Review: Holy Wrath, by Victoria Mier

In a city clinging to light during an age of darkness, all healer Ophelia wants is for a Saint to finally claim her. Since being brought to Lumendei as an orphan nearly thirty years ago, she’s worked tirelessly to prove herself worthy of the Mysteries—the sacred, magical power that only the Saints can bestow upon mortals of their choosing. When she’s tasked with caring for an injured prisoner, Ophelia sees the perfect way to prove she’s ready for her Sainting. The prisoner is none other than the Umbra Knight—the most dangerous warrior of Lumendei’s sworn enemy, the Sepulchyre. If she can save the Umbra Knight’s soul by converting her to the Church of the Host, the Saints will surely fight amongst themselves to claim Ophelia.
But the disarmingly beautiful and undeniably deadly knight’s soul is in even worse shape than Ophelia feared. In fact, she insists Ophelia’s beloved God is a murderous liar and her adopted city is built on blackened bones. It’s easy to dismiss as blasphemy, at least at first. Until Lumendei’s gilded secrets begin to tumble from their hiding places and Ophelia herself uncovers a conspiracy ... then she’s forced to consider the idea that Nyatrix—otherwise known as the Umbra Knight—might be telling the truth, and that saving the alluring knight’s soul is the least of her concerns.

"Can a god so eager to punish you truly love you?" 

Victoria Mier's Holy Wrath is a sapphic romantasy focused on religious trauma and bodily autonomy. As such, it's teeming with trigger warnings (chief amongst them, a very graphic flogging scene and attempted rape) and should be approached with caution. The issues are treated with care and respect, but might still be upsetting to read.

The religious trauma is based upon a pretty clear stand-in for Catholic religion, with a Jesus-like figure and Catholic imagery that are rotten behind the veneer of respectability. It's not just an issue of patriarchy, although that aspect is certainly present, but the very core of the religion is corrupted. The first half of the novel is especially crude and horrifying in that regard, as we follow the only PoV, a thirty-years-old woman who has lived in the church for most of her life and is indoctrinated to see all the abuse as just and normal. Fortunately she appears to be having doubts even some time before the gorgeous and deadly enemy captain makes her appearance and starts to awaken in her desires she has been denying all her life because of the rampant homophobia the church exhibits.

The second half of the book loses some of the shine, as secrets are revealed and we fall into more action and a relatively deus-ex-machina resolution that still brings the point of the novel across. The world-building would have benefitted from more attention, though, especially after such a stellar first part. On the romance side, Ophelia and Nyatrix work as perfect opposites, but the dismantling of Ophelia's religious trauma feels very sudden, brought forth basically by the joys of sex. While that is a powerful statement, maybe the book would have benefitted from some more back and forth in that regard, as Ophelia changes much in very little time.

On the other hand, the book excels in the exploration of Ophelia's disability and how it has controlled every aspect of her life while making her seen as defective. In contrast to the church's view, Nyatrix treats her with respect, and those passages on bodily autonomy are particularly poignant. 

Holy Wrath is a gorgeous standalone exploration of trauma.

✨ 4 stars

 

 

ARC Review: The Seaglass Blade, by J.C. Snow

 

Aili Fallon has spent three hundred years of her unexpected immortality building a safe place for all those she cares about – her phoenix lover; their dragon son; their renegade demon daughter; and the shape-shifting spiritual creatures who come to Aili to learn the sword. She's determined to protect them from human captivity and demonic corruption. But the patterns of the natural world, the source of spiritual power, are inexplicably failing. When Aili's lover is attacked, her phoenix healing disappears. A curse killing dragons targets their son, while growing demonic power threatens to destroy their daughter.
And hidden deep, a traitor is waiting. Piece by piece, a long-laid plot of vengeance, betrayal, and cruelty is tightening around Aili and her family. The home that's been a sanctuary is now a trap, and Aili will risk everything she’s built, and everything she is, to break them free.

