I had to go back and check after the first few chapters to make sure I was really reading a debut. I instantly thought that it had a distinct voice anI had to go back and check after the first few chapters to make sure I was really reading a debut. I instantly thought that it had a distinct voice and perspective, but was also impressed with how quickly and seamlessly the book was able to set up the rules of the world and start seeding details for later plotbeats.
This story answers the question of 'wtf could be the explanation for the series of events in the original Cinderella story' if the stepsister was the hero and was actually behaving rationally. And I think it overall accomplishes its goal.
I did feel a little foolish that it took me so long to recognize the specific Disney Cinderella influences, vs the original Grimm ones. But I think that just speaks to how well integrated and natural they felt within this story.
While the story is fairly tame for the first 20-25% or so, the body horror and other horror elements goes straight to 11/10 pretty rapidly. There wasn't a trigger warning page in my arc but I sincerely hope there will be by the time this releases. Cause dear lord.
Does the ~dog die?: (view spoiler)[The housecats are pretty gruesomely treated in chapter 11, but otherwise everything is okay if you skip that chapter. They're not pets in this, but if you're inclined to feel sympathy for rats/mice then fully give this book a pass. (hide spoiler)]
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
This is a very classic feeling story and I would believe if you told me it's been around for generations (or at least since the invention of airplanesThis is a very classic feeling story and I would believe if you told me it's been around for generations (or at least since the invention of airplanes). For me, it's in the same vein as Pamela Purse, but with a stronger moral and a redemptive conclusion.
The illustrations were lovely and just right for this type of book, and I appreciated how many of them there were.
My one criticism is that it's implied throughout that not only is Ivy Lou beautiful and inherently good because of her blonde curls and blue eyes, but the witch outright states that her own stringy hair is black as evil. I prefer when children aren't taught to equate morality with phenotype presentation.
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Thank you to The Collective Book Studio and NetGalley for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
This has the feel and cadence of a classic fairytale, but with a little bit more war and brutal deaths. The illustrations that fill nearly every page This has the feel and cadence of a classic fairytale, but with a little bit more war and brutal deaths. The illustrations that fill nearly every page (all rendered in icy blue) are lovely and add to the atmosphere of the story (though there's a fairly gruesome dead man featured about 2/3 in so I would make sure the child is old enough that his face won't give them nightmares)....more
This was so much fun and I laughed out loud several times. (Also, having just read I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons, this is everything I wanted that booThis was so much fun and I laughed out loud several times. (Also, having just read I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons, this is everything I wanted that book to be.)
If you want a humorous tale with dragons and knights and wizards and princesses and daring quests... but also a light-hearted and funny subversion of fairytale tropes and highly recognizable folktales: definitely check these books out.
For a book that's 33 years old, this has held up surprisingly well (it did use the term "gypsy," but that wasn't widely known to be a slur during that era, so ymmv on how important this detail is to you).
Audiobook Notes: I've really been loving the implementation of full cast audiobook in this series. Each voice actor narrates all the dialogue for their character, and a primary voice actor does the rest of the narration....more
I liked this, but in a subdued way. If asked, I likely would have guessed that this was written by Alix E. Harrow with some influence from Polish folkI liked this, but in a subdued way. If asked, I likely would have guessed that this was written by Alix E. Harrow with some influence from Polish folklore.
Vibes: It would be spoilers to give away what kind of story this is, but I think that there's a lot of heart to the primary storyline. Melancholy and quiet and aching and regret and yearning, but big emotions from people who feel deeply.
Characters: Unfortunately this story is very short and I don't think this writing style lends itself to giving me the sort of fully fleshed out and easily-imagined characters that I'd hope for. I do like that we get multiple POVs and that the audiobook has a different narrator for all 3, though! And the FMC was probably the least guarded and therefore most fleshed out for me.
The Ending: I wasn't expecting a book like this to have a twist at the end, but I quite liked it. It felt good and right. I just wish there was a little bit more time to sit with the characters and their emotions and to feel a greater weight for what transpired.
Overall: As a whole it's a nice, little, bite-sized piece of Polish folklore and I thought the various creatures (strzyga, zmory, leshy, and more) were really well handled and imagined. I'd like to see future stories in this world, perhaps a full length novel following different characters.
