RECOMMENDED: What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher is $2.99! This was mentioned in a previous Hide Your Wallet, and has been on sale a few times. Kim said in September 2023, “Loved What Moves the Dead–or, who am I kidding, all T. Kingfisher books. Genuinely creepy, atmospheric, with likeable and interesting characters. Fun science-y stuff, too. [The book] has a nonbinary main character and does interesting alt-history things with gender identity.”
I know Kingfisher is an auto-buy for many of you. Did any of you pick this one up?
RECOMMENDED: A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn is $2.99 as a KDD today! This is book two in the Veronica Speedwell series and I LOVE THIS SERIES. I’ve listened to it one after the other. I reviewed this one and gave it a B, and wrote, “the series is a sizable amount of fun if you like historical mysteries, fearless and intelligent heroines who take negative-zero crap from anyone, characters who embrace sarcasm, adventure and nefarious plotting, and taciturn but brilliant heroes with simmering sexual tension.”
In a plot filled with external sources of tension (such as the aforementioned scorpion-tentacle monster) it’s the internal conflict Amina feels about her past as well as her relationships with her biological and found family that both ground and drive the story.
The Winter King by C.L. Wilson is $1.49! This is book one in the Weathermages of Mystral series. This is a fantasy romance originally published 10 years ago in 2014, and it has some interesting magical systems and societies, but readers on StoryGraph have warned that there is dubious consent and assault. This is part of what I think of as “Retcon Romantasy:” an older book that fits what is right now the very hottest reading trend. Have you read this one? (And isn’t that cover something?)
RECOMMENDED: A Power Unbound by Freya Marske is $2.99! This is book 3 of The Last Binding series, a queer historical fantasy series that began with A Marvellous Light (which is in KU so if you haven’t read this trilogy, it’s easy to start). A Power Unbound was mentioned in Hide Your Wallet, and Freya Marske was a guest on the podcast to talk about the second book A Restless Truth. This trilogy is terrific, and A Power Unbound has a 4.39 star average on StoryGraph and 4.32 on Goodreads. Have you read this book?
Be Mine Forever by Kennedy Ryan is a KDD at $1.99 today only! This is book 3 in the Bennet series, and it has a 4+ star average on Goodreads, and 3.72 on StoryGraph. Ryan’s books are superb, with strong emotions and complex characters. Readers state that the emotional payoff for this story was incredible, though some grew weary of the angst on the way. Have you read this one?
Embroidering Her Truth: Mary, Queen of Scots and the Language of Power by Clare Hunter is .99c! This book jumped out at me because it’s an examination of how Mary, Queen of Scots used textiles, embroidery, and color to communicate and convey power. This book has a 4.13 star average on StoryGraph, and a 4.26 star average on Goodreads. It also won an award as Scottish History Book of the Year in 2022! Have you read this book?
I truly loved this book. Loved. It made me feel like a champagne bubble – all fizzy and light. When I think of all the magical feelings romance gives its readers, I will forever think of this book.
Amanda says she’s “jealous of those who get to read this for the first time,” which is pretty massive praise. If you’ve read this one, at $1.99, maybe you can gift it to a friend!
The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart is $2.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! This fantasy novel was mentioned on a previous Hide Your Wallet, and it is a bit of a dark read. Carrie, Elyse, and Aarya have all read this book, and had a lot of positive things to say – Elyse finished it and immediately had Rich download the audiobook so they could talk about it.
I started Ana María and the Fox when I needed a book to distract me, and it was perfect for that purpose. I love historical romances with sparkling dialogue and characters getting into good trouble—this book has both. I burned through it quickly and I’m ready for a sequel!
Incense and Sensibility by Sonali Dev is $2.99! It’s book three in Dev’s Rajes series, which is full of Jane Austen retellings. Dev’s books can get pretty emotional, so I suggest checking content warnings.
