I would have liked a full novel of this! But I get why she made it a novella. Still, with more space and development room for the characters, this couI would have liked a full novel of this! But I get why she made it a novella. Still, with more space and development room for the characters, this could have been a five star read for me. ...more
This series is a nerdy good time. And this book in particular really leaned into the scholarly nature of Lady Trent's calling. The last book, a lot ofThis series is a nerdy good time. And this book in particular really leaned into the scholarly nature of Lady Trent's calling. The last book, a lot of page-time was taken up by Lady Trent and her companions navigating local and global politics while trying to learn about dragons, and while that is a factor here, too, Voyage of the Basilisk feels more balanced, with a focus more clearly on her science and what she got up to while doing it, and also on her personal relationships with her son and with her colleagues and those she meets along the way, unrelated to politics.
I said in my review of the last book that one of the things I appreciated about this series was that each book takes place in a very distinct location and so it's easier to keep the events straight in your head. That's both true and not true of this book. The distinct location here is on a ship traveling the oceans of the world, but ships move, and so we also get to visit various places across Lady's Trent's world as she embarks up on a two year voyage to study sea serpents and other more tropical dragons (dragon turtles!!!).
This is my favorite of these books so far. I loved the ocean atmosphere, I loved seeing multiple locations and cultures. I liked the way that the consequences of Lady Trent's actions carried through here from both the first book and the discovery of what the preservation of dragon bone has done to dragon populations in certain areas, and her banishment from certain regions of the world affecting her studies. She's also learning as she goes from her mistakes, and her growth as a scholar goes hand in hand with her growth as a mother and friend. I just liked everything about it.
I'm not sure how other people feel about the scientific discussions of made-up beings in this series, but I love it and want more of it, and I'm glad there was much more of it here than in the previous two books. I'm also VERY much here for the developing romance between Lady Trent and a certain cliff-diver.
Side note: I had no idea until last week that Marie Brennan is also M.A. Carrick, and now I need to check out The Mask of Mirrors ASAP. ...more
She did it, y'all. This was so much better for me than the original version was 11 years ago. I'm so glad I gave it a second chance. Hopefully will geShe did it, y'all. This was so much better for me than the original version was 11 years ago. I'm so glad I gave it a second chance. Hopefully will get to the next book soon! More thoughts in my reading vlog....more
Another 4.5 star rating for a Hazelwood, not sure if I'm rounding up or down yet, it did a thing that usually annoys me but was done semi-well here soAnother 4.5 star rating for a Hazelwood, not sure if I'm rounding up or down yet, it did a thing that usually annoys me but was done semi-well here so I don't know if I'm mad about yet and I need to think. Anyway this was super fun....more
A great thing about these books is that because they all take place in different locations, I find it much easier to remember what happened in each boA great thing about these books is that because they all take place in different locations, I find it much easier to remember what happened in each book, and the actual movement of the plot even months later, not something that is common for me anymore. Aging is so fun. I'm glad because this is the last book I read in April and I'm only now getting around to reviewing this.
This book follows Lady Trent's first expedition as a scholar and a naturalist rather than as a wife of a scholar. Due to travel time and the nature of the work itself, she expects to be away from home for almost two years, and knows she might not come back at all. This time around they're headed into the swamps of Eriga, and she has her colleague Tom with her, and a young woman named Natalie who is essentially a runaway. (She is ace and she doesn't want to get married.)
This book is so far my least favorite in the series for how much it leans into the political/diplomatic side of things rather than the adventure and science parts, but it was still really interesting, and the character growth we see in Lady Trent was really satisfying, as she has some hang-ups that are specifically related to the expectations that are placed on her gender and on her as a mother that conflict directly with what she wants most, which is to study dragons. Her relationship with Tom is actually a pretty big focus here, as he grows to respect her and they develop a true friendship.
The dragons aka swamp-wyrms were pretty great, too.
This series is so fun, even though I still don't like Rogan. I skipped every sex scene in this book.
I'm putting it out into the universe that some boThis series is so fun, even though I still don't like Rogan. I skipped every sex scene in this book.
I'm putting it out into the universe that some book box company will do special editions so I can have actual nice physical editions on my shelves. I'm SUPER pumped about starting Catalina's trilogy. Crossing fingers hard that I will like Alessandro.
I ran this through my CAWPILE spreadsheet to be sure, because I was tempted to bump it up to five stars, but I'm holding at four because I just don't I ran this through my CAWPILE spreadsheet to be sure, because I was tempted to bump it up to five stars, but I'm holding at four because I just don't love Rogan. Even though I love everything else. The sex scene was so boring. So much aggression and smashing. But I am super excited to finish out the first trilogy! I'm so glad I finally started this series, and I do like it better than Kate Daniels and The Edge, in terms of these authors' work. Who knows, maybe the third book will earn the fifth star. The ferret heist brought it SUPER close. Also, the reveal of what Catalina's magic was. So entertaining.
