The Summer War by Naomi Novik: Book Review

The Summer War by Naomi Novik
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Celia took one step and then another back from the edge. She had promised to care, and she would keep her promise. She’d care about Roric, and she’d care about the people of Prosper, and she’d even care about the summerlings, and give them a chance to write new stories of their own.

A beautiful premise of love, acceptance and care given and returned, The Summer War is the enchanting tale of Celia who wants nothing more than care returned when given, who curses her brother in hate to never have love when she sees he doesn't care for her, and does everything she can including ending a hopeless war to remove this curse.

The novella combines Naomi Novik's multi-dimensional characters always trying to act for the best, and layers of magic where stories, promises and honour have power with her compelling writing. The plot is faerie-tale paced, wherein decades of war and tactics are summarized in a few pages, but every emotion in the inevitable stand described in detail.

The characters and their choices form the core of the story, each tactical decision made by characters to change the way things had been for decades. Celia's character growth was steady, slowly working towards more care in her life, and the redemption arcs towards the end added depth to the story. I would have liked a bit more depth to the magic system and details of the Summer Lands, but the novella as it stands fits in the faerie tale genre.

A light read with a nice concept, the story has some Spinning Silver vibes with summer woods instead of winter snows and especially the weight given to intent and choices behind vows - recommended for Naomi Novik fans and anyone looking to try her writing with a relatively short read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Random House publishing group for providing an ARC, the review is entirely honest.

🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2🌟
[One star for the premise; One star for the characters; 3/4 star for the plot and themes; 3/4 star for the world-building; One star for the writing - 4 1/2 stars in total.]

View all my reviews

The Satisfaction Café by Kathy Wang: Book Review

 

The Satisfaction Café by Kathy Wang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes Joan wished there was a place she could visit to feel less alone: a restaurant with very friendly servers, perhaps , where she might order a bowl of spaghetti and casually surrender her insecurities . When she was little, she used to daydream of a place she named in her head the Satisfaction Café, which had friendly employees and nice food and pretty toys; even as a child, Joan’s imagination had not stretched to fantastic outcomes but, rather, a reasonable amount of happiness.

The Satisfaction Café follows Joan as she settles down in California, through her difficulties in the first few years including a divorce, to her life as a rich white older man's wife, slowly moulding her life around her children and her house, until she starts creating something new based on a childhood wish.

Yes, Joan was fortunate. But she knew this only meant danger, because eventually good luck turned to bad. And really, there was so much to go wrong in a life: you could cross the street and be hit by a car; a random bubble might travel into your brain and then, well, you needn’t worry about anything anymore.

The slow plot focuses on Joan's introspection more than even her misfortunes, finding her feet again after the death of her husband and her house burning down, and throwing herself into raising her children. The character sketch of Joan is very well done, showing incredible fortitude and a sense of practicality through her troubles, but more importantly in how she goes against this inertia to create something new - opening The Satisfaction Café in her later years.

More than just a simple café serving coffee and pastries, Joan builds around a beautiful concept, simple yet not easy to create - an ambience of contentment and conversation. Kathy Wang does a brilliant job in weaving the beautiful premise, Joan's practical character arc and her stately writing to tell this story.

Youth didn’t understand, however, how much luck played into it, that loneliness wasn’t always a choice. Whereas at Joan’s age, you knew it was always somewhere ahead, waiting. It could happen to anyone.

The secondary characters are all also quite vivid, some a little too vivid and caricatures of the rich and privileged. While most of Joan's reactions to events resonated, there were some aspects of the story, like her life in Taiwan with her parents ending in cutting off contact, and the circumstances behind her adoption of her daughter Lee felt a bit too far fetched. However, as a whole, the novel is a quietly impactful read, recommended for anyone interested in an introspective story of shaking off inertia and trying something new for contentment.

For now that she was a widow with children, Joan felt she understood with real clarity the cycle of life— the ultimate end and all that currently lay in between and the eternal problem that there didn’t seem to be enough there.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Scribner publishing group for an ARC, the review is entirely honest.

🌟🌟🌟🌟
[One star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the characters and their arcs; Half a star for the plot and themes; 3/4 star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the writing - 4 stars in total.]

View all my reviews

The Vengeance by Emma Newman - Book Review

 

The Vengeance by Emma Newman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If she had known that it was the last hour of her mother’s life, Morgane would have done things differently. But that was the thing about a life at sea such as they had; there was no way to tell where death would come from.

The aptly named The Vengeance follows Morgane after the death of her mother (the captain of her pirate ship) as she leaves her life at sea and everything she knows to go to France hoping for vengeance. Dealing with several surprises coming up during her quest - chief of which is that she uncovers letters from her birth mother pleading for rescue, and a father who has been searching for her, she finds France and life on land very different from the life she led until then.

Morgane felt horribly awkward. Why did everyone care about being a man or a woman so much in France? On The Vengeance, the only thing that mattered was skill. But perhaps her aunt’s ship really had been an exception.

The interesting plot, action based but event driven, is the foundation of this book, and held my attention. Morgane is a great character, her strengths and weaknesses outcomes of growing up on a ship in a late medieval world. The overall duration of the book doesn't see a lot of change in Morgane's character, but she is pretty strong and street smart to start with.

“Nah.” Morgane sheathed the knife. “Any problem involving a man can always be solved with violence. Violence or gold, to be fair.”

A few good themes like gender-based expectations and rule of aristocracy came up, and meshed well with the other lead and secondary characters. The world-building contains some supernatural entities in addition to the medieval descriptions (as can be seen from the name of the series), but this wasn't explored as much as I'd like. Another quibble was that the plot progression didn't actually allow Morgane to spend much time with each of her parents, except for the mother who raised her, or actually see them in each other's company - which could have added to her character arc.

On the whole, The Vengeance is a fun read, and I'll keep an eye out for the sequel and more books by Emma Newman.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Rebellion publishers for an ARC, the review is entirely honest.

🌟🌟🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters; 3/4 star for the plot and themes; Half a star for the world-building; Half a star for the writing - 3 stars in total.]

View all my reviews

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie: Book Review

 

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have always longed to be known, truly known, by another human being. Sometimes we live for years with yearnings that we cannot name. Until a crack appears in the sky and widens and reveals us to ourselves, as the pandemic did, because it was during lockdown that I began to sift through my life and give names to things long unnamed.

Four women, each strong and independent in their own way, struggle against the double, or indeed quadruple standards of societal expectations; reaching for what they want, what they deserve, but devastated by how much of themselves they have to suppress in its pursuit.

Chia loved the idea of love, so eagerly, so unwisely.

There is a lot that worked in Dream Count, starting with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's brilliant writing that can evoke resonant emotions in people cultures and continents away. The novel isn't a linear time story, but is more a collection of formative experiences and occurrences in the lives of the four women, like vignettes showcasing how they were struck with each occurrence. This construction works to highlight the themes of sexism, immigrant injustices and financial status explored, among other things. Adichie's understanding of people and societies shines through in every vignette.

She [Zikora] relates with women only through the pain caused them by men. That I do not trade in stories of my love-inflicted wounds is my [Omelogor] unforgivable failing.

The whole book somehow disappointingly adds up to less than the sum of the parts - the character sketches, the writing and world-building, the premise as well as the themes explored. Chia, Zikora and Omelogor are such clever, strong, independent and resourceful women, but seem to give away too much control to other people and institutions over too many years, or suppressed themselves too much. A lot of the petty bickering/ internal judgement when talking to each other didn't help. They didn't seem to have to grown or changed much over the years, though they were in shock over a few events, though this was difficult to judge as the timelines jumped around a bit.

Zikora felt cheered by this news, by the sense that misery was now being evenly spread. Omelogor crying? Omelogor could cry? Whatever America had done to her, God bless America.

Kadiatou can't be grouped with the other characters as she was based on a real person, or at least real events, but with a fictional back story. She suffered so much, her struggle to build a life in a new country overthrown suddenly, but even a case against the assaulter that was much discussed in public platforms does not lead to justice. Her response at the end to the case being dropped was markedly different to the public statements made at the time, anger and disappointment changed to relief and acceptance that do a disservice to the very real person's feelings and rights, no matter what the author's note says about reclamation. This added to the disappointment with the whole book.

There was a bone that birthed courage and Kadiatou believed she lacked that bone, or if she had it then it was feeble, soft and chewable like biscuit-bone.

🌟🌟🌟
[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters and their growth; Half a star for the plot and themes; 3/4 star for the world-building and societal description; 3/4 star for the writing - 3 stars in total.]

View all my reviews

The Rushworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray: Book Review

The Rushworth Family Plot by Claudia Gray
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Even amid the deepest and most sincere grief, there is often a strong curiosity about the contents of a will. Avarice can strike like a viper, even within otherwise benevolent hearts... And where the contents of a will are surprising, even shocking, the news of those contents will spread with remarkable speed.

Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney meet in London during The Season in The Rushworth Family Plot and have to solve yet another murder (or two), while also navigating social intricacies without set rules of etiquette, try to understand where they stand on moral issues, semi-plot to convince their parents they are a good match for each other, and more easily bask in each others' attentions.

Jonathan and Juliet continue to grow as detectives solving macabre murders, although quite a bit of the novel is centered on the moral issues Jane Austen's Mansfield Park addresses openly like infedility, and mentions offhand between the lines like slavery. Exploring means, motive and opportunity for the murders forces several characters to confront their morality, which was interesting to read, but seemed a bit unlikely considering the time period these novels are set in.

Though it is naturally difficult to completely capture the essences of someone else's characters, written a long time ago, Claudia Gray's not quite Austen-like writing brings across some of the characteristics we've come to know and expect. However, balancing this with the character arcs hinted at in Austen's novels and perhaps growth that might be expected in some of them given time, this series is starting to require a higher degree of suspension of disbelief of the various mentality vascillations seen in the continuing attempts to bring so many Austen characters together. The plot held for most of the novel, but some of the twists, especially at the end, to further the investigation as well as provide opportunity for more drama in the future seem far-fetched. On the whole, still a fun read, and I'm warily looking forward to the possible next book.

Jonathan sighed. He knew the rules of etiquette as well as any (and better than most), but he could not see the sense of any rule that made it impolite to keep to one’s own house and read one’s own books. Still, such rules had to be obeyed even— especially, it seemed— when they made no sense at all.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage and Anchor Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The quotes included here are from the unpublished draft but provide a good sample of the writing.

🌟🌟1/2🌟
[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters and their growth; 1/4 star for the plot and themes explored; Half a star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the writing - 2 1/2 stars in total, rounded up to 3 stars.]

View all my reviews

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis: Book Review

 

The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Vivian just had to make a good impression. In a town where she was by definition an outsider, in a culture she couldn’t hope to join, with nothing less than her daughter’s entire future riding on her success. She swallowed, her mouth gone dry.

Vivian and Daniel have to move to a new town with their kindergarten daughter Aria for school when she gets bitten by a werewolf and join The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association, which seems to have as many pitfalls for mundane reasons as for ignorance of magic culture. They all scramble with additional responsibilities, each dealing with the move in their own way, to try and fit in here as they don't think they'll get a chance like this in any other place.

Caitlin Rozakis writes a biting satire (sometimes too sharply), of the pressures the education system places on students and their parents, with a clarity that probably arose from some degree of familiarity but also a lot of wit to help them tide over their growing pains. And the characters do grow a lot, even the parents, as they realise they weren't as alone in this fight as they had originally thought - they just have to look for true friends.

Though primarily meant to be a cozy fantasy, the novel also takes a long look at how difficult it is to adjust to a new community with new rules, and how anxiety inducing it can be. While magical prophecies and doomsday proclamations can overset any event, the parents learn that sometimes it is the more mundane things like greed, ambition and fiduciary deception that can really hurt a community. The plot and narration tries to achieve a good balance of the fantastic new magics and cute kindergartener antics with the darker aspects of being the new-comers in over their heads, and sometimes the difficulties overweigh the fantastic but it was good to see therapy sessions having a positive effect through the book.

On the whole, recommended for anyone looking for cozy school fantasy with witty writing and a dash of reality mirrored in it.

She’d read her share of fantasy novels. Like most kids, she’d pictured herself in the role of the Chosen One plenty of times. She hadn’t given much thought to what it might be like to realize your kid wasn’t the Chosen One. Worse, was the Unchosen One, the bad guy in the prophecy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Titan publishers for the advanced reader copy, all opinions are honest.

🌟🌟🌟1/2🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the characters; Half a star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the story and themes; 3/4 star for the writing - 3 1/2 stars in total.]

View all my reviews

Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse: Book Review

 

Mirrored Heavens by Rebecca Roanhorse
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The war on earth may have yet to start as the gods claimed their vessels and set their stakes, but the war in heaven had already begun.
For what was earth but a mirror of heaven?
And what was she but a thing caught in between?

Mirrored Heavens, the final instalment of the epic Between Earth and Sky series, sees Serapio try to fulfil his destiny but still keep a piece of his heart to himself, Naranpa learn to walk the dreamland and deal with the threat there, and Xiala try to help save her people before finding Serapio. The series has a lot of the building blocks of epic fantasy like intricate world-building, a powerful magic system, conflicted characters, politics and character driven plot.

