Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

I am not proud to admit that I let out a little squeak of delight when I found out that Juliana and Caroline were getting their own novella. Their love story and secret engagement has been playing out in the background for too long! I’m a sucker for secret fiances and star-crossed lovers, so I knew I would love this before I even opened it up.

Burgis does a fantastic job of setting up the story with just the right about of yearning, hardheadedness, and miscommunication from our ladies. Throw in some humour, good friends, and a magical wood and you have a perfect romance novella.

I love the setting of these books so much, and with the introduction of new characters in this Moontangled I’m hoping that we get to see more of the students at Harwood College of Magic get their own stories and happily ever afters. Regardless of what happens in the next book in the series, I can guarantee I’ll be devouring it as soon as I am able.

Originally posted to I Should Read That

This is a spoiler-free review.

Gods of Jade and Shadow caught my eye when it released last July — I mean, look at that cover! Being buried under a pile of books — as per usual — I never got the chance to look into it until I asked a friend about books featuring Mexican mythology. She recommended this book and I snapped it up, once again proving that I have amazing friends with great taste in books. I can’t believe I had nearly let Gods of Jade and Shadow pass me by!

There is a lot to love about Gods of Jade and Shadow, however I think the beautiful world building and writing are among my favourites. Moreno-Garcia paints a vibrant picture of each area in 1920’s Mexico Casiopea visits, bringing to life one of the most fascinating periods in history with a fantasy twist. I absolutely loved the real and underworld settings — her combination of fiction and reality are fantastically done and so wonderfully vivid. Although the book was a little slow to start for me, the imagery kept me invested in the tale until things picked up. The book reads like a fairy tale with creepy ghosts, fierce maidens, and mysterious lands, and they’re beautifully described.

Casiopea is an incredible character, especially for a woman in a fairy tale-like book. She has so much fire and fierceness, but she also has so much agency. Throughout the book she is asked to make important decisions and make sacrifices on Hun-Kame’s behalf and she makes the decision for herself — he cannot force her hand or coerce her. She is one of the most wonderfully active women I’ve ever read in a fantasy book and I totally fell in love with her fiery personality, her hopes and dreams for a better life, and her wonderfully complex characterisation. However, I did have a detachment to all the other characters in the book, most notably the God of Death himself Hun-Kame. While so much heart and soul was poured into Casiopea, I felt like the others were a little less vivid and memorable, and I would have loved to see the secondary characters stand out a bit more.

I adored the additions of the Mayan and Mexican mythology in this book. I’m not familiar with these mythologies, however having finished this book I desperately want to learn more. The concept of the underworld, the gods, the rituals and traditions, all of these things were new and fascinating to me and I feel like this book has opened up a whole new world of folklore for me!

Gods of Jade and Shadow is a great read, despite the slower start and lack of standout secondary characters. A beautiful, historical fairy tale, Gods of Jade and Shadow will ignite your imagination.

My first Kameron Hurley book, and damn. This was everything I wanted Starship Troopers to be. RTC!

Originally published on I Should Read That

I was sent a digital copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is a spoiler-free review.

I was captivated by the cover of Rogerson’s debut, An Enchantment of Ravens, but was ultimately lukewarm on the book itself. Despite this, I perked up when I heard about the release of Sorcery of Thorns. Not only does Sorcery have a great cover as well, it sounded like my exact cup of tea where Enchantment did not — who doesn’t love sword-wielding librarians, sentient grimoires, and sassy magicians? I’m so pleased to say that I really, really enjoyed Sorcery of Thorns and am so happy I gave her writing another chance.

You know what I haven’t done in awhile? Read a book that’s just pure fun. That’s what Sorcery of Thorns gave me — pure fun. I read the majority of this book while I was stuck at home with a cold and it’s the perfect read for a sick day. It reminded me in many ways of The Princess Bride — the ultimate sick day film — with it’s swaggering hero and delightful banter. Although it has some dark moments — it does, after all, feature a necromancy and conspiracy — I found this book to be an absolute delight. If you’re a little burned out on super grim fantasy books, I couldn’t recommend this one more highly.

The characters are at the heart of what makes this book so fun. I absolutely loved their relationships and the connections they forge as the story progresses. I will admit that Elizabeth was probably my least favourite of our three main characters though. It took me awhile to warm up to her and she initially came across as, ahem, not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. I understand that she grew up in isolation and didn’t have a lot of worldly experience, however I still had trouble connecting with her until the second half of the book. Although I’m not often a huge fan of YA heroes, I found Nathaniel totally charming and delightful.

