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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
this was so good for so much of it. I loved the characters, the plot was so fun, the little asides were delightful. i really liked it!! it would have been a 5* but the ending was just... a little too quick and neat? it feels like there was a lot of thought put into the rest of the book and the character exploration (i wish we got more of ben and kiernan and clem and jada but oh well) but the ending felt very sudden and didn't feel particularly realistic (i know it's a book about dragons but the point stands)
also a little :/ at the middle eastern slash Indian (unclear) characters being the ones who run a magic carpet shop. feels a bit weird
all in all, I had a great time, this would make for a good beach read. edna my beloved <333
also a little :/ at the middle eastern slash Indian (unclear) characters being the ones who run a magic carpet shop. feels a bit weird
all in all, I had a great time, this would make for a good beach read. edna my beloved <333
adventurous
funny
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I was so excited for this book, it had such a promising start! In the end, the plot twist was visible from a mile away, and the story doesn’t really break any norms.
It also didn’t qualify as a cozy fantasy because there’s a lot of dramatic action. A lot of abuse, death, murder.
And the ending was so depressing! It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what I signed up for when I started this book.
It also didn’t qualify as a cozy fantasy because there’s a lot of dramatic action. A lot of abuse, death, murder.
And the ending was so depressing! It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what I signed up for when I started this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: War
As a part of my spot on a blog tour for this book I had the honour of interviewing E.M. Anderson about The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher! You can read the interview discussing The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher and more over on my blog Just Geeking by.
Content warnings:
I adored The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher by E.M. Anderson. From start to finish, this rollercoaster of a modern fantasy novel was absolutely brilliant. Anderson has spun a rich tale that subverts the usual chosen one trope, putting an eighty-three-year-old at the centre of the story rather than the usual young person.
Edna Fisher had been preparing herself for life in her retirement home without one of the few people who brighten up her days. One of the nurses, Benjamin, who is really the only one on staff who puts up with Edna and her eccentricities, is heading off to follow his dreams and study magic. It’s something Edna has supported fully, but she’s going to miss him when he’s gone, and he feels the same. So when a wizard from the Council of Wizards suddenly turns up to inform Edna that she’s been named the chosen one to fight the current big bad, they’re both up for one last adventure together.
It’s an adventure of a lifetime, that’s for sure, and they pick up a few other people along the way. To name a few, there’s Clem, a teenager who’s out for revenge, the mysterious elf Kiernan, and Amir, a famous carpet maker. Every character that Anderson has created is wonderfully written, with witty snappy dialogue, and strong backstories. They’re also so very messy in a way that echoes life because life is messy. I found them all to be incredibly relatable, and this made the emotional scenes pack a punch. There is a huge twist that you will definitely need some tissues for!
Everything about this book is just so well written, and Anderson has found the perfect balance of light-hearted fun and humour with dark, serious topics. She handles difficult issues with care and sensitivity, giving them a prominent place in the story rather than shuffling them off to a side story. It’s no surprise then that The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher is chock-full of representation and damn proud of it. With multiple LGBTQIA+, BIPOC and disabled characters, this isn’t a tick-box type of book. Characters come in every shape, size and colour – and age, as The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher pointedly reminds us – and it’s fantastic to see.
From a disabled perspective, it was great to see scenes with Edna and Benjamin, and him caring for her as a friend. Little things like her asking for her pain meds, and struggling with pain or stairs. Benjamin has anxiety, and the representation of anxiety in this book is brilliant, especially in the way that Edna notices things about how Benjamin interacts with others socially. Additionally, there’s another character whose condition is not formally identified on page but looks similar to ME/CFS or fibromyalgia and is cared for by their teenage daughter.
The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher brings the traditional elements of fantasy into the modern world and successfully mixes the two together. This is a fun-filled adventure about found family, magic, dragons and so many subverted tropes. There’s a serious heart to this novel that just makes it even more special. This is one fantasy novel you do not want to miss out on.
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Content warnings:
Spoiler
This book contains scenes of violence, blood, gore and death. There is an ongoing theme throughout the book of abuse (physical and emotional). While it does not occur on page, it appears in discussions and flashback scenes. A character dies off page from injuries sustained from physical abuse. Many characters have unresolved trauma as a result.I adored The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher by E.M. Anderson. From start to finish, this rollercoaster of a modern fantasy novel was absolutely brilliant. Anderson has spun a rich tale that subverts the usual chosen one trope, putting an eighty-three-year-old at the centre of the story rather than the usual young person.
