was realistic and fit the story.

It’s a good ending to the trilogy, if not quite the happy ending I was hoping for.
]]> 150247395
Called in to investigate this mystery is Ana Dolabra, an investigator whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol. Din is an engraver, magically altered to possess a perfect memory. His job is to observe and report, and act as his superior’s eyes and ears--quite literally, in this case, as among Ana’s quirks are her insistence on wearing a blindfold at all times, and her refusal to step outside the walls of her home.

Din is most perplexed by Ana’s ravenous appetite for information and her mind’s frenzied leaps—not to mention her cheerful disregard for propriety and the apparent joy she takes in scandalizing her young counterpart. Yet as the case unfolds and Ana makes one startling deduction after the next, he finds it hard to deny that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the safety of the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

Featuring an unforgettable Holmes-and-Watson style pairing, a gloriously labyrinthine plot, and a haunting and wholly original fantasy world, The Tainted Cup brilliantly reinvents the classic mystery tale.]]> 410 Robert Jackson Bennett 1984820702 Jessica 5 4.27 2024
author: Robert Jackson Bennett
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/13
date added: 2024/09/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 40696990
In an enchanting world of sartorial sorcery, court intrigue, and revolutionary royals, a charm caster must navigate a royal court and foreign alliances fraught with danger to protect her future in the aftermath of rebellion in the sequel to Torn , a French Revolution-inspired historical fantasy debut. 

Open revolt has been thwarted—for now—but unrest still simmers in the kingdom of Galitha. Despite having built a thriving business on her skill at both dressmaking and magic, Sophie has not escaped unscathed from her misadventures in the workers' rebellion. Her dangerous foray into curse casting has rendered her powers unpredictable, and her increasingly visible romantic entanglement with the Crown Prince makes her a convenient target for threatened nobles and malcontented commoners alike.

With domestic political reform and international alliances—and her own life—at stake, Sophie must discern friend from foe... before her magic grows too dark for her to wield.

Praise for The Unraveled

“Miller places immigrant ambition and women’s lives at the heart of her magical tale of politics and revolution. I was utterly enchanted by this unique, clever, and subtly fierce fantasy. —Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

“Strong research, moral ambiguities, and an innovative magic system....A well-executed historical fantasy debut whose author has a sharp eye for detail.” — Kirkus

“Miller weaves a fresh, richly textured world full of magic-stitched ball gowns and revolutionary pamphlets. The vivid, complex setting and deeply human characters make for an absorbing read!” —Melissa Caruso, author of The Obsidian Tower

The Unraveled Kingdom
Torn
Rule
Fray
 ]]> 496 Rowenna Miller 0316478636 Jessica 4
Cons: pacing is a bit uneven

Several months have passed since the attempted revolt at midwinter and the Council of Nobles are preparing to vote on the new Reform Bill that Prince Theodor has advanced. Sophie Balstrade prepares to give up her seamstress business and accompany the prince to a trade conference in West Serafe. But trouble from home follows them there, as the nobles don’t intend to give up their power. Meanwhile Sophie’s casting ability has been faltering and she needs to figure out why, and if it can be recovered.

This is the second book in the Unravelled Kingdom series, and heavily depends on knowing what’s happened in book one. There’s less sewing and more magic and politicking in this book.

I love Sophie and seeing her relationship with Theo deepen is a real pleasure. They sometimes butt heads, being from different social strata, but work out their difficulties.

The magic is interesting. I love how Sophie sews charms, and seeing her abilities expand is fun. The musical magic gets examined a bit more and Sophie develops a new form of casting.

There is a lot of political intrigue. I love that there are no easy solutions to how to resolve problems of social and economic change. People in power don’t want to give that up. The book shows very realistic responses to the various solutions proposed. The brutality of people fighting for their future comes across.

I did find that some parts of the book were more interesting than others. The pacing got a bit uneven at times.

I enjoyed the book and can’t wait to read the final volume.]]> 3.72 2019
author: Rowenna Miller
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/13
date added: 2024/09/11
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting magic, political intrigue

Cons: pacing is a bit uneven

Several months have passed since the attempted revolt at midwinter and the Council of Nobles are preparing to vote on the new Reform Bill that Prince Theodor has advanced. Sophie Balstrade prepares to give up her seamstress business and accompany the prince to a trade conference in West Serafe. But trouble from home follows them there, as the nobles don’t intend to give up their power. Meanwhile Sophie’s casting ability has been faltering and she needs to figure out why, and if it can be recovered.

This is the second book in the Unravelled Kingdom series, and heavily depends on knowing what’s happened in book one. There’s less sewing and more magic and politicking in this book.

I love Sophie and seeing her relationship with Theo deepen is a real pleasure. They sometimes butt heads, being from different social strata, but work out their difficulties.

The magic is interesting. I love how Sophie sews charms, and seeing her abilities expand is fun. The musical magic gets examined a bit more and Sophie develops a new form of casting.

There is a lot of political intrigue. I love that there are no easy solutions to how to resolve problems of social and economic change. People in power don’t want to give that up. The book shows very realistic responses to the various solutions proposed. The brutality of people fighting for their future comes across.

I did find that some parts of the book were more interesting than others. The pacing got a bit uneven at times.

I enjoyed the book and can’t wait to read the final volume.
]]> 62919509 9 to 5 with fairy tale princesses in a delightful comic fantasy revenge/heist!

Brave, Resourceful, Deceitful, Double-Crossing... Charming.

Prince Jean-Marc Charming Arundel, known to friends and enemies alike as "Prince Charming," is handsome, well-mannered, brave, a peerless swordsman, a cunning tactician – and a liar, a con man and a fraud. For years he has been travelling from one kingdom to the next, rescuing endangered princesses and maidens, securing their troths and his place in their fathers' palaces, then looting their treasuries and having it away before dawn.

Until a chance meeting of three of his victims – raven-haired Marie Blanche de Neige, the sorceress Doctor Emilia Rapunzel and the long-slumbering Bella Lucia dei’ Sogni – suggests a course of revenge...]]> 336 Jade Linwood 1786188465 Jessica 3
Cons: the story meanders, convoluted plan

Prince Charming has been rescuing women - and paying himself with half their treasuries - for years. Now, a group of his victims has banded together to bring him to justice.

This is an entertaining reworking of several classic fairytales, but with the idea that Prince Charming is a real cad. I enjoyed seeing how the author would rewrite each woman’s history. The characters were fun to watch, even - especially? - Charming.

Once the women got together and started their plot, things began to meander a bit. Their plan, as it’s revealed through the story, is so convoluted when you consider it after the fact, that it’s hard to believe it succeeded. The ending was also a bit lacking of consequence.

I did find it strange that with how many women he’d defrauded and how THEIR part of the stories travelled, that the prince wouldn’t be more easily recognized. He’s using the same name, just translated for new languages after all. Seems with a detailed description and his modus operandi new potential victims could be warned away.

It was a fun, quick read. Don’t think too hard about it. Just go along for the ride - and the reworked fairytales.]]> 3.37 2023
author: Jade Linwood
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.37
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2024/08/06
shelves:
review:
Pros: fun characters with some unique takes on fairy tales

Cons: the story meanders, convoluted plan

Prince Charming has been rescuing women - and paying himself with half their treasuries - for years. Now, a group of his victims has banded together to bring him to justice.

This is an entertaining reworking of several classic fairytales, but with the idea that Prince Charming is a real cad. I enjoyed seeing how the author would rewrite each woman’s history. The characters were fun to watch, even - especially? - Charming.

Once the women got together and started their plot, things began to meander a bit. Their plan, as it’s revealed through the story, is so convoluted when you consider it after the fact, that it’s hard to believe it succeeded. The ending was also a bit lacking of consequence.

I did find it strange that with how many women he’d defrauded and how THEIR part of the stories travelled, that the prince wouldn’t be more easily recognized. He’s using the same name, just translated for new languages after all. Seems with a detailed description and his modus operandi new potential victims could be warned away.

It was a fun, quick read. Don’t think too hard about it. Just go along for the ride - and the reworked fairytales.
]]> 210298804 A mind-blowing murder mystery on a ship full of magical passengers. If Agatha Christie wrote fantasy, this would be it!

For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain. Aboard are the twelve heirs of the provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.

All except one: Ganymedes Piscero—class clown, slacker and all-around disappointment.

When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people and without a Blessing to protect him, Ganymedes’s odds of survival are slim.

But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their secret Blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia?

Or will the empire as he knows it fall?]]> 464 Frances White 0778387429 Jessica 0 to-read 3.75 2024
author: Frances White
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 194477918 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781645660842

Space Habitat Altaire is the premier luxury resort in low Earth orbit, playground of the privileged and the perfect location to host reunions for the Rochford Institute. Rochford boasts only the best: the wealthiest, most promising students with the most impressive pedigrees. Complete with space walks, these lavish reunions are a prime opportunity for alumni to jockey for power with old friends and rivals—and crucially, to advance their applications to live in an exclusive Mars settlement. Earth is dying, and only the best deserve to save themselves.

Aboard the Altaire for a 25th reunion, finance magnate Ava pursues the truth about her brother’s murder during their senior year. Laz, ambassador and political scion, hopes to finally win Ava’s heart. Sloane, collecting secrets to conceal his family’s decline, angles for a key client. And Henry, heir to a healthcare empire, creates an unorthodox opportunity to get to Mars in a last-ditch effort to outrun a childhood secret.

While these erstwhile friends settle scores and rack up points, they fail to notice the other agendas developing at the Space Habitat Altaire. Their own futures aren’t the only ones at stake—“the best” will soon regret underestimating those they would leave behind on Earth.]]> 368 Victor Manibo Jessica 4
Cons: abusive dom/sub scene

The Rochford Institute is hosting their class of 2064 reunion on Space Habitat Altaire. As an added bonus, attending will net each participant at least 5 MERIT points, necessary to gain coveted spaces in the new Mars colony. Unlike her classmates, Ava Khan isn’t there to schmooze. She wants to know who really killed her abusive twin brother their last year of school, and she thinks her three oldest friends have the answer. Meanwhile, the station crew have a plan for how to make the world a better place.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of the four friends and Cielo, chief housekeeper on the Altaire. You learn more about each one, how things went in school, what they’ve been up, and why they’re really on the station. They’ve all got compelling stories, even if - despite what they think - they’re not particularly good people.

The book delves into the kinds of backroom deals that allow the super rich to influence the world and come out on top.

There’s an orgy scene (mildly graphic) and one character acts as Dom to another, in which a lot of minimizing language and swear words are used. The second scene with that pair went past words, and though it wasn’t graphic, it still left me feeling uncomfortable.

The ending hits hard and wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s a fast paced, compelling read.]]> 3.05 2024
author: Victor Manibo
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.05
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/03
date added: 2024/05/14
shelves:
review:
Pros: compelling, fast paced, interesting characters

Cons: abusive dom/sub scene

The Rochford Institute is hosting their class of 2064 reunion on Space Habitat Altaire. As an added bonus, attending will net each participant at least 5 MERIT points, necessary to gain coveted spaces in the new Mars colony. Unlike her classmates, Ava Khan isn’t there to schmooze. She wants to know who really killed her abusive twin brother their last year of school, and she thinks her three oldest friends have the answer. Meanwhile, the station crew have a plan for how to make the world a better place.

The story is told from the alternating perspectives of the four friends and Cielo, chief housekeeper on the Altaire. You learn more about each one, how things went in school, what they’ve been up, and why they’re really on the station. They’ve all got compelling stories, even if - despite what they think - they’re not particularly good people.

The book delves into the kinds of backroom deals that allow the super rich to influence the world and come out on top.

There’s an orgy scene (mildly graphic) and one character acts as Dom to another, in which a lot of minimizing language and swear words are used. The second scene with that pair went past words, and though it wasn’t graphic, it still left me feeling uncomfortable.

The ending hits hard and wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s a fast paced, compelling read.
]]> 204007612 Manage your anxiety and take control of your life

Learn how to quiet your mind and ease fearful feelings with this simple, practical anxiety workbook for women. Each page offers insight into the underlying causes of anxiety and teaches you how to identify your triggers and develop effective coping methods so you can live with greater confidence and contentment.

The truth about anxiety—Explore what anxiety really is, how it manifests in different ways, and the reasons it is especially common among women.

Proven tools and techniques—Discover exercises from a licensed therapist for soothing anxiety with mindfulness, meditation, acceptance and commitment therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

You're not alone—Find hope and support in stories of other women using the strategies in this workbook to overcome their anxiety.

Build the skills to reduce stress and cultivate calm with this supportive anxiety book for women.]]> 210 Bianca L. Rodriguez Jessica 5
The book has 2 parts (Understanding Anxiety & How to Manage Your Anxiety) and 9 chapters (Anxiety & Women; Navigating Life with Anxiety; Calm Your Body & Mind; Observe Your Anxiety & Identify Your Triggers; Release Yourself from the Cycle of Worry & Rumination; Replace Your Anxious Behaviors with Healthy Ones; Navigate Relationships and Manage Social Anxiety; Acknowledge & Address Specific Phobias; and Reclaim Your Life & Reach Your Goals). The book ends with a short list of resources, online sites for additional help if you need it.

