Review: Countess, by Suzan Palumbo

Virika Sameroo lives in colonized space under the Æerbot Empire, much like her ancestors before her in the British West Indies. After years of working hard to rise through the ranks of the empire’s merchant marine, she’s finally become first lieutenant on an interstellar cargo vessel.
When her captain dies under suspicious circumstances, Virika is arrested for murder and charged with treason despite her lifelong loyalty to the empire. Her conviction and subsequent imprisonment set her on a path to justice, determined to take down the evil empire that wronged her, all while the fate of her people hangs in the balance.

"Success or perish."

Suzan Palumbo's Countess is a Caribbean sci-fi retelling of The Count of Montecristo, an anti-colonial novella that takes the beloved character of Edmond Dantes and makes him a queer immigrant woman on a quest for revenge. Set in an inter-galactic Empire, the book follows the classic's plot pretty closely, giving it its own spin and exploring well the themes of homophobia, racism and colonialism.

The low page number doesn't do the story any favors, picking up speed and summarily summarising plot points that should have been given time to breathe. This is especially true in the second half, where the main character barrels through scene after scene after finding a crew of rebels. The heightened finale, though heart-breaking, doesn't fully work because we didn't have the time to truly appreciate the characters.

Countess is an ambitious experiment.

✨ 3.5 stars

List: Most Anticipated Books of 2025 - January to June

 

Here are my most anticipated books for the first half of the year, in order of publication.

"Hungerstone", by Kat Dunn (pub February 13, 2025)

"The Tomb of Dragons", by Katherine Addison  (pub March 11, 2025)

"The Hymn to Dyonisus", by Natasha Pulley  (pub March 18, 2025)

"Don't Sleep with the Dead", by Nghi Vo (pub April 8, 2025) 

"The Sun Blessed Prince", by Lindsey Byrd (pub May 1, 2025)

"Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame", by Neon Yang (pub May 6, 2025) 

"The Incadescent", by Emily Tesh (pub May 13, 2025)

"Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil", by Victoria E. Schwab (pub June 10, 2025)

"The Mercy Makers", by Tessa Gratton (pub June 17, 2025)

"A Treachery of Swans", by A. B. Poranek (pub June 24, 2025) 

List: Best books of 2024

2025 is coming! In no particular order, here are my favorite books of this year, with links to my reviews.

✨ 5 stars

READ MY REVIEW HERE. This one was a feast, an incredible vampire story with an epistolary twist.

-

READ MY REVIEW HERE. The incredible conclusion to a heartfelt duology.

-

READ MY REVIEW HERE. An excellent exploration of a toxic immortal love.

-

READ MY REVIEW HERE. The trilogy sticks the landing with this powerful tale of love and sacrifice.

✨ 4 stars

READ MY REVIEW HERE. Another great conclusion to a trilogy, leaving no storyline unaccounted for.

-

READ MY REVIEW HERE. An utter surprise, a delightful banger with great things to say.

-

READ MY REVIEW HERE. A poignant exploration of grief.

-

READ MY REVIEW HERE. A delicious vampire tale.

-

READ MY REVIEW HERE. A stunning and lovely debut about love.

READ MY REVIEW HERE. A powerful tale about healing after an abusive relationship.

-

READ MY REVIEW HERE. An incredible retelling of the Iliad.

-

READ MY REVIEW HERE. An excellent alt-history tale with great characters.

Review: Don't Let the Forest In, by C.G. Drews

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality—Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.
But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won’t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork—whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew’s wicked stories.

"We let our love for each other cut us to the bloody core."

C.G. Drews' Don't let the Forest In is an excellent YA horror story about loneliness, grief, and rage. The only POV, an asexual boy struggling with bullies and with his growing feelings for his roomate, has to face a sudden supernatural threat that might have even come from himself. His codependent relationship with his roomate, an angry boy abused by his parents, and the similarly codependent relationship with his twin sister, the only one who believes in him, are explored beautifully, creating a tangle of emotions and a marvelous exploration of asexuality.