Edna Fisher had been preparing herself for life in her retirement home without one of the few people who brighten up her days. One of the nurses, Benjamin, who is really the only one on staff who puts up with Edna and her eccentricities, is heading off to follow his dreams and study magic. It’s something Edna has supported fully, but she’s going to miss him when he’s gone, and he feels the same. So when a wizard from the Council of Wizards suddenly turns up to inform Edna that she’s been named the chosen one to fight the current big bad, they’re both up for one last adventure together.
It’s an adventure of a lifetime, that’s for sure, and they pick up a few other people along the way. To name a few, there’s Clem, a teenager who’s out for revenge, the mysterious elf Kiernan, and Amir, a famous carpet maker. Every character that Anderson has created is wonderfully written, with witty snappy dialogue, and strong backstories. They’re also so very messy in a way that echoes life because life is messy. I found them all to be incredibly relatable, and this made the emotional scenes pack a punch. There is a huge twist that you will definitely need some tissues for!
Everything about this book is just so well written, and Anderson has found the perfect balance of light-hearted fun and humour with dark, serious topics. She handles difficult issues with care and sensitivity, giving them a prominent place in the story rather than shuffling them off to a side story. It’s no surprise then that The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher is chock-full of representation and damn proud of it. With multiple LGBTQIA+, BIPOC and disabled characters, this isn’t a tick-box type of book. Characters come in every shape, size and colour – and age, as The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher pointedly reminds us – and it’s fantastic to see.
From a disabled perspective, it was great to see scenes with Edna and Benjamin, and him caring for her as a friend. Little things like her asking for her pain meds, and struggling with pain or stairs. Benjamin has anxiety, and the representation of anxiety in this book is brilliant, especially in the way that Edna notices things about how Benjamin interacts with others socially. Additionally, there’s another character whose condition is not formally identified on page but looks similar to ME/CFS or fibromyalgia and is cared for by their teenage daughter.
The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher brings the traditional elements of fantasy into the modern world and successfully mixes the two together. This is a fun-filled adventure about found family, magic, dragons and so many subverted tropes. There’s a serious heart to this novel that just makes it even more special. This is one fantasy novel you do not want to miss out on.
Read a sample, didn't feel with buying. It was more speculative fiction than fantasy and doesn't feel worth the price.
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Spoilers!
I really wanted to love this. It's an absolutely great premise, and EM Anderson's writing shows a lot of promise. She's incredibly creative: the world she creates, a modern US with all the fun elements of high fantasy, was super interesting to read. And her characters were diverse and cared deeply about each other, which made them fun to read.
But I just didn't vibe with the writing style - maybe it was only my personal feelings and state of mind. I thought that things happened a bit too quickly, without enough explanation for me to get really into it. And the characters did a lot of things, made a lot of choices, that didn't make much sense to me - Redway slaughtering people for three decades instead of just calling his mother? Maybe that's realistic for PTSD, I don't know. I also thought the fantasy world could have been explained a bit better, so I could better understand the context of the story. But maybe that's just me - I do love an infodump.
Edna was genuinely loveable and hilarious, and Kiernan made me feel all the things. I almost feel like this book could have been longer, so I could get to know them better! I also wish that the ending was different, just because I like a bit of a happier ending. But then the whole story would have had to change.
Overall I'm interested to see where Anderson's writing goes, because the premise was brilliant and her worldbuilding and characters show a lot of promise!
I really wanted to love this. It's an absolutely great premise, and EM Anderson's writing shows a lot of promise. She's incredibly creative: the world she creates, a modern US with all the fun elements of high fantasy, was super interesting to read. And her characters were diverse and cared deeply about each other, which made them fun to read.
But I just didn't vibe with the writing style - maybe it was only my personal feelings and state of mind. I thought that things happened a bit too quickly, without enough explanation for me to get really into it. And the characters did a lot of things, made a lot of choices, that didn't make much sense to me - Redway slaughtering people for three decades instead of just calling his mother? Maybe that's realistic for PTSD, I don't know. I also thought the fantasy world could have been explained a bit better, so I could better understand the context of the story. But maybe that's just me - I do love an infodump.
Edna was genuinely loveable and hilarious, and Kiernan made me feel all the things. I almost feel like this book could have been longer, so I could get to know them better! I also wish that the ending was different, just because I like a bit of a happier ending. But then the whole story would have had to change.
Overall I'm interested to see where Anderson's writing goes, because the premise was brilliant and her worldbuilding and characters show a lot of promise!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail