Review: Don't Sleep with the Dead, by Nghi Vo

 

Nick Carraway―paper soldier and novelist―has found a life and a living watching the mad magical spectacle of New York high society in the late thirties. He's good at watching, and he's even better at pretending: pretending to be straight, pretending to be human, pretending he's forgotten the events of that summer in 1922.
On the eve of the second World War, however, Nick learns that someone's been watching him pretend and that memory goes both ways. When he sees a familiar face at a club one night, it quickly becomes clear that dead or not, damned or not, Jay Gatsby isn't done with him. In all paper there is memory, and Nick's ghost has come home.

"A heart of paper or a heart made from hungry gears." 

Nghi Vo's Don't Sleep with the Dead  is a companion and sequel to the author's 2021 Great Gatsby retelling The Chosen and the Beautiful. As such, it doesn't really work on its own, but needs knowledge of the retelling, more than of the original novel, in order to make some sense. It's a very atmospheric piece of writing, a kind of horror story with a magical realism feel.

Nick Carraway, who spent the first book pining for Gatsby, still can't stop thinking about him twenty years after his death. The novella deals beautifully with queer longing and abusive relationships while exploring more of Nick's past and present. Drawing from the happenings of real history, this story creates a multifaceted narrative that works well enough.

The novella brims with a kind of restless energy, following Nick as he tries to track down Gatsby's dead essence, dealing with cruel devils and the homophobia of the time. The ending stuns with its casual cruelty and the culmination of queer desire.

Don't Sleep with the Dead is a quiet companion work.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

Review: Fate's Bane, by C.L. Clark

 

The clans of the fens enjoy a tenuous peace, and it is all thanks to Agnir, ward and hostage. For as long as she can remember she has lived among the enemy, learning their ways, growing strong alongside their children. When a burgeoning love for the chieftain’s daughter lures them both to a hidden spring, a magic awakens in them that could bind the clans under one banner at last—or destroy any hope of peace. By working their intentions into leather, they can weave misfortune for their enemies… just like the Fate’s Bane that haunts the legends of the clans.
Ambitions grow in their fathers’ hearts, grudges threaten a return to violence, and greedy enemies wait outside the borders, seeking a foothold to claim the fens for themselves. And though their Makings may save their families, the legend that gave them this power always exacts its price.

"Symbol as I was, I was powerless." 

C.L. Clark's Fate's Bane  is a complex tragedy woven with a lyrical, stunning prose. This compact novella details the tragic love between a hostage and the daughter of her captor, as the years go by and their clans keep warring. With evocative turns of phrase, feeling like a folk tale, this heartbreaking sapphic tale explores the cycle of violence and the cycle of stories, exploring queer longing and the insanity of war.

Told entirely from the perspective of the hostage, this novella breezes through years and years of development, but nothing feels rushed; every word is precise and evocative, especially when it describes the eerie spring that might have doomed or blessed them. Their love starts slow, and burns bright, and it might be the only thing that can save them. But nothing is certain, and in that nebulous unclarity lies the real beauty of this story.

This short masterpiece is perhaps not for everyone, with its soft edges of a story narrated around a campfire, a clan story, a tragedy in the making; but its beauty compels and hurts. Its magic is not the loud magic of high fantasy, but a quieter, uncanny thing, like something straight out of Faerie.

Fate's Bane is a stunning novella.

✨ 5 stars

 

Review: To Clutch a Razor, by Veronica Roth

 

A funeral. A heist. A desperate mission. When Dymitr is called back to the old country for the empty night, a funeral rite intended to keep evil at bay, it's the perfect opportunity for him to get his hands on his family's most guarded relic—a book of curses that could satisfy the debt he owes legendary witch Baba Jaga. But first he'll have to survive a night with his dangerous, monster-hunting kin.
As the sun sets, the line between enemies and allies becomes razor-thin, and Dymitr’s new loyalties are pushed to their breaking point. Family gatherings can be brutal. Dymitr’s might just be fatal.

"I know they're monsters. But a man can love a monster." 

Veronica Roth's To Clurch a Razor is the extraordinary sequel to last year's When Among Crows (HERE you can find my review). A perfectly self-sustained novella, this powerful work deals with teams of grief and abuse. Every word is expertly woven, carefully calculated. We drown once more into Polish folklore as the main characters embark into a borderline suicidal mission in Europe, old wounds are split open, and a new understanding shines through the pain.

This is a compact, painful book, and the author doesn't hold anyone's hand as we bear stunned witness to horror. But there's hope in the luminous relationship between the trio, in the friendship between human and 'monster', in the love between owl and man. Niko and Dymitr are doomed, but only they can save each other; Dymitr can only find repentance in protecting Ala. It's a heartbreaking gem of a book.

The prose is exquisite, simple and cutting. The worldbuilding stuns, too, with its cruel simplicity, drawing from myths and old tales. Baba Yaga is cruel and gentle in equal measure. The ending wraps up everything perfectly, but like the first book, it leaves the door open; and I do hope the author will keep writing this stunning series.

To Clutch a Razor is a small masterpiece.

✨ 5 stars

 

Review: House of Dusk, by Deva Fagan

Ten years ago, Sephre left behind her life as a war hero and took holy vows to seek redemption for her crimes, wielding the flames of the Phoenix to purify the dead. But as corpses rise, a long-dead god stirs, and shadowy serpents creep from the underworld to hunt her, she has no choice but to draw on the very past she's been trying so hard to forget.
Orphaned by the same war Sephre helped win, Yeneris has trained half her life to be the perfect spy, a blade slipped deep into the palace of her enemies. Undercover as bodyguard to Sinoe, a princess whose tears unleash prophecy, Yeneris strives to complete her true mission to recover the stolen bones of a saint. Sinoe's prophecies may hold answers, but allying with the fiercely compassionate princess is perilous. Yeneris must find a way to balance her growing attraction for Sinoe with her duty to her people as they conduct a dangerous search for the source of the king's power.

"We have to choose one path, and give up another."

Deva Fagan's House of Dusk is a compact standalone fantasy, packed full of worldbuilding and wonder. Dealing with complex themes of grief and identity, it follows the journey to self-acceptance of a tortured veteran and a young guard, as they and those around them grapple with the return of an ancient evil and with a long-lost past that is not as it seems.

Sephre, fire-wielding nun with a terrible past that she still mourns and needs to accept, is a great main character, complex and capable. Her relationship with those who welcomed her is heartwarming, and the conflict coming from lies and misunderstandings is handled deftly. The other PoV features a young sapphic guard tasked with an Oracle/Princess's wellbeing, and she's just as complex, torn by different loyalties as she comes face to face with hard truths. The two PoVs run parallel for most of the book, and they come together organically in an explosive ending that ties up all loose ends but leaves the door open for a possible sequel.

The worldbuilding isn't especially complex, but it's rich and vividly detailed, a world where god-beasts control certain facets of living and each ordained an order of humans bestowed with certain powers. The hidden truth of this war-torn realm shows the power of stories and perspective, surprising and delighting the reader.

House of Dusk is a solid standalone.

✨ 4 stars

 

Snippet: The Dragon Keeper, by Robin Hobb

 

Too much time has passed since the powerful dragon Tintaglia helped the people of the Trader cities stave off an invasion of their enemies. The Traders have forgotten their promises, weary of the labor and expense of tending earthbound dragons who were hatched weak and deformed by a river turned toxic. If neglected, the creatures will rampage--or die--so it is decreed that they must move farther upriver toward Kelsingra, the mythical homeland whose location is locked deep within the dragons' uncertain ancestral memories.
Thymara, an unschooled forest girl, and Alise, wife of an unloving and wealthy Trader, are among the disparate group entrusted with escorting the dragons to their new home. And on an extraordinary odyssey with no promise of return, many lessons will be learned--as dragons and tenders alike experience hardships, betrayals . . . and joys beyond their wildest imaginings.

“Reality is often unkind to legends.”

Robin Hobb's The Dragon Keeper is the first book in a quadrilogy from a mistress of fantasy novels and certainly not the best entry point to her renowned Elderlings series, but The Rain Wild Chronicles quadrilogy is the one where she writes a happy gay couple and does it well. Now, if you want pain and heartbreak in your achillean couple, and you don't mind a tragic ending, I can't recommend her Farseer trilogy, the following Tawny Man trilogy, and the final Fitz and the Fool trilogy enough, but this one is definitely safer. This multi-PoV quadrilogy follows some characters - amongst which is Sedric, a pampered secretary who is trapped in a violent relationship with his employer - as they are chosen to bond with and guide weak newborn dragons in a world where dragons were thought to be exctinct. It's not strictly necessary to have read the rest of the Elderlings series to enjoy this quadrilogy.

✨ 4 stars

Review: The Last Soul Among Wolves, by Melissa Caruso

 

All Kembral Thorne wants is to finish her maternity leave in peace. But when her best friend asks for help, she can’t say no, even if it means a visit to a run-down mansion on an isolated island for a will reading. She arrives to find an unexpected reunion of her childhood friends—plus her once-rival, now-girlfriend Rika Nonesuch, there on a mysterious job. Then the will is read, and everything goes sideways.
Eight potential heirs, half of them Kem’s oldest friends. Three cursed relics. The rules: one by one, the heirs will die. The prize for the lone survivor: A wish. And wishes are always bad business. To save their friends, Kem and Rika must race against the clock and descend into other realities once more. But the mansion is full of old secrets and new schemes, and soon the game becomes far more dangerous—and more personal—than they could have imagined.

"It's my human life that has shaped me."

Melissa Caruso's The Last Soul Among Wolves does suffer from the middle book syndrome, taking the excellent premise and characters and concocting a fun adventure that doesn't develop much of either. The sole narrator, Kembral, is settling into her relationship with Rika when a new problem arises and it's another race to a solution over the course of a few days. The formula is the same, but while the first book had a fresh new take on timeloops, this magical whoddunit with a taste of Agatha Christie is a bit all over the place.

The actual case is appropriately eerie, especially when we once again get to explore the levels and its rules and to see the Empyreans in action. One in particular is delightfully creepy, and her actions and goals make sense given the inner rules. In this, the worldbuilding doesn't disappoint.

The character work however loses some of its brilliance. The huge supporting cast was well-balanced in the first book, but here the game is given away way too early. The main problem however is the main couple. Rika and Kembral have a sweet relationship, still learning how to balance their work and being together, but a huge moment of broken trust is treated like a plot beat and, in my opinion, not really resolved or rather a bit thrown under the carpet.

The Last Soul Among Wolves is an entertaining book.

✨ 3.5 stars

Review: Costumes for Time Travelers, by A.R. Capetta

 

Anyone who has hiked through time knows the town of Pocket. It’s the place travelers first reach after they stumble away from their hometime, passing through on their way to any other when. To Calisto, Pocket is home. They love their grandmother’s shop, which is filled with clothes from every era that are used to make costumes for time travelers. Calisto has no intention of traveling—it’s too dangerous. For Fawkes, traveling is life. He put on time boots when he was young and has been stumbling through eras ever since. When he floats into Pocket, Calisto meets him for the first time, though Fawkes has seen Calisto—in glimpses of what hasn’t happened yet. He’s also seen the villains chasing them both. Now Calisto and Fawkes must rush—from Shakespeare’s London to ancient Crete to California on the eve of a millennium—to save Pocket, and travelers, from being erased. From the Lambda Literary Award–winning author of The Heartbreak Bakery comes a fairy-tale romance that weaves in and out of time, from kiss to kiss and costume to costume.

"Destiny is a temporal disorder."

A.R. Capetta's Costumes for Time Travelers is a delightfully cozy time travel adventure. It pays homage to a few staples of the genre while giving its own spin, with a fun focus on tailoring not only as an art but also as a kind of time travel. The nonbinary main character Calisto is a young and enthusiastic tailor apprentice who has never time traveled, and the contrast with time savant Fawkes makes for a fun dynamic.

Theirs is a love story out of order, sweet and gentle. In fact, given the premises I expected far more angst than what I got, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The book ambles gently, setting up a threat to reality, but it never feels like the stakes are too high. Perhaps the narration lacks some urgency in that regard.

The points of view are also all over the place, with an open third person narration that jumps too suddenly from one perspective to the next. It's a lovely book, but it may have benefitted from some rewriting.

Costumes for Time Travelers is a sweet summer read.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

📚🥾 So you want to read about out-of-order time-travelers?

