Really liked this! You can barely tell that this was her first book. It was pretty short, and for the most part that was fine, but there were parts whReally liked this! You can barely tell that this was her first book. It was pretty short, and for the most part that was fine, but there were parts where she sums up conversations instead of showing them, where I wanted her to actually show them. There's a significant story that Crane tells Stephen about how he got his tattoos, and we don't get to hear it at all! She also glossed over their initial bonding and friendship.
But other than that, this was actually great. It's equal parts fantasy, horror, and romance, and the plot actually was as intriguing as the romance. A lot of times plot just annoys me in romance novels because it feels like filler and is uninteresting, but here it was genuinely scary and exciting and cool, and Charles does a great job using the events of the plot to illuminate her characters.
Who are Lucien Vaudrey (Lord Crane, newly minted Earl, newly back in England after a twenty year exile to China) and Stephen Day (a practitioner of magic, whose father was ruined by Crane's family years before). The two are brought together when it becomes clear that someone has targeted Crane by magical means, and his life is in danger. Being from Shanghai, where shamans and magic are common, he and his manservant Merrick immediately seek the local services of a magician. Day ends up helping him reluctantly, first assuming that Crane is as horrible a person as his departed father and brother. What seems at first to be a straightforward single act of vengeance on Crane's family turns into a magical mystery, and both of them are soon in extreme danger as they try to unravel it.
Also, Crane is a terrible flirt and makes it very clear that he would appreciate a romp in the sack with the small but incredibly fierce magician (there was a reason his father exiled him to China, and that reason was incorrigible gayness). The sexytimes weren't quite up to my taste (and she gets way better at those as her career goes on), but I really liked the chemistry between the characters, and appreciated that because this is a series, the two aren't in love by the end of the book. They barely know one another, presumably that will happen in the rest of the series.
Definitely recommend though, and I'm excited to finish the series out, though I probably won't get around to it until later in the year.
Read Harder Challenge 2019: A self-published book.
Merged review:
Really liked this! You can barely tell that this was her first book. It was pretty short, and for the most part that was fine, but there were parts where she sums up conversations instead of showing them, where I wanted her to actually show them. There's a significant story that Crane tells Stephen about how he got his tattoos, and we don't get to hear it at all! She also glossed over their initial bonding and friendship.
But other than that, this was actually great. It's equal parts fantasy, horror, and romance, and the plot actually was as intriguing as the romance. A lot of times plot just annoys me in romance novels because it feels like filler and is uninteresting, but here it was genuinely scary and exciting and cool, and Charles does a great job using the events of the plot to illuminate her characters.
Who are Lucien Vaudrey (Lord Crane, newly minted Earl, newly back in England after a twenty year exile to China) and Stephen Day (a practitioner of magic, whose father was ruined by Crane's family years before). The two are brought together when it becomes clear that someone has targeted Crane by magical means, and his life is in danger. Being from Shanghai, where shamans and magic are common, he and his manservant Merrick immediately seek the local services of a magician. Day ends up helping him reluctantly, first assuming that Crane is as horrible a person as his departed father and brother. What seems at first to be a straightforward single act of vengeance on Crane's family turns into a magical mystery, and both of them are soon in extreme danger as they try to unravel it.
Also, Crane is a terrible flirt and makes it very clear that he would appreciate a romp in the sack with the small but incredibly fierce magician (there was a reason his father exiled him to China, and that reason was incorrigible gayness). The sexytimes weren't quite up to my taste (and she gets way better at those as her career goes on), but I really liked the chemistry between the characters, and appreciated that because this is a series, the two aren't in love by the end of the book. They barely know one another, presumably that will happen in the rest of the series.
Definitely recommend though, and I'm excited to finish the series out, though I probably won't get around to it until later in the year.
Read Harder Challenge 2019: A self-published book....more
Did not like. The writing style, the twists, the main character, the way Rebecca and Daphne Du Maurier were used. This wanted so hard to be gothic andDid not like. The writing style, the twists, the main character, the way Rebecca and Daphne Du Maurier were used. This wanted so hard to be gothic and atmospheric, but it just wasn't. Pretty much a failure for me on all fronts....more
While there were a handful of really good stories in here, overall I was disappointed with this collection. Way too many confusing or unsatisfying endWhile there were a handful of really good stories in here, overall I was disappointed with this collection. Way too many confusing or unsatisfying endings. (This was edited by Jordan Peele, but also by John Joseph Adams, whose anthologies in the past I have not really liked, either, and I wish I would have known he was involved before I read it. Would have had more accurate expectations.)
