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: Foundryside, by Robert Jackson Bennett

Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic--the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience--have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine. But if they can unlock the artifact’s secrets, they will rewrite the world itself to suit their aims.
Now someone in those Houses wants Sancia dead, and the artifact for themselves. And in the city of Tevanne, there’s nobody with the power to stop them. To have a chance at surviving—and at stopping the deadly transformation that’s under way—Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies, learn to harness the artifact’s power for herself, and undergo her own transformation, one that will turn her into something she could never have imagined.

"Move thoughtfully, give freedom to others, and you'll rarely do wrong". Robert Jackson Bennett's Foundryside is the incredible first book in a trilogy that delves deep into matters of free will, that asks the question: what makes something or someone conscious? It explores the damages of capitalism in a setting that is reminiscent of Venice at the heights of its commercial power, governed by merchant houses that have no care for the poor and the afflicted. In fact, there's abuse of power and terrifying experiments that threaten to break the very fabric of reality.

The book starts like many other fantasy novels, with a heist, but it quickly becomes so much more. The magic system is complex: inscriptions can contain a number of instructions, to make objects do pretty much anything. The limit depends on one's morals, as we discover as the novel goes on. Scriving on human beings is apparently banned, but unfortunately not everyone follows the rules. There's a slight horror vibe to this book when it explores the lengths some people go to in order to obtain power. There's a cautionary tale in the past of this world, a veritable mystery about an ancient war, but the warnings aren't heeded. Mysteries abound and our incredible band of main characters will have to unveil them quickly.

The true protagonist of the novel, Sancia, is a twenty-something thief with a terrible past that allows her to be the best at her profession. A painful past bothers also the cop that reluctantly begins helping her, a man with powerful connections and an agenda of justice; to complete the cast, there's a caustic scriver and his assistant, a quick-witted woman who'll start a romance with Sancia. And then there's the sentient key, who is a sheer delight of a character. Nothing is as it seems, though, and as the characters unveil a conspiracy, they find out that they might have bitten off more than they can chew.

The writing is phenomenal, sharp and cutting and, also, funny in some places, especially with Sancia's remarks and some of her conversations with the key.

Foundryside is a frantic heist book with great depth.

✨ 4.5 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: A Long Time Dead, by Samara Breger

1837. Poppy had always loved the night, which is why it wasn’t too much of a bother to wake one evening in an unfamiliar home far from London, weak and confused and plagued with a terrible thirst for blood, to learn that she could no longer step out into the day. And while vampirism presented several disadvantages, it more than made up for those in its benefits: immortality, a body that could run at speed for hours without tiring, the thrill of becoming a predator, the thing that pulls rabbits from bushes and tears through their fur and flesh with the sharp point of a white fang.
And, of course, Roisin. The mysterious woman who has lived for centuries, who held Poppy through her painful transformation, and who, for some reason, is now teaching her how to adjust to her new, endless life. A tight, lonely, buttoned-up woman, with kindness and care, pressed up behind her teeth. The time they spend together is as transformative to Poppy as the changes in her body, and soon, she finds herself hopelessly, overwhelmingly attached. But Roisin has secrets of her own, and can’t make any promises; not when vengeance must be served. Soon, their little world explodes. Together and apart, they encounter scores of vampires, shifty pirates, conniving opera singers, ancient nobles, glamorous French women, and a found family that throws a very particular sort of party. But overhead, threat looms—one woman who is capable of destroying everything Poppy and Roisin hold dear.

"I want to watch you split the world like an orange and drink the juice". Samara Breger's A Long Time Dead is a phenomenal standalone sapphic vampire tale that reads like the best Anne Rice. Breger's vampires seem to borrow a few things from The Vampire Chronicles, but they're so full of life that it's a joy to read. We're thrown right into the thick of action as Poppy wakes up after being turned and she spends the first part of her new life being helped through the transition by a tragic figure that she immediately comes to love. What follows is a slow and tormented and rich journey towards a found family; a tale about belonging and about overcoming abuse in a relationship.

Poppy isn't a gloomy protagonist; she's a ray of sunshine, and she cares deeply. Even when she faces hardships, she keeps her sunny personality. She's crass at times, but she's so alive, in every way. She loves the joys of food, and in fact the loss of it is one of the first things she bemoans when she realizes that now she has to feed exclusively on blood. Before being turned she was a sex worker, and she's always very candid in her desires. The numerous sex scenes in the book are never gratuitous, and they're so well written.

In general, the prose is fantastic. There are turns of phrase that grip you and amaze you and leave you reeling. Breger plays with the tropes of the genre and crafts a unique tale brimming with exhilarating tidbits and cameos and also fully exploring Catholic guilt. The choice to give very few chapters to Roisin works well, because we're given front seats to the depth of Poppy's devotion. Roisin is driven and consumed by the need for revenge, self-sacrificing; but gradually she finds her will to live again.

The rest of the cast is delightful, from Poppy's oldest friend to the Coven she finds, five vampires that welcome her into their lives and love her unconditionally; from her new mortal maid, just as foul-mouthed as her, to the incredible villain, a despicable and amoral character. Every thread is accounted for, every hint acknowledged and resolved and brought to a satisfying conclusion.

