The Immortals (Olympus Bound) is an urban fantasy with tons of action and mythology and a very ass-kicking heroine. Selene DiSilva is actually the goddess Artemis, and she and the other gods from Olympus are living semi-human lives. They age slowly, and some are losing their powers bit by bit as they are no longer worshiped on earth. When a woman is murdered in a ritual that is connected to Artemis, Selene investigates. She has to … Continue reading The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky →
The Lake House by Kate Morton is part historical fiction, part gothic mystery and part family saga–which means it’s 100% Elyse-bait. The mystery that binds this book together involves the disappearance of an eleven-month-old baby, Theo Edevane, in 1933. The Edevanes were a prominent family in England, and they were hosting their annual Midsummer’s Night party at their summer home in Cornwall the night he vanished from his nursery. The book centers around three women: Alice … Continue reading The Lake House by Kate Morton →
I love any type of book that promises an immersive experience in another place, culture, or world that is different from my own. My desire for travel doesn’t match my travel budget any more than by reading desires are satisfied by my book budget, so books like this one are always tempting to me. Unfortunately, there were two parallel storylines in this book, and I didn’t like one of them. Genevieve is getting a divorce, and … Continue reading The Paris Key by Juliet Blackwell →
Carmilla is an early vampire novel (it heavily influenced Dracula, which was written twenty-six years later). More specifically, it is Victorian Lesbian Vampire Erotica. People who think the Victorians were prudes clearly haven’t read Carmilla, in which a lesbian vampire seduces her victim night after night and day after day with “languid” movements and many “caresses.” To be honest, I pretty much just summed up the plot for you in the paragraph above. The narrator, Laura, is … Continue reading Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu →
NB: Heather T. saw this book among yesterday’s cover snark and said, “I think I need to read this.” For science, I presume. Whatever the reason, we’re grateful! Welcome, Heather! The cover of this little missive showed up on the Bitchery because the cover and the concept were just So Fucking Funny. The cover showed this guy wearing nothing but glasses and a huge bejeweled codpiece. A MAGIC BEJEWELED CODPIECE. I volunteered to take one for the team and … Continue reading Guest Review: Emily’s Magical Bejeweled Codpiece by B. Snow →
Welcome to our reviews and recaps of BBC’s Poldark, starring Aidan Turner and Eleanor Tomlinson, based on the novels by Winston Graham! lets get started with the angst, shall we? It’s woods, in Virginia, 1781. A party of redcoats are camped in the woods, and two of them are playing cards. One, a ruggedly handsome Aidan Turner without his LoTR dwarf get-up, puts in a ring as his stake, and another man snarks “Gambling again? … Continue reading Poldark, Episode 1 →
Did you know that there’s a Regency series about a young woman who is chosen to stand-alone against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness, but who just wants to have a normal life and marry well? And this woman’s name is not Buffy? I did not know this either until Smart Bitch Amanda told me, and now I have to read this whole series because Regency Slayer is a brilliant idea, even … Continue reading The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason →
Of Noble Family is the final book in the Glamourist Histories series books by Mary Robinette Kowal. The first book, Shades of Milk and Honey , was a Jane Austen-style romance with a touch of fantasy. Subsequent books have been more focused on action and intrigue, but the focus on the main characters Jane and Vincent gives every book a strong romantic element. They are established as a couple, but seeing their marriage grow stronger … Continue reading Of Noble Family by Mary Robinette Kowal →
Speakeasy Dead is being marketed as a romantic comedy. It has all the ingredients to be a great screwball 1920’s comedy, including bootleggers, movie stars, fabulous clothes, and zombies. Unfortunately, the characters aren’t very sympathetic or interesting, and the romance is almost non-existent. It’s a fairly entertaining light read, but not terribly engrossing and certainly not romantic. Screwball comedies thrive on complication, and one thing this book does very well is create a classic plot … Continue reading Speakeasy Dead by Vicky Loebel →
I received a truly squee-ful email from Lucylegs, who saw Pride, a movie that’s been in limited release in many countries. She wanted to encourage more people to see it, and so here is her guest review. Welcome, Lucylegs! YOU MUST GO SEE THIS MOVIE!!! I AM FLAILY AND HAVE ALL OF THE FEELS!!!! That was pretty much what I emailed to Sarah, and she, no doubt stroking her bald cat, said ‘how interesting, care to write … Continue reading Guest Review: Pride →
I have a love/hate relationship with Destiny’s Captive. It’s a sheep in wolves’ clothing. It has all the accoutrements of a story with a warrior woman character who takes charge but it’s actually a story about domestication, and it made me kind of depressed. So, here’s the set up: Noah is an American businessman with a ship, a lot of money, and a Troubled Past. He’s doing business in Cuba when Pilar steals his ship. … Continue reading Destiny’s Captive by Beverly Jenkins →
