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eggcatsreads's Reviews (480)
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Redhook Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
An in-depth historical fiction gothic horror that I would find perfect for fans of Laura Purcell.
When 1960’s movie starlet Gemma Turner disappears during the filming of her last movie - a horror titled L’Etrange Lune/The Strange Moon - it remains as one of film’s greatest mysteries. Years later, a photo of Gemma makes 10 year old Christopher Kent’s mother become absolutely catatonic in their hotel room, forcing him to live with his aunt and uncle. This event is the catalyst for Christopher’s interest in Gemma Turner, as he is convinced that solving the mystery of the missing starlet will provide him answers about his late mother.
Things are not as simple as they appear, however, as we can see the mysterious events unfolding both in Gemma’s time, as well as Christopher’s, and how they interconnect. Gemma, in 1968, is hoping this movie will reignite her dying movie career, and she is drawn in with the promise of having a writing role on the film, in addition to simply acting. However, when she arrives, the director suddenly is acting extremely differently than before, and the house she must live in seems to be haunted. Wishing for a way out, but forced to stay, her life suddenly changes when suddenly she vanishes from the movie set - and winds up inside the film as the lead starlet. She has to find a way to survive - and thrive - this horror movie, and try to hopefully find her way home.
In the current timeline, Christopher has been studying filmmaking since his pivotal moment with his mother and the photo of Gemma Turner. He receives an invitation to watch a secret showing of L’Etrange Lune, where no one other than a mysterious select group of people, have ever seen. However, strange things seem to be happening with the movie - each showing every 10 years seemingly adds scenes to the film, scenes that were never filmed before Gemma’s disappearance. And when trying to solve the mystery of how this is possible - seeming to investigate too closely causes dangers all around.
Christopher needs to figure out the secret behind L’Etrange Lune, and the missing Gemma Turner, before it is too late for the both of them.
I loved this book, as it was a perfect blend between the fantastical and the “realistic,” and you could really feel the growing tension as both the stakes and the body count are rising. If you love historical fiction, thrillers, and gothic horror, then don’t hesitate to pick up this book! Believe me, you will NOT be disappointed.
An in-depth historical fiction gothic horror that I would find perfect for fans of Laura Purcell.
When 1960’s movie starlet Gemma Turner disappears during the filming of her last movie - a horror titled L’Etrange Lune/The Strange Moon - it remains as one of film’s greatest mysteries. Years later, a photo of Gemma makes 10 year old Christopher Kent’s mother become absolutely catatonic in their hotel room, forcing him to live with his aunt and uncle. This event is the catalyst for Christopher’s interest in Gemma Turner, as he is convinced that solving the mystery of the missing starlet will provide him answers about his late mother.
Things are not as simple as they appear, however, as we can see the mysterious events unfolding both in Gemma’s time, as well as Christopher’s, and how they interconnect. Gemma, in 1968, is hoping this movie will reignite her dying movie career, and she is drawn in with the promise of having a writing role on the film, in addition to simply acting. However, when she arrives, the director suddenly is acting extremely differently than before, and the house she must live in seems to be haunted. Wishing for a way out, but forced to stay, her life suddenly changes when suddenly she vanishes from the movie set - and winds up inside the film as the lead starlet. She has to find a way to survive - and thrive - this horror movie, and try to hopefully find her way home.
In the current timeline, Christopher has been studying filmmaking since his pivotal moment with his mother and the photo of Gemma Turner. He receives an invitation to watch a secret showing of L’Etrange Lune, where no one other than a mysterious select group of people, have ever seen. However, strange things seem to be happening with the movie - each showing every 10 years seemingly adds scenes to the film, scenes that were never filmed before Gemma’s disappearance. And when trying to solve the mystery of how this is possible - seeming to investigate too closely causes dangers all around.
Christopher needs to figure out the secret behind L’Etrange Lune, and the missing Gemma Turner, before it is too late for the both of them.
I loved this book, as it was a perfect blend between the fantastical and the “realistic,” and you could really feel the growing tension as both the stakes and the body count are rising. If you love historical fiction, thrillers, and gothic horror, then don’t hesitate to pick up this book! Believe me, you will NOT be disappointed.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Ghost Orchid Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book incorporates Greek myth starting from the birth of the Olympians, to the marriage of Persephone and Hades, as told by her mother, Demeter. I thought it was very interesting to get into the mindset of Demeter, as despite being the goddess of the harvest, we can see how much rage and control she desires for herself and her own life - as well as her daughters’. I enjoyed getting into Demeter’s head, as there were multiple instances of the Greek myths I had never considered, and this gave a personal in-depth view of the situations and the emotions tied to them.
The story starts with Demeter being swallowed by her father, and we spent a lot of time in that dark place with her and her siblings. I really enjoyed this, as I had never considered the relationship of the gods and goddesses in their father’s stomach, and the differences in their relationships to each other versus with Zeus. I also enjoyed how calculating Demeter could be, with asserting that she would have more power than her sisters and that she would become a mother but not a wife.
When Kore is captured, we can feel Demeter’s pain as she stops the harvest and poisons the world, almost killing all life on earth in the process. I also thought it was interesting how, while she considers herself different from her brothers, she in many ways thought of and treated humans and lesser immortals the same, if only in a different way. She feels her pain is larger than anyone else could experience, and only her pain matters in the grand scheme of things. Personally, I really liked this selfish take on Demeter, as it helped the reader to understand that even though her pain and emotions are similar to ours, she is still a goddess and considers herself such.
Honestly, I was a bit worried about how the story of Kore/Persephone was going to go, as in this story she was kidnapped without her consent, but the evolution of Kore into Persephone was well done. I liked how originally Hades wished to marry Demeter, but when he found Kore he realized he loved her rather than her mother, and even though he “kidnapped’ her, he did technically go through the proper channels for a marriage by asking her father for permission. And then even after she was kidnapped, he waited until Kore accepted him as her husband and transformed into Persephone, becoming a different goddess altogether, with her newfound power.
If you like Greek mythology focused on the women in the storytelling, and always liked the retellings of Persephone and Hades, but always wondered what her mother felt about it all (other than forcing the changing of the seasons in her grief), this is a great book to read. The characters in this book are both realistic and larger than life, showing that while the gods and goddesses have the same emotions as humans - they are still divine and do not adhere to the same rules.
This book incorporates Greek myth starting from the birth of the Olympians, to the marriage of Persephone and Hades, as told by her mother, Demeter. I thought it was very interesting to get into the mindset of Demeter, as despite being the goddess of the harvest, we can see how much rage and control she desires for herself and her own life - as well as her daughters’. I enjoyed getting into Demeter’s head, as there were multiple instances of the Greek myths I had never considered, and this gave a personal in-depth view of the situations and the emotions tied to them.
The story starts with Demeter being swallowed by her father, and we spent a lot of time in that dark place with her and her siblings. I really enjoyed this, as I had never considered the relationship of the gods and goddesses in their father’s stomach, and the differences in their relationships to each other versus with Zeus. I also enjoyed how calculating Demeter could be, with asserting that she would have more power than her sisters and that she would become a mother but not a wife.
When Kore is captured, we can feel Demeter’s pain as she stops the harvest and poisons the world, almost killing all life on earth in the process. I also thought it was interesting how, while she considers herself different from her brothers, she in many ways thought of and treated humans and lesser immortals the same, if only in a different way. She feels her pain is larger than anyone else could experience, and only her pain matters in the grand scheme of things. Personally, I really liked this selfish take on Demeter, as it helped the reader to understand that even though her pain and emotions are similar to ours, she is still a goddess and considers herself such.
Honestly, I was a bit worried about how the story of Kore/Persephone was going to go, as in this story she was kidnapped without her consent, but the evolution of Kore into Persephone was well done. I liked how originally Hades wished to marry Demeter, but when he found Kore he realized he loved her rather than her mother, and even though he “kidnapped’ her, he did technically go through the proper channels for a marriage by asking her father for permission. And then even after she was kidnapped, he waited until Kore accepted him as her husband and transformed into Persephone, becoming a different goddess altogether, with her newfound power.
If you like Greek mythology focused on the women in the storytelling, and always liked the retellings of Persephone and Hades, but always wondered what her mother felt about it all (other than forcing the changing of the seasons in her grief), this is a great book to read. The characters in this book are both realistic and larger than life, showing that while the gods and goddesses have the same emotions as humans - they are still divine and do not adhere to the same rules.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Orbit Books for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a much slower-paced epic fantasy that, while it does pick up once the plot kicks off near the end, a good majority of this book is spent with a few characters laying the groundwork for worldbuilding. I will admit that it took me a good 30% to finally know who all the characters were, and to stop mixing them up. There is a glossary of the people in this book, but I feel like there could have been one or two cut until they became more relevant, to help with the confusion.
We mostly stay with two main characters, Kat and Damant, who are on opposite sides of the conflict in this story. Kat is a thief captured to be executed, and Damant is a guard to the Countess of the family ordering the execution. Damant is a complicated character, in that he is loyal to the system, and yet is the reason for the creation of one of the leaders of the resistance. It took a bit longer for me to connect to Damant or his motives than it did to Kat, but eventually he grew on me.
As Kat progresses through the story, she slowly changes more and more from uncaring about anyone except herself, to helping others with no clear rewards for herself. I did appreciate this bit of growth, as there were a few bits near the beginning of the story that made me uncomfortable and if this was never changed I doubt I’d have continued the story.
(For instance, in her original apartment, she comments about the couple above her fighting and how the man is significantly larger than the woman and it only being a matter of time before he kills her, but she won’t intervene because she decided to stay with him so it’s her own fault. Yikes. I will admit, this being included made me consider DNFing because my trust for male fantasy authors is not very high, but as Kat grows she reflects on this instance specifically and regrets her actions. So I’m glad I continued.)
If you like fantasy stories with some action, but a lot of focus on politics, then this would be a good book for you. I do like some political fantasies, but I also felt that some of the action scenes were a bit lackluster.
(Kat keeps getting into fights with people that she KNOWS are stronger than her, and then is surprised when she loses? I don’t mean to be pedantic, but it got old watching her decide to get into fights when we already knew the end results. There were many times I felt like yelling “KAT YOU’VE ALREADY FOUGHT THIS PERSON AND LOST, WHY DO YOU THINK DOING IT AGAIN WOULD WORK?”)
There were also some issues I found with the description of places and objects, as they would be describing doing something and then suddenly something I didn’t picture would appear, and I’d have to go back to see if there was anything like it described that I missed. (The answer, usually, was no. It just appeared out of the blue and changed the scenery.)
A lot of this book vaguely reminded me of Wesley Chu’s “The War Arts Saga” fantasy series, so if you really enjoyed that I think this book would be a good fit. Personally, I kind of liked TWAS better than this book, but that was more to do with the confusion this book left me with at multiple instances and readability.
There is a plot twist near the end that completely changes how you read everything before, that I thought was extremely well done. There were multiple hints throughout the book where you knew something was off, but you didn’t quite realize what - but once the plot twist is revealed suddenly all the inconsistencies make sense. I really liked how it was done, and thought it really fit well into the story.
However, despite my complaints this story never reached the point where I felt compelled to DNF it, and I will be reading the sequel to see how the story progresses. My rating is for 3.5 stars, rated up, as this wasn’t a bad novel and once I understood better who was who and what exactly was going on, I enjoyed it much better. I think when the sequel comes out I might enjoy this book better on a reread, than I did initially.
This is a much slower-paced epic fantasy that, while it does pick up once the plot kicks off near the end, a good majority of this book is spent with a few characters laying the groundwork for worldbuilding. I will admit that it took me a good 30% to finally know who all the characters were, and to stop mixing them up. There is a glossary of the people in this book, but I feel like there could have been one or two cut until they became more relevant, to help with the confusion.
We mostly stay with two main characters, Kat and Damant, who are on opposite sides of the conflict in this story. Kat is a thief captured to be executed, and Damant is a guard to the Countess of the family ordering the execution. Damant is a complicated character, in that he is loyal to the system, and yet is the reason for the creation of one of the leaders of the resistance. It took a bit longer for me to connect to Damant or his motives than it did to Kat, but eventually he grew on me.
As Kat progresses through the story, she slowly changes more and more from uncaring about anyone except herself, to helping others with no clear rewards for herself. I did appreciate this bit of growth, as there were a few bits near the beginning of the story that made me uncomfortable and if this was never changed I doubt I’d have continued the story.
(For instance, in her original apartment, she comments about the couple above her fighting and how the man is significantly larger than the woman and it only being a matter of time before he kills her, but she won’t intervene because she decided to stay with him so it’s her own fault. Yikes. I will admit, this being included made me consider DNFing because my trust for male fantasy authors is not very high, but as Kat grows she reflects on this instance specifically and regrets her actions. So I’m glad I continued.)
If you like fantasy stories with some action, but a lot of focus on politics, then this would be a good book for you. I do like some political fantasies, but I also felt that some of the action scenes were a bit lackluster.
(Kat keeps getting into fights with people that she KNOWS are stronger than her, and then is surprised when she loses? I don’t mean to be pedantic, but it got old watching her decide to get into fights when we already knew the end results. There were many times I felt like yelling “KAT YOU’VE ALREADY FOUGHT THIS PERSON AND LOST, WHY DO YOU THINK DOING IT AGAIN WOULD WORK?”)
There were also some issues I found with the description of places and objects, as they would be describing doing something and then suddenly something I didn’t picture would appear, and I’d have to go back to see if there was anything like it described that I missed. (The answer, usually, was no. It just appeared out of the blue and changed the scenery.)
A lot of this book vaguely reminded me of Wesley Chu’s “The War Arts Saga” fantasy series, so if you really enjoyed that I think this book would be a good fit. Personally, I kind of liked TWAS better than this book, but that was more to do with the confusion this book left me with at multiple instances and readability.
There is a plot twist near the end that completely changes how you read everything before, that I thought was extremely well done. There were multiple hints throughout the book where you knew something was off, but you didn’t quite realize what - but once the plot twist is revealed suddenly all the inconsistencies make sense. I really liked how it was done, and thought it really fit well into the story.
However, despite my complaints this story never reached the point where I felt compelled to DNF it, and I will be reading the sequel to see how the story progresses. My rating is for 3.5 stars, rated up, as this wasn’t a bad novel and once I understood better who was who and what exactly was going on, I enjoyed it much better. I think when the sequel comes out I might enjoy this book better on a reread, than I did initially.
The art in this comic is beautiful and engaging, and it is short enough that I think anyone would enjoy it as a brief interlude into the world explored in this comic. I had never heard the tale described in this comic, so I have no idea if the legend is a true one, or one invented for the comic, but either way it fits well into the established mythos of the Greeks.
My biggest complaint is both how short the comic is, as well as the story not being as developed as it should be. I think, in the beginning, versus telling us the myth displayed in the comic, it should have shown us to tell the tale. In the same way, I kind of felt that the story was just slightly too predictable to be completely enjoyed on its own. However, the art itself is beautiful, and the comic successfully tells the tale it intended to, so there really isn't anything wrong with it - I just wish I had more to read.
I think anyone would enjoy reading this comic, both for the story and the art, and would recommend it if you were looking for a short and slightly dark aquatic tale.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Europe Comics for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
My biggest complaint is both how short the comic is, as well as the story not being as developed as it should be. I think, in the beginning, versus telling us the myth displayed in the comic, it should have shown us to tell the tale. In the same way, I kind of felt that the story was just slightly too predictable to be completely enjoyed on its own. However, the art itself is beautiful, and the comic successfully tells the tale it intended to, so there really isn't anything wrong with it - I just wish I had more to read.
I think anyone would enjoy reading this comic, both for the story and the art, and would recommend it if you were looking for a short and slightly dark aquatic tale.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Europe Comics for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
When I saw this being described as "horror poetry" I knew I had to try reading this. Poetry is not my preferred reading format, but these poems were impactful and dark to read. You really felt the emotions and trauma of the character being described, and the poetry format really lent to a deeper understanding of the actions being described. Lyrical and haunting, while these poems are not in a typical poetic format, they are written with an internal flow that gives the reader a very clear visual of the poem.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Querencia Press for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the author, Netgalley, and Querencia Press for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Simon & Schuster for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“Murder Your Local Tech Billionaire to Save the World” the Novel.
Okay, okay. So there’s no actual murder in this book. And a great deal of this novel focuses on differences in belief systems, rather than drastic plot actions. However, it’s catchy, and if I had to choose a brief description that would get me to read this novel, that’s what I’d use to describe this book.
This book is told through a few perspectives leading up to the end of the world. We follow a few of these aforementioned tech billionaires as they use a groundbreaking new technology to figure out when natural and manmade disasters reach the tipping point where they need to “get out of Dodge,” as it were. Their focus is on expanding their companies and making more money - regardless of the personal or environmental harm it will cause. It’s much easier to simply figure out when the end of the world would occur, and survive it so they can rule afterwards.
The other main perspectives follow a survivalist popular for showing others how to survive in extreme scenarios and prepping for disaster, and the assistant of one of the main companies in the novel. We also get excerpts from a forum of preppers discussing both survival - but also with a surprisingly large focus on religion (and mostly a cult started by one single man named Enoch).
Through individual perspectives, and this forum, we can see the connections to the current world, and the potentially unhinged ramblings of Enoch to his Enochnites. The main story told by Enoch focuses on two characters named Fox and Rabbit (hence, the cover art) where Fox is a hunter-gatherer who lives off the land but never fully settles or owns it, while Rabbit lives in cities and has become complacent and lost the ability to survive on his own. The novel focuses on whether one way of life is actually better than the other, and whether you should choose to leave and abandon - or stay and fix it.
In the Biblical context, this story of Fox and Rabbit is seen through many different characters, with focus in this novel on Lot and Abraham. Lot has settled in Sodom with his family, and eventually has to escape with his family before God destroys the entire city. Abraham, however, is blessed by God and travels from one place to another, teaching his gospel. The idea we focus on in this novel is whether the city of Sodom could have been saved vs destroyed. And we take this perspective to the world at large with the question - When do you leave? For how many people is it worth saving the world for?