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

J.C. Snow's The Seaglass Blade is a brilliant standalone adventure set in the same world of the author's previous series The Crane Moon Cycle and featuring much of the same characters. Despite this, it's very easy to follow, as relevant old events are mentioned and explained without being infodumpy. It's a wuxia-inspired novel, with cultivation, demons, and shapeshifting dragons and phoenixes. It pulls the reader in with a very cozy atmosphere and a lovely queer found family, but there are also really harsh emotional beats and betrayal. At its core, it is a story about grief, family, and the cost of surviving.

The many PoV characters include the main sapphic relationship, made from a phoenix and her long-time companion, and a nascent achillean relationship. Chenguang and Aili are at the core of the book, their love tested and found true, and the both of them are fantastic, well-rounded characters. A definite highlight is the young dragon's quest for self-actualization against a terrible tragedy, as he matures and reaches a new understanding.

The worldbuilding is phenomenal and really stands out. It's one of my first forays into this subgenre, but the rich imagery and the complex relationships make for a vivid and solid novel. The sections about the dragon and the sea were especially beautiful. The demons are of course not the christian stereotype but a nuanced exploration of the cycle of abuse, and the girl demon especially has a captivating, heartbreaking arc.

The Seaglass Blade is a delightful read. 

✨ 4.5 stars

Review: When the Tides Held the Moon, by Venessa Vida Kelley

Benigno “Benny” Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds the eccentric sideshow proprietor who commissioned it. He invites Benny to join the show’s eclectic cast and share in their shocking secret: the tank will cage their newest exhibit, a live merman stolen from the salty banks of the East River.
More than a mythic marvel, Benny soon comes to know the merman Río as a kindred spirit, wise and more compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own.

"Ain't no being free on the outside if you ain't free on the inside." 

Venessa Vida Kelley's When the Tides Held the Moon is a gorgeous historical achillean romantasy, featuring a merman in captivity and the orphan tasked to build him a cage. This lovely standalone deals with issues of self-discovery and oppression while portraying a tender love story and exploring with care the life of the so-called circus “freaks” of the time. The author's beautiful illustrations enrich the experience.

We stay mostly with Benigno's PoV, though Río gets a few very short chapters told in a lyrical voice. Theirs is a story of fierce resilience and terrible loneliness, but they'll find comfort in each other and, perhaps, in the large and rather queer found family of the circus. The cast is varied and well-developed, although the main villain feels a bit cartoony, and their struggles feel real and important. The author clearly did her research, and it shows.

Mermaids lore is expanded with intriguing beats; the writing is very down-to-earth, peppered with many idioms and colloquialisms from languages other than English. Comprehension is helped by a helpful glossary at the end of the book. The novel is perfectly self-contained thanks to its bittersweet ending, although some steps seem to be missing. It's still a beautiful tale.

When the Tides Held the Moon is a gorgeous reflection.

✨ 4.5 stars

 

Review: Lady Dragon, by A.M. Strickland

 

Samansa and Kirek are two new leaders coming of age in war-scarred lands—Samansa a reluctant human princess and Kirek the favored contender for the draconic queenship. Per tradition, Kirek must undergo the distasteful task of using a mysterious gem called the Heartstone to shift into human form and maintain the strained ties between the species . . . and study human weaknesses, a new and secret task she’s been given by her queen. As the princess and the dragon girl grow closer, they are sent to investigate a potential breach of the treaty and encounter a plot that could reignite an even bloodier war. While fighting to maintain the peace their ancestors fought for and uncovering centuries-old secrets, Samansa and Kirek must grapple with betraying their clashing nations . . . or their unexpected feelings for each other.

"We are not an abomination. We are a marvel." 

A.M. Strickland's Lady Dragon is a YA sapphic romantasy with shifter dragons; a standalone adventure with tightly woven plot, it deals with issues of gender expectation and betrayal. The romance, while sweet and all-encompassing, is quite rushed, but the twists and turns make up for it somewhat, and the worldbuilding shines, especially in the sections dealing with dragons. The author doesn't shy away from making a complex and alien society, with its rules and customs.

The political subplot doesn't shine for its originality, but it does surprise in the ruthlessness of its actors and the resolution.

Lady Dragon is a nice palate cleanser.

✨ 3.5 stars