The immersive world-building based on Pre-Columbian American civilization is the strong foundation for this series and kept me going until the end. There is a lot to praise in the diverse cultural roots of the Meridian and the different backgrounds that the lead characters come from, even including a past storyline with Serapio's mother. Roanhorse's writing easily balances the character arcs with the plot and even goes beyond with snippets from songs and in-world books as epigraphs.

However, all these building blocks don't seamlessly come together for me as I found I couldn't relate to the characters and some of the decisions they make through this series (mostly in the third and second books). All the characters go through a lot and see quite a bit of growth, but disliking some of their actions and decisions deterred me from being invested in their arcs. The romance subplots I could understand, the 'do anything for undying love' plotlines felt forced, especially in the given timeframes. The plot is mostly character driven - which I appreciate more than just reactions to events, but there seemed to be too much simply acting towards perceived destinies for my taste.

On the whole, I would recommend the series for anyone interested in epic fantasy with diverse cultural roots, and would personally keep an eye out for more of the author's work!

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Press publishers for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions are my own.

🌟🌟🌟1/4
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters; One star for the world-building; Half a star for the story and themes; Half a star for the writing - 3 1/4 stars in total, rounded down to an integer 3 stars.]

View all my reviews

The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses by Malka Ann Older: Book Review

 

The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses by Malka Ann Older
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

That is, I regret it now; but when I probe the gallimaufry of blurred memories from that night I can still feel the potency of the ungovernable impulse that demanded I place my palms on her bony shoulders, the elation of pouring my strength into the shove, of feeling her weight and solidity shocked backwards by my hand.

The third book in The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series, The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses sees Pleiti flex her recently uncovered investigating skills by herself to help out her friend at another university, in the process acquiring a new respect for the Modernist stream of studies, making new friends and renewing old friendships, and solving the mystery with some good old fashioned skills; all while Pleiti and Mossa try to navigate their growing relationship, dealing with their insecurites and learning to work their way to each other.

This book is a great addition to the series in terms of both the world-building and the characters. We see more of the world Giant, as well as a bit of its history and prejudices. It's interesting, to say the least, but perhaps not surprising, to see the tensions that can arise in academia even in a futuristic space settlement society. The plot is slow at first - with the characters mostly reacting to events, but Pleiti steadily makes headway in trying to solve the mystery alone before Mossa joins her, very reminiscent of the plot in The Hound of the Baskervilles. How they each work towards solving the mystery and rationally finding the culprit is a good reflection of their individual temperaments.

Both Pleiti and Mossa grow as characters; Pleiti with her perception of academia and scholars, Mossa with her introspection on the kinds of cases she wants to take up. They also continue to explore their relationship after some angst and more open conversation, especially regarding mental health. While it was good to see them actually talk to each other about their feelings and expectations, the angst and insecurity felt a little off-key when looking at how their relationship grew in the previous two books.

A special note must be made of the author's incredible linguistic skills in envisioning a close knit society comprising people of multiple nationalities and cultures starting from scratch as a new society. It is truly refreshing to see this melding of languages and speech patterns (and food items too), seen even in the first two books (Book 2 review), as opposed to simply including some stereotypes bordering on (or invading) blatant racism and calling it representation. However, not knowing these languages don't really stop the flow as a lot can be gleaned from context. As a person who's interested in etymology and linguistics, I enjoyed tracing the various words with roots from different languages, and of course also looking up new foodstuffs. Gallimaufry, if you were wondering, means a confused jumble or medley of things - its origin is old French, but it is actually an English word (ref. Oxford dictionary).

This book, and series, is recommended to anyone who might enjoy a Holmes and Watson kind of mystery in a Sci-Fi world, with female lead characters and a sapphic romance.

The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series:
Book 1: The Mimicking of Known Successes
Book 2: The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles

Thanks to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and the author Malka Ann Older for an ARC of the book, the review is entirely honest.

🌟🌟🌟🌟1/4🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the characters and their growth; 3/4 star for the story and themes; One star for the world-building; One star for the writing - 4 1/4 stars in total, rounded down to 4 stars.]

View all my reviews

Wheel of the Infinite: Book Review

 

Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Maybe I am too old for this, she thought. Too old for war, too mean-tempered for peace.

Martha Wells' Wheel of the Infinite features a competent returned-from-exile middle-aged female protagonist which we don't have enough of in the genre. Asked to return to the capital when traditional rites linked to the world's magic system get buggy, the no-nonsense Maskelle travels to her city and immediately takes charge of the investigation, picking up a bodyguard along the way.

The next few days see a lot of action to solve the mystery before a strict deadline, with ever increasing stakes. The plot is compelling and the book is first and foremost action driven. While the characters are sketched out well and we see their dominant traits come to the fore, the short timeline of the book doesn't leave much space for growth or introspection. Given the strong character growth in the author's later work Murderbot, this was a bit less than what I expected going in. However, the action driven plot, actions which are still somewhat representative of the characters more than make up for it.

I liked the world-building done over the course of the story, giving out only what is required for the plot to the point where it's almost not enough. The magic system is interesting with unique flaws that were of course exploited, and I would have appreciated a bit more depth to the world-building. But more than everything else, I thoroughly enjoyed the author's wry humour and her writing manages to strike a balance with all elements in the book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for an ARC of the 2024 updated edition of this book, the review is entirely honest.

🌟🌟🌟3/4
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the story and themes; 3/4 star for the writing; 3/4 star for the world-building; Half a star for the characters - 3 3/4 stars in total, rounded up to 4 stars.]

View all my reviews

Upon a Starlit Tide: Book Review

 

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tears and salt. Sorrow and sea. There is magic in such meetings.

Stories are rarely simple, including 'once upon a time' fairy tales that can evolve with every retelling. And even stories that might seem like a retelling of the Little Mermaid because of the oceanic elements can include themes from other stories like Cinderella on a closer inspection. This is the story of Lucinde, a young woman who can leave her adopted parents' mansion only with difficulty but still hears the call of the sea and dreams of exploring shores far away. But what made Upon A Starlit Tide truly delightful to read was Kell Woods' added modulation to the age old themes from the fairy tales.

Luce's relationships with her two adopted sisters has overtones of Cinderella's relationships with her stepsisters, but it is refreshing to see them grow and be more mature as the book progresses. There are also no simple one-dimensional wicked sea witches and fairy godmothers in this story, the good and the bad are nuanced and Lucinde has to learn whom to trust. The world-building is wonderful, with layers of historical fantasy, war efforts and mystic fae magic developed with each other, and Woods' writing lends itself well to each aspect drawing the reader in slowly. I was invested in the book as a whole until the end, where the protagonists seemed off in what they tried to do before it ended as I expected anyway. But I'd recommend the book to everyone nostalgic about fairy tales and like more depth to them.

Thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and Tor Publishers for an ARC of this book, the review is entirely honest.

🌟🌟🌟🌟1/2
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the characters; One star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the writing; One star for the story and themes - 4 1/2 stars in total, rounded up to 5 stars.]

View all my reviews

A Terribly Nasty Business: Book Review

 

A Terribly Nasty Business by Julia Seales
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Neighborhood Association of Gentlemen Sweetbriarians (NAGS) Presents: THE LONDON SEASON

The second Beatrice Steele book A Terribly Nasty Business follows her to London as she solves her investigative firm's first real case with partner Vivek Drake and navigates the London season. The book is as wacky as the first, with flying squirrels and nostalgic mentions of glowing frogs, but Julia Seales' witty humor also aids discussing the themes of freedom (lack of) and gender inequality in the Regency era.

The story arc had enough space for Beatrice's introspective growth, even amidst the humor, and the plot progression made for an easy light page turner. The strength of the book on the whole, as well as the series, is Seales' parodic writing and satirical world-building. Recommended to anyone looking for a light-hearted funny murder mystery.

I see the influence that a painting, a song, a performance, has on people’s hearts and minds. It can effect change. Topple the correct ways and order of society. Give power to those who have never had it...

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Random House for an advanced copy, the review is entirely honest.

🌟🌟🌟1/4
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the writing; Half a star for the characters and their growth; Half a star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the story and themes - 3 1/4 stars in total, rounded down to an integer.]

View all my reviews

Blood Over Bright Haven: Book Review

 

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Truth over delusion. Growth over comfort. God over all.

M.L. Wang depicts an unflinching representation of colonialism with her magic system in Blood Over Bright Haven. Her stark world-building provides a look at not only conservative sexism through Sciona's eyes as she becomes the first ever female Highmage in the Magistry, but also at racism through Thomil's POV who migrated to this so-called 'Bright Haven' Tiran when his tribe could no longer survive in the outer cold world.