Well, everyone was right. This was great, and the marketing/art department at Avon should be shamed heavily for the way they did this book and this enWell, everyone was right. This was great, and the marketing/art department at Avon should be shamed heavily for the way they did this book and this entire series dirty. I imagine there are many, many readers who would enjoy this book, and presumably the rest of the series, if the covers weren't a) heinously misrepresenting the contents of the story, and b) butt ugly and embarrassing. I was one of those readers! And then people whose tastes I trust kept pushing them on me until I was like FINE I WILL DO IT and now I'm super into it and I will be promptly reading the other two books in this first trilogy.
This book in a nutshell: In a world where magical powers were awakened in the late 1800s, Nevada Baylor and her small family owned investigative agency are strong-armed by their parent company into taking on an impossible task: Bringing back fugitive Adam Pierce, a powerful pyrokinetic, alive and into the welcoming arms (cough) of his family. There is a non-zero chance that Nevada will be killed, and taking Pierce down without killing him seems almost as likely to happen. The infamous Mad Rogan (a war veteran who has extremely powerful magic) is also after Pierce because he used Rogan's cousin as an accomplice when robbing a bank, and a security guard was killed in the process (they torched the bank). Mad Rogan is powerful and arrogant and Nevada doesn't want to be anywhere in his vicinity, but having him on her team in this significantly increases her chance of success, so she goes along.
So this was marketed as a paranormal romance. First, not paranormal, second, not really a romance? There is no HEA. The main arc will involve them eventually getting together, obviously, but the majority of this book is spent on actual plotty plot and magical worldbuilding shenanigans. The authors take their time building up Nevada's family and backstory, and though we end the book with Rogan wanting to be with her REAL BAD, she doesn't want any part of it, despite being incredibly attracted to him. The scene where she tells him no was so satisfying. She basically tells him no because he's a bad person and she can't trust him, and it was so great. I'm hoping some of it eventually sinks into his thick little brain, but for now I'm happy with what the authors have done.
Alphaholes are really, really not my thing. I do not get the attraction AT ALL or why these authors keep writing about them, but when it's this well done I can't really complain. It's well-written, even if it's not something I can understand emotionally. I want him to calm the fuck down and become a human person with empathy. If that doesn't happen I might get mad. But for now, I will continue. I really have no complaints about the plot or the worldbuilding or the magic system. I found all of that super intriguing, and I really, really liked Nevada and her family. They felt so real and lived in, and they grounded the story in a very nice way that it very much needed. The conflict in the book was scary and had stakes, but the resolution didn't feel cheap. I'm interested to see who is behind all the stuff that is happening, and what their long game will be (and how Rogan and Nevada will obviously be foiling it).
Definitely recommend this one, yes for you! Despite the terrible cover. You like romantic suspense? You like cool magic? This will probably be a book for you.
I'm sorry, I can't get over this. The entire point of a book cover is to make people want to read it, so why exactly would you make ones that are actively repugnant to modern sensibilities, and in reference to the second two books, frankly insulting? Avon deserved to lose the Andrews as writers. Long may they do their thing in peace!...more
I have been slow to jump on the Silvia Moreno-Garcia bandwagon, mostly because I read one of her earlier books and it wasn't for me. Then everyone losI have been slow to jump on the Silvia Moreno-Garcia bandwagon, mostly because I read one of her earlier books and it wasn't for me. Then everyone lost their minds over Mexican Gothic. And I did nothing! But I'm glad I eventually gave her another shot, because this book shows me that I can like what she does, though it still didn't perfectly gel with my tastes.
SM-G is a genre hopping author, and with The Beautiful Ones, she takes on a fantastical version of Regency England, for a romance/comedy of manners hybrid plotline, except the two main characters are telekinetics. A lot of people compare this to Jane Austen, but that doesn't quite work for me. The level of drama and misunderstanding here, not to mention the over the top villain, is on a whole other level. It was almost melodrama. It was a little too much for me. I haaaaated her. And not in a fun way. And though the romance between the two main characters was sweet and the narrative voice engaging (I really liked the audio!), I'm still giving this a 3.5 star because I feel like I don't really know them and the only strong emotional connection I formed was to the villain.
I think where we're probably going to end up is that occasionally Moreno-Garcia will write a book that interests me and I will read it, but she won't be an autobuy author for me. I still have zero interest in The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, for instance, but I did finally pick up a copy of Mexican Gothic, and I'm tentatively interested in Silver Nitrate . . . we'll see! This one, at least, was a success!
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC. It hasn't affected the content of my review.
Well, this sadly went like I thought it would (Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC. It hasn't affected the content of my review.
