wardenred's reviews
624 reviews
Prince and Pawn by Tavia Lark
This is my favorite book of the Perilous Courts series so far in some ways, and my absolute least favorite in some others. But let's focus on the positives first!
I thoroughly enjoyed the non-romance backdrop plot and how it took the events of all the past books in the series. This book is a really satisfying conclusion to the Sandry family arc, and while I'm sad to leave this family behind, I'm also excited to head off to Dracora with the next books—not least because of some of the subtle hints laid out here.
I very much enjoyed meeting all the familiar faces. Some of the side characters I already liked got more page time, and of course it was lovely to see the leads from the past two books and to have them play small but important parts in the plot. I felt like the magical intrigue surrounding Corin was pretty transparent tbh, but the way the Sandry brothers approached it and some extra details coming up still made it enjoyable to follow. And there was plenty of fun banter throughout that made me giggle.
Oh, and the pets! So many fellcats being fun, and getting to see Sarca the dragon again. My one regret was that Bastard, Bell's pet, was barely there, I wanted more of the cute disappearing creature.
Also, as someone who suffers from frequent dizzy spells due to Meniere's, I really liked how Corin's health situation was portrayed, even though it wasn't really a chronic illness. That one scene where he thought about how he had to accept he couldn't trust his body anymore resonated with me a lot. Those thoughts could have come straight from my own head, especially back when I was adjusting to the condition.
And now for the bad bits: the romance. Which was disappointing, given that I love Tavia Lark for the super tropey, super fun hurt/comfort-ish romance storyline specifically. This one had good bones for sure, and there were a lot of sweet moments between Audric and Corin, and the kinky scenes with magic were hot and all... But there were also a lot of details that made me cringe and question things.
For once, there's this bit, coming from Corin's own head in the middle of the book:
This doesn't scream grand romance to me, this screams potentially super toxic situation. Especially since Audric never truly addresses the power imbalance between them that exists pretty much on all levels. Audric is a prince and the future king, while Corin is his subject of really low standing. There's the kink aspect. There's the fact that Audric is older, richer, physically stronger, etc. I thought in the first book Julien was a bit clumsy about how he handled similar things with Whisper, but he did try to handle them, he thought about them explicitly, he wanted to figure out a way for them to be on equal footing as they pursued a relationship. Audric just hardly gives these subjects much thought. Yes, he does tell Corin a few times that he's free to leave if he wants, asks him what he wants, etc, but that feels shallow compared to their whole situation in which Corin is rather dependent on him and his whims. Which also makes me feel iffy about how the kink was handled. Yes, from Corin's chapters it's clear he is enthusiastically consenting to everything, but they talk so little, Audric has no real way of knowing whether Corin's consent is always genuine or he just likes most things they do and feels obliged to go along with the rest, etc. At least establish a safe word or something!
And then there's also the insta-love aspect that was so jarring compared to the previous two couples who got to know each other before they caught feelings. WIth Julien and Whisper, attraction also developed fast, but they did actually talk and spend time together before it got serious, and even though Whisper was operating under a fake identity, his personality was out there. And Bell and Rakos in book 2 got to be badly disguised idiots together for quite a while before they acted on anything (may I just say that "I'm a master of disguises. Shut up, Rakos" is my favorite line in *this* book, by the way? :D). Here, Audric and Corin seemed to base their entire connection on the initial one-night stand. True, they got to know each other better later, and it solidified the feelings, but the feelings were already there—based on... what? Oh, right: Corin was affection- and attention-starved, and Audric enjoyed the sexual compatibility and the fact that Corin was good at reading him for whatever reason, that was basically it. More disturbing then romantic, with everything else taken into account.
I feel like all of this could've been mitigated if they, a) talked more; b) Corin wasn't such a blushing virgin the majority of whose personality/arc boiled down to "genderswapped delicate damsel in distress learning to be brave," and c) Audric thought for one hot minute about the subjects of power imbalance and everything related to it. Like, properly. Perhaps talked to Julien about it knowing that he has successfully navigated a vaguely similar situation in the past, or to Whisper, or to both. As it was, the romance here really isn't my favorite, and this last part about Audric also soured me to his character. Though I liked a lot of things about his "not perfect, just discreet" personality otherwise. But not this.
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
What he feels for Corin deserves to be seen in sunlight. He doesn’t want to love Corin in the shadows.
This is my favorite book of the Perilous Courts series so far in some ways, and my absolute least favorite in some others. But let's focus on the positives first!
I thoroughly enjoyed the non-romance backdrop plot and how it took the events of all the past books in the series. This book is a really satisfying conclusion to the Sandry family arc, and while I'm sad to leave this family behind, I'm also excited to head off to Dracora with the next books—not least because of some of the subtle hints laid out here.
I very much enjoyed meeting all the familiar faces. Some of the side characters I already liked got more page time, and of course it was lovely to see the leads from the past two books and to have them play small but important parts in the plot. I felt like the magical intrigue surrounding Corin was pretty transparent tbh, but the way the Sandry brothers approached it and some extra details coming up still made it enjoyable to follow. And there was plenty of fun banter throughout that made me giggle.
Oh, and the pets! So many fellcats being fun, and getting to see Sarca the dragon again. My one regret was that Bastard, Bell's pet, was barely there, I wanted more of the cute disappearing creature.
Also, as someone who suffers from frequent dizzy spells due to Meniere's, I really liked how Corin's health situation was portrayed, even though it wasn't really a chronic illness. That one scene where he thought about how he had to accept he couldn't trust his body anymore resonated with me a lot. Those thoughts could have come straight from my own head, especially back when I was adjusting to the condition.
And now for the bad bits: the romance. Which was disappointing, given that I love Tavia Lark for the super tropey, super fun hurt/comfort-ish romance storyline specifically. This one had good bones for sure, and there were a lot of sweet moments between Audric and Corin, and the kinky scenes with magic were hot and all... But there were also a lot of details that made me cringe and question things.
For once, there's this bit, coming from Corin's own head in the middle of the book:
Spoiler
"He imprinted like a new-hatched bird on the first man who touched him, addicted to his first taste of desire. Anyone would fall for the gift of Audric Sandry’s full attention, even if they weren’t as affection-starved as Corin."
