The Subtle Knife 

By. Philip Pullman 

P. 326 

Format: Audio 

Rating: **** 

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The Subtle Knife is the second book in Pullman’s Dark Materials series. In addition to Lyra we know also follow Will, who is from our own Earth. Will lost his father at a young age and his mother looses grasp of reality at times. It has caused Will to grow up faster and learn how to be more independent at a young age. This is to Lyra’s benefit as we learn exactly how limited her skill set is. She is unable to even feed herself until Will gives her the skill. 

 

However, Will has a destiny all his own. While it takes up a large part of the story arc, The Subtle Knife still isn’t as fast paced and adventurous as the first book in the series. The book is important for moving the series forward, yet it would not stand on its own outside of the series.

A Discovery of Witches

By. Deborah Harkness

P. 592

Format: Paper/Audio

Rating: ***

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I have heard a lot about A Discovery of Witches over the years, to the point where I kept putting off reading it. It seemed intimidating, an epic historic fantasy that looks at the paranormal aspects of society. Imagine my surprise when I finally pick up the book and discover that at its core A Discovery of Witches is a paranormal romance.

The book starts out great. Diana Bishop is a PhD studying alchemy. She spends her days studying old manuscripts in libraries and denying her magic, because she is a witch. Except she ends up calling an ancient manuscript from the tomb of the library and now the entire underworld is out to use her. 

Up until this point I absolutely adored the book. The writing is excellent. The plot is engaging. I was hooked on the familiar, yet not too familiar, aspects of the paranormal.

Then Diana starts to fall for an old, very old, vampire named Matthew Clairmont. Diana looses her strong independent women vibes and gets in a toxic relationship with Matthew. Except it is not described as toxic in the book. No, it is destined and preordained. Diana has some problems with Matthew controlling her life completely, but what are you going to do? After all he is set in his ways.

I nearly put the book down, but my Insta friends told me that it got better. It did. The relationship lost the main focus and we moved back onto the plot. Matthew calmed down some, but the relationship was never called out for being toxic. If anything there was just more toxic characters brought it so that Matthew didn’t look quite as bad.

I plan on reading the second book, but I admit that I am concerned. 

Scavenge the Stars

By. Tara Sim

P. 336

Format: Paper

Rating: ***1/2

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All I knew going into this book is that it was a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, one of my favorite classics. For some reason I was under the impression that the book was set on a spaceship among the stars. Well, the book had ships, but they were the water going kind. It was very different then what I thought going in, but it was enjoyable.

Amaya grew up on a debtors ship, paying off her father’s loan. In the world she lives in the economy seems to be in a constant flux. Everyone is reaching for the top, but most end up paying their dues. Either that or they end up dead, like Amaya’s father.

What comes is a plot intertwining Amaya and the son of the man who set up her father. It was a fast and enjoyable read. There were times that I wanted the plot to be a bit more flushed out, but it was still enjoyable. The book seemed to leave me with more questions than answered and I am excited to pick up the second book in the series.

Winter’s Orbit

By. Everina Maxwell

P. 432

Format: Paper

Rating: ****1/2

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Winter’s Orbit is half political science fiction and half romance. Prince Kiem is a playboy prince that has recently tried to change his image by involving himself with charity organizations. Count Jainan represents a distant planet that the empire is trying to keep under control as negotiations for a multi-universe treaty is coming up for renewal. When Count Jainan’s husband unexpectedly dies shortly before the renewal, the Empress commands Kiem to step in and marry.

The marriage starts as a political necessity. Both men bring their assumptions and history, causing a plot mainly driven by miscommunication. Yet, given the circumstances, it works. The first half of the book is entirely character building. You get to know both the Prince and the Count as they dance around each other. However, halfway through, you find that you know nothing. Thankfully the plot kicks in at the right moment. 

Everything that didn’t happen in the first half of the book occurs in the second. The two characters work together to solve the mystery of Count Jainan’s first husband's death, which leads to unexpected consequences and startling realizations. It also puts the couple in intimate situations. By the end, you are left loving the book every bit as much as you wanted to.

I am not much for romance, but this worked for me. I enjoyed that it wasn’t a story of instant love. I also appreciate the depth of the characters. Nothing was forced, and you cannot help but swoon a little. The plot and world were highly political. While nothing in the plot came as a surprise, it was still fun reaching the end. When you analyze the story, it seems so lopsided with so many different pieces coming together. Yet, it all worked to create one fantastic story.

Come Tumbling Down

By. Seanan McGuire

P. 206

Format: Paper

Rating: ****

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Come Tumbling Down is the fifth book in the Wayward Series. The book brings us back to the house and a core set of the students. Jack and Jill are back, which can only mean that this book is back to being dark. Also, really weird. I loved it. In the first book I was kind of weirded out, but now I know I miss it when it is gone from this series.

