Review: The Color of Time, by Millie Abecassis

 

Princess Cyrelle has always been faithful and true to her family, country, and Goddess. But now her brother, King Elias of Cicia, has asked for—no, commanded—her hand in marriage. Desperate to avoid this incestuous union, Cyrelle requests a series of increasingly impossible gifts and petitions the Goddess for a sign to sway her resolute brother’s proposal. As Elias persists undeterred, Cyrelle must risk everything to escape the only life she’s ever known.
Soon, she becomes Green Scales, hiding and struggling to survive on her own, far across the galaxy. But Phau isn’t the peaceful refuge Cyrelle had hoped for, and when the leader of its burgeoning rebel faction recognizes the runaway princess, she is forced to choose between safety and freedom. With the fate of two kingdoms on the line and nowhere left to run, Cyrelle must decide what it means to be true to herself, to her people, and to her heart.

​“I will never hide who I am again.”

Millie Abecassis' The Color of Time is a sapphic science-fantasy retelling of Perrault's Donkeyskin, although the incestous father from the french fairytale is turned into the protagonist's brother. This novella packs a lot into a pretty short format, and it could have worked, but instead it feels like a summary of the novel it could have been. Time goes by quickly, and we jump from a scene to the next without actually delving into the meat of the story and the people we meet.

This is felt especially with the epic relationship between princess Cyrelle and another woman, whom we don't really get to know, but we're supposed to feel profoundly about some story beats. And the bones are there, promising to be something spectacular, but it's difficult to really care.

On the other hand, the worldbuilding is quite unique, with gods whose scope encompasses the entire universe, and beautiful snakes, and rich cultures. The second-person narration is also very well done, with some snippets of first-person sprinkled in-between. 

The Color of Time is a nice retelling.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

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: 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

 

Review: Honor and Heresy, by Max Francis

 

Roy Dawnseve cares more for philosophy than battle. But, in a society that shuns literature in favour of their ongoing war, Roy must face a difficult choice: brave the front lines or investigate the identity of their foes in the Orphic Basilica, an ancient, abandoned library. When Roy chooses to unravel the mystery, it soon becomes clear that the Orphic Basilica isn’t without its own horrors. Strange voices echo down the halls, ghosts roam the bookshelves, and those who stepped foot in the library have either emerged insane or were driven to their own demise.
Roy’s partner in the investigation is Percival Atherton, a manipulative, enigmatic and distractingly charming scholar who has no qualms about belittling Roy. As a fierce snowstorm isolates them from civilisation, Roy and Percival must grapple with their tormented pasts, an unexpected romance, and an age-old conspiracy whose secrets are certain to wipe Northgard from history.

​“​Better it be my nightmare than a whole country's.”

Max Francis' Honor and Heresy is an achillean dark academia novel set in a fantasy world where scholars are put to death. The intriguing premise doesn't live up to its promise, and we're put in a claustrophobic setting, an enormous library, where our two main characters have to do research about a nebulous threat. The novel is mostly about the research, and while the snippets we get of this world's body of work are tantalising, the focus narrows down to the narrator's trauma.

There wasn't a good balance between plot, worldbuilding, and the character's inner life, and what we get is a strange concoction whose abrupt and truncated ending makes no sense at all and falls absolutely flat. Which is a shame, because the bare bones of the novel are really good. 

Honor and Heresy is a missed opportunity.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

Review: The Gentleman and his Vowsmith, by Rebecca Ide

 

Lord Nicholas Monterris, the last remaining heir of a crumbling ducal house, must marry to save his family from complete decline. His father chooses Lady Leaf Serral, eldest daughter of his greatest rival, at which point Nic is sure it can’t get any worse. Until he learns the head negotiator is to be Dashiell sa Vare, an old flame he has neither forgiven nor forgotten, a man their rigid class structure forbids him to love.
Locked in the mouldering grandeur of Monterris Court (a house more haunting manifestation of dynastic ambition and ancestral guilt than home), the first dead body is troubling. The second, a warning that someone doesn’t want the contract to go ahead. But while Nic and his wife-to-be team up to banter their way through a secret murder investigation, it’s Dashiell he can’t stop thinking about. What would be worse? To love and have to let go, or to wholly deny the yearning of one’s heart forever?

​“​Too well did he know the feeling of love where no​ love ought to live.”

