Tag: genre: fantasy

• Book Review: “A Secret History of Witches” by Louisa Morgan

  Posted at 7:15 am by Laura, on September 4, 2018

  A Secret History of Witches by Louisa Morgan

  Publisher: Redhook
  Published: May 2018
  Genre: historical, fantasy
  ISBN: 9780316508582
  Rating: ★★★★

  A sweeping historical saga that traces five generations of fiercely powerful mothers and daughters – witches whose magical inheritance is both a dangerous threat and an extraordinary gift.

  Brittany, 1821. After Grand-mere Ursule gives her life to save her family, their magic seems to die with her.

  Even so, the Orchieres fight to keep the old ways alive, practicing half-remembered spells and arcane rites in hopes of a revival. And when their youngest daughter comes of age, magic flows anew. The lineage continues, though new generations struggle not only to master their power, but also to keep it hidden.

  But when World War II looms on the horizon, magic is needed more urgently than ever – not for simple potions or visions, but to change the entire course of history.

  This book is covered in sand and stained with salt water from the Aegean Sea––it was the only book I managed to read on my trip to Greece, and I took it everywhere with me. It’s not only a history of witches, but a history of one of the best experiences of my life!

  A Secret History of Witches is a unique historical fantasy that has multiple perspectives and narratives across different time periods, but it is not a parallel narrative story like most historical fantasy novels. Instead we watch five generations of witches across roughly 120 years, how magic played a role in their lives, and the consequences of the women’s use and interpretation of their magic. It was a little difficult giving this book a rating as two of the narratives I probably could’ve done without (but I understood their purpose and read through them anyway), but overall I was very impressed with everything about this story––the structure, the style, the distinctions between the women in their voices and narratives, the way outsiders saw the witches, the roles magic played with each generation’s wants and needs––that I left feeling fulfilled and enchanted.

  Five very different women take the stage in this saga. This began as a very matriarchal, feminist narrative, with a close-knit family of Romani escaping Brittany and persecution for the safety of a permanent home in Cornwall. Nanette, our first narrator, is the last granddaughter of a great witch and recalls the persecution and her family’s flight. She is determined to continue the Orchiére line and finds guidance in magic. As the generations continue––through skeptical Ursule to vindictive Irene, sweet Morwen to determined Veronica––the life of the outsiders, the ones with no understanding of magic, a life of gender roles, a belief and desire for war, start to leak into the Orchiére women’s lives. With each generation magic becomes weaker and fades; with the rise of technology and steps toward integration into modern society each Romani woman takes, their feminist nature and matriarchal respect dies away.

  I found this to be an incredibly interesting study. When we think of magic––or faith, for that matter––we see it as something archaic, ancient, to be set in history, to have no place in the modern world, especially in the blind reliance and belief in it. (Think of Harry Potter and how archaic the wizarding world seems in comparison to Harry’s Muggle life!) We also find feminism to be forward-thinking and progressive, and not at all something that existed in history (though we do find examples of powerful women, and men who treated women with respect/as equals). Push these two together: the power of magic and the power of women, both dying off thanks to the integration into the modern world. What does this say about us? What does this say about our society?

  I’m probably reading too deeply into it, but I was genuinely fascinated with the themes and progression of the novel as each woman stated her piece in history. If you’re looking for something different in historical fantasy, pick up this book. This would also be a good novel for fans of Paula Brackston’s The Winter Witch, as well as the family aspects from Discovery of Witches.

  This qualifies as book 8 of 16 in my TBR challenge. 

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018, Rock My TBR | 1 Comment | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “Spinning Silver” by Naomi Novik (ARC)

  Posted at 6:20 am by Laura, on June 26, 2018

  Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

  Publisher: Del Rey
  Publishing Date: July 10
  Genre: fantasy
  ISBN: 9780399180989
  Rating: ★★★★

  Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders… but her father isn’t a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has loaned out most of his wife’s dowry and left the family on the edge of poverty–until Miryem steps in. Hardening her heart against her fellow villagers’ pleas, she sets out to collect what is owed–and finds herself more than up to the task. When her grandfather loans her a pouch of silver pennies, she brings it back full of gold.

  But having the reputation of being able to change silver to gold can be more trouble than it’s worth–especially when her fate becomes tangled with the cold creatures that haunt the wood, and whose king has learned of her reputation and wants to exploit it for reasons Miryem cannot understand.

