I knew going into this book that it was going to be an expansion on Rothfuss' earlier story, "The Lightning Tree, so I wasn't too surprised by the retreading of familiar territory. I loved the story in its initial version, as Bast is one of my favorite characters of the series and I enjoy seeing the more domestic, low key adventures that happen to characters when the plot isn't in motion. It's very familiar to The Slow Regard of Silent Things, another Temerant novella, in that it really just follows a single character as they go about their day. Sometimes normal things happen, sometimes fantastic things, but eventually, they all return home at the end of the day, satisfied by a day's events. As a result, some readers looking for a bit of plot may find the book plodding in that way, but I don't count it as a personal slight against the book.

Despite my familiarity of the original story, I was still just as hooked as I was when I first read its predecessor. The overall skeleton was the same, but the sinews that held it all together had slightly altered. In many ways, the story goes a bit deeper. To use the book's terminology, where the "The Lightning Tree" seemed, The Narrow Road Between Desires was. Bast was still his usual, charming, clever self, but we got to see a little further into him. The relationship between him and Rike was sweet in the original story, but here, it was genuinely moving. I think before Rike's feelings were a bit more vague, a bit more subtle. You could get a feel for his situation through context clues, but the story moved on before making anything definite. Now, his pain and fear feel more tangible; how he relates to Bast and reveals his desperation is more emotional. It's a wonderful transfiguration that makes this installment into the series as worthy as any of the main novels.

I think the embrils, a way of fortune telling in this world, are an interesting addition. I can see so many theories being made about what they mean and how they may affect the larger story taking place. It's a neat way of expanding the world in a small way.

Rothfuss referring to Bast as "a good wolf" in the author's note is such a marvelous way of looking at his character. He's beautiful, graceful, with a bit of tooth to him. There's a hint of danger, but also a fierce loyalty and drive to protect what is his. There's cunning and power, patience and resolve, but, ultimately, a creature that's comfortable being exactly what he is. In this novella, we get such a great character study that would have been hard to fit in the main story. Just another benefit of one of these sidepaths hidden just along the road of this adventure.

Really, I don't have a bad thing to say about this book because, well, I am incredibly biased. This series was everything to me as a teen and, as a adult, it still holds a large place in my heart. Would I like the conclusion to the series? Sure. Will anything that comes out of this world delight me in the interim? Historically speaking, yes. I am willing to wait that much longer if it means richer, more meaningful storytelling every time.

All my thoughts regarding the first volume pretty much are still relevant here. Adapts the beginning portion of the game quite well, and really brings more life into the story.

Also, yay, favorite character Lilia gets the spotlight for a short scene. Love my old young man giving out hard candy.

Any sort of story you get with the Moomins is going to be so utterly charming, whether that comes from the personable art style or the fantastical hi-jinks the characters engage in. I've read a few Moomin stories now and finally I've been able to read the story that started their novel adventures. It's simple, sweet, to-the-point. It's a light sort of adventure that's perfect for right before bedtime, lulling you to sleep with images of vasts forest, flower women, and ferocious ant lions. 

Thank you to NetGalley and UK Book Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic, this story follows Moli, a young Chinese girl traveling to England for her father's funeral. Following a trip to see Chinese relics at the British Museum, she unexpectedly embarks on a time-traveling adventure, featuring dragons, shamans, and fantastical creatures she had only ever read about. 

Though I was initially drawn in from the synopsis, like Moli I am a dragon-lover at heart, I struggled to really connect with this book. It does a great job of bringing a depressing reality to younger readers, that of the extreme anti-Asian sentiment that came with the peak of COVID. There's also a great deal of philosophical thought found within these pages, though I'm not sure if it'll entirely land with the desired audience.

But, ultimately, the writing style and story became too scattered and unfocused for me to fully engage with it. It seems to shift from an Alice in Wonderland-esque opening to something more action-packed and dramatic, an aspect that only threw me off even more. 

I am glad to see more books discussing Chinese history and mythology for a Western audience, but I think this one needed a bit more polish to have more of a lasting effect on readers. 

The Crow books are always a hard, uncomfortable read, which, honestly I don't think they would be Crow books if they weren't. I started reading this book just as some upsetting real world stuff started to go down and it was difficult to read it consistently through that time, so this one took  me a while to get through.

Amazing how, though this book was written in the late 90s, the events felt like they could have taken place last week. The villains, members of an extreme right wing militia, are despicable on every page, making our heroine's act of vengeance even more satisfying. Definitely not a book for the easily offended, as these guys use almost every slur in the book and commit some truly heinous acts.

I don't think it's the greatest Crow story I've come across, I remember The Lazarus Heart having a greater impact, but I enjoyed how unique it was in its own way. We finally follow a female Crow that isn't back to avenge a spouse, partner, or family member, but the children she took care of at her day care center that had been murdered in a bombing organized by the militia. The book focuses on a different kind of grief, centered around lost potential and innocence as well as loved ones. Truly heartbreaking at times, but worth it I think.

Steeped in rich, lyrical prose, Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" has lasted this long in America's collective consciousness for good reason. Though almost every adaption has taken its own creative liberties, they all stem from this story that oozes autumnal ambiance and oddly seems more playful  than spooky in tone. The language can make the story feel a little dense at times, but it ultimately enhances the atmosphere that comes with old storytelling.

The other stories in this collection were definitely worth the read as well. "The Spectre Bridegroom" had its own kind of subtle humor and "Rip Van Winkle" is another standout classic. "Old Christmas" was a story that I somewhat questioned at first, wondering if it truly counted as a story and not just someone's rambling nostalgia of Christmases past, but that ending paragraph managed to justify the whole thing. I had never really read it before and found it so unlike his other stories that hinge upon some kind of underlying moral message, which does make it special in its own way. It's Irving's attempt at escapsim and I have to say, as a festive person, it really did get me in the mood for the season.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Ten Speed Press for an ARC of this comic in exchange for an honest review! 

I stumbled upon Watership Down a little later in life, knowing full well of its status as one of those "Top 10 Films that Scarred You As A Child." At some point, I had seen the glorious intro to the film, where Frith bestows various gifts to the animals and El-Ahrairah displays his tricks and cunning, and that immediately sent me to the novel. It's a beautiful story, with lush descriptions of the downs and adventure that, while coming from so humble a place, keeps you interested from beginning to end. By some magic, James Sturm and Joe Sutphin managed to capture everything about this story that has delighted readers for decades. 

Sutphin goes for a more naturalistic style, keeping the rabbits and other various animals expressive, but not too cartoony. It mostly keeps to a certain realm of reality, with colors that are more muted, but never do any sort of disservice to the setting. While I am a fan of styles that bush boundaries, this style is perfect for Watership Down that, while seemingly fantastical at times, is a very down to earth tale. There's a certain charm to it that comes from the simplicity of its setup, that is a group of animals just trying to survive. 

Of course, not every plot point and character makes it through the process of adaptation. I am thankful that Sturm was able to include some of the folk tales of the rabbits, which was one of my favorite elements of the story. Naturally, to keep this story to a single volume and maintain a sense of flow, things would have to be reworked and shifted. 

In my opinion, this graphic novel is an exemplary transfiguration on the original story that will please fans and hopefully entice new readers to the book. 

Took too long a break from reading this and I realized that I didn't really feel like coming back to it. Probably would have given it more of a chance when I was younger, but I'm getting tired of political royal dramas, even if they involve werewolves.

I'm not sure if this is a case of me reading this book at the wrong time or I'm just getting more picky with my middle grade fantasy, but I never really felt very invested in it. It's a great setup for a story, two brothers venture into a dark magical forest to learn which one of them is human and which is a changeling left by a goblin one long ago night. They meet various friends and threats across the way, culminating in a wonderful depiction of family bonds and loyalty. I appreciated how involved their mother was in the story, who had absolutely no qualms about going into the dangerous forest to save her kids. I love seeing more competent parents in fiction, if only just to show kids that some grownups are capable of being helpful at times.

But, other than that, I didn't really get much out of the story. The brothers seemed very interchangeable, not really having distinguishable personalities so that ultimately it doesn't really matter who is human and who is the changeling. They both have the same worries and fears, the same goals, so there's nothing really to set them apart. 

The writing style didn't really pull me in either, to the point where by the last couple of chapters I was doing more skimming than actual reading. 

I will say that it is a decent fantasy for younger readers looking for a bit of adventure and magic. It twists some fairy tale conventions just enough to feel fresh while holding onto a few just for good measure. I've probably just read too many at this point to really appreciate it.

I have such a great fondness for corvids, be they crows, ravens, magpies, or even blue jays, so I figured this book would be right up my alley. Skaife delves into the history behind the ravens' presence at the Towers, which I was surprised but maybe not too much that it holds a legend that may not be as old and revered as once thought. 

I've been to the Tower of London, which helped me visualize some of his stories. The ravens there are definitely a quirky bunch. I remember one that graciously allowed a seagull to peck a bit at their raw chicken lunch, only to shoo them off a few seconds after. This cycle would actually repeat itself a bit, a little nibble and then a shoo, it almost seemed like a sort of game. Anyway, they are very amusing birds and Skaife really does make their personalities shine in this book.

There were moments where the book lost a little steam or included something that seemed a bit superfluous. The chapter on ghosts around the grounds seemed a little out of place in a book about the Tower ravens and the stories get a little repetitive once you edge closer to the end. But if you have an interest in the Tower and its inhabitants, I recommend picking it up.