Review: Paladin's Hope, by T. Kingfisher

Piper is a lich-doctor, a physician who works among the dead, determining causes of death for the city guard's investigations. It's a peaceful, if solitary profession…until the day when he's called to the river to examine the latest in a series of mysterious bodies, mangled by some unknown force.
Galen is a paladin of a dead god, lost to holiness and no longer entirely sane. He has long since given up on any hope of love. But when the two men and a brave gnole constable are drawn into the web of the mysterious killer, it's Galen's job to protect Piper from the traps that await them. He's just not sure if he can protect Piper from the most dangerous threat of all…

"Maybe a hero is just what we call someone who doesn’t have the sense to stop before they destroy themselves." 

T. Kingfisher's Paladin's Hope is a fantastic adventure set in the author's World of the White Rat, a series of interconnected series, and while it's the third in the Saint of Steel series and references many other works, it's a perfect standalone or entry point. Starting off as a cozy mystery with mild horror vibes, it quickly turns into a survival game in a death trap, and even deals with the aftermath while delving into issues of racism.

Running parallel to the mystery is the romance subplot between an honorable warrior with a dangerous problem and a bone-doctor who thinks he can't have nice things. The tension can be cut with a knife, and the resolution of their relationship isn't so clear-cut, adding some very good conflict to the mix.

The worldbuilding is incredible, touching on many mysteries and vestiges of times long past while giving away few answers and pulling in the reader for more. We have various god-touched Paladins and an overarching mystery that doesn't get resolved, and a whole race of badgerlike sentient beings with a complex cast system and language; the gnole Earstripe is an excellent coprotagonist, with some real depth and great one-liners.

Paladin's Hope is a delightful read.

✨ 4 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

 

Snippet: The Stagsblood Prince, by Gideon E. Wood

Tel, crown prince of Feigh, has negotiated an end to the war between his country and the strange queendom of Omela. He looks forward to an easy reign of wild parties and wilder men. When his father dies suddenly, Tel is outmaneuvered by his brother, losing the throne. Tel’s faith prohibits him from raising his sword and spilling blood, so he accepts the humiliation, working to temper his brother’s baser impulses. But the new king’s reign takes a dark turn, and his collaborators begin to round up undesirables, including those with a magic called the stagsblood.
Tel must decide: Flee or fight? Running means abandoning his people to his brother’s evil whims. Standing his ground means the sin of total war. He has no army and only a few allies—and his magical secret. Caip, his closest friend and protector, brings military experience and blunt advice. Her right hand, Dar, is the picture of loyalty. Tough, battle-scarred Bin doesn’t suffer fools gladly. And Vared, a mysterious singer-turned-diplomat from Omela, speaks the truth to Tel in ways no one else can.

"How do I make war when all I want is to be tender?".

Gideon E. Wood's The Stagsblood Prince is a poignant exploration of duty, addiction, and grief, a beautiful tale of finding one's purpose after a terrible loss, of persevering against all odds. It's a tragic tale of love and loss. The narration is a little weak in pieces, strongly relying on the later recounting of events when it might be better to show them as they happen; but the sheer intensity of the events described, especially in the second half, more than make up for it. The book features a few very descriptive and explicit sex scenes, and a tragic twist that will leave you sobbing uncontrollably.

✨ 4 stars

List: Best Books of 2023

2024 is coming! Here are my favorite books of this year, with links to my reviews.

 

 

 

✨ 4.5 stars
You can find my review here.

 

 

✨ 4.5 stars
You can find my review here.

 

   ✨ 4.5 stars
    You can find my review here.

 

 

   ✨ 4 stars
   You can find my review here.

 

 

 

✨ 5 stars
You can find my review here.

 

 

 

✨ 4.5 stars
You can find my review here.

 

 

 

✨ 4.5 stars
You can find my review here.

 

 

   ✨ 5 stars
   You can find my review here.

 

 

   ✨ 5 stars
   You can find my review here.

 

 

   ✨ 5 stars
   You can find my review here.