Rebecca Ide's The Gentleman and his Vowsmith is an achillean romantasy murder mystery with a lot of moving pieces that unfortunately don't work quite so well with each other. The plot, while simple, is all over the place, with the late addition of some twists and turns that don't make much sense. The worldbuilding is again very simple, and while the concept of the binding contracts and the illusion magic is intriguing, it's not developed enough.

On the other hand, the romance is sweet and mired with conflict new and old, and there's a delightful secondary character taking on much of the space and undertaking a compelling arc, a young woman possibly on the asexual spectrum.

The Gentleman and his Vowsmith is a nice romance.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

Review: This Vicious Hunger, by Francesca May

 

Thora Grieve finds herself destitute and an outcast after the sudden death of her husband only a few weeks into their marriage, but a glimmer of hope arrives when a family friend offers her spot at a university to study botany under a famed professor. Once at the university Thora becomes entranced by a mysterious young woman, Olea, who emerges each night to tend to the plants in the professor's private garden.
Thora soon discovers that a mysterious illness prevents Olea from leaving the garden. Hungry for connection, Thora befriends Olea through the garden gate and their relationship quickly and intensely blossoms. The visceral connection between Thora and Olea unlocks an obsessive desire in Thora as she throws herself into finding a cure for Olea's ailment. But is this really love or is it merely lustful intoxication? Thora's finally found the freedom to pursue her deepest desires, but at what cost?

"Nobody liked to be reminded of the proximity of grief; least of all the young and beautiful." 

Francesca May's This Vicious Hunger is a sapphic gothic horror novel about grief and finding one’s place as a woman in a world where women can do very little, and about overcoming abuse. The themes are very strong and the writing beautifully lyrical, but the plot is all over the place while slowly ambling, and the characters are a bit cardboard, with the sole exception of the narrator. 

The worldbuilding is confusing, using Latin and some imagery that makes it seem like it's a historical novel, but some other things point towards a secondary world. That being so unclear pulls the reader out.

The most intriguing part is certainly the focus on plants and a form of vampirism, but the abrupt end and the lack of closure doesn't do it any favors.

This Vicious Hunger doesn't hold up to its premise.

✨ 3 stars

 

Review: Obsidian Island, by Arden Powell

 

Emery Lapwing is only interested in two things: exploring the natural world, and pretending that he's not in love with his closest friend, Captain James Rawlings of The Achillean. The first is easy: James will sail him anywhere he wants to go. The second, Emery has been doing for the past ten years. Emery's routine is shattered when he and James are swept overboard in a lightning storm. When the storm passes, they find themselves on the glittering pink beach of an unmapped island where no one has ever walked before.
The island hides a dangerous secret, and James and Emery aren't the only castaways falling under its spell. Monstrous creatures stalk their every move and something is taking root in their dreams, luring them deeper into the island's deadly, tropical heart.

"Any being capable of creating art must have a soul, surely." 

Arden Powell's Obsidian Island is an achillean horror adventure set some time during the Nineteen century, featuring four sailor friends with different background as a storm makes them land on a deliciously creepy island. From something much like Castaway, then, the atmosphere switches very quickly as the group - at first separated - reckon with various terrifying natural threats and with a seemingly sentient, monstrous tree. Running parallel to this is the subplot of queer desire in a time and society where queerness was punished with death. 

The best aspect of the novel is certainly the creepiness and slow horror of the island; the interpersonal relationships, on the other hand, are not so well developed, and while the primary couple at least has some meaty history, the secondary couple seems to come out of nowhere.

Obsidian Island is an intriguing read.

✨ 3 stars

 

 

 

Review: Born of Scourge, by S. Jean

Legends say when the skies grow dark and scourge starves the land, a star will fall in order to save humanity. Only when the star is sacrificed at the end of their journey will light return. It's a cycle—one humanity refuses to break because stars are plentiful and their sacrifices easier than learning the true nature of the scourge. When Sol finally falls, it's not because of humanity. It's because he's had enough of watching his brethren be sacrificed. He has one goal: end humanity and end the cycle.
Unfortunately, he has to pretend he cares before humans get wise. It doesn't matter how soft the princess who catches him is—Celena will be dead by the time his journey ends. Nor how kind his assigned companions are—the outgoing Mira with her ballads, the brave Nebora with her axe, and the hero Loren with his soft voice and friendly smile. For centuries, humanity has lied and their kindness is a ruse to bring about Sol's own destruction at the end of his tale. He will not be fooled.