The first chapter has a lot of repetition, which is great for getting you to really take in the information. I found it helpful to learn why anxiety exists and how it’s meant to help in dangerous or unusual circumstances. Anxiety becomes a problem when it overstays its usefulness.

The book progresses through teaching you about anxiety, then ways to deal with different aspects of it using a variety of exercises. I found some activities worked better for me, but the variety means people with different ways of learning and thinking - and different levels and aspects of anxiety - will find useful activities. There were several exercises dealing with intrusive thoughts/ruminating on past actions, on how to relieve black & white thinking, etc. Unexpectedly the book didn’t just deal with ways to improve yourself in private, there’s a section on how to do small talk and introduce yourself to strangers. The chapter on breaking down goals into manageable pieces was also unexpected and useful. I really appreciated the reminder to celebrate your successes.

It is useful to try various exercises, even if you don’t think they’ll work for you. I did the ‘write a letter to your anxiety’ and it was surprisingly insightful.

Through the work I’ve done over the years some of these lessons were no longer necessary for me, but I could see how they would have helped (and were similar to techniques I used in the past).

If you suffer from anxiety and want to learn techniques that can help, give this workbook a try.]]> 4.22
author: Bianca L. Rodriguez
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.22
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/03/23
date added: 2024/03/26
shelves:
review:
Recently I’ve been working on reducing my anxiety so I requested this on NetGalley.

The book has 2 parts (Understanding Anxiety & How to Manage Your Anxiety) and 9 chapters (Anxiety & Women; Navigating Life with Anxiety; Calm Your Body & Mind; Observe Your Anxiety & Identify Your Triggers; Release Yourself from the Cycle of Worry & Rumination; Replace Your Anxious Behaviors with Healthy Ones; Navigate Relationships and Manage Social Anxiety; Acknowledge & Address Specific Phobias; and Reclaim Your Life & Reach Your Goals). The book ends with a short list of resources, online sites for additional help if you need it.

The first chapter has a lot of repetition, which is great for getting you to really take in the information. I found it helpful to learn why anxiety exists and how it’s meant to help in dangerous or unusual circumstances. Anxiety becomes a problem when it overstays its usefulness.

The book progresses through teaching you about anxiety, then ways to deal with different aspects of it using a variety of exercises. I found some activities worked better for me, but the variety means people with different ways of learning and thinking - and different levels and aspects of anxiety - will find useful activities. There were several exercises dealing with intrusive thoughts/ruminating on past actions, on how to relieve black & white thinking, etc. Unexpectedly the book didn’t just deal with ways to improve yourself in private, there’s a section on how to do small talk and introduce yourself to strangers. The chapter on breaking down goals into manageable pieces was also unexpected and useful. I really appreciated the reminder to celebrate your successes.

It is useful to try various exercises, even if you don’t think they’ll work for you. I did the ‘write a letter to your anxiety’ and it was surprisingly insightful.

Through the work I’ve done over the years some of these lessons were no longer necessary for me, but I could see how they would have helped (and were similar to techniques I used in the past).

If you suffer from anxiety and want to learn techniques that can help, give this workbook a try.
]]> 127280776 Cascade Failure, is a fast-paced sci-fi adventure blending J. S. Dewes' Divide series with the broad fan appeal of The Expanse and the cozy sf of Becky Chambers. It features a fierce, messy, chaotic space fam, vibrant worlds, and an exploration of the many ways to be—and not to be—human.

There are only three real powers in the universe: the corporate power of the Trust versus the Union's labor's leverage. And between them, the Guild tries to keep everyone's hands above the table. It ain't easy.

Branded a Guild deserter, Jal "accidentally" lands a ride on a Guild ship. Helmed by an AI, with a ship's engineer/medic who doesn't see much of a difference between the two jobs, and a "don't make me shoot you" XO, the Guild crew of the Ambit is a little . . . different.

They're also in over their heads. Responding to a distress call from an abandoned planet, they find a mass grave, and a live programmer who knows how it happened. The Trust has plans. This isn't the first dead planet, and it's not going to be the last.

Unless the crew of the Ambit can stop it.]]> 407 L.M. Sagas 1250871255 Jessica 5
Cons:

The characters are so much fun. They’re all neurotic in complementary ways. Surly and snipey at times, talkative and playful at others. Eoan’s curiosity about everything was a real joy. Despite their arguments it’s clear Nash and Saint are a tight knit crew. Seeing Jal and Anke dropped into the crew’s dynamic made for some great interactions.

The plot is tight with enough down time to get to know all of the characters between chase scenes and fights. There are some real tense moments.

The politics of this future are suitably complex without taking over the story. There are a few decent questions about morality and whether it’s better to focus on the needs of society at large vs saving your personal friends and family. And who should make the necessary sacrifices.

It’s a book about the choices we make and how we deal with the consequences of the bad decisions of our past. Of working as a team to complete a goal. Of betrayal and redemption.

It’s a delightful story that, though it dealt with heavy issues at times, left me feeling hopeful about the future.]]> 3.86 2024
author: L.M. Sagas
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/02/19
date added: 2024/03/19
shelves:
review:
Pros: fun and interesting characters, tight plot, some thought provoking moments, good fight scenes

Cons:

The characters are so much fun. They’re all neurotic in complementary ways. Surly and snipey at times, talkative and playful at others. Eoan’s curiosity about everything was a real joy. Despite their arguments it’s clear Nash and Saint are a tight knit crew. Seeing Jal and Anke dropped into the crew’s dynamic made for some great interactions.

The plot is tight with enough down time to get to know all of the characters between chase scenes and fights. There are some real tense moments.

The politics of this future are suitably complex without taking over the story. There are a few decent questions about morality and whether it’s better to focus on the needs of society at large vs saving your personal friends and family. And who should make the necessary sacrifices.

It’s a book about the choices we make and how we deal with the consequences of the bad decisions of our past. Of working as a team to complete a goal. Of betrayal and redemption.

It’s a delightful story that, though it dealt with heavy issues at times, left me feeling hopeful about the future.
]]> 182093393
Within Roman society, the earliest Christians stood out for the oddness of their beliefs and practices. They believed unusual things, worshiped God in strange ways, and lived a unique lifestyle. They practiced a whole new way of thinking about and doing religion that would have been seen as bizarre and dangerous when compared to Roman religion and most other religions of the ancient world.

Award-winning author, blogger, speaker, and New Testament teacher Nijay Gupta traces the emerging Christian faith in its Roman context in this accessible and engaging book. Christianity would have been seen as radical in the Roman world, but some found this new religion attractive and compelling. The first Christians dared to be different, pushed the boundaries of what was acceptable, transformed how people thought about religion, and started a movement that grew like wildfire.

Brought to life with numerous images, this book shows how the example of the earliest Christians can offer today's believers encouragement and hope.]]> 240 Nijay K. Gupta 1587435179 Jessica 4
I reviewed an advance reader copy from Netgalley, meaning it wasn’t in its final form. My copy had no illustrations, just captions where the illustrations should go. So I cannot comment on their quality, though there were a good number of them and they’re placed to illustrate interesting aspects of the text.

The author used a decent number of quotes from ancient texts in addition to numerous Old and New Testament quotes. He often tied things together with modern examples which I found a bit jarring but might help a general audience better understand the thought process of ancient peoples.

The book has some great aims and asks some excellent questions. These are questions that cannot be fully answered, as sources are limited, but it was frustrating at times how short the discussion was. The author might give a few possible answers but little or sometimes no reasoning on why these answers should be considered.

For example, in the 3rd chapter he questions why Romans would join the new Christian church when it was so radically different from what they were used to. He mentions 4 possibilities: the intriguing idea of monotheism, the promise of eternal life, that the new faith blended religion, philosophy and morality in a way others didn’t, and the concept of loving everyone. He mentions these but has no follow-up discussion about them and simply ends the chapter. Also strange is the absence of Christianity’s idea of equality as one of those possibilities. Many early adopters of Christianity were rich upper class women (women whose houses were gifted to the church to become buildings of worship upon their deaths). While upper class women had more agency than many in ancient Rome, the Christian faith gave them power over belief in ways other religions denied them. The author does cover the stratification of Roman society and how Christians tried to upend that with their idea of everyone being treated equally within the church in a later chapter, but he never posits this as a reason why lower class individuals might have joined the church in the first place. Even in his conclusion, when he again considers the question of what made Christianity so compelling, he neglects to mention it in favour of purely spiritual answers.

Despite my desire to see more discussion, the book is excellent at giving a good idea of how differently ancient peoples thought about concepts like religion. It was very useful learning how Greeks and Romans worshipped. I also appreciated learning more about how early Christian practice was different from the Jewish faith it sprang from. I highlighted numerous passages in the book that I thought were worth reflecting on. Christianity has changed a lot from those early years, so it was interesting seeing what the first Christians believed and how they followed Christ.

Consider this a great introduction to the topic of how early Christians practiced and how their worship and thought patterns differed from those of the people around them. It’s a fairly short, easy to read book that will give you a lot to think about.]]> 4.11 2024
author: Nijay K. Gupta
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/06
date added: 2024/02/27
shelves:
review:
The book is split into 4 sections, with 12 chapters, an introduction, and a short conclusion. There are end notes at the back. The 4 sections are: Becoming Christian, What the First Christians Believed, How the First Christians Worshipped, and How the First Christians Lived.

I reviewed an advance reader copy from Netgalley, meaning it wasn’t in its final form. My copy had no illustrations, just captions where the illustrations should go. So I cannot comment on their quality, though there were a good number of them and they’re placed to illustrate interesting aspects of the text.

The author used a decent number of quotes from ancient texts in addition to numerous Old and New Testament quotes. He often tied things together with modern examples which I found a bit jarring but might help a general audience better understand the thought process of ancient peoples.

The book has some great aims and asks some excellent questions. These are questions that cannot be fully answered, as sources are limited, but it was frustrating at times how short the discussion was. The author might give a few possible answers but little or sometimes no reasoning on why these answers should be considered.

For example, in the 3rd chapter he questions why Romans would join the new Christian church when it was so radically different from what they were used to. He mentions 4 possibilities: the intriguing idea of monotheism, the promise of eternal life, that the new faith blended religion, philosophy and morality in a way others didn’t, and the concept of loving everyone. He mentions these but has no follow-up discussion about them and simply ends the chapter. Also strange is the absence of Christianity’s idea of equality as one of those possibilities. Many early adopters of Christianity were rich upper class women (women whose houses were gifted to the church to become buildings of worship upon their deaths). While upper class women had more agency than many in ancient Rome, the Christian faith gave them power over belief in ways other religions denied them. The author does cover the stratification of Roman society and how Christians tried to upend that with their idea of everyone being treated equally within the church in a later chapter, but he never posits this as a reason why lower class individuals might have joined the church in the first place. Even in his conclusion, when he again considers the question of what made Christianity so compelling, he neglects to mention it in favour of purely spiritual answers.

Despite my desire to see more discussion, the book is excellent at giving a good idea of how differently ancient peoples thought about concepts like religion. It was very useful learning how Greeks and Romans worshipped. I also appreciated learning more about how early Christian practice was different from the Jewish faith it sprang from. I highlighted numerous passages in the book that I thought were worth reflecting on. Christianity has changed a lot from those early years, so it was interesting seeing what the first Christians believed and how they followed Christ.

Consider this a great introduction to the topic of how early Christians practiced and how their worship and thought patterns differed from those of the people around them. It’s a fairly short, easy to read book that will give you a lot to think about.
]]> 57185869 Dinosaurs and portals, and a girl who can find both in the latest book in the Hugo and Nebula Award-Winning series.

Antsy is the latest student to pass through the doors at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children.

When her fellow students realize that Antsy's talent for finding absolutely anything may extend to doors, she's forced to flee in the company of a small group of friends, looking for a way back to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go to be sure that Vineta and Hudson are keeping their promise.

Along the way, temptations are dangled, decisions are reinforced, and a departure to a world populated by dinosaurs brings untold dangers and one or two other surprises!

A story that reminds us that finding what you want doesn't always mean finding what you need.]]> 146 Seanan McGuire Jessica 5
This is the 9th book in the Wayward Children series and is best read in sequence. It takes place a bit before and directly after the events of Where the Drowned Girls Go and Lost in the Moment and Found. It’s worth rereading those if you don’t remember what happened.

Antsy’s an interesting character. She’s 9 years old in the body of a 16 year old, with no idea of how to act around kids her visible age. Seeing her face her past and giving real resolution to her story in Lost in the Moment and Found, was wonderful.

I loved Sumi in this story. She can be a bit much but acts like a real mother hen crossed with a real no nonsense attitude. She has some of the most insightful lines in the book.

Despite the rules of the school, a quest is at hand. As a novella it only takes a few hours to read, but has a very satisfying story arc.

If you’ve read the prior novellas in the series, this is a strong follow-up. If you haven’t, I can’t recommend the series enough.

