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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
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:
No
I loved this book and cannot wait to get a finished copy of it! My full review is on my blog:https://readingstewardess.wordpress.com/2023/04/18/book-tour-the-remarkable-retirement-of-edna-fisher/
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
I was so excited for the opportunity to be part of the street team for The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher and have a chance to read an ARC before publication.
If you were on my corner of the internet several years back, you might remember a meme going around wondering why the chosen one was always a teenager rather than someone with time on their hands like a grandmother. If you were, then the premise for Edna will probably sound familiar. The moment I saw the publication announcement for Edna, I was salivating at the chance to get to read it. And let me be the first to say, it did not let me down.
Some friend groups have the mom friend. Edna's has the grandma friend, who fills the same role but with more compassion (and a lot more aches and pains). On the surface, Edna's story is that of a chosen one, destined to put an end to villainy and save the world. At it's heart, Edna's story makes you question who the real villain is. It's about finding hope, belonging, and a really good mobility aid. It's about second chances and reunions. It's about pulling off the scooby doo mask and realizing that the villain has been living with you this whole time.
I had such a good time reading this and if you need me, I will be protecting Kiernan at all costs. (Edna can take care of herself and keep the others in line).
If you were on my corner of the internet several years back, you might remember a meme going around wondering why the chosen one was always a teenager rather than someone with time on their hands like a grandmother. If you were, then the premise for Edna will probably sound familiar. The moment I saw the publication announcement for Edna, I was salivating at the chance to get to read it. And let me be the first to say, it did not let me down.
Some friend groups have the mom friend. Edna's has the grandma friend, who fills the same role but with more compassion (and a lot more aches and pains). On the surface, Edna's story is that of a chosen one, destined to put an end to villainy and save the world. At it's heart, Edna's story makes you question who the real villain is. It's about finding hope, belonging, and a really good mobility aid. It's about second chances and reunions. It's about pulling off the scooby doo mask and realizing that the villain has been living with you this whole time.
I had such a good time reading this and if you need me, I will be protecting Kiernan at all costs. (Edna can take care of herself and keep the others in line).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
You simply can’t pass up a book proclaiming it’s main character is an 83-year-old woman about to go on an adventure, fighting dragons and taking down a sorcerer!
Immediately upon starting The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher, I was amazed by how much I cared for the characters in this book. Originally, I was surprised by my love for Benjamin, one of the employees who works at the nursing home Edna lives in, and how obvious it was that he and Edna really cared for each other. But the further I got into the story, the more characters I met and fell in love with. From the young and hot-headed Clem to the mysterious Kiernan, every character introduced in this book was someone I very quickly found myself caring for, to the point where I finished the book and couldn’t believe these characters weren’t in Edna’s life from the very beginning.
I also really enjoyed how formulaic this book was, as I think it truly showed this author’s mastery of the chosen one story. It was very comforting to see this book hit all the key details I have come to expect from other chosen one plots, such as a main character who comes from nothing, the companion who joins the quest and reminds our chosen one of where they came from, the foil who shows how the perfect match for this plot may not be the answer to the conflict, and how the conflict itself isn’t solved by any specific talent Edna has, but rather her empathetic nature and ability to care for what is happening throughout the book. It was easy to tell as I read this that the author truly knows the basics of a chosen one story and could deliver a version that truly fit the genre while bringing such interesting new things to the table.
I was also a big fan of how casual the diversity in this book was. Each character was presented as just who they were, without a big deal made about representation and identity, and we had a wide range of characters I think a lot of characters will really enjoy. I can imagine a lot of readers having a lot of different favorite characters from this book!
However, one aspect of this book I wasn’t a fan of is actually the description! Part of the marketing to hook readers into reading this story points out that everything may not be what it originally seems and how Edna will have to question whether she needs to stop the sorcerer or the knights, but this aspect of the book doesn’t really come up until the latter half of the plot. Making readers aware of this issue so early on makes the story drag, perpetually leaving readers feeling like they haven’t “truly gotten to the main part of the story” even as they get further and further into the book. I think this story could still be interesting and something readers will want to pick up even if this detail is omitted from the description, but as it is now, readers will struggle with the middle of the story until they get to the talks about abuse in the knights’ ranks.
