bittennailbooks's reviews
269 reviews

Goddess of the River by Vaishnavi Patel

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

"Do a person's wishes matter? Or is it their actions on which they should be judged?"

Goddess of the River is a rich retelling, of the often glossed over, tale of Ganga and her mortal son. From the epic of the Mahabharata, Patel's retelling feels heavy and course with the navigation of love and oath.

This is my first exposure to a Mahabharata story so I am by no means an expert lens in which to view Patel's retelling, so I will solely focus on the execution through a fantasy lens. Patel is a gifted storyteller: her creation of strong characters really shines in Goddess of the River. A dialogue and historical heavy hitter with little focus on the traditional fantasy notes (romantic love, sex, violence). Certainly for fans of heavy political drama.

What I do enjoy about Patel's writing that she had echoed on her own social media channels is her rejection that every fantastic novel needs to involve a romance. I thought it is a very potent rejection of what the current publishing trends are and commend her for sticking to her literary guns. 

A dense read but I feel better for reading it. 3.9/5 stars.

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 The truth is a wound as often as it is a comfort." For fans of dark garden magic, love triangles, and gods behaving badly.

Hannah Whitten weaves another lush, romantic, and gloomy installment in her "Nightshade Crown" trilogy with "The Hemlock Queen." We return to the Kingdom of Dellaire with Lore in a state of catatonic shock as she sits on the throne as the appointed court witch to the new king Bastian. With Bastian's corrupt father dead and the traitorous Priest nowhere to be seen, Gabe is thrust into the high priest's station with a grudge to hold as the love triangle unfolds between our protagonists. With the usurpation of the throne, impending war is brewing on the outskirts of the kingdom. Bastian offers Lore what she has always wanted: stability, but as the new high queen. Her heart pulled in two different directions, a voice creeping into the back of her mind, and no one left to truly trust, "The Hemlock Queen" keeps its breakneck speed from start to finish.

I was initially worried I would struggle to settle back into this world as "The Foxglove King" was one of the first major publishing ARCs I had ever received many eons ago. Luckily, Whitten has thought of just about everything and injects enough of the previous lore into this installment to make it an easy transition back into this cutthroat world. I really enjoyed the pacing of this book and never felt settled for very long. The atmosphere is lush and deep, with a magic system that entwines itself with religious dogma. It is irresistible and sexy while also maintaining Whitten's fantasy roots in a well-thought-out world. Some convenient plot points, but otherwise a fantastic addition to the series. It's been exciting watching Whitten grow as a writer, and I look forward to seeing how this novel ends.

Will Whitten walk out of our dreams with a why-choose romance? We can only hope. 4.5/5 stars.

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

5.0

"Horror offers a chance to recognize this truth, to explore dark places in a safe way," the fascination with themes of queer embodiment in horror is torn wide open in this new installment to the Tingleverse, by camp king Chuck Tingle.

The story is a fascinating one, a writer is being pushed by big wig executives to kill off his TV series FMC's after their coming out episode while simultaneously being haunted by the monsters of pictures past. This story is incredibly smart, fun, and a quick-witted take on the "bury your gays" phenomenon in entertainment. What I was not expecting was great dialogue around the ethics of AI, coming out, commodification of queerness/pink dollars, and a thoughtful discussion around horror as a playground to explore dark ideas in a safe way. When something as basic as your identity puts you at risk, why wouldn't you indulge in what this horrible world has to offer through the lens of your own imagination?

The characters are campy and fun, the insertion of screenplay excerpts successfully disorients the reader, and the nod to slasher films will put a grin on any seasoned horror fans face.

This is my first Tingle book and I will definitely be watching his career as he continues to map out his literary universe. 5 Stars. Thank you to Tor for the e-galley!

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Faebound misses a beat from fantasy heavy-hitter El-Arifi.

As an undeniable superfan of El-Arifi, Faebound was a confusing installment to and otherwise flawless track record of incredible fantasy. I had extremely high hopes since the The Ending Fire is a near perfect series in my mind so why wouldn't Faebound reach the same heights?