However, one character stole the show for me, and that was Silas. The demonic servant who takes on the form of an adorable fluffy white cat (a reference to Mogget from Sabriel, perhaps?)? The quiet, non-human caretaker who looks after our bumbling humans from the shadows? Of course he was my favourite character. I would love a novella that takes place before Sorcery of Thorns that just follows Silas. Actually, I’d love a whole spin-off series about Silas. More Silas is required.

I was so surprised and impressed by Sorcery of Thorns. If you didn’t enjoy An Enchantment of Ravens but like the sound of this book, I’d highly encourage you to pick it up. Sorcery of Thorns is the perfect book to read in a single sitting — you’ll tumble into the pages and lose yourself in the story.

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.

There is a certain kind of magic that you get from books about books -- regardless of age range or genre, these kinds of stories will always warm my heart. I was absolutely thrilled to get the chance to read The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep before the UK publication date and was totally charmed by this fantastic book!

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep focuses mainly on Victorian literature, particularly the works of Charles Dickens, however I do not think you need to have read -- or studied, in my case -- classics in order to comprehend the wonder of this book. Regardless of whether or not you’re a fantasy fan, I think you’ll love this book if you’re a reader.

For me, this book can be summed up in one word: charming. You can really feel Parry's passion not only for these classic tales, but for the original characters she creates as well. Parry does a fantastic job of taking beloved and well-known characters and breathing life into them -- each was recognisable from the source material yet felt like an original creation. She adds layers of creativity and innovation with the magic that brings these characters into the real world -- they manifest with certain aspects of their readers' imagination so no two individual characters (or five, in some cases) are quite the same.

However,  the book doesn't just focus on fictional favourites. Rob and Charley had just as much spark to them as characters like Uriah Heep or Heathcliff, and the interactions between the fictional characters and real people were just wonderful. There was so much humor and banter and I got so much joy from reading this book -- it's the prefect thing to snuggle up with on sofa in the evenings.

But this book isn’t just fluff and literary love. My favourite aspect of the book is actually the deep and complex relationship between Rob and Charley -- in a way, this book is really all about the complexities of familial relationships, especially between siblings who are just dramatically different people. I really loved the fact that the story is told from Rob’s point of view rather than Charley's -- who would maybe be the more obvious choice for a POV character. This gave a much more interesting perspective on the narrative because of his complicated feelings about Charley and the amazing and unique power he possesses. Giving the reader the complexity of his point of view helped shape this book from a good one to a great one.

The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep is a lovely, complex, and charming book that is sure to delight any book lover. I couldn't recommend it more highly, regardless of whether you're a reader of classics or not.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Have to ponder this one a bit. Some amazing bits, some less amazing bits. Review to come.

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.

I’m not much of a horror reader, however lately I have been dipping my toe into the genre and am loving what I’ve been read so far. Having recently finished My Best Friend’s Exorcism, I was so excited to pick up Hendrix’s new book, The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires. His trademark wit and humor balanced the truly horrifying elements of the book, making it a thrilling, hilarious, and fast-paced read that kept me up long past my bedtime.

True crime-obsessed ‘90s housewives who goes head to head with the vampire across the street in their middle class neighborhood? Sign me up! So much of this book was wonderfully unique, from the setting to the characters and even Hendrix's take on vampires. I absolutely loved the South Carolina backdrop that blended Southern culture with the 1990's flavour -- it made for such a wonderfully atmospheric setting that you could sink right into. Hendrix's characters are so wonderful because they're not the standard heroines you see in novels -- they're the Southern housewives who are constantly overlooked by their husbands and their society who get to fight an ancient evil. They're ordinary women who do extraordinary things, and I'm an absolute sucker for these kinds of characters.

I really loved Patricia as a main character. She’s certainly not perfect -- she’s stressed, unhappy, and overly concerned about keeping up appearances with her neighbors. Much of the story is occupied by her struggles to keep her life in order as the strange and supernatural begins to keep in. Since we get her the story primarily from her point of view, we see past the layers of smiles and social niceties to see the real Patricia, the one who is frustrated by her husband's overworking, her teenagers' moods, and her totally ordinary life. One of my favourite aspects of the book is, of course, the book club. I love Patricia's imperfect friendships with these women, and despite their incredibly different personalities and lives, as well as the conflicts that arise between them, their relationships grow and evolve. I love books with great depictions of female friendships, even if they're not perfect, and this one is no exception.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires was such a wonderful escape from reality. Equal parts funny and horrifying, it’s a great horror read to read with all the lights on.

