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

Snippet: This is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

 

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future.
Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them. There's still a war going on, after all. And someone has to win that war.

This novella is a love letter. This is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, needs no introduction; it was vastly acclaimed and it's still an instant classic. The prose is lyrical, intense, grandiose; the plot a mosaic slowly coming together. This book is an experience.

✨ 5 stars

Review: Reforged, by Seth Haddon

 

Since time immemorial the warriors of the Paladin Order have harnessed arcane powers to protect their rulers. For Balen, who has given up his chance at love and fought his way to the top of the Paladin Order, there can be no greater honor than to serve his king. But when assassins annihilate the royal family, Balen suddenly finds himself sworn to serve the very man he abandoned.
Now with their nation threatened by enemies both within and outside the kingdom, Balen must fight hidden traitors and unnatural assassins, while also contending with the biting wit and dangerous charm of young King Zavrius. To save themselves and their nation they will have to put aside their past and reforge that trust they lost so long ago.

This was a treat! Seth Haddon's Reforged is a lovely stand-alone fantasy novel with a tight plot and a steamy romance. Balen is a sympathetic protagonist and his past relationship with his King makes for a good conflict in the first half of the novel. Zavrius is irritating at first, and the way he treats his ex-lover in the beginning is kind of appalling, but he does magic by making music with his instruments and I fully admit that I'm biased towards that kind of thing. As the novel goes on he also opens up about a terrible trauma to Balen, so one can see where the previous behavior was coming from.

The supporting cast is pretty good, varied and fleshed out. I often think that's the supporting cast that makes this kind of novel, because the central relationship is obviously well-developed, but a cast made up of walking cliches ruins everything. This one had two friend-types with surprising hidden depths and two really good characters, the King's aunt and the King's uncle, the both of them with important roles in the palace.

The world is well-developed, with mysterious carcasses of creatures granting magical powers, but not without a price; I liked that the consequences weren't brushed off, but that they had a meaning in the plot. One scene especially, with this gigantic body on the ground, was most lyrical and evocative.

Now, not every decision of the characters makes perfect sense, especially in the second half, where our heroes have to fight against an overthrow of the government. The resolution is pretty abrupt. But the narration manages to tie up everything, which is difficult with this kind of stand-alone novels.

Reforged is a solid fantasy adventure with a good central relationship.

✨ 4 stars

Review: The Queen of Ieflaria, by Effie Calvin

 

Princess Esofi of Rhodia and Crown Prince Albion of Ieflaria have been betrothed since they were children but have never met. At age seventeen, Esofi’s journey to Ieflaria is not for the wedding she always expected but instead to offer condolences on the death of her would-be husband.
But Ieflaria is desperately in need of help from Rhodia for their dragon problem, so Esofi is offered a new betrothal to Prince Albion’s younger sister, the new Crown Princess Adale. But Adale has no plans of taking the throne, leaving Esofi with more to battle than fire-breathing beasts.

I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series. Effie Calvin's The Queen of Ieflaria is the first in a five-book series that, to my understanding, follows different characters in every book. It's a sweet romance with minimal plot; the book starts in medias res and the threat of dragons feels perfunctory. Esofi's ladies in waiting are walking stereotypes; Esofi's self-righteous and talks about burning down a temple but she's the cute little protagonist and so there's no backlash apart from Adale's perplexed retort. Adale's court is no better, with cartoonish villains and sovereigns that talk like disgruntled parents even during official occasions.

It's still a coherent narrative, and the romance really is very sweet. The writing is good enough to allow an immersive experience. There were long bits about the different kinds of gods and types of worhips, that I suppose are setting up for the other books, and those bits were intriguing, just not enough to make me continue the series. But it's a honest romance with plenty of cute moments.

The Queen of Ieflaria is a nice quick read to pass the time without thinking too much.

✨ 3 stars

Review: Miranda in Milan, by Katharine Duckett

 

After the tempest, after the reunion, after her father drowned his books, Miranda was meant to enter a brave new world. Naples awaited her, and Ferdinand, and a throne. Instead she finds herself in Milan, in her father’s castle, surrounded by hostile servants who treat her like a ghost. Whispers cling to her like spiderwebs, whispers that carry her dead mother’s name. And though he promised to give away his power, Milan is once again contorting around Prospero’s dark arts.
With only Dorothea, her sole companion and confidant to aid her, Miranda must cut through the mystery and find the truth about her father, her mother, and herself.