For whatever reason, I'm not personally a big fan of Alix E. Harrow, so this work feeling so reminiscent for me means it probably won't leave a lasting impact (hence the 3/5 stars) but I do really think that people who enjoy her work will equally like this story.
Audiobook Notes: There are 3 different narrators to do each of the 3 POVs. All of them were competent, though one of the male voices was a little more generic and monotone than the other two voice actors, but it wasn't distracting or detracting.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for granting me this audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
Despite never reading it before, as soon as I started this final installment (to my knowledge, anyway; Fawcett hasn't ever said anything but that it'lDespite never reading it before, as soon as I started this final installment (to my knowledge, anyway; Fawcett hasn't ever said anything but that it'll be a trilogy) I felt a total sense of cozy nostalgia– I think everyone’s aware by now about my excessive love for this series (and I’ve heard the audiobooks enough that I automatically heard the voices and cadence of the narrators in my head, even though I was reading this as an eARC).
Compendium of Lost Tales picks up where Map of the Otherlands left off, with the characters entering Where The Trees Have Eyes. [image]
From the beginning, the animal companions have a much larger presence than they’ve had in prior books (Orga, my love!). There’s also a much more traditional plot structure and pacing, with very few divergences. On the one hand I think this might better suit people who found the first book composed of too many vignettes and an unfocused story, on the other hand I felt a stronger sense of lull between major story beats than in prior books. However Fawcett never failed to delight me with all of the little world-building details, so -from vengeful battle snails to adorable butter fairies- I was always entertained.
And I know we all talk about the cozy vibes, the banter, the romance, the academia, and the animal companions in this series-- but man are there also a lot of swordfights, now that I think about it. This volume definitely did not disappoint on that front. [image]
I’d have to say my largest disappointment was the way the story often kept Emily and Wendell apart, since their playful banter is probably my #1 favourite thing. There were also fewer instances to see fae friends from prior novels than I was expecting, and I didn’t really feel like new friends were made to fill that gap.
But there are several satisfying call-backs and full circle moments that I adored (including one that made me shout “aw, snap!” aloud… in the dark… startling my cats…). And though I think I’ll continue to re-read the first book in the series the most (a not uncommon occurrence for me and series anyway), I’ll truly treasure all the joy that this series has brought me and continue to re-read it many times in future.
Does the dog die?: (view spoiler)[I do not like that Fawcett keeps reminding me how old Shadow is, but he's perfectly fine and completely unharmed.
Orga is the cause of some harm to others, but nothing happens to her or Snowbell or any other little cuties. (hide spoiler)]
This might be more of a one star than a two star, I'm not quite sure. It's possible I did this series a disservice by slamming them back to back (I waThis might be more of a one star than a two star, I'm not quite sure. It's possible I did this series a disservice by slamming them back to back (I was sick and had nothing better to do and not enough energy for something more stimulating).
I can't tell if this book is really written in a different way, or I had just built up too much and surpassed my threshold for this type of writing. Either way, it was really grating on me how overwrought it was.
This is also the angsty "breakup" book in the series, where he's out of her life and the world has lost all color or interest for her without him. Peak melodramatic teen.
I guess we'll see if book 4 makes the series worth it, or if it was just book 1 that was sorta charming and scratched some itches....more
Not as good as the first; there's a lot more time devoted to war and not as much time with the two MCs building tension together.
There were also a fewNot as good as the first; there's a lot more time devoted to war and not as much time with the two MCs building tension together.
There were also a few discrepancies where things happened again (both since the first book and within this same book) but were treated like they hadn't happened before, so there could've been a little tighter editing. Likely would be less apparent if you're not reading these back to back, though....more
This is probably my second favourite Ursula Vernon book of all time (the first being The Raven & the Reindeer, because that was so specifically made fThis is probably my second favourite Ursula Vernon book of all time (the first being The Raven & the Reindeer, because that was so specifically made for me). She just really does a great job with fairytale retellings.
Mind you, this is so wildly different from the source material that I wouldn't be able to say "Goose Girl" was the inspiration if not for the synopsis. It's also probably the darkest I've read from her, as there's a lot of trauma and abuse and manipulation that is scarier -for me- than any of her horror stories.