CW: Suicide and attempted suicide, rape, gore

Originally posted to I Should Read That

My interest in Into the Drowning Deep can be summarised in two words: killer mermaids. Add on the fact that Mira Grant is a pen name for Seanan McGuire, the author of the Wayward Children series, and I knew this was a book I had to read. Ultimately, I was left a little disappointed -- while Into the Drowning Deep had fantastic bits, the overall book just didn’t quite work for me.

To address the most important thing first: I absolutely loved the way Grant handled the mermaids in this book. Not only were they actually scary, she clearly did a ton of research in biology and marine biology, not to mention a whole host of other sciences, to portray a logical and realistic depiction of what mermaids would actually be like, from their physiology and appearance to their methods of hunting and communication. She even came up with sirenology, the study of mermaids, to include in the book and it felt like it could be real. As the mermaids the part of the book I was most excited about, I was completely and totally thrilled with their portrayal -- my only issue is that I wanted to see more of them!

Speaking of the research Grant must have done in order to write this book, Into the Drowning Deep is almost too scientific. I had heard that the scientific descriptions and passages bogged the story down, but I didn’t think it would bother me too much. It did. It totally dragged the pacing down, and in some cases ground the book to a screeching halt and it was an absolute struggle to get through in some parts. I genuinely believe that about 100 pages of science could have been cut from this book and it would have significantly improved the pacing and story. It also would have allowed for more killer mermaids!

In terms of characters, I was really surprised by who I liked and did not like. The standout characters were incredible -- Dr Toth -- the sirenologist, Mr Blackwell -- the representative of Imagine Entertainment, and Olivia -- the face of the documentary -- were absolutely amazing characters. I especially loved Dr Toth and Mr Blackwell’s interactions and their dialogue was so good and fun. The major surprise, however, was Tory -- the sister of one of the first expedition's victims and the woman set up to be our main character. She had all the ingredients to be an incredible character, however she just fell completely flat. Not only was she incredibly boring to read about, I didn’t feel like she had any personality. The only thing she had going for her was her romance, which I didn’t love because it came out of absolutely nowhere and felt so artificial.

The cast of Into the Drowning Deep is absolutely massive and a huge number of them are POV characters -- in fact, there must be around 12-15 different POVs throughout the book. Because of this, the book felt incredibly disjointed and I was unable to connect with a number of the people I should have adored. We also get to see the POV of some of the mermaids and other sea creatures, which quite frankly was bizarre. There was so much work that needed to be done around the characters, which was so unfortunate.

Overall, Into the Drowning Deep is an okay read, but not one I’d recommend unless you really enjoy hard science in your books. It delivered on what it promised, however I think that there are so ways in which this book could have been so much better. Although I like McGuire's fantasy stories, I’m not in a rush to pick up any more of her Mira Grant books.

Originally posted to I Should Read That

If you’ve been around here for long, you may realise that Pine is not the kind of book I typically pick up -- I tend to lean toward science fiction and fantasy rather than contemporary-set books. However, I was drawn in by its stunning cover and mysterious description. I took a chance and bought a copy and I’m so thrilled I did! Pine is a gorgeous, literary ghost story that will make the hair on the back of your neck rise.

I don’t want to say too much about this haunting tale because Pine is one of those books that is best to go into blind, however I will say that I absolutely loved every single thing about it. The writing is lovely (Toon previously wrote poetry and it shows), the characterisation is fantastic, and it’s so atmospheric and gorgeous. In fact, Toon creates such a wonderful sense of place in Pine and I think that is one of the best qualities of the book.

The book is split into several points of view, however Lauren -- our 10-year-old protaganist who is wise beyond her years -- is the most dominant character and I absolutely loved reading her point of view. In many ways she is just an ordinary kid, but she also is trying to cope with the loss of her mother and her father's alcoholism. She is an incredibly well fleshed out character and has such a strong voice. While this book’s light supernatural elements drew me in, Lauren’s experiences growing up in rural Scotland in a mistrustful community were captivating.

I will say that while it hooked me right away, Pine does have a bit of a slow burning plot -- it’s absolutely a book that picks up toward the end but has a more meandering start. However, I was pulled in right away and I couldn’t put it down --I read Pine in two sittings and was left wanting more. If you’re looking for an intriguing, haunting read, you should absolutely pick up a copy of Pine for your winter reading. It is undoubtedly one of my favourite books of the year!