(review copy provided by Netgalley)]]> 4.07 2024
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/06
date added: 2024/01/11
shelves:
review:
After losing years of her life in the Land Where the Lost Things Go, Antsy Ricci has found her way to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. But a school filled with kids trying to find their Doors back to magical lands might not be the best place for a girl that can find anything,

This is the 9th book in the Wayward Children series and is best read in sequence. It takes place a bit before and directly after the events of Where the Drowned Girls Go and Lost in the Moment and Found. It’s worth rereading those if you don’t remember what happened.

Antsy’s an interesting character. She’s 9 years old in the body of a 16 year old, with no idea of how to act around kids her visible age. Seeing her face her past and giving real resolution to her story in Lost in the Moment and Found, was wonderful.

I loved Sumi in this story. She can be a bit much but acts like a real mother hen crossed with a real no nonsense attitude. She has some of the most insightful lines in the book.

Despite the rules of the school, a quest is at hand. As a novella it only takes a few hours to read, but has a very satisfying story arc.

If you’ve read the prior novellas in the series, this is a strong follow-up. If you haven’t, I can’t recommend the series enough.

(review copy provided by Netgalley)
]]> 179911444
Davi has done this all before. She's tried to be the hero and take down the all-powerful Dark Lord. A hundred times she's rallied humanity and made the final charge. But the time loop always gets her in the end. Sometimes she's killed quickly. Sometimes it takes a while. But she's been defeated every time.

This time? She's done being the hero and done being stuck in this endless time loop. If the Dark Lord always wins, then maybe that's who she needs to be. It's Davi's turn to play on the winning side.]]> 432 Django Wexler Jessica 0 to-read 3.74 2024
author: Django Wexler
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36337550
There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit.

We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer.

Understood? Then let's begin . . .

Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others . . .

The most inventive debut of the year twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave listeners guessing until the very last second.]]> 432 Stuart Turton Jessica 0 to-read 3.75 2018
author: Stuart Turton
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 136276877
Outside the island there is nothing: the world was destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched.

On the island: it is idyllic. One hundred and twenty-two villagers and three scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they're told by the scientists.

Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And then they learn that the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn't solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island—and everyone on it.

But the security system has also wiped everyone's memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer—and they don't even know it.

And the clock is ticking.

From the bestselling author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water comes an inventive, high-concept murder mystery: an ingenious puzzle, an extraordinary backdrop, and an audacious solution.]]> 368 Stuart Turton Jessica 0 to-read 3.62 2024
author: Stuart Turton
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.62
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60833941 As a waterweaver, Nehal can move and shape any water to her will, but she's limited by her lack of formal education. She desires nothing more than to attend the newly opened Weaving Academy, take complete control of her powers, and pursue a glorious future on the battlefield with the first all-female military regiment. But her family cannot afford to let her go--crushed under her father's gambling debt, Nehal is forcibly married into a wealthy merchant family. Her new spouse, Nico, is indifferent and distant and in love with another woman, a bookseller named Giorgina.

Giorgina has her own secret, however: she is an earthweaver with dangerously uncontrollable powers. She has no money and no prospects. Her only solace comes from her activities with the Daughters of Izdihar, a radical women's rights group at the forefront of a movement with a simple goal: to attain recognition for women to have a say in their own lives. They live very different lives and come from very different means, yet Nehal and Giorgina have more in common than they think. The cause--and Nico--brings them into each other's orbit, drawn in by the group's enigmatic leader, Malak Mamdouh, and the urge to do what is right.

But their problems may seem small in the broader context of their world, as tensions are rising with a neighboring nation that desires an end to weaving and weavers. As Nehal and Giorgina fight for their rights, the threat of war looms in the background, and the two women find themselves struggling to earn--and keep--a lasting freedom.]]> 384 Hadeer Elsbai 0063114747 Jessica 0 to-read 3.73 2023
author: Hadeer Elsbai
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59095513 ----

Forty-four years ago, as any schoolgirl can tell you, the moth’s eggs hatched and an army of caterpillars spread their tiny toxic threads on every breath of wind. Since then, men have been cloistered, protected from birth against the deadly poison.

But now there’s a vaccine - a way that men can leave the facility without dying or suffering from psychosis. Emerging, into their new world, eyes wide with wonder at every new experience, the truth soon becomes clear.

This world was not made for men. And they are not safe.]]> 400 Jane Hennigan Jessica 0 to-read 3.94 2024
author: Jane Hennigan
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 157020041 In a country divided between humans and witchers, Venus Stoneheart hustles as a brewer making illegal love potions to support her family.

Love potions is a dangerous business. Brewing has painful, debilitating side effects, and getting caught means death or a prison sentence. But what Venus is most afraid of is the dark, sentient magic within her.

Then an enemy's iron bullet kills her mother, Venus’s life implodes. Keeping her reckless little sister Janus safe is now her responsibility. When the powerful Grand Witcher, the ruthless head of her coven, offers Venus the chance to punish her mother's killer, she has to pay a steep price for revenge. The cost? Brew poisonous potions to enslave D.C.'s most influential politicians.

As Venus crawls deeper into the corrupt underbelly of her city, the line between magic and power blurs, and it's hard to tell who to trust…Herself included.]]> 467 Bethany Baptiste 1728251958 Jessica 0 to-read 3.67 2024
author: Bethany Baptiste
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 143166308 It’s that, or end up like countless knights before her, as a puddle of gore and molten armor.

Maddileh is a knight. There aren’t many women in her line of work, and it often feels like the sneering and contempt from her peers is harder to stomach than the actual dragon slaying. But she’s a knight, and made of sterner stuff.

A minor infraction forces her to redeem her honor in the most dramatic way possible, she must retrieve the fabled Fireborne Blade from its keeper, legendary dragon the White Lady, or die trying. If history tells us anything, it's that “die trying” is where to wager your coin.

Maddileh’s tale contains a rich history of dragons, ill-fated knights, scheming squires, and sapphic love, with deceptions and double-crosses that will keep you guessing right up to its dramatic conclusion. Ultimately, The Fireborne Blade is about the roles we refuse to accept, and of the place we make for ourselves in the world.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 192 Charlotte Bond 1250290325 Jessica 0 to-read 3.74 2024
author: Charlotte Bond
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63879533
A charming fantasy set in an underwater world with magical academia and a heartwarming penpal romance, perfect for fans of A Marvellous Light and Emily Wilde's Encylopaedia of Faeries.

A beautiful discovery outside the window of her underwater home prompts the reclusive E. to begin a correspondence with renowned scholar Henerey Clel. The letters they share are filled with passion, at first for their mutual interests, and then, inevitably, for each other.

Together, they uncover a mystery from the unknown depths, destined to transform the underwater world they both equally fear and love. But by no mere coincidence, a seaquake destroys E.'s home, and she and Henerey vanish.

A year later, E.'s sister Sophy, and Henerey's brother Vyerin, are left to solve the mystery of their siblings' disappearances with the letters, sketches and field notes left behind. As they uncover the wondrous love their siblings shared, Sophy and Vyerin learn the key to their disappearance - and what it could mean for life as they know it.]]> 432 Sylvie Cathrall 0356521095 Jessica 0 to-read 3.64 2024
author: Sylvie Cathrall
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 135802269
Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing.

Except one: Ganymedes Piscero - class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.

When a beloved heir is murdered, everyone is a suspect. Stuck at sea and surrounded by powerful people without a Blessing to protect him, odds of survival are slim.

But as the bodies pile higher, Ganymedes must become the hero he was not born to be. Can he unmask the killer and their blessing before this bloody crusade reaches the shores of Concordia?

Or will the empire as he knows it fall?]]> 496 Frances White 0241640075 Jessica 0 to-read 3.97 2024
author: Frances White
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 145624782 A young woman descends into a seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and monsters bent on revenge to break her family's curse in this spellbinding contemporary fantasy debut.

For centuries, generations of Everlys have seen their brightest and best disappear, taken as punishment for a crime no one remembers, for a purpose no one understands. Their tormentor, a woman named Penelope, never ages, never grows sick – and never forgives a debt.

Violet Everly was a child when her mother left on a stormy night, determined to break the curse. When Marianne never returns, Penelope issues an ultimatum: Violet has ten years to find her mother, or she will take her place. Violet is the last of the Everly line, the last to suffer. Unless she can break it first.

To do so, she must descend into a seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and monsters bent on revenge. She must also contend with Penelope’s quiet assistant, Aleksander, who she knows cannot be trusted – and yet whose knowledge of a world beyond her own is too valuable to avoid.

Tied to a very literal deadline, Violet will travel the edges of the world to find Marianne and the key to the city of stardust, where the Everly story began.]]> 352 Georgia Summers 0316561487 Jessica 0 to-read 3.23 2024
author: Georgia Summers
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.23
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/12/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 57347737 224 Jessi Sheron 194582056X Jessica 5
Cons: some sad scenes, emotional abuse

Fifteen year old Corinth’s boyfriend Seth is emotionally abusive. When she meets a mermaid at the beach she discovers that friendship doesn’t have to be painful. But Skylla wants to stay with Corinth, and bad things happen when mermaids transform into humans.

The artwork is gorgeous. Vibrant colours, lots of curvy women. While you don’t see much of the underwater kingdom, I loved how this author represented the mother mermaid and the fathers (they’re so CUTE!). The mermaid design is all fish, with sharp teeth, webbed fingers, and various coloured skin.

Corinth’s a great character who’s lack of self-esteem is being exploited by her emotionally abusive boyfriend. There’s nothing over the top in the story, just constant little episodes of negging and gaslighting. Seeing her regain confidence is a real treat.

Corinth’s mother is deaf so she knows sign language. After meeting, she starts teaching Skylla all sorts of new language based things, including sign language. It’s great to see.

The relationship between Skylla and Corinth is built on mutual admiration and affection, and it’s is a real pleasure watching it blossom into love.

This is a fun, beautiful graphic novel that I hope a lot of people read.]]> 3.96 2015
author: Jessi Sheron
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2023/02/16
date added: 2023/10/17
shelves:
review:
Pros: lesbian mermaid love story!, gorgeous artwork, deaf/mute characters

Cons: some sad scenes, emotional abuse

Fifteen year old Corinth’s boyfriend Seth is emotionally abusive. When she meets a mermaid at the beach she discovers that friendship doesn’t have to be painful. But Skylla wants to stay with Corinth, and bad things happen when mermaids transform into humans.

The artwork is gorgeous. Vibrant colours, lots of curvy women. While you don’t see much of the underwater kingdom, I loved how this author represented the mother mermaid and the fathers (they’re so CUTE!). The mermaid design is all fish, with sharp teeth, webbed fingers, and various coloured skin.

Corinth’s a great character who’s lack of self-esteem is being exploited by her emotionally abusive boyfriend. There’s nothing over the top in the story, just constant little episodes of negging and gaslighting. Seeing her regain confidence is a real treat.

Corinth’s mother is deaf so she knows sign language. After meeting, she starts teaching Skylla all sorts of new language based things, including sign language. It’s great to see.

The relationship between Skylla and Corinth is built on mutual admiration and affection, and it’s is a real pleasure watching it blossom into love.

This is a fun, beautiful graphic novel that I hope a lot of people read.
]]> 25353286
But Ingray and her charge return to her home to find their planet in political turmoil, at the heart of an escalating interstellar conflict. Together, they must make a new plan to salvage Ingray's future and her world, before they are lost to her for good.]]> 481 Ann Leckie Jessica 4
Cons: heavily character driven, so if you don’t like Ingray the book may be a slog

Ingray Aughskold has hatched a cunning plan to beat her foster brother and gain their mother’s notice - and perhaps be named her heir. Unfortunately for Ingray, that plan starts to unravel immediately as she discovers she’s broken the wrong man out of prison and it turns out her transport ship was stolen from aliens. Her life is about to change in many unexpected ways.

This is a heavily character driven story. I found Ingray intriguing, and wanted to know why she was making so many bad decisions. Seeing her owning up to her mistakes and try to make things right was satisfying. The side characters are also fascinating, with goals that often conflict with hers.

The world-building is excellent. Tyr Siilas station, the planet Hwae, the very alien Geck, and more recognizable but still alien Omkem. Each group has their own very different culture and language. One of my favourite parts of the book was towards the end where Ingray needs to use a translation software to help with a language she doesn’t know and it translates profanity as ‘fiddlesticks’ and complex phrases as near gibberish. Very realistic.

There’s a lot of politics in the book, which I loved. I find it fascinating seeing why people make certain decisions and how those decisions affect their world. It was especially interesting here as the politics crossed so many boundaries. Deeper purposes were constantly being revealed as Ingray learned more about what was happening and how the plans of others intersected with her own.

There are 3 (at least 3) genders, so be prepared for e/eir pronouns.

The book did feel a bit slow at times, I often have trouble maintaining interest in character driven books, wanting more plot to pick up the slack, but it was very enjoyable.]]> 3.81 2017
author: Ann Leckie
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/06
date added: 2023/08/08
shelves:
review:
Pros: tons of politics!, several interesting alien species, excellent world-building

Cons: heavily character driven, so if you don’t like Ingray the book may be a slog

Ingray Aughskold has hatched a cunning plan to beat her foster brother and gain their mother’s notice - and perhaps be named her heir. Unfortunately for Ingray, that plan starts to unravel immediately as she discovers she’s broken the wrong man out of prison and it turns out her transport ship was stolen from aliens. Her life is about to change in many unexpected ways.