[avg. rating of all stories was 2.97 stars, rounded up to three]...more
I think I might have been expecting a little bit too much from this one. I liked it, but I guess I was expecting to be blown away (no idea why) and itI think I might have been expecting a little bit too much from this one. I liked it, but I guess I was expecting to be blown away (no idea why) and it didn't do that for me, so there is an element of slight disappointment here. Hopefully that will fade away with time and I'll just be able to appreciate the story this book actually wanted to tell rather than the (amorphous, amazing?) one I had in my ahead of time.
This is essentially a portal horror novel about a newly divorced woman named Kara, traveling through a mysterious hole in the wall of her uncle's "wonder museum" with Simon (the man who works at the coffee shop next door). They go in expecting Narnia and instead they get . . . something else. The subtle creep of dread is what does it for me here as Kara ("Carrot" to her uncle and Simon) and Simon slowly realize the rules of the world they have stepped into. But getting out of this nightmarish world is not the only thing they have to overcome.
Like the other T. Kingfisher books I've read, this one is full of her signature cozy/creepy sense of place, and the narrator (in first person) is conversational. I liked this the most when we were in our world, not the other world, so the middle was more sloggy and less interesting than I would have liked, but I loved all the other stuff, even when Kara was learning about the other world (while in ours). I thought the ending was great, and Hillary Huber did a really good job with the narration.
Chipping Away at Mt. TBR, Spooky Season Edition — Book 27/31...more
A genuinely creepy ghost story that also examines PTSD, the cost of war, and the view of mental health (and masculinity) in post-war Britain.
Our mainA genuinely creepy ghost story that also examines PTSD, the cost of war, and the view of mental health (and masculinity) in post-war Britain.
Our main character is Kitty Weekes, a bit of a con woman, but only out of necessity. She has taken the opportunity to pretend to be a nurse to gain a job at the remotely located sanatorium, Portis House, a "hospital" for soldiers who came back from the war "mad." Please take note of the quotations there. She is hired despite her obvious lack of qualifications because the Matron is desperate for nurses; they don't last long. Something is wrong in the house, and it's not just the poor treatment of the patients (which is bad enough).
This is actually quite a bit like the author's first book, which I enjoyed, but you can see her getting her feet underneath her more as she goes. This book has a great sense of place, a little bit of mystery, a little bit of romance, and lots of neat historical details, along with its creeping dread and paranormal elements. (I think The Broken Girls was her first book with a dual timeline, and she hasn't gone back to pure paranormal historicals since.)
This is like horror for weenies, and I mean that in the nicest way possible, as a sometimes weenie myself. These early books of hers are perfect for people who like a little creepiness and darkness along with a happy ending, but don't feel like going full-hog horror for whatever reason. I'm a little sad I only have two more of them left before I'm officially caught up on her back catalogue!...more
This was really good but I can't give it a full five stars for one reason. More on that reason below. But first! I enjoyed this so much! I said this iThis was really good but I can't give it a full five stars for one reason. More on that reason below. But first! I enjoyed this so much! I said this in a status update while reading, but it was such a relief to have a YA book tackle what this book is trying to tackle* and have it SUCCEED instead of falling down on its face. Ava Reid, like her or not, is really talented. There are of course going to be people that are turned off by her style, but that's how you know authors have one in the first place. I really dug this. I can tell by the fact that I already want to re-read it with a pen in hand to try to piece things together more and savor some of the lines and moments, that it was a huge success for me.
*academia (of the dark kind, naturally), a burgeoning romance between two damaged people, trauma recovery, themes of identity and bravery, sexual assault, institutional misogyny, magical atmosphere where characters are questioning reality
The blank screen of this review space has been staring at me for days, and so I am just going to buckle down and word vomit whatever is about to happen. This is how I defeat writer's block.
The reason I have been having writer's block about this review is the same reason I never want to write reviews for books that really speak to me or that I really like or that seem exceptionally thematically complex. My brain wants to write something that encompasses all the books facets, and because that is impossible, I write nothing. This book juggles a great atmosphere, well-rounded characters, tough subject matter, and a coming of age story all within a dark academia setting, and it does it very well.
It also kind of made me afraid of being permanently wet. Inside, I was just like, when do all these motherfuckers get to be dry and comfy again? Extremely atmospheric, is what I'm saying.
I could probably say more but I will be so happy to be done with this review so I'm just gonna click publish and say this book is worth it and you'll just have to take my word I guess. Lalalalala.