The characters are undeniably rich - Sciona can be applauded for striving to carve a path for women through the sexism; she can be criticized for failing to appreciate the working women around her just because they weren't academic; and she can be hated for her implicit racism against the janitor-turned-assistant Thomil; but she has to be given credit for learning to respect their opinions and agree with their arguments as she grows through the book. Thomil likewise is intricately sketched as he tries to balance preserving aspects of his tribe with himself and his niece while surviving in a city that considers them subhuman.

The book on the whole packs a lot in its relative size and the immersive writing coupled with a grand plot prompts digesting it in slow bursts, especially when the plot goes in a direction you don't want it to, but can't fault given the circumstances. It is recommended as a thought provoking fantasy read, and given the author's insight into the human ego as well as emotions, I'll keep an eye out for her future work!

I will not turn my gaze, though Light burn me.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Random House publishing group - Ballantine/ Del Ray for an advanced copy of this book, the review is entirely honest.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
[One star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the characters; One star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the story arc and plot; 3/4 star for the writing - 4 1/2 stars in total, rounded up to Five stars.]

View all my reviews

Wizard of Most Wicked Ways: Book Review

 

Wizard of Most Wicked Ways by Charlie N. Holmberg
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Age was a peculiar concept for Owein Mansel. He’d been born in 1624, and been spiritually conscious ever since, which technically made him 227 years old. However, the majority of that time had been spent embodied in a house on an island off the coast of Rhode Island, and houses were, by definition, not living. Of those 227 years, only sixteen had been spent as a human, so one might argue sixteen as his age. However, the body he now occupied—which had previously belonged to a boy named Oliver Whittock— was physically eighteen, as of five months ago. And so, when anyone asked after Owein’s age, he usually said that: eighteen.

Wizard of most wicked ways could be described as Silas' book in the Whimbrel House series, given the title and how much we see of his POV. It could also be described as Owein's coming of age book, as he transitions through adolescence and the existential crises peculiar to his situation, as adolescents are wont to do. But the one adjective I cannot get past is that it is superfluous to the series - as semi-spoiler, at the end of the book we find the characters and their situation to be more or less similar to what they were at the end of the previous book. 

All the characters remain well-sketched, as they have been since the beginning of the series, and it was fun to see the families again. There is also some good world-building in this book, particularly the scientific research into magic. However, this doesn't outweigh the meager story arc and the time worn love triangle. This book is recommended for anyone with nostalgia for this series, but there are no great revelations in it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers 47North for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions are my own and entirely honest.

🌟🌟
[1/4 star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the world-building; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the writing; 1/4 star for the story arc- Two stars in total.]

View all my reviews

One Way Witch: Book Review

 

One Way Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I walked into the desert, in the opposite direction my daughter would soon walk and never return from. I wasn't afraid to be alone. Onyesonwu held me to this world. Without her, I was nothing. I clung to the weight of her. If only to be there for her if she somehow needed me. And so I walked into the desert to unlock something I'd put away long ago.

One Way Witch shows Najeeba's perspective of the time immediately before and after her daughter's remaking of the world, which story is told in Who Fears Death. This book acts as a bridge for Najeeba from these events to the role she knows she has to play in the future of the new world.

Though Nnedi Okorafor's writing is as evocative as ever of the pain and anguish experienced by the protagonists, this book is essentially some time off for Najeeba as she studies magic and processes her feelings to move on - and the slow story arc reflects this break. Her character arc remains strong as she actively journeys to where she wants to be in her life.

The book on the whole is still recommended for anyone who wants to follow the series and keep tabs on the world-building. The strengths of the book, and the series, are definitely the writing and the character arcs.

Thanks to NetGalley, Nnedi Okorafor and the publishers DAW for the advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

🌟🌟🌟
[3/4 stars for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the writing; Half a star for the world-building; Half a star for the story arc; 3/4 stars for the characters - Three stars in total].

View all my reviews

The City In Glass: Book Review

 

The City in Glass by Nghi Vo
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

From the topmost tower of the observatory to the floating docks on the beach, the city of Azril lit up with paper lanterns, with candles, with girls throwing flaming knives and boys in firefly crowns, with passion, with desire, with hatred, and with delight.

This first sentence is representative of the whole book The City in Glass - beautiful writing, extensive imagery and little story. The book follows Vitrine, the demon of Azril, as she guides the rebuilding of the city she loves and her relationship with the angel who caused its destruction.