 

 

   ✨ 4.5 stars
   You can find my review here.

Review: The Kingdoms, by Natasha Pulley

Joe Tournier has a bad case of amnesia. His first memory is of stepping off a train in the nineteenth-century French colony of England. The only clue Joe has about his identity is a century-old postcard of a Scottish lighthouse that arrives in London the same month he does. Written in illegal English—instead of French—the postcard is signed only with the letter “M,” but Joe is certain whoever wrote it knows him far better than he currently knows himself, and he's determined to find the writer. The search for M, though, will drive Joe from French-ruled London to rebel-owned Scotland and finally onto the battle ships of a lost empire's Royal Navy. In the process, Joe will remake history, and himself.

"Come home, if you remember". Natasha Pulley's The Kingdoms pulls you in with an intricate, layered alt!history/time-travel epic that's brimming with heart and quiet moments. In an alternate world where Napoleon won, France rules England with an iron fist and englishmen are enslaved. Joe spends the whole novel running after half-memories that don't quite make sense, chasing the truth; when he finds it, it's too late. He'll have to grapple with a complicated choice that isn't a choice at all, but this is a kinder book than what it could have been, and I love it for that.

This is my first book by Natasha Pulley, and it certainly won't be the last: it has the perfect mix of angst and time-travel shenanigans to make it a must-read, an instant classic. Its clever use of the butterfly wings effect makes for a really tense read, especially in certain moments. The alternate history that gets created with the first change is grotesque and horrifying, and we experience first-hand the confusion of our main character as he doesn't understand what seems so wrong and jarring about his life. The twist can be seen from early on, but it doesn't make it any less excruciating and it's perfectly executed.

Scenes where we see exactly what characters are forgetting are usually hit-and-miss, but Pulley executes them masterfully. I'm usually a silent reader even when earth-shattering things happen, but this book made me exclaim out-loud more than once. It made me go back and re-read certain scenes during the first read, and it was thrilling. The mystery slowly unfurls itself, and it's agonizing when that happens.

At its core, this is a love story that has very clever things to say about loss and longing, about loving someone no matter what version of them you got. The characters are all so vibrant, and well-built, they are a joy to read; the focus is on Joe and his journey, but the others get their moments to shine.

The Kingdoms is a magical, profound experience.

✨ 5 stars

📚📚📚 IF YOU LOVE THIS, YOU MIGHT LIKE:

* Time Was, by Ian McDonald

for: time-travel, narration about memory

Snippet: The Bachelor's Valet, by Arden Powell

Alphonse Hollyhock is blessed with wealth, class, and more beauty than brains. Though he hasn't got a lick of wit or magic to his name, he's perfectly content living life as an airheaded bachelor with his valet—the clever, unflappable Jacobi—by his side to ensure everything runs smoothly. All he lacks, according to his mother, is a wife. Despite Alphonse's protests, he's to marry Aaliyah Kaddour: a bright, headstrong young woman who would probably be charming company if she didn't threaten everything about Alphonse's way of life. Marrying means giving up his fashionable flat, his fast car, and, worst of all, it means losing Jacobi.
Perhaps most distressingly, this talk of marriage is bringing all sorts of confusing feelings to the forefront. Because rather than falling for the beautiful girl being pushed into his arms, Alphonse seems to be falling for his valet. Except a man can't fall in love with another man. Can he? Meanwhile, Aaliyah has plans of her own. She's as devious as she is pretty, but if Alphonse wants to get through this marriage business in one piece, he'll have to trust her. Her and Jacobi, and, most dangerously, his own feelings.

"Like stepping into summer sunshine". Arden Powell's The Bachelor's Valet is a sweet low-stakes fantasy story about an air-headed bachelor and his loyal valet with magical powers. It's incredibly cozy and it never once attempts to be more than it is; I found it a perfectly relaxing read to cleanse the palate in-between heavier books. This is the same author of the book about a nightmarish eldritch fairy creature, so I'm really happy to have given them another chance. This novella is part of a series of loosely connected queer romantasy books, so I might pick up something else from the series. There's also a nice wlw relationship that takes some space in the narrative.