A Long Time Dead is a joyous gothic tale.

✨ 4.5 stars

Review: Witchmark, by C.L. Polk

Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans' hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is.
When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.

"Amaranthines had no choice but to speak the truth, so they lied with honest words". C.L. Polk's Witchmark is a cozy fantasy mystery with a steampunk feel that delves into PTSD and classism. It's the first book in a trilogy, but it works well enough as a stand-alone novel; the protagonists fade into the background in the two sequels, that focus on different characters seen here. This is a debut, and it shows in the writing.

The plot follows the protagonist's attempts to find out what is happening in his country and to escape the clutches of his family, while also having a cute romance with a gentleman that is more than he seems. The most engaging part was the conflict with the system of the families of mages, that control the weather at the cost of enslaving less powerful witches in their families, while low-born witches are committed to asylums while the general public seems to have no clue that magic does exist. This conflict meshed well with the mystery that was set up, and the struggles of soldiers coming home took also center stage in the narrative. But the world isn't really well-developed, and the conflict with another nation is never explained well, until we get to a rushed finale that sets up bigger things with very little preparation.

While matters unfold, Miles also has the time to pursue a relationship with the mysterious man helping him. The romance is very cute and sweet and charming; it feels a bit like insta-love, but it works well in the context of the story. This book however seems very focused on the aesthetic, more than anything else. There's bikes and waistcoats and carriages and it feels more like they're there for the vibes, than for some actual world-building. There is character development, and an interesting journey, but the only character who is explored with any depth is the protagonist, and while he really is explored well, his sister and his romantic interest are more like cardboard figures.

Having also recently read Polk's most recent story, I'd say the author hasn't changed much over the years. The ideas are fascinating, but the execution feels lacking. While I'm mildly intrigued to know how the trilogy continues, I might wait a while before tackling it.

Witchmark is a cozy fantasy mystery for a quick, easy read.

✨ 3.5 stars

Review: Mortal Follies, by Alexis Hall

It is the year 1814 and Miss Maelys Mitchelmore finds her entry into the highest society of Bath hindered by an irritating curse. It begins innocuously enough, with her dress slowly unmaking itself over the course of an evening at the ball of the season, a scandal she only narrowly manages to escape. However, as the curse progresses to more fatal proportions, she realises she must seek out urgent assistance, even if that means mixing with the most undesirable company-and there are few less desirable allies than the brooding Lady Georgiana Landrake-who may or may not have murdered her own father and brothers to inherit their fortune. If one is to believe the gossip, she might be some kind of malign enchantress. Then again, a malign enchantress might be exactly what Miss Mitchelmore needs.

"A woman who lifts her own curses is a witch". Alexis Hall's Mortal Follies is a queer Regency romance with an unexpected narrator that I personally loved: Puck, or Robin, straight from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Forced to stay in the mortal world due to a transgression, Robin chooses to pay the bills by writing books about the many things he saw happen over his long life, and his narration constatly breaks the fourth wall in hilarious ways.

So we follow Maelys as she struggles against a curse set on her by a mysterious foe, and as she meets the devilish duke Georgiana and decides to put her faith in the mysterious witch. We meet witches, goblins, nymphs, and a goddess, as Maelys races against time to find a solution before she winds up dead or worse. All the while, Maelys cannot help feeling from the start a strong attraction to the duke, and their back-and-forth is exquisite.

In addition to the duke, Maelys has assistance from her cousin, a gentleman who loves other gentlemen, often the voice of reason, and from her best friend, an ingenue with hidden depths, who is enthusiastic and full of life and launches herself at things. The trio's banter is hilarious, but there's also more serious moments. I'm also in love with the prose, filled with conventions and turns of phrase of the time as the author satirises the genre - with many gentle jabs at classics - while also crafting an excellent romance.

The fantastical elements are well-woven into the tale, with two different curses coming into play and a clever denouement that definitely seems to set up for a sequel or a series. I'd give my firstborn for another book narrated by Robin.

Mortal Follies is a delightful romance with a unique voice.

✨ 4 stars

Snippet: Babel, by R.F. Kuang

 

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver-working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as the arcane craft serves the Empire's quest for colonization.
For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide: can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

"There are no kind masters". R.F. Kuang's Babel, or the Necessity of Violence: an Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution is a bleak and tragic tale about racism and colonialism. It's a hard read, it doesn't mince words, and it's a tragedy in the truest sense of the word. It's also a beautiful exploration of languages and philology, and a love letter to the act of translation, which powers magic in this world. It's an alternate history that draws on very real and terrible things, like the opium trade. It deserves to be on this blog because of the unspoken and unresolved attraction between the two male main characters, but I wouldn't recommend reading it merely because of the evanescent queer content. It is a phenomenal tale, though, and one I think everyone should read.

✨ 5 stars

Review: Witch King, by Martha Wells

 

After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well. But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?
Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions. He’s not going to like the answers.