Here's my review of Ian McDonald's Time Was  

 

Review: Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame, by Neon Yang

 

The fiercely independent nation of Quanbao is isolated, reclusive, and something of a mystery to the rest of the world. It is rumored that there, dragons are not feared as is right and proper but instead loved and worshiped. Yeva is perhaps a strange emissary to these people. Not only because their face has never been seen in public, but because they are a hero born to a birthright that makes them suited for their task—hunting dragons.
And so the dragon hunter must woo Quanbao's queen—the Lady Sookhee—to understand what secrets she is hiding. A woman reasonably suspicious of Yeva's intentions, and the imperial might of the throne she represents, Sookhee bears the burden of the safety of her entire people. How can she trust this stranger newly arrived to her court, a weapon forged in blood and fire, to understand what her people need and how best to safeguard their future?

"It feels like part of her has cracked, but in the way frost cracks in the spring."

Neon Yang's Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is a sapphic novella about dragons and about what it means to hide all you are in order to fit in. The worldbuilding is easily the best part, painted with a few deft strokes that enchant the reader, also thanks to the beautiful prose.

The story might fall a little short in the timing, as it condenses a long amount of time in short passages, for instance recounting with stunning speed the main character's formative years, or glossing over her stay in the palace of the girl-king, so that the sapphic development and even the resolution feel a bit unearned.

It's still a stunning novella with gorgeous prose, with the distinct feel of a tale from long ago, almost forgotten.

Brighter than Scale, Swifter than Flame is ideal for a cozy evening read.

✨ 4 stars

 

🐲👸🏻 So you want to read about dragons and sapphic knights?

Here's my review of Charlotte Bond's The Fireborne Blade 

Review: The Sun Blessed Prince, by Lindsey Byrd

 

Prince Elician is a Giver – a closely-guarded secret. He can heal any wound and bring the dead back to life. He also can’t be killed, so is cursed to watch his country wage an endless war. Reapers can kill with a single touch. And when one attacks Prince Elician near a hotly contested battlefield, the Reaper expects a terrible punishment. Instead, Elician offers him a new life on enemy territory.
Cat, as Elician calls him, hadn’t realized he could ever find someone who would make life worth living. Yet Elician’s enemies plan to turn his kindness against him. As the pieces of a deadly plot come together, tensions escalate at court and on the battlefield. The fires of conflict burst into new flame – but can those who wield the powers of life and death find peace?

"To heal a wound, you need to start small."

Lindsey Byrd's The Sun Blessed Prince is an excellent epic fantasy with a slow-burn achillean romance subplot. First in a duology, this book sets the stage for what promises to be an explosive conclusion by introducing a varied cast of characters, two realms at constant war, and two very different sets of beliefs based on the gods of Life and Death. Blessed by their respective gods, Cat and Elician are going to do their best to change things for the people in their realms.

Their relationship develops slowly. It's not too much of a spoiler to say that they're separated for most of the book, but their brief time together made an impression on both, and when they reunite they pick up from where they've left, changed forever by what occurred in the meantime. The final chapter is a very moving piece of writing, and almost brought me to tears.

Romance is decidedly not the focus. This is a great political fantasy with lots of moving pieces, twists (I spoiled myself on a big one by looking for the second book while still reading, but there's still so much more going on), and social commentary on slavery especially. There's a great focus on science, unexpected but fairly contained, and it worked well within the narrative. It's a big book with big themes and a list of trigger warnings one may want to check out before reading.

The trio of POVs is completed by Elician's young sister, a girl who’s grappling with her powers and with her place in the world. Her narration might feel out of place, but it provides much context, and her journey is one to pay attention too. The rest of the cast has its moments to shine, starting from Elician's devoted best friend.

My only gripe with this book and the only reason why I'm not giving it five stars is that the passage of a time in a certain portion of the book was unclear, and the same portion would have benefitted from a few more chapters with Elician's POV.

The Sun Blessed Prince is an incredible debut.

✨ 4.5 stars

 

🤴🏻☀ So you want to read about duty-bound princes?

Here's my review of Laura R. Samotin's The Sins on their Bones 

 

Snippet: The Gilda Stories, by Jewelle Gomez

 

This remarkable novel charts the unending life of Gilda, a young woman who - after escaping slavery in Louisiana in 1850 - is made into a vampire. After being initiated into eternal life as one who 'shares the blood', Gilda spends the next two hundred years searching for a way to exist in the world.

“Pledge yourself to pursue only life, never bitterness or cruelty.”

Jewelle Gomez' The Gilda Stories is a lesbian classic and an extraordinary exploration of the horror of slavery and racism, combined with all the trappings of a vampire novel. This literary classic doesn't have a plot per se, but it's more of a sequence of moments over the course of two hundred years, and the reader follows happily along as Gilda meets people and makes fundamental changes. At its core, it's a novel about being Black and queer in America, and about giving back what you're given. It's a healing experience, a beautiful read.

✨ 4 stars

Review: Confounding Oaths, by Alexis Hall

The year is 1815, and Mr. John Caesar is determined to orchestrate a successful coming-out for his younger sister, Mary. Despite his best efforts, he is thwarted by the various interventions of a ragtag regiment of soldiers, a mysterious military cult, and a malicious fairy godmother.
When Mary is cursed by the fair folk, the dandyish Mr. Caesar is forced to work with the stolidly working-class—yet inescapably heroic—Captain James to rescue her. While Mr. Caesar is no stranger to dallying with soldiers, until now he's never expected one to stay. Or wanted one to. But even if the captain felt the same, there'd be no chance of anything lasting between them. After all, he and Mr. Caesar come from different worlds.

"The world is chaos. We try to understand it and to shape it, but we cannot unsee it."

Alexis Hall's Confounding Oaths is a sequel, but as the spirited narrator tells us, we don't need to have read the first installment Mortal Follies (HERE you can read my review) to enjoy it, although the reading experience might be dampened if you haven't. Puck returns here to tell another story about the same family, as the helpful cousin from the first book is brought to the fore, and his immediate family faces the dangers this time. This tale delivers just as the first, with the right mix of humor (coming from Puck's witty comments), gravitas, and swoon-worthy romance.

As with the first book, the threat comes from both the supernatural world and the mundane, and we see more of the fairy court and its workings, more fairy characters, and gods again. We also see issues of class and racism, which didn't appear in the first book, adding some much needed edge; and the exploration of sexism and homophobia from the first book of course make a return, with a focus on what society deems beautiful. As Puck warns in the beginning, there is cruelty in these novels, but also a relatively happy resolution.