The two differing perspectives in this novel then clash between these two ideologies. Is it better to simply continue on as we are and let the world eventually crash and burn, and climb out of the rubble to potentially make the changes we need to save it? Or should we incorporate some drastic changes now to avoid the end of the world altogether? Are we Fox or Rabbit? Do we let Sodom be destroyed?
I really enjoyed this book far more than I would have expected getting into it. Despite having a slow buildup, the narrative is engaging and really brings you into considering the larger picture - as well as the reflections to the world we currently live in. There are a few times where the timeline changes unexpectedly, and it can be hard to follow along, but it’s never so difficult that it takes you out of the story. I will also say that there were a few times near the end where it felt almost too hopeful and optimistic about the future (and reminded me of Tomorrowland 2023), but otherwise I would have liked to incorporate the solutions provided in this book. I was also unsure what the ending epilogue actually meant, but this book feels like one where you get more out of it on subsequent rereads (and despite really enjoying this novel, there were a few times it felt like I wasn’t smart enough to fully understand it - but once again, I expect to be rereading this novel more than once.)
“Murder Your Local Tech Billionaire to Save the World” the Novel.
Okay, okay. So there’s no actual murder in this book. And a great deal of this novel focuses on differences in belief systems, rather than drastic plot actions. However, it’s catchy, and if I had to choose a brief description that would get me to read this novel, that’s what I’d use to describe this book.
This book is told through a few perspectives leading up to the end of the world. We follow a few of these aforementioned tech billionaires as they use a groundbreaking new technology to figure out when natural and manmade disasters reach the tipping point where they need to “get out of Dodge,” as it were. Their focus is on expanding their companies and making more money - regardless of the personal or environmental harm it will cause. It’s much easier to simply figure out when the end of the world would occur, and survive it so they can rule afterwards.
The other main perspectives follow a survivalist popular for showing others how to survive in extreme scenarios and prepping for disaster, and the assistant of one of the main companies in the novel. We also get excerpts from a forum of preppers discussing both survival - but also with a surprisingly large focus on religion (and mostly a cult started by one single man named Enoch).
Through individual perspectives, and this forum, we can see the connections to the current world, and the potentially unhinged ramblings of Enoch to his Enochnites. The main story told by Enoch focuses on two characters named Fox and Rabbit (hence, the cover art) where Fox is a hunter-gatherer who lives off the land but never fully settles or owns it, while Rabbit lives in cities and has become complacent and lost the ability to survive on his own. The novel focuses on whether one way of life is actually better than the other, and whether you should choose to leave and abandon - or stay and fix it.
In the Biblical context, this story of Fox and Rabbit is seen through many different characters, with focus in this novel on Lot and Abraham. Lot has settled in Sodom with his family, and eventually has to escape with his family before God destroys the entire city. Abraham, however, is blessed by God and travels from one place to another, teaching his gospel. The idea we focus on in this novel is whether the city of Sodom could have been saved vs destroyed. And we take this perspective to the world at large with the question - When do you leave? For how many people is it worth saving the world for?
The two differing perspectives in this novel then clash between these two ideologies. Is it better to simply continue on as we are and let the world eventually crash and burn, and climb out of the rubble to potentially make the changes we need to save it? Or should we incorporate some drastic changes now to avoid the end of the world altogether? Are we Fox or Rabbit? Do we let Sodom be destroyed?
I really enjoyed this book far more than I would have expected getting into it. Despite having a slow buildup, the narrative is engaging and really brings you into considering the larger picture - as well as the reflections to the world we currently live in. There are a few times where the timeline changes unexpectedly, and it can be hard to follow along, but it’s never so difficult that it takes you out of the story. I will also say that there were a few times near the end where it felt almost too hopeful and optimistic about the future (and reminded me of Tomorrowland 2023), but otherwise I would have liked to incorporate the solutions provided in this book. I was also unsure what the ending epilogue actually meant, but this book feels like one where you get more out of it on subsequent rereads (and despite really enjoying this novel, there were a few times it felt like I wasn’t smart enough to fully understand it - but once again, I expect to be rereading this novel more than once.)
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin Young Readers Group/Viking Books for Young Readers for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There’s so many different aspects of this book that I’m just a sucker for - spooky forests, town cults, romance with a monster - all combined in a horror/romance novel? Sign me up. This book has been on my radar for a while, and I jumped at the chance to read this ARC of it when I got it.
If you liked Hannah Whitten’s The Wilderwood duology, I believe you’ll like this story. The romance while becoming a monster connected to a (potentially) sinister woods between Wil and Elwood reminded me (if only in vibes) of Red and Eammon. (Also the cult reminded me of J.-F. Dubeau’s “A God in the Shed” but I feel like there’s a bigger overlap between people who will read this novel and Hannah Whitten, and less in the strictly horror genre.) This book is a good meshing of these two concepts while still being its own unique (and great!) experience.
This book starts off strong, with Wil’s character fighting the local police about not working to find her mom. She’s rude and abrasive - but you sympathize with her. This book is great at getting you to also feel her anger and the injustice of her situation. The other POV character is Elwood, who is controlled and abused by his religious family and does everything in his power to appease them. Neither of these concepts are too difficult to understand, and I really appreciate the book just starting off with these actions and allowing the reader to infer and draw our own conclusions, instead of doing a lot of flashbacks and story exposition.
Wil and Elwood have recently had a falling out, as Wil believes Elwood’s family has had something to do with her mother’s disappearance. However, once Elwood realizes that his “training” to become a pastor when he turns 18 is really a death-knell to sacrifice him, he runs away and straight into Wil’s reluctant waiting arms. And it is at this point that the story REALLY kicks off in such a delicious way, that I finished this book in one sitting - and at no point did I feel like I was reading, or did I think “How much longer do I have to go to finish this story?” I was hooked from the get-go.
This story is told by dual POVs, and I think it’s done really well. Both POVs work off of each other, and at no point are we simply repeating what we already learned, just from the other character’s point of view. The switches make sense, move the story forward, and provide both needed context and where each character is at emotionally. It’s told in a very dynamic way, and at no point was I bored.
The combination of the horror of the town and the monster that Elwood is transforming into, combined with the romance growing between Wil and Elwood was fantastic. I LOVE horror/romance and I will eat up “person is becoming more and more of a monster, and can you love them when they’re more monster than person” EVERY TIME. That is my jam.
The tension building is great, and you can really feel the slowly tightening of the noose on all the characters as the danger rises and their ability to escape dries up. They’re trapped in this town, and surrounded by a forest that may or may not be sinister (and filled with people who absolutely are), and you can absolutely feel it.
I will say, however, that unless you NEVER read novels like this with these premises, I don’t think too many of the plot twists or surprises will get you. That’s not a bad thing, in my honest opinion, but I wouldn’t expect anything earth-shattering unless A) you didn’t read the synopsis and B) this is so far outside your typical genre that everything is new. However this type of book is SO my jam, and I love how it was put together and told so much that I personally didn’t need to be shocked or surprised by twists that I saw coming. I still loved them.
Also the bittersweet ending made me cry. I don’t know how the author would be able to create a full second book to this, as it ends almost perfectly - but I would NOT be against a bonus chapter or novella of Wil and Elwood.
Overall, I really loved this book and it provided everything I was hoping for when I read the synopsis, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.
This is the romance novel you want to kick off fall reading!
There’s so many different aspects of this book that I’m just a sucker for - spooky forests, town cults, romance with a monster - all combined in a horror/romance novel? Sign me up. This book has been on my radar for a while, and I jumped at the chance to read this ARC of it when I got it.
If you liked Hannah Whitten’s The Wilderwood duology, I believe you’ll like this story. The romance while becoming a monster connected to a (potentially) sinister woods between Wil and Elwood reminded me (if only in vibes) of Red and Eammon. (Also the cult reminded me of J.-F. Dubeau’s “A God in the Shed” but I feel like there’s a bigger overlap between people who will read this novel and Hannah Whitten, and less in the strictly horror genre.) This book is a good meshing of these two concepts while still being its own unique (and great!) experience.
This book starts off strong, with Wil’s character fighting the local police about not working to find her mom. She’s rude and abrasive - but you sympathize with her. This book is great at getting you to also feel her anger and the injustice of her situation. The other POV character is Elwood, who is controlled and abused by his religious family and does everything in his power to appease them. Neither of these concepts are too difficult to understand, and I really appreciate the book just starting off with these actions and allowing the reader to infer and draw our own conclusions, instead of doing a lot of flashbacks and story exposition.
Wil and Elwood have recently had a falling out, as Wil believes Elwood’s family has had something to do with her mother’s disappearance. However, once Elwood realizes that his “training” to become a pastor when he turns 18 is really a death-knell to sacrifice him, he runs away and straight into Wil’s reluctant waiting arms. And it is at this point that the story REALLY kicks off in such a delicious way, that I finished this book in one sitting - and at no point did I feel like I was reading, or did I think “How much longer do I have to go to finish this story?” I was hooked from the get-go.
This story is told by dual POVs, and I think it’s done really well. Both POVs work off of each other, and at no point are we simply repeating what we already learned, just from the other character’s point of view. The switches make sense, move the story forward, and provide both needed context and where each character is at emotionally. It’s told in a very dynamic way, and at no point was I bored.
The combination of the horror of the town and the monster that Elwood is transforming into, combined with the romance growing between Wil and Elwood was fantastic. I LOVE horror/romance and I will eat up “person is becoming more and more of a monster, and can you love them when they’re more monster than person” EVERY TIME. That is my jam.
The tension building is great, and you can really feel the slowly tightening of the noose on all the characters as the danger rises and their ability to escape dries up. They’re trapped in this town, and surrounded by a forest that may or may not be sinister (and filled with people who absolutely are), and you can absolutely feel it.
I will say, however, that unless you NEVER read novels like this with these premises, I don’t think too many of the plot twists or surprises will get you. That’s not a bad thing, in my honest opinion, but I wouldn’t expect anything earth-shattering unless A) you didn’t read the synopsis and B) this is so far outside your typical genre that everything is new. However this type of book is SO my jam, and I love how it was put together and told so much that I personally didn’t need to be shocked or surprised by twists that I saw coming. I still loved them.
Also the bittersweet ending made me cry. I don’t know how the author would be able to create a full second book to this, as it ends almost perfectly - but I would NOT be against a bonus chapter or novella of Wil and Elwood.
Overall, I really loved this book and it provided everything I was hoping for when I read the synopsis, and I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy.
This is the romance novel you want to kick off fall reading!
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Random House Ballantine/Del Rey for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Before I started reading Destiny, I re-read Prophecy - which, while a good idea, I do not believe is necessary to catch all the minor details. This second novel is great at re-introducing ideas we learned in Prophecy, without being over-explanatory to concepts we should “already” know. I do still think it’s a good idea to re-read the first book when reading a sequel, but that’s also in part because the first book was also great so it’s not a great loss to re-read it.
This book starts with a timeskip from the ending of The Art of Prophecy. The best way I can describe this series, and I mean this with admiration, is as if I’m watching a TV show. Prophecy ends with two of our main leads - Taishi and Jian (along with Zofi) escaping and with Taishi finally starting Jian’s training as a windwhisper. It’s very cinematic, a great ending to the book that makes you want to continue with the series. I could almost picture it as the season finale.
Destiny, then, starts with a timeskip. We still focus on the same four characters with their own POV chapters - Taishi, Jian, Qisami, and Salminde - but we see the effects of the end of the first book in their current lives.