This doesn't scream grand romance to me, this screams potentially super toxic situation. Especially since Audric never truly addresses the power imbalance between them that exists pretty much on all levels. Audric is a prince and the future king, while Corin is his subject of really low standing. There's the kink aspect. There's the fact that Audric is older, richer, physically stronger, etc. I thought in the first book Julien was a bit clumsy about how he handled similar things with Whisper, but he did try to handle them, he thought about them explicitly, he wanted to figure out a way for them to be on equal footing as they pursued a relationship. Audric just hardly gives these subjects much thought. Yes, he does tell Corin a few times that he's free to leave if he wants, asks him what he wants, etc, but that feels shallow compared to their whole situation in which Corin is rather dependent on him and his whims. Which also makes me feel iffy about how the kink was handled. Yes, from Corin's chapters it's clear he is enthusiastically consenting to everything, but they talk so little, Audric has no real way of knowing whether Corin's consent is always genuine or he just likes most things they do and feels obliged to go along with the rest, etc. At least establish a safe word or something!
And then there's also the insta-love aspect that was so jarring compared to the previous two couples who got to know each other before they caught feelings. WIth Julien and Whisper, attraction also developed fast, but they did actually talk and spend time together before it got serious, and even though Whisper was operating under a fake identity, his personality was out there. And Bell and Rakos in book 2 got to be badly disguised idiots together for quite a while before they acted on anything (may I just say that "I'm a master of disguises. Shut up, Rakos" is my favorite line in *this* book, by the way? :D). Here, Audric and Corin seemed to base their entire connection on the initial one-night stand. True, they got to know each other better later, and it solidified the feelings, but the feelings were already there—based on... what? Oh, right: Corin was affection- and attention-starved, and Audric enjoyed the sexual compatibility and the fact that Corin was good at reading him for whatever reason, that was basically it. More disturbing then romantic, with everything else taken into account.
I feel like all of this could've been mitigated if they, a) talked more; b) Corin wasn't such a blushing virgin the majority of whose personality/arc boiled down to "genderswapped delicate damsel in distress learning to be brave," and c) Audric thought for one hot minute about the subjects of power imbalance and everything related to it. Like, properly. Perhaps talked to Julien about it knowing that he has successfully navigated a vaguely similar situation in the past, or to Whisper, or to both. As it was, the romance here really isn't my favorite, and this last part about Audric also soured me to his character. Though I liked a lot of things about his "not perfect, just discreet" personality otherwise. But not this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Alcohol
The Fairest by Sam Burns
Such a sweet and simple story that does exactly what it promises: a perfect romantic fairytale to relax with. Can't say it's a book that will stick with me, and it brought me a lot of enjoyment and it's really everything it says on the tin. I liked how the typical Snow White tropes were subverted, what with the stepfather who takes the place of the evil stepmother here being a genuinely good guy who wants the prince to succeed but doesn't always find the best ways to convey it and is sometimes too soft. And the fair prince being plagued by self-doubt far more than by evil foes (though there is a villain here,as there should be in a fairytale, and he is appropriately obvious and just as appropriately thwarted).
I also liked how the big misunderstanding that is as good as traditional for the genre was handled. Rather than being put into the third act, it pretty much provided the inciting incident, and then the characters got to talk it out, untangle the situation, and continue growing closer. Oh, and speaking of closer: I really enjoyed the use of the "snowed in" trope in the misunderstanding and its eventual resolution, too.
All in all, this was short and sweet, and I very much want more of the same.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The only thing of import that you could ever take away from me is yourself.
Such a sweet and simple story that does exactly what it promises: a perfect romantic fairytale to relax with. Can't say it's a book that will stick with me, and it brought me a lot of enjoyment and it's really everything it says on the tin. I liked how the typical Snow White tropes were subverted, what with the stepfather who takes the place of the evil stepmother here being a genuinely good guy who wants the prince to succeed but doesn't always find the best ways to convey it and is sometimes too soft. And the fair prince being plagued by self-doubt far more than by evil foes (though there is a villain here,as there should be in a fairytale, and he is appropriately obvious and just as appropriately thwarted).
I also liked how the big misunderstanding that is as good as traditional for the genre was handled. Rather than being put into the third act, it pretty much provided the inciting incident, and then the characters got to talk it out, untangle the situation, and continue growing closer. Oh, and speaking of closer: I really enjoyed the use of the "snowed in" trope in the misunderstanding and its eventual resolution, too.
All in all, this was short and sweet, and I very much want more of the same.
The High King's Golden Tongue by Megan Derr
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
All feathers and pretty song, little prince. Is there anything of substance to you?
I'm pretty sure I've read this book before, but it was about a decade ago and I was in the hospital at a time. So I didn't retain much apart from the vague sense of liking it a lot. Upon this re-read, I still found it more enjoyable than not, but there were also a number of things that frustrated me to no end, most of them related to Sarrica. Don't get me wrong, initial clashing is half the fun of arrange marriage romances, so I don't blame him for his initial reactions to Allen, but the reasoning behind them made me grind my teeth. This guy is supposed to be a ruler! Moreover, he's supposed to be an *excellent* ruler, as we're told a few times by a few different people. So how the hell does he not understand what politics are and why they're important? I can only conclude that his right hand man Lesto actually does even more than is shown in the book, and that's the only reason the empire isn't falling apart. Because. Seriously. "Oh, I'm a soldier, I don't understand these weird songbird ways" — dude. You're also a king. You don't have to be great at it, by all means, feel free to delegate, but completely devaluing diplomacy as a concept? How are you still on the throne, I can't even.
Then after a few days of being nagged at by his closest friends and observing Allen, he decides to conclude that maybe, just maybe what Allen's proficient at is useful, but then he decides Allen is probably a bad unsafe guy who's going to manipulate him with his diplomatic skills. Which I could actually dig very much if we were talking about a younger character less experienced in rulership and not quite able to trust his inner circle, but this is a man so far in his thirties he's closer to forty and he's got an exceptionally good support system.
Then he finally looks past the biased first impression and sees Allen... after Allen has been imprisoned and tortured, and after revelations about the darker parts of Allen's past come to light as well. It's like Allen had to suffer to deserve a chance from Sarrica, and don't get me wrong, hurt/comfort is my favorite guilty pleasure and I'm all about characters really earning their happy endings. But something about how this was handled just doesn't sit well with me.
But wait, I'm not done!
Finally—and that's more a narrative thing than a character thing, admittedly—I disliked how the subject of Sarrica's widowhood was handled. I would have much preferred it if he'd had a genuinely good relationship with his first husband and genuinely grieved a real good thing he'd had, then genuinely let go step by step. It would create perhaps a more complicated situation, but a more interesting one, reminiscent of the one in The Wolf & the Sparrow by Isabelle Adler, an arranged marriage with a widowed MC that I genuinely loved. Instead, we've got the first husband's brothers stepping up to state that the relationship was actually falling apart and they would've separated anyway, and that Sarrica was just ignoring it. Perhaps it's just me, but it made Sarrica even less sympathetic, because it reestablished him as someone clinging to whatever notions he'd once got in his head and not seeing things for what they are—for years. If it was grief that got him that way—clinging to what was left of the familiar, then shaking himself out of it when he saw how his behavior led to someone he's beginning to care about getting seriously hurt—I would be inclined to be more forgiving. And I think that's perhaps the picture the author was trying to paint, but those details about the first marriage really ruined it. Also, I felt like they were included to "justify" Sarrica and Allen's relationship, like there's anything wrong with eventually letting go and continuing to live after a devastating loss. Or like you're only allowed one real love per lifetime and anything else doesn't count.
But, hey! All this venting aside, I was really intrigued by the non-romance part of the plot with all those multiple moving parts clearly paving the way to more exciting adventures later in the series. I loved the setting: how big and sprawling it is, the queernormness of it, the approach to languages. So often in fantasy everyone just speaks some form of Common Tongue, but here, the languages really matter and the polyglot interpreters are highly valued. It's an aspect I found incredibly interesting and absolutely ate up. I also loved the cast of supporting characters in its entirety, especially Lesto, Rene, Tara, and Jac. I got unreasonably invested in the secondary romance subplot. Allen was a sweetheart and so interesting to follow. So I'll definitely continue with the series, I'll just resolve to keep grinding my teeth whenever Sarrica appears on the page. :D
I'm pretty sure I've read this book before, but it was about a decade ago and I was in the hospital at a time. So I didn't retain much apart from the vague sense of liking it a lot. Upon this re-read, I still found it more enjoyable than not, but there were also a number of things that frustrated me to no end, most of them related to Sarrica. Don't get me wrong, initial clashing is half the fun of arrange marriage romances, so I don't blame him for his initial reactions to Allen, but the reasoning behind them made me grind my teeth. This guy is supposed to be a ruler! Moreover, he's supposed to be an *excellent* ruler, as we're told a few times by a few different people. So how the hell does he not understand what politics are and why they're important? I can only conclude that his right hand man Lesto actually does even more than is shown in the book, and that's the only reason the empire isn't falling apart. Because. Seriously. "Oh, I'm a soldier, I don't understand these weird songbird ways" — dude. You're also a king. You don't have to be great at it, by all means, feel free to delegate, but completely devaluing diplomacy as a concept? How are you still on the throne, I can't even.
Then after a few days of being nagged at by his closest friends and observing Allen, he decides to conclude that maybe, just maybe what Allen's proficient at is useful, but then he decides Allen is probably a bad unsafe guy who's going to manipulate him with his diplomatic skills. Which I could actually dig very much if we were talking about a younger character less experienced in rulership and not quite able to trust his inner circle, but this is a man so far in his thirties he's closer to forty and he's got an exceptionally good support system.
Then he finally looks past the biased first impression and sees Allen... after Allen has been imprisoned and tortured, and after revelations about the darker parts of Allen's past come to light as well. It's like Allen had to suffer to deserve a chance from Sarrica, and don't get me wrong, hurt/comfort is my favorite guilty pleasure and I'm all about characters really earning their happy endings. But something about how this was handled just doesn't sit well with me.
But wait, I'm not done!
Spoiler
There's also the subject of Sarrica's kids. He barely interacts with them at all. He notes at one point that he needs to have a serious conversation about them with Allen because he wouldn't marry someone who dislikes children / would be bad for his kids. They barely touch upon this subject. He hastens the marriage and leaves. Allen does bond with the kids, but it happens off-page and Sarrica isn't a part of it at all. I would treat it as a plot hole, but you know what, it's consistent with this guy's character.Finally—and that's more a narrative thing than a character thing, admittedly—I disliked how the subject of Sarrica's widowhood was handled. I would have much preferred it if he'd had a genuinely good relationship with his first husband and genuinely grieved a real good thing he'd had, then genuinely let go step by step. It would create perhaps a more complicated situation, but a more interesting one, reminiscent of the one in The Wolf & the Sparrow by Isabelle Adler, an arranged marriage with a widowed MC that I genuinely loved. Instead, we've got the first husband's brothers stepping up to state that the relationship was actually falling apart and they would've separated anyway, and that Sarrica was just ignoring it. Perhaps it's just me, but it made Sarrica even less sympathetic, because it reestablished him as someone clinging to whatever notions he'd once got in his head and not seeing things for what they are—for years. If it was grief that got him that way—clinging to what was left of the familiar, then shaking himself out of it when he saw how his behavior led to someone he's beginning to care about getting seriously hurt—I would be inclined to be more forgiving. And I think that's perhaps the picture the author was trying to paint, but those details about the first marriage really ruined it. Also, I felt like they were included to "justify" Sarrica and Allen's relationship, like there's anything wrong with eventually letting go and continuing to live after a devastating loss. Or like you're only allowed one real love per lifetime and anything else doesn't count.
But, hey! All this venting aside, I was really intrigued by the non-romance part of the plot with all those multiple moving parts clearly paving the way to more exciting adventures later in the series. I loved the setting: how big and sprawling it is, the queernormness of it, the approach to languages. So often in fantasy everyone just speaks some form of Common Tongue, but here, the languages really matter and the polyglot interpreters are highly valued. It's an aspect I found incredibly interesting and absolutely ate up. I also loved the cast of supporting characters in its entirety, especially Lesto, Rene, Tara, and Jac. I got unreasonably invested in the secondary romance subplot. Allen was a sweetheart and so interesting to follow. So I'll definitely continue with the series, I'll just resolve to keep grinding my teeth whenever Sarrica appears on the page. :D
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Torture and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcohol
A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
4.0
A man could be good, but a prince? A prince could only be good enough. He could, if he tried his utmost, meet expectations. But they were far, far too high for anyone to be able to exceed them.
