This book is CREEPY. I will say I think it falls closer under the Thriller category than horror, but that didn’t stop me from feeling the heebie jeebies throughout the entire book. I loved flitting back and forth between Vera’s past and present to slowly build an idea about who is really at work in sending Vera down a dark path she’s been traversing since childhood. Her father certainly isn’t the only evil entity in the Crowder House.

I bawled. If you’re looking for a thoughtful exploration of disordered eating (WISH I HAD THIS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER) and the impact it has on relationships, this is absolutely the one. We explore platonic and familial relationship dynamics and how the way we view ourselves impacts the way we view the world. Above all, it’s a book that doesn’t shy away from tough topics. Watching our main character, Valerie, work up the courage to leave behind a toxic relationship with her mother (and a toxic way of thinking WITH that relationship) is uplifting and encouraging.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Orbit for letting me read an e-ARC of The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri! This book released on November 12, 2024, so you have no excuse not to pick up the first two books in the series (The Jasmine Throne and The Oleander Sword) when you snag this one. This trilogy packs a punch to the bitter end.

“Malini has claimed her rightful throne as the empress of Parijatdvipa, just as the nameless gods prophesied. Now, in order to gain the support of the priesthood who remain loyal to the fallen emperor, she must consider a terrible Claim her throne and burn in order to seal her legacy—or find another willing to take her place on the pyre.
Priya has survived the deathless waters and now their magic runs in her veins. But a mysterious yaksa with flowering eyes and a mouth of thorns lies beneath the waters. The yaksa promises protection for Ahiranya. But in exchange, she needs a sacrifice. And she’s chosen Priya as the one to offer it.
Two women once entwined by fate now stand against each other. But when an ancient enemy rises to threaten their world, Priya and Malini will find themselves fighting together once more – to prevent their kingdoms, and their futures, from burning to ash.”

I had no clue how this series would end until Suri whipped out the ending. While I’m absolutely a reader that is blissfully unaware of storytelling and plot devices like foreshadowing and red herrings, I was simply in utter denial until the words appeared on the page before me. I loved every heart-wrenching step of this final installment, especially when Priya and Malini were bitter rivals. All I can share without giving away the ending is that it was one of the most satisfying final books in a trilogy that I’ve experienced in a while. The end of a trilogy is always bittersweet (especially reading them as they release and not all in one go), but Suri gives our girls the happiest ending she can manage. I didn’t stop crying for the last 5 chapters (my personal seal of approval). If you also want to be emotionally destroyed, love strong lesbian main characters with the slowest of slow burn romance subplot, this series is the one. I will read anything Suri writes.

Ever and Hannah have saved the city of Oskar and uncovered the secret of the Megantics, but now they have more secrets to uncover in their neighboring city, Alexios, when Hannah’s father is captured by someone who wishes ill on their families and the secrets they hold. Hannah and Ever must team up with the city children who are keeping secrets of their own about the tech their city was also built upon. And they might all just come to realize that some stories of their childhood were not just fairytales after all. The fate of their cities rests on the shoulders of these children and their ability to work together.

Ever Barnes is an orphan who guards an ancient, family secret in the intricate puzzle-like building in the city of Oskar. The women who work in the Switchboard Operating Facility keep an eye out for Ever, some more closely than others. He hasn’t spoken to someone in years, until he meets Hannah - the daughter of the building owner. Resistant to the idea of friendship at first, Ever soon warms up to Hannah as they work together to uncover the secret his family has kept about the building before someone else does. The future of the city of Oskar depends on them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ace for letting me read an e-ARC of The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong! This book releases TODAY, November 5, 2024, so check out your local library or favorite bookstore to find a copy!

“Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells ‘small’ fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences…
Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.
Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.”

October was a slumpy month, but after reading this book, my heart feels restored. Leong brings Tao’s world to life with vivid imagery, baked goods that float off the page, and realistic everyday people trying to find their way through life. Tao’s journey of vulnerability is one that I think will resonate with many readers. Especially as she tries to reckon with her life as an immigrant who has had to leave her home country behind and adopt the language and practices of a new, foreign country. It’s not just Tao who grows throughout the story, though. Her companions come to learn about themselves all because their paths crossed and they chose to travel together. Friendship and family are heavily explored themes that will pull on your heartstrings throughout the entire book.

There is so much to talk about with this book, but if you’re a fan of cozy fantasy with the lowest of stakes, this is the book for you. It’s recommended for fans of Legends & Lattes, but I think many will love this slice of life story even more. I can’t wait to see what else Leong will create!

I started this book in 2022 and finally finished it (after tearing through the second season of Rings of Power lol)! Given the historical-text feel, this is not a fantasy book for the faint of heart or for the passive Tolkien fan. There are so many complicated histories and family trees pieced together into a patchwork quilt of a novel by Tolkien’s son posthumously. I’m convinced that the only reason I got through the entire book this time is because I listened to the audiobook narrated by Andy Serkis (as recommended by a coworker) who has an extremely engaging voice! It also helped that I found a wonderful podcast (That’s What I’m Tolkien About) last year which has a chapter-by-chapter breakdown of the book, so I followed each chapter with a podcast episode to make sure I’d fully comprehended the events as they unfolded. It certainly saved me a lot of time and grief.

This is the type of book that I would revisit in little bits and pieces. Not every chapter was spectacular or particularly interesting to me, but there were so many little stories told throughout that I know I’d revisit for comfort! It’s like a Middle Earth storybook, honestly. I may be late to the game, but that’s another successful Tolkien tome off my list of (personally-assigned) required reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and Erewhon Books for letting me read an e-ARC of Metal from Heaven by August Clarke! This released on October 22, 2024, so you can pick it up from your favorite bookstore or request it from your local library!

Marney Honeycutt is luster-touched. After spending her childhood working with ichorite, she cannot be around the substance without being in pain and hallucinating - it seems to slowly eat away at her body from the inside. Marney witnesses the death of her entire family when they’re picketing the ichorite factory that is completely decimated by Yann Chauncey, and she’s the only survivor.

The entire book is written in an almost stream-of-consciousness format with Marney frequently addressing the reader as “you” (their childhood friend and would-be lover, Gwyar who was killed in the attack). We are thrown right into this world of child labor, capitalist greed concerning ichorite (a toxic substance stronger than steel), and Marney, who wants to avenge her family and friend’s deaths by single-handedly killing Yann Chauncey, herself. We witness her journey as an orphan taken in by the Choir (a group of bandits) to becoming an undercover socialite trying to win the daughter of Chauncey’s hand in marriage games. The plot twist at the end got me really good (I audibly gasped) and the final chapters were a mind-boggling experience that took me 10 minutes to adjust to (just read it and you’ll see what I mean), but I cannot emphasize enough how much I LOVED the journey.

The story is an absolute fever dream tinged in pink hallucinations with consistently bloody and brutal undertones. It is not a fantasy tale for the faint of heart. It took about 50% of the book to feel completely immersed in the world, and then the last 50% of the book is a mad dash of chaos to the bitter end. I was surprised this is a standalone novel, as I think a duology may have served it well and would’ve presented an opportunity to flesh out some key characters more. Overall, I loved this book. I would absolutely recommend it to fans of The Locked Tomb series for its lesbian shenanigans, scheming games, and butchy revenge. It’s just so HOT!