Speaking of, I really appreciated how this book opened up with a note from the author detailing some of the content in the book. The inclusion of the line “If you need to set the book aside, read it later, or not read it at all, please do so: Edna would want you to take care of yourself, and I want that, too” was very wholesome, and I love when authors normalize content warnings and possible triggers for their readers!
The ending of this book was very surprising, with a twist I don’t think many readers are going to expect. I cried during the last few pages from how bittersweet it was (maybe mostly sweet, but a little sad), and I think a lot of readers are really going to enjoy this story!
I definitely highly recommend picking this book up and reading the story of Edna Fisher!
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-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
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was so much fun and has so much heart!
I love subverted fantasy tropes, and the idea of an octogenarian Chosen One immediately had me sold. Edna is the perfect candidate for a Chosen One; she’s excited for adventure but not prepared to put up with any nonsense along the way. Her fellow adventurers are just as brilliant. There’s the loyal Benjamin, who despite his anxiety goes along on the adventure to make sure Edna is okay. Then there’s Clem, a vengeance-filled teenager who thinks that she should have been the rightful Chosen One.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
They’re a great team of characters, and you can’t help but get swept up in the story. And in the grand tradition of band-of-heroes fantasy adventures, they all find the thing they need (which isn’t always the thing they want). The setting is our world but with magic, so our heroes are armed with iPhones alongside the Sword of Destiny. I thought the fantastical elements were inserted into our world really neatly and cleverly, and the world-building is done really well.
Without spoiling anything, the story also puts a bit of a twist on the usual tropes of the gallant knights. I genuinely didn’t see the reveal towards the end coming (although like any good reveal it made perfect sense in retrospect!) and it made the villain much more human and sympathetic without fully redeeming him. I would have liked to see the Knights fleshed out a little bit more, but I do acknowledge that it would be hard to do that without changing the tone of the novel. There was a brilliant redemption arc for one of my favourite characters, and a sense that even though it wasn’t all solved at the end, things were on their way.
This is a really fun read, full of adventure and characters you can’t help but root for.
I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.
I love subverted fantasy tropes, and the idea of an octogenarian Chosen One immediately had me sold. Edna is the perfect candidate for a Chosen One; she’s excited for adventure but not prepared to put up with any nonsense along the way. Her fellow adventurers are just as brilliant. There’s the loyal Benjamin, who despite his anxiety goes along on the adventure to make sure Edna is okay. Then there’s Clem, a vengeance-filled teenager who thinks that she should have been the rightful Chosen One.
📚Blog📖YouTube📖Instagram📚
They’re a great team of characters, and you can’t help but get swept up in the story. And in the grand tradition of band-of-heroes fantasy adventures, they all find the thing they need (which isn’t always the thing they want). The setting is our world but with magic, so our heroes are armed with iPhones alongside the Sword of Destiny. I thought the fantastical elements were inserted into our world really neatly and cleverly, and the world-building is done really well.
Without spoiling anything, the story also puts a bit of a twist on the usual tropes of the gallant knights. I genuinely didn’t see the reveal towards the end coming (although like any good reveal it made perfect sense in retrospect!) and it made the villain much more human and sympathetic without fully redeeming him. I would have liked to see the Knights fleshed out a little bit more, but I do acknowledge that it would be hard to do that without changing the tone of the novel. There was a brilliant redemption arc for one of my favourite characters, and a sense that even though it wasn’t all solved at the end, things were on their way.
This is a really fun read, full of adventure and characters you can’t help but root for.
I received a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The Chosen One is…a geriatric knitter? With the help of her former orderly whose anxiety is only rivaled by his love of magic and a teenager with an attitude and vengeful vendetta, Edna Fisher must stop the evil Redway from destroying cities and lives with his hoard of dragons.