✨ 4 stars

Review: Lava Red Feather Blue, by Molly Ringle

Awakening the handsome prince is supposed to end the fairy tale, not begin it. But the Highvalley witches have rarely done things the way they're supposed to. On the north Pacific island of Eidolonia, hidden from the world by enchantments, Prince Larkin has lain in a magical sleep since 1799 as one side of a truce between humans and fae. That is, until Merrick Highvalley, a modern-day witch, discovers an old box of magic charms and cryptic notes hidden inside a garden statue.
Experimenting with the charms, Merrick finds himself inside the bower where Larkin lies, and accidentally awakens him. Worse still, releasing Larkin from the spell also releases Ula Kana, a faery bent on eradicating humans from the island. With the truce collapsing and hostilities escalating throughout the country, Merrick and Larkin form an unlikely alliance and become even unlikelier heroes as they flee into the perilous fae realm on a quest to stop Ula Kana and restore harmony to their island.

"Being interesting keeps you alive longer in there". Molly Ringle's Lava Red Feather Blue is a standalone fantasy adventure with a fairy-tale feel and a modern twist. Set in our time, but on a hidden island in the Pacific, it's a sweet tale of love and sacrifice, about the machinations of power and about finding common ground. The ending, after the tension is expertly built up, feels a bit rushed, but it manages to stick the landing.

The cast is huge and varied, but the two POV characters shine. They're two vivid and believable figures, one a bit of a troublemaker, the other bound by duty; they clash and merge so beautifully. Merrick is only looking for a way to save his father when he stumbles upon the ancient curse keeping his island safe from danger; Larkin struggles when he suddenly finds himself waking up in the future, everyone he knew dead, with a heavy burden. Their relationship proceeds gradually, as they don't have time for affairs when they're racing against time to save their island. The second half of the novel is where they're really put to the test, with all sorts of trials and dangers.

The world-building was done beautifully. This is a lush paradise hidden from view, the last refuge of the fairies driven away from the rest of the world. The cohabitation isn't easy, and there are grudges on both sides, and clear lines of separation. Humans can't cross the border, for there are many dangers in the parts of the island inhabited by faeries. The fairies are strange and dangerous, and time spent in their land passes differently; it's not an otherworld, it's still on the island's territory, but the rules are different there. Living on the island has also rendered the humans magical and capable of inheriting three different types of magic; and there are half-fae characters, born from unions between humans and fairies.

The contrast with the modern world makes the novel even more interesting, especially with Larkin and his confusion at electricity and the internet. The island isn't cut out from the rest of the world; people from the island can travel elsewhere and come back, or decide to stay away. Progress reached the island too, and was adapted to the magical environment. This lent the novel a unique feel that I really enjoyed. The novel also features poems from Merrick's father, who's ailing from a curse caused by his stay in the fairy lands.

Lava Red Feather Blue is a refreshing take on a Sleeping Beauty premise.

✨ 4 stars

Review: The Black Coast, by Mike Brooks

 

When the citizens of Black Keep see ships on the horizon, terror takes them, for they know who is coming: for generations, Black Keep has been raided by the fearsome clanspeople of Iwernia. Saddling their war dragons, the Naridans rush to defend their home only to discover that the clanspeople have not come to pillage at all. Driven from their own homeland by the rise of a daemonic despot who prophesies the end of the world, they have come in search of a new home. Meanwhile the wider continent of Narida is lurching toward war. Black Keep is about to be caught in the cross-fire of the coming war for the world – if only its new mismatched society can survive.

"Meet the wave head-on, and trust in your ship". Mike Brooks' The Black Coast is the first book in a trilogy dealing with a larger threat to the world, but this first volume sets the stage for a grander conflict, focusing instead on the battle for integration between two people that have only ever been enemies but now need to find a common ground. The clash of cultures and customs feels believable, with one culture pretty rooted in mysoginy and the other teeming with homophobia; but perhaps they can take the best of each other and make something greater. Daimon and Saana, on opposite sides, work hard to make this alliance work.