The romance goes fast, going from a strong initial physical attraction, which is immediately acted upon, to the slow and tender lowering of the walls the duo had to build around their hearts. The focus is mostly on Mr. Caesar and his struggles as the first and only male child, but Captain James has his say in more ways than one.

There are a lot more characters in this one, but they are all treated with care. Maelys and Georgiana return, of course, allowing us to see what became of them, and so does Miss Bickle, who I imagine will be the main character of a possible new novel.

Confounding Oaths is a delightful romp.

✨ 4 stars

 

🦋🕷 So you want to read about conniving fae in an alternate England?

Here's my review of Trip Galey's A Market of Dreams and Destiny  

 

Review: The Incandescent, by Emily Tesh

 

Doctor Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood Academy and one of the most powerful magicians in England. Her days consist of meetings, teaching A-Level Invocation to four talented, chaotic sixth formers, more meetings, and securing the school's boundaries from demonic incursions.
Walden is good at her job―no, Walden is great at her job. But demons are masters of manipulation. It’s her responsibility to keep her school with its six hundred students and centuries-old legacy safe. And it’s possible the entity Walden most needs to keep her school safe from―is herself.

"What matters is how you meet failure, and how you face up to it."

Emily Tesh's The Incandescent is a scintillating standalone novel following a competent professor in her thirties as she faces the greatest battle of all: grading. This book really delves into the minutiae of working as a teacher, with a focus on the dynamics of a classrom, the relationships with colleagues, and the administrative part, with the added twist of it being a magical academy of course. It's fresh and interesting and it really breathes to life in a captivating way. At the same time, it handles the challenges of acadamia from an intersectional point of view while also showing that adults don't have everything perfectly together and it's a challenge of its own. It's very hopeful in its discussion of depression, trauma, and bad coping mechanisms. 

The magical plot slowly unveils itself as powerful demons living in the shadow of the school make themselves known and it falls to Saffy to face them. The book can be roughly divided in two parts, with two different threats to face, while Saffy, a true disaster bisexual, is also torn between the hot magical guard in charge of school security, a competent butch with a sword, and the new security advisor, an asshole who feels very sure of himself. The resolution of this particular plot point is worth the wait and frustration.

The star of the book, though, is the phoenix, a powerful demon who learns to navigate the human world and human concepts while being so utterly alien. Their PoV gave me chills and moved me to tears.

The Incandescent is an intriguing concept done perfectly right.

✨ 4.5 stars

 

📖🦚 So you want to read about queer magical professors?

Here's my reviews of Madeleine Nakamura's duology  

Review: Emberclaw, by L.R. Lam

Arcady faces their greatest heist yet: posing as a noble student at the arcane University of Vatra. When the University announces the reinstatement of archaic trials of magic, the ever-penniless Arcady seizes the chance. If they win, they not only prove their worth, but the scholarship will give them more time to unlock secrets and reveal, once and for all, that their grandsire was not the Plaguebringer. Yet grief still leaves Arcady broken, and when they close their eyes, they dream of a certain dragon.
Everen, once the hope of dragons, is now hated by his kind. When he is eventually released from his prison, the Queen is clear: while he may help protect the island from wraith attacks, he is no longer a prince of the realm. As he struggles to find his place in Vere Celene, visions of the past, the future, and tantalizing glimpses of Arcady still haunt him. If he steers the wrong path through fate’s storm, he may never be able to create a future where both humans and dragons live in harmony.
Arcady soon realizes that to survive the rising threats from both their old life and their new one, they must use every trick at their disposal—even magic stolen from a dragon they thought dead. And as time runs out before an ancient danger awakens, Everen must fight his way back to Arcady, earn their forgiveness, and learn what it truly means to be an Emberclaw.

"Humans always attack what they fear."

L.R. Lam's Emberclaw concludes the duology that started with the excellent Dragonfall (click here to read my review), but unfortunately it doesn't quite stick the landing, losing everything that made the first installment so unique in favor of a generic magical academia/trials plot. This is to the absolute detriment of the series, which started off so strong, with a packed heist plot and interesting things to say about gender and the weight of expectations.

The core duo spends half of the book apart, each of them dealing with issues that seem to just be there in order to make the book long. The academia/trials part is the most meandering, with no clear sense of direction and new characters we feel no connection to, but Evemer's slow plot doesn't do him any favors either. Things start picking up speed and some semblance of form once the book hits the halfway point, but by that point it's too late and the existential threat feels more like an afterthought. The relationship between Evemer and Arkady, too, feels shallow and unearned after the fireworks of the first novel.

One good narrative thread that gets explored more, and has an interesting development, is Sorin. She takes center stage as she develops doubts and more agency and is, in general, a more well-rounded character.

Emberclaw is not a strong finish.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

🐲📚 So you want to read about dragons and academia?

Here's my review of Moniquill Blackgoose's To Shape a Dragon's Breath
 

Review: A Treachery of Swans, by A.B. Poranek

 

Raised by a sorcerer, Odile has spent years preparing for the heist of a lifetime. It’s perfectly simple. Impersonate a princess, infiltrate the palace, steal the king's enchanted crown and restore magic to the kingdom. 
But when the King is unexpectedly murdered, she’s forced to recruit the help of Marie d'Odette, the real princess, and the two begin to unravel a web of lies and deceit that leaves Odile uncertain of who to trust. Soon though Odile must decide – her mission or the girl she’s falling for?

"Power comes with a price, but it also comes with promise."

A.B. Poranek's A Treachery of Swans is a sapphic YA retelling of Swan Lake, a fanciful murder mystery with a gothic feel. I would have been obsessed with this as a young girl, but the writing and intended audience is a bit juvenile. Still, it's a compelling journey for an adult reader. Narrated entirely from the point of view of Odile, foil and antagonist from the ballet, this novel gives her some much needed depth and gives a fresh new perspective to Tchaikovsky's story, using bits and pieces from the many versions of the ballet. The author has done their research, and it shows, but the story doesn't match completely the tragic vibes of the ballet.

