Armistice

author: Lara Elena Donnelly

Back in 2017 I reviewed Amberlough by Lara Elena Donnelly. This was the first book in a series about a slightly alternate 1920s/1930s era Europe. The first book pitted the members and patrons of The Bumble Bee Cabaret against the rising fascist party (the Ospies). You will definitely want to read Amberlough before you read Armistice.

The sequel, Armistice, picks up three years after the end of Amberlough, with the characters of that novel scattered. Cordelia has been leading the resistance in Gedda (the country where Amberlough was set) and flees to the neighboring country of Porachis. Aristide fled to Porachis years ago and is a movie star. A new character, Lillian DePaul, is in Gedda, where she works under duress for the Ospie government as a press attaché. Initially it seems that the three characters will remain separate all the way through the book – which makes it incredibly satisfying when their plot lines finally converge and they find themselves spending incredibly awkward time together.

While Amberlough was gritty, most of Armistice is desperation concealed by glamour. It reminded me considerably of The Night Manager in terms of the juxtaposition of luxury and panic. Some parts of the book move fast while others are more of a slow burn. However, the theme that the political is personal and vice versa remains. Ultimately, everyone makes their choices not because of political ideas but because of their relationships to other people – friends, lovers, children, rivals. This quality is, for me, the draw of the series – well, that and the clothes!

The series will conclude with Amnesty, which is projected to be released on April 16, 2019.

– Carrie S

LGBTQIA, Science Fiction/Fantasy

By Fire Above

author: Robyn Bennis

By Fire Above is the sequel to The Guns Above, a novel that rekindled my romance with steampunk. The steampunk element is mostly limited to the existence of airships. Josette is the first female airship captain in the war between Garnia and Vinzhalia. The aristocratic Lord Bernat was assigned to her ship as a spy, and is now Josette’s staunchest and crankiest supporter. I recommend reading The Guns Above prior to By Fire Above.

In By Fire Above, Josette spends the first part of the book hobnobbing with the aristocracy. She loathes this, of course, and Bernat, who follows her around endlessly coaching her on etiquette, is appalled that she knows so little about the political field of war. Eventually, she is sent to her hometown of Durum to retake it from the Vinzhalian army. This involves a very awkward mother/daughter reunion, resistance work, spycraft, and a war of will between the crew of Josette’s ship and a ridiculously stupid new second-in-command.

Fans of feminism, romance, banter, and military fiction will love this series. It’s similar in tone to the Honor Harrington series, or the Aubrey-Maturin series. Be prepared for a lot of graphic violence. Having said that, I’m generally not a huge fan of military fiction but I love this series. It has a great mix of funny moments, awesome moments, and moments of horror. It’s strongly character-based, with supporting characters (all hail Ensign Kember!) that are as interesting as the extremely interesting and entertaining Josette and Bernat. However, a liason between Josette and Bernat’s brother seemed arbitrarily stuck in to create some comic moments and to remind the reader that Bernat and Josette are friends, not lovers. Despite that one flaw, I eagerly await the next book.

– Carrie S

Science Fiction/Fantasy, Steampunk

Heroine’s Journey

author: Sarah Kuhn

Heroine’s Journey is the third book in the diverse, fun, feminist Heroine Complex trilogy. In theory it could work as a stand alone, but it will be easier to follow and a more emotional read if you read the other two books in the series first (Heroine Complex and Heroine Worship). More books in this world are planned, but the first three, which are intended as “the first trilogy,” make an emotionally satisfying arc about relationships between women, issues of gender, sexuality, and race, superpowers, demonically possessed cupcakes, and romance.

Heroine’s Journey is told from the point of view of Bea, Evie’s sister (Evie was the narrator of Heroine Complex, and Evie’s best friend Aveda narrated Heroine Worship). Because their mother died and their father left when Evie and Bea were young, Evie has always been protective of Bea. Now, Bea is desperate to break out as a superhero in her own right. She has a strict code about using her mind control powers only for good and only under certain circumstances. However, those codes, as well as Bea’s relationship with her sister and her friends, are challenged when Bea believes that her mom is trapped in a demon dimension and calling out to Bea for help.

If you’ve read the other books, you already know the tone to expect from this series. If not, here’s a sentence to get you started: “I scrambled to my feet and whipped around just in time to see a gigantic porcelain unicorn stomping its way through Historical Romance.” The series as a whole is glittery and fun, but also grounded in real issues and relationships.

Mileage will vary according to one’s baggage, but I thought this was the most emotional of the three books. Bea and Evie have to deal with some very painful memories and with painful family dynamics. This series does a great job showing conflict from different points of view and letting the sisters reconcile in a realistic way.

Each book has romance in it, but while the romances should stir the heart of any romance fan, the relationships between the women in the series are more central and more interesting. Heroine’s Journey has the most sidelined romance. It’s a nice friends-to-lovers, with great sex and a supportive hero who cooks. However, the main focus is on the relationship between Bea and Evie.

Bonus: A certain canine character is a tribute to Fitzwilliam Waffles, of The Ripped Bodice.

– Carrie S

Science Fiction/Fantasy, Urban Fantasy