Well, this was an interesting experience! I really, really loved the romance and the two leads' character arcs. These parts of the books were handled absolutely beautifully. The slow burn? The gradual growth fueled by all the realizations? The way Kadou and Evemer just worked together? The themes of fealty? The way Kadou's anxiety was handled? Evemers entire personality? Aspects of so many of my favorite tropes woven together into one glorious tapestry, from enemies to lovers to bodyguard romance to fake dating? Perfection, really. In terms of all this, the book hit all of my buttons.
Everything around the romance, though... The more I read on and the closer I looked at the other aspects of the novel, the more weirdly artificial everything around the two main characters looked. On the surface, the Ottoman-inspired setting was brimming with detail, from infodumps about currency to the smaller stuff like all the descriptions of food and clothes. But somehow, most of it felt like digging deeper would reveal a glaring void rather than a larger iceberg. And hey, you know what, that is often indeed the case with SFF novels that aren't *about* worldbuilding! Half the magic of writing sometimes is about arranging the stuff you have in a way that makes readers feel that it goes so much deeper than it does. But here, those tricks just felt strangely obvious. Like almost everything about the setting mattered inasmuch as it affected the main characters and their budding relationship.
There were two aspects of the worldbuilding that I found genuinely interesting and thought-provoking. One, in a good way: the way inheritance works, the whole deal with body-fathers, how female rulers don't need to marry because everyone already understands their children are their own/belong to the dynasty, whereas male rulers have to marry to have the legal claim as fathers. This here is a lot of cool stuff. The other aspect, I'm more on the fence about, although I appreciate it: the active inclusion of nonbinary characters, or rather, the way it was handled. On one hand, it was incredibly cool that there were so many, that society is fully accepting of nonbinary characters, that there's an accepted third set of pronouns, etc! I love this! On the other hand, as a nonbinary person I disliked how all of them were basically shoved into the same category. There are men, women, and there's a third gender. Here are three boxes to sort yourselves into instead of two. Um. Call. What if someone doesn't fit into any of the boxes regardless? What about genderfluid people? It's inclusive on one hand, and constraining on another in a way I feel the treatment of nonbinary identities just shouldn't be. Idk. I'd rather stand under an umbrella than live in a box, personally.
Then there's the external plot, and, my. That's the whole reason this could never be more than a four-star read read for me. It was just so utterly shallow and at times silly! Even more so than with the worldbuilding, every bit of it glaringly, obviously, starkly existed to allow for hitting the romance plot beats at the right times. The villain might as well have been walking around with a big neon sign, "HELLO I'M THE BAD GUY," and the fact it took hundreds of pages to uncover the whole mystery/conspiracy says nothing good about plenty of the characters. In fact, it completely ruins the initially strong characterization of the female characters—Zeliha and Eozena—which is a damn shame. With Zeliha in particular, it's just so frustrating. She initially looked like a strong, capable, complex woman juggling a lot of important threads, but apparently, she just needed to listen more to her younger brother early on and the fact she didn't paints her in a rather strange light at the end. I kept waiting for some twist to occur and prove to me that the "big neon sign" was in a fact a red herring, but noooo.
The romance, though. The romance and its development. That sure deserves all the stars, just as the deep delves into both leads' inner worlds (I come from fanfic, okay, I'm a sucker for 500-pages character studies) and Rowland's amazing prose. So all in all, I liked the time I spent with the book—and picking apart all of its element to see the purpose of each was fun and educating in its own way!
Well, this was an interesting experience! I really, really loved the romance and the two leads' character arcs. These parts of the books were handled absolutely beautifully. The slow burn? The gradual growth fueled by all the realizations? The way Kadou and Evemer just worked together? The themes of fealty? The way Kadou's anxiety was handled? Evemers entire personality? Aspects of so many of my favorite tropes woven together into one glorious tapestry, from enemies to lovers to bodyguard romance to fake dating? Perfection, really. In terms of all this, the book hit all of my buttons.
Everything around the romance, though... The more I read on and the closer I looked at the other aspects of the novel, the more weirdly artificial everything around the two main characters looked. On the surface, the Ottoman-inspired setting was brimming with detail, from infodumps about currency to the smaller stuff like all the descriptions of food and clothes. But somehow, most of it felt like digging deeper would reveal a glaring void rather than a larger iceberg. And hey, you know what, that is often indeed the case with SFF novels that aren't *about* worldbuilding! Half the magic of writing sometimes is about arranging the stuff you have in a way that makes readers feel that it goes so much deeper than it does. But here, those tricks just felt strangely obvious. Like almost everything about the setting mattered inasmuch as it affected the main characters and their budding relationship.
There were two aspects of the worldbuilding that I found genuinely interesting and thought-provoking. One, in a good way: the way inheritance works, the whole deal with body-fathers, how female rulers don't need to marry because everyone already understands their children are their own/belong to the dynasty, whereas male rulers have to marry to have the legal claim as fathers. This here is a lot of cool stuff. The other aspect, I'm more on the fence about, although I appreciate it: the active inclusion of nonbinary characters, or rather, the way it was handled. On one hand, it was incredibly cool that there were so many, that society is fully accepting of nonbinary characters, that there's an accepted third set of pronouns, etc! I love this! On the other hand, as a nonbinary person I disliked how all of them were basically shoved into the same category. There are men, women, and there's a third gender. Here are three boxes to sort yourselves into instead of two. Um. Call. What if someone doesn't fit into any of the boxes regardless? What about genderfluid people? It's inclusive on one hand, and constraining on another in a way I feel the treatment of nonbinary identities just shouldn't be. Idk. I'd rather stand under an umbrella than live in a box, personally.
Then there's the external plot, and, my. That's the whole reason this could never be more than a four-star read read for me. It was just so utterly shallow and at times silly! Even more so than with the worldbuilding, every bit of it glaringly, obviously, starkly existed to allow for hitting the romance plot beats at the right times. The villain might as well have been walking around with a big neon sign, "HELLO I'M THE BAD GUY," and the fact it took hundreds of pages to uncover the whole mystery/conspiracy says nothing good about plenty of the characters. In fact, it completely ruins the initially strong characterization of the female characters—Zeliha and Eozena—which is a damn shame. With Zeliha in particular, it's just so frustrating. She initially looked like a strong, capable, complex woman juggling a lot of important threads, but apparently, she just needed to listen more to her younger brother early on and the fact she didn't paints her in a rather strange light at the end. I kept waiting for some twist to occur and prove to me that the "big neon sign" was in a fact a red herring, but noooo.