The storyline opens in a land that is devoid of humans, long-extinct fae, and war between elvish clans. Newly appointed military leader Yeeran is ousted from her clan after a (not that extreme) mistake during battle and is followed into the wilderness by clairvoyant half-sister Lettle, and guilt-ridden military friend Rayan. Captured by the thought long-extinct Fae, Yeeran, Lettle, and Rayan enter into a predictable plot and vaguely built world of the Fae.

Where the Ending Fire (1&2) felt complex and beautiful, Faebound felt like bad YA trope mining. Check box after check box, we trudge through this underground literary desert alongside our cardboard cut out cast. I found the characters flat, the world (which had so much potential) traded in for these rushed romance scenes, and for a book advertised heavily for its spice, features little. I am not a romance reader but I will just tag that on for anyone going in thinking that is what they are getting.

I will still continue to follow El-Arifi's literary journey outside of this world as I know the incredible worlds she can create, just not this one. 2.5/5.

The Art of Destiny by Wesley Chu

adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Chu is the type of writer that you know is just an incredibly cool person which is reflected in his action-packed second installment to the War Arts Saga, "The Art of Destiny."

The Art of Destiny sees the return of our favorite failed prophesied hero, fallen golden assassin Qisami, and escaped sacrifice Sali. The book follows a lot of great twists and turns in this true to character-driven novel based heavily on wuxia-style battle. 

Albeit a fun ride with lots of laugh out loud moments, this one didn't hit as hard as the first for me. Not my any means bad but I just felt like it dragged on for far too long. A lot of sitting on its hands, waiting for the b-plots to tie together. I'm no Sherlock but even the twists felt a tad predictable. I wasn't a huge fan of this one and am unsure if I'll continue on with the series at this point. 

For a war arts lover that just isn't in me right now, 3.7/5 stars.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Huang delivers a sensual love affair that spans across lifetimes, "The Emperor and the Endless Palace" inflames as much as it entertains.

The story opens into three timelines: The emperor and a clerk in the ancient Endless Palace in China, the innkeeper and the fox spirit in a small rural town in 1700's China, and a newly out med student and mysterious artist in modern day L.A.  The historical timelines set the bulk of the story up as the modern day timeline converges into the conclusion. I both loved and wanted to be done this book.

The novel is highly unique with its narration fitting the eras they were set in. I simply cannot stand when there is modern prose being used in a historical fantasy, it takes me right out of the story. I found Huang writes a compelling fantastic storyline where I was really engrossed in the action and political intrigue. I was never quite sure where the story was going to end up by the end of each timeline section but didn't find myself wanting to rush back to any particular storyline either.

With its intriguing premise, I was quite tired of the spice. The repetitive and ornate language used within the sex scenes had me skimming and off-put. I never want to hear a penis being referred to as "my influence" ever again. There is no shortage on the market of synonyms to describe genitals and pleasure, this is where I took off the most ratings.  Where it also lost me were the loose ends of side characters that were clearly reincarnated throughout the protagonists lifetime, what happened to them? Are we setting up for a sequel? The conclusion felt highly lackluster for the B-plot that was plowing ahead full steam. Infuriating as a reader to be left in the lurch in favour of a uninspiring conclusion.

That being said, I had fun with this read and look forward to seeing more from this author. 3.9/5 Stars.

Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Reluctant fantasy reader picks up avant-garde Canadian literary fiction. Has an okay time.

Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein features a completely character-driven story of a Jewish woman's move to her brothers post-divorce home to play "obedient live-in help." The superstitions from the town begins to heighten after a string of bad luck and unfavorable omens. With no shared language to sooth their fears, and her translating brother largely absent, the town's hostility begins to encroach upon the property.