This is a heavily character driven story. I found Ingray intriguing, and wanted to know why she was making so many bad decisions. Seeing her owning up to her mistakes and try to make things right was satisfying. The side characters are also fascinating, with goals that often conflict with hers.

The world-building is excellent. Tyr Siilas station, the planet Hwae, the very alien Geck, and more recognizable but still alien Omkem. Each group has their own very different culture and language. One of my favourite parts of the book was towards the end where Ingray needs to use a translation software to help with a language she doesn’t know and it translates profanity as ‘fiddlesticks’ and complex phrases as near gibberish. Very realistic.

There’s a lot of politics in the book, which I loved. I find it fascinating seeing why people make certain decisions and how those decisions affect their world. It was especially interesting here as the politics crossed so many boundaries. Deeper purposes were constantly being revealed as Ingray learned more about what was happening and how the plans of others intersected with her own.

There are 3 (at least 3) genders, so be prepared for e/eir pronouns.

The book did feel a bit slow at times, I often have trouble maintaining interest in character driven books, wanting more plot to pick up the slack, but it was very enjoyable.
]]> 50027 Discover the origin story of one of the greatest heroes of the Realms—Drizzt Do’Urden—in this thrilling first installment of the Dark Elf Trilogy

Drow ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, first introduced in The Icewind Dale Trilogy, quickly became one of the fantasy genre’s standout characters. With Homeland, Salvatore pulls back the curtain to reveal the startling tale of how this hero came to be—how this one lone drow walked out of the shadowy depths of the Underdark; how he left behind an evil society and a family that wanted him dead.

As the third son of Mother Malice and weaponmaster Zaknafein, Drizzt Do’Urden is meant to be sacrificed to Lolth, the evil Spider Queen, per drow tradition. But with the unexpected death of his older brother, young Drizzt is spared—and, as a result, further ostracized by his family. As Drizzt grows older, developing his swordsmanship skills and studying at the Academy, he begins to realize that his idea of good and evil does not match up with those of his fellow drow. Can Drizzt stay true to himself in a such an unforgiving, unprincipled world?

Homeland is the first book in the Dark Elf Trilogy and the Legend of Drizzt series.]]> 343 R.A. Salvatore Jessica 5 4.26 1990
author: R.A. Salvatore
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1990
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/07/30
shelves:
review:

]]> 18775220
Welcome to Trifles & Folly, a store with a secret. Proprietor Cassidy Kincaide’s psychic gift lets her know the history and magic of an object by touching it. Cassidy and her friends—including Weaver witch Teag and her vampire business partner Sorren—save the world from vengeful ghosts, dark magic, hidden monsters, and things that go bump in the night.

When a trip to a haunted hotel unearths a statue steeped in malevolent power, and a string of murders leads to the abandoned old Navy yard, Cassidy, Teag, and Sorren discover a diabolical plot to unleash a supernatural onslaught on their city.

It’s time for Cassidy and her team to handle the “deadly curiosities” before it’s too late.]]> 456 Gail Z. Martin 1781082332 Jessica 3
Cons: characters feel like Mary Sues, middle of the book had several scenes that follow the same pattern, unnecessary repetition

Cassidy Kincaide is psychometric, able to see images of an item’s past. She inherited the estate auction and antiques shop Trifles and Folly when her uncle, who had a similar power, died a few years back. Along with the store she also inherited her uncle’s silent partner, Sorren, a vampire and member of the Alliance, an organization dedicated to keeping humans safe from dangerous magical artifacts.

When some of the safe items Cassidy sold start haunting a local BnB, she and her co-worker Teag start investigating.

The characters are really interesting, with Cassidy having contacts all over the city with connections that help with her business - both the antique store and when investigating potentially dangerous items. I really appreciated that Cassidy not only owned a store, but she and Teag actually work there. Lots of urban fantasy books mention that characters have jobs but somehow show them with lots of free time to investigate whatever the mystery is. These characters spend their days at work, sometimes it’s slow and they can research and do other things, and sometimes it’s busy and they can’t. But I appreciated the veracity of their situation, that they need money to keep the store and pay rent and so have to do most of their investigative work after hours.

Having said that, they seem remarkably lucky with their investigative work, generally learning pretty quickly what they need to from all the sites and people they visit. Now, the book explains that as due in part to Cassidy’s knowing and having a good relationship with many of the important people in town and the rest is chalked up to her and Teag’s respective magics. Still, they have an uncanny knack of reaching the right conclusion pretty quickly, which, coupled with their martial arts knowledge and ability to get out of sticky situations starts to make them feel Mary Sue-ish.

Another thing I really liked about the book was the varied forms of magic employed. Cassidy can see objects’ pasts, Teag can weave together pieces of information as well as spells, Sorren has the strength and agility of the undead. The book also introduces several other characters with their own powers, a Voodon practitioner, a Viking Seior, and a Gullah root worker. Magic takes its toll on the practitioners and isn’t an infinite pool that be used continuously when facing bad guys.

There is some repetition in how information is portrayed that irked me but probably won’t bother most readers. Something is introduced in one chapter and then expanded on in the next chapter in a way that repeats the previous information.

A more obvious issue is that several scenes in the middle of the book follow the same pattern of checking something out, getting attacked, and getting out of the situation. It happened too often in the same way that I started wondering why they didn’t anticipate the attacks more readily.

There is a highly satisfying end battle and all the plot threads tie up neatly before the book is over. Despite its flaws it’s a fun start to a new series.]]> 3.54 2014
author: Gail Z. Martin
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2014
rating: 3
read at: 2014/06/21
date added: 2023/07/23
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting plot, varied forms of magic, characters actually work day jobs, satisfying conclusion

Cons: characters feel like Mary Sues, middle of the book had several scenes that follow the same pattern, unnecessary repetition

Cassidy Kincaide is psychometric, able to see images of an item’s past. She inherited the estate auction and antiques shop Trifles and Folly when her uncle, who had a similar power, died a few years back. Along with the store she also inherited her uncle’s silent partner, Sorren, a vampire and member of the Alliance, an organization dedicated to keeping humans safe from dangerous magical artifacts.

When some of the safe items Cassidy sold start haunting a local BnB, she and her co-worker Teag start investigating.

The characters are really interesting, with Cassidy having contacts all over the city with connections that help with her business - both the antique store and when investigating potentially dangerous items. I really appreciated that Cassidy not only owned a store, but she and Teag actually work there. Lots of urban fantasy books mention that characters have jobs but somehow show them with lots of free time to investigate whatever the mystery is. These characters spend their days at work, sometimes it’s slow and they can research and do other things, and sometimes it’s busy and they can’t. But I appreciated the veracity of their situation, that they need money to keep the store and pay rent and so have to do most of their investigative work after hours.

Having said that, they seem remarkably lucky with their investigative work, generally learning pretty quickly what they need to from all the sites and people they visit. Now, the book explains that as due in part to Cassidy’s knowing and having a good relationship with many of the important people in town and the rest is chalked up to her and Teag’s respective magics. Still, they have an uncanny knack of reaching the right conclusion pretty quickly, which, coupled with their martial arts knowledge and ability to get out of sticky situations starts to make them feel Mary Sue-ish.

Another thing I really liked about the book was the varied forms of magic employed. Cassidy can see objects’ pasts, Teag can weave together pieces of information as well as spells, Sorren has the strength and agility of the undead. The book also introduces several other characters with their own powers, a Voodon practitioner, a Viking Seior, and a Gullah root worker. Magic takes its toll on the practitioners and isn’t an infinite pool that be used continuously when facing bad guys.

There is some repetition in how information is portrayed that irked me but probably won’t bother most readers. Something is introduced in one chapter and then expanded on in the next chapter in a way that repeats the previous information.

A more obvious issue is that several scenes in the middle of the book follow the same pattern of checking something out, getting attacked, and getting out of the situation. It happened too often in the same way that I started wondering why they didn’t anticipate the attacks more readily.

There is a highly satisfying end battle and all the plot threads tie up neatly before the book is over. Despite its flaws it’s a fun start to a new series.
]]> 34085453 303 Jane Glatt Jessica 3 3.68
author: Jane Glatt
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.68
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2023/06/22
date added: 2023/06/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 52504334 Nebula, Locus, and Alex Award-winner P. Djèlí Clark returns to his popular alternate Cairo universe for his fantasy novel debut, A Master of Djinn

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world 50 years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and her clever girlfriend Siti, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city -or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems…]]> 438 P. Djèlí Clark 1250267676 Jessica 5
Cons:

After the members of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Al-Jahiz are murdered in a mysterious manner, Agent Fatma and her new partner Agent Hadia, of the Egyptian Ministery of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, to solve the case.

This is a fun murder mystery that takes place in an alternate Egypt of 1912, where a portal to another world allowed djinn, ‘angels’ and other supernatural beings to come to earth. The worldbuilding is fantastic and extrapolates the politics of the time to fit these entities in.

This is the first novel, but there are a couple of short stories that preceed this story, introducing some of the characters (like how Agent Fatma and Siti meet), that while not necessary to understand the events of this book, are a lot of fun and give some more depth to the characters.

Agent Fatma is delightful and I loved her relationship with Siti. While I’m not generally a fan of the’ agent who doesn’t want a partner gets a new partner’ trope, it was handled well and I enjoyed seeing them learn to work together.

The murder mystery was interesting, with some fun twists. The ending was properly apocalyptic.

If you’re unfamiliar with Egyptian (and Nubian) food and clothing, there will be some new vocabulary to look up. I looked up some but not all of the terms, learning some interesting cultural facts along with my fiction.

I found this an enjoyable romp in a country I’d love to visit someday.]]> 3.99 2021
author: P. Djèlí Clark
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2023/04/26
date added: 2023/06/20
shelves:
review:
Pros: great characters, detailed worldbuilding, twisty plot

Cons:

After the members of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Al-Jahiz are murdered in a mysterious manner, Agent Fatma and her new partner Agent Hadia, of the Egyptian Ministery of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, to solve the case.

This is a fun murder mystery that takes place in an alternate Egypt of 1912, where a portal to another world allowed djinn, ‘angels’ and other supernatural beings to come to earth. The worldbuilding is fantastic and extrapolates the politics of the time to fit these entities in.

This is the first novel, but there are a couple of short stories that preceed this story, introducing some of the characters (like how Agent Fatma and Siti meet), that while not necessary to understand the events of this book, are a lot of fun and give some more depth to the characters.

Agent Fatma is delightful and I loved her relationship with Siti. While I’m not generally a fan of the’ agent who doesn’t want a partner gets a new partner’ trope, it was handled well and I enjoyed seeing them learn to work together.

The murder mystery was interesting, with some fun twists. The ending was properly apocalyptic.

If you’re unfamiliar with Egyptian (and Nubian) food and clothing, there will be some new vocabulary to look up. I looked up some but not all of the terms, learning some interesting cultural facts along with my fiction.

I found this an enjoyable romp in a country I’d love to visit someday.
]]> 49106497 A lavishly illustrated history of witchcraft, magic, and the occult, from Paleolithic cave rituals to Wicca and modern paganism.

A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most interesting and often controversial subjects in the world--from ancient animal worship and shamanism, through alchemy and divination to modern Wicca and the resurgence of the occult in 21st-century literature, movies, and television.

Providing a comprehensive, balanced, and unbiased account of everything from Japanese folklore and Indian witchcraft to the differences between black and white magic, and dispelling myths such as those surrounding the voodoo doll and Ouija, the book explores the common human fear of and fascination with spells, superstition, and the supernatural. The perfect introduction to magic and the occult, it explores forms of divination from astrology and palmistry to the Tarot and runestones, mystical plants and potions such as mandrake, the presence of witchcraft in literature from Shakespeare's Macbeth to the Harry Potter series, and the ways in which magic has interacted with mainstream religions.
The most comprehensive illustrated history of witchcraft available, A History of Magic, Witchcraft, and the Occult will enthrall and fascinate you with its lavish illustrated, accessible entries, whether you are a believer or a skeptic.]]> 320 Suzannah Lipscomb 1465494294 Jessica 4
Cons: I feel like there was more magic from the African continent that deserved mention

The book has 5 sections, each broken down into numerous subchapters going into more detail. The sections are: Ancient roots (prehistory to 400 CE), Curse or Cure (400-1500), Scholars and Sabbats (1500-1700), Secrecy and Ceremony (1700-1900), and Modern Magic (1900 onward). There is also a glossary at the back of the book. I was impressed by the number of subsections there were and how thorough the coverage is both in terms of history and geography.

Most topics got a 2 page spread, with a few getting 4 pages. Occasionally side information would get its own spread, like images of fetishes or amulets from different cultures or the meanings of rune stones and how to use them for divination.

I would have liked to learn more about indigenous African beliefs. The authors did a good job of trying to differentiate between magical practices, superstition, and religions still being practiced (which only showed up as they intersected with magical practices, like the Christian persecution of witches). I was impressed by the sheer breadth of information covered. Much of it I was familiar with, but there were sections, like Finnish native beliefs that I had never heard about.

There are a lot of excellent photographs and good use is made of box text diving into specific practices and practitioners that needed a bit more coverage.

I didn’t expect the modern sections to interest me as much as the ancient and medieval sections, but it was fascinating to see some practices return and others morph over time.

If you’re looking for a broad overview of magical practices, this is an excellent book.]]> 3.99 2020
author: Suzannah Lipscomb
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/05/30
shelves:
review:
Pros: lots of information easily digested, plentiful photographs, varied topics

Cons: I feel like there was more magic from the African continent that deserved mention

The book has 5 sections, each broken down into numerous subchapters going into more detail. The sections are: Ancient roots (prehistory to 400 CE), Curse or Cure (400-1500), Scholars and Sabbats (1500-1700), Secrecy and Ceremony (1700-1900), and Modern Magic (1900 onward). There is also a glossary at the back of the book. I was impressed by the number of subsections there were and how thorough the coverage is both in terms of history and geography.

Most topics got a 2 page spread, with a few getting 4 pages. Occasionally side information would get its own spread, like images of fetishes or amulets from different cultures or the meanings of rune stones and how to use them for divination.

I would have liked to learn more about indigenous African beliefs. The authors did a good job of trying to differentiate between magical practices, superstition, and religions still being practiced (which only showed up as they intersected with magical practices, like the Christian persecution of witches). I was impressed by the sheer breadth of information covered. Much of it I was familiar with, but there were sections, like Finnish native beliefs that I had never heard about.

There are a lot of excellent photographs and good use is made of box text diving into specific practices and practitioners that needed a bit more coverage.

I didn’t expect the modern sections to interest me as much as the ancient and medieval sections, but it was fascinating to see some practices return and others morph over time.

If you’re looking for a broad overview of magical practices, this is an excellent book.
]]> 55077658 368 Mary Robinette Kowal 1250829151 Jessica 4
Cons: ending felt a bit underwhelming

Roboticist Tesla Crane and her new husband, Shalmaneser Steward, are enjoying their honeymoon on a cruise ship from the moon to Mars When Shal is accused of murder, Tesla must use her fame and money, and Shal’s experience as a detective, to try to clear his name.

The book is very fast paced, introducing just enough character and setting to get you going before the first murder takes place. Then it’s a whirlwind of the couple investigating and trying to figure out what’s really going on while not becoming victims themselves.

The characters are a lot of fun. Shal and Tesla are a sweet couple who flirt a lot and really want some alone time. Tesla had an accident that’s left her with chronic pain and PTSD. The book does an excellent job of showing how trauma works as well as a brilliant future device that allows her to ‘dial down’ her pain, though there’s real danger in her injuring herself more by doing so. Their dog is absolutely adorable.

While I liked Tesla’s determination, towards the end of the book her bullheadedness started to grate a little. She comments at times about how she’s using her money to push for things regular people wouldn’t be able to, and to an extent she uses this for ‘good’, but it does seem to go too far at times. From a novel standpoint, there isn’t much getting around this if you want to stay with a singular point of view character, as you need your reader to learn things too, but it did feel like she was getting too much access, especially at the end. I wouldn’t have wanted to be any of the service people she dealt with.

The secondary characters - and potential suspects - are all eccentric in different ways, that makes them fun to learn about.

The resolution left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. I’m not entirely sure why as there was a good actiony sequence involved.

Ultimately it was a fun mystery in space.]]> 3.60 2022
author: Mary Robinette Kowal
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.60
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/26
date added: 2023/05/23
shelves:
review:
Pros: fast paced, fun characters

Cons: ending felt a bit underwhelming

Roboticist Tesla Crane and her new husband, Shalmaneser Steward, are enjoying their honeymoon on a cruise ship from the moon to Mars When Shal is accused of murder, Tesla must use her fame and money, and Shal’s experience as a detective, to try to clear his name.

The book is very fast paced, introducing just enough character and setting to get you going before the first murder takes place. Then it’s a whirlwind of the couple investigating and trying to figure out what’s really going on while not becoming victims themselves.

The characters are a lot of fun. Shal and Tesla are a sweet couple who flirt a lot and really want some alone time. Tesla had an accident that’s left her with chronic pain and PTSD. The book does an excellent job of showing how trauma works as well as a brilliant future device that allows her to ‘dial down’ her pain, though there’s real danger in her injuring herself more by doing so. Their dog is absolutely adorable.

While I liked Tesla’s determination, towards the end of the book her bullheadedness started to grate a little. She comments at times about how she’s using her money to push for things regular people wouldn’t be able to, and to an extent she uses this for ‘good’, but it does seem to go too far at times. From a novel standpoint, there isn’t much getting around this if you want to stay with a singular point of view character, as you need your reader to learn things too, but it did feel like she was getting too much access, especially at the end. I wouldn’t have wanted to be any of the service people she dealt with.

The secondary characters - and potential suspects - are all eccentric in different ways, that makes them fun to learn about.

The resolution left me feeling a bit underwhelmed. I’m not entirely sure why as there was a good actiony sequence involved.

Ultimately it was a fun mystery in space.
]]> 58724745
Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon—like all other book eater women—is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.

But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger—not for books, but for human minds.]]> 298 Sunyi Dean 1250810183 Jessica 4
Cons:

Raised as a princess in one of the 6 remaining book eater houses in England, Devon Fairweather learns at her first marriage, that being pampered is not the same as being free. Now, she’s trying to escape the families along with her mind eater son.

The book alternates between scenes in the present with Devon on the run and scenes from the past that explain how she got to this point. The pacing is great and there is a mix of highly tense moments an downtime where you really get to know the main characters.

The world-building here is great. The book eaters are unique, and the mind eaters terrifying. The author does a great job of blending their curious and often antiquated style of living, with the modern day world. I also loved how she worked in knights and dragons.

Devon is a complicated woman. She loves her son, enough to get him humans to feed on, while also being scared of that need to feed. In some ways she’s suffered greatly, in others she’s still weirdly naive. I didn’t quite agree with some of her principles, but despite her crimes she still comes off as sympathetic and you still want to see her succeed.

It’s a strange book, telling about a strange people, and is wildly entertaining if you like darker urban fantasy.]]> 3.59 2022
author: Sunyi Dean
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/05
date added: 2023/05/09
shelves:
review:
Pros: brilliant world-building, interesting characters, fast paced

Cons:

Raised as a princess in one of the 6 remaining book eater houses in England, Devon Fairweather learns at her first marriage, that being pampered is not the same as being free. Now, she’s trying to escape the families along with her mind eater son.

The book alternates between scenes in the present with Devon on the run and scenes from the past that explain how she got to this point. The pacing is great and there is a mix of highly tense moments an downtime where you really get to know the main characters.

The world-building here is great. The book eaters are unique, and the mind eaters terrifying. The author does a great job of blending their curious and often antiquated style of living, with the modern day world. I also loved how she worked in knights and dragons.

Devon is a complicated woman. She loves her son, enough to get him humans to feed on, while also being scared of that need to feed. In some ways she’s suffered greatly, in others she’s still weirdly naive. I didn’t quite agree with some of her principles, but despite her crimes she still comes off as sympathetic and you still want to see her succeed.

It’s a strange book, telling about a strange people, and is wildly entertaining if you like darker urban fantasy.
]]> 61378273 Sunday Times bestselling author L.R. Lam

Long ago, humans betrayed dragons, stealing their magic and banishing them to a dying world. Centuries later, their descendants worship dragons as gods. But the 'gods' remember, and they do not forgive.

Thief Arcady scrapes a living on the streets of Vatra. Desperate, Arcady steals a powerful artifact from the bones of the Plaguebringer, the most hated person in Lumet history. Only Arcady knows the artifact's magic holds the key to a new life among the nobles at court and a chance for revenge.

The spell connects to Everen, the last male dragon foretold to save his kind, dragging him through the Veil. Disguised as a human, Everen soon learns that to regain his true power and form and fulfil his destiny, he only needs to convince one little thief to trust him enough to bond completely–body, mind, and soul–and then kill them.

Yet the closer the two become, the greater the risk both their worlds will shatter.]]> 429 L.R. Lam 1399715488 Jessica 4
Cons:

Arcady Eremia wants to clear their family’s name, so they need money and a new last name. Their spell was only supposed to change their name seal, not pull someone into their world. Certainly not someone magically bonded to them.

Everen Emberclaw’s been given a chance to fulfill a prophecy to save dragonkind from their dying world. But to do it he must properly bond with Arcady and then kill them.

This is a story about trust between two broken people that involves a fun heist towards the end of the book.

The worldbuilding was excellent. The human world has a fair amount of variety, with several kingdoms that have different customs, and a religion centered on the worship of dragons.

Arcady is non-binary and the world has a nifty way of dealing with pronouns, using honourifics until you learn the correct forms of address.

There are light romance elements with a fun will they/won’t they aspect.

Arcady’s gruff and a bit unlikeable at first, but really grows on you as time goes on. I loved Everen completely, especially watching him learn about the human world and trying to fit in.

Giving dragons feathers was kind of unique, and I loved that they have a smaller -preterit- forms.

This is the first of a series so while it ties up some loose ends it’s only part of a larger story.]]> 3.59 2023
author: L.R. Lam
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/21
date added: 2023/05/02
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting characters, great worldbuilding, non-binary protagonist

Cons:

Arcady Eremia wants to clear their family’s name, so they need money and a new last name. Their spell was only supposed to change their name seal, not pull someone into their world. Certainly not someone magically bonded to them.

Everen Emberclaw’s been given a chance to fulfill a prophecy to save dragonkind from their dying world. But to do it he must properly bond with Arcady and then kill them.

This is a story about trust between two broken people that involves a fun heist towards the end of the book.

The worldbuilding was excellent. The human world has a fair amount of variety, with several kingdoms that have different customs, and a religion centered on the worship of dragons.

Arcady is non-binary and the world has a nifty way of dealing with pronouns, using honourifics until you learn the correct forms of address.

There are light romance elements with a fun will they/won’t they aspect.

Arcady’s gruff and a bit unlikeable at first, but really grows on you as time goes on. I loved Everen completely, especially watching him learn about the human world and trying to fit in.

Giving dragons feathers was kind of unique, and I loved that they have a smaller -preterit- forms.

This is the first of a series so while it ties up some loose ends it’s only part of a larger story.
]]> 1916757 240 Lino Rossi 0801405947 Jessica 0 3.33 1971
author: Lino Rossi
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.33
book published: 1971
rating: 0
read at: 2023/04/13
date added: 2023/04/13
shelves:
review:

]]> 59007314
The rebels have won, and the empire is withdrawing from Qazal. But undoing the tangled web that binds the two nations won't be easy, and Touraine and Luca will face their greatest challenge yet.

Luca needs to oust her uncle from the Balladairan throne once and for all and take her rightful place as Queen. But he won't let go of power so easily. When he calls for a "Trial of Competence" and Luca's allies start disappearing from her side, she will have to prove her might. And she knows someone who can help...

Touraine has found a home in the newly free country of Qazal. However, she soon realizes that leading a country and leading a revolution are two very different tasks. And, even more importantly, if Luca won't keep her promises, the Qazali could end up right back where they started.

Together, the two women must overcome their enemies, their history, and their heartbreak in order to secure Luca's power and Touraine's freedom.]]> 512 C.L. Clark Jessica 4
Cons:

A year has passed since the events of The Unbroken, and Touraine has discovered that helping to rule a nation is a difficult as freeing it from colonizers. She and Aranen are sent as Qazali’s ambassadors to Balladaire to maintain Luca’s friendship and support. But the Balladairan capital is not safe from its own rebels, nor is Luca’s uncle, acting regent, ready to give Luca the throne.

This is a great follow-up to The Unbroken. The setting is different, allowing the reader to learn more of the Balladairan empire and its territories. But the tension between Luca and Touraine, and Luca and her power, remains just as complicated.

I loved how Luca’s disability causes challenges for her, but doesn’t define her.

Luca’s quest to learn more about Balladairan magic bears fruit, but the answers she finds aren’t ones she likes. Touraine’s attempts to use Qazali magic show that while the theory of using it is easy, the practice is not.

Touraine really comes into her own, learning new things and slowly gaining confidence outside of her military prowess.

I loved Fili, the apprentice woodcarver, and am curious what will happen with her in the next book.

The book has so much political intrigue. I loved it. Luca and her uncle playing against each other for the crown was alternatively thrilling and horrifying. Though there are a few fight scenes, this book has more duels and smaller scale action than battles.

The Unbroken was a great book, and I enjoyed The Faithless even more. If you’ve not read these, you’re missing out.]]> 4.24 2023
author: C.L. Clark
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/09
date added: 2023/04/11
shelves:
review:
Pros: lots of political intrigue and hard choices

Cons:

A year has passed since the events of The Unbroken, and Touraine has discovered that helping to rule a nation is a difficult as freeing it from colonizers. She and Aranen are sent as Qazali’s ambassadors to Balladaire to maintain Luca’s friendship and support. But the Balladairan capital is not safe from its own rebels, nor is Luca’s uncle, acting regent, ready to give Luca the throne.