"Don’t let everything we fought for be for nothing". Martha Wells' Witch King is a standalone novel which alternates between two timelines: on the one set in the past, we follow the body-hopping demon Kai as he joins a revolution and possibly finds himself some love in one of his partners, a noble. The other timeline follows the present as he wakes up from being imprisoned and tries to understand what's happening while saving his friends, among which there are a witch who controls the winds, and her kidnapped wife.

The world-building is pretty intricate and layered; the information isn't spoon-fed, but the reader is immersed in the world with no kind of hand-holding, trusted to gather all relevant information. Not everything is explained, but there's enough to go by and have a sense of the world. The magic system seems fascinating and complex and there's a lot of interesting things going on. It's a solid fantasy adventure with a dash of mystery.

But it feels a bit like soulless homework. Everything goes like clockwork and we have many moving parts and many characters and it's clever, but it lacks heart. We're told that it's a found family story and we see the characters as they met, a human lifetime ago, and as they're in the present, but there's a sort of disconnect. The witch and her wife are never shown together in the present, not even for a small reunion, and in general the ending was pretty rushed after there was so much focus on everything that was happening.

The better-developed relationship was the one between Kai and the noble Bashasa. You get the sense that there's a growing affection, and in the present Bashasa is often on Kai's mind. There's more nuance there, more than with Kai's friendship with the witch Ziede, which is still the one that gets more screentime despite this. And I get it; it's a bit of a historical mystery, inside the novel, whether Bashasa and his demon were in a relationship, and we're left with that question too. But the rest of the cast falls flat despite the numerous quips.

Witch King is a solid fantasy novel for fans of Martha Wells.

✨ 3.5 stars

Review: To Shape a Dragon's Breath, by Moniquill Blackgoose

The remote island of Masquapaug has not seen a dragon in many generations—until fifteen-year-old Anequs finds a dragon’s egg and bonds with its hatchling. Her people are delighted, for all remember the tales of the days when dragons lived among them and danced away the storms of autumn, enabling the people to thrive. To them, Anequs is revered as Nampeshiweisit—a person in a unique relationship with a dragon. Unfortunately for Anequs, the Anglish conquerors of her land have different opinions. They have a very specific idea of how a dragon should be raised, and who should be doing the raising—and Anequs does not meet any of their requirements. Only with great reluctance do they allow Anequs to enroll in a proper Anglish dragon school on the mainland. If she cannot succeed there, her dragon will be killed.
For a girl with no formal schooling, a non-Anglish upbringing, and a very different understanding of the history of her land, challenges abound—both socially and academically. But Anequs is smart, determined, and resolved to learn what she needs to help her dragon, even if it means teaching herself. The one thing she refuses to do, however, is become the meek Anglish miss that everyone expects. Anequs and her dragon may be coming of age, but they’re also coming to power, and that brings an important realization: the world needs changing—and they might just be the ones to do it.

"All I've ever tried to do is the right thing". Moniquill Blackgoose's To Shape a Dragon's Breath is a stunning YA debut, a massive fantasy novel that takes its time to explore its world and has very poignant things to say about colonialism and racism. The writing is simple but sharp; the bare bones are those of your typical boarding school book, but the author does very interesting things with it despite the format being very repetitive.

We follow Anequs' first year of training as she struggles against a world so different from her own, against systemic racism and a deeply flawed society. She's a strong protagonist and doesn't shy away from making it known that she won't adhere to the colonizer's worldview, and she won't be a domesticated "nackie" (Native). She's also smart, and it was a delight to see her thrive academically and turn out to be a far better teacher than one of her Professors. The plot in this installment is pretty straightforward, laying the groundwork for the rest of the series, which promises to be explosive.

The world-building is impeccable, vivid and lush. It's kind of an alternate history, where the Vikings colonized America and their beliefs weren't wiped out by Christianity. They kept their gods and their customs (like the holmgang) and they push them onto the lands they colonize. On the other hand, it's a society on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution, with a steampunk flare, and a staggering set of rules about polite behavior. The dragons are a joy, with many different species all different from each other; in order to being able to shape a dragon's breath, a rider needs to master a wide array of subjects. And so the book has a strong focus on mathematics and chemistry, with complex concepts being explained in great detail.

This book features the first steps towards a polyamorous relationship. Anequa is bisexual, and she's interested in pursuing a relationship with both a man and a woman. This is normal in her society, but the Anglish are a queerphobic people and this has stopped Anequs from actively pursuing the relationship with the woman, or to start a proper conversation between all three of them. There's also a side wlw relationship that might take some spotlight in the coming books.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath is a YA novel that's perfectly enjoyable by adults.

✨ 4 stars

List: Most Anticipated Books of 2023 - July to December

In January I posted a list of my most anticipated books for the first part of the year. Now's the time to post a list for the second half of the year!

In order of publication:

Publication date: August 22, 2023

HERE you can find the Goodreads page.

Publication date: August 22, 2023

HERE you can find the Goodreads page.

Publication date: August 22, 2023

HERE you can find the Goodreads page.

Publication date: September 12, 2023

HERE you can find the Goodreads page.

Publication date: December 5, 2023

HERE you can find the Goodreads page.