In a world where golden-blooded people are shunned for their affinity with a magic whose misuse has thrown the kingdom into chaos, Odile does everything her father tells her in order to restore magic and thus find her own place. A witty actress and a vicious thief, Odile once struck a friendship with her mark Marie d'Odette, and it's her now that she has to impersonate to deceive and marry the prince, but she finds herself drawn into a conspiracy where nothing is as it seems at first. Her relationship with Odette, who appears rarely in the first half of the novel, grows from the roots of what they once were for each other, from a moment that still fills Odile with shame. Their slow-burn romance is sweet. In a book where everyone just aches to belong, Odette is her perfect counterpart, warm and kind and wounded, but also made of steel. The character work in this is superb, especially Odile's slow realization of her own worth and her reckoning with an abusive parental figure.

The decision to have a French-inspired court and terms works, lending to the dreamy, soft atmosphere, reading like a court tale from Seventeenth Century France. There's a hint of the Phantom of the Opera, too, in the lake and the masked villain - which also comes from Tchaikovsky, of course, as the imagery of the owl. The fantasy aspects blend well, weaving a tale of revenge, magic, and a journey of self-acceptance. The explosive ending is followed by an abrupt epilogue that is still enough athmospheric to work, but it takes away a bit of the brilliance.

The supporting cast does the work. Odile's father, of course, is a grandiose antagonist, while the Dauphin gets some more depth too, adding to the bare bones of Tchaikovsky's Prince Siegfried. There's also a hint of an achillean relationship, which adds to the tension somewhat, but it's woefully underdeveloped. Odile's brother is a welcome addition.

A Treachery of Swans is the Swan Lake sapphic retelling I've been waiting for two decades.

✨ 4 stars

 

😈👩🏻 So you want to read a sapphic villain retelling?

Here's my review of Heather Walter's Misrule  

Snippet: Finding Echoes, by Foz Meadows

Snow Kidama speaks to ghosts amongst the local gangs of Charybdis Precinct, isolated from the rest of New Arcadia by the city’s ancient walls. But when his old lover, Gem—a man he thought dead—shows up in need of his services, Snow is forced to reevaluate everything. Snow and Gem must navigate not only a city on the edge of collapse, but also their feelings for each other.

“Some plants thrive best when fed on blood and bone, and perhaps change is too.”

Foz Meadows' Finding Echoes is a perfectly self-contained novella, with complex worldbuilding and top-notch characterization developing over the course of a very short story. It explores with a deft hand themes of oppression and addiction, while also finding time for a bit of queer romance. Told in first person POV, this packed novella follows a lonely and wounded figure as he reckons with his past and with a threat to society, while navigating his power of being able to talk to the dead and confronting the gut-punch of a sudden revelation. I got the feeling that this might become a series of standalone novellas, not necessarily about the same characters.

✨ 4 stars

 

👥🦴 So you want to read about achillean men who speak with the dead?

Check out my reviews of Katherine Addison's novels! 

Review: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, by V.E. Schwab

 

1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada.
A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets.
1827. London.
A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined.
2019. Boston.
College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge. 

"We grow together in this garden."

V.E. Schwab's Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a somptuous tale of revenge, hunger, and female rage. Set in three different time periods, it meanders with little plot and beautiful atmospheric vibes, reading like one of the early Anne Rice novels. At its core, it's a story about what we are willing to do to survive in a world that tries to control us, a world where women are silenced. Even the latest portion, set in more recent times, shows how things might not be like in the Sixteenth Century, but women are still used and abused. And when the characters have the means to escape such a prison, it's not pretty. Schwab's vampires are full of contradictions, soft but violent, ruled by a hunger that cannot be sated.

Each of the three main characters is so completely different, in how vampirism takes and in their own needs and desires, but each of them longs for freedom. Sabine is larger than life, a creature of paroxysmal desires, made vicious by marital rape; uncaring of anything but her comfort, she lashes out and hers is a slow descent to madness, one all vampires must feel sooner or later. Charlotte lived a sheltered life, making her susceptible to the trap springing around her; she contains the most contradictions, a sweet girl whose need for warmth and connection leads to terrible acts maybe not of her doing, but maybe something that she could prevent. Alice is half formed, her past trauma revealing itself through flashbacks, now a young woman in need of direction and a new hope; of the three of them, she is the only one that can live her sexuality freely, but that doesn't mean that she's any more free. Their lives intertwine and tangle them together while they try to make sense of their new state. 

Schwab draws on the mythos, taking from Rice and Stoker and Le Fanu and making new rules. The poem at the heart of the novel, the metaphor of the rose, is quite evocative and once again it reminds of Rice's Savage Garden. We see other vampires, adding to the context and showing different ways to be a vampire, perhaps some better than others. The book careens towards an explosive ending that may seem a little abrupt after the intense buildup, but it works incredibly well.

Half star off because at this level of notoriety the author should have someone check if the sprinkled foreign language - in this case, Italian - she uses is actually correct. I also have my doubts about seadas being served in a restaurant in Rome in the Fifties.

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil is a terrific vampire novel.

✨ 4.5 stars

 

👩🏽🩸👩🏻‍🦰 So you want to read about sapphic vampires?

Click here to see what I've reviewed so far! 

List: Most Anticipated Books of 2025 - July to December

 

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

"Human Rites", by Juno Dawson (pub July 1, 2025)

"Volatile Memory", by Seth Haddon  (pub July 22, 2025)

"House of Dusk", by Deva Fagan  (pub August 26, 2025)

"Lady Dragon", by A.M. Strickland  (pub August 26, 2025) 

"To Clutch a Razor", by Veronica Roth (pub September 16, 2025)

"Fate's Bane", by C.L. Clark (pub September 30, 2025) 

"The Sovereign", by C.L. Clark (pub September 30, 2025)

"The Isle in the Silver Sea", by Tasha Suri (pub October 21, 2025)

"When They Burned the Butterfly", by Wen-yi Lee (pub October 21, 2025)

"The Wolf and his King", by Finn Longman (pub November 27, 2025) 

 

 

 

ARC Review: The Witch Who Chases the Sun, by Dawn Chen

A decade after the war that resulted in the death of someone important to them both, the Aixauhan Alchemist Cai-Li Ying seeks out to rekindle their relationship with her estranged lover, the Inabrian Oracle, Anne Barberry. However, a lot has changed in the past decade. Anne barricades herself in the Castle on a hill where her family‘s dark secrets lie. Chely has gained the reputation of being the Blood Hawk, who dabbles in dark magic, much to Anne’s disgust. Rumors has it that Anne herself is responsible for the disappearance of visitors who went to the Castle.
Other things are happening as the two witches reunite. Old ghosts come back to haunt them. People they know from the war come and go. Scars left by the war does not easily fade. Are they truly each other's salvation, or are they doomed to repeat the past that tore them apart?

