Snippet: Lambent, by T.D. Cloud

 

Komiren, Fox God of the Forest Shrine, has been alone for centuries. Duty is no longer enough, but with eternity staring him down, his options for companionship are limited. Cerdei the Lantern Spirit hasn’t been wandering this nebulous world just long enough to know he wants nothing to do with the lazy Fox God who spends more time sleeping than answering prayers. He’s content to walk his path alone, even if it does mean walking straight towards oblivion.
In this world, Fate always has a plan; whether or not you want to fall in with it, though, is something much less certain.

"I've been tired for longer than I can remember."

T.D. Cloud's Lambent is an atmospheric achillean novella loosely inspired by Japanese folklore, about a forest god learning to live again. The lush prose and the simple setting work very well together, creating a cozy but mournful feel. The character work on the other hand lacks some depth, as the fragmented narration and the hazy memories of past interactions make for an unclear read, and the link between the fox god and the spirit seems to come from nowhere. It's still pretty sweet, though, and the Raven character is the real highlight, a sort of trickster figure who moves things along and undergoes his own journey.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

ARC Review: Locusta, by Emily Dexter

 

Born in the ancient region of Gaul, Locusta is the last of her kind—a Druid whose communion with the spirit world grants her the dangerous gift of identifying and wielding deadly substances. When Roman soldiers attack her home and slaughter her mother, Locusta is captured and enslaved, taken to the heart of the empire where political plots abound and death commands a high price. Guided by Arawn, the god of death, she must learn to survive within the brutal, glittering world of ancient Rome.
Her strange talents soon catch the attention of the Roman elite, and she becomes ensnared in a double life—poisoner by night for the cunning Antonia Augusta, and lady-in-waiting by day to Livia, the Emperor’s ambitious cousin. As Locusta plants the seeds of revenge against those who destroyed her home, her connection with Livia deepens into a passionate, forbidden romance that threatens them both. Surrounded by danger and deceit, Locusta’s poisons become their only protection against the increasingly unstable Emperor Caligula and the enemies lurking in every shadow.

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

Emily Dexter's Locusta is a sapphic historical fantasy set in ancient Rome, inspired by the little that's known about the infamous titular character, a known poisoner. The book is very well researched, and it shows; the prose is also quite nice, with lovely turns of phrase. Locusta's journey from young woman to consummate poisoner is handled perhaps too quickly, with far less introspection one would expect from one who is dragged away from home and sold as slave after witnessing the murder of everyone she knows.

Instead, Locusta settles into her role with little doubt nor recollection, and quickly adapts to Rome and Rome's intrigue, especially when she falls in love with Livia. Their romance was sweet, and Livia's character ends up far more interesting than the protagonist, with her isolation and cunning. In general, all the female characters were very well done, especially Antonia Augusta.

The magical aspect mingles with history in an intriguing way, showing what a god's patronage and meddling might look like. 

Locusta has a strong premise, but it fails to stick the landing.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

Review: The Moon Blessed King, by Lindsey Byrd

 

Elician, a Giver with the power to raise the dead, is crowned King of Soleb, but it’s forbidden for Givers to rule. However, Elician is determined to end a generations-long war with the kingdom of Alelune – and will marry Alelune's rightful heir to do so. But Cat is a Reaper, able to kill with a touch, and is therefore feared by his own people. His claim to the throne is a gamble at best, until his tyrannical brother, Gillage, seizes power before Cat can lay his claim to it – and now the conflict Elician had hoped to avoid seems inevitable.
Just as the war between nations begins anew, the goddess of death releases a devastating plague across the continent. To stop it, Elician and Cat must confront Death herself, leaving Elician's rebellious sister, Fen, to do what she can to heal the sick in their absence. But when a coup threatens to upend her brother’s reign, Fen must decide exactly what she is willing to sacrifice to help her brother succeed. With the death toll rising and the struggle for the Alelunen throne in the balance, it’s a race against time to appease the wrath of a god with the monarchies of both countries at stake.

​“To die is to make life, and all life is sacred.”

Lyndsey Byrd's The Moon Blessed King is the lovely conclusion to the perfect duology that began with The Sun Blessed Prince (HERE you can read my review). This achillean tale of life and death and what it means to be human takes all its strong points from the first book, detailing the relationship of two kind and duty-bound princes as they strive to make peace between their nations despite the horros they went through in the first book. Kindness, honor, and mercy guide their hands, towards a moving finale that packs some truly emotional punches. This slowest of slow burns is not for the faint of heart, but it all pays off in the end.

Running parallel to this emotional journey is the tale of the young princess of the sun kingdom, as she struggles to help the war effort but, most importantly, to grow up. Her journey is a highlight of the book, and her chapters a great counterpoint to the bigger plot. She's young and abrasive and drenched in prejudice, but she's willing to learn, and therein lies her saving grace.

The worldbuilding keeps the excellent simplicity of the first book, expanding just the tiniest amount to incorporate a simple but profound philosophy and a beautiful exploration of godhood. At the same time, the magic system keeps the inspiration to science, making it a complex read.

The Moon Blessed King is a stunning conclusion.

✨ 4.5 stars

 

Review: Crueler Mercies, by Maren Chase

 

After nine years as the people’s beloved princess in the sun-soaked Kingdom of Carca, Vita witnesses the execution of her mother by her father’s hand. Forced into exile, Vita fades into obscurity with her only friends—the crows that visit her window.
Eleven years later, Vita is given a choice: marry an enemy general, granting him legitimacy to take the throne, or die as the forgotten princess. With time running out, Vita meets Soline, an intriguing lady-in-waiting who introduces her to the powerful-but-unstable magic of alchemy. If Vita and Soline can learn to control it—and the undeniable spark between them—they could burn the world of men to the ground.

​“Our legacy will be carved into the very core of this kingdom.”

Maren Chase's Crueler Mercies  is a sapphic tale of female rage, slowly meandering towards a strong ending. Vita's development is delayed when she gets thrown into a tower for years, making her a little slow on the uptake once she gets freed; in that sense she's a believable protagonist, although in the second half of the book she exhibits political acumen that would have been difficult to have with what we know of her life in the tower. Still, her naivete remains and gets put to the test often. Her relationship with the woman tasked as her lady-in-waiting develops organically enough, and Soline is a gorgeous foil, savvier and more knowledgeable.

The worldbuilding is pretty basic; magic as a strong importance in the second half of the book, but it's fainly developed and barely mentioned in the first half, making it feel like a deus-ex-machina. The two warring realms are pretty interchangeable, barring from some basic differencies. The main antagonists though are intriguing enough, and especially the general is menacing in his simple cruelty. The ending is impactful in its simplicity and suddenness.

Crueler Mercies is a nice standalone.

✨ 3.5 stars