I love this concept of the Chosen One not being a young teenager but an old woman. It challenges a lot of the Chosen One trope that Clem has no problem embodying. (Clem believes she should have been the Chosen One and uses that point a lot on this journey.)
A lot of recurring themes in this book is sewing with past trauma and how it’s effecting the present. There are a ton of examples from the characters’ pasts, systematic abuse repeating in new generations, and even just mentions of former relationships cropping up years later. You have to address these things or they fester.
Most of the characters are queer in some way. It’s just an aspect of them but the moments of fluff are just too adorable! I was blushing and giggling; I couldn’t stop smiling!
There are mentions of abuse, death, past homophobia, anxiety attacks, anger issues, trauma, and on page death (not too graphic). Please use caution when reading and please stop if it becomes too much.
I love this concept of the Chosen One not being a young teenager but an old woman. It challenges a lot of the Chosen One trope that Clem has no problem embodying. (Clem believes she should have been the Chosen One and uses that point a lot on this journey.)
A lot of recurring themes in this book is sewing with past trauma and how it’s effecting the present. There are a ton of examples from the characters’ pasts, systematic abuse repeating in new generations, and even just mentions of former relationships cropping up years later. You have to address these things or they fester.
Most of the characters are queer in some way. It’s just an aspect of them but the moments of fluff are just too adorable! I was blushing and giggling; I couldn’t stop smiling!
There are mentions of abuse, death, past homophobia, anxiety attacks, anger issues, trauma, and on page death (not too graphic). Please use caution when reading and please stop if it becomes too much.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Homophobia
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Is anyone else tired of reading about the "teenage chosen one?" I sure am, so I was very excited to read "The Remarkable Retirement of Edna Fisher" by E.M Anderson.
Edna Fisher, mom of a fallen night lives out her days in a non-magical nursing home in a reimagined United States where magic is plentiful and dragons are a nuisance. After she received notice that she is the new "chosen one", her and retirement home employee/sidekick set off to find out exactly what that means for the elderly Ms. Fisher. A bit higher stakes than a cozy fantasy but certainly filled with modern-style prose that reminds one of TJ Klune and T. Kingfisher, it is certain to find an audience with chill fantasy fans.
Thumbs Up: The characters were diverse, the premise was interesting, and the banter was very realistic given the situations/age ranges/backgrounds of the characters. There was a little something for everyone.
Thumbs Down: Although the banter was funny at times, most of it felt like filler, this book could have bit a bit shorter and still held the same punch (but that's just being nitpicky). I also wish there as a bit more description of where they were were and what the surroundings. My biggest complaint that I think needs to be addressed that are we really in 2023 going to be making the Indian characters "magic carpet enchanters"?
That needs to definitely be re-thought before publication.
Was this book a nail biter? It could be with a bit more tuning but it was 3.5/5 where it stands for now.
Edna Fisher, mom of a fallen night lives out her days in a non-magical nursing home in a reimagined United States where magic is plentiful and dragons are a nuisance. After she received notice that she is the new "chosen one", her and retirement home employee/sidekick set off to find out exactly what that means for the elderly Ms. Fisher. A bit higher stakes than a cozy fantasy but certainly filled with modern-style prose that reminds one of TJ Klune and T. Kingfisher, it is certain to find an audience with chill fantasy fans.
Thumbs Up: The characters were diverse, the premise was interesting, and the banter was very realistic given the situations/age ranges/backgrounds of the characters. There was a little something for everyone.
Thumbs Down: Although the banter was funny at times, most of it felt like filler, this book could have bit a bit shorter and still held the same punch (but that's just being nitpicky). I also wish there as a bit more description of where they were were and what the surroundings. My biggest complaint that I think needs to be addressed that are we really in 2023 going to be making the Indian characters "magic carpet enchanters"?
That needs to definitely be re-thought before publication.
Was this book a nail biter? It could be with a bit more tuning but it was 3.5/5 where it stands for now.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Medical content
Minor: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse