Two words: Murder birds. I love Fonda Lee's work, and this was such a cool little novella! I'm constantly impressed by the world-building that goes into novellas. This is a story of Ester (a rukher) and her roc, Zahra (a massive hunting bird). Their mission is to hunt manticores that plague and wreak havoc on nearby villages and towns. 

In this short book, we see the ways in which Ester bonds with, trusts, and cherishes her roc. Their bond is special and tenuous - Zahra is a wild creature who will agree to perform tasks at Ester's command as long as it benefits her. These are not creatures to be disregarded or ignored. If you don't respect your roc, they will not respect you.

What I loved most was watching their relationship develop over time, the way Lee highlights specific, momentous adventures, and how she was able to make me feel joy, heartbreak, agony, and ultimately hope by the end of the novella. She makes it easy to immerse yourself in this world of majestic beasts and monsters, and calls our attention to how we treat the wild things of this world.

This book had a really slow start for me. It took me a while to warm up to our narrator's (Sol) voice and the author's writing style. What initially felt like a very disjointed narrative about our trans-vampire-archivist quickly turned into a unique storytelling opportunity. While no two trans experiences are ever identical, this was an interesting take on coping with chronic illnesses (vampirism), gender exploration and affirmation (a plotline with Sol's eventual love interest), and how society engages with and views media and storytelling beyond the grave (Sol's perspective of archival work is absolutely beautiful). 

Riddled with nerdy pop culture references (AO3 exists! Obsessions with TV shows that are similar to ones we're familiar with!), angst, longing, and a representation of transness that hasn't crossed my path until now - this book was a strange delight. I had a few qualms, but they mostly center on the fact that the relationship between our MC and their love interest is, at times, very unhealthy. It was also difficult to not interpret some of the commentary surrounding trans people and lesbians as lesbophobic. For the most part, however, I saw hope in the queer joy that I find to be unique in queer love. It's definitely possible that some of the problematic comments surrounding the queer experiences in this story are a reflection of the author's lived experiences as a trans person - he could very easily be inviting readers to consider internal biases and society's expectations surrounding the queer experience.

This was recommended by a friend who thought I would enjoy it since the MC is an archivist (and I, myself, am a librarian), but I have come to appreciate this book for more than just its library-relevant and -adjacent references. 

I happened upon this book based on an author's recommendation and was surprised at how much I enjoyed this novella. Our female MC is a part-time convenience store worker, and has been for her entire adult life. She's tried to interview and apply for other jobs, but nothing fits her as well as working at the convenience store. Everything in and about this place makes sense - from the restocking process, the mantras they repeat every day before a shift, and how they speak to and interact with customers. She knows the rules and guidelines like they're the back of her hand. Everything in her life revolves around her role as a convenience store worker. She has meals and a sleep schedule figured out down to a science, and doesn't feel the need to engage with other hobbies outside of her employment. She feels fulfilled, and isn't that all we really long for in our lives?

This book questions societal norms about what qualifies as a "good" job/career and the expectations it places on adult women (and all adults, in general) as they age and move through their lives. I love the voice of the narrator. She's witty and quirky by neurotypical standards, but you can tell it is not an affected tone through her deadpan narration. Without revealing too much, I think it's worth noting that our MC goes through her own kind of growth and learns to resist societal pressures. She finds joy and peace in her life and has a happy ending of her own.

This book hooked me from the start. A queer journalist living in NYC who can't afford it and just wants to be a "real writer" (our MC/narrator Liz) hopes that the queer magazine they're working for will go under so they can jump-start the writing career they've always wanted. Until a rich lesbian (Bailey) decides to buy the magazine and work toward solving the impending financial issues the magazine has been experiencing for some time. Bailey has a sidekick and financial advisor, though, (Daria) who appears to be the coldest, angriest person Liz has ever met. Desperate attempts to revive the magazine are attempted by Liz and their coworkers/friends, and it will come as no surprise to romance readers that Liz and Daria (though they do not like each other in the beginning) are forced into workplace and social situations together that ultimately bring them closer together.

Grumpy x Sunshine, Enemies-to-Lovers, miscommunications abound! Lots of my personal favorite tropes make an appearance here. Our MC is also battling with questions about their identity - gender, heteronormative standards of society...you name it. And boy, did that hit a soft spot for me. The language used surrounding queerness and identity, and the way queer friendships are represented throughout this book are everything to me. 

This is one of the longer novellas I've read recently, and boy - do I wish we had more tales of Esther and her crew. As is common with SFF stories, it took me a couple of chapters to orient myself in the world, understand the lingo and terminology being used, and to get a grasp of the magic systems at work in the plot. Readers bear witness to our MC's inner thoughts, flashes of memories, and her understanding of the universe to help with this debriefing process.

