Kristen
A Study in Honor has a great premise and I loved a lot of the ideas that went into this reimagining of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. I did think that Janet Watson's characterization was well done and that she herself was the highlight of the novel, but I also thought that her promising dynamic with Sara Holmes never quite gelled. Ultimately, I found it to be rather slow going much of the time since the investigation didn't particularly interest me, but I have also found that science fiction mysteries that are focused on the plot more than the science fiction aspects often do not work for me.
5/10 - It's okay
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The Underwater Ballroom Society is a speculative fiction anthology containing stories with a variety of genres, prose styles, and themes but one shared element: each of them includes some sort of underwater ballroom.
My favorite story is “Spellswept” by Stephanie Burgis, a prequel to her Harwood Spellbook novellas with Amy as the main protagonist. Two stories unfold during a party in the Harwood's underwater ballroom: that of Amy and Jonathan's engagement and that of Cassandra's first public spellcasting. It's a delight from beginning to end, and I actually enjoyed it more than Snowspelled and Thornbound.
There were a few other gems in this anthology:
“The Queen of Life” by Ysabeau S. Wilce, an ode to the growth and wisdom that comes with age and experience with an eighty-two-year old woman as the hero
“Twelve Sisters” by Y.S. Lee, a sequel to the “Twelve Dancing Princesses” fairy tale in which the sisters try to correct their father's mistake in selecting the next king based on his ability to solve one mystery
“Penhallow Amid Passing Things” by Iona Datt Sharma, a well-written story about two women usually on opposite sides of the law who find themselves united for a common cause (with a bit of romance!)
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The Poppy War, which is partially based on the Second Sino-Japanese War, is a darkly compelling story about how war changes people, particularly for the worse. I found it engaging from the very first page, and I enjoyed its rich history and appreciated the boldness of Rin's character progression. Though she makes horrible choices, her choices are hers and are not waved away as having been influenced by her god. I didn't quite LOVE The Poppy War but came close, and it's certainly among the best books I've read this year!
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Although I didn't find Grey Sister to be quite as compelling as Red Sister, I loved it anyway and could hardly put it down throughout the second half. I'm very invested in many of these characters, especially Nona, and I also very much enjoyed the themes surrounding various types of strength, power, and friendship.
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Jacqueline Carey's epic fantasy novel Starless showcases her skill as a worldbuilder and writer, but especially her wonderful gift for storytelling. Although I did find the smaller scale earlier parts of the book a bit more compelling than later parts, I still absolutely loved Starless.
4 1/2 stars
Review on My Website (Plus an Excerpt and Giveaway)
Before Mars is part futuristic mystery set on a Mars base and part character portrait of the main protagonist. Though I found it quite riveting toward the beginning, I ultimately found it unsatisfying since the intriguing characterization and concepts aren't explored in enough depth for my taste.
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Tomi Adeyemi's #1 New York Times bestselling novel is about a quest to restore magic and working against a tyrannical ruler, as well as the effects of oppression and cruelty, the power empathy, and the strength of people working together. Although I thought it had a fantastic arc and the author did an excellent job with characterization and making her characters' feelings palpable, I did find large parts of the middle rather tedious.
Rating: 6.5/10 (Very torn between a 6 and a 7 because there are parts I loved but I also found parts of it dull between the strong beginning and ending sections)
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4 1/2 Stars
The Tethered Mage was one of my favorite books read in 2017, and I loved The Defiant Heir even more. It's extraordinarily fun with amusing dialogue and some quirky personalities, I enjoyed the growth of Amalia and Zaira's relationship, and it was fascinating to learn more about Vaskandar and Amalia's family on her father's side.
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3 1/2 Stars - Liked it but thought it was not as good as Tomorrow's Kin, especially the part comprised of the previously published novella Yesterday's Kin.
If Tomorrow's Kin excels at ideas and imagining how the world of Kindred could have developed its society, but parts of its execution could have been stronger and it was not as engrossing as the previous book in the trilogy. I thought its biggest weakness was featuring such a large cast of characters without providing enough satisfying character development or arcs. However, I did find the planet fascinating even if I would have liked to have learned more about it through observation rather than conversation, and the integration of science was well done.
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3 1/2 stars
Despite a plodding beginning and some slow pacing overall, I rather enjoyed Daughters of the Storm and reading about the five different sisters who are the heart of the novel. Although they are not one dimensional by any means, I would have liked a little more dimension from the main characters, especially since this book is not heavy on plot or worldbuilding; however, I am very eager to find out what happens to these sisters in the next book!
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Beneath the Haunting Sea, Joanna Ruth Meyer's young adult fantasy debut novel, is a lovely story about fate, love, courage, selflessness, and determination built upon forgotten history, family secrets, and myths. Though I found the second half difficult to put down, it took awhile to hit its stride mainly due to the pacing and the introduction of the world mythology.
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Markswoman is the first book in a duology set in Asiana, a post-apocalyptic Asia in which justice is upheld by five Orders of Peace (or four Orders of Peace, depending on whom you ask since some do not believe the fifth Order containing Marksmen to be valid). The setting is fascinating and the first few chapters were engaging, but I thought it was ultimately hindered by an over-reliance on prophecy/mysterious instructions for the future to drive the plot and Kyra's actions.
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The Lost Plot is the fourth book in the Invisible Library series, and like the three previous installments, it is delightful! These novels follow the adventures of Librarian Irene Winters, whose job requires using her quick wits to collect books for an organization existing outside of time and space.
In The Lost Plot, a political contest between dragons brings Irene and her apprentice, Kai, to an alternate version of New York City in the 1920s. It focuses on neutrality while delivering an incredibly fun adventure in which Irene contends with mobs, cops, a Fae sharpshooter, and dragons. Though I was a little disappointed it didn't follow up more on the revelations from the previous book, it had everything else I have come to expect from a book in this series and I found it immensely entertaining.
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The Girl in the Tower is not just my favorite book in the Winternight Trilogy but also one of the best books I've read. It's beautifully written and atmospheric, and I loved Vasya, the focus on sibling relationships, the incorporation of more Slavic myths, Vasya's fiercely protective stallion Solovey, and Morozko. The start is a little slow, though it's not dull???it's just not as engaging as the rest of the book, which is phenomenal.
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Star of the Morning is set in a generic fantasy world and is slowly paced, yet I did enjoy the interactions between the two main characters and their developing romance. However, it wasn't memorable enough for me to finish this trilogy even though it had some fun moments.
Rating: 5.5/10 (just entertaining enough to be a little above “it's ok”)
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The Bone Witch is about an usually powerful and rare necromancer named Tea who is not expected to save the world but change it, for better and for worse. Her tale is told from two perspectives: that of a bard who finds seventeen-year-old Tea in exile and Tea herself as she tells him her story, beginning with discovering she had power over the dead when she unwittingly resurrected her brother during his funeral. The writing is lovely, but I thought what made this a standout novel was this storytelling structure and the extra dimension it added to Tea's character. The world was fascinating as well, though I felt this is where the book faltered a bit by providing a lot of information yet not enough about some aspects. However, I loved the main character and how she embraced her power, and I can hardly wait for the sequel.
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Jade City features a richly drawn, detailed world which vividly comes to life. It's largely a family saga and the themes of kinship and legacy are well done, and the four main characters in the Kaul family (and some of the minor characters!) are interesting and act in ways that make sense given their situations and personalities. Though these are all strengths, I did find myself tempted to put down the book a few times since it could be rather slow, but I did finish it???and when I reached the end, I found myself unexpectedly attached to the protagonists and eager to continue their stories.
My Rating: 3.5/5
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Laini Taylor is one of my favorite authors due to her imagination, characters, and phenomenally beautiful writing. Strange the Dreamer has all of these qualities and was immediately captivating; however, I did feel that it lagged at times in the second half. Despite that, it is an excellent book and one of my three favorite 2017 releases so far!