  Miryem’s family is falling further into poverty as winter continues to wage battle on her village. She takes it upon herself to collect the debts owed her father the night it seems her mother may die. As she brings in wealth for her family, the Staryk — the creatures of bitter cold, snow, and ice — take notice of her abilities to turn silver to gold, and bargain with her. One bargain turns into another, and soon enough Miryem has trapped herself and others in the kingdom in a vicious battle between humanity and demons.

  This was immensely darker, far more rooted in Eastern European lore, and heavy with Jewish custom and atmosphere, than Uprooted ever was (and you know how much I loved the idea of a forest as the enemy). And though a part of me wondered if anything good would ever happen for these characters, any ounce of hope, I have to say it: this was even better than Uprooted. If that was even possible.

  The women in this novel were so varied, so strong, and so kickass! Miryem takes up the family business out of survival and necessity. Soon Miryem’s family hires Wanda, a young woman who needs to be away from her father and save her brothers from his wrath. Miryem and a family friend design Staryk silver jewelry to sell to the duke’s daughter Irina, to help her become tsarina. Irina’s servant and motherly figure watches with pride and anticipation as Irina battles the demon inside the tsar.

  There are other voices in this novel, and it was so neat to see the way Novik weaves them together throughout the chapters. Each person truly had a different voice, without chapter name indicators as is so often done in multi-POV, depending on their socioeconomic status, age, and level of education. These context clues (up until their name is addressed by another character) add so many layers to the story. It was a beautiful and enchanting read.

  At its core, it’s more than an Eastern European spin on “Rumpelstiltskin.” It also has the beating heart of Jewish history and culture. The novel has this pulsing ache of despair coupled with the determined urgency to find hope. The characters, most especially Miryem, will do whatever it takes to save family, friends, and loved ones, and to find that sense of peace, hope, and joy at the end of this long tunnel of desperation and doubt. To see it played out like this — and how the consequences of one character’s actions impact a whole country, an entire kingdom — was an adventure in and of itself.

  Those final sentences? Slay me. I die.

  Spinning Silver will capture your heart and hold fast from beginning to end.

  Thank you, Del Rey, for providing this book at PLA for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018 | 2 Comments | Tagged advance reading copy, ARC, book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, review

• Book Review: “The Queens of Innis Lear” by Tessa Gratton

  Posted at 5:15 am by Laura, on June 4, 2018

  The Queens of Innis Lear by Tessa Gratton

  Publisher: Tor
  Published: March 2018
  Genre: fantasy
  ISBN: 9780765392466
  Rating: ★★★.5

  The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes.

  The king’s three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm’s only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted.

  Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided.

  Gaela is determined to become a king of Innis Lear, and she will do whatever it takes to achieve her goal. Reagan wants nothing more than to be a mother and resorts to magic to create a child. Elia wants to do what’s best for her kingdom and the land, utilizing the stars for guidance. When their father––whose obsession with the stars’ prophecies has driven Innis Lear to ruin––is ready to name an heir for the kingdom, the stars and his daughters leave him surprised, tearing the kingdom apart instead of uniting. With husbands, kings, and diplomats from other lands all sharing their insight with the sisters, the kingdom’s fate is hurtling toward inevitable collapse if one sister does not come out as the true queen of Innis Lear.

  I loathed the Shakespeare play, which the skeleton of this novel is based on. I found King Lear selfish, narcissistic, unjustifiably crazy, frustrating, and obnoxious, so I felt he and his kingdom deserved to collapse. In Gratton’s epic reimagining, I’m still deeply bothered by King Lear, but she really humanizes him––he is a king gone mad with grief, relying on one particular aspect of faith (faith in the stars) to guide his decisions, with no allowance for logic or reasoning. In many ways his madness reminded me of the elderly stuck in ruts, on the brink of dementia even. You’re frustrated, and yet you also pity.

  This fantasy was more political, theoretical, gossipy, and religious than it was plot-and-action. We see each sister’s motivations, desires, and sorrows; we see the king of a neighboring country, their mother’s brother, the bastard son of an earl, and a forest witch. All of these views, all of their conversations and experiences with each other and with King Lear, really paint a full picture of the political and religious turmoil going on in Innis. I wouldn’t necessarily say I liked any particular character, as they all had their strengths and flaws, but Elia and Mars probably take the cake––they were the most calm and reasoning of the bunch, which we all know I gravitate toward even in life (haha)!

  I keep bringing up religion, and it’s true, this does have religious connotations to it that anyone with any familiarity with any faith can identify with. There’s faith, and then there’s zealous passion that, more often than not, is full of corruption and blindness. King Lear is zealous. The land, the kingdom, the neighboring kingdoms, either recognize the faith of the land (working in unity with the ground, the water, the trees, the air, the stars) or respectfully none at all––Lear’s actions indicate that fervor in one aspect of the faith (in his case, the stars and only the stars) causes more famine and destruction than no faith at all. There’s respect for magic, for witches and wizards, in the lands with full or no faith, while King Lear respects only the star priests. It’s so fascinating watching all of this discussed and explored, because we can easily apply this in our world too.

  The book could have cut another 100-200 pages, in my opinion, but it was still an enjoyable epic fantasy of intrigue and world-building. This is probably the first Shakespeare fantasy reimagining I’ve read that’s actually…worked.

  This qualifies as book 7 of 16 in my TBR challenge. 

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018, Rock My TBR | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “The City of Brass” by SA Chakraborty

  Posted at 5:45 am by Laura, on March 19, 2018

  The City of Brass by SA Chakraborty

  Publisher: Harper Voyager
  Published: November 2017
  Genre: fantasy
  ISBN: 9780062678102
  Rating: ★★★★★

  Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.

  But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass?a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

  In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

  After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for . . .

  On the streets of 18th-century Cairo, Nahri gets by on her cons and finds joy in deceiving Ottoman nobles. Sometimes she helps others with reassurances of good health, even when death may be near, so as to give them some sense of peace. When she accidentally summons a djinn warrior during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept the magical world she thought only existed in stories. The djinn, Dara, tells her about mythical creatures in air and water, of mountains and sands full of terrifying beings, and a city of brass called Daevabad. It is here that Nahri enters a whole new world of court politics, finding herself bound to the city’s ancient history and conflict, and where schemes can prove to be deadly.

  Hands down my favorite book of 2018, and the year has only just begun. I’m still reeling from a book hangover, and I finished this book in January. I’m writing this in mid-March and I still don’t know how to put this book into words. Bear with me as I attempt this feat…

  The City of Brass is so layered and complicated, it forced me to slow down to read. Imagine yourself a foreigner to a whole new world. There will be racism, elitism, sexism, centuries of war and development and culture, and you are thrown into this world as a savior for some (in a most complicated way) and a signal of downfall to others (in a most complicated way). Nahri is literally thrust into a role she cannot comprehend or begin to understand, and is expected to know this world like the back of her hand, with all of its intricacies and history.

  So yes, it’s complicated. Especially when the warrior she’s summoned is the last of his kind as well, bound for centuries to the kind she’s descended from, and he’s basically sentenced to death upon entering Daevabad for his centuries’-past treason. Who do you believe when it comes to describing the history and significance of Daevabad? The royal family, the people, the warrior?

  I haven’t read a book like this in a long time, if ever. It’s not easy to tell who the good and bad guys are. The characters provide ample moments of humor in the midst of heart-pounding adventure. The political complications throughout the novel — from the variety of djinn races, to the fascinating mythological creatures, to the cultural and historical clashes — only heighten the emotional intensity between Nahri and Dara. Their romance simply burned and I was left in tatters at the end of the novel. Avid readers of historical fantasy will enjoy this Middle Eastern debut, inspired by one of the stories from 1001 Nights. The world is imaginative yet feels incredibly authentic and tangible. I was surprised at every turn!

  I cannot recommend this enough. The City of Brass is a must-read.

  This qualifies as book 3 of 16 in my TBR challenge. 

  Posted in books, Reviews 2018, Rock My TBR | 6 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “The Dire King” by William Ritter

  Posted at 5:45 am by Laura, on September 21, 2017

  The Dire King by William Ritter

  Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
  Published: August 2017
  Genre: young adult, fantasy, historical fiction, gothic
  ISBN: 9781616206703
  Rating: ★★★★.5

  The fate of the world is in the hands of detective of the supernatural R. F. Jackaby and his intrepid assistant, Abigail Rook. An evil king is turning ancient tensions into modern strife, using a blend of magic and technology to push Earth and the Otherworld into a mortal competition. Jackaby and Abigail are caught in the middle as they continue to solve the daily mysteries of New Fiddleham, New England — like who’s created the rend between the worlds, how to close it, and why zombies are appearing around. At the same time, the romance between Abigail and the shape-shifting police detective Charlie Cane deepens, and Jackaby’s resistance to his feelings for 926 Augur Lane’s ghostly lady, Jenny, begins to give way. Before the four can think about their own futures, they will have to defeat an evil that wants to destroy the future altogether.

  A king in another realm is blending ancient magic with modern electricity, tearing down the veil between Earth and the Otherworld, wrecking havoc in its wake. Jackaby and Abigail are caught in the middle, barely recovering from the recent attack in their home on Augur Lane. But if they don’t act soon, and listen the last words of warning from New Fiddleham’s parish priest, the world as they know it may collapse into chaos.

  Please read reviews (and the books, of course) for the previous titles before continuing, as this may contain spoilers: Jackaby, Beastly Bones, Ghostly Echoes

  My initial thoughts when finishing this book were “OMGGGGG THAT WAS AWESOME AND UNEXPECTED BUT TOTALLY FITTING AND AHHHH.” Let’s shoot for some coherency now.

  What started off as ridiculous good fun in Jackaby developed into something so much more — more than mystery and mayhem and mythology and cultural lore — what it also means to find love and hope in the midst of chaos and destruction. Abigail and Jackaby make one heck of a duo when it comes to solving crimes in New Fiddleham, with the assistance of ghost Jenny and cop/werewolf Charlie. But by this book, it’s more than a couple petty supernatural crimes — it’s a full-blown war with the Moriarty character, mending the veil between the mortal world and the world these creatures come from.

  This series is full of mystery and adventure, a proper blend of Doctor Who and Sherlock, with wacky scenarios, intense circumstances, and heart-pounding plot. The romantic plots made me smile — they’re so sweet and seemingly innocent, oh-so-perfectly restrained because, you know, saving the world and all — and the ending was both surprising and fitting. In many ways it leaves the series open for a spin-off, but I would be happy ending the adventures of 926 Augur Lane right here!

  If you haven’t already, I highly suggest reading Ritter’s Jackaby series. It’s humorous, genre-bending, adventurous, and remarkable!

  (Oh, and never look at the frog. And don’t trust anything in Chapter Thirteen.)

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: gothic, genre: historical fiction, genre: young adult, review

• Mini Reviews

  Posted at 4:10 am by Laura, on June 28, 2017

  Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn

  Publisher: Ace
  Published: October 2010 
  Genre: fantasy
  Rating: ★★★   
  Summary: Zoe Ardelay receives astonishing and unwelcome news: she has been chosen to become the king’s fifth wife. Forced to go to the royal city, she manages to slip away and hide on the shores of the mighty river. It’s there that Zoe realizes she is a coru prime ruled by the elemental sign of water. She must return to the palace, not as an unwilling bride for the king, but a woman with power in her own right. But as Zoe unlocks more of the mysteries of her blood—and the secrets of the royal family—she must decide how to use her great power to rise above the deceptions and intrigue of the royal court.
  

  Mini Review: So many people have praised Shinn’s writing, and I have to agree. She’s created a brilliant fantasy world, one that feels wholly unique and full and developed. The use of elemental magic isn’t all that original in magical worlds, but the way Shinn used elemental magic for specific individuals in certain families (primes), and others with the spirit of certain elements (like personality descriptors), was really neat. Though I found the court scenes in the second half of the book to be a little dull, I can’t blame Shinn on that — I’m generally not a fan of royal politics. I’m in love with the world enough that I fully plan to read the next book in this series!

  This qualifies as book 8 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

  Publisher: William Morrow
  Published: April 2013
  Genre: historical fiction
  Rating: ★★★.5
  Summary: Nearly eighteen, Molly Ayer knows she has one last chance. Just months from “aging out” of the child welfare system, and close to being kicked out of her foster home, a community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping her out of juvie. Vivian Daly has lived a quiet life on the coast of Maine. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. As Molly helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, she discovers that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.

  Mini Review: I was far more invested in Vivian’s narrative than Molly’s, probably because the book’s historical focus was so fascinating. I’m not as familiar with this moment in American history. How often do we get to read about the Great Depression outside of the major cities? What’s going on in the Midwest, in the heart of the country, with ordinary people? Not only that, but I had no idea the orphan trains began as early as the 1850s. Watching the development of the American foster care system (and adoption system) and seeing how it hasn’t exactly changed too much — more paperwork and regulations does not necessarily mean a better experience — was certainly eye-opening. The story ties up nicely, but truly, I found the historically-set narrative far more engaging. Kline knows how to keep the pages turning!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 2 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, mini review, review

• Book Review: “Hunted” by Meagan Spooner (ARC)

  Posted at 3:45 am by Laura, on April 6, 2017

  Hunted by Meagan Spooner

  Publisher: HarperTeen
  Published: March 2017
  Genre: young adult, fantasy
  ISBN: 9780062422286
  Rating: ★★★★.5

  Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.

  So when her father loses his fortune and moves Yeva and her sisters back to the outskirts of town, Yeva is secretly relieved. Out in the wilderness, there’s no pressure to make idle chatter with vapid baronessas…or to submit to marrying a wealthy gentleman. But Yeva’s father’s misfortune may have cost him his mind, and when he goes missing in the woods, Yeva sets her sights on one prey: the creature he’d been obsessively tracking just before his disappearance.

  Deaf to her sisters’ protests, Yeva hunts this strange Beast back into his own territory—a cursed valley, a ruined castle, and a world of creatures that Yeva’s only heard about in fairy tales. A world that can bring her ruin or salvation. Who will survive: the Beauty, or the Beast?

  Yeva’s family is forced to move to their winter home, a hunting lodge on the outskirts of town at the edge of a deep woods. Yeva and her father are pleased by the move, only because they’re such natural hunters. But when he comes back from a hunt raving about a Beast, and disappears again in his madness to find the creature, Yeva takes it upon herself to find them. What she was not prepared for was just how right her father was, how unprepared she is, and how otherworldly the Beast and his own captivity is. Has she entered a fairytale, or a nightmare?

  You think you know the Beauty and the Beast fairytale story. A selfish prince is cursed, turned into a beast until he learns to love another and the other loves in return. There’s captivity, madness, and magic, and in the middle of it all is a beautiful young woman. I love this fairytale, problematic situations and all. I was concerned this would be another one of those retellings that just rehash the same old story — and poorly — but that was not the case.

  This novel was so intense and perfect and exactly what I wanted from a Beauty and the Beast retelling without even knowing it. The hunter/hunted theme really brought out just how self-sufficient our leading lady (the Badass Protagonist) is. Yeva is quite possibly one of the fiercest, strongest female protagonists I’ve seen in YA fantasy in a while. There is no Stockholm Syndrome here!

  What I loved the most was how quickly I forgot this was a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The setting alone quickly maneuvered the comparisons and made the story stand on its own. A Russian winterscape — almost solidly historical at first before Yeva crosses into the magical woods — was absolutely perfect. It turned Hunted into a fairytale within a fairytale. Yeva even uses Russian fairytales to help maintain a calm rationale for everything, as she herself had difficulty coming to terms with the magical elements she encountered.

  I applaud Spooner. This is a phenomenal book.

  Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from HarperTeen for review!

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 8 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: fantasy, genre: young adult, review

• Book Review: “Son of the Shadows” by Juliet Marillier

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on March 27, 2017

  Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier

  Publisher: Tor
  Published: 2002 (first published in 2000)
  Genre: fantasy
  ISBN: 9780765343260
  Rating: ★★★★

  It is from her sacrifice that her brothers were brought home to Sevenwaters and her life has known much joy. But not all the brothers were able to escape the spell that transformed them into swans, and those who did were all more–and less–than they were before the change.

  It is left to Sorcha’s daughter Liadan who will take up the tale that the Sevenwaters clan is destined to fulfill. Beloved child, dutiful daughter, she embarks on a journey that opens her eyes to the wonders of the world around her…and shows her just how hard-won was the peace that she has known all her life.

  Liadan will need all of her courage to help save her family, for there are forces far darker than anyone chould have guessed and ancient powers conspiring to destroy this family’s peace–and their world. And she will need the strength to stand up to those she loves best, for in the finding of her own true love, Liadan’s course may doom them all…or be their salvation.

  Liadan is the beautiful younger daughter of Sorcha and Red, legends in their own fairytale story of the Sevenwaters clan. She loves to assist her mother with herbs and healing, speaks telepathically with her twin brother Sean, and attempts to rein in her older sister Niamh’s wild ways. But turbulent times crash into the family just when all seems to be well, and Liadan is trapped in the middle of an ancient prophecy. She is determined to make the right choices for her family, but with every step she takes her course appears to bring them further into darkness.