Thank you to the author for providing the e-arc. This book is set to be published on October 1st, 2025.

Dawn Chen's The Witch Who Chases the Sun is a poignant reflection on the horrors of war and the grief of loss, drawing from Chinese myth to build a beautiful anti-colonial epic. It takes a while for the reader to get used to the mixture of past and present tense that defies expectation, undoubtedly an interesting choice to narrate the book; once one gets in the swing of things, though, the peculiar narration is not so strange. Another compelling aspect of the language used is the choice to employ chinese ideograms and sayings, without worrying about holding the reader's hand. This helps convey the racism and imperialism as we see how much the Aixauhan characters are forced to conform.

Cai-Li and Anne are complex and compelling, their relationship both sweet and intense as we get to see various stages of their lives. They're flawed characters, heroes and avengers, killers and saviors, with complex agendas that are not so easily anticipated. In fact, the twists and turns of this book are delightful and gasp-worthy. Their relationship mirrors in a way the cycle of violence brought on by war, but you never get the sense that there is no love, even when things appear grim. While this isn't a romantasy, readers might approach it with the expectation of a traditional HEA, and I will warn that while the ending is beautiful and hopeful and just perfect, perfectly encapsulating the world of the story, it very much is not HEA.

The cast is enriched by three other characters, two of which I'm hesitant to call merely side characters. Cole and Ark are just as well-rounded as the main two, driven by their own past, complex and terrible and so easy to empathize with. Their arcs intertwine and juxtapose with each other's and with the main characters, creating beautiful layers and intricate webs of honor, understanding, sacrifice, and forgiveness.

The worldbuilding is vivid, deftly painting the conflict between two nations inspired by England and China. The Chinese equivalent especially is expertly woven, showing the complexity of different etnic groups within the community.

The Witch Who Chases the Sun is a compelling tragedy.

✨ 4 stars

Review: The Lure of Their Graves, by Laura R. Samotin

Dimitri Abramovich may have won back the throne of Novo-Svitsevo, but even after defeating his former husband, the usurper Alexey Balakin, he seems no closer to securing lasting peace for his people. Enemies are closing in on all sides, and pressure is mounting for Dimitri to play the one card he has left in a bid for stability—offering his hand in marriage for a second time.
But Dimitri is still healing from the tragedies of the war, his return to the throne, and Alexey's years of torment. Vasily Sokolov is the only person with whom he feels safe, and giving up the comfort of their budding relationship feels unfathomable, even if it's the only way to sever the alliances being formed among the countries surrounding Novo-Svitsevo. So as Dimitri and Vasily reckon with political treachery, the lasting consequences of Dimitri's resurrection, and the sinister legacy of Alexey’s use of the Holy Science, they must also work to understand what it means to love each other even as they prepare to let each other go—which might prove the most difficult of all.

"Nothing of me is left in you. You have no claim to me."

Laura R. Samotin's The Lure of Their Graves is the epic conclusion to a poignant duology about surviving abuse (HERE you can find my review of the first installment in the series). After the first book's gut-wrenching finale, here is a tale about healing, something that takes a lot of time and a lot of false starts, especially when one is also faced with threats against the kingdom. This book is especially angsty, a feat after the already bleak first installment, and many chapters are tinged with despair, especially when it comes to the political marriage aspect.

Dimitri lives for his kingdom, and the agony of having to choose a spouse for the good of his kingdom, instead of following his heart and choosing Vasily, almost tears him apart. This is amplified by the fact that he can't envision a sexual relationship for its sake and the sake of the kingdom: he's described as asexual, possibly demisexual, and the marital bed would be a violation almost worse than what he survived during his first marriage. Vasily's chapters are just as painful, because he sees the choice in fronts of Dimitri and knows that he has to do what's best, but it kills him. Their encounters are mired with so much pain, and so much love, that one has to pace the reading or else be overwhelmed with emotion. And yet, it's such a hopeful book, and gentle, and kind. It's also very explicit in its descriptions of the sex scenes between Dimitri and Vasily.

The supporting cast is a delight, expanding on the core characters of the first book, Dimitri's found family, and adding Dimitri's suitors from other realms, and others. The suitors are vibrant characters, very different from each other, each of them with their own goals and needs, and we can't hate them, even though their mere presence is agony. On the other hand, we're once again subjected to Alexei's hateful POV, and he's just as skeevy and completely oblivious to the damage he caused as in the first book. His threat is one that has to be confronted too, but there will be help from an unlikely source, bringing to a close and to a satisfying ending another heartbreaking subplot from the first book.

The world-building, inspired by Jewish and Eastern European folklore, continues to be fascinating. It's not expanded upon, but what we already knew is enough to frame the story without weighing too much on the mental journey of the characters.

The Lure of Their Graves is a powerful conclusion.

✨ 4 stars

Snippet: The Bloodless Princes, by Charlotte Bond

Cursed by the previous practitioner in her new role, and following an incident with a supremely powerful dragon, High Mage Saralene visits the afterlife with a boon to beg of the Bloodless Princes who run the underworld. But Saralene and her most trusted advisor/champion/companion, Sir Maddileh, will soon discover that there's only so much research to be done by studying the old tales, though perhaps there's enough truth in them to make a start. Saralene will need more than just her wits to leave the underworld, alive. And Maddileh will need more than just her Fireborne Blade.

“Justice is like iron.”

Charlotte Bond's The Bloodless Princes is a novella concluding the duology that began with The Fireborne Blade (HERE you can read my review). Set three years after the events recounted there, it employs the same format of narration, with the story proper being interrupted by chapters about the history and lore of the world. The plot is pretty simple, as Maddileh and Saralene need to contend with the consequences of what they did at the end of the first book, and this leads to a voyage to the Underworld with a taste of the myth of Orpheus; at the same time, they must face their feelings for each other, which have only grown during the time between the two books. This makes for a sweet story where the stakes are pretty low, all things considered. The cat on the cover does absolutely have a part to play, and in fact it was a definite highlight of the book, a great character.