This is a great follow-up to The Unbroken. The setting is different, allowing the reader to learn more of the Balladairan empire and its territories. But the tension between Luca and Touraine, and Luca and her power, remains just as complicated.

I loved how Luca’s disability causes challenges for her, but doesn’t define her.

Luca’s quest to learn more about Balladairan magic bears fruit, but the answers she finds aren’t ones she likes. Touraine’s attempts to use Qazali magic show that while the theory of using it is easy, the practice is not.

Touraine really comes into her own, learning new things and slowly gaining confidence outside of her military prowess.

I loved Fili, the apprentice woodcarver, and am curious what will happen with her in the next book.

The book has so much political intrigue. I loved it. Luca and her uncle playing against each other for the crown was alternatively thrilling and horrifying. Though there are a few fight scenes, this book has more duels and smaller scale action than battles.

The Unbroken was a great book, and I enjoyed The Faithless even more. If you’ve not read these, you’re missing out.
]]> 61273342 In a near-future northern settlement, a handful of climate change survivors find their fates intertwined in this mesmerizing and transportive novel in the vein of Station Eleven and The Power.

In the far north of Canada sits Camp Zero, an American building project hiding many secrets.

Desperate to help her climate-displaced Korean immigrant mother, Rose agrees to travel to Camp Zero and spy on its architect in exchange for housing. She arrives at the same time as another newcomer, a college professor named Grant who is determined to flee his wealthy family’s dark legacy. Gradually, they realize that there is more to the architect than previously thought, and a disturbing mystery lurks beneath the surface of the camp. At the same time, rumors abound of an elite group of women soldiers living and working at a nearby Cold War-era climate research station. What are they doing there? And who is leading them?

An electrifying page-turner where nothing is as it seems, Camp Zero cleverly explores how the intersection of gender, class, and migration will impact who and what will survive in a warming world.]]> 304 Michelle Min Sterling 1668007568 Jessica 4
Cons: bittersweet ending

Camp Zero is the beginning of a utopian community in northern Canada, away from the heat and disasters of the rest of the world, where man and nature can finally coexist.

Rose will have enough money to support herself and her mother if she works in the camp’s brothel, spying on its architect for her former boss. Grant took a teaching job there to get away from his ultra rich family and their control over his life. But the diggers have no interest in literature or poetry.

Further north still is White Alice, a station manned by a crew of female Americans who have created their own community.

As life in the camp progresses, it’s clear that this isn’t the escape the workers were promised. Are they willing to take the risks required to create the future they want?

I found the book a very compelling read and hard to put down. The characters are vibrant and their situation challenging. It was interesting learning about Rose and Grant’s pasts and how the rich created a new city that could more easily weather the new climate while watching the rest of the US fail. Not as much happens in the present, though seeing Rose try to figure out what she wants in life and take a chance on love was nice.

The White Alice crew was fun, though I was surprised by the extent to which they wanted their community to continue on into the future. Especially given their energy concerns as the production of fossil fuels came to a halt.

There’s limited descriptions of the sex work involved. The profession is treated with dignity by all but one or two of the clients. It’s not a titillating story. Be aware that there is a non-graphic attempted rape later on in the book.

The ending is bittersweet, with a lot left open.

If you’re interested in slow apocalypses and highly personal stories of surviving in challenging circumstances you’ll like this.]]> 3.17 2023
author: Michelle Min Sterling
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.17
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/25
date added: 2023/04/04
shelves:
review:
Pros: compelling read, interesting personalities

Cons: bittersweet ending

Camp Zero is the beginning of a utopian community in northern Canada, away from the heat and disasters of the rest of the world, where man and nature can finally coexist.

Rose will have enough money to support herself and her mother if she works in the camp’s brothel, spying on its architect for her former boss. Grant took a teaching job there to get away from his ultra rich family and their control over his life. But the diggers have no interest in literature or poetry.

Further north still is White Alice, a station manned by a crew of female Americans who have created their own community.

As life in the camp progresses, it’s clear that this isn’t the escape the workers were promised. Are they willing to take the risks required to create the future they want?

I found the book a very compelling read and hard to put down. The characters are vibrant and their situation challenging. It was interesting learning about Rose and Grant’s pasts and how the rich created a new city that could more easily weather the new climate while watching the rest of the US fail. Not as much happens in the present, though seeing Rose try to figure out what she wants in life and take a chance on love was nice.

The White Alice crew was fun, though I was surprised by the extent to which they wanted their community to continue on into the future. Especially given their energy concerns as the production of fossil fuels came to a halt.

There’s limited descriptions of the sex work involved. The profession is treated with dignity by all but one or two of the clients. It’s not a titillating story. Be aware that there is a non-graphic attempted rape later on in the book.

The ending is bittersweet, with a lot left open.

If you’re interested in slow apocalypses and highly personal stories of surviving in challenging circumstances you’ll like this.
]]> 61884932 There’s a princess trapped in a tower. This isn’t her story.

Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?

But nothing with fairies is ever simple.

Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He's heard there's a curse here that needs breaking, but it's a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold…]]> 116 T. Kingfisher 1250244099 Jessica 0 to-read 3.90 2023
author: T. Kingfisher
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61414146 184 Lisa M. Schab 1648481450 Jessica 4
Everyone approaches self-help differently and the style that works for me may not work for you. I liked that the book starts with some tips for how to use the journal, emphasizing that the purpose is to help relieve your anxiety. There’s no wrong way to use it. You can follow the prompts, or not, as long as you end up feeling more peaceful after your time with it.

I found myself alternating between following the prompts as written and adjusting them to fit my mood/way of thinking. For example, one prompt asks you to write something that makes you smile for each letter of the alphabet. As I was going through the letters I found myself writing in a lot of activities I enjoyed instead. And the more I thought about each activity - and the joy doing them brings me - the less anxious I felt.

I was surprised that there wasn’t a page at the beginning for writing a general list of things that make you feel anxious. I found a few prompts later on that asked you to write some down, but wanted something right at the start to help me focus on what I was working towards eliminating. So I took one of the mostly blank introduction pages and made my own list there. I found that writing down information for one activity allowed me to see my anxiety in more helpful ways. That by looking at one aspect of the problem I was able to look at the bigger picture and it didn’t seem so insurmountable anymore. I made a few breakthroughs in terms of how I think about anxiety and how I can deal with it in the future. Not every prompt worked for me. I skipped a few, though I may return to them in future sessions.

The journal ends by asking you to rate they type of prompts that helped you the most, so you recognize the style that worked best for you for follow-up guidance.

I would recommend looking at the book first and trying one or two activities to see if this style of journal/self-help book works for you. Personally, I found it a very helpful journal and really appreciated a lot of the prompts and the things I learned about myself by following them. I can see myself using some of these techniques - and even the same prompts - in the future when anxiety hits.]]> 4.38
author: Lisa M. Schab
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.38
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/03
date added: 2023/04/02
shelves:
review:
This is a journal with prompts for activities to help you reduce feelings of anxiety and increase feelings of peace in your life. The prompts vary in style with some asking for limited physical activity (stand and shake out your stress until your body feels relaxed), while most ask you to write or draw something. Many of them ask you to write down or think about what’s creating anxiety and then either distract you from those thoughts or have you work through the thoughts until they change into more peaceful ones.

Everyone approaches self-help differently and the style that works for me may not work for you. I liked that the book starts with some tips for how to use the journal, emphasizing that the purpose is to help relieve your anxiety. There’s no wrong way to use it. You can follow the prompts, or not, as long as you end up feeling more peaceful after your time with it.

I found myself alternating between following the prompts as written and adjusting them to fit my mood/way of thinking. For example, one prompt asks you to write something that makes you smile for each letter of the alphabet. As I was going through the letters I found myself writing in a lot of activities I enjoyed instead. And the more I thought about each activity - and the joy doing them brings me - the less anxious I felt.

I was surprised that there wasn’t a page at the beginning for writing a general list of things that make you feel anxious. I found a few prompts later on that asked you to write some down, but wanted something right at the start to help me focus on what I was working towards eliminating. So I took one of the mostly blank introduction pages and made my own list there. I found that writing down information for one activity allowed me to see my anxiety in more helpful ways. That by looking at one aspect of the problem I was able to look at the bigger picture and it didn’t seem so insurmountable anymore. I made a few breakthroughs in terms of how I think about anxiety and how I can deal with it in the future. Not every prompt worked for me. I skipped a few, though I may return to them in future sessions.

The journal ends by asking you to rate they type of prompts that helped you the most, so you recognize the style that worked best for you for follow-up guidance.

I would recommend looking at the book first and trying one or two activities to see if this style of journal/self-help book works for you. Personally, I found it a very helpful journal and really appreciated a lot of the prompts and the things I learned about myself by following them. I can see myself using some of these techniques - and even the same prompts - in the future when anxiety hits.
]]> 64018693
This book is designed to give a broad introduction to the plants that were used during the medieval period. With many colorful photos, a list of plants that were available and some original medieval recipes to try, you can set out on an adventure to explore the wonderful world of medieval plants.]]> 184 Michael Brown 1526794586 Jessica 4
Cons: hard to source quotes

The book has 15 chapters including the introduction: Medieval Vegetables; Medieval Fruits & Nuts; Grains; Plants & Medicine; Symbolism and superstition; Magical & Mysterious; Love, Seduction & Beauty; Childbirth, Babies & Nursemaids; Clothing, Laundry & other Household Tips; Dyes, Inks & Paints; Animal Health Care; Harvesting & Preserving Plant Material; Fun things to do; Plant Lists. It would be impossible to give a full accounting of the uses of plants in the middle ages in such a short book. The author does an admirable job of giving a lot of information in such a condensed format. I was impressed with how many plants he dealt with in even the shorter chapters, with lots of tidbits of folklore added in. Medicine gets the longest chapter as it goes over specific ailments and what plants were used to treat them.

The book has a lot of half page and full page colour photographs of plants and some manuscript illuminations. These are used to good advantage when explaining how certain plants were used based on their looks (like a photo of henbane next to its use in curing toothache as the seed cases resemble teeth on a jawbone). The rose sepal photo really helps explain a poem used in the symbolism and superstition chapter.

There are a number of recipes included, though the author does advise against using some, especially in the medical section.

The chapter on fun things to do shows several ways to make flower crowns and a few simple reed instruments.

I loved learning about plants I’ve never heard of, including several vegetables that are no longer widely cultivated as the easier to grow and cook potatoes have taken their place. It was also interesting learning how medieval people may have dealt with things like chapped lips or dying hair. Another fun tip was to chew licorice for a clear voice, the way Roman orators did.

There’s a bibliography at the end of the book but no citations or notes in the text explaining what source specific information is from.

This is an easy to read guide on medieval plants including a lot of great information.]]> 3.97
author: Michael Brown
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.97
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/03
date added: 2023/03/28
shelves:
review:
Pros: lots of great information, good amount of coloured photographs

Cons: hard to source quotes

The book has 15 chapters including the introduction: Medieval Vegetables; Medieval Fruits & Nuts; Grains; Plants & Medicine; Symbolism and superstition; Magical & Mysterious; Love, Seduction & Beauty; Childbirth, Babies & Nursemaids; Clothing, Laundry & other Household Tips; Dyes, Inks & Paints; Animal Health Care; Harvesting & Preserving Plant Material; Fun things to do; Plant Lists. It would be impossible to give a full accounting of the uses of plants in the middle ages in such a short book. The author does an admirable job of giving a lot of information in such a condensed format. I was impressed with how many plants he dealt with in even the shorter chapters, with lots of tidbits of folklore added in. Medicine gets the longest chapter as it goes over specific ailments and what plants were used to treat them.

The book has a lot of half page and full page colour photographs of plants and some manuscript illuminations. These are used to good advantage when explaining how certain plants were used based on their looks (like a photo of henbane next to its use in curing toothache as the seed cases resemble teeth on a jawbone). The rose sepal photo really helps explain a poem used in the symbolism and superstition chapter.

There are a number of recipes included, though the author does advise against using some, especially in the medical section.

The chapter on fun things to do shows several ways to make flower crowns and a few simple reed instruments.

I loved learning about plants I’ve never heard of, including several vegetables that are no longer widely cultivated as the easier to grow and cook potatoes have taken their place. It was also interesting learning how medieval people may have dealt with things like chapped lips or dying hair. Another fun tip was to chew licorice for a clear voice, the way Roman orators did.

There’s a bibliography at the end of the book but no citations or notes in the text explaining what source specific information is from.

This is an easy to read guide on medieval plants including a lot of great information.
]]> 54467051 9780316542753

Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought.

Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet's edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.

Through assassinations and massacres, in bedrooms and war rooms, Touraine and Luca will haggle over the price of a nation. But some things aren't for sale.]]> 486 C.L. Clark Jessica 4
Cons: several near-death encounters

The day they arrive in the country she was kidnapped from as a child, Touraine, lieutenant of the Balladairan Colonial Brigade, saves the life of Princess Luca. The princess is there to quell rebellion and prove her fitness for the throne. She’d also like to learn more about the healing magic the locals used to wield. Touraine just wants her fellow conscripts to survive the coming unrest. As they work together, their feelings for each other, as well as their private goals, clash in unexpected ways.