The Wayward children go on yet another quest, even though they are quite forbidden. In the fourth book all the action is skipped. The fifth book is back to being focused on the action. The characters are also a focus. This book has a nice blend of plot and character based. 

I am interested in seeing how the series progresses from here.

The Unbroken 

By. C.L. Clark 

P. 464 

Format: eArc 

Rating: ***3/4 

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I received an e-arc from @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

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The Unbroken is the first book in the adult fantasy series Magic of the Lost. Touraine was taken from her people as a child. They trained her, and the other stolen children, to be soldiers. Her birth culture was taken away from her and Touraine desperately wanted her adoptive culture to acknowledge her worth. Instead, they were used as fodder in the many wars. Except now they brought the stolen children back to their birth country. Touraine finds that she has nothing; she doesn’t fit with her countries conquerors or with her own people. 

 

I predict that The Unbroken will become the most talked about adult fantasy of 2021. The writing is excellent and the plot is amazing. If you love books that are strong in plot then you will fall for this book. There is so much going on, it is beautiful crafted, and it will leave you hooked from beginning to end. Colonizing is, tragically, nothing new. However, the way that Clark presents it in this book makes you connect to the trauma. Not just of death and war, but also having your entire identity taken from you. 

 

I am a strong character reader. I found the pacing to be a bit overwhelming at times. So much happened in one sentence that I would have to go back and find when an event took place. It was also harder for me to connect to the characters. The characters themselves were vivid, dynamic, and memorable. They just take second place to the plot. I had to put the book down a few times and read something else. I always wanted to come back. 

 

Also, the main relationships are f/f, so LGBTQ rep. It is a natural part of both cultures which was great. 

 

If you are looking for a good fantasy then this is a great pick. I ended up pre-ordering the book, and plan on picking up the sequel. 

In an Absent Dream 

By. Seanan McGuire 

P. 204 

Format: Paper 

Rating: **** 

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In an Absent Dream is the fourth book in the Wayward Children series. The story is a prequel to the first three books and tells about Lundy, the psychologist in the first book. 

 

The world building and general plot of the book seemed very different from the other books, mostly because it did not tie into the school. At least it did not until the very end. It also was more character focused then the previous books. The action was missing from the book. The narration would take a close look at Lundy, mention that some quest happened, and then go back to character focusing on Lundy. I imagine a completely different book could be written about the glossed over parts. 

 

I really enjoy McGuire’s writing, and this book was an interesting part of the series. If I had not read the three other books prior then I may have found it a bit boring. But I did, and the wider world of the series kept me more engaged. 

Scales

By. Nicole Conway

P. 300

Format: eArc

Rating: ***

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I received an e-arc from @Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Scales is a young adult novel about a teenage boy, Koji, who is the son of a fighter pilot. They move to New York and enroll in a private Catholic school. Koji finds a bracelet that attaches to him and allows him to transform into a dragon.

The novel reads more like a Middle Grade novel then a young adult novel, even though Koji is in high school. There were weird plot holes in the novel and other items that seemed like a big deal that turned out to not be important. There were also character inconsistencies. It caused a disconnect with the story. 

I have really enjoyed Conway’s writing in the past, I did not enjoy this book as much. It had a lot of potential, and overall it was interesting enough to read. It just felt like it could have been polished a bit more.

A Heart so Fierce and Broken is the second book in The Cursebreaker series. I put off reading this book for a while, because I kept hearing that it was not as good as the first book. I am glad that I finally picked it up - I think it is better than the first book.

The book focus on Grey, the royal guard that has stood by Prince Rhen’s side through the curse in the first book. It is difficult to say much more without spoilers. 

In A Curse so Dark and Lonely the book followed a lot of the familiar young adult troupes. They were just so well written that even I loved them. In this second novel the troupes are less apparent. It is still very much a young adult novel, it is just not as focused on the romance. Also, characters are shown to be dynamic to a bigger degree then the first book. The plot became more complex, you moved away from what was expected, and it worked for me.

I also understand why it would not work as well for individuals who are fans of the traditional young adult formula, or those that are all about the romance. No matter what your main focus, the writing is still excellent and the story will take you even further into the world that Kemmerer created.

I read to 50 pages and stopped. I agree with the authors opinions. My problem is that this is a non fiction book, I should be reading a well researched fact based book. The references are mostly from newspaper articles not peer reviewed journals. The book is mostly based on antidotal stories that were one sided. The author made the claim that most college students with ADHD drugs gave away their medication and did not cite a source for this. That is a big generalization to make without backing it up. 

It is unethical to tout a medical degree as qualification to write a book and then continually use The New York Times, CNN, and even WIRED as your citations.