purplepenning's reviews
1314 reviews
Curses & Cocktails, by S.L. Rowland
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
So, I'm not going to rate this one. It is, indeed, what it promises to be: a blood mage retires from the Northern Guard and tries to find a new life of less pain and more pleasurable purpose in a southern clime. With the help of a new friend, he opens a tavern that features cocktails described in his father's travel journal. When a threatening beast comes to town, he has to decide whether to keep hiding behind his new persona or step up and protect the people he has come to care for, even if it means possible death and certain loss of their camaraderie.
The characters are delightful, but I was expecting just a bit more from the plot, which was full of delicious cocktails but a little thin otherwise. My main issue, however, and the reason I'm not rating it, is that there are a couple of seemingly throwaway lines that make for pretty big problems: a super racist take on how the main character's race of umbral elves have dark skin as a punishment for some past action they took (the character is subsequently afraid of racial bias and violence), and the insinuation of sexual assault and harassment of children. None of that was necessary, and it ruined an otherwise enjoyably cozy fantasy read.
The characters are delightful, but I was expecting just a bit more from the plot, which was full of delicious cocktails but a little thin otherwise. My main issue, however, and the reason I'm not rating it, is that there are a couple of seemingly throwaway lines that make for pretty big problems: a super racist take on how the main character's race of umbral elves have dark skin as a punishment for some past action they took (the character is subsequently afraid of racial bias and violence), and the insinuation of sexual assault and harassment of children. None of that was necessary, and it ruined an otherwise enjoyably cozy fantasy read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Alcohol
Moderate: Grief, Outing, Injury/injury detail, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Blood, and Body horror
Minor: Xenophobia, Abandonment, Animal death, and Sexual content
Racist background/explanation for umbral elves having dark skin as a punishment, negligent care of children, insinuation of sexual assault or harassment of children
The Mimicking of Known Successes, by Malka Ann Older
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
What a little fascinator this is! It's a gas-lamp Holmesian mystery fantasy set on a gas giant of a planet in a cozy dystopian future. I know, but really. The Mimicking of Known Successes presents a sort of sliding-scopic story of preservation, conservation, and growth that plays out on personal, institutional, and planetary levels. There's so much to unpack in this deceptively sparse tale. Perfect for a winter's evening.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Murder, Injury/injury detail, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Confinement and Cursing
Just My Type, by Falon Ballard
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Just okay for me, but definitely check it out if you're a fan of People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (longtime friends rediscovering/redeveloping their relationship after some mysterious misadventures/break in the past), Adult Assembly Required by Abbi Waxman (East Coast transplant in LA, dealing with past trauma/family issues), and The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon (relationship shenanigans for workplace advancement, rivals to lovers).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Abandonment
Toxic workplace
The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world. His punishment? And his reward." —Oscar Wilde, The Critical as Artist
Undeniably beautiful writing in a turn of the century fairytale that is groundedly gritty and soaringly ethereal. I don't care for circuses, but it was the exact right venue for this story. This one didn't knock me off my feet quite as much as The Starless Sea, which I read first and with no expectations. Partly, I think, because I wasn't as enamored with Marco as I maybe was supposed to be and I wasn't as satisfied with the ending here, but mostly because:
"The finest of pleasure are always the unexpected ones."
Definitely recommend for fans of The Starless Sea and Alix Harrow's Ten Thousand Doors of January.
Undeniably beautiful writing in a turn of the century fairytale that is groundedly gritty and soaringly ethereal. I don't care for circuses, but it was the exact right venue for this story. This one didn't knock me off my feet quite as much as The Starless Sea, which I read first and with no expectations. Partly, I think, because I wasn't as enamored with Marco as I maybe was supposed to be and I wasn't as satisfied with the ending here, but mostly because:
"The finest of pleasure are always the unexpected ones."
Definitely recommend for fans of The Starless Sea and Alix Harrow's Ten Thousand Doors of January.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Grief, Body horror, Blood, Injury/injury detail, Gaslighting, Violence, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Physical abuse, and Suicide
Minor: Alcohol and Abandonment
Abuse of magic/violation of personal agency: stealing memories, advancing by magically enhanced charm and looks
Spoiler
Witch Hat Atelier, Volume 10, by Kamome Shirahama
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Phew. Still enjoying this series but as the action and tension ramp up (and this volume was super ramped), the short bits we get for each character and storyline get harder for me to remember between volumes.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Ableism, Body horror, Blood, Injury/injury detail, and Medical content
Minor: Abandonment and Death
Bookworm, by Robin Yeatman
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is literary fiction. It has undertones of dark, satirical humor, but it's not really funny, it's not a romance, and it's definitely not a rom-com. I understand the appeal of a darkly funny modern Walter Mitty character, murderously daydreaming a way out of her appalling marriage, but... I will never understand the appeal of a whole novel with no likeable characters. There's a little less than one half of a likeable character in this entire book, and that's counting the dog. In addition, the plot delivery was too reflective of the stifling, repetitive, unhappy, upperclass life it was representing, leaving me with very little to enjoy other than, occasionally, an interesting turn of phrase or mildly satisfying escalation in the predicted drama.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Vomit
Moderate: Fatphobia, Stalking, Alcohol, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Infidelity, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Gore, Bullying, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Injury/injury detail, and Sexism
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia
Pansies, by Alexis Hall
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Bullying, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Biphobia, Cursing, Death of parent, and Dementia
Minor: Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Violence, and Child abuse
Internalized homophobia, sexism, toxic masculinity (all challenged); assisted suicide (terminal illness)
None of This Would Have Happened if Prince Were Alive: A Novel, by Carolyn Prusa
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
I went into this one knowing I wasn't the target audience (overwhelmed working moms of young children). It's a solid, fast-paced debut with a good hook — in between trying to evacuate ahead of a hurricane, a busy mom of two littles tries to make sense of the sudden revelation of her husband's infidelity and the increasingly untenable expectations of her job. I recognized the "yes, I felt seen!" power of it and most of the "kids, amiright?" humor and "yes, he 💯 needs to man up, but let's excavate your part in this as well" truth. But for the most part it was a fairly unpleasant and stressful read for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/injury detail, Infidelity, Alcohol, Cursing, Ableism, and Blood
Minor: Pregnancy, Homophobia, Body shaming, Grief, Fatphobia, and Death of parent
The House Witch, by Delemhach
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
2.0
Hmm.…nope. This was a great idea with excellent potential and some genuinely interesting and endearing characters. The plotting and pacing need quite a bit of work, however. The end is not nearly as satisfying or resolved as it should be for a book this length and the description of book two isn't particularly promising in that regards. There's also an uncomfortable thread of humor running through it that uses homophobia, sexual assault and harassment, and binge drinking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Alcohol, Classism, and Hate crime
Moderate: Medical content, Outing, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Blood, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Vomit, Gaslighting, Injury/injury detail, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Violence, Bullying, Biphobia, Colonisation, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse, War, Miscarriage, and Racism
Bitter Medicine, by Mia Tsai
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I would definitely read more books set in this world! An international spy agency that includes magic users and beings from both the East and the West? Gimme!
Bitter Medicine is an intriguing blend of xianxia (Chinese immortals) fantasy adventure, Western spy thriller, and contemporary romance. Elle is a powerful semi-immortal descendent of the Chinese god of medicine, hiding as a mediocre magical calligrapher to protect her brother(s) lives. Luc is a lonely, tormented, half-elven French fixer who is compelled by Oberon, the head of the agency, to perform against his own conscience. Their paths cross in Elle's glyph shop, where client and artist each see that there's more to the other than meets the eye. When their lives start to tangle outside the workshop, things heat up. And we're not just talking about Elle's pyrokinetics or the masterfully steamy shower scene — we're talking past traumas and family and career priorities coming to an explosive head.
Although a bit of a slow starter, once it gets going the story moves along at a brisk pace with more than competent, sometimes elegant, writing. Where the writing doesn't quite translate for me is the dialogue. The banter is there but the humor is a little less sharp than I'm use to. In some cases it's so subtle I had to read it again to understand the implications; in others, it's stated so simply and obviously that I had to read it again to see if I was missing something. I'm fully prepared to chalk this up to a cultural unfamiliarity on my end, though. Just like the bits of French, Chinese, and Latin that I couldn't understand without the help of Google translate, there are family dynamics and other characterizations and plot points that I stumbled on a bit. It was still thoroughly enjoyable and the characters still shine through, making it a compelling (I read it in one day!) and satisfying (get that HEA!) read on many levels.
Bitter Medicine is an intriguing blend of xianxia (Chinese immortals) fantasy adventure, Western spy thriller, and contemporary romance. Elle is a powerful semi-immortal descendent of the Chinese god of medicine, hiding as a mediocre magical calligrapher to protect her brother(s) lives. Luc is a lonely, tormented, half-elven French fixer who is compelled by Oberon, the head of the agency, to perform against his own conscience. Their paths cross in Elle's glyph shop, where client and artist each see that there's more to the other than meets the eye. When their lives start to tangle outside the workshop, things heat up. And we're not just talking about Elle's pyrokinetics or the masterfully steamy shower scene — we're talking past traumas and family and career priorities coming to an explosive head.
Although a bit of a slow starter, once it gets going the story moves along at a brisk pace with more than competent, sometimes elegant, writing. Where the writing doesn't quite translate for me is the dialogue. The banter is there but the humor is a little less sharp than I'm use to. In some cases it's so subtle I had to read it again to understand the implications; in others, it's stated so simply and obviously that I had to read it again to see if I was missing something. I'm fully prepared to chalk this up to a cultural unfamiliarity on my end, though. Just like the bits of French, Chinese, and Latin that I couldn't understand without the help of Google translate, there are family dynamics and other characterizations and plot points that I stumbled on a bit. It was still thoroughly enjoyable and the characters still shine through, making it a compelling (I read it in one day!) and satisfying (get that HEA!) read on many levels.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/injury detail and Violence
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Body horror, Abandonment, Cursing, Blood, Bullying, Physical abuse, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent and Child abuse
Also contains use of acupuncture needles and physical compulsion via true name geas.