I don't think we really needed a sequel, and I don't think being in the same universe did the book any favors. I'm going to assume that This was okay.
I don't think we really needed a sequel, and I don't think being in the same universe did the book any favors. I'm going to assume that the first book did so well that the publisher requested more.
There was some good imagery, but this felt incredibly short and not very developed or fleshed out. I was still waiting to get into the swing of things and really start feeling out the story and we were already over halfway. I think this was also a much less grounded approach than the first novel and relied more on folktales, which also made it feel a bit at odds with the more scientific approach from book 1.
I'll generally read anything Ursula Vernon writes, but I don't think this one is very memorable or something you should go out of your way to read....more
I am a sucker for Emily and Wendell and will absolutely be here for every book Heather Fawcett decides to write in this series.
me, finishing EncyclopeI am a sucker for Emily and Wendell and will absolutely be here for every book Heather Fawcett decides to write in this series.
me, finishing Encyclopedia of Faeries: I want to meet his terrible cat. But I can wait. I can be impatiently patient. Fawcett: [presents cat] me: ...more
A dark fairytale where a young girl is looked after by scary, but genteel, beast-man-thing. They're living their best cottaThis was surprisingly good!
A dark fairytale where a young girl is looked after by scary, but genteel, beast-man-thing. They're living their best cottagecore lives-- cutting firewood, having tea parties, failing at baking pies-- while the human world she comes from appears to be tearing itself apart out of fear of a spreading curse. And somehow she's at the center of it.
While it was very short, this volume had just enough world-building, just enough sweet relationship dynamics, and just enough mystery to draw me in and make me want to continue. I also saw that it's an anime, so I'd love to watch that after completing the series....more
I'm torn because while I liked a lot of this, it was also waaaaaay too long. I kept thinking the book was over and there would just be so much book leI'm torn because while I liked a lot of this, it was also waaaaaay too long. I kept thinking the book was over and there would just be so much book left. The beginning also felt dissimilar to the second half in plot, scale, and tone. So it kinda feels like two books mashed into one.
So... 3.5/5? Would be a solid 4 if it was edited down.
Audiobook Notes: I think the narrator has a very good voice and cadence, though there was a certain quality to it that made me want to fall asleep (like listening to a soothing, bedtime story). She doesn't use many embellishments, but I quite enjoyed the application of whispers for spookier/ethereal types of creatures....more
5/10/23 Re-read: I think a good, alternative title would be a pun along the lines of "A Blessed Union" ------------------------------------------------5/10/23 Re-read: I think a good, alternative title would be a pun along the lines of "A Blessed Union" ------------------------------------------------
"My other half was unreasonably lucky to find a decently angry man. I suppose the rest of you may have to settle for kind men instead."
"A decently angry man?" Effie asked, bewildered.
"Have you looked around at the state of things lately?" Lady Hollowvale asked dryly. "Any really decent man ought to be angry, you'd think."
--------------------------------- This was largely predictable but still very cute.
- The one twist I didn't see coming was with the magic and I quite liked the way that tied into a pro-workers storyline. - I didn't expect to see these particular characters from the first novel and in this way, but it was quite good. - Yes, people need sunlight to grow too. - The pug was absolute perfection....more
It'd been a while since I read the synopsis, so I wasn't expecting the anthology-style of disparate charactersThis was surprisingly really good. 4.5/5
It'd been a while since I read the synopsis, so I wasn't expecting the anthology-style of disparate characters and stories that follow one after the other. Given the similar names between the witch and her daughter coupled with the fact that I was listening to this on audio only, the time jumps were often disorienting. But once I got into the flow I was able to keep track of the different timelines and who was who, as well as how the different stories all fed into one another.
The Grimm inspiration is very clear as the stories have both a dark and yet fairytale-esque feel to them. I particularly enjoyed the entries that featured The Prince and Dr. Death.
I would definitely read this again and would recommend to anyone who loves a dark fairytale....more
I liked this, but it never wowed me. And I don't think much sticks out apart from toadform. 2.5/5
Vibes: The tone of this fairytale is much more somber I liked this, but it never wowed me. And I don't think much sticks out apart from toadform. 2.5/5
Vibes: The tone of this fairytale is much more somber than other T Kingfisher works, with less wry humor. It feels the whole time as if Toadling is very sad, having lost everything that meant anything to her, and penitently flogging herself into a miserable and lonely existence.
But the two MCs are very sweet and compassionate toward one another. So there is still hopefulness.