The romance, though. The romance and its development. That sure deserves all the stars, just as the deep delves into both leads' inner worlds (I come from fanfic, okay, I'm a sucker for 500-pages character studies) and Rowland's amazing prose. So all in all, I liked the time I spent with the book—and picking apart all of its element to see the purpose of each was fun and educating in its own way!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Confinement and Violence
A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley
A cute witchy read, perfect for the fall season. All the romcom beats were hit perfectly, and I loved how the characters' arcs mirrored each other: both of them beset by others' expectations—Marael by her family's, Oz by his mentor's. Even though their relationship was developing pretty quickly, it was clear to me why they clicked. Besides, because of the sheer amount of time they spend with each other on the daily, the romance didn't feel that fast and insta-lovey at all.
Glimmer Falls is an utterly charming and quirky setting—I loved all the small details the author infused to make it come to live, like magical plants and six-winged birds with too many eyes just casually existing alongside sidewalks.
The bigger setting around the town is compelling, as well, striking just the right balance between the real world and the supernatural additions. There were just a few inconsistencies that bugged me, such as the demonic realm being painted as this community-oriented almost paradise (compared to things like the American student debts and healthcare systems at least), and yet Ozroth used to being treated as a weapon etc. It kind of made sense and worked, but it still felt like the author was trying to smash two separate ideas together.
And there are so many thoroughly entertaining side characters here! True, not all of them are entertaining in good ways, but pretty much everyone consistently made me laugh. The author's brand of humor is fun and has just the right vibe for a romcom. I particularly loved all the instances of wordplay, including the non-humorous ones that were more about worldbuilding. Like, you know, the fact that hell doesn't exist, but hellhounds do, and that's because the word "hell" very much exists in the demon language and means "loyal." Somehow, I always find this kind of thing entertaining.
Perhaps my only not-quite-problem with the story, despite enjoying both romantic leads and their dynamic quite thoroughly, was that I couldn't stop shipping Mariel with her best friend Calladia. :D I mean, Oz was cool, but look at these two! The way Calladia was always there for Mariel, and yet refused to do *everything* for her and insisted that she stand up for himself? And how Mariel had trouble standing up for herself, but never for Calladia? And their banter? And their whole history of being best friend when their mothers are these big rivals? True, absolutely none of these things have anything inherently romantic about them, but these two also have chemistry. You can't convince me they don't!
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
So let me get this straight: you’re now roommates with a demon you accidentally summoned, and the demon can’t leave until you’ve made a bargain to give up your soul?
A cute witchy read, perfect for the fall season. All the romcom beats were hit perfectly, and I loved how the characters' arcs mirrored each other: both of them beset by others' expectations—Marael by her family's, Oz by his mentor's. Even though their relationship was developing pretty quickly, it was clear to me why they clicked. Besides, because of the sheer amount of time they spend with each other on the daily, the romance didn't feel that fast and insta-lovey at all.
Glimmer Falls is an utterly charming and quirky setting—I loved all the small details the author infused to make it come to live, like magical plants and six-winged birds with too many eyes just casually existing alongside sidewalks.
The bigger setting around the town is compelling, as well, striking just the right balance between the real world and the supernatural additions. There were just a few inconsistencies that bugged me, such as the demonic realm being painted as this community-oriented almost paradise (compared to things like the American student debts and healthcare systems at least), and yet Ozroth used to being treated as a weapon etc. It kind of made sense and worked, but it still felt like the author was trying to smash two separate ideas together.
And there are so many thoroughly entertaining side characters here! True, not all of them are entertaining in good ways, but pretty much everyone consistently made me laugh. The author's brand of humor is fun and has just the right vibe for a romcom. I particularly loved all the instances of wordplay, including the non-humorous ones that were more about worldbuilding. Like, you know, the fact that hell doesn't exist, but hellhounds do, and that's because the word "hell" very much exists in the demon language and means "loyal." Somehow, I always find this kind of thing entertaining.
Perhaps my only not-quite-problem with the story, despite enjoying both romantic leads and their dynamic quite thoroughly, was that I couldn't stop shipping Mariel with her best friend Calladia. :D I mean, Oz was cool, but look at these two! The way Calladia was always there for Mariel, and yet refused to do *everything* for her and insisted that she stand up for himself? And how Mariel had trouble standing up for herself, but never for Calladia? And their banter? And their whole history of being best friend when their mothers are these big rivals? True, absolutely none of these things have anything inherently romantic about them, but these two also have chemistry. You can't convince me they don't!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Alcohol
Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard
There was a lot I enjoyed about this novella, but compared to Aliette de Bodard's other works of similar length that I've read it felt a bit clumsily constructed. In some parts, at least. I really liked how the political plotting unfolded, and everything about the mystery fires leading up to the reveals about Giang. But I wish Eldris was more flashed out, and I wish there was more background information about Thanh's past history with her, trickling in more gradually and steadily. I also feel the story would be stronger without the blackmail subplot—it added nothing of value and took up space that could have been used to expand on other parts of the story.
The love triangle aspect came a bit out of the blue for me. There was internal logic to it, sure, but I think I would have preferred
All that said, I think I overall rather enjoyed the story. Thanh is a compelling protagonist who might seem like she wavers a lot now and then, but there's a quiet strength inside her that turns into a quiet stubbornness when it comes to things that matter to her a lot. Her relationship with her mother is rather complicated, but not devoid of hope and very interesting to follow. While the story has an almost claustrophobic feel, contained to just a few rooms and a garden, it is clear that there is an entire big, compelling, politically fraught world around the palace. I'd love to know more about what goes on in this setting, in fact!
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-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
4.0
“I have to burn,” she says. “I have to feed. But it doesn’t have to be that bright. It doesn’t have to be . . .” She pauses, again, as if words were hard to get. “It doesn’t have to harm.”
There was a lot I enjoyed about this novella, but compared to Aliette de Bodard's other works of similar length that I've read it felt a bit clumsily constructed. In some parts, at least. I really liked how the political plotting unfolded, and everything about the mystery fires leading up to the reveals about Giang. But I wish Eldris was more flashed out, and I wish there was more background information about Thanh's past history with her, trickling in more gradually and steadily. I also feel the story would be stronger without the blackmail subplot—it added nothing of value and took up space that could have been used to expand on other parts of the story.
The love triangle aspect came a bit out of the blue for me. There was internal logic to it, sure, but I think I would have preferred
Spoiler
to see Thanh and Giang as friends, perhaps with a subtle hint at their relationship developing further in the future instead of a definite "this is where this is going, look, they're kissing already." Not because there's anything wrong with the two of them getting together, but because it feels like Thanh is only just getting the chance to fully get over Eldris. She could use some time to better process the events of the novella, and of her past as a hostage, before low-key rushing into figuring out "a connection, a start" that she feels with Giang.All that said, I think I overall rather enjoyed the story. Thanh is a compelling protagonist who might seem like she wavers a lot now and then, but there's a quiet strength inside her that turns into a quiet stubbornness when it comes to things that matter to her a lot. Her relationship with her mother is rather complicated, but not devoid of hope and very interesting to follow. While the story has an almost claustrophobic feel, contained to just a few rooms and a garden, it is clear that there is an entire big, compelling, politically fraught world around the palace. I'd love to know more about what goes on in this setting, in fact!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Emotional abuse
Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
I felt oddly disconnected from this book the entire time I was reading it. I guess there's something about the writing style that didn't mesh with me very well? Regardless, I do appreciate the way the story is crafted. There are a lot of really fun things here, especially in terms of general atmosphere/vibe: a truly great mixture of western and folk horror and a very good spooky month read.
The characters were all distinct and recognizable and had their own agendas and their reasons to join up forces on this journey. At the same time, I never felt like I got to know any of them beyond the surface. I think that's that thing about the writing style that didn't quite work for me at play. A bit too much telling over showing? I think that's what played into it, combined with a really big number of POV switches.
I guess the two most recognizable and appealing personalities for me ended up being Rabbit and Rose: the former because the nature of her role in the plot primed her to be a fun mystery to crack, and the latter because the way her arc was laid out made her the most relatable.
Weirdly enough, my favorite parts of the books were the ones that weren't character-focused at all: all the spooky horror descriptions, the general vibe of being constantly on the road, traveling through dangerous, deadly places. Considering that normally I am a super character-oriented reader, this was a change of pace for me. Not an unwelcome one, just unusual!
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“What it’s about,” Tom said. “is a witch.”
I felt oddly disconnected from this book the entire time I was reading it. I guess there's something about the writing style that didn't mesh with me very well? Regardless, I do appreciate the way the story is crafted. There are a lot of really fun things here, especially in terms of general atmosphere/vibe: a truly great mixture of western and folk horror and a very good spooky month read.
The characters were all distinct and recognizable and had their own agendas and their reasons to join up forces on this journey. At the same time, I never felt like I got to know any of them beyond the surface. I think that's that thing about the writing style that didn't quite work for me at play. A bit too much telling over showing? I think that's what played into it, combined with a really big number of POV switches.
I guess the two most recognizable and appealing personalities for me ended up being Rabbit and Rose: the former because the nature of her role in the plot primed her to be a fun mystery to crack, and the latter because the way her arc was laid out made her the most relatable.
Weirdly enough, my favorite parts of the books were the ones that weren't character-focused at all: all the spooky horror descriptions, the general vibe of being constantly on the road, traveling through dangerous, deadly places. Considering that normally I am a super character-oriented reader, this was a change of pace for me. Not an unwelcome one, just unusual!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Gore, Animal death, Violence, and Cannibalism
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Suicide, Sexual harassment, and Rape
Not All Himbos Wear Capes by C. Rochelle
This is a fairly sweet and fun romance story that by no means should be taken seriously. Honestly, the whole superhero universe painted here was almost too cartoonish and slapstick to my liking, but I still stuck with it because I found Xander just so damn entertaining. He's a bit of the "only sane man" in this entire setting—or rather, practically the only living, breathing kind of character who wouldn't be out of place in something just a tad more serious/grounded. He's also witty, has a nice balance of "a bit of a wreck inside, but projects infinite confidence when necessary" going on, loves cats, and wants to murder people for hurting his boyfriend. A man after my own heart, really.
Butch was... very much a himbo, yes, but not the best rendition of the trope ever. I like my himbos the way I like golden retrievers: seemingly ridiculously goofy, but with a lot of emotional intelligence going on and actually smarter than they seem. I'm not sure Butch delivered in that second department. Also, I found his habit of substituting words like "sugar" and "honey" for curses utterly ridiculous and annoying. Not only don't they sound like any expletives I can think of (come on, just say "fudge" instead or something!), but they're also fairly common endearments, so quite a few times I was like, "Is he randomly calling Xan Sugar, because this doesn't seem to fit their dynamic??? Oh, right, he just doesn't know how to say damn like a normal person," lol.
Anyway, there were quite a few entertaining moments, even more sweet ones, and I mostly liked how kink was handled. The relationship developed a bit too quickly, but it also matched the overall vibe of the story in a way, so I'm not really complaining. I might have expected a bit more enemies-to-lovers vibes for some reason, and it was barely present even when Xan and Butch were in costumes and didn't yet learn about each other's identities. But the mistaken identities trope without that vibe is good, too, I guess.
All in all, I wouldn't say this book is anything to write home about, but it sure was a nice distraction for a few evenings!
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
3.0
He decided he liked me and wanted to stay. I decided I liked him and wanted him to. And that was it.
This is a fairly sweet and fun romance story that by no means should be taken seriously. Honestly, the whole superhero universe painted here was almost too cartoonish and slapstick to my liking, but I still stuck with it because I found Xander just so damn entertaining. He's a bit of the "only sane man" in this entire setting—or rather, practically the only living, breathing kind of character who wouldn't be out of place in something just a tad more serious/grounded. He's also witty, has a nice balance of "a bit of a wreck inside, but projects infinite confidence when necessary" going on, loves cats, and wants to murder people for hurting his boyfriend. A man after my own heart, really.