I enjoyed the flowing lyrical language, but the book seemed too hollow - indeed, like Vitrine's glass cabinet - and I soon found myself impatient for the book to conclude. The premise of forming a city around Vitrine's ideas did keep me invested to finish the book however.

The characterization of the demon and the angel, along with several secondary characters were done well, even if they rarely did something truly interesting. This combined with the lackluster world-building and slow story arc leaves me to think of the book as vignettes of a few people.

As he dug, Vitrine watched with interest as the angel’s shoulders shook. She wondered if his kind, so set on how perfect they were allowed to make the world, could cry, and if so, what emotion might move him to it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Tor and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The audiobook narrated by Susan Dalian was performed very well and suits the tone of the writing.

🌟🌟
[Half a star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the writing; Half a star for the characters; 1/4 star for the world-building; Zero stars for the story - Two stars in total.]

View all my reviews

The Elements of Marie Curie: Book Review

 

The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science by Dava Sobel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It had an asphalt floor and a glass roof that leaked.
A century would pass before the term “glass ceiling” gained currency as a metaphor for invisible barriers to women’s advancement, but Marie Curie toiled under an actual glass ceiling from 1899 to 1902, the years she spent in that “poor, shabby hangar,” spinning pitchblende into radium.

The Elements of Marie Curie has been a particularly special read to me by providing not only a biography of Marie's life, but also a glimpse into all the  macro-aggressions faced by the first few women in Science academia. They had to overcome a lot of challenges such as not being allowed memberships in academic societies or to present their own work - around the same time as the suffragette movements. While society and academia have moved forward since then, it was really galling to see the micro-aggressions such as withholding credit and bad jokes on personal lives that are still prevalent today. One can only hope that society continues to move forward with awareness on these issues.

“The combination of the ability to think in mathematical formulas and to manipulate skillfully the whimsical instruments of a physical laboratory— a combination necessary to attain eminence in physics— is apparently one seldom met with in women,” she said. She seemed to have forgotten that she herself had once embodied these abilities.

The book is strengthened by excerpts from letters and recollections about Marie adding a personal touch to her characterization. It was wonderful to see the several strong women depicted here and her support system.

“Then the door opened and I saw a pale, timid little woman in a black cotton dress, with the saddest face I had ever looked upon.” “I had been prepared to meet a woman of the world, enriched by her own efforts and established in one of the white palaces of the ChampsÉlysées or some other beautiful boulevard of Paris.” Instead, “I found a simple woman, working in an inadequate laboratory and living in a simple apartment on the meager pay of a French professor.” This discovery unhinged Mrs. Meloney.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Grove Atlantic for providing me with a ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
[One star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the characterization; One star for the story; One star for the world-building; Half a star for the writing - Four and a half stars on the whole, rounded up to Five stars.]

View all my reviews

Le Fay by Sophie Keetch: Book Review

 

Le Fay by Sophie Keetch
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

And they should fear me, the power I possessed, and the bright, ravenous rage that now fuelled my every breath. From that moment onwards, even I did not know what I was capable of.

Sophie Keetch's Le Fay tracks Morgan's journey from her ambiguous morality to in the first book Morgan Is My Name to... still ambiguous morality, even with the incredible premise, through all her losses suffered, despite the number of times she threatens to burn everything, and against all the potential antagonists.

Like the first book, there are some good secondary characters, but all the antagonists are one-dimensional men... the King of Gore returns of course, but even Merlin is portrayed as weirdly one-dimensional, and it takes some imagination to fit a potentially jealous credit-stealing male academic mentor like Merlin to a brilliant student like Morgan into the lecherous misogynist trope.

This book could have explored more of Morgan's relationship with Arthur and Guinevere, and how it devolves, but all we hear is the number of times Morgan says Arthur was her dear brother and she his trusted advisor. It would have been great to actually see Morgan help Arthur with any of the various aspects of running a kingdom, but we only see her help plan a tournament at the beginning of the book while trying to avoid Guinevere. Accolon's return starts off childish squabbles between them, which might have evolved into a mature relationship, but given the many number of times we hear that, it gives the exact opposite impression. And finally, we really should have seen Morgan explore her magic and study healing to the fullest extent here, but this is overridden by trying to blame Merlin for introducing dark magic to Morgan. Morgan le Fay's magic should have been the one thing that was completely hers!

In short, could have, would have, might have, should have is my review.

And all of this in Keetch's writing style, which I enjoyed in the first book, but was just too descriptive in this book.

To hear him tell it so plaintively was to feel it as the truth—Arthur’s truth, different from mine but no less lived and felt. I gazed across at this man, this King, my brother, his eyes shining silver with grief. His argument was convincing and logical, and blisteringly, devastatingly wrong.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada publishing group for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

🌟🌟🌟
[3/4 star for the premise; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the story arc; 1/4 star for the writing; 3/4 star for the world-building- 2 3/4 stars in total, rounded up to 3 stars.]


View all my reviews

All Systems Red by Martha Wells: Book Review

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's wrong to think of a construct as half-bot half-human. It makes us sound like the halves are discrete, like the bot half should want to obey orders and do its job and the human half should want to protect itself and get the hell out of here.
As opposed to the reality, which was that I was one whole confused entity, with no idea what I wanted to do, what I should do, what I needed to do.

Martha Wells has done an amazing job with making the construct Murderbot, as they call themselves in The Murderbot Diaries, completely empathizable! And this is coming from someone who doesn't like the robots-take-over-world trope. But Murderbot, doesn't care about the world, and does their job half heartedly, while devoting most of their free processing time to entertainment. Being a construct doesn't mean they are devoid of feelings or emotions however, and complex ones like social anxiety too. Working security with a team of scientists who don't just leave it alone gives space for a lot of character development.

It's tough to do inner monologues well, but it's great when done well and I really enjoyed Wells' writing. The book is a short novella with them escaping danger as the base plot, and more page space was devoted to characterization than world-building. But I didn't mind that, as the story could have been happening on any outer planet common in Sci-Fi. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

🌟🌟🌟🌟

[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the characterization; Half a star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the story; One star for the writing - Four stars in total.]

View all my reviews

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: Book Review

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I had written this book because it was so difficult to do that the idea had fascinated me. Ten people had to die without it becoming ridiculous or the murderer being obvious. I wrote the book after a tremendous amount of planning, and I was pleased with what I had made of it. It was clear, straightforward, baffling, and yet had a perfectly reasonable explanation; in fact it had to have an epilogue in order to explain it. It was well received and reviewed, but the person who was really pleased with it was myself, for I knew better than any critic how difficult it had been.

- Agatha Christie, And Then There Were None

If I had to recommend one book by Agatha Christie to anyone, or even just one mystery, it would be And Then There Were None. With such a perfect locked room (island) premise, and with her brilliant execution of the whole story, Christie really had every reason to be pleased and proud of this book! And for the world to still think of her as the queen of mystery.

What's left to say?
Christie had a good psychological grasp of her ten well-sketched characters, shown as brief glimpses into their trains of thought. Apart from the prevalent suspense and suspicion, the paranoia that can set in when they realize they're in danger, Christie does a great job showing the devolvement of the rules of society and position over the course of the book. As a modern day reader, I was actually a bit surprised how many 'rules' were actually stuck to - but this is one of the reasons I like reading Christie and other writers of her time, we can actually see a good representation of her time and the society then.

The writing is simply masterful - we see everything of essence and more, brought across to the reader in less than 300 pages! The best way to enjoy this book and the story arc is to go in blind if possible, as I did. The epilogue explains the mystery, along with the very few clues scattered through the book. But the book itself is a perfect locked room mystery.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[One star for the premise and the whole book; One star for the story arc; One star for the characters; One star for the writing; One star for the world-building and description - Five stars in total].

What Feasts At Night by T. Kingfisher: Book Review

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If this was a fairy tale, it was the kind where everyone gets eaten as a cautionary tale about straying into the woods, not the sentimental kind that ends with a wedding and the words, “And if they have not since died, they are living there still.”

What Feasts At Night by T. Kingfisher is the second book in the Sworn Soldier series, in which Alex Easton returns to their hunting lodge to find the caretaker dead, learns about the local superstition regarding ghosts appearing in dreams, confronts their belief/ non-belief in the supernatural and chooses to do everything they can to protect their friends.

Kingfisher's terrific world-building continues in this second book, this time leaning more on the supernatural. The characters retain their deadpan humour however and their interactions are still fun to read!

The story is fast paced, showing how belief in the supernatural is viewed by different characters. The writing weaves superstition, dreams, hallucinations and internal battles brilliantly, emphasizing survival instinct and acceptance of the battle to win.

It can’t have worked, I thought. You can’t really kill someone in a dream. This isn’t just a dream, though. It’s the war.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

[One star for the premise and the whole book; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the story; One star for the writing; 3/4 star for the world-building - 3 3/4 stars in total, rounded up to 4 stars.]

View all my reviews