Be weird, be arty, but just go full Monty if we're being real here. The entire novel features the internal (sometimes rambling) monologue of the unnamed female protagonist, which although beautiful, draws out over pages. I know this will find some footing among surrealist literature lovers but I am not that crowd. That being said, I did enjoy the transformation of the nameless town into paranoid hamlet from the protagonists arrival. It even squeezed a few chuckles from me at the protagonists misguided attempts at capitulation into rural life. The salt-throwing scene felt groaningly comical. Smarter reviewers than I have said more about its themes of xenophobia, guilt, abuse, and anti-Semitism than I can articulate so I recommend reading the listed reviews. I will say the incestuous and claustrophobic vibes were absolutely on point and I wish I would have seen the uncomfortable tip into sinister. Instead it continued to leave it's readers in a pile of long descriptive sentences.

Certainly different and for readers of a unique flock, 3/5.

The Last Phi Hunter by Salinee Goldenberg

adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

"The Last Phi Hunter" is a delightful and violent surprise that will keep you engaged from start to finish. Snarky, quick-witted, and brimming with Thai mythology, this release is one to anticipate.

The story centers around our Phi hunter protagonist, the young and high-hoped "Ex," who hunts the vengeful and restless spirits called Phi. It's a dying profession losing respect day by day, thanks to a religiously radical monarchy responsible for the murder of his family. Ex spends his days hunting in the spirit world for Phi that terrorize villages through the Everpresent spirit realm. He hacks up his kills to sell to local hedge witches, hoping to one day sink his blade into the monster he's been hunting since his initiation into the Hunters. Hot on its trail, he meets Arinya, the very pregnant prince's consort, who saves him in a local dive with one request: "Save me and this unborn child before the queen's minions get us both." With a demon to catch and a woman Ex is resisting falling in love with, he must decide between the respect of his clan or a future brighter than he could have imagined.

"The Last Phi Hunter" achieves incredible feats in its writing. The injection of Thai mythology is a delight, with maidens and monsters clashing in epic battles filled with magic and great dialogue. Goldenberg excels at making readers laugh, cringe, and devour the pages through epic battle scenes. The side plots are well-executed, and the chapters with side character POVs are engaging without feeling like one is "missing" the main storyline. The Narissa/Arinya's cabin chapter, shiver, grossed me to my core. Overall, it reminded me of the vitality and enjoyment of standalone fantasy novels.

However, much of the book revolves around the relationship between Ex and Arinya developing, which, at times, felt a little lackluster. The romantic plot didn't resonate with me, and I believe that having them develop a friendship would have sufficed. The attempt to build a blossoming relationship under fire lost some marks for me as I found it hard to buy into.

In conclusion, "The Last Phi Hunter" is a fun book that pulled me out of a slump. I would rate it 4/5 stars!

The Brides of High Hill by Nghi Vo

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

 Vo once again proves she can teleport her audience time and time again into the land of Singing Hills with a fully captivating story that feels like a full-length adventure in a short novella. 'The Brides of High Hill' is another celebration to add to the lightweight but hefty series that dips its toes ever so slightly into the horror genre.

We return (rather jarringly) to our Cleric Chih, who is escorting a beautiful bride to her new husband to bless the marriage. With Almost Brilliant nowhere to be found, Chih finds themselves wound around the finger of this blushing bride as they enter the desolate Do Cao to meet the feared Lord Cao. With his mad son shouting warnings and a string of Gao's previous brides missing, Chih finds themselves in the middle of a nightmare where the monsters are hiding in plain sight.

I think Vo really flexes her ability to silently terrify you in this novel as it dips its toes ever so slightly into the horror genre. Although I felt disjointed and confused at some plot stops (perhaps that was intentional), it ties together well, sure to please fans of the series. 4.5/5. 

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Hoookay the #whinybabymoodreaderchallenge (@bittennailbooks on the Tok) continues with "Ariadne" by Jennifer Saint.

Saint retells the tale of two sisters locked in and at the mercy of the power hungry men that continue to use women as chips on the playing board of gods and men. Ariadne and Phaedra are the granddaughters of the sun god, sisters to the terrifying Minotaur, and princesses in a dying kingdom. Saint tells a compelling story that has you invested in characters that ultimately felt a little lackluster. I didn't particularly like any of the cast but the story felt genuine and timeless, Saint's "Ariadne" is a gem of a short novel that would be a delight for Greek nerds everywhere.

Overall, 4/5, I quite enjoyed this one!