I think she really held back on the humor, and I find myself missing it a little; though the humorous bits that made it to the final edit were tasteful and made me smile, even at the darkest of story beats.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
I read this six days ago and not only already forgot all of it, but forgot that I even read it without seeing it in my Goodreads Read books as a prompI read this six days ago and not only already forgot all of it, but forgot that I even read it without seeing it in my Goodreads Read books as a prompter. So do with that what you will. ----------------------------------------- It is worth noting that I haven't been feeling great and this isn't the only book I've recently bounced off of, so it's possible that I could've enjoyed it more if I'd read it at a different time.
YA: This book felt glaringly YA in its simplicity. The characters are generally reduced to one attribute and one desire which they each repeat multiple times. It is tiring in its repetition, but possibly could feel appropriate if aiming for the younger age range of the YA demographic.
Relationships: The pseudo-parasocial/one-sided relationship made me feel very uncomfortable in its implications. I suppose it was mostly there to be a kind of straw man-- poorly constructed and easily torn down but temporarily appearing like an obstacle to amplify the true storyline. But I was honestly over love triangles with a fake third party when I first encountered them as a kid 20 years ago, and I haven't grown anymore endeared to them since then.
Overall: All I can really say is that I was bored the entire time, will forget everything in a matter of days, and the storyline felt very rote. I much preferred The Bone Houses and others of Emily Lloyd-Jones's Welsh inspired YA books....more
This is my second book by the author and the writing goes so hard?
"Time was so precious, but life more precious still; they could not escape late b
This is my second book by the author and the writing goes so hard?
"Time was so precious, but life more precious still; they could not escape late but they must escape alive."
The Writing: The first thing that stood out to me, right from page 1, was the beautiful writing. I think in the previous work I read from them the writing could lean quite prose-y, but also sparse. Here there was a much stronger sense of repetition (of concepts, of phrases, of individual words) that I think was used to excellent effect-- it's steeped in fairytales, after all, and what's more fairytale than things coming in threes?
The Themes: While the book itself is quite short, that doesn't mean it isn't heavy. The subject matter is very dark and readers may need to look at trigger warnings in advance. There is death and loss and grief, impassive and cold cruelty, a loss of innocence, and the inevitability of failure.
The Characters: I admired both Veris and Eleonor in their own ways as they tried to do their best to make it through the world around them and maintain strength that could be leant on for Aram. But I especially liked the creatures that lived in the Forest like the fox-man. The writing will not let you forget how other they are, similar to the fae in Emily Wilde's, but always with a lingering darkness, a lingering hunger.
Overall: If you enjoy dark fairytales, if you don't need a happy ending, and if you enjoy beautiful writing then I would recommend you pick this up. It's admirable to watch the way the characters persevere in the face of extreme adversity, but also sometimes a bit of a gut-punch to bear witness to what they go through. Edit: 4.5/5, but this belongs much more with the books I ranked 5 stars this year, so rounding up.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for granting me an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own....more
I honestly loved this. This is my fifth book by the author and I think it's probably her strongest and most polished work yet. 4.5/5 but it's very likI honestly loved this. This is my fifth book by the author and I think it's probably her strongest and most polished work yet. 4.5/5 but it's very likely it'll become a 5 whenever I re-read it.
Vibes: This is a gothic, haunted/cursed house story about an attractive young woman who has a favor called in by an old friend to protect her grandson from the haunted house she's tied to and can't leave. It's moody and a little dark, occasionally a tad gory, but ultimately a cozy horror. The house has bad vibes from the moment she touches it, there's haunting music coming from the piano in the conservatory, faces in the walls and a disconcerting butler. There's at least one monster in this house.
Overall: This was such a fun read that I don't want to go over much of it so y'all can experience if for yourselves. The romance (mentioned in the blurb) is very slowburn and absolutely sweet and chaste and respectful. The monsters are threatening without being overly scary or unrealistic. The plot is straightforward (even if the house passageways are not). And it was honestly just a really lovely time.
Oliver (her familiar) is a cat, and he is dead, and he is the best. <3...more
Kada stared at him for a moment. “You’re an interesting man, Sobis.” “I have to be.” He grinned. “I wouldn’t dare bore a woman like you.”
Honestly s
Kada stared at him for a moment. “You’re an interesting man, Sobis.” “I have to be.” He grinned. “I wouldn’t dare bore a woman like you.”
