emmie_mort's reviews
786 reviews

The Winnowing Draw by Michael Tichy

adventurous dark mysterious tense

3.0

 A unique horror, following a cast of interesting & morally "grey" (some of them are just a shade off black) characters in the expanding American frontier. Using mythology & the fear of the unknown to create a tense & dark setting.

It took me a little while to get into the book, the language felt a little overly flowery initially but quickly settled into a more comfortable rhythm. If you like Westerns you'll enjoy the setting of this book more than I did, I liked it (I'm a big horror fan), & it's a unique setting for a horror novel. 

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

Set in a world not too dissimilar to our own Venus Stoneheart is a witcher who brews love potions, in a world that mistrusts witches & their potions. 

This is a stunning YA debut, this novel is fun, authentic & well paced, steeped in magic & political intrigue. If you like fantasy, well developed & diverse characters, unique magic systems or just a damn good read, this is definitely worth your time. I’ll be looking for more from Bethany Baptiste in the future.

The Happy Shop by Brittany Long Olsen

emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

One word review: lovely

More detailed review: moving to a new place can be really scary, especially when you break something in a store in your first few days! Darcy has to help out at the Happy Shop to pay off her mistake, but can selling happy feelings bring her some comfort in a new town? Beautiful, simple, uncluttered art & a touching story about the complexity of emotion & memory. 

My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense 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

3.75

I’m not sure horror can ever really be cosy but this definitely straddles that line! 

Somewhat of a retelling of Labyrinth (though without all the tights), this book is a really interesting look at purity, what it means to “be good”, our responsibilities as both children & parents, with a little fairy tale magic thrown in. Leah is offered to the Lord of the Forest in order to retrieve her brother taken from their home in the middle of the night, as it tradition in her home town. No girls who have done the same have ever returned. Can Leah be the first?

For fans of fairytales with modern twists, gentle horror & epic fantasy movies. 

What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher

adventurous dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

The follow-up to What Moves The Dead (a loose retelling of the Fall of the House of Usher) T Kingfisher brings us another creepy adventure for Alex Eason, Arthur & poor old Hob (the true hero of. These books). I love the dense world that has been created through these two novellas, the history & mythology feels real & complex. 

While I did enjoy What Moves the Dead more, this isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy this, Bors is an excellent new character & it is lovely to see Miss Potter again. A great “gentle” horror novel & addition to the Sworn Solider world.

Bone White: A gripping suspenseful horror thriller by Ronald Malfi

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

Joe Mallory walks into a diner & informs the patrons he has killed a number of people & they’re to call the local law. Paul Gallo hears about the arrest & bodies on the news, spurring him to Dread’s Hand in hopes of finding his missing twin brother. 

This is a tense & wonderfully atmospheric horror, The overwhelming tension of small town life & the encroaching woods in the stark Alaskan winter pull you into a story that is disturbing & beautiful. I really enjoyed this & will be picking up more by this author for sure. 

Conspirators' Kingdom by Elyse Thompson

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

4.0

When I started this did I know it was the second in a series, no, Did it impact my enjoyement at all, also no.

This book had me giggling & kicking my feet throughout. Grumpy meets grumpy, royal intrigue, “forced marriage”, magic, Fae, sarcastic intelligent women & a magical kitty (not a euphemism) this book has it all. This was such fun read, I raced through it & enjoyed every moment.

The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

4.0

Marigold has always felt different, in society as well as her family, & a visit from her Grandmother will finally explain why, allowing her to find her place in the world. A magical romance, we follow Marigold as she comes into her power & considers the curse that prevents her from loving her soul mate. We are in a universe where same sex relationship are common place & accepted which is a refreshing addition to the fantasy genre. 

Filled with magic, sweetness & lots of love (romantic & otherwise). In The Honey Witch Sydney J Shields has crafted a promising debut novel & I hope we get more stories from this world.

Epic of Helinthia by M.J. Pankey

adventurous dark emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So I might be a bit of a cliche high fantasy fan but give me a huge cast list & a map & I’m a happy girl. Using the background of Ancient Greece, this book follows a large (but not overwhelming) cast of characters, as they battle Gods, fate, familial expectations & each other to better their world. The characters are well rounded & developed, the female characters are strong & 3 dimensional. A tiny little bit of spice, battle scenes (but no SA thank goodness), & animal harm are a few of the triggers to be aware of. 

For fans of high fantasy looking for a change from the standard “Medieval Europe called something else” setting, & fans of Greek myths who want to dip their toe into high fantasy with the comfort of some familiar elements as support.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, War, and Animal death

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Floral Folklore: The forgotten tales behind nature's most enchanting plants by Alison Davies

informative lighthearted slow-paced

4.0

This is a gorgeous book. We follow the year, beginning in Spring & explore the plants that appear each season. Each plant is accompanied by a description, its place in botanical mythology & a story based on a regional tale (tales are sourced from across the globe), ending with a ritual to allow the reader to work with the essence of each plant. 

A sweet & really interesting book (if you have any interest in plants, gardening, myths & legends), the illustrations are whimsical & have a little nod to the story that follows. A lovely addition to the gardener, green witch or mythology lovers library.