Growing parallel to this is the exploration of the bone-chilling threat coming to their isolated prestigious school, turning the surrounding forest into a place of untold horrors. The body horror imagery is quite strong, and so is the constant sense of something being utterly wrong. Things come to a head in the moving finale, where the readers realize all the pieces were there all along for them to fix the puzzle. I'm not ashamed to say I didn't figure out the twist until it was spelled out, but it was exhilarating to return to the previous pages and find the clues in plain sight.

More enterprising readers might figure it out sooner, but it shouldn't take from the overall enjoyment of this little gem. At its core, it's a story about the extent of what we would do for the people we love, and whether that's even right or wrong. The answer isn't so simple.

The prose is exquisite, very lyrical and also explicit in its horrific descriptions. The novel features illustrations and short fairy tales that are the very same that are described in the book, as the main characters are respectively an artist and a writer, and the role of their works is quite interactive.

Don't let the Forest In is a quiet marvel.

✨ 4 stars

Review: The Lotus Empire, by Tasha Suri

Malini has claimed her rightful throne as the empress of Parijatdvipa, just as the nameless gods prophesied. Now, in order to gain the support of the priesthood who remain loyal to the fallen emperor, she must consider a terrible Claim her throne and burn in order to seal her legacy—or find another willing to take her place on the pyre. Priya has survived the deathless waters and now their magic runs in her veins. But a mysterious yaksa with flowering eyes and a mouth of thorns lies beneath the waters. The yaksa promises protection for Ahiranya. But in exchange, she needs a sacrifice. And she's chosen Priya as the one to offer it.
Two women once entwined by fate now stand against each other. But when an ancient enemy rises to threaten their world, Priya and Malini will find themselves fighting together once more – to prevent their kingdoms, and their futures, from burning to ash.

"To swim through rage and grief and rise, alive, on the other side."

Tasha Suri's The Lotus Empire is the heart-wrenching conclusion to the spectacular Burning Kingdoms trilogy, expertly weaving a tale of loss, solitude, revenge, and grief. No thread is left unacknowledged, everything accounted for, in this tragedy about love and duty and sacrifice, a masterful story with a bittersweet ending.

We begin as the last book ended, with our lovers separated by war and a bitter betrayal, but still aching for one another, on the edge between love and hate. Malini has to navigate her Court while waging a war against the supernatural threat of the Yaksa and attempting to survive the fanatical clergy calling for her burning; Priya has to contend with the monsters wearing loved ones’ faces, and with the great empire bent on destroying and assimilating her people. Still in dreams they return to each other, their bond too strong and, perhaps, the key to the end of the war.

Amidst the odd POV characters, the POVs of Bhumika and Rao shine with their journeys, to self-love and peace respectively, as they face the circumstances that left them reeling in the previous book. Both of their storylines reach satisfying conclusions.

The worldbuilding expands to new neighboring kingdoms, new people, and an exploration of the Yaksa and of the goddesses of Malini's people. Not every question is answered, and there's a sense of unfinished business, but the powerful moments leading to the end more than make up for it.

The Lotus Empire is the stunning conclusion to a great trilogy.

✨ 5 stars

Review: The Shabti, by Megaera C. Lorenz

Can you flimflam a ghost? It’s 1934. Former medium Dashiel Quicke travels the country debunking spiritualism and false mediums while struggling to stay ahead of his ex-business partner and lover who wants him back at any cost. During a demonstration at a college campus, Dashiel meets Hermann Goschalk, an Egyptologist who’s convinced that he has a genuine haunted artifact on his hands. Certain there is a rational explanation for whatever is going on with Hermann’s relics, Dashiel would rather skip town, but soon finds himself falling for Hermann. He agrees to take a look after all and learns that something is haunting Hermann’s office indeed. Faced with a real ghost Dashiel is terrified, but when the haunting takes a dangerous turn, he must use the tools of the shady trade he left behind to communicate with this otherworldly spirit before his past closes in.

"Are you actually suggesting that we try to flim-flam a ghost?"

Megaera C. Lorenz's The Shabti is an atmospheric ghost story set in the Thirties, featuring two protagonists in their forties while they try to solve a mystery and they helplessly fall in love. The only POV, a former swindler with a conscience, gets increasingly attached to an impossibly kind Egyptologist plagued by an infestation problem, and the resulting closed door romance is a sweet affair that warms the heart.

The supernatural threat stems from a possessed figurine, the eponymous shabti, and dealing with it results in very suggestive pages, especially during the scenes set in dark places. Another far more human threat comes from Dashiel's jilted lover and former associate, grounding the narration when needed.

The attention to detail shown in the descriptions of Egyptology of the time, also shows in the usage of appropriate language for that time period, featuring old-timey turns of phrase that make the reading experience a delight. The author also takes their time exploring the world of fake spiritualism with a firm hand, but the chaotic ending doesn't really stick the landing.

The Shabti is a fun adventure for ghost story lovers.

✨ 3.5 stars

Review: Sargassa, by Sophie Burnham

Selah Kleios is twenty-two years old and suddenly one of the most important women in the empires. The role of Imperial Historian is her birthright, something she’s been preparing for since birth—but she was supposed to have more time to learn the role from her father, the previous Historian. In the wake of her father’s sudden and shocking assassination, Selah finds herself custodian of more than just the Imperial Archives, the towering central library that safeguards all collective knowledge of the Roman Imperium and its client empires. There’s also the question of the two puzzling classified items her father left in her care—an ancient atlas filled with landscapes that don’t exist, and a carved piece of stone that seems to do nothing at all.
Soon, though, it becomes clear that the Iveroa Stone is more than just a slab of rock. With the reappearance of an old lost love who’s been blackmailed into stealing it for an unknown entity, Selah finds herself in a race to uncover the mysteries the Stone holds. But she isn’t the only one with an interest in it—she’ll have to contend with the deputy chief of police, an undercover spy, and her own beloved half brother along the way. What begins as an act of atonement and devotion ultimately pulls her into the crosshairs of deep state conspiracy, the stirrings of an underground independence movement, and questions that threaten to shake the foundational legitimacy of Roma Sargassa’s past, present, and future.

"She will always choose change."

Sophie Burnham's Sargassa is an incredible alt-history novel, set in a world where the Roman Empire never fell and injustice runs rampant. When Selah's father dies, she has to fill his shoes pretty quickly and take his place as Historian, a hereditary job that's meant to be like a custodian of ancient knowledge. But the world she has to move in, a world where indentured servitude was never stopped, forces her to come to terms with some very harsh truths.

This is a multi-POV epic that also follows her slave-adjacent half-brother, a nonbinary rebel, a righteous cop, and an idealistic thief. Their characters meet and play off of each other beautifully, even the racist misogynist of a cop who's tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time. The luring corruption of the city functions as a backdrop to this delightful mystery as a millennia-old lie unfurls into the light and battle-lines are drawn.

The setting is perfect, with fantastic pieces of worldbuilding, little things you can really trace to the actual Roman Empire. At the end of the book is a helpful compendium explaining how this colony came to be, and the revelations only enrich the experience. You get the sense, early on, that not everything is as it seems, and it's fun to follow the clues clearly left for the reader.

Between the themes of systemic violence and slavery, there wouldn't seem to be much time for love stories, but two delicate queer romances unfold organically, following the course of the novel to its incredible conclusion. In particular, the sapphic love story featuring Selah has the strongest foundation, and a strong development.

Sargassa is the fantastic first book of a series that promises to be explosive.

✨ 4.5 stars

Snippet: The Brides of High Hill, by Nghi Vo

The Cleric Chih accompanies a beautiful young bride to her wedding to the aging ruler of a crumbling estate situated at the crossroads of dead empires. The bride's party is welcomed with elaborate courtesies and extravagant banquets, but between the frightened servants and the cryptic warnings of the lord's mad son, they quickly realize that something is haunting the shadowed halls.
As Chih and the bride-to-be explore empty rooms and desolate courtyards, they are drawn into the mystery of what became of Lord Guo's previous wives and the dark history of Do Cao itself. But as the wedding night draws to its close, Chih will learn at their peril that not all monsters are to be found in the shadows; some monsters hide in plain sight.

“Fear serves, when nothing else is left.”

Nghi Vo's The Brides of High Hill is another great installment in the Singing Hill Cycle, a story about the many faces monsters can wear, about lies and deception. It becomes clear very quickly that this is a version of Bluebeard, but then the story takes an abrupt turn, careening towards a plot twist that leaves you reeling. The ending was a bit rushed for my taste, making this installment a bit weaker than the other books in the series, but it's still an incredible story, and Vo's prose is excellent as always. This is also the first novella when Cleric Chih seems to be attracted to someone.

✨ 3.5 stars

Review: Swordcrossed, by Freya Marske

Mattinesh Jay, dutiful heir to his struggling family business, needs to hire an experienced swordsman to serve as best man for his arranged marriage. Sword-challenge at the ceremony could destroy all hope of restoring his family's wealth, something that Matti has been trying—and failing—to do for the past ten years. What he can afford, unfortunately, is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.
Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his hometown. He didn't plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible—and inconveniently handsome—wool merchant like Matti. However, neither Matti's business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem.

"You broke me out of the box."

Freya Marske's Swordcrossed is a low-stakes romantasy with very little fantasy elements and a focus on fencing and wool. Set in a queernormative world, it follows workaholic Matti as he struggles to juggle his merchant family duties and faces a wedding he doesn't really want. His chance meeting with swordsman Luca will help him find a better balance in his life and allies he wasn't sure he had.

This is a cozy story with great things to say about managing familial expectations and finding one's own way, even when one's family is supportive. It's also a fun adventure featuring interesting customs such as the one about using duelists during formal events such as a wedding, which makes for nice shenanigans.

The progression of the attraction between the two main characters was handled beautifully and led to many steamy scenes, but there was some well-placed angst as well. The plot truly is minimal, and the twists are pretty obvious, but sometimes that's all you need. I will say that the fact this was written before the remarkable Last Binding trilogy is made clear by the simplicity of the story, but it's not inherently a bad thing.

Swordcrossed is a fun romp that will make you learn many things about the wool industry.

✨ 4 stars

Review: A Wolf Steps in Blood, by Tamara Jerée

Yasmine is a red wolf girl stuck in rural Alabama. Her world is small: pick up shifts at the greasy late-night diner and endure her pack’s petty squabbles. She’s not good at being a wolf or being human, directionless in life and disconnected from her ancestors. Blessed by a century-old enchantment, the local red wolves have escaped extinction by blending into the human world. But with the old witches’ blessing wearing thin, the wolves face an uncertain future.
An answer arrives in the form of an exiled blood witch whose magic is steeped in reckless grief. Kalta rides into town in her dead brother’s truck, prophecy following on her heels. Despite the danger Yasmine can smell swirling around the witch, a fated bond tangles their futures—and those of all the wolves.

"I want to tear out the throat of the world."

Tamara Jerée's A Wolf Steps in Blood is a sweet novella about a werewolf finding her place in her pack, seeking peace in her shifting, and meeting her fated mate. When a witch hiding a painful secret passes through, the two form a bond that defies all logic and allows Jasmine to grow, reclaim her ancestry, and try and mend her family too.

The lovely and evocative prose carries the reader through the quick adventure as the pair find companionship, learn to navigate their relationship, and find closure and a sense of belonging. The worldbuilding is minimal, but it gets the work done. This is a quick palate cleanser between heavier reads.

A Wolf Steps in Blood is a quiet beauty.

✨ 3.5 stars