Rating: 8.5/10
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This Venetian-inspired debut novel features great characters (including a variety of women), magic, political intrigue, mystery, friendship, and a dash of romantic subplot, but it's the solid worldbuilding that truly sets it apart. The Tethered Mage is one of the most engaging novels I've encountered this year and my favorite debut set in a secondary world so far, and I found it so compulsively readable and exciting that I stayed up until 2:00 AM to finish it.
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Snowspelled is delightful, lighthearted romantic fantasy set in an alternate version of England in which Boudicca's rebellion against the Romans succeeded, leading to a tradition of matriarchal rule. While only women handle politics, magic is considered the domain of men. However, Cassandra Harwood has always dreamed of being a magician and becomes the first woman to enter this male-dominated sphere–until an incident leaves her unable to cast the simplest spell without risking her life.
This novella picks up four months after this occurred and follows Cassandra as she contends with her loss, a devious elf-lord, and the ex-fiance she believed to be better off without her. Though Cassandra's devastation is palpable, it still remains a fairly light, optimistic novel since a lot of the focus is on moving forward and societal progression (and this is further enhanced by fun dialogue and a great romance!). It's a little too straightforward and predictable to be a book that sticks with me despite admiring the author's ability (thus the 3 1/2 star rating), but I still found it very enjoyable: the perfect match when in the mood for a fairly short, diverting, engaging tale.
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Yangsze Choo's debut novel, The Ghost Bride, is a wonderful novel that particularly excels at setting, both its historical location of Malaya in 1893 and the Chinese afterlife. It's the story of Li Lan, a young woman whose family's finances have been declining since the loss of her mother and her father's resulting grief and seclusion, beginning with her first proposal of marriage. The prosperous Lim family would like her to marry their only son, but there's a rather major drawback to this arrangement: the proposed bridegroom died a few months ago. Li Lan is not interested in this offer, but soon the dead man begins haunting her dreams insisting that she will marry him whether she wants to or not since she's been promised to him as a reward. Her desperate efforts to get some peace when she goes to sleep at night leads to her separating her spirit from her body, and she meets ghosts and travels to the Plains of the Dead to glean more information on what her deceased would-be husband is up to–and ends up learning more about both his family and her own family's past in the process.
The highlight of the novel is the immersive setting as brought to life through Choo's writing. There was quite a bit of telling and exposition, but this didn't bother me all that much since I found all the details interesting; the well-realized setting and the suspense of the novel's mysteries also made up for some slow pacing. Though I felt characterization and dialogue were the weaker aspects of The Ghost Bride, I still enjoyed it immensely and look forward to Yangsze Choo's second novel (The Night Tiger).
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After reading about 100 pages (or about a quarter of the novel) and skimming the next few chapters, I've decided to leave The Bloodprint unfinished. The world seems compelling, there is some lovely writing, and the two heroines seem amazing in theory given their fight for justice, but unfortunately, I did not find it particularly engaging despite having some intriguing aspects. The dialogue is dry and full of exposition/dull discussion, and though Arian and Sinnia are supposed to have a close bond, their interactions don't show this closeness clearly or give either heroine much personality. This definitely has potential for an interesting setting and characters, but the interesting moments are spread out, making it rather tedious to read. There are just too many books waiting to be read to spend more time on this one–I'd be reading it just to finish it.
Reread 8/5/2017: I'm changing my rating from 4 to 5 stars. The first time I read these books, I preferred The Queen of Attolia, but I loved The King of Attolia far more the second time I read it (even though they're both wonderful!).
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I seem to be in the minority since I loved the second book more, but this was still a wonderful, clever, fun book!
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In the Forests of Serre is a beautifully written fairy tale with a focus on the human heart (literally and figuratively). I didn't love it as much as my favorites of McKillip's novels, The Changeling Sea and The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, since I didn't get quite as invested in the characters. However, I did enjoy it very much, particularly reading about Princess Sidonie.
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