Happy April! In New England, we’ve gotten a lot of rain and some snow. Great. It’s also my birthday month. What will I be doing to ring in twenty-nine, you ask? Well, right now the only thing on my calendar for my actual birthday is a 3pm therapy session. … Sarah wrote up a great summary and response to RWA’s statement on diversity. If you’re looking to read more books by authors of color this … Continue reading Links: Female-Authored Fantasy, Trivia, & Stacey Abrams →
Torn has a great concept and fantastic descriptions of locations and clothing. It has a heroine of color (she’s described as having black hair and “golden skin”). It has intrigue. It has action and romance. Alas, it does NOT have momentum. This book is a fantasy that takes place in an alternate world. The country our heroine Sophie lives in is similar to Russia right before the 1917 revolution. Sophie is a seamstress who owns … Continue reading Torn by Rowenna Miller →
Assassin’s Gambit is a gritty yet glamorous story of seduction, espionage, intrigue, and romance. It has a brainy heroine, a hero with a wooden leg, some amazing clothes, magic, and many rounds of Caturanga, a game similar to chess. It also has a lot of violence, including graphic sexual violence, so readers beware. Trigger warning for rape, blackmail, and violence during sex. Lucien is the Kjallan emperor. He lost a leg in battle and struggles … Continue reading Assassin’s Gambit by Amy Raby →
I should be in bed right now. I should be getting a good night’s sleep before I start my work week tomorrow, but I’m not. All hope of being productive today or tomorrow went by the wayside when I started Three Dark Crowns this afternoon. Since I started the book I’ve done nothing but read, and now I’m reviewing it late at night because OMG YOU GUYS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS. I am literally sweating right … Continue reading Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake →
Happy Wednesday! It’s time for some links. Big thanks to all you awesome readers for sending me cool stuff to feature! Please, keep ’em coming! … From Reader Susan, who sent me a link to Jim C. Hines’ blog, in which he swapped the genders of characters in passages from scifi/fantasy novels: While Mr. Douglas was speaking freely on a subject he knew little about, Jane C. Henshaw, LL.B, M.D., Sc.D., bon vivant, gourmet, sybarite, popular author … Continue reading Links: Jim C. Hines, The Landmark Trust, and Relaxation Techniques →
My dear Bitches, I’ve been remiss in my duties. Somehow I managed to read three books in the wonderful Memoirs of Lady Trent series without writing a single review for you. Allow me to rectify that with the fourth book: In the Labyrinth of Drakes. While I recommend reading the whole series from the beginning (‘cause it’s awesome) you can jump in with Labyrinth. It works as a standalone. The Memoirs of Lady Trent series follows … Continue reading In the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan →
Rag and Bone is a mix of Regency, fantasy, and mystery, and while some parts were stronger than others, the two heroes and the rapidly developing plot kept me reading for hours longer than I intended. Crispin is a struggling magician whose prior tutor/master turned out to be evil, and he has a clandestine but passionate relationship with Ned, who is a waste paper dealer. Ned, who is the gentleman of color on the cover, lives … Continue reading Rag and Bone by KJ Charles →
It’s pretty easy to write a glowing review or a scathing review – but writing a “meh” review is truly tricky. No one wants to read a review that goes, “IDK, it was fine, whatever.” However, my feelings about Newt’s Emerald are basically, “IDK, it was fine, whatever.” Newt’s Emerald is a Regency romance with magic, which is totally my catnip. It also has a heroine who dresses as a guy for strategic reasons, which … Continue reading Newt’s Emerald by Garth Nix →
The Magicians by Lev Grossman is $2.99! I haven’t read this book yet, but it comes highly recommended from several friends. It also is the most recommended book I’ve seen for people looking for what to read next after finishing the Harry Potter series. Though the protagonist is a senior high school, the book does contain themes of sex and drugs. Something to keep in mind for younger readers.
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Do you ever have that moment where someone recommends something to you and it just changes everything? A new coffee place that has the best mochas. An old film you might have heard of in passing, but now can’t stop watching. Just some serendipitous circumstance that gives you such good feelings. Love is Red is my serendipity. I read it in one sitting. I cannot remember the last time I was so completely enthralled with … Continue reading Love is Red by Sophie Jaff →
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo is 99c! This is a mixture of historical fiction, fantasy, and romance. The Ghost Bride has actually been recommended to me by so many friends that I had to take notice, though I haven’t had a chance to read it just yet. Readers can’t say enough good things about the setting and Chinese folklore, though some mention the book reads more like a young adult novel, which they weren’t really expecting. It has a 3.7-star rating on GR.
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