Oh, btw the one reason for the not-five-star-rating is that (view spoiler)[all the twists are guessable and it makes the characters look pretty dumb for also not guessing, because the clues are all in world. How they did not even suspect that the dude's mysteriously closeted away wife was the author is beyond me. I also called that the Fairy King was possessing the son, although not the dad. (hide spoiler)]
[4.5 stars]
Chipping Away at Mt. TBR, Spooky Season Edition —Book 1/31...more
This isn't a fantasy, it's a fairytale obsessed thriller in disguise about toxic relationships with a sentient/Ugh, one star or two? One star or two!?
This isn't a fantasy, it's a fairytale obsessed thriller in disguise about toxic relationships with a sentient/magical house thrown into the mix. The main point of the book was for the characters to learn to . . . talk to each other. Everything was shallow and just vibes. The writing was very atmospheric, but there was nothing underneath. I hated the characters. The never named Bridegroom literally marries a woman with one million red flags on lust alone. Indigo is a controlling maniac. Their problems are not real problems.
This book was absolutely 1000% not for me. I don't think I'll be reading any more Roshani Chokshi in the future.
Steve West does an excellent job with his narration on the audio. He is the reason I made it through the book. The other narrator was fine.
[1.5 stars, rounded up for now because I think there is an audience for this, I am just not it]...more
The romance was the least interesting part of this gothic, young adult fantasy. I was here for Signa and her affliction, and the atmospheric, ghost- aThe romance was the least interesting part of this gothic, young adult fantasy. I was here for Signa and her affliction, and the atmospheric, ghost- and poison-infused setting. The fact that the central plot was a murder mystery certainly didn't hurt.
Signa is an orphan of unusual circumstances. When she was a baby, her mother and everyone in their house was poisoned at a party. She was the only survivor, despite being poisoned herself. In fact, Signa cannot die. She can be poisoned, injured, or ill, and she will continue on without crossing to the other side. She can also see Death, who has plagued her for her entire life, taking her guardians one by one. She has lived a lonely life, passed from guardian to guardian as they neglect her, only wanting her for her inheritance. This book kicks off when she seems to finally have arrived at a home that wants her. They have no need for money, as they have their own, but the family is troubled nonetheless. Signa's relative, a cousin, has recently died, leaving her son and daughter and widower. The daughter is presently dying of the same illness that took her mother. Because she likes these people, Signa gets involved and tries to figure out what's going on, as the "illness" and its effects look suspiciously like poison.
I thought this book was well written, had atmosphere in abundance, and the worldbuilding and mystery kept me hooked. As mentioned above, I wasn't a fan of the way the romantic element played out, but that wasn't the biggest part of the story so it was easy to sort of just accept it and enjoy the rest. I pre-ordered Foxglove before I even read this book, and I hope I can get to it soon, because this ended in an intriguing way that gives me hope that the one part of this that didn't fully work for me (the romance) could get more interesting. ...more
If you're here for the vibes, you will like this book. I was indeed here for those vibes. I like Castlevania. I like queerness and sexiness. I like a If you're here for the vibes, you will like this book. I was indeed here for those vibes. I like Castlevania. I like queerness and sexiness. I like a darker fantasy. I like conflicted main characters. But there really isn't anything here for someone to grab onto if you need more than vibes. I am a little sad to say that it was a more shallow reading experience than I was expecting. I'm saying shallow but clearly I enjoyed myself, with a four star rating. It just didn't have much thematic depth.
Just lots of cool imagery, broody characters, violence, angst, a little bit of magic, and some really good sex sccenes.
I suggested this book for one of my IRL book clubs and I am sad to say I enjoyed it the most of the only three other people who read/showed up. I wish more people had read it so I would have maybe had more people in my corner, but we still had a pretty good discussion, mostly about why it wasn't a good book for a general audience. And it was really because they were not super into the vibes and don't find vampires as inherently interesting as I do! I did make really good food, though. If you guys haven't tried masabacha you need to get on that. There were three of us there and we demolished a doubled recipe.
It did realllly make me want to rewatch Castlevania though....more
I was actually given this book for free in my first Aardvark Book Club box, so it wasn't one I was really interested in reading, but a free book is a I was actually given this book for free in my first Aardvark Book Club box, so it wasn't one I was really interested in reading, but a free book is a free book, so I thought I'd give it a shot. And I liked it! It was a little bit messy in terms of pacing, and the blurb is pretty misleading, but I was so angry by the end of the book, I have to give it props, because it managed to get me invested enough to provoke anger.
