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The Bear and the Nightingale
RECOMMENDED: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden is $1.99! This fantasy novel has elements of Russian mythology and I made a soothing cocktail for it. The book is whimsical and perfect for the winter, though it can drag at times.
A magical debut novel for readers of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, and Neil Gaiman’s myth-rich fantasies, The Bear and the Nightingale spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice.
At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.
After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.
And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.
As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.
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Earth Bound
Earth Bound by Christine Feehan is $1.99! This is a paranormal romance with a heroine with an affinity for the earth element. It also seems to hint at some elements of suspense. There were readers who felt the main characters were missing chemistry, though others absolutely loved the hero. I also want to note that I love the heroine’s depiction on the cover.
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Air Bound returns to the mysterious coastal town of Sea Haven where six sisters of the heart are bound by the elements, and one is stalked by an inescapable past…
After escaping from a cult, Lexi found refuge with her sisters on the farm that more than sustained her body—it nurtured her soul as well. But she never forgot the terror she left behind or the always present fear that the cult would find her again, and claim her. Then her nightmare came true.
Lexi was discovered and threatened—only to be suddenly saved by a stranger. He is Gavriil Prakenskii, and he’s awestruck by the woman he’s rescued. She is destined for him. He can feel it in his soul. But how can Lexi find happiness with a man steeped in secrets and shadows, one intimately acquainted with violence, and whose very love could be the death of them?
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Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge
Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger is $1.99! The premise of this urban fantasy sounds really cool where the characters battle demons with “magically-mixed cocktails.” However, some readers had trouble suspending their disbelief and found it to be a bit cheesy. Have you read this one?
Bailey Chen is fresh out of college with all the usual new-adult demons: no cash, no job offers, and an awkward relationship with Zane, the old friend she kinda-sorta hooked up with during high school.
But when Zane introduces Bailey to his monster-fighting bartender friends, her demons become a lot more literal. It turns out evil creatures stalk the city streets after hours, and they can only be hunted with the help of magically-mixed cocktails: vodka grants super-strength, whiskey offers the power of telekinesis, and tequila lets its drinker fire blasts of elemental energy. But will all of these powers be enough for Bailey to halt a mysterious rash of gruesome deaths? And what will she do when the safety of a “real world” job beckons?
This sharp and funny urban fantasy is perfect for fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and grown-up readers of Harry Potter. Includes 14 recipes from a book of ancient cocktail lore.
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Tall, Dark, and Vampire
Tall, Dark, and Vampire by Sara Humphreys is 99c! This is the first book in the Dead in the City paranormal romance series. It has a hero and heroine who are both vampires, which I think is a great change. It’s also a second chance romance. Readers enjoyed the history between the two main characters, though in terms of the writing, some felt there was more telling than showing.
He’s dying to have her…
She always knew Fate was cruel…
The last person Olivia Hollingsworth expected to see at her Greenwich Village vampire club was her one true love, Doug Paxton—whom she believed to be dead for centuries. Olivia thought she had moved on, but when Doug reappears, her heart knows she’d rather die than lose him again.
But this is beyond the pale…
Ever since Doug can remember, a red-haired siren has haunted his dreams. He never thought she could be real until he goes to investigate a murder at Olivia’s night club. However, as the bodies keep piling up at her feet, he must fight to prove her innocence—even if it costs him his life…
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Making Sure of Sarah by Betty Neels is 99 pennies. I got nearly a perfect score on my Betty Neels drinking game from the description alone. (If I hadn’t been drinking tea, I’d be passed out on the floor.) If, like my mother, you have a fondness for plain heroines (don’t blame me–it’s literally the first word in the description) in desperate straits and Dutch doctors who usually want a wife to provide free care to an invalid relative, today is your day.
Thanks, @ Ren Benton. I’m not ashamed of my comforting pleasure in reading (& re-reading) Betty Neels’ books, but I certainly don’t understand it. This is one of the few I haven’t read. I think HQ has recently digitalized a few more of Neels’ titles.
@LML: I don’t begrudge anyone their comfort reads. She had a looooong career doing what she did, so you’re certainly not alone.
I just remember being very young and filled with unbridled rage on behalf of homely girls everywhere that our “reward” for being tirelessly kind and resourceful was a chilly peck on the lips and a lifetime of indentured servitude. We can’t even catch a break IN A BOOK? What kind of fairy tale is this?!
My soul mate is probably a Dutch doctor, which will be unfortunate.
Me: I’m sorry, Stijn, but I can’t be with you.
Stijn: At least tell me why.
Me: Betty Neels.
Stijn, slumping in defeat: Ja, I get that a lot.
I read “Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge” last December and got a major kick out of bartenders’ true missions being the slaying of literal demons. Fun, quick paranormal read–if you like Chris Moore’s “Practical Demonkeeping” and his other books set in fictional Pine Cove, CA, you may enjoy “Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge.”
@Mina Lobo I’m gonna snag Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge on the strength of your rec, because I never ever EVER see anyone talk about Christopher Moore and he’s one of my absolute favourite authors, so thank you for that! You’ve seriously made my day.
@RenBenton I know nothing about Betty Neels and now I’m super curious!
@Sharron – well, I hope you like it as much as I did! It’s definitely in a similar vein to Moore’s zany, irreverent paranormal style. PS: at a NY book signing Chris did YEARS ago I brought him Nyquil jello shots (there’s a story behind this), for which he politely thanked me but likely tossed, pronto. (And I don’t blame him one bit). 😀
@Ms. M:
I’ve read almost all of Betty Neels’s books. They’re *very* old-fashioned, and probably were even when they were written. They might be rage-inducing for some readers, but they’ve been comfort reads for me, especially during stressful times. (Around the time of my mother’s death, I read a ton of them.) But, if you’re interested, both Sarah here at SBTB and Sunita at DA had write-ups on them:
SB Sarah:
http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/the_magic_of_living_by_betty_neels/
And Sunita at DA:
http://dearauthor.com/features/essays/reading-betty-neels-across-the-years/
Christine Feehan is my go-to comfort read, so I one-clicked that book fast. I’m slowly reading her Carpathian books, and as much as they can annoy me, I find that I reach for them in times of stress, or when I want a predictable book.
Oh, too funny, @Ren Benton.
Rebecca Solnit’s “Men Explain Things to Me” is currently $1.99 at Amazon.
The Bear and the Nightingale sounds very intriguing, thanks for the heads up.
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