The world-building is top notch. The level of second guessing motivations was perfect given how the colonial troops were raised. Seeing Touraine torn between wanting to help the princess, the rebels and her conscripts was heart-wrenching, especially when she kept making bad decisions. I also liked seeing how torn Luca was about wanting to do well by her people even when she had to chose what was best for the crown.

Touraine manages to recover from extreme injuries - via healing - quite a few times. It seemed unfair by the end how often she survived when other characters die. Especially given how much of the damage done in the colony was due to her own poor choices.

I loved how easy - and hard - using magic is.

It’s a good, thought-provoking read about colonization and loyalty.]]> 3.80 2021
author: C.L. Clark
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/01
date added: 2023/03/17
shelves:
review:
Pros: great characters, excellent world-building, thought-provoking

Cons: several near-death encounters

The day they arrive in the country she was kidnapped from as a child, Touraine, lieutenant of the Balladairan Colonial Brigade, saves the life of Princess Luca. The princess is there to quell rebellion and prove her fitness for the throne. She’d also like to learn more about the healing magic the locals used to wield. Touraine just wants her fellow conscripts to survive the coming unrest. As they work together, their feelings for each other, as well as their private goals, clash in unexpected ways.

The world-building is top notch. The level of second guessing motivations was perfect given how the colonial troops were raised. Seeing Touraine torn between wanting to help the princess, the rebels and her conscripts was heart-wrenching, especially when she kept making bad decisions. I also liked seeing how torn Luca was about wanting to do well by her people even when she had to chose what was best for the crown.

Touraine manages to recover from extreme injuries - via healing - quite a few times. It seemed unfair by the end how often she survived when other characters die. Especially given how much of the damage done in the colony was due to her own poor choices.

I loved how easy - and hard - using magic is.

It’s a good, thought-provoking read about colonization and loyalty.
]]> 68044545 An electric blend of sci-fi and horror, Paradise-1 begins a terrifying new trilogy of exploration and survival in deep space from Arthur C. Clarke Award-nominated author David Wellington.

"A superior space thriller that never flags....Readers will be on the edge of their seats." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Paradise-1. Earth’s first deep space colony. For thousands of people, it was an opportunity for a new life. Until it went dark.

No communication has been received from the colony for months. And it falls to Firewatch inspector Alexandra Petrova and the crew of the Artemis to investigate.

What they find is more horrifying than anything they could have imagined.]]> 736 David Wellington Jessica 0 did-not-finish 3.98 2023
author: David Wellington
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/17
shelves: did-not-finish
review:

]]> 60784562
It’s not going to last.

It may be sunny now, but winter is coming. The antimatter that fuels the colony is running low, and Marshall wants his bomb back. If Mickey agrees to retrieve it, he’ll be giving up the only thing that’s kept his head off of the chopping block. If he refuses, he might doom the entire colony. Meanwhile, the creepers have their own worries, and they’re not going to surrender the bomb without getting something in return. Once again, Mickey finds the fate of two species resting in his hands. If something goes wrong this time, though, he won’t be coming back.]]> 292 Edward Ashton 1250275059 Jessica 5
Cons:

Due to a power decrease that means the colony won’t last through the next winter, Mickey7 is tasked with retrieving the anti-matter bomb he supposedly left with the creepers two years ago. But when he goes to get it, it’s not in the rock pile where he left it.

This is a fast paced continuation of Mickey7. I loved learning more about the new world and seeing a few more alien species. Mickey has to make a lot of difficult decisions and it’s fascinating seeing what he’ll do.

I loved Mickey’s relationship with Nasha. It was nice seeing a committed couple work together to save their colony.

There’s a fair amount of action as well as some attempts at diplomacy. I thought the author did a good job of showing that different species think in different ways and that communication isn’t always straightforward.

If you like light-hearted science fiction these books are fantastic.]]> 3.88 2023
author: Edward Ashton
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/21
date added: 2023/03/14
shelves:
review:
Pros: fast paced, good world-building, romance elements

Cons:

Due to a power decrease that means the colony won’t last through the next winter, Mickey7 is tasked with retrieving the anti-matter bomb he supposedly left with the creepers two years ago. But when he goes to get it, it’s not in the rock pile where he left it.

This is a fast paced continuation of Mickey7. I loved learning more about the new world and seeing a few more alien species. Mickey has to make a lot of difficult decisions and it’s fascinating seeing what he’ll do.

I loved Mickey’s relationship with Nasha. It was nice seeing a committed couple work together to save their colony.

There’s a fair amount of action as well as some attempts at diplomacy. I thought the author did a good job of showing that different species think in different ways and that communication isn’t always straightforward.

If you like light-hearted science fiction these books are fantastic.
]]> 60784301
As she makes her way home to bury him, she finds a girl, as powerful and vulnerable and lost as she once was. Saving her from the raiders that haunt the area, twisted by a remnant of the God Wars, Tara changes the course of the world.

Max Gladstone's world of the Craft is a fantasy setting like no other. When Craftspeople rose up to kill the gods, they built corporate Concerns from their corpses and ushered in a world of rapacious capital. Those who work the Craft wield laws like knives and weave chains from starlight and soulstuff. Dead Country is the first book in the Craft Wars Trilogy, a tight sequence of novels that will bring the sprawling saga of the Craft to its end, and the perfect entry point for this incomparable world.]]> 239 Max Gladstone 0765395916 Jessica 4
Cons:

Tara Abernathy never intended to return to the town that ran her out as a teenager. But she can’t miss her father’s funeral. Nor can she turn away the young, untrained woman with craft abilities. Nor can she leave her old hometown at the mercy of Raiders and the curse that drives them.

This is the first book of the Craft Wars series. While it comes after the 6 books of the Craft Sequence, and focuses on Tara Abernathy (who features in several of the Sequence books), it’s designed as a new entry point and gives you all the background you need in order to enjoy this book.

It’s a much smaller book in scope than the Sequence books, dealing with a small cast as it takes place in a small town in the middle of a desert. Tara’s forced to revisit her past, not just the town and its antagonism towards her, but also her time at school to know how to teach and what information to give.

The craft is always a delight, with its mix of occultism and the arguments of law. There are some good fight scenes.

This is a book about coming to terms with your past and deciding who you want to be going forward. If you haven’t read Max Gladstone, this is a good place to start.]]> 3.96 2023
author: Max Gladstone
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/21
date added: 2023/03/07
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting characters, some good fight scenes, great magic system

Cons:

Tara Abernathy never intended to return to the town that ran her out as a teenager. But she can’t miss her father’s funeral. Nor can she turn away the young, untrained woman with craft abilities. Nor can she leave her old hometown at the mercy of Raiders and the curse that drives them.

This is the first book of the Craft Wars series. While it comes after the 6 books of the Craft Sequence, and focuses on Tara Abernathy (who features in several of the Sequence books), it’s designed as a new entry point and gives you all the background you need in order to enjoy this book.

It’s a much smaller book in scope than the Sequence books, dealing with a small cast as it takes place in a small town in the middle of a desert. Tara’s forced to revisit her past, not just the town and its antagonism towards her, but also her time at school to know how to teach and what information to give.

The craft is always a delight, with its mix of occultism and the arguments of law. There are some good fight scenes.

This is a book about coming to terms with your past and deciding who you want to be going forward. If you haven’t read Max Gladstone, this is a good place to start.
]]> 61353741
Beginning with the earliest sources, uncover who the real Mary was, and what she meant in her own time, before embarking on a fast-paced tour of Magdalene's depictions in great works of art, forgotten masterpieces and contemporary visual culture. Considering relics, statuary, paintings, sculpture and recent works for stage and screen, discover how Mary Magdalene has been seen across time as a witness, a sinner, a penitent, a contemplative, a preacher and a patroness.

Above all her complex roles, Mary has emerged as a powerful feminist icon, the closest person to Jesus himself, with a visual history as rich and varied as the roles she has fulfilled in numerous contexts of faith and worship for two millennia.]]> 176 Diane Apostolos-Cappadona 0567705749 Jessica 4 christianity, history, saints
Cons: a bit repetitious

Mary Magdalene is a fascinating saint. From simple origins, a few mentions in the New Testament, to becoming amalgamated with other New Testament Marys, to having a variety of stories about where she spent her later years (Ephesus or France), being a sinner, a penitent, a preacher, a feminist icon, her story is constantly evolving.

The book starts with an introduction before separating into two parts. Part One: Towards a Visual History, consists of 7 chapters (Scripture Sources, Patristic Sources, Eastern Christian Narratives & Traditions, Western Christian Narratives & Traditions, Symbols & Devotions, Mary Magdalene through Christian Art, and Coda). This part examines what the scriptures say about the various Marys that were amalgamated into the story of Mary Magdalene and how ‘her’ story was depicted in art through the years. The second part, Motifs, consists of 10 chapters that analyzed specific aspects of Mary Magdalene, and how those were depicted in art (Sinner/Seductress, Penitent, Anointer, Weeper, Witness, Preacher, Contemplative, Reader, Patron, and Feminist Icon). These are short chapters, of 3 to 5 pages each, with 1 to 2 photographs highlighting their subject. The book concludes with an afterward that mentions exhibitions focused on Mary Magdalene and a select bibliography for further reading.

I found the introduction fairly repetitive and a bit harder to parse than the rest of the text. Part one had some great foundation information about how Mary’s story began and developed. It was really interesting seeing how parts of her legend came about. The chapters were thorough and easy to read. While each chapter in part 2 was short, the author packed a lot of great information into them, including mentions of her in early Christian and apocryphal writings. There’s some repetition here as well, though I suspect it’s so each chapter stands on its own. There were occasional page notes with sources for other articles and books to read for more information and a few explanatory notes.

The book has a lot of excellent colour photographs that demonstrate the points the author is making. They cover the variety of motifs Mary Magdalene was used to represent, as well as the various periods during which she has been worshipped.

If you’re interested in Christian saints in general or Mary Magdalene in particular, it’s a fantastic book.]]> 4.15
author: Diane Apostolos-Cappadona
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.15
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/16
date added: 2023/02/28
shelves: christianity, history, saints
review:
Pros: lots of photos, highly informative

Cons: a bit repetitious

Mary Magdalene is a fascinating saint. From simple origins, a few mentions in the New Testament, to becoming amalgamated with other New Testament Marys, to having a variety of stories about where she spent her later years (Ephesus or France), being a sinner, a penitent, a preacher, a feminist icon, her story is constantly evolving.

The book starts with an introduction before separating into two parts. Part One: Towards a Visual History, consists of 7 chapters (Scripture Sources, Patristic Sources, Eastern Christian Narratives & Traditions, Western Christian Narratives & Traditions, Symbols & Devotions, Mary Magdalene through Christian Art, and Coda). This part examines what the scriptures say about the various Marys that were amalgamated into the story of Mary Magdalene and how ‘her’ story was depicted in art through the years. The second part, Motifs, consists of 10 chapters that analyzed specific aspects of Mary Magdalene, and how those were depicted in art (Sinner/Seductress, Penitent, Anointer, Weeper, Witness, Preacher, Contemplative, Reader, Patron, and Feminist Icon). These are short chapters, of 3 to 5 pages each, with 1 to 2 photographs highlighting their subject. The book concludes with an afterward that mentions exhibitions focused on Mary Magdalene and a select bibliography for further reading.

I found the introduction fairly repetitive and a bit harder to parse than the rest of the text. Part one had some great foundation information about how Mary’s story began and developed. It was really interesting seeing how parts of her legend came about. The chapters were thorough and easy to read. While each chapter in part 2 was short, the author packed a lot of great information into them, including mentions of her in early Christian and apocryphal writings. There’s some repetition here as well, though I suspect it’s so each chapter stands on its own. There were occasional page notes with sources for other articles and books to read for more information and a few explanatory notes.

The book has a lot of excellent colour photographs that demonstrate the points the author is making. They cover the variety of motifs Mary Magdalene was used to represent, as well as the various periods during which she has been worshipped.

If you’re interested in Christian saints in general or Mary Magdalene in particular, it’s a fantastic book.
]]> 61183452 One woman and her pilot are about to change the future of the species in an epic space opera about aspiration, compassion, and redemption by Hugo and Nebula Award finalist S. B. Divya.

For five centuries, human life has been restricted to Earth, while posthuman descendants called alloys freely explore the galaxy. But when the Earthlike planet of Meru is discovered, two unlikely companions venture forth to test the habitability of this unoccupied new world and the future of human-alloy relations.

For Jayanthi, the adopted human child of alloy parents, it’s an opportunity to rectify the ancient reputation of her species as avaricious and destructive, and to give humanity a new place in the universe. For Vaha, Jayanthi’s alloy pilot, it’s a daunting yet irresistible adventure to find success as an individual.

As the journey challenges their resolve in unexpected ways, the two form a bond that only deepens with their time alone on Meru. But how can Jayanthi succeed at freeing humanity from its past when she and Vaha have been set up to fail?

