breannaspiegel's reviews
54 reviews

Namesake by Adrienne Young

Fable was one of the most impressively written YA books I’ve read in a while, and ending on a big cliffhanger besides. Namesake had a lot to live up to, and I’m so delighted to report that it delivered on all counts. Everything I loved in Fable—the character relationships, the world building, the excellent prose and sensuous descriptions—comes back in Namesake. This ending will leave you satisfied and more than ready to board the next ship that comes to port. 

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel

Whether or not you’re familiar with Kaikeyi from the Indian epic the Ramayana, this is a powerful and captivating story of a woman forging her destiny in a world where the gods have forsaken her. Not only does Patel’s reimagining shine nuance and compassion on the oft-vilified queen, it brings forth a lovely emphasis on bonds of sisterhood and empowering women everywhere. Fans of Circe absolutely need to read this one. 

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

Godkiller is a nonstop adventure that reminds me of older, sword-swinging fantasy adventure novels, yet is updated for a modern time with an intriguing world of gods, a badass female MC, and more diverse characters (with queer and disability rep!). The book switches among four narrators—surly godkiller Kissen, retired knight Elogast, orphaned noblewoman’s daughter Inara, and Skediceth, the god of white lies—who work really well as an adventuring group. Inara grew from my least favorite narrator to the one I am most interested in seeing in a sequel. Action, battles, and the group dynamic drive this novel, with low levels of romance. The publishing materials recommended this for fans of The Witcher and American Gods, neither of which I have read, but I would also add comps to Shadow of the Gods, Hall of Smoke, or Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi. 

Fable by Adrienne Young

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a YA book as well and tightly written as Fable. It’s full of action and betrayal, populated by sea traders who are not much better than legalized pirates. The character development and relationships are heartfelt and poignant, from the perfect dash of romance to Fable earning the crew’s trust to the convoluted past that lies between Fable and her father. The writing is quick and powerful, full of delicious descriptions that you have to pause and savor. I will warn you, though—Fable will leave you reeling and gasping for breath worse than a dredger coming up from a deep sea dive. 

Ravensong by Cayla Fay

Loving the Morrigan, I was very excited for this incarnation of the Irish goddess of war. Neve and her two sisters are the reborn triad of goddesses, born as humans and ascending to godhood at age eighteen to battle demons escaping from Hell. When they fall in battle, they’re reborn and the cycle begins again—as long as they don’t die before they reach godhood. Neve, just months shy of ascension, struggles to keep up with her goddess sisters as the attacks increase and danger grows. Things grow complicated when she falls for Alexandria, a human girl inexplicably tangled up with the demons and the Hell gate. Though romance predominates, there is still plenty of weaponry, fighting, and magic in this sapphic YA fantasy. Besides the battles, I loved the gothic atmosphere, the deeply interwoven mythology, and the family dynamics between not only Neve and her sisters, but her found family of friends that gathers around her. 

In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot

5.0

In small town Appalachia, laden with folk magic and dripping with atmosphere, Weatherly Wilder can talk the death out of people. I was drawn in on this premise alone, but captivated by the unfolding mystery of Weatherly investigating her cousin’s murder. As all the pieces started falling into place, I could not put this one down and had to race to the end to see how it all came together. Elmendorf does a fantastic job of immersing the reader in her world and I absolutely loved the magic, dark and gothic and bound by rules knowable and not. 

Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Princess Gwen and noble Arthur are happily betrothed—at least, that’s what they’re pretending, to hide the fact that Gwen’s in love with the kingdom’s only lady knight and Arthur is a teeny bit obsessed with Gwen’s brother. I absolutely loved this heartwarming and charming YA—the excitement of first love, discovering who you are, found family, remixed Arthurian legends. The only way I can recommend this one more is to insist that you have to listen to it on audio. Arthur being indignant and melodramatic by turns is not a performance to be missed.

For the Throne by Hannah Whitten

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

By far, my favorite aspect of For the Throne was the relationship between Neve and Red. That deep bond, the way their magic was an inverse of one another, that ending—I loved watching Red and Neve fight to not only make their way back to each other, but make the world anew. This one definitely has a darker and twistier edge than For the Wolf, but the Shadowlands were hair-raisingly chilling and deliciously grim. Not to mention a delightful enemies-to-lovers romance and witty comebacks that made me snicker. 

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

A novella off the beaten path, detailing an unconventional empress’s rise to power in an unconventional structure. Empress In-yo was sent from the far north for a political marriage, in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. The story is told in fascinating vignettes, recollections from the empress’s trusted handmaiden as given to a monk. As an audiobook, it had a soothing, repetitive cadence as each vignette continued apace, but it would also make for a lovely novella to linger over each page, marveling at the deliberate craft that beautifully—and succinctly—pulls together an epic story.

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Hemlock Queen is a stunning and gutting sequel to The Foxglove King. Whitten has crafted a incredibly intricate  story, one that unravels in the best possible surprising-yet-inevitable way. As with her other books, she writes with dripping detail, sharp emotions, and exquisitely tangled magic. Enough romance to make you inseparable from the characters, not so much that it overshadows the epic plot’s unfolding. As the middle book in a trilogy ought to, it drags you down into its depths and promises a breathtaking finale to come.