Butch was... very much a himbo, yes, but not the best rendition of the trope ever. I like my himbos the way I like golden retrievers: seemingly ridiculously goofy, but with a lot of emotional intelligence going on and actually smarter than they seem. I'm not sure Butch delivered in that second department. Also, I found his habit of substituting words like "sugar" and "honey" for curses utterly ridiculous and annoying. Not only don't they sound like any expletives I can think of (come on, just say "fudge" instead or something!), but they're also fairly common endearments, so quite a few times I was like, "Is he randomly calling Xan Sugar, because this doesn't seem to fit their dynamic??? Oh, right, he just doesn't know how to say damn like a normal person," lol.
Anyway, there were quite a few entertaining moments, even more sweet ones, and I mostly liked how kink was handled. The relationship developed a bit too quickly, but it also matched the overall vibe of the story in a way, so I'm not really complaining. I might have expected a bit more enemies-to-lovers vibes for some reason, and it was barely present even when Xan and Butch were in costumes and didn't yet learn about each other's identities. But the mistaken identities trope without that vibe is good, too, I guess.
All in all, I wouldn't say this book is anything to write home about, but it sure was a nice distraction for a few evenings!
Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell
I remember back when I read Winter's Orbit, I absolutely adored the romance part of the story but kept getting lost when it came to worldbuilding. Apparently, that's just what I should expect with Everina Maxwell's books. At least with Winter's Orbit, I found my footing by mid-story or so. With this one, I'm sorry to say I only kept getting more lost.
I guess a big part of it is that worldbuilding is even more important here, what with the big focus on chaotic space and all. However, the way all the relevant information is delivered just fellt... off? If I tried to treat all the lore as mostly trappings for the interpersonal conflicts, I got lost. If I tried to delve deeper into it, too many things just didn't seem to work upon closer inspection. Or maybe the bigger ones actually did, but whenever I started overthinking, I couldn't get past even the arguably smaller stuff. Like the math. The gap between when the experiments that led to the emergence of readers and architects were conducted and when those talents became a genetically inherited thing is just too small. I don't understand how it works. Or even just the lingo: like, okay, we've got two kinds of telepaths here—[mind] readers who read and architects who write. Why not call the latter writers to keep things consistent? Where does the "architect" part even come from?
I fully accept it might be on me just overthinking the wrong stuff or approaching everything from the wrong angle! My brain can be weird! But alas, I kept getting confused.
I expected a lot from the romance/relationship arc, because at the beginning, it looked like very much my jam. I mean, forced proximity? Opposites attract? A lawful character who is solid and dependable in his principles and a chaotic one who is a mess of jagged edges? Count me in! And at the beginning, while the two were just getting to know each other and adapting to their situation, I was very much invested. Unfortunately, the more I read on, the less invested I became.
I can't say there was anything *wrong*, exactly, with this slow burn romance for me. It's more about what was lacking from it. I expected a bigger focus on the possible ethical conundrums specifically surrounding the whole mind control/mind link think, and there was some discussion of it, but more through the general lens of fraternization dangers and power imbalance within the chain of command. I also didn't get satisfactory and timely understanding of what made both Tennal and Surit the people they were on the page, which felt rather important. Like, there were certain aspects of both their personalities that just didn't feel 100% right / organic, but I was willing to roll with it because I kept expecting a backstory-related explanation, something to fill the gaps and tie the disjointed parts together... but it never came.
Honestly, now that I'm trying to tie all my thoughts and feelings about this book together into this rambly review, I think there's one thing every aspect of the story had in common for me. First, I saw it and thought, "cool." Then I spent time with it, and thought about it, and it became less cool the more I tried to inspect it. The worldbuilding seems cool on the surface; when I tried to poke at it and grok it, not so much. The two leads and their dynamic were absolutely cool at first, but the deeper their relationship and personal arcs ran, the more unanswered questions I had. Cool side characters appeared and had 1-2 brilliant scenes that suggested lots of interest stuff to come, and then plenty of it fell flat and those same characters turned forgettable.
With all that said, I did enjoy the beginning of the book enough to want to finish it even when it turned draggy. The way the dynamic between Tennal and Surit developed may not have been entirely to my taste, but it definitely had some very satisfying moments, and not only in the first part of the story. Tennal never stopped being entertaining in that way that had me torn between wanting to ask him to neer change and also wanting to give him a hug and punch whoever hurt him. There was plenty of engrossing banter. What I was able to parse from the lore was cool.
It's just that all of that never quite came together for me, I guess.
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
“They’ve taken down your defenses.” The mental touch withdrew. Surit sounded blank, so blank that Tennal wasn’t expecting it when he said, “That’s barbarous.”
Tennal swallowed in shock. The elevator doors beeped a protest, unable to shut. “Welcome to the military,” he said. “Is this your first day?”
I remember back when I read Winter's Orbit, I absolutely adored the romance part of the story but kept getting lost when it came to worldbuilding. Apparently, that's just what I should expect with Everina Maxwell's books. At least with Winter's Orbit, I found my footing by mid-story or so. With this one, I'm sorry to say I only kept getting more lost.
I guess a big part of it is that worldbuilding is even more important here, what with the big focus on chaotic space and all. However, the way all the relevant information is delivered just fellt... off? If I tried to treat all the lore as mostly trappings for the interpersonal conflicts, I got lost. If I tried to delve deeper into it, too many things just didn't seem to work upon closer inspection. Or maybe the bigger ones actually did, but whenever I started overthinking, I couldn't get past even the arguably smaller stuff. Like the math. The gap between when the experiments that led to the emergence of readers and architects were conducted and when those talents became a genetically inherited thing is just too small. I don't understand how it works. Or even just the lingo: like, okay, we've got two kinds of telepaths here—[mind] readers who read and architects who write. Why not call the latter writers to keep things consistent? Where does the "architect" part even come from?
I fully accept it might be on me just overthinking the wrong stuff or approaching everything from the wrong angle! My brain can be weird! But alas, I kept getting confused.
I expected a lot from the romance/relationship arc, because at the beginning, it looked like very much my jam. I mean, forced proximity? Opposites attract? A lawful character who is solid and dependable in his principles and a chaotic one who is a mess of jagged edges? Count me in! And at the beginning, while the two were just getting to know each other and adapting to their situation, I was very much invested. Unfortunately, the more I read on, the less invested I became.