This is a multi-POV epic that doesn't only deal with this conflict, but also jumps to other two realms to prepare the stage. Here we have a myopic warrior hailing from the same culture as the raiders, the princess of Narida dealing with a dinastic threat against her brother the God-King, and a street-rat stumbling onto a plot far greater than she could possibly imagine. All POVs are well-handled, but since their stories don't seem to come to a resolution, one certainly hurries to return to Daimon and Saana and their fight for the survival of their people.

The world-building is phenomenal. The author does some really interesting things with language, creating a culture where the six genders are represented by different diacritics on the pronouns, and another culture where speakers define themselves by their relationship to the person they're talking to (thus "this servant thinks", "this brother thinks", "this son thinks", and so forth). Also, the dragons are very much dinosaurs. They're called dragons, but the way they're described makes it pretty clear that they're our dinosaurs or something very similar.

One of the cultures is very queernormative: queer people can marry and adopt children. While the two main romances of this book are straight, there are a few queer POV characters and it certainly seems like there will be more of that in the other books of the series.

The Black Coast is a solid introduction to a fantastic epic story.

✨ 4 stars

Review: A Master of Djinn, by P. Djèlí Clark

 

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.
So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world 50 years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.
Alongside her Ministry colleagues and her clever girlfriend Siti, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city - or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems...

This was a fun and poignant murder mystery. P. Djèlí Clark's A Master of Djinn is set in a pre-WWI steampunk version of Cairo and sees the protagonist attempt to solve a gruesome murder while navigating her relationship with a new colleague and the blossoming romance with a mysterious woman. Scattered throughout are references to a novella and two novelettes set in the same city; while I hadn't read these three works before, the lack of knowledge didn't impede my enjoyment of the novel, because the mentions were detailled enough that one could keep reading while not worrying to have missed some information, and tantalizing enough to make me add the three works to my to-read list.

The world painted by the author is incredibly immersive and detailled, an alternate take on history after a monumental change that is only a few decades old: the appearance of djinn in the world. The djinn are fascinating characters, and their incorporation in the daily life, and the change that it brings on things like faith and international politics, is one of the more interesting parts of the novel. I was a little blindsided by the sudden appearance of other supernatural entities, but I seem to understand that they were better explained in one of the novelettes.

Fatma, though hailed by everyone around her as an incredible detective, isn't hyper-competent, and I appreciated that. She's human and she makes mistakes, even mistakes that could hinder the investigation, but she's sharp when it counts, and profound, and funny; she's well-rounded and incredibly likable. There's an incredible attention to detail in even the smaller characters, and this helps paint a vivid mosaic an an interesting story. I enjoyed immensely the romance with Siti, but more than that, the way Siti's character helped explore the issues of racism in the story.

The novel seems to be a stand-alone story, but I got the impression that there could be many more adventures, and I'll eagerly consume anything that comes next; the setting was simply delightful, reminding me of the Bartimeus trilogy in more than one nostalgic occasion.

A Master of Djinn is a perfect read for mystery lovers.

✨ 4 stars

Review: The Councillor, by E.J. Beaton

 

When the death of Iron Queen Sarelin Brey fractures the realm of Elira, Lysande Prior, the palace scholar and the queen’s closest friend, is appointed Councillor. Publically, Lysande must choose the next monarch from amongst the city-rulers vying for the throne. Privately, she seeks to discover which ruler murdered the queen, suspecting the use of magic.
Resourceful, analytical, and quiet, Lysande appears to embody the motto she was raised with: everything in its place. Yet while she hides her drug addiction from her new associates, she cannot hide her growing interest in power. She becomes locked in a game of strategy with the city-rulers – especially the erudite prince Luca Fontaine, who seems to shift between ally and rival.