Against all odds, hope is human, too.]]> 443 S.B. Divya 1662505086 Jessica 4
Cons: takes several chapters to learn necessary vocabulary

Centuries ago humanity nearly destroyed earth and made a hash of terraforming Mars. Since then, they’ve been confined to earth while their distant offspring, alloys, exploring the universe. When a human habitable planet is discovered, a vote to decide whether humans should be allowed to expand into the universe again is proposed. Jayanthi wants to be more than a human raised by alloys, confined to earth. When she discovers that her sickle cell disease makes her suitable to live in the higher oxygenated air of Meru, she petitions to be allowed to live there for a year as an experiment. Only a newly graduated alloy pilot agrees to bring her there. But some alloys remember what humans did the last time they were allowed to expand past Earth. And they’ve got plans to make sure this experiment fails and the vote goes their way.

There’s quite a learning curve as the book throws a lot of new vocabulary and concepts at you with no info dumps. It takes a few chapters to get a real grip on this future world and how humans and alloys co-exist. It can feel overwhelming, but once you understand the background and have been introduced to the characters, the plot kicks in and the story moves on to the titular planet. The world-building is astonishing.

The plot centres around the personalities of Jayanthi and Vaha and their developing relationship. It’s a forbidden romance that faces a lot of complications. Though young and full of self-doubt, they’re both delightful and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them try to solve various problems.

According to the acknowledgements, the story is based on the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. I’ve never read it and so cannot comment on how the author handled the source material, but I did appreciate all of the Indian inspired names, scents and foods used throughout the book. Each chapter is named after a Sanskrit word.

There are variously gendered entities, which can take some getting used to and adds to the alienness of the alloys.

After the first few chapters, I found this a quick, compelling read.]]> 3.77 2023
author: S.B. Divya
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2023/02/14
date added: 2023/02/21
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting characters, compelling drama

Cons: takes several chapters to learn necessary vocabulary

Centuries ago humanity nearly destroyed earth and made a hash of terraforming Mars. Since then, they’ve been confined to earth while their distant offspring, alloys, exploring the universe. When a human habitable planet is discovered, a vote to decide whether humans should be allowed to expand into the universe again is proposed. Jayanthi wants to be more than a human raised by alloys, confined to earth. When she discovers that her sickle cell disease makes her suitable to live in the higher oxygenated air of Meru, she petitions to be allowed to live there for a year as an experiment. Only a newly graduated alloy pilot agrees to bring her there. But some alloys remember what humans did the last time they were allowed to expand past Earth. And they’ve got plans to make sure this experiment fails and the vote goes their way.

There’s quite a learning curve as the book throws a lot of new vocabulary and concepts at you with no info dumps. It takes a few chapters to get a real grip on this future world and how humans and alloys co-exist. It can feel overwhelming, but once you understand the background and have been introduced to the characters, the plot kicks in and the story moves on to the titular planet. The world-building is astonishing.

The plot centres around the personalities of Jayanthi and Vaha and their developing relationship. It’s a forbidden romance that faces a lot of complications. Though young and full of self-doubt, they’re both delightful and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them try to solve various problems.

According to the acknowledgements, the story is based on the Indian epic, the Mahabharata. I’ve never read it and so cannot comment on how the author handled the source material, but I did appreciate all of the Indian inspired names, scents and foods used throughout the book. Each chapter is named after a Sanskrit word.

There are variously gendered entities, which can take some getting used to and adds to the alienness of the alloys.

After the first few chapters, I found this a quick, compelling read.
]]> 59808133
Irene’s widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to accept―his calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.

Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He's seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn't extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousy―and Irene’s death is only the beginning.

When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal, and the gates of Lavender House can’t lock out the real world forever. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business.]]> 288 Lev A.C. Rosen 1250834228 Jessica 5
Cons: historically accurate slurs

Fired from the police after being found during a raid on a gay bar Andy Mills is prepared to end it all. He’s offered a detective job, to determine if Irene Lamontaine was murdered or if she died in an accidental fall. Lavender House, the family estate, is a haven for the family, all of whom have reasons to love and hate the victim. As the case progresses, Andy is forced to consider his life and choices, and what makes a family.

The book is set in San Francisco during the 1950, when gay acts were criminalized, and makes use of historically accurate slurs and derogatory language, which may be distressing to some readers. It also includes a beating by cops and thoughts of suicide.

The book evokes a lot of strong emotions and there are several affecting scenes. I’m not familiar with the historical period, but the author did an excellent job of making it come to life.

The interpersonal drama of the family was interesting and complex enough to keep me intrigued about the case. It had a satisfying ending.

While not for everyone, this is an interesting historical mystery. I’m hoping it’s the start of a series.]]> 3.83 2022
author: Lev A.C. Rosen
name: Jessica
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/04
date added: 2023/02/07
shelves:
review:
Pros: interesting characters, intriguing family drama, good mystery

Cons: historically accurate slurs

Fired from the police after being found during a raid on a gay bar Andy Mills is prepared to end it all. He’s offered a detective job, to determine if Irene Lamontaine was murdered or if she died in an accidental fall. Lavender House, the family estate, is a haven for the family, all of whom have reasons to love and hate the victim. As the case progresses, Andy is forced to consider his life and choices, and what makes a family.

The book is set in San Francisco during the 1950, when gay acts were criminalized, and makes use of historically accurate slurs and derogatory language, which may be distressing to some readers. It also includes a beating by cops and thoughts of suicide.

The book evokes a lot of strong emotions and there are several affecting scenes. I’m not familiar with the historical period, but the author did an excellent job of making it come to life.

The interpersonal drama of the family was interesting and complex enough to keep me intrigued about the case. It had a satisfying ending.

While not for everyone, this is an interesting historical mystery. I’m hoping it’s the start of a series.
]]> 60784912 A young girl discovers an infinite variety of worlds in this standalone tale in the Hugo and Nebula Award-winning Wayward Children series from Seanan McGuire, Lost in the Moment and Found.

Welcome to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go.

If you ever lost a sock, you’ll find it here.
If you ever wondered about favorite toy from childhood... it’s probably sitting on a shelf in the back.
And the headphones that you swore that this time you’d keep safe? You guessed it….

Antoinette has lost her father. Metaphorically. He’s not in the shop, and she’ll never see him again. But when Antsy finds herself lost (literally, this time), she finds that however many doors open for her, leaving the Shop for good might not be as simple as it sounds.

And stepping through those doors exacts a price.

Lost in the Moment and Found tells us that childhood and innocence, once lost, can never be found.]]> 208 Seanan McGuire 1250213649 Jessica 5
Cons: packs a real emotional punch, may be distressing for some readers

When Antsy ran away from a bad situation at home she opened a Door. The Shop Where the Lost Things Go is a nexus connecting all the worlds and provides a new home for her. Antsy wants to return to her mother someday, but doesn’t realize what her adventure has already cost.

The book begins with a content warning from the author that Antsy runs before she is sexually abused. The first few chapters are difficult to read all the same. While she is a child, you know what’s happening and feel the tension and horror. The book also begins with the death of Antsy’s father. It’s a highly emotional scene that gut punched me harder than expected. This is a standalone story in the Wayward Children series, so if the content will distress you, you can skip it. If you can deal with the content, it’s an emotionally rewarding story.

In feel, the story has the same mixture of lyrical writing and keen psychological observation as the other books in the series, and Down Among the Sticks and Bones in particular.

Antsy’s a surprisingly astute child, who realizes something is wrong with her new stepfather but isn’t quite sure what. She has good instincts and follows them to positive effect in the story. She is a delight to read about.

Seeing through several doors was a lot of fun, as was learning more about the store.

As with most of the series the ending is a little bittersweet, but appropriate based on what happened.

(review copy provided via Netgalley)]]> 4.28 2023
author: Seanan McGuire
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/11
date added: 2023/01/10
shelves:
review:
Pros: psychologically astute, lyrical writing

Cons: packs a real emotional punch, may be distressing for some readers

When Antsy ran away from a bad situation at home she opened a Door. The Shop Where the Lost Things Go is a nexus connecting all the worlds and provides a new home for her. Antsy wants to return to her mother someday, but doesn’t realize what her adventure has already cost.

The book begins with a content warning from the author that Antsy runs before she is sexually abused. The first few chapters are difficult to read all the same. While she is a child, you know what’s happening and feel the tension and horror. The book also begins with the death of Antsy’s father. It’s a highly emotional scene that gut punched me harder than expected. This is a standalone story in the Wayward Children series, so if the content will distress you, you can skip it. If you can deal with the content, it’s an emotionally rewarding story.

In feel, the story has the same mixture of lyrical writing and keen psychological observation as the other books in the series, and Down Among the Sticks and Bones in particular.

Antsy’s a surprisingly astute child, who realizes something is wrong with her new stepfather but isn’t quite sure what. She has good instincts and follows them to positive effect in the story. She is a delight to read about.

Seeing through several doors was a lot of fun, as was learning more about the store.

As with most of the series the ending is a little bittersweet, but appropriate based on what happened.

(review copy provided via Netgalley)
]]> 57945316 From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a historical fantasy epic that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British Empire

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver-working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as the arcane craft serves the Empire's quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide . . .

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?]]> 544 R.F. Kuang 0063021420 Jessica 4
Cons: ending gets brutal, tension drags on

When Robin is saved from cholera in Canton and brought to England his life becomes one of study and languages. He’s sent to Oxford’s translation department, where silver bars are inscribed with words that - like magic - power much of Britain’s modernization. The others in his program have also suffered to be a part of it. But they realize their successes are designed to only benefit the British Empire, not the homelands they were torn from and whose languages the silverworking magic is based on.

This is a brilliant book. I found the frequent etymological breakdown of words and the discussions on translation fascinating. The author did an excellent job of showing the fallacies of colonialist thought. It was such a thought provoking story.

The characters were all well fleshed out. Robin is such a conflicted character, not fitting into white society but also no longer Chinese. Told to feel grateful for the opportunities he’s been given but aware that he’s been given no choice regarding his future. I loved Ramy and Victoire and their perspectives on things. I wasn’t as keen on Letty, but she was still an interesting character. I appreciated that we get to see interludes from their perspectives, giving more information about their backgrounds and allowing us to see what led to their convictions.

Towards the end of the book the tension ramps up. It stays high so long though that I found myself needing a break from the book. There is a section of the book towards the end that gets quite brutal, with a lot of people dying in quick succession. It’s not overly graphic, though there is a torture scene. The book also contains period accurate slurs which may be distressing to read.

The book has footnotes, which is great as they give some authorial asides and additional information that’s not essential for the story but fun nonetheless. They also make the book feel more scholarly. They are marked by as star (*) after the text. Clicking the mark is supposed to hyperlink you to the explanatory note at the back of the book. Unfortunately, the first time I tried this is just turned the page, so I didn’t realize it worked (I guess you have to be very careful to hit the star). I ended up using bookmarks to flip between them, but the footnotes aren’t numbered, so I had to be careful to check each one and move my bookmarks so I didn’t lose my place in the 100+ pages of footnotes.

If you like languages and alternate history, though brutal at times, this is a brilliant read you’ll be thinking of for some time after you close the book.]]> 4.13 2022
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Jessica
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/02
date added: 2022/12/06
shelves:
review:
Pros: thought provoking, great characters, fascinating discussions

Cons: ending gets brutal, tension drags on

When Robin is saved from cholera in Canton and brought to England his life becomes one of study and languages. He’s sent to Oxford’s translation department, where silver bars are inscribed with words that - like magic - power much of Britain’s modernization. The others in his program have also suffered to be a part of it. But they realize their successes are designed to only benefit the British Empire, not the homelands they were torn from and whose languages the silverworking magic is based on.

This is a brilliant book. I found the frequent etymological breakdown of words and the discussions on translation fascinating. The author did an excellent job of showing the fallacies of colonialist thought. It was such a thought provoking story.

The characters were all well fleshed out. Robin is such a conflicted character, not fitting into white society but also no longer Chinese. Told to feel grateful for the opportunities he’s been given but aware that he’s been given no choice regarding his future. I loved Ramy and Victoire and their perspectives on things. I wasn’t as keen on Letty, but she was still an interesting character. I appreciated that we get to see interludes from their perspectives, giving more information about their backgrounds and allowing us to see what led to their convictions.

Towards the end of the book the tension ramps up. It stays high so long though that I found myself needing a break from the book. There is a section of the book towards the end that gets quite brutal, with a lot of people dying in quick succession. It’s not overly graphic, though there is a torture scene. The book also contains period accurate slurs which may be distressing to read.

The book has footnotes, which is great as they give some authorial asides and additional information that’s not essential for the story but fun nonetheless. They also make the book feel more scholarly. They are marked by as star (*) after the text. Clicking the mark is supposed to hyperlink you to the explanatory note at the back of the book. Unfortunately, the first time I tried this is just turned the page, so I didn’t realize it worked (I guess you have to be very careful to hit the star). I ended up using bookmarks to flip between them, but the footnotes aren’t numbered, so I had to be careful to check each one and move my bookmarks so I didn’t lose my place in the 100+ pages of footnotes.

If you like languages and alternate history, though brutal at times, this is a brilliant read you’ll be thinking of for some time after you close the book.
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