Our main character is Maude, a thirteen-year old girl in England in 1876 whose father has just died, and whose mother is about to. Her older brother Frank is off at Cambridge studying to be a doctor. Her story is told through her diary entries, which a woman in 1945 named Peggy (the daughter in law of Maude's brother) is reading upon inheriting the house from Maude, who has just died. Peggy is barely in this book, despite what the blurb and the reviews saying its "dual timelines" lead you to believe. Her timeline is a frame story, and 95% of the book is Maude's diary, though the end is in Peggy's timeline and is essential to understanding what story the author is wanting to tell.
The conflict of the story here is in reading Maude's writing (and she's a very engaging writer) and the reader understanding much more of what is actually going on than Maude does. This morphs into Maude's uprbrining clashing with her lived experience, when she goes to live with a woman named Miss Greenaway. I can't say more than that without spoilers.
For much of this book, I didn't really understand why it was considered "gothic," but the ending made it more clear. This isn't getting four stars from me for a couple of reasons. First, the story feels kind of unsure of itself. First you think it's going for one thing, but when the characters at the end react to Maude's diary, it seems to be going for something else. So is this a story about a young girl trying to make sense of conflicting social norms, or is this a story about, uh, something else?
Also, (view spoiler)[I just got really angry that Kitty died. I didn't want this book to be a tragedy. It seemed to echo the plot of Atonement way too much for my liking. Why couldn't Kitty live and Maude reject her brother and go be happy in a loving home? Clearly I just wanted this to be a different type of story. (hide spoiler)]
I liked this better than I thought I would, and I definitely got way more emotionally involved than I expected, but it's still a 3.5 star book for me.
What it comes down to is that I found this book extremely unpleasant. And also dull. And reading it made me feel like I would rather be banging myNah.
What it comes down to is that I found this book extremely unpleasant. And also dull. And reading it made me feel like I would rather be banging my head against something very solid. This was made even more frustrating by glimmers of stuff I probably would have found very intriguing in another author's hands, or in another type of story altogether.
The Cloisters is about a woman whose name I have long forgotten who is heading to her first post-graduate job, supposedly at the Met in NYC but when she gets there, they inform her there are no spots. By COINCIDENCE a man named Patrick (that one stuck I guess?) who works in the Cloisters (an actual offshoot of the Met) and offers her a job there instead. At the Cloisters, she gets caught up in a toxic mean girl relationship with her beautiful and charming coworker, a coworker who is sleeping with the boss and the gardener, who the MC also starts sleeping with. Then Patrick ends up dead. Also, there are some weird tarot card readings in here that barely signify anything, but apparently were enough to get the publishers to market this as fantasy???
Anyway, it's just about toxic, boring people who do terrible things, my least favorite genre of story. I don't really recommend this one, but I guess if you like toxic people doing terrible (and boring) things you might enjoy it!...more
Still can't believe I'm giving a Ruth Ware book four stars, but it's definitely a fluke how much I enjoyed it. I gave her "best book" three stars, andStill can't believe I'm giving a Ruth Ware book four stars, but it's definitely a fluke how much I enjoyed it. I gave her "best book" three stars, and honestly could have rated it even lower. Full review later....more
Gotta write this review today because I'm about to start The Hollow Places, and I don't want my brain to get to confused about it.
This book was ooky Gotta write this review today because I'm about to start The Hollow Places, and I don't want my brain to get to confused about it.
This book was ooky spooky and I enjoyed it very much. The atmosphere was A+ for me, the MC alone in her evil grandmother's hoarder house (the book is clear that her being a hoarder is in no way related to her being evil, but the doll room is def related) and a THING in the woods. The THING omg it is just in my head now and I can't help picturing it running around in the yard and then peering in the window and it's SO CREEPY.
Anyway, MC and her stupid but Good Boy dog are in this house cleaning it out, and they get way more than they are bargaining for when she finds her step-grandfather's journal and creepy, creepy things start happening.
What's always nice about T. Kingfisher is that even when creepy things are happening, they are always balanced by friendships forming, good dogs, good food, and other cozy kinds of things. Then things Get Weird at the end. And I just find it generally so enjoyable. I also liked that the MC was telling the story after the fact and foreshadowing the hell out of events. That storytelling style always appeals to me.
Chipping Away at Mt. TBR, Spooky Season Edition — Book 9/31...more
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