Honestly surprised to enjoy the twist and reveals at the end as much as I did, but that conclusion left me feeling so incredibly satisfied. I think this marks for me how reliable Angry Robot is in their book choices. Solid 4-4.5/5
This is a story steeped in slavic folklore and I really appreciated the author's note at the beginning about her home of Poland and how much I could feel this story meant to her. My only wish is that we had a lovely illustrated edition with all the bastooks and domovoys (I've already pictured Baba Cmentarna quite more than I'd like to, thank you very much; she can remain unillustrated).
If you've read the Winternight trilogy, you'll find a lot of similarities between Vasya and Nada's POV as her work as a vedma (essentially the town's hedgewitch) leads her to interact with many house and nature spirits. But as with most folktales, even the friendliest of these spirits can be dangerous or downright terrifying.
There's also, surprisingly, a very small subplot with a bit of a love triangle to it. However, damn if these aren't some of the most adult and mature examples I've seen in a romance plot in a good, long while. Gorcay in particular really stuck out to me for his immense confidence in himself, his respect and confidence in the woman he was pursuing, and how he remained steadfast but always with an air of levity.
I think this story was really lovely (even if I wanted to punch a few people in the face along the way) and I hope it finds its audience.
Does the ~dog die?: (view spoiler)[There's a chicken that's sacrificed in a semi-graphic way that only lasts for two paragraphs. (hide spoiler)]...more
Kajal inhaled deeply. Two bodies in this room, and only one heartbeat. But not for long.
A loose retelling of Halahala mixed with Trigun and
Kajal inhaled deeply. Two bodies in this room, and only one heartbeat. But not for long.
A loose retelling of Halahala mixed with Trigun and some Frankenstein for added flavor, We Shall Be Monsters was a fresh YA with a lot of heart.
Armed with only her loyal and undead dog Kutaa, a scalpel, and her own determination, Kajal sets out to resurrect her sister before she permanently becomes a vengeful ghost called a bhuta. Along the way she falls in with some rebels who wish to use her resurrection for their own schemes.
I enjoyed reading this so much that I struggled to complete it in a timely or linear fashion. I would too quickly get distracted by looking up Indian mythology, how to pronounce hindi/urdu terms, and checking if I could find the author's tour dates so I could convince her to doodle Raja Hiss in my book (my growing obsession with this little doodle is chronicled in my reading history updates ...more
This read incredibly young, but most annoyingly it was really repetitious. The author didn't trust thIf this wasn't an ARC, I would've DNF'd it at 7%.
This read incredibly young, but most annoyingly it was really repetitious. The author didn't trust the reader to remember anything, even if it was just said. Each concept is repeated three times when it's first introduced, then usually they use the same exact language when introducing the concept again (like "Take my luck" from the beginning and then chapter 39, though it didn't repeat the why 2 chapters later in the epilogue when they said it again; so that was something).
And for things like the murder that keep getting mentioned (the thing to set off the curse) we really don't seem to care at all about who was murdered, who murdered them, or why/how.
But it was honestly the repetition that killed me. I searched the ARC for "rampion" and it was used 78 times... and it wasn't even introduced until at least ch5 or 6, if not later. Everything was fairly obvious (view spoiler)[though I did think the wolf would be her mom and it turned out to be her grandma, so I was slightly off (hide spoiler)] and was randomly tied to the classic Grimm tales-- Cinderella, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty. Concepts given huge weight and significance were abandoned at the drop of a hat (like her map or Henni's modesty of being in her chemise). And all in all it just felt really messy and unsure of what it wanted to be.
I hope between the ARC and the final copy, they're able to edit out the noise of just repeating the same info over and over, which was especially heavy-handed in the first ten chapters. In its current form there's just nothing in this I can recommend.
edit: I like that there was disability rep, I don't like that it unnaturally referred to her "S-curve" instead of simply her back, her spine, her pain, etc a dozen times in this rather short novel. It also weirdly didn't seem to pain her all that much after big moments of action and anguish? And her best friend who loves her both pushes her in her sore spot to run away, then inquires how her back is doing later? (Unrelated, he doesn't seem aware of or apologetic about pushing her there)
I was granted an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own....more
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