✨ 3.5 stars

Review: The Hymn to Dionysus, by Natasha Pulley

Raised in a Greek legion, Phaidros has been taught to fight for the homeland he’s never seen and to follow his commander’s orders at all costs. But when he rescues a baby from a fire at Thebes’s palace, his commander’s orders cease to make sense: Phaidros is forced to abandon the blue-eyed boy at a temple, and to keep the baby’s existence a secret. Years later, after a strange encounter that led to the death of his battalion, Phaidros has become a training master for young soldiers. He struggles with panic attacks and flashbacks, and he is not the only one: all around him, his fellow veterans are losing their minds.
Phaidros’s risk of madness is not his only problem: his life has become entangled with Thebes’s young crown prince, who wishes to escape the marriage his mother, the Queen, has chosen for him. When the prince vanishes, Phaidros is drawn into the search for him—a search that leads him to a blue-eyed witch named Dionysus, whose guidance is as wise as the events that surround him are strange. In Dionysus’s company, Phaidros witnesses sudden outbursts of riots and unrest, and everywhere Dionysus goes, rumors follow about a new god, one sired by Zeus but lost in a fire.

"We don’t last long, but our stories do."

Natasha Pulley's The Hymn to Dionysus is, in perfect Pulley fashion, a pointed novel about grief, memory, and identity, a reflection on PTSD and love, and a labirintine narration that draws you in, confuses you, enchants you, and leaves you begging for more. Pulley's distinctive voice is a soothing caress, mesmerising and hypnothising, as she tackles Greek Mythology with a deft hand and creates a new story that feels like the myth. Her Dionysus is a feral and uncanny creature, an ancient and curious god, kind and terrible.

The sole narrator, Phaidros, finds himself earning Dionysus' attention from a very young age. A vicious soldier and a polyglot, widowed of his guardian and commander, he is suicidal and compelled by duty and honor. He's the quintessential Pulley protagonist, and yes, she definitely has a niche, but what she does with her niche works everytime, like beautiful clockwork. This book has an intricate plot, with twists and turns that weren't predictable even by knowing the actual myths, and it meanders gently, pulling you by your hand, slowly unraveling madness and knowledge and freedom.

The relationship between Phaidros and the strange witch he suspects from the start of being a god develops beautifully, with moments of terrible tenderness and others that are heartbreaking. Phaidros' internal monologue paints him as a desperate, grieving man who can't find in himself to believe he's worthy of anything anymore, dealing with staggering loss and with the sudden duties he takes on because he has to. Slowly he'll learn to find value in himself, all while battling with a draught that threatens to kill all and with a supernatural madness taking on soldiers, as well as with a dynastic crisis.

The author did her research into history and myth, and it shows with her usage of greek words and historical references and with her deft threading of her own special Pulley-ness into the mythological tapestry. Her usage of language and etymology is as always superb, as is her particular kind of magical realism. This book has mask magic and bronze marvels that might or might not be inhabited by gods, and her inclusion of the blind prophet Thiresias in a new and fresh way is handled with grace. The major female character is handled with the usual depth and narrative cruelty. It should feel trite, but despite this, her women are always vibrant and never dulled down, and that is the saving grace.

The Hymn to Dionysus is a marvelous piece of art.

✨ 5 stars

Review: Someone You Can Build a Nest In, by John Wiswell

Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by hunters intent on murdering her, she constructs a body from the remains of past meals: a metal chain for a backbone, borrowed bones for limbs, and a bear trap as an extra mouth.
However, the hunters chase Shesheshen out of her home and off a cliff. Badly hurt, she’s found and nursed back to health by Homily, a warm-hearted human, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent co-parent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen’s eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. But as they grow close, she realizes humans don’t think about love that way.

"Hatred was the fear people let themselves enjoy."

John Wiswell's Someone You Can Build a Nest In is a cozy horror story about love, loving yourself, and overcoming abuse, from the perspective of the monster, a blob who can rearrange her insides and her outsides to her liking. Her voice is so clear, and funny, with her matter-of-fact observations about humans and what little she understands of them, but she's also a deep character, with what seems to be a moral compass and a clear understanding of what is right and wrong in the human world.

The narration swings wildly between mild gore and sweet musings, in a mix that makes for an incredibly interesting read. We follow Sheshesen's terrible first day after hibernation, and we see her stumble right into some horrifying human drama while rapidly falling in love with a woman who saved her, not knowing what she is. This book has some pointed things to say about what trauma does to a person, and what it means to fall in love with traits that are trauma responses, and how to be there for someone who grew up in an abusive household.

I didn't see the twist coming, but keener readers might have no problem identifying it. I do think that it takes away some of the strength of the story, because it's a neat explanation and doesn't allow for true accountability, but the strong ending makes up for it. I also might have missed the logistics of some things.

Someone You Can Build a Nest In is a wild tale from start to finish.

✨ 4 stars

Review: The Tomb of Dragons, by Katherine Addison

Thara Celehar has lost his ability to speak with the dead. When that title of Witness for the Dead is gone, what defines him? While his title may be gone, his duties are not. Celehar contends with a municipal cemetery with fifty years of secrets, the damage of a revethavar he’s terrified to remember, and a group of miners who are more than willing to trade Celehar’s life for a chance at what they feel they’re owed.
Celehar does not have to face these impossible tasks alone. Joining him are his mentee Velhiro Tomasaran, still finding her footing with the investigative nature of their job; Iäna Pel-Thenhior, his beloved opera director friend and avid supporter; and the valiant guard captain Hanu Olgarezh. Amidst the backdrop of a murder and a brewing political uprising, Celehar must seek justice for those who cannot find it themselves under a tense political system. The repercussions of his quest are never as simple they seem, and Celehar’s own life and happiness hang in the balance.

"At least she would not be lonely from here until the end of time."

Katherine Addison's The Tomb of Dragons is a stunning return to the world of the Goblin Emperor, and the final (or maybe not?) book in the separate series following Thara Celehar, Witness for the Dead. Unlike the first two books, this one isn't a novella, and the added length allows for the story to breathe more while allowing the readers to stay with Thara a little while yet.