This Machiavellian debut keeps you on the edge of your seat. E.J. Beaton's The Councillor is full of scheming and politics, with an elegant prose that enriches the experience. The protagonist and sole point of view, Lysande, is an incredibly complex character, a highly competent scholar with a drug addiction, a woman with a few secrets of her own. Over the course of the novel she will also learn the finer points of the art of politics. The tension is built perfectly towards the incredible climax of the novel, where secrets are laid bare and new foundations laid out for what I believe to be the second and last novel of the series.

Magic is feared, and magic users are killed and despised. The world-building is excquisite, with different cultures that are part of the empire expertly and vividly described. There's a true sense of depth, especially when Lysande recalls histories and treatises and also uses them to find hidden thruths.

The characters are all complex and multi-dimensional, with relationships just as complex. The city-rulers shine, but it's also the smaller characters who are depicted perfectly with a few deft strokes. The Iron Queen, dead at the beginning of the novel, had a major part in Lysande's upbringing and is often mentioned, permeating the narrative with her presence. Lysande also has to battle with what the Queen meant for her, and what she did for her country, giving a perfect conflict to the story. I also loved her growing relationship with her new maid, made of fondess, duty, and respect.

This is a queernormative world, so the conflict doesn't come from the romance; in truth, the romance isn't a main focus of the story, though Lysande spends much time thinking about her lovers, past and present, and a mlm romance between two side characters is at the center of a subplot. Lysande is bisexual, and while her past lover is a woman and isn't discarded by the narrative, she's now more focused on pursuing a male lover, or two, each of them with their own agendas.

The Councillor is an excellent first installation, perfect for anyone who wants a cerebral read.

✨ 4 stars

Review: The Midnight Girls, by Alicia Jasinska

 

It's Karnawał season in the snow-cloaked Kingdom of Lechija, and from now until midnight when the church bells ring an end to Devil's Tuesday time will be marked with wintry balls and glittery disguises, cavalcades of nightly torch-lit "kuligi" sleigh-parties.
Unbeknownst to the oblivious merrymakers, two monsters join the fun, descending upon the royal city of Warszów in the guise of two innocent girls. Newfound friends and polar opposites, Zosia and Marynka seem destined to have a friendship that's stronger even than magic. But that's put to the test when they realize they both have their sights set on Lechija's pure-hearted prince. A pure heart contains immeasurable power and Marynka plans to bring the prince's back to her grandmother in order to prove herself. While Zosia is determined to take his heart and its power for her own.

This was an entertaining read. Alicia Jasinska's The Midnight Girls is intriguing, with three servant girls to three different aspects of Baba Yaga; the novel is stronger when it explores the interpersonal relationships between the three characters. But this slow-paced Young Adult novel ultimately fails to keep up with its good premise, and the romance between two of the servants, while well-developed enough, still feels rushed to the detriment of the whole structure.

The prose is gorgeous, though, and the world is lush and interesting, inspired by Polish history and by its struggle with Russia. I enjoyed the fact that the girls were unapologetically monsters and the villains of the story, but I would have liked their servitude to be explored more. One of the Yaga is underdeveloped and so is her servant, a consequence of the girl being neither a POV character or neither half of the love story. It's a mistake, because she seems to be the stronger character of the three, with a revealed backstory that piqued my interest, but we got only crumbs.

It is a solid book, though; one merely needs to readjust their expectations.

The Midnight Girls has an incredibly good premise but fails to strongly deliver.

✨ 3 stars

Snippet: Devotion, by Hannah Kent

 

Prussia, 1836. Hanne is nearly fifteen and the domestic world of womanhood is quickly closing in on her. A child of nature, she yearns instead for the rush of the river, the wind dancing around her. Hanne finds little comfort in the local girls and friendship doesn't come easily, until she meets Thea and she finds in her a kindred spirit and finally, acceptance.
Hanne's family are Old Lutherans, and in her small village hushed worship is done secretly - this is a community under threat. But when they are granted safe passage to Australia, the community rejoices: at last a place they can pray without fear, a permanent home. Freedom.