"Humanity never learned." 

S. Jean's Born of Scourge is an achillean novella that starts out cozy but ends up grandly developing themes of predestination versus free will, turning dark in some ways but still filled with so much hope. The simple storytelling works well with what is for all intents and purposes a fairytale, but some characters are extremely one-dimensional and it can be difficult to connect with them. The main character is of course exempt, and he undergoes a real hero journey over the course of the book, learning about humans and having touching friendships. His sweet love story with Loren develops organically, taking the story towards a satisfying end.

The worldbuilding is complex and interesting; the concept of an incarnated star has been explored before, but it's rare enough to feel fresh, and the background tied to the inner workings of the world is unique. How that is developed in certain sections of the book feels a bit like a D&D campaign, but it stands well enough on its own.

Born of Scourge is a sweet parable.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

 

 

Review: Thief Acolyte Consort, by James Robert Paige

A new city and a fresh start was what former thief Catt Zago was looking for, but what she found instead was Great Bakak, a city-state ruled ancient tradition and full of everyday magic. A place full of many gods and many people. A place where the King rules supreme, but the royal executioners seem to be calling the shots.
What Catt didn't expect was to meet a fascinating woman, a professor of magic at the local wizard university, doomed by a strange bit of luck to become the next King. Catt wasn't planning on committing any crimes, this was supposed to be a safe place to start over, but now, could she really be contemplating stealing a King?

"The new king might be anyone." 

James Robert Paige's Thief Acolyte Consort is a fun sapphic novella that oscillates between cozy and horrific, with a strong disconnect between the themes and the tone of the book. It reminds Pratchett, in a sense, but the prose is very simple, almost elementary. It's a bit of a shame, because the worldbuilding is wonderful, rich, with attention to detail and some very nice ideas that subvert expectations, and some twists and turns that add depth.

Catt and Segna are a lovely couple, especially when they start working together. Their relationship starts in a subdued way, but by the end you really root for them to find a way out. The ending wraps up everything very nicely while keeping the door open, and it drives home the commentary about organized religion.

Thief Acolyte Consort is a nice palate cleanser.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

 

 

Review: Nightshade and Oak, by Molly O'Neill

 

When Malt, the goddess of death, is accidentally turned into a human by a wayward spell, she finds she's ill-equipped to deal with the trials of a mortal life. After all, why would a goddess need to know how to gather food or light a fire?
Trapped in a body that's frustratingly feeble, she's forced to team up with Bellis, warrior daughter of Boudicca on a perilous journey across Roman-occupied Britain to the afterlife to try to restore her powers. As animosity turns to attraction, these two very different women must learn to work together if they are to have any hope of surviving their quest.

"The most important thing is how you get back up." 

Molly O'Neill's Nightshade and Oak is a pretty straightforward historical fantasy with strong focus on mythology. The depiction of myth and folklore is definitely its strong suit as we follow the adventure of a goddess made human and we see her experience the full gamut of human emotions, including love. The book fails to compel, though, meandering through a side-quest for a long section after the half mark before getting back on track and delivering a bittersweet finale that doesn't make up for the lack of focus.

While the themes are worth exploring - grief and inner strength - the character work doesn't fully support their weight, and the love between goddess and mortal develops at once too fast and too slowly. It remains an interesting premise, one that could have been developed a bit more and more subtly.

Nightshade and Oak is a nice standalone.

✨ 3.5 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

ARC Review: Dawn of the Raven, by T.L. Tyner

In the kingdom of Ríocht na Meon, magic is forbidden-and those who wield it are hunted. The First Order's armies scour the land for druids, elemental mages who once walked in harmony with nature. Sorcha, a seamstress raised in comfort within the outer districts, has always been content with her quiet life with her closest friend, Fiona. But when her world begins to unravel, Sorcha's peaceful existence shatters. Fiona, daughter of a farmer and servant in the royal keep's kitchens, works tirelessly to provide for her family. Bound by duty and loyalty, she never imagined her life would change-until she receives an unexpected offer of marriage that could upend everything. And Nemain-the Reaper-haunts the shadows. A feared druid cloaked in mystery, her name alone sends tremors through the kingdom. Few know her story. Less survive her shadows touch. As secrets twist through the royal court and rebellion brews in the kingdom, these women's paths collide in ways that will alter not only their own fates but the fate of the Ríocht na Meon.