- Jian is much more trained as a war artist, but he’s still struggling with mastering the art of windwhispering
- Taishi is aging and her body occasionally fails her, along with her worries of promoting Jian and leaving him without a master
- Qisami and her shadowkill cell are dealing with the aftermath of their failed capture of Jian, and are now struggling to make ends meet after having been demoted
- Salminde is struggling with the piece of her soul from the eternal Khan, and it is rotting her away as she searches for a way to remove it without sacrificing her life
I did catch something in Prophecy I somehow missed during my first read - the prophecy is not actually broken. The Zhuun believe the eternal Khan is an immortal being, but the Katuia know that it is an unbroken cycle of people being possessed and becoming the Khan. It’s also fascinating that this same cycle happens with the oracle who originally told the prophecy of the hero who would kill the eternal Khan. There’s definitely a connection here, and Destiny works to explain the larger picture about how everything connects.
I think it’s very interesting how the understanding of the belief systems in these novels change depending on whose POV we are following. This is something I really enjoyed in both novels - there are no outright villains in the conflict between the Zhuun and the Katuia, nor is there anyone directly in the right. We can sympathize with Jian being the prophesied hero of the Tiandi, but we also sympathize with Salminde and her people as well. We get a nuanced view of the conflict from both sides, and I always enjoy that within my fantasy novels.
The main character POVs in this novel are mostly separated from one-another, as opposed to in Prophecy when there were multiple times they directly interacted. Jian and Taishi have one plot, and then Qisami and Salminde each have their own plots. Other than a brief meeting in the book, none of these plots really interconnect. However, we (as the reader) can see the overarching plot that interconnects everything, even if it hasn’t technically occurred yet.
The way these POVs inform our understanding of the prophecy/religion, strongly remind me of Samantha Shannon’s “The Priory of the Orange Tree.” In both these series, there are almost separated plots happening with each of the named characters, and it’s not until significantly later that we can see how they interconnect to the larger plot. Each character having their own separate plots also allows us a deeper look into the world without being “stuck” in one place. Jian and Taishi are focusing on his training to (possibly) defeat the eternal Khan if the prophecy still exists. Salminde is exploring the birthplace of the Khan and through her we gain more understanding of the religions involving him. Qisami’s chapters are more focused on the Dukes and the politics surrounding the world, expanding our knowledge of the political conflicts that were only hinted at in Prophecy.
A big theme in Destiny is doing what you believe to be right, even if it’s against expectations or what everyone else expects you to do. That it’s more important to do the right thing in the moment, to help the people being directly affected, than doing some nebulous “right” thing that may or may not have a better impact in the future. Do what you know will help, not just what you hope will pay off in the future. Each character is given growth to learn and be their own person, and each one surprised me with their actions and how it related to their growth as a character.
While this book does feel like it’s the middle novel in a fantasy series, that’s not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion. Personally, I only find it an issue if I didn’t enjoy the first novel.
However, I enjoy how these books are set up to be extremely character driven with focus on the thoughts of the POV characters. I think Destiny is excellent at expanding each of the POV characters to give us both a better understanding of their character, while also allowing each of them to grow as a character. None of the four POV characters remain stagnant in Destiny, and each of them grows and changes in some way throughout the novel. Personally, I was really interested in the more in-depth character analysis of Qisami, and she really grew on me throughout Destiny as she became less and less of a single-note character.
I highly recommend The Art of Destiny, as it took everything I was hoping for in a sequel after I read The Art of Prophecy, and accomplished it and more. There were some plot twists that happened that I ABSOLUTELY did not see coming. It really allowed me to learn more about the characters and bond with them more (even Qisami, which surprised me).
And finally - The Art of Destiny - just like The Art of Prophecy - ends on a season finale decision that makes me excited to continue the series in the next book.
Before I started reading Destiny, I re-read Prophecy - which, while a good idea, I do not believe is necessary to catch all the minor details. This second novel is great at re-introducing ideas we learned in Prophecy, without being over-explanatory to concepts we should “already” know. I do still think it’s a good idea to re-read the first book when reading a sequel, but that’s also in part because the first book was also great so it’s not a great loss to re-read it.
This book starts with a timeskip from the ending of The Art of Prophecy. The best way I can describe this series, and I mean this with admiration, is as if I’m watching a TV show. Prophecy ends with two of our main leads - Taishi and Jian (along with Zofi) escaping and with Taishi finally starting Jian’s training as a windwhisper. It’s very cinematic, a great ending to the book that makes you want to continue with the series. I could almost picture it as the season finale.
Destiny, then, starts with a timeskip. We still focus on the same four characters with their own POV chapters - Taishi, Jian, Qisami, and Salminde - but we see the effects of the end of the first book in their current lives.
- Jian is much more trained as a war artist, but he’s still struggling with mastering the art of windwhispering
- Taishi is aging and her body occasionally fails her, along with her worries of promoting Jian and leaving him without a master
- Qisami and her shadowkill cell are dealing with the aftermath of their failed capture of Jian, and are now struggling to make ends meet after having been demoted
- Salminde is struggling with the piece of her soul from the eternal Khan, and it is rotting her away as she searches for a way to remove it without sacrificing her life
I did catch something in Prophecy I somehow missed during my first read - the prophecy is not actually broken. The Zhuun believe the eternal Khan is an immortal being, but the Katuia know that it is an unbroken cycle of people being possessed and becoming the Khan. It’s also fascinating that this same cycle happens with the oracle who originally told the prophecy of the hero who would kill the eternal Khan. There’s definitely a connection here, and Destiny works to explain the larger picture about how everything connects.
I think it’s very interesting how the understanding of the belief systems in these novels change depending on whose POV we are following. This is something I really enjoyed in both novels - there are no outright villains in the conflict between the Zhuun and the Katuia, nor is there anyone directly in the right. We can sympathize with Jian being the prophesied hero of the Tiandi, but we also sympathize with Salminde and her people as well. We get a nuanced view of the conflict from both sides, and I always enjoy that within my fantasy novels.
The main character POVs in this novel are mostly separated from one-another, as opposed to in Prophecy when there were multiple times they directly interacted. Jian and Taishi have one plot, and then Qisami and Salminde each have their own plots. Other than a brief meeting in the book, none of these plots really interconnect. However, we (as the reader) can see the overarching plot that interconnects everything, even if it hasn’t technically occurred yet.
