After really enjoying the first book in the Heirs of Hansol series, Temporary Wife Temptation, I regret to report that I found Secret Crush Seduction to be disappointing. That’s not to say there weren’t elements I enjoyed, but I spent far too much reading time trying to parse out the backstory between the characters and decide if various elements of the plot were making me uncomfortable or not. Secret Crush Seduction follows the younger sister … Continue reading Secret Crush Seduction by Jayci Lee →
If you are an Ilona Andrews fan (and if you aren’t, why not??) I have good news for you. Emerald Blaze gives us everything we expect from an Andrews book: a competent heroine facing an unusual supernatural threat, an alpha-esque love interest with whom she has scorching chemistry, a great secondary cast, exciting action, strong world-building and sense of place, and jokes on jokes on jokes. I truly enjoyed every moment of the reading experience, … Continue reading Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews →
You can bet when I saw the words “gender-swapped Alexander the Great in space” used to describe a book, my immediate reaction was PUT IT IN MY EYEBALLS. Plus, it’s written by Kate Elliot, who wrote the totally amazing and ass-kicking Spiritwalker fantasy trilogy. I figured Unconquerable Sun was a guaranteed winner. Folks, it is a winner–eventually. After a stuttering start, it is jam-packed with incredibly cool and interesting sci-fi world-building and nonstop twisty politics … Continue reading Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott →
The Year of the Witching is a very, very good book. It’s unsettling and horrifying, beautiful and incisive, and ultimately, radiantly triumphant. As it centers on a religious dystopia and has feminist themes, it has already been compared to the The Handmaid’s Tale. This is not an inapt comparison; however, I think in tone and setting it reads much more like Nathanial Hawthorne, but as written by a woman living in 2020. In the vein … Continue reading The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson →
When I really love an author, I often try to pace out diving into their back list as much as my own self-control will allow, leaving me with some guaranteed, go-to winners for when I really need them. This strategy definitely paid off with Jeannie Lin’s The Dragon and The Pearl, the second book in her China-set Tang Dynasty series. Two deliciously complex characters locked in a steamy battle of wills in a well-rendered non-European … Continue reading The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeannie Lin →
I have a real weak spot for sexy vampires. I also have one for fantasy romance, and another one for romance series where each book is about a different couple but there’s a connected plot arc throughout. So I had high hopes for The Black Lily, the first book in a fairy-tale retelling vampire romance series about humans rebelling against corrupt vampire overlords. Unfortunately, my ultimate reaction was pretty mixed and I have not yet … Continue reading The Black Lily by Juliette Cross →
Note: spoilers for the first two books in the Consortium Rebellion series follow. The third book in the sci-fi romance Consortium Rebellion series, Chaos Reigning, follows the baby of the powerful von Hasenberg family, Catarina (or Cat for short) in her quest to root out any remaining culprits in the kidnapping of her eldest brother, Ferdinand. I liked the first book in the Consortium Rebellion series and I loved the second book, so my hopes … Continue reading Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik →
Sometimes a series is just exactly what you thought it was going to be and what you were looking for, and the josei manga series You’re My Pet! was that for me. This 14-volume manga series is comedic, soap-operatic, a little weird, romantic, and hopeful. While I can’t say it’s flawless, I nonetheless loved it. This series was originally released in the US as Tramps Like Us in the 2000s by Tokyopop (although I think … Continue reading You’re My Pet by Yayoi Ogawa →
The book gods have been kind to me lately, and Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst is no exception. It’s a strong, fast-paced fantasy standalone about two women involved in the world’s most dangerous competition (monster racing!!) who unwittingly get involved in imperial and religious intrigues while they try to take top prize. It’s a classic sports underdog narrative that morphs seamlessly into a burn-the-whole-world-down-to-save-it story. I found the combination of fantasy sports and … Continue reading Race the Sands by Sarah Beth Durst →
I have been very excited for Bonds of Brass since I learned that the author, Emily Skrutskie, was inspired by the highly teased but never fully realized Finn & Poe relationship from the most recent Star Wars trilogy. While there are definitely echoes of FinnPoe here, the world and characters Skrutskie has created feel fresh even while deploying many of the classic elements of the space opera genre, except now 100% more queer!. (Cue voice … Continue reading Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie →
All I needed to know about Thornfruit was that it was an F/F secondary-world fantasy novel with lots of mutual pining before I one-clicked the hell out it. I am happy to report that, having finished the book, I really enjoyed it! Thornfruit is the story of two young women living on a tidally locked planet in the perpetually-sunlit city of Arishdenan. One girl, Alizhan, is a neuroatypical, face-blind, powerful mind-reader who works as a … Continue reading Thornfruit by Felicia Davin →