Well, this sadly went like I thought it would (and hoped it wouldn't), which is to say, it doubled down on the things I liked least from the first book, and there was way less of what I loved. This wasn't a bad book at all, but the author and I clearly had different ideas for what kind of story she was going to be telling. I know that's Mistake #1 of going into a book, imposing your wants and ideas on it, but I couldn't help myself. And I'm still salty from the ending of book one.
So this picks up several months after the ending of Anatomy. Hazel is still practicing medicine. Jack is still gone and Hazel doesn't know if he's still alive. After she treats a woman who terminated her own pregnancy with dodgy poisons, Hazel is arrested and imprisoned, soon to be executed. Her execution is only stayed when someone from the royal court in London arrives with a pardon for Hazel if she will come and try to heal the Princess Charlotte, who is suffering from a mysterious illness no doctor can diagnose.
So the two things I liked least in the first book were the speculative twist at the end where (view spoiler)[it was revealed that Dr. Beecham had an immortality serum that he could also dilute to perform organ transplants and aid healing (hide spoiler)] and the romance (which was fine and all, but not the most interesting part of the book for me). So of course, this book is 75% about both Hazel's feelings about Jack and about the speculative element that I hated, (view spoiler)[the immortality serum, which it turns out came from Beecham's partnership with the married couple Marie and Antoine Lavoisier, who were thought long-dead in the French Revolution. Oh and also Lord Byron is a member of their little secret society of immortals, which did amuse me, but not enough to overcome my dislike of this plot element. (hide spoiler)]
Basically, the author built this book on the stuff I disliked, so I was never going to love it. I did really like all the parts where Hazel does treat people from mysterious ailments, but those were way too infrequent to make me happy. I'm glad I read it, though, for the closure....more
Kicking myself for not writing this review immediately after finishing this book. I was on such a book high and now it's been two months, and my brainKicking myself for not writing this review immediately after finishing this book. I was on such a book high and now it's been two months, and my brain is useless. Because I really want to do this one justice! I want more people to read it and enjoy it like I did.
Emily Wilde is a scholar, and her field of study is faeries. She is aiming to write the first comprehensive encylopaedia of faeries that has ever been published. On a scholarly research trip to a remote northern town, she is set to do her last bit of research before publication. When she first arrives, she doesn't make the best impression with the locals, but quickly makes inroads with the faeries. When her academic rival, who believes himself to be her friend, Bambleby arrives, she has to deal with him, as well as the fact that the locals prefer him vastly over her.
With that said, please feel free to ignore that synopsis. Everything I loved about this book was due to the writing and the atmosphere the author created. I loved Emily and Bambleby, too, but Fawcett has a way of portraying Emily's explorations and thoughts, and the sometimes perilous results of human civilization living so close to Faerie, that I was captured immediately by the book and sucked inside its world. The cold, the casual cruelty of some fairies, and the sweet tricksiness of others, the dangers that lurk in Emily's field, and even her research and writing itself all worked incredibly well for me. I can't think of an aspect of this book I didn't like, and I honestly wouldn't mind re-reading it right this very minute. ...more
I said in a status update while reading Singer Distance that it was giving me Contact vibes, and that's true. The homespun science and grungy academicI said in a status update while reading Singer Distance that it was giving me Contact vibes, and that's true. The homespun science and grungy academic feel of the book, along with a group of characters working towards contacting aliens does give me the same feelings I get watching that movie (I have the book and I really need to finally read it!), but Singer Distance also has its own unique feel.
This is an alternate history where back in the late 1800s, scientists spotted a message in Mars and began communicating back, with Mars setting mathematical problems for humans to solve, presumably as tests of intelligence, and the scientific community makes it all the way to the 1930s until they are completely stumped.
Set in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, our main character is Rick, one of the group of graduate students who reached out to the Martians and solved their latest challenge, one that had been puzzling the top mathematical minds for over three decades. His girlfriend, Crystal Singer (a mathematics prodigy and genius) is the one that did the actual solving, and their success catapults all of them to instant global fame, something Crystal doesn't handle well. Since this is literary science fiction, it's harder to put into words the tone of the book and the themes its tackling, but the emphasis here isn't one your usual science fiction book would take. Though the aliens are a motivating presence in the book, most of the science and math that's present feels very grounded and real, even when it starts taking a turn to the speculative.
This was a short read in terms of page length, and in reading time. I found it really compelling and hard to put down. I would absolutely love to see it as a movie, and I hope more people read it, as right now the number of ratings on Goodreads is pretty low....more
I will have a lot more thoughts on this in the reading vlog on my channel that should be posting within the next week or so (depending on when I finisI will have a lot more thoughts on this in the reading vlog on my channel that should be posting within the next week or so (depending on when I finish Fourth Wing tbh) but in general I liked it. But it's a book that refuses to indulge in tropes and play to the crowd, so to speak, and instead sticks to its own purposes, which is upsetting and infuriating, as all stories accurately depicting how indigenous peoples are treated by colonizers should be. The MC is also more of a cypher for the plot and doesn't really have a lot of character growth (she's already done most of her growing before we get to her). People around her are the ones that grow and change. It also wasn't as compelling as I wanted it to be, maybe for the above listed reasons. I will be reading the rest of the series though. More thoughts in my reading vlog! (Channel is linked in my bio.)
Okay, wow, that was so good. Partly I'm so surprised by how into this I was because it was a bit of a struggle fo30 Books in 30 Days, Vol. 3 Book 16/30
Okay, wow, that was so good. Partly I'm so surprised by how into this I was because it was a bit of a struggle for me to get through the first book. I got sixty pages in and let it sit for months. Finally I just decided to switch it up and do the audio, and then I finished it in two days. But the laggy, weird kind-of-want-to-DNF feeling stuck around when I thought about book one, even after ultimately enjoying it, so maybe that's why this one was surprising.
Also, it's just a really good book! (Spoilers for book one below.)
So this one picks up several months after the close of book one, with our main character in training for the Garda (spelling? the perils of audiobooks), the Great Library's army, essentially. He learns that his best friend, Thomas, who was thought killed by the Library in the previous book for inventing the printing press (an invention that threatens the Library's ability to control information and progress and whatever else they control) is actually alive and being held prisoner. There's other stuff going on, but the main arc of this book is getting the team back together and figuring out how to rescue Thomas.
Rachel Caine (RIP) did a great job with the pacing and the plot here. It was twisty and exciting and emotionally satisfying. There were several scenes in here where I physically couldn't sit still while listening because it was riling me up so bad. I'm very, very interested in seeing what she did with the last three books, and I'm sure the longer I spend with these characters the more I will like these books.
Thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the ARC. It hasn't affected the content of my review.
This is genuinely one of the weirdest books I've ever Thanks to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the ARC. It hasn't affected the content of my review.
This is genuinely one of the weirdest books I've ever read. It has a lot of flaws baked in. The worldbuilding is there but never explained, there is so much going on that none of it really fully works: lesbian stoner buddy comedy, political satire, the alternate history and fantasy elements, a romance . . . I spent a large portion of the book very confused. And yet, I also had a great time, and it didn't seem to matter very much that I was never sure what exactly was going on.
I really liked Lana as a character. She's an incorrigible flirt, and spends half her life high on mushrooms, but she's friendly and kind and people like her. The friendship between her and the fairy Bugbite was the best part of the book.
Everything is absurd in this book, but not so absurd that you don't wish there was a coherent explanation for why there are no men? And why the fairies even keep creating the humans if they are so scared of them? For just two examples. Also . . . the climactic scene . . . I don't even know if my thoughts can encompass it. Is it genius? It is stupid? Is it both???
But, I liked it. I liked listening to it, and I would listen to it again! So, those are my thoughts as conflicting, and confused as they may be.
[3.5 stars, rounding up for the good times, man]...more
May 2023: I loved this! I'm so glad I loved it, also, because I own two copies of it and I don't want to get rid of eDecember 2023: Eeeexcellent fun.
May 2023: I loved this! I'm so glad I loved it, also, because I own two copies of it and I don't want to get rid of either one. They are PRETTY. The American cover I love so much, I want a poster-sized print of it for my wall. And my other edition has a beautiful gilded map on the endpapers with Amina and Payasam on either end, and little ships and sea beasts sprayed on the edges. I would have CRIED had I not loved this book. But I did love it, I barely had to try.
I went into this knowing almost nothing, so I don't want to say anything but these few vague things:
*Forty-something female pirate captain. *Getting the band back together. *Dangerous quest to find kidnapped young woman. *Adventure! *Set in the same world as her Daevabad trilogy, but in medieval times on the Indian Ocean. *Queer non-white characters faffing around in the middle ages. *Found family and friendship feelings.
I really have zero complaints. This book implanted itself firmly in my mind and it was a fun time from beginning to end, with my preferred cocktail of hybrid tones. I love a good tonal mish-mash. I demand book two at once.
I don’t have it in me right now to talk about this book in the way that it deserves. This is a book that explores the fallout from First Contact (and I don’t have it in me right now to talk about this book in the way that it deserves. This is a book that explores the fallout from First Contact (and the fallout from covering up First Contact) in practically every way possible. There was so much going on in this book (and all of it done well), I don’t even know how to start summing it up. I’m tempted to just do the bullet points thing. In fact, you know what, fuck it. I’mma do that.
Here are some bullet points:
*Humanity being total shitbirds and people having existential crises about it. *Interspecies friendship. *Interspecies love. *Intense philosophical ideas. *Cool as heck aliens. *Exploration of complex PTSD and codependency. *An age-gap romance that is fully aware of its own problematic nature. *Scawwy. ...more
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