This book stays with you for a long time. Hannah Kent's Devotion is a delicate, mesmerising tale of love and loss, written with an absolutely stunning prose. The memorable half-way point of the novel veers the story into the more magical aspects that could be surmised from the first half: Hanne has some kind of magical ability, being able to hear the song of nature. In Australia she will find different songs and see her community change and thrive. The doomed love story with Thea strikes a perfect balance between devotion and obsession, showing the lengths we go to in order to stay with our loved ones.

✨ 5 stars

Review: Walk Between Worlds, by Samara Breger

Sergeant Major Scratch Keyes of the King’s Guard is having a bad day.On what should be the biggest night of her life, everything suddenly goes horribly wrong. First, her king denies her the promotion she rightfully earned, as well as the knighthood that goes along with it. And then, when Scratch is wallowing somewhere near the fetid rock bottom, she and her best friend, the flamboyant and carefree Sergeant James Ursus, are arrested for orchestrating the abduction of Princess Frances and sentenced to death. On the whole, things could be better. Luckily, help comes in the form of the mysterious Shae siblings―Vel and Brella―who inform the doomed pair that the issue of the missing Princess is far more complicated than it appears.

This is a short novel done right. Samara Breger's Walk Between Worlds weaves expertly a story of self-discovery and colonialism, perfectly contained. It's light-hearted, but it never shies away from heavier subject matter. Only the ending feels a tiny bit rushed, as if it were setting up for a sequel, but it works well enough on its own.

The world is well described. Our protagonist is a very competent soldier who serves a colonialist kingdom without worrying too much about the consequences, set on finding her own way to the top: she comes from a place that was colonised before her birth, and the road is too set for the citizens of annexed countries, who have few choices in their lives. There's a scene where a character reads aloud the emanated laws, showing how a nebulous phrasing in a written law can mean few people realize what the law is actually saying.

The eponimous "Walk between Worlds" takes place in an enchanted forest where a portal can bring certain people wherever they want. A good chunk of the book is spent inside the forest, teeming with bandits and more supernatural dangers. Fae creatures inhabit the forest, and not all of them are benign; and those who are benign are still alien in their manners and wants. There's a beautiful love story bewteen two of them in the latter half of the book, painting in a few pages a tale of love and loss everlasting.

The relationship between our protagonist and her best friend is lovely and supportive, showing true mlm/wlw solidarity: Scratch loves women and James loves men, and there's a beautiful line of dialogue highlighting their affection for each other. Once the story gets going, both find a love interest. I initially expected Scratch's love interest to be someone else, and was pleasantly surprised to have my expectations subverted. The ensuing love story is tender and challenging at the same time, showing the pair navigating their difficult situation.

Walk Between Worlds is a lovely read for romantics who want to read a low-stakes adventure.

✨ 3.5 stars

Snippet: The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist, by Ceinwen Langley

 

Aspiring young naturalist Celeste Rossan is determined to live a life of adventure and scientific discovery. But when her father loses everything, Celeste’s hopes of ever leaving her home town are dashed… until she sees a narrow opportunity to escape to Paris and attend the 1867 Exposition Universelle.
Celeste seizes her chance, but the elements overwhelm her before she can make it five miles. In desperation, she seeks refuge in an abandoned chateau only to find herself trapped inside the den of an unknown species: a predator with an intelligence that rivals any human. It’s the discovery of a lifetime. Or, it will be, if Celeste can earn the beast’s trust without losing her nerve – or her heart – to her in the process.

'Tis a tale as old as time. Ceinwen Langley's The Misadventures of an Amateur Naturalist is a delightful sapphic retelling of The Beauty and the Beast. Celeste, our Belle, is an aspiring naturalist and she dreams of being taken on as apprentice. The first half of the book deals mainly with the sudden shattering of her dreams and how she has to navigate a new situation. She's a very likeable character, resourceful and witty. Once she reaches the den of the Beast, she's full of scientific curiosity and doesn't let the Beast scare her. The Beast, too, is a well rounded, compelling character with an interesting past. The ending is fairly contained, but the book is apparently going to be part of a series.

✨ 4 stars