The way these POVs inform our understanding of the prophecy/religion, strongly remind me of Samantha Shannon’s “The Priory of the Orange Tree.” In both these series, there are almost separated plots happening with each of the named characters, and it’s not until significantly later that we can see how they interconnect to the larger plot. Each character having their own separate plots also allows us a deeper look into the world without being “stuck” in one place. Jian and Taishi are focusing on his training to (possibly) defeat the eternal Khan if the prophecy still exists. Salminde is exploring the birthplace of the Khan and through her we gain more understanding of the religions involving him. Qisami’s chapters are more focused on the Dukes and the politics surrounding the world, expanding our knowledge of the political conflicts that were only hinted at in Prophecy.
A big theme in Destiny is doing what you believe to be right, even if it’s against expectations or what everyone else expects you to do. That it’s more important to do the right thing in the moment, to help the people being directly affected, than doing some nebulous “right” thing that may or may not have a better impact in the future. Do what you know will help, not just what you hope will pay off in the future. Each character is given growth to learn and be their own person, and each one surprised me with their actions and how it related to their growth as a character.
While this book does feel like it’s the middle novel in a fantasy series, that’s not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion. Personally, I only find it an issue if I didn’t enjoy the first novel.
However, I enjoy how these books are set up to be extremely character driven with focus on the thoughts of the POV characters. I think Destiny is excellent at expanding each of the POV characters to give us both a better understanding of their character, while also allowing each of them to grow as a character. None of the four POV characters remain stagnant in Destiny, and each of them grows and changes in some way throughout the novel. Personally, I was really interested in the more in-depth character analysis of Qisami, and she really grew on me throughout Destiny as she became less and less of a single-note character.
I highly recommend The Art of Destiny, as it took everything I was hoping for in a sequel after I read The Art of Prophecy, and accomplished it and more. There were some plot twists that happened that I ABSOLUTELY did not see coming. It really allowed me to learn more about the characters and bond with them more (even Qisami, which surprised me).
And finally - The Art of Destiny - just like The Art of Prophecy - ends on a season finale decision that makes me excited to continue the series in the next book.
A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
If you, like me, have heard any variation of “The Selkie Wife” and were horrified by it and wished you could do something to save the “wife” - this book is for you. I’ve loved the idea of selkies for as long as I’ve loved fantasy and folklore, but that story has always struck me as cruel and violent - and it doesn’t seem to acknowledge it! In the story it’s shown as her being terrible for abandoning her husband and children, and the poor fisherman is left to wallow in his loneliness - as if you’re supposed to forget she was kidnapped and held captive! The selkie “wife” was never a wife - she was a prisoner - and this book absolutely lets you know it.
The tension building in this book is phenomenal - even when you (the reader) know what’s going on, while Jean (the character) doesn’t - it never drags or feels contrived. Like any character in a story - she doesn’t know she’s in one, and would you believe the beautiful woman who randomly showed up during a storm to give birth is actually a mythical creature? Of course not! Her issues with her husband stem from not knowing the language, being a new mother, and being more isolated than she should - all easily fixed and nothing to really concern yourself with. Why would you assume she’s a prisoner in her own home until all the dots start connecting in ways you never expected them to - and now you’re on a time limit to save her before the worst happens.
This book is great at slowly increasing the horror and stress as Jean goes about her day-to-day life. The slowly escalating horror is so well done it feels natural, and makes you anxious about what will happen next. At no point did I know exactly what would happen or how it would turn out, but I certainly hoped for one resolution and feared for the other. Once the horror aspect of the novel picked up I could NOT put this book down and had to finish it.
The characters and their relationships all feel natural and organic. Jean and Muirin have a natural chemistry that just makes them fit together - even through the language barrier. Tobias’ character is phenomenal for appearing like a worried husband - at first - and slowly showing you his true character behind his facade. Even on his best behavior, he brings a kind of uneasiness to the reader that you can’t shake. Jean’s relationships with the other main characters in the novel never feel contrived to move the plot along - it makes sense she’d be close to the midwife who birthed her and who wasn’t able to save her mother from herself, as well as forming a close friendship with her son. At no point when two characters were talking did I feel like I was reading words on a page instead of a conversation.
This book was everything I hoped for and more when I read the synopsis. There were multiple times near the end where I was crying and I had to quickly wipe my eyes so I could keep reading. This is the queer retelling of The Selkie Wife we have been hoping for, and I cannot recommend this book enough.
If you, like me, have heard any variation of “The Selkie Wife” and were horrified by it and wished you could do something to save the “wife” - this book is for you. I’ve loved the idea of selkies for as long as I’ve loved fantasy and folklore, but that story has always struck me as cruel and violent - and it doesn’t seem to acknowledge it! In the story it’s shown as her being terrible for abandoning her husband and children, and the poor fisherman is left to wallow in his loneliness - as if you’re supposed to forget she was kidnapped and held captive! The selkie “wife” was never a wife - she was a prisoner - and this book absolutely lets you know it.
The tension building in this book is phenomenal - even when you (the reader) know what’s going on, while Jean (the character) doesn’t - it never drags or feels contrived. Like any character in a story - she doesn’t know she’s in one, and would you believe the beautiful woman who randomly showed up during a storm to give birth is actually a mythical creature? Of course not! Her issues with her husband stem from not knowing the language, being a new mother, and being more isolated than she should - all easily fixed and nothing to really concern yourself with. Why would you assume she’s a prisoner in her own home until all the dots start connecting in ways you never expected them to - and now you’re on a time limit to save her before the worst happens.
This book is great at slowly increasing the horror and stress as Jean goes about her day-to-day life. The slowly escalating horror is so well done it feels natural, and makes you anxious about what will happen next. At no point did I know exactly what would happen or how it would turn out, but I certainly hoped for one resolution and feared for the other. Once the horror aspect of the novel picked up I could NOT put this book down and had to finish it.