Audience: I know this is being marketed as Adult from Tor, but there's nothing in this that felt Adult. In fact, tonally and thematically and complexity-wise it felt like a children's story. Especially the dialogue was very simple and pared down. I would give a kid this way before I'd give them Grimm's fairytales, certainly, and I don't think I'd have to explain anything to them at all....more
I'm not sure I can say this is a perfect book, but I think it might be my perfect book. ------------------------ 1/22/23 -- re-reading this 6 days afterI'm not sure I can say this is a perfect book, but I think it might be my perfect book. ------------------------ 1/22/23 -- re-reading this 6 days after my initial read and I'm absolutely loving it all over again. ------------------------ I was sold from the surprise sheep on pg 4 and honestly my delight never ebbed. ------------------------ Now that I've read this book twice in the same week and it cemented a very solid position as contender for favourite book of 2023, I suppose it's time to finally leave an actual review. Also, if you can consume this via audio or immersion reading, please do.
First off, I will say that this book took me by surprise. I knew a few buzzwords that made it seem like something I'd like but I otherwise went in blind with no expectations. However, I think I would've loved this even with spoilers.
The Setting: Emily Wilde travels to a Norse inspired, remote village to investigate the unique fae of the region. It is cold and desolate, her cottage is falling apart and highly dependent on firewood to be livable, and interaction with outsiders is a rarity. The locals are not particularly interested in the fae or the scholars who seek them out, because their fae are dark and dangerous, to be respected lest their curses befall you. But they are also a community that looks out for each other, respecting time-honored traditions and enjoying each other's warmth and company by gathering at the local tavern in the evenings.
Emily herself: The main character is coded as autistic. She is not uncaring or unkind, neither is she particularly warm or feminine in any way. Rather, she is pragmatic and singularly focused (and often left baffled by human interactions she doesn't understand). But she is also especially talented at understanding the fae and is thus contributing to the world in the best way she knows how by compiling her encyclopedia of the fair folk.
Bambleby: Bambleby is my favourite. He brings an interesting dynamic in that his character is both grump and sunshine all on its own-- he can be petulant or charming in equal measure and bombastic emotional highs and lows serve as an excellent foil to the closed off and reserved Emily.
The Fae: The faeries have a decent range within this book-- some are cute and sweet and helpful, others are a nuisance, and yet others are downright terrifying in their coldness and cruelty. Their inhuman traits really shine and make them feel truly otherly, living up to their reputations in fairy tales.
The Plot: The plot moves along at a decent clip and there is always something interesting that is happening. It takes a little while to truly pick up in the beginning as Emily is acclimating to her new surroundings and setting up relationships with the villagers, but it doesn't really slow down at all after the midway point.
Magic System: On the re-read there were definitely magic elements that I started to take note of (or possibly rules that govern how faeries operate) and I'm excited for this picture to become more complex and further explored in the sequels. Approaching them with a more scientific mindset definitely delights the details-nerd in me that wants to know how everything in this world ticks.
Audiobook Notes: This is one of my favourite audiobooks. The primary voice (Emily's) is a sophisticated, British accent. But they do excellent Irish and Scandiwegian accents that really help to sell and differentiate the other characters. I also think the narrator was quite good at emotional inflection and lent just the right gravitas to each moment. I immersion read both times and I think I would really miss the audio if I just re-read it physically.
Overall: I often found myself laughing out loud at certain moments or things the characters would say. And the vibes were entirely cosy-- I'd love to count the number of times "cosy" or "cosiness" was used in the text, and also how many blanket nests were made. The character dynamics made me feel warm and as if they were a community that could truly see one another, warts and all, and accepted every aspect of each other.
...I will honestly probably read this again this year, possibly even this quarter, as this is going to become one of my go-to comfort reads. Utterly surprising in just how charming it was, I definitely recommend....more
Fantasy Elements: If we're just talking about Krampus, Santa, the Norse lore, the supernatural folks... pretty good. PrThis is a hard one to rate. 2.5?
Fantasy Elements: If we're just talking about Krampus, Santa, the Norse lore, the supernatural folks... pretty good. Probably a 4 star.
Everyday Elements: If we're talking Jesse, the annoying as shit screw-up, dealing with: a wife who's leaving him, not enough money to contribute to his daughter, corrupt law enforcement, being blackmailed into illegal acts... this is a DNF. My dude suuuuucks. His thought process is dull, his circumstances are pedestrian, his reactions to any situation are all blah. I do not care about him even a little and it sucks that he's the main POV for this story.
What Would've Made This Better For Me: I think if this wasn't a buddy read it would have been a partial read. I would've skipped over all the Jesse bits and just read all the Krampus/Santa bits and had a much better overall time.
Horror?: Also this really wasn't the horror that I expected. It doesn't really have the pacing, atmosphere, or tone to be considered a Horror, and there's not even as much violence as a standard Fantasy might have.