Everything that makes this series so compelling is still present: the mundane narration about the day-to-day happenings of a Witness investigation, like a cozy mystery that's not entirely focused on finding out culprits, but more on the characters; the utter goodness of the main character, and his struggles as he learns to lean on others, indeed, as he learns how much he means to people; the intricate forms of address with various degrees of familiarity, and the dense, rich language.

The main case, so to speak, the titular Tomb of Dragons, allows for some very poignant points about grief and solitude and the greed of corporations; it was a joy to witness the resolution, and to see so many old characters return. It allowed for a much deeper delve into the rich worldbuilding, too, showing new places and new species. This isn't a book about great and terrible threats to the world, but a quiet reflection on bureaucracy and government, and while not all problems are solved (there's still racism, and homophobia), you get the sense that things are well underway.

There is a beautiful representation of an intense platonic bond between two men, which seemed to be going in another direction entirely in the previous books, but still it progressed in a believable way. On the other hand, there's a bait and switch for the object of Thara's affections that doesn't seem to make as much sense, or be as much developed, but it's still sweet, in a way. Thara is still mourning the man he loved and lost years before, but he does seem to allow himself to find love again here.

The Tomb of Dragons is a quiet marvel.

✨ 4 stars

Snippet: The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie

For centuries, the kingdom of Iraden has been protected by the god known as the Raven. He watches over his territory from atop a tower in the powerful port of Vastai. His will is enacted through the Raven's Lease, a human ruler chosen by the god himself. His magic is sustained via the blood sacrifice that every Lease must offer. And under the Raven's watch, the city flourishes. But the power of the Raven is weakening. A usurper has claimed the throne. The kingdom borders are tested by invaders who long for the prosperity that Vastai boasts. And they have made their own alliances with other gods.
It is into this unrest that the warrior Eolo--aide to Mawat, the true Lease--arrives. And in seeking to help Mawat reclaim his city, Eolo discovers that the Raven's Tower holds a secret. Its foundations conceal a dark history that has been waiting to reveal itself...and to set in motion a chain of events that could destroy Iraden forever.

“Perhaps, long or short, it mattered how one spent that time.”

Ann Leckie's The Raven Tower is an excellent standalone Hamlet-inspired novel with a twist about manipulative and manipulated gods. It features fascinating mythology and magic system, and a beautiful usage of the second person narration. The narrator is a delight, going on with patience about the past and the present and the power of language and stories, and about finally caring for someone. The novel explores themes of imperialism, power, and personal identity, the latter especially through the eyes of the ostensible main character, a transgender man named Eolo, whose gender is not what the story is about, but rather his gender is an important part of his identity that informs his decision-making and emotions and his relationships with several other characters. This books is a gem that I, for one, certainly intend to reread, as I read it upon publication.

✨ 5 stars

Review: Mal, by Perla Zul

Once upon a time, Mal was a spinster who could weave magic into his thread. Hired by the royal family, he met the young prince and the two became inseparable. But when the two attempted to save the kingdom, Mal was the only one to pay the price. He wakes up from a hundred year sleep with a body made of thorns and roses, his prince having never returned for him. Now, when that same kingdom he saved doesn't invite him to celebrate the birth of the princess, Mal brings his own gift...

"In the same way you'd love a flower, love yourself with that same power."

Perla Zul's Mal is a delightful novella retelling of The Sleeping Beauty, with a twist: Mal himself was victim of a sleeping curse, and as such bestows the same gift to the baby princess descended from the king of the realm he tried to save. He'll need to learn to let go of regret and resentment, and to love himself. As the hundred years of the princess' curse go by, we witness him grow and find friendship and love.

The novella has a strong fairy tale feel; the time jumps and the leaps of logic, which are very hit-or-miss in more straighforward stories, here work because of the dream-like quality of the narration. It really reads like an old story, sweet and magical. This effect also comes from the writing decision to have almost all dialogue rhyme, which is absolutely delightful, but it might not be for everyone. I know I loved it so much that I was grinning everytime a character spoke.

The characters' development is mostly off-screen, but again, given the strong fairy-tale feel that the author is going for, this works. The cast is a delight, with seven fairies who take Mal under their wings, and the fantastic character of the princess, and the prince destined to wake her up. We know how the original story goes, but we might be surprised by the fresh take of this retelling and by the narrative, circular direction.

Mal is a delightful retelling.

✨ 4 stars

ARC Review: Angel Eye, by Madeleine Nakamura

When a healer begins murdering hospital patients, Professor Adrien Desfourneaux discovers that the threat is far closer to him than he could have imagined.
Still recovering from a recent institutionalization and unable to trust his own mind or magic, Adrien is drawn into the witch hunt as suspicion falls upon those closest to him. The city’s inquisitors and witchfinders are losing control, the magicians are growing more and more resentful, and the scars from Adrien’s last brush with disaster refuse to fade. To put an end to the innocent deaths, to keep his dearest friends, and to prove himself worthy of a potential new romance, Adrien is forced to confront his own blind spots before he’s fatally ensnared by the angel of death’s machinations.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Madeleine Nakamura's Angel Eye is the gut-wrenching sequel to the excellent 2023 debut Cursebreakers (HERE you can read my review). It's a fast paced, tightly woven thriller, and the first half is absolutely anxiety-inducing and heart-breaking. The themes from the first novel are further explored, giving a nuanced read on addiction, mental illness, and hypersexuality, while also teeming with overwhelming kindness and understanding for battered protagonist Adrien, who just can't seem to catch a break. In this book, his support system grows exponentially, and it's a joy to read amidst the tears.

All the characters from the first novel get their moments to shine, their relationship to Adrien front and center, but it's the new characters that really sell this book and make this a perfect sequel, building on the already strong foundations and creating a perfect gem. Adrien's new keeper is an incredibly intense figure, sharp and terrifying and bigger than life; and his new love interest is just what he needs, sweet and loyal and utterly unafraid, their relationship growing organically and beautifully. There are othere addictions to the cast, all absolutely delightful.

The worldbuilding was really the only thing that I thought had some small problems in the first novel, and here the issues are corrected thanks to a more narrowed focus on the city and its politics. We also lose a bit of the focused academic setting, but it works because it allows for a more thorough exploration.

This book adds on the mental anguish from the first one by adding physical and mental torture, gaslighting, and attempted rape; as such, one might want to proceed with caution, but it's a rewarding read.

Angel Eye is an excellent sequel.

✨ 5 stars