  SPOILER ALERT
  Events pertaining to Daughter of the Forest are within this review.
  SPOILER ALERT

  The second book in the Sevenwaters series is just as breathtaking, beautiful, and magical as the first, featuring another strong female protagonist who draws upon strength of the mind and spirit rather than physical qualities to combat her enemies.

  Liadan is a fierce and stubborn chatterbox, and she will tell you what she thinks of your decisions and actions if she believes it will improve your character or the family. She’d be a good friend to have around — patient and loving, while still practical and headstrong. She’s a great blend of Red and Sorcha, and that makes her flawed. While Sorcha is still one of my favorite characters in literature (right up there with Jane Eyre!), she was almost too perfect. Liadan makes loads of mistakes, to the point where it really does seem like the family is doomed. She is observant, aware of her mistakes, aware of how people treat her and how she treats others, and how sometimes similar situations and others’ reactions to them can be hypocritical. Take this, the family’s reaction to Liadan’s pregnancy:

  I was aware, constantly, of how different this was from Niamh’s experience. For my sister there had been the cold disapproval, the harsh censure, the shutting out, the hasty, forced marriage. For me there was simply acceptance, as if my fatherless child were already part of the family at Sevenwaters.

  While Son of the Shadows was entertaining and fantastic, and Liadan was an excellent character on her own, I had a hard time getting into the romance. It felt more like a means to an end for me, and less epic and profound as I was led to believe. Much of Liadan’s motivation and decisions were stemmed from this love, so I was pretty miffed by how central of a role it played when I wasn’t convinced of it.

  The prophecy from the first book is becoming a reality in this one, and it leaves the reader hanging, ready to read book three to see what happens next. There was more about the curse and the characters that come into play (such as, ah-ha!, the son of the shadows), more strategizing and skirmishes, more storytelling and culture. Sorcha was on a quest, separated from her family; Liadan is in the thick of it, a key player in the prophecy and all it entails.

  This qualifies as book 2 of 9 in the Flights of Fantasy / Gabaldon-and-Marillier challenge.

  This qualifies as book 4 of 12 in the Rock My TBR challenge.

  Posted in books, Flights of Fantasy, Reviews 2017, Rock My TBR | 0 Comments | Tagged book review, books, flights of fantasy, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: romance, review, rock my TBR

• Book Review: “The Silver Gate” by Kristin Bailey

  Posted at 3:30 am by Laura, on March 2, 2017

  The Silver Gate by Kristin Bailey

  Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
  Published: January 2017
  Genre: middle grade, fantasy, historical
  ISBN: 9780062398574
  Rating: ★★★★

  In shepherd boy Elric’s tiny village, people think children like his younger sister, Wynn, are changelings-left by fairies and doomed to curse all around them. As a baby, Wynn was born with developmental delays, and according to the rules, she was supposed to be abandoned in the woods.

  Instead Elric’s mother saved his sister and hid her away for eleven years. They live in secret and fear of being discovered, yet their home is full of love, laughter, and singing. Wynn and Elric’s favorite song is about the Silver Gate, a beautiful fairy realm where all children are welcome.

  But when their long-absent father returns to sell Wynn to the Lord’s castle as a maid, Elric realizes that folk songs and fantasies can’t protect them from the outside world. They have to run away. Still Wynn believes there’s only one place they’ll ever be safe, and it lies beyond the Silver Gate.

  The road to freedom is long and treacherous. If they have any hope for survival, Elric and Wynn must learn to depend on each other above everything else-and discover the magic that always reveals itself when it seems like all is lost.

  When Elric discovers his father sold his sister Wynn to the Lord’s castle as a lowly maid after their mother’s death, Elric convinces Wynn to run away with him under the pretense of a game: to search for the Silver Fate, a place made up in the fairytales their mother told them. But as they continue their journey across the land in hopes of finding refuge in a convent or village, the siblings begin to realize just how difficult life can be on their own. But Wynn believes in the Silver Gate, she believes in the magic, and it’s up to Elric to open his eyes and see it too.

  “I will not expose this abbey to an unfit soul.” The abbess turned her hard glare back to Wynn, as if she could crush her with the power of her words. “We have taken a vow of poverty. What resources we have must be devoted to God and the good women who come here from noble families to pursue their devotion and study. We must not waste.”

  I was only 60 pages into this when the siblings’ relationship made me cry. It’s so beautiful, heartfelt, and strong. Elric is of course frustrated with his younger sister just like any older sibling would be — but he has such a deep love for her that it just ripped me apart. Add on another important layer to this story: Wynn has Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome. One in every 125,000 births have this. These individuals have learning disabilities and physical defects that mark them as “other.” Toss in this novel’s setting — Celtic in origin, Middle Ages — and society rejects these individuals as halfwits or changelings. So to see this sibling relationship, and feel it every step and struggle throughout their journey…oh gosh. Tears. Everywhere.

  “I can’t believe,” he admitted in a soft voice as he stroked his thumb over the surface of the stone. “If I believed in fairies, that would mean they switched you for another baby. It would mean you’re not my sister.”

  Wynn is the true hero of this story. She urges her brother and the reader to believe — mind, body, and soul — in the power of the imagination, in magic, in make-believe. She may not be able to build a fire, she doesn’t pack the right things, it’s hard for her to remember things if she doesn’t ruminate on them over and over, and she may not speak very well, but her mind and creativity is her saving refuge. Her insistence that the Silver Gate is more than the stuff of bedtime stories and folk songs shows just how powerful magic can be. What a beautiful, smart girl.

  And what a beautiful, smart, rich, heart-wrenching story of love, sacrifice, and imagination!

  This qualifies as book 3 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 1 Comment | Tagged books, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, genre: middle grade

• Book Review: “The Bear and the Nightingale” by Katherine Arden

  Posted at 4:15 am by Laura, on February 9, 2017

  The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

  Publisher: Del Rey
  Published: January 10
  Genre: adult fiction, historical fiction, fantasy
  ISBN: 9781101885932
  Rating: ★★★★

  At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

  After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

  And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

  As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

  Vasya is both treasured and scorned by her father, for her birth brought about her mother’s death. But her mother knew Vasya was meant for great things. When her father brings back a Moscow bride, fearful and deeply devout, the new stepmother disrupts the understood order of the household. The rituals, such a deep part of the village’s culture and way of life, are in place for a reason, and the arrival of an arrogant priest further drives the helpful beings away. A great evil looms in the forest in winter, and Vasya must summon the courage to defeat it before she, and her village, burns.

  A fairy tale within a fairy tale: I don’t know how else to describe The Bear and the Nightingale. It’s a perfect winter read — enchanting, atmospheric, enthralling, and magical. Set in 14th-century Russia, a time when Christianity took hold in the cities but paganism and lore was the stronghold in the surrounding villages, Arden was able to capture the spirit and culture of Russia before the tzars. I love the liberties she took as well as all the information she provided about the time period within the novel and her author’s note. Such a rich and beautiful read.

  I was not prepared at first for the writing style and voice. In the beginning chapters I found it to be a little jarring — I wasn’t expecting magical realism or the fairy tale atmosphere. I purposely avoided all the reviews because I wanted this to be special. (It most certainly was.) Once I was in, I was hooked.

  (If you want to read reviews, go here! Publishers Weekly, NPR, Kirkus, Book Page, Library Journal)

  One of the things that really grabbed me was the examination of organized religion disrupting cultural traditions. I was familiar with this from Celtic history courses I took in undergrad. The creatures of the hearth and home, the yard, the forest, the water, the barn — they all work together to keep their people safe, but only if the people provide offerings. While Vasya can see them and honors them appropriately, Anna sees them and is frightened of “demons.” With the priest’s arrival, havoc and chaos is wrecked upon the village. The more people disbelieve in the Old Ways, the more the little creatures fade away.

  I don’t know where I’m going with that, but I would love to discuss this more with others! I wonder if the modern equivalent would be living with science and religion, fact versus fiction/fairy tale. Thoughts?

  Anyway, this really is a fairy tale above everything else. I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in Russian history and culture, vampires (huge role in this book!), fierce heroines, and the cultural elements and inspiration for Uprooted.

  This qualifies as book 2 of 5 library books in 2017.

  Posted in books, Reviews 2017 | 5 Comments | Tagged book review, books, genre: adult fiction, genre: fantasy, genre: historical fiction, review

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• Hello, I’m Laura!

  I'm a bookish bookworm and book hoarder. By day I'm a literary agent, and by night I'm forever rearranging my bookshelves. I could talk your ear off about Gothic literature, and in my past life people thought I'd become a professional musician. I have a fluffy black cat named Rossetti, I love to travel, tea is my drink of choice, British TV is the best, and I'm always down for chips-and-queso nights. Welcome to Scribbles & Wanderlust! Grab your favorite hot beverage and let's chat books!

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