Art: The art is, of course, gorgeous and strange. And Santa can definitely get it. [image]...more
Loved all the little Yiddish phrases and found the Ashkenazi diaspora to be relatable as hell. Can't say that's going to appeal to everyone, but the mLoved all the little Yiddish phrases and found the Ashkenazi diaspora to be relatable as hell. Can't say that's going to appeal to everyone, but the matzah and the mezzuzah and the bubbes... it felt like home.
For the goyim out there-- This felt so very much like the classic Jewish stories and phrases, wit and warnings, that I grew up with. There were moments that I subconsciously pictured my grandma reading it to me because I've heard these aphorisms so often in her voice (so it's hard not to be at least a little bit attached).
I'm also a sucker for a magic house, especially one that talks, and I would've loved more chapters from Thistlefoot.
CW-- This got surprisingly into pogroms -which was a very interesting take on the retelling- but also made me sad. I think the story was well done, I just prefer for it to be more metaphorical and not directly rooted in our real world (this is a story taking place on American soil in present day)....more
Immediately went to purchase the next installment, was devastated to learn it doesn't come out til freakin' MAY?!?!... so I caved and binged all the rImmediately went to purchase the next installment, was devastated to learn it doesn't come out til freakin' MAY?!?!... so I caved and binged all the released content currently available on webtoon. :3
This duology was honestly such a delight this year.
It wasn't on my radar at all, but I made it off the Illumicrate waitlist and the first book was alsThis duology was honestly such a delight this year.
It wasn't on my radar at all, but I made it off the Illumicrate waitlist and the first book was also my first Illumicrate box! So grateful for the stunning editions of these very enjoyable novels.
The two relationships (at drastically different stages of development) made for an interesting and nuanced exploration. But more importantly, the spirits and magic of the island were described so beautifully that they made this instantly atmospheric.
The sequel does not disappoint, either. It picks up right where it should, all the characters take actions that completely make sense for them, there is tension and action at the right moments, relationships progress, the lore of the island is further explored, the viewpoints are varied but all the storylines are equally interesting, and it all just coalesces into one of the better duologies I've ever read.
Audiobook Notes: The Scottish accents are so excellent for the immersion in this, and very easy to understand. Highly recommend. 10/10...more
Very interested in the spirits, curses, and how the land shifts. The plots were pretty basic, but handled well and nicely wrapped up.
I think the writinVery interested in the spirits, curses, and how the land shifts. The plots were pretty basic, but handled well and nicely wrapped up.
I think the writing is somewhat romantic? And there are romantic relationships in this. But I personally wouldn't consider it romance.
Audiobook Notes: Narrator has a Scottish accent throughout (I suspect she's probably actually Scottish, but you never know with actors). I thought her embellishments were good and the voices were distinguishable from one another, even when I looked away from the text and had only the audio to depend on....more
I heard a lot of bad reviews and trigger warnings and was scared off of this for a while, but I actually quite liked it.
The trigger warnings were veryI heard a lot of bad reviews and trigger warnings and was scared off of this for a while, but I actually quite liked it.
The trigger warnings were very correct, of course. There are a LOAD of warnings for this as it is among the darkest kinds of fairy tales. Horror and sick and both mental and physical harm... But also love, acceptance, and resilience despite it all.
The writing quality is the most fairytale-esque and definitely what pulled me into the story. It's haunting and lonely and raw, but also nostalgic and comforting....more
Honestly hard to come up with adjectives for this other than "fine" and "okay" and "disappointing."
Loved the first two volumes in the series, found thHonestly hard to come up with adjectives for this other than "fine" and "okay" and "disappointing."
Loved the first two volumes in the series, found the third so dull that I can literally tell you nothing about it, thought the fourth was good again! (though not as good as the first two), and now -despite the synopsis for this one being the most up my alley- I'm back to finding it dull.
I don't know, man. The good thing about this series is that they're all very short so there's not a lot of opportunity cost in reading them, but the quality is really all over the place....more
I didn't like this as much as the others in the series.
Not sure if this entry was just more forgettable or if it was because I only had the audiobook I didn't like this as much as the others in the series.
Not sure if this entry was just more forgettable or if it was because I only had the audiobook (while the other two I was able to read as just the physical versions).
I did not care for the narrative choices of this voice actor....more
A generally good anthology with several authors I've read from before. Note: this anthology is overwhelmingly Greek myth and only occasionally branchesA generally good anthology with several authors I've read from before. Note: this anthology is overwhelmingly Greek myth and only occasionally branches into other origins.
I can't say I really found a new favourite, but there also weren't many bad ones in the bunch-- though I'm not sure the futuristic/spacey SciFi ones really worked in this mix. I liked that even among the Greek retellings, many of the stories were lesser known/featured tales.
Audiobook Notes: I found the way the bird always said "son" in T. Kingfisher's Hercules retelling to be particularly entertaining, at least the way the narrator portrayed it....more
Me, My Shelf, & I
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