Full fathom five thy father lies. Katharine Duckett's Miranda in Milan attempts to be a sequel to the fascinating Shakespearean play The Tempest. After arriving in Milan, Miranda finds herself lost in an intricate web of lies with the sole help of one of her maids. The mystery behind the whispers following her everywhere, when solved, is by far the best part of the novella, with an intriguing twist on the classical characters.

The pacing is uneven, likely due to the short format. The relationships between Miranda and Dorothea develops far too quickly, not giving the reader a moment to breathe. But Dorothea is a fascinating character, unwilling to be shackled, and there are particularly good moments where she puts into question Miranda's sheltered worldview, challenging her racism.

Miranda in Milan is a good read for anyone who wants a queer take on the play.

✨ 3.5 stars

Snippet: The Priory of the Orange Tree, by Samantha Shannon

 

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.
Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

Lesbians and dragons; what more could you ask? Samantha Shannon's The Priory of the Orange Tree is a high fantasy stand-alone set in a world divided. For some, dragons are holy creatures; for others, they're monsters. The truth is, as ever, complex. The climax resolves perhaps a tiny bit quickly, but the journey is incredible; and the courtly love between two of the protagonists is swoon-worthy. This is a great read if you want something that takes its time to really delve into its world.

✨ 4.5 stars

Snippet: Ash, by Malinda Lo

 

In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, rereading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she believes that her wish may be granted.
The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Their friendship, as delicate as a new bloom, reawakens Ash's capacity for love--and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

This isn't the fairy tale you think it is. Malinda Lo's Ash is a lovely retelling of Cinderella that veers half-way through towards a different, exciting direction. But it's also a story about grief, and the romantic relationship is put a bit on the background. The book's pacing is quite slow, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. I have a big soft spot for this book, one of the first explicitly queer books I've ever 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

Review: A Taste of Gold and Iron, by Alexandra Rowland

 

Kadou, the shy prince of Arasht, finds himself at odds with one of the most powerful ambassadors at court—the body-father of the queen's new child—in an altercation which results in his humiliation.
To prove his loyalty to the queen, his sister, Kadou takes responsibility for the investigation of a break-in at one of their guilds, with the help of his newly appointed bodyguard, the coldly handsome Evemer, who seems to tolerate him at best. In Arasht, where princes can touch-taste precious metals with their fingers and myth runs side by side with history, counterfeiting is heresy, and the conspiracy they discover could cripple the kingdom’s financial standing and bring about its ruin.

It's all about the yearning. Alexandra Rowland's A Taste of Gold and Iron was easily my most anticipated book of the year and oh, it did deliver! This delicious fantasy romance had it all: two well-rounded protagonists, the slowest burn, a good tight-knit plot, and a thorough exploration of consent and power differentials. I truly enjoyed the many discussions of the concept of fealty and the incredible care shown by every character around the protagonists.

It's also always nice to find a queer-normative world where the conflict doesn't come from the queer romance. The counterfeiting plot is resolved quickly and efficiently, as the book focuses more on the romance; it's there where it takes its time, truly exploring the characters' fears and history. Kadou will stay in my heart as an incredibly relatable character suffering from anxiety and not being fixed by the narrative. Evemer is the perfect contrast and I also read him as demisexual; regardless of that being true, I appreciated that his lack of experience seems to be a non-problem. This book also excels with the interpersonal relationships outside of the romance, and I especially liked how the relationship developed with Kadou's old paramour. Evemer's relationship with his mother is incredibly sweet.

The world is well-developed, an intriguing Ottoman-inspired setting that isn't well-understood by the people coming from other countries. I especially enjoyed the figures of the kahyalar, more than mere guards, and the intricate descriptions of their work. I'm a bit sad that the touch-taste isn't fully explored, but the existence of this power also gives way to a truly tender moment towards the end of the book.

In fact, let me get back to this: this novel is incredibly romantic and sensual. There's a million little scenes that show that touch is truly the most important sense in this world; there's hair-brushing and hair-washing and comforting embraces. It's delightful.

A Taste of Gold and Iron is the perfect comfort read for fealty enthusiasts.

✨ 5 stars