Finding Faeries: Discovering Sprites, Pixies, Redcaps and Other Fantastical Creatures in an Urban Environment purports to be a scholarly reference work on liminal creatures. Part encyclopedia, part practical guide, this book introduces us to more than fifty species of fae, both the well known and the lesser known. The text is adorned with detailed pen and ink illustrations by Miles Äijälä, which are a little reminiscent of antique scientific illustrations of animals. These are very … Continue reading Finding Faeries: Discovering Sprites, Pixies, Redcaps and Other Fantastical Creatures in an Urban Environment by Alexandra Rowland →
The Worst Duke is not deep. It didn’t change my world. However, it does have a pig, a pug, a cat, and a lot of discussion about the many uses of vinegar so color me satisfied. If you like historical romances that are low angst, and made of silly, feel-good fun, you may like this. Anthony Farr, Duke of Radcliffe, had a terrible marriage. His wife died many years ago and his sister, Margaret, wants … Continue reading The Worst Duke in the World by Lisa Berne →
Subversive is the first book in the Clandestine Magic trilogy and when I finished it I immediately one-clicked the next two books. Subversive ends on a cliffhanger so be prepared to rush to the next book, which also ends on a cliffhanger, before wrapping everything up at the trilogy’s end. The first book also contains a lot of discussion and trauma around the issue of consent and magic. Here’s the publisher’s description: In an America … Continue reading Subversive by Colleen Cowley →
Maid for the Musketeer would have gotten a higher grade from me if it hadn’t taken a sharp tonal turn at the last minute. For the most part, I enjoyed this feminist romance between childhood friends who are forced by Cardinal Richelieu to become spies in France in the mid-1600s. The introduction warns us that the book, like The Three Musketeers by Dumas, is “not historical fiction, it’s more accurately described as historical fanfiction.” With … Continue reading Maid for the Musketeer by Anna Klein →
Virginia, Lady Dulverton is widowed and happy to be so. After an abusive childhood and an unsatisfactory marriage, she prefers to give her attention to the orphanages that were her husband’s passion. She has no intention of marrying again, which is a good thing, too, because the terms of her husband’s will are…complicated, and make remarriage difficult. Unfortunately, she is finding Francis, Lord Wolverstone hard to resist, and he is not particularly inclined to let … Continue reading Virginia and the Wolf by Lynne Connolly →
This is the type of book that does the hefty, difficult work of reframing a fundamental concept that I don’t think about too much, and does such a deft, nuanced, foundation-blasting good job that I now think about this idea All. The. Time. Much like Off the Clock, another book that might seem to be about productivity but really taught me to rethink how I look at time, Laziness Does Not Exist is about the pernicious … Continue reading Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price →
I very much enjoyed Compass Rose. This is not a shock, since the book features lesbian pirates and giant squid and thus has “Carrie Bait” written all over it. However, I did not find the end to be entirely satisfying and I had a heck of a time keeping up with the plot. The heroine, Compass Rose (yes, that’s her name) never gets lost, but I got lost in this plot all the dang time. … Continue reading Compass Rose by Anna Burke →
Content warning: Kidnapping, rape, violence against women. All off-screen, but you do see the results of it. Also, the heroine’s past contains, essentially, forced seduction by someone to whom she went for help. Earl’s Well that Ends Well is a romance with a fair bit of adventure and melodrama – it reminds me a little of some of Heyer’s early works in both good and frustrating ways. I liked the fact that both Arthur and … Continue reading Earl’s Well That Ends Well by Jane Ashford →
Once I got past the quite misleading blurb, I found The Stormbringer to be a lot of heartwarming fantasy fun with a hefty pour of romance. The story also contains some pretty bold character choices that I (mostly) appreciated. While I enjoyed it thoroughly, I think primarily due to the boldness of said choices, this is a book that will either really work for people or really not work for them. Let’s get into it! … Continue reading The Stormbringer by Isabel Cooper →
As I sat down to draft my review of Pretty Little Wife I realized it was going to have to be somewhat brief. It wasn’t that I didn’t have a lot to say about the book (I do!), it’s that this thriller is so beautifully plotted and executed that saying too much about the book would ruin the reading experience for other people. It’s one of those frustrating situations where I just want to shove … Continue reading Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane →
A Very Witchy Yuletide is a romance that offers both realistic Pagan representation and #ownvoices representation of being legally blind. As an Atheopagan (one of the many, many subsets of Neopaganism) I enjoyed the realistic portrayal of a Pagan Yule. However, the romance is pretty bland and I felt that in discussions of discrimination against Pagans, the characters, most but not all of whom were White, cisgender, and heterosexual, failed to adequately recognize their own … Continue reading A Very Witchy Yuletide by D. Lieber →