The characters and their relationships all feel natural and organic. Jean and Muirin have a natural chemistry that just makes them fit together - even through the language barrier. Tobias’ character is phenomenal for appearing like a worried husband - at first - and slowly showing you his true character behind his facade. Even on his best behavior, he brings a kind of uneasiness to the reader that you can’t shake. Jean’s relationships with the other main characters in the novel never feel contrived to move the plot along - it makes sense she’d be close to the midwife who birthed her and who wasn’t able to save her mother from herself, as well as forming a close friendship with her son. At no point when two characters were talking did I feel like I was reading words on a page instead of a conversation.
This book was everything I hoped for and more when I read the synopsis. There were multiple times near the end where I was crying and I had to quickly wipe my eyes so I could keep reading. This is the queer retelling of The Selkie Wife we have been hoping for, and I cannot recommend this book enough.
A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Holiday House/Peachtree/Pixel+Ink/Peachtree Teen for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“Maybe poetry wasn’t there to let you escape. Maybe it was there when you couldn’t escape.”
Not only is the main character a poet, but so is this entire novel. Reading this book felt like reading poetry, so lyrical and haunting that it almost didn’t feel like reading at all, but instead simply an experience. I had to finish this book in one sitting, as once I started I couldn’t stop.
This novel does an incredible job of incorporating American folklore into this story, while still maintaining its unique narrative. It takes considerable skill to take the stories of Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan and use them to create a heartfelt gothic horror narrative with a captivating romance. I also really loved how the spread of the knowledge of the Sap Man spread organically throughout the novel, giving an in-novel explanation for other characters’ knowledge of the Sap Man.
This book is told by dual timelines through the two main characters - Catalina and John. I really enjoyed this way of telling the story, as you could watch both the past and present unfold as both characters wound up at the same place in the end. It allows the reader to see the entire story without spoiling it for either the characters, or the reader themselves.
I thought it really set up for the Faustian dealings that both characters are tricked and forced into making, and the symmetry inherent in it. As Catalina tracks the Sap Man to rescue her brother - a literal journey into Hell - we watch John slowly descend into making the deal that creates the monster. They’ve both made choices that may have led to the final decisions they were forced to make, but they were also forced into those original positions by circumstances out of their control. Neither character is a villain for the decisions they’re forced to make, and I thought that was profound.
I loved the dynamic between Paul and Catalina, and how she grew to care for him despite her intentions of maintaining her distance. This really reminded me of the romance in Ava Reid’s “The Wolf and the Woodsman,” if only in vibes and circumstances (and how much I loved it.)
The interpretation of the Devil as the Banker was very clever - especially in regards to the theme of Faustian deals within this book. A person most likely desperate enough to make a literal deal with the Devil (and not read the fine print on any deals they do sign) would be those in dire financial straits. And so who else would they make these deals with, than the Bank in hopes of changing their fates?
I love the theme of wordplay and artifice within this novel, as it’s not until the deals are signed that the characters learn the truth of them, or what they actually agreed to. And the theme of wordplay and trickery makes the ending all the better, when Catalina uses her power of words through her poetry to her advantage.
“Little did she know the monster was her.”
I love how this is a novel that embraces the monstrous parts of yourself and still considers them worthy of love. Catalina is forced to become a monster to be able to survive her end of the bargain and protect the ones she loves, and she’s not condemned for it by the narrative.
The ending was so heartfelt and perfect that I almost cried. Part of me was worried that it was simply Too Perfect and was worried about a rugpull at the end. (Luckily for my heart that didn’t happen.)
I honestly think I’ll be thinking about this book for a while to come, and I will never see apples - or apple orchards - the same way again.
“Maybe poetry wasn’t there to let you escape. Maybe it was there when you couldn’t escape.”
Not only is the main character a poet, but so is this entire novel. Reading this book felt like reading poetry, so lyrical and haunting that it almost didn’t feel like reading at all, but instead simply an experience. I had to finish this book in one sitting, as once I started I couldn’t stop.
This novel does an incredible job of incorporating American folklore into this story, while still maintaining its unique narrative. It takes considerable skill to take the stories of Johnny Appleseed and Paul Bunyan and use them to create a heartfelt gothic horror narrative with a captivating romance. I also really loved how the spread of the knowledge of the Sap Man spread organically throughout the novel, giving an in-novel explanation for other characters’ knowledge of the Sap Man.
This book is told by dual timelines through the two main characters - Catalina and John. I really enjoyed this way of telling the story, as you could watch both the past and present unfold as both characters wound up at the same place in the end. It allows the reader to see the entire story without spoiling it for either the characters, or the reader themselves.
I thought it really set up for the Faustian dealings that both characters are tricked and forced into making, and the symmetry inherent in it. As Catalina tracks the Sap Man to rescue her brother - a literal journey into Hell - we watch John slowly descend into making the deal that creates the monster. They’ve both made choices that may have led to the final decisions they were forced to make, but they were also forced into those original positions by circumstances out of their control. Neither character is a villain for the decisions they’re forced to make, and I thought that was profound.
I loved the dynamic between Paul and Catalina, and how she grew to care for him despite her intentions of maintaining her distance. This really reminded me of the romance in Ava Reid’s “The Wolf and the Woodsman,” if only in vibes and circumstances (and how much I loved it.)
The interpretation of the Devil as the Banker was very clever - especially in regards to the theme of Faustian deals within this book. A person most likely desperate enough to make a literal deal with the Devil (and not read the fine print on any deals they do sign) would be those in dire financial straits. And so who else would they make these deals with, than the Bank in hopes of changing their fates?
I love the theme of wordplay and artifice within this novel, as it’s not until the deals are signed that the characters learn the truth of them, or what they actually agreed to. And the theme of wordplay and trickery makes the ending all the better, when Catalina uses her power of words through her poetry to her advantage.
“Little did she know the monster was her.”
I love how this is a novel that embraces the monstrous parts of yourself and still considers them worthy of love. Catalina is forced to become a monster to be able to survive her end of the bargain and protect the ones she loves, and she’s not condemned for it by the narrative.
The ending was so heartfelt and perfect that I almost cried. Part of me was worried that it was simply Too Perfect and was worried about a rugpull at the end. (Luckily for my heart that didn’t happen.)
I honestly think I’ll be thinking about this book for a while to come, and I will never see apples - or apple orchards - the same way again.