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

T.L. Tyner's Dawn of the Raven is a sapphic fantasy adventure inspired by Irish myths and folklore, set in a world where druids are persecuted. First in a series, it follows three women as they contend with their fate and with persecution.

Fiona and Sorcha are old friends and maybe more; when they get separated, they struggle to survive against societal constraints and people in power. They go through much over the course of the book, and change for better and worse. Nemain has a darker story, and a history of abuse that the author doesn't shy away from. It's seen especially in how quickly she latches to Fiona when they cross paths.

While the general plot, the characters, and the worldbuilding are intriguing, with mature themes like torture and abuse, the writing is somewhat simplistic, while also moving too fast when it ought to stop and let the story breathe.

Dawn of the Raven is a queer tale of resilience.

✨ 3.5 stars

Review: Sage and King, by Molly Ringle

Zaya expected to be the irresponsible youngest prince his whole life. But when his two older siblings are killed by an unidentified magician, he finds himself crowned king of Lushrain—the end of his liberty as he knows it. As part of his training, he’s sent to Heartwood for a month, the house of the sages high in the mountains. There, to his shock, the sages tell him he must learn about magic—which is illegal to practice, but has nonetheless been among Heartwood’s secret studies for centuries. They assign Col as his tutor, a charming young sage with unusually strong powers. Zaya abhors and distrusts magic, and Col absolutely doesn’t want the job of attempting to change the king’s mind. But in their lessons and debates, they grow closer and begin envisioning a future in which a sage and a king might make a harmonious couple. But the assassin still roams, seeking to hurt Zaya, and the budding love affair may be crushed by the secrets that Heartwood—and Col—have kept about this killer.

"It's sweet that you think I travel in polite society." 

Molly Ringle's Sage and King is a charming romantasy novella that the author identifies as originally having been a BBC Merlin fanfiction. Having never watched the show, I don't know how much it captures the dynamic, but I can say that it stands well enough on its own, with a delightfully banter-y dual POV and many sweet moments between the main characters.

Their mutual attraction happens pretty much instantly, which is pretty normal given the length of the medium, but the author makes up for it with an intense focus on their honeymoon period and a deft handling of the many secrets threatening to end their relationship before it properly starts. The conflict, although it resolves pretty quickly, feels believable and the resolution earned.

The King's brother would have benefited from some more focus, to show how truly dangerous and disturbed he is; he feels very child-like in his moods, and the sudden addition of a terrible crime towards the end doesn't feel like it's handled very well.

The worldbuilding is basic but interesting, featuring a magic system based on plants. The book features many intriguing conversations on the topic as the sage instructs the king on the kind of magic they can do, and it doesn't feel like infodump, but like believable conversations.

Sage and King is a sweet treat.

✨ 3.5 stars

 

Review: Cage of Starlight, by Jules Arbeaux

 

Don't make waves, don't get attached, and never let anyone see the tattoos. Those rules have kept Tory Arknett alive, alone, and on the run for years in a country eager to put his healing hands to the work of war. When a desperate display of magic outs him to the authorities, Tory flees—right into the hands of cold and competent Sena Vantaras. Caged in a cruel training facility and threatened with placement on the front lines of a brutal war, Tory needs to get out before he gets dead. There’s just one thing to do before he goes: make Sena pay.
But when a mission strands them in enemy territory, they'll have to work together to survive. As they learn more about each other and the myth behind the magic that connects them, Tory and Sena find belonging with each other. But the trackers the facility has implanted in them will kill them in three days if they don't go back. Soon, Tory and Sena face a desperate decision: their freedom, or their lives? 

"Some stories are like that. Someone has to die." 

Jules Arbeaux's Cage of Starlight is a simple standalone adventure, dealing with a young asexual man, his struggle for freedom, and the lieutenant who's tasked with his training. In a world where their kind of magic is reviled but still used by some, and revered by others, the two fight against systemic slavery and try to carve their own path while coming to care for each other. The development is very fast, though, and the emotional beats don't pay off because we didn't have near enough time to get attached. Sena is an intriguing character, but a bit underdeveloped.

The worldbuilding, while interesting, is all over the place too, with long bouts of infodumping that feel disconnected. The magic system was unique, but the strongest aspect of the book were its twists and turns and the attention given to the supporting cast.

Cage of Starlight has a fantastic premise.

✨ 3 stars

 

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: 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: 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
 

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