Esther's son, a Keeper (a sort of guardian of the realm), has been kidnapped and held hostage by a dragon lord in a distant realm. For the first time in a while, Esther calls together her crew (the Hex) and asks for their help in retrieving her son. The embark on this mission, encounter the dangers of the Beyond, a dragon lord who sends them on a mission of his own, and team up with an unlikely party to rescue her son. (All while protecting her son's spouse, who is not the person they thought he was.)

I want to read more about everyone's backstories and histories. Especially Esther and her Hex - I can't imagine the types of misadventures they've been on.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. I've been putting off reading this for a while, now. Basically since I realized McGuire had written an entire little series under the penname A. Deborah Baker that is mentioned in two of her other books, Middlegame and Seasonal Fears. It felt like finally getting to know these little cameo'd characters from the series that I love so much. Have I mentioned that McGuire's brain never ceases to amaze me? I haven't met a book she's written that I've disliked.

We follow our two main characters who have never met before, Zib and Avery, on a not-so-average day where they encounter a huge wall they have never seen before. They ultimately decide the only way to steer past this wall is to go up-and-over it. They end up in an enchanting (dangerous??) land full of creatures who are unbelievable and seem absolutely impossible, taking them on a journey they weren't prepared for in the slightest, but which they must pursue nonetheless.

The style of writing and the way McGuire introduces her characters and storylines is highly reminiscent of her Wayward Children series, so I would highly recommend this to those who have read and enjoyed those. Otherwise, the fantastical elements made me nostalgic for stories like The Chronicles of Narnia and The Wizard of Oz. I could easily picture myself enraptured by this story in my youth (though I'm really enthralled by it now, as an adult). For those of you who have read the Alchemical Journeys series so far, pick up this book! I can't wait to devour the next one!

This story. I’m still collecting my thoughts about it. I’m not sure what to take away from it. All I know for sure right now is that it was devastating. At surface level, it’s a story about a daughter who is forced to grow up too quickly and bear witness to the atrocities of abuse, poverty, and what it takes to survive in a world that doesn’t care. It goes so much deeper than that, though. 

Barnhill spins an old classic and weaves it into a new tale from a different perspective. As painful as this book was to read at times (it’s so, so hard to watch those we love be abused and utterly oblivious to how life could be better), I couldn’t put it down until the very end. And what an end - satisfying, and somewhat bitter. 

I picked up this book on an absolute whim, but I am so glad I did. Clocking in at less than 100 pages, this novella still packs a punch.

Our young MC, Tutu, is approaching his 13th birthday. This is an auspicious day, as people in his city (the City of Lies) have their tongues cut out at 13 as an offering to the mysterious rulers of this country - the Ajungo. In exchange for their tongues, the people of his city receive rations of water, though it’s not nearly enough to sustain their life in the desert. After his mother collapses from dehydration, Tutu decides to embark on a hero’s journey to find enough water to save his mother and his city. After being granted permission by their ruler, he spends weeks in the desert searching for water. He is unsuccessful until he meets a group of women from another town who share stories of the Ajungo eerily similar to his city’s. A friendship develops and they quickly learn that there are more lies to unravel about the mysterious Ajungo than they thought.

This story managed to mix fable and fantasy without making me groan internally and had a very satisfying ending for me. Utomi is a profound writer and I can’t wait to read more from him in the future!

 

I've wholeheartedly enjoyed all of Jennifer Saint's mythological retellings, and Atalanta is no different! The way Saint is able to center the reader on the women in mythology is moving and it's what keeps bringing me back for more. 

 

In total honesty, I had never heard of the heroine Atalanta before reading this book. And how fitting! A big part of the plot revolves around women being constantly erased from history and important stories, much like Atalanta's contributions to Jason and the Argonauts on their quest for the golden fleece. I couldn't help but admire her strength, resilience, and willingness to go against the grain while remaining steadfast and dedicated to Artemis. 

 

The plot of the book dragged for me in a few places (I found many of the quests/sidequests to be tiresome, but I think this is more a reflection of long quests like hunting down the golden fleece instead of Saint's ability to tell an interesting story), but the ending was *everything* to me. That final line? It gave me absolute shivers. 

 

Beth Eyre gave life to Atalanta's thoughts, decisions, and her adventures. A wonderful narrator who snagged my attention and didn't let me go throughout the entire story. This is a solid 4.5 stars, for me. I can't wait to see what Saint cooks up next, but for now I will heartily recommend this book to any and all of my peers who enjoy female mythological retellings!