Review: This Gilded Abyss, by Rebecca Thorne

Sergeant Nix Marr is a damn good soldier. She’s also desperate to leave her haunted past deep in the bioluminescent ocean, buried alongside her best friend, Quian. So, when Subarch Kessandra, Valkesh’s favorite royal–and Nix’s loathed ex–requests Nix’s help investigating a massacre in the abyssal city of Fall, Nix refuses. Vehemently. She should have known Kessandra would fight back.
Consigned as Kessandra’s bodyguard, Nix grudgingly boards the Luminosity, a luxurious submersible that offers the only transportation to Fall. But Kessandra wasn’t truthful–surprise, surprise–and her “investigation” isn’t about the massacre, but rather what caused it: an illness that incites its victims into a violent craze. When another royal is brutally murdered, Nix and Kess realize the disease has spread–and no one on the Luminosity is safe. If they’re going to survive until Fall, they’ll have to trust each other… but considering Kessandra is responsible for Quian’s death, that won’t be easy.

"I’m a Lumos-damned knight, and I’m not killing my queen". Rebecca Thorne's This Gilded Abyss is a closed-quarters fantasy thriller with a horror twist and a lovers-to-exes background that works very well to heighten the atmosphere of suspicion. We begin the adventure on dry land, but most of the action takes place on a haunting submarine where shadows seem to have eyes and you can hear whispers in your ears, where you seem to be tailed by a monstrous creature that lurks in the abyss. Something's waiting on the ocean floor, something that might be connected to the mining operations that gave the country their most used material.

The conspiracy doesn't end there, and the main characters are forced to rush against time in an effort to find out the truth and save themselves. The world-building is limited but rich, teasing more to come. There's a war in the background, with a nearby nation, and they seem to be just faceless enemies at first, but then it all becomes much more nuanced, with a plot twist that was adequately foreshadowed. The horror aspect hits well, with a number of gorey descriptions; the book start with a list of trigger warnings, and that was certainly appreciated.

The conflict between the two main characters, with their shared past and the complex, tangled web of motives, works well in this context. There's tension and betrayal, broken trust and pain, and it's all the more delicious when some matters are lain to rest. Revelations and the high-risk situation help the two get close again, but that might not be enough to fix things. The cliffhanger really leaves you quite hanging, especially because I didn't know this was part of a series.

There were also some fealty scenes, which is definitely a plus in my opinion.

This Gilded Abyss is an intriguing find for fantasy lovers who don't mind a little horror (just a smidge though!).

✨ 4 stars

📚📚📚 IF YOU LOVE THIS, YOU MIGHT LIKE:

* The Oleander Sword, by Tasha Suri

for: complicated relationship, fealty

Review: The Magpie Lord, by K.J. Charles

Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He’s also inherited his family’s enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn't expect it to turn up angry. Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane’s family. Unfortunately, it’s his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he’s ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude... and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That’s definitely unusual.
Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane’s dangerous appeal isn't the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can’t find a way through it—they’re both going to die.

"There's no good doing the right thing unless you stop people doing the wrong thing". K.J. Charles' The Magpie Lord is a fun victorian gothic fantasy novel that's brimming with heart, featuring a trip to the countryside to deal with a case of magical attacks that seems to have no explanation. The book starts heavily, with an attempted suicide, but this is quickly explained to be caused by a curse and then dealt with efficiently. Touching upon heavy themes of classism and consent, and featuring some body horror and mentions of incest, the novel lightens these subjects up with stellar dialogue and a strong romantic attraction between our two leads.

The magic system is intriguing, featuring also a bureaucractic aspect that I guess will be better explored in the other two books of the trilogy. We have magical ancestors, blood magic, creepy apparitions, sex magic, tingly touch-magic; many elements that contribute to make this a deliciously eerie book. It reminded me, at times, of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, but there's no Faerie here. When the eponimous Magpie Lord and all things connected are revealed, things get very interesting.

The main characters are fantastic; one a lord banished from his home due to his proclivities, the other a magic practicioner with a justified grudge, they clash beautifully. Their relationship grows organically, but despite the steamy scenes between them I wouldn't classify this as a romance, nor a romantasy. The main issue is the magical mystery and the many abuses from people in power. Lucien's past in China is teased relentlessy, with constant comments and little references that whet the appetite. Stephen's backstory seems to still keep some things hidden, but what we have is enough to get a measure of him as a just man. Lucien's manservant is another well-rounded character I hope will have more focus on the next books. The villains is where this book falls a bit short, since they're unveiled at the end, to be people we've never seen. A good mystery should show us the culprit, try to make us guess.

The novel features period-typical homophopia, countered by the freedom Lucien enjoyed in China. This makes for an interesting dynamic with Stephen, although the constant mentions of their size difference and respective heights was a bit grating, veering somewhat into seme-uke territory; but the book makes up for it with constant and thorough discussions about consent and agency.

The Magpie Lord is a steamy magical mystery with great promise.

✨ 4 stars

📚📚📚 IF YOU LOVE THIS, YOU MIGHT LIKE:

* Witchmark, by C.L. Polk

for: magical romance, political struggles

Review: He Who Drowned the World, by Shelley Parker-Chan

Zhu Yuanzhang, the Radiant King, is riding high after her victory that tore southern China from its Mongol masters. Now she burns with a new desire: to seize the throne and crown herself emperor. But Zhu isn’t the only one with imperial ambitions. Her neighbor in the south, the courtesan Madam Zhang, wants the throne for her husband—and she’s strong enough to wipe Zhu off the map. To stay in the game, Zhu will have to gamble everything on a risky alliance with an old enemy: the talented but unstable eunuch general Ouyang, who has already sacrificed everything for a chance at revenge on his father’s killer, the Great Khan.
Unbeknownst to the southerners, a new contender is even closer to the throne. The scorned scholar Wang Baoxiang has maneuvered his way into the capital, and his lethal court games threaten to bring the empire to its knees. For Baoxiang also desires revenge: to become the most degenerate Great Khan in history—and in so doing, make a mockery of every value his Mongol warrior family loved more than him.

"Porcelain wasn't a person, and it neither felt nor grieved". Shelley Parker-Chan's He Who Drowned the World is the gut-wrenching conclusion to the duology that started with She Who Became the Sun. It's filled to the brim with immoral characters doing their worst to achieve their goals, and you can't help cheering for Zhu, who's only slightly better than the rest of them. This book is a tragedy, and it's a damn good one.

The brutal narration doesn't shy away from the realities of war and from the terrible life of courtesans at court, with numerous scenes of violence, some of which are of a sexual nature. But the descriptions aren't horribly graphic. This book also features characters submitting to sex in order to achieve their goals, and a sort of BDSM nonsexual relationship forming between two characters in order to help the submissive character keep their focus.

The characters are incredibly compelling; the one that could be argued to be the main villain of the narrative is so complex and mired with guilt, set on a path of self-actualization that doesn't stop at anything, even at hurting people they might feel some genuine affection for. It's a novel filled with betrayals and painful realizations. It's a reflection on femininity and masculinity and self-hatred, and it makes its points with harsh precision. And yet there's also a sliver of hope, a beautiful moment of compassion.

The magic takes more focus than in the first book, with the Mandate of Heaven and its uses being at the center of many a plot point. The relationship between Zhu and Ma transitions to the background, until it takes center stage again at the end of the book with some chilling moments. Then there's a tragic relationship between two men, where it's not clear whether one of them is even attracted to men.

He Who Drowned the World is an extraordinary feat of a novel.

✨ 5 stars

📚📚📚 IF YOU LOVE THIS, YOU MIGHT LIKE:

* Lady Hotspur, by Tessa Gratton

for: complicated characters, complex politics

Snippet: The Shadow Cabinet, by Juno Dawson

Niamh Kelly is dead. Her troubled twin, Ciara, now masquerades as the benevolent witch as Her Majesty's Royal Coven prepares to crown her High Preistess. Suffering from amnesia, Ciara can't remember what she's done--but if she wants to survive, she must fool Niamh's adopted family and friends; the coven; and the murky Shadow Cabinet--a secret group of mundane civil servants who are already suspicious of witches. While she tries to rebuild her past, she realizes none of her past has forgotten her, including her former lover, renegade warlock Dabney Hale.
On the other end of the continent, Leonie Jackman is in search of Hale, rumored to be seeking a dark object of ultimate power somehow connected to the upper echelons of the British government. If the witches can't figure out Hale's machinations, and fast, all of witchkind will be in grave danger--along with the fate of all (wo)mankind.

"You've taken things apart and put them back together". Juno Dawson's The Shadow Cabinet is a good sequel that build on the excellent first book to create another solid, funny, and poignant reflection on feminism, intersectionalism, and incel-like groups. The plot thickens and consequences are reaped; twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat. This was a page-turner that I devoured in one sitting. The lovely wlw couple from the first book gets some excellent focus.

✨ 4 stars

Review: The Judas Blossom, by Stephen Aryan

1260, Persia: Due to the efforts of the great Genghis Khan, the Mongol Empire covers a vast portion of the known world. In the shadow of his grandfather, Hulagu Khan, ruler of the Ilkhanate, is determined to create a single empire that covers the entire world. His method? Violence. His youngest son, Temujin Khan, struggles to find his place in his father’s bloody rule. After another failure, Temujin is given one last chance to prove himself to Hulagu, who is sure there is a great warrior buried deep inside. But there’s something else rippling under the surface… something far more powerful and dangerous than they could ever imagine…
Reduced to the position of one of Hulagu’s many wives, the famed Blue Princess Kokochin is the last of her tribe. Alone and forgotten in a foreign land, Kokochin is unwilling to spend her days seeking out trivial pursuits. Seeking purpose, she finds herself wandering down a path that grants her more power than a wife of the Khan may be allowed. Kaivon, the Persian rebel who despises the Mongols for the massacre of his people, thirsts for revenge. However, he knows alone he cannot destroy the empire. When given the opportunity to train under the tutelage of Hulagu, Kaivon must put aside his feelings and risk his life for a chance to destroy the empire that aims to conquer the world.

"One day, our country will be free". Stephen Aryan's The Judas Blossom is a solid historical fantasy dealing with the Mongol conquest of the Persian Empire. Set in the Thirteenth Century, this sprawling epic tinges history with a dash of magic, giving an arcane and strange power to one of the main characters. Will it be used as a means of conquest, or for a just purpose?

I don't know nearly enough about this part of history to know if real events are followed closely, but through the four main characters we see first-hand the ugliest parts of war, while seeds of rebellion are planted and shadow organizations attempt to steer the course of history.

I do have a gripe with the narration, very didascalic for my liking. Events are described as if in a treatise, rather than a novel. The dry narration doesn't allow the characters' inner lives to shine, only expounding the facts.

One of the main characters is a princess sold into marriage to a Khan; lost amongst the tyrant's many wives, she will find elsewhere a place for herself, and, too, a romance with a woman who is more than she seems.

The Judas Blossom is an intriguing first installation in a series that promises fireworks.

✨ 3.5 stars