Alpha Night

author: Nalini Singh

CW: general violence, discussion of past child abuse, off-page murder

Are super dramatic connections between mates your catnip? This is your book! Want to solve a mystery? Again, pick up this book! Are you okay with mild to moderate violence? Good, because this book has that too.

Ethan Night, an Arrow, and Selenka Durev, the Alpha of the BlackEdge wolf pack, mate in the opening scene of the book. Not in the sense of sexy time, although there is some of that a little later on, but in the sense of this-person-is-my-mate-and-we-will-be-together-forever. Not the kind of meet-cute I’m used to, but I bought it because it’s presented as an inevitable reaction on a soul-deep level: their inner selves pledging fealty to one another. But are they in love? Not yet…

Confession? I have not read any of the other books in the series, and while I am sure I would get so much more out of it if I had, this did not hold me back much. The sheer vigour of the writing dragged me helplessly into the book and before even a paragraph had passed, I had suspended my disbelief and was fully committed to wolves, psy, empaths, all of it.

Ethan has some things that he’s dealing with. He is holding back a tremendous power which he fears is a sign of his mental degeneration (Scarab Syndrome, for those interested) but Selenka is convinced that he is wrong. One of the threads of the plot follows this journey. Other threads include solving the murder of one of the wolves in Selenka’s pack and coming to grips with the cult that has set up shop on the fringes of her territory. And yet in the general calamity of their daily lives, they take infinitely tender care of each other. While outwardly Selenka is the more dominant one of the two – by virtue of her position as Alpha of a wolf pack – their relationship is one of partnership. Equals. And that in itself is a kind of bliss for me. All of the characters put such tremendous effort into taking care of each other. It’s hard not to love that.

There were times while reading that I was overwhelmed, however. Sometimes things become a little too much. Plot-wise a million things happen, and all of them at breakneck speed. It’s a bit dizzying. How much of that is because I’m new to the world? And how much of it is because the book itself is just jam-packed with plot? I’m not sure. I do know this book broke me out of a reading rut from which not even my most reliable comfort reads could save me. For that alone, it has my gratitude.

– Lara

Paranormal, Romance

Two Rogues Make a Right

author: Cat Sebastian

Content Warning: Child abuse, sexual abuse, attempted suicide, torture (all off the page)

Every moment of this book made me feel better. I’m in an ocean of chaos at the moment (as many of us are*) and this book was the door to which I clung in these frigid waters. Did it magically solve my problems? No. But as with all the best escapist fiction, it made me feel like things would be okay again and that good times could come again. In short, dear Bitchery, it gave me hope.

*(Side note: I read this book during the first month of our (so far) three month lockdown)

Sir Martin Easterbrook and William Sedgwick have been best friends since childhood. The details on their early years are only revealed later in the book, but suffice to say they, individually, Went Through It. A brief overview: William’s father was neglectful and eccentric (and not in the loving sort of way) and Martin’s father was an asshole. Martin spent all of his childhood being ‘taken care of’ as his lungs were weak. This results in an adult that is obsessed (understandably) with always making his own decisions and not subject to the decisions of others. William joined the navy as a young teen and experiences an initially joyful, but ultimately traumatic time.

When the book opens, William has found Martin staying in his brother’s pub.** Martin has consumption and is on death’s door. William sort-of kidnaps Martin and takes him away to the country where under his tender ministrations, Martin makes a recovery. But in the process, so much is uncovered. Martin has loved William since they were 17 years old. Bisexual William is a little oblivious. But oh, how things change in the most wonderful WONDERFUL ways. They find a sense of home and of liberation in each other. Martin discovers sex, and William is the perfect guide. But more importantly, they redefine what “home” is and create a space that allows them not only to survive but to thrive.

**(The start of this story is found in closing chapters of A Gentleman Never Keeps Score. While this book is part of the Seducing the Sedgwicks series, I was able to read it as a standalone with no difficulty.)

It’s not just the story that melted my heart. The WAY the story is told has its own kind of magic. The wry, sharp wit of Martin Easterbrook left me laughing, and Will’s guileless vulnerability made me as hungry to protect him as Martin is. These characters come ALIVE in the most wonderful way. I would find myself smiling stupidly at my Kindle, melting in the heat emitted by these two. I’ve read more historicals than you can shake a stick at, but none that have a turn of phrase quite like this one.

This review could easily extend to countless paragraphs of my simply listing the ways in which I love this book and what it has done for me, but I must stop so that you, dear Bitchery, can pick this book up and enjoy it yourselves.

– Lara

Historical: European, LGBTQIA, Romance

Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed

author: Laurie Halse Anderson

Wonder Woman: Tempest Tossed is a delightful YA graphic novel about Diana (Wonder Woman) and her coming of age. In this story, Diana leaves behind the Amazon island of Themyscira on her sixteenth birthday in an attempt to help a raft of refugees during a storm. Her journey takes her from the open ocean to a refugee camp in Greece and then to New York City where she plans to attend university. Diana learns about war, poverty, racism, and crime. She also makes friends and learns about some of the many ways that people fight for justice in the world beyond Themyscira, and realizes that her mission is to stand with human beings who need help.

I adored this book. The art is gorgeous. The artist, Leila Del Duca, is also the artist behind Sleepless so I expected greatness, and got it, with these delicate, detail-filled drawings full of expression and action. The colorist, Kelly Fitzpatrick, uses a gorgeous pallet of teals and blues contrasted with earth tones and punches of white and dark brown. It’s a joy to look at.

Likewise, the characters and plot are a joy to read about, especially right now when I think so many people feel helpless and lost. This Wonder Woman story is about trying to assess where your talents do and don’t lie, and how to use them for the greater good in a compassionate and joyous and fulfilling way. We all need a reminder to do that, and to redo it periodically as our lives and the world around us change. This is a lovely graphic novel that any teen or adult should be able to enjoy.

– Carrie S

Graphic Novel, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult