The nitty-gritty: While the writing and themes were beautifully done, the plot and the multiple timelines never really gelled for me. Mudlark had a lot of potential, but it lacked a few important things for me. Mostly, I never felt an emotional connection to the characters, so it was very hard to care about what […]
The nitty-gritty: Two unhappy women seek revenge in this dark, bite-sized story, full of black humor and cats. I loved Icelandic writer Hildur Knútsdóttir’s last book, The Night Guest, so I was very excited to read Dead Weight. First, I want to mention that although this is being marketed as horror, it’s anything but. Honestly, […]
The nitty-gritty: S.A. Barnes’s fantasy debut is a solid series opener with dangerous characters, high stakes and plenty of romantic angst. “And I need you to know that I may not enjoy killing people, but I am very, very good at it.” Despite my middle of the road rating, I really did enjoy Death’s Daughter, […]
The nitty-gritty: A magical cafe is the setting for this engaging fantasy that blends mythology and modern themes. The Café of Infinite Doors has a fascinating premise, but it ended up being a mixed bag for me, mostly because of the characters (I’ll explain more below). I did love the touches of folklore, however, which […]
The nitty-gritty: Full of gorgeous, disturbing imagery and ambitious in scope, Bodies of Work is a unsettling peek into the mind of a killer. Clay McLeod Chapman always comes up with unique ideas, and in Bodies of Work, he’s taken the story of real life artist Henry Darger and built a fictional tale inspired by […]
The nitty-gritty: History and magic combine in this engaging debut fantasy story. The Geomagician wasn’t quite what I expected, but I ended up enjoying so many elements, even if there were a few things that didn’t work for me. Debut author Jennifer Mandula has taken a real life figure from history—Mary Anning, an English paleontologist […]
The nitty-gritty: A mysterious cellar is at the center of this short but impactful tale about change and acceptance. The Cellar Below the Cellar is an odd little story with a strong folktale vibe, and I enjoyed it! It’s sort of a mash-up of different genres, so it’s hard to pigeonhole it into just one. […]
The nitty-gritty: Cottagecore meets The Lord of the Rings in this entertaining but slightly uneven debut. I couldn’t resist this adorable cover, which I’ll admit is one reason I wanted to read How to Lose a Goblin in Ten Days. And it was cute! There are also some rather weighty themes hovering over all the […]
The nitty-gritty: Seanan McGuire’s long running series returns to its roots in this latest entry, where those who are “sure” can find their real homes behind magical doors. Seanan McGuire’s eleventh book in her popular Wayward Children series is almost like a reunion. If you’ve been missing some of your favorite characters from other books, […]
The nitty-gritty: A mysterious, secluded house traps a group of teens in this atmospheric, if somewhat uneven, YA horror story. The Devouring Light had some very creepy and disturbing scenes, and in that respect it succeeded. However, it also fell into some well tread YA tropes, and I didn’t care much for the characters, so […]