I can't say there was anything *wrong*, exactly, with this slow burn romance for me. It's more about what was lacking from it. I expected a bigger focus on the possible ethical conundrums specifically surrounding the whole mind control/mind link think, and there was some discussion of it, but more through the general lens of fraternization dangers and power imbalance within the chain of command. I also didn't get satisfactory and timely understanding of what made both Tennal and Surit the people they were on the page, which felt rather important. Like, there were certain aspects of both their personalities that just didn't feel 100% right / organic, but I was willing to roll with it because I kept expecting a backstory-related explanation, something to fill the gaps and tie the disjointed parts together... but it never came.
Honestly, now that I'm trying to tie all my thoughts and feelings about this book together into this rambly review, I think there's one thing every aspect of the story had in common for me. First, I saw it and thought, "cool." Then I spent time with it, and thought about it, and it became less cool the more I tried to inspect it. The worldbuilding seems cool on the surface; when I tried to poke at it and grok it, not so much. The two leads and their dynamic were absolutely cool at first, but the deeper their relationship and personal arcs ran, the more unanswered questions I had. Cool side characters appeared and had 1-2 brilliant scenes that suggested lots of interest stuff to come, and then plenty of it fell flat and those same characters turned forgettable.
With all that said, I did enjoy the beginning of the book enough to want to finish it even when it turned draggy. The way the dynamic between Tennal and Surit developed may not have been entirely to my taste, but it definitely had some very satisfying moments, and not only in the first part of the story. Tennal never stopped being entertaining in that way that had me torn between wanting to ask him to neer change and also wanting to give him a hug and punch whoever hurt him. There was plenty of engrossing banter. What I was able to parse from the lore was cool.
It's just that all of that never quite came together for me, I guess.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Violence
Minor: Alcohol and Drug use
mind control, self-destructive behavior
Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
I picked up this novella intending to read maybe 1/3 of it before bed. I ended up inhaling it all in one go, then feeling too emotional to go to sleep for over an hour. Absolutely no regrets.
Honestly, I adored pretty much everything about this tiny book. The impeccable noir vibes. The cold, alienating allure of the setting. The complexity of it, with all the magical orders and wars between heaven and hell, painted in the lightest strokes due to the format constraints and yet so vivid. The bittersweetness of it all, and the reminder that sometimes you pay a high price and don't get everything you want/need, but what you do get is still worth it. And, of course, the characters. My, the characters.
Helen is definitely going to stick with me for a long while. She has all the trappings of the noir detective, but underneath the cynicism you'd expect from one, she has so much love in her. Love that pushes her, over and over, to sacrifice so much for the sake of her loved ones, no matter the consequences—and no matter their opinion. Is it selfish or altruistic? Both. Love like that tends to be both.
I absolutely loved the romantic storyline. Edith is just as compelling and complex as Helen, and the bond between them is so strong. Honestly, as much as I love regular romance novels focused on characters coming together, I'm a sucker for established relationships in fiction. Love stories, after all, don't end when the first set of obstacles is defeated and the couple settles on the decision to tackle the rest of their lives together. That's only ever, I believe, where the real story starts. I love seeing couples (or for that matter policules, but that's irrelevant to this particular book, of course) actually working together as an established unit. The stakes always feel so much higher when it's a long-standing love/relationship being tested; if something goes wrong, the characters wouldn't just lose a chance at a happy ever after, they'll lose everything they've already built. And so when they get to keep it, the triumph is so much sweeter.
This book does precisely this kind of thing so well. The bond and the feelings between Helen and Esther shine in every scene. They're so close, and yet they both keep such big secrets from each other, for really valid reasons—and when those secrets come to light, they accept it and move on together with this new information. I don't know, there's just something so special about it, and how perfectly it's interwoven with the overall mystery plot, all the demonic/angelic fantasy trappings, and the subplot about Helen's past and her relationship with her brother. So much good stuff packed into such a small book.
Also: that one morning scene with Esther and the sparrows? And the one where Helen was reading The Great Gatsby? And absolutely every time Marlowe showed up on the page? Perfection. All of it. The kind of scenes that are going to live rent-free at the back of my mind for months or years to come.
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Even if you succeed, you’re still going to Hell.”
“But not yet.”
I picked up this novella intending to read maybe 1/3 of it before bed. I ended up inhaling it all in one go, then feeling too emotional to go to sleep for over an hour. Absolutely no regrets.
Honestly, I adored pretty much everything about this tiny book. The impeccable noir vibes. The cold, alienating allure of the setting. The complexity of it, with all the magical orders and wars between heaven and hell, painted in the lightest strokes due to the format constraints and yet so vivid. The bittersweetness of it all, and the reminder that sometimes you pay a high price and don't get everything you want/need, but what you do get is still worth it. And, of course, the characters. My, the characters.
Helen is definitely going to stick with me for a long while. She has all the trappings of the noir detective, but underneath the cynicism you'd expect from one, she has so much love in her. Love that pushes her, over and over, to sacrifice so much for the sake of her loved ones, no matter the consequences—and no matter their opinion. Is it selfish or altruistic? Both. Love like that tends to be both.
I absolutely loved the romantic storyline. Edith is just as compelling and complex as Helen, and the bond between them is so strong. Honestly, as much as I love regular romance novels focused on characters coming together, I'm a sucker for established relationships in fiction. Love stories, after all, don't end when the first set of obstacles is defeated and the couple settles on the decision to tackle the rest of their lives together. That's only ever, I believe, where the real story starts. I love seeing couples (or for that matter policules, but that's irrelevant to this particular book, of course) actually working together as an established unit. The stakes always feel so much higher when it's a long-standing love/relationship being tested; if something goes wrong, the characters wouldn't just lose a chance at a happy ever after, they'll lose everything they've already built. And so when they get to keep it, the triumph is so much sweeter.
This book does precisely this kind of thing so well. The bond and the feelings between Helen and Esther shine in every scene. They're so close, and yet they both keep such big secrets from each other, for really valid reasons—and when those secrets come to light, they accept it and move on together with this new information. I don't know, there's just something so special about it, and how perfectly it's interwoven with the overall mystery plot, all the demonic/angelic fantasy trappings, and the subplot about Helen's past and her relationship with her brother. So much good stuff packed into such a small book.
Also: that one morning scene with Esther and the sparrows? And the one where Helen was reading The Great Gatsby? And absolutely every time Marlowe showed up on the page? Perfection. All of it. The kind of scenes that are going to live rent-free at the back of my mind for months or years to come.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Death, and Homophobia
Moderate: Car accident and Gun violence