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itwasmagicc's Reviews (17)
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Last Witch is a brilliant interpretation of the events surrounding Heinrich Kramer and the trial that likely influenced his publishing of the Malleus Maleficarum. Although a bit brighter or more hopeful than Cooke's usually gothic tales, she still doesn't pull any punches in regards to the gore and horror aspects. There were definitely a few times I had to set the book down for a minute and take a deep breath. But I always picked it back up again, because Cooke masterfully creates characters you want to keep coming back to. From Helena Scheuberin and her cast of fellow accused witches to Bishop Georg Golser and his tormented past, most of the people in the book feel alive. So close you could touch them. It's what makes Cooke's horror so good: horrible things happening to people that feel real.
The book also asks readers to imagine what a world looks like where women's rights and voices can be stripped away by a mere accusation of ill intent. And, well, it's not that hard to imagine. It's also not particularly new or exciting to re-imagine the witch trials as commentary on misogyny and patriarchy, and though I usually love Cooke's themes of motherhood and cycles of grief and trauma, they fell a little flat for me in The Last Witch. Perhaps she felt restrained by the real-life events of the trial or by the real-life horrors faced by women today. I don't know. All I can say is that the morals and conclusions of the book felt a little shallow, like a band-aid over a deep wound. Father Kramer also felt like a caricature, more so than any of Cooke's previous antagonists. Again, maybe he was drawn from real life evil villains whose only goal in life seems to be wielding sadistic power over others, but in a book where you have the space to explore and understand even the most heinous of people, Kramer's history and motivations were only briefly and unsatisfyingly mentioned.
It was still a majorly enjoyable read, but it felt a little underwhelming in comparison with Cooke's other works like A Haunting in the Arctic (my fav) or The Lighthouse Witches. But personally, I will continue haunting Cooke's social media pages for her next book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Moderate: Vomit
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
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:
Complicated
Thank you to NetGalley for early access to this book!
This book was a beautiful sequel! It keeps up the pace and tension from the first book, while leaving room for new characters to expand the world (I'm particularly a fan of Jadi and her "polszczyzna"). And just like in the first book, Anequs and Kasaqua are reminders of different ways of being and living in the world. But now, Anequs is more confident in her beliefs and more assured in the her decisions. Through older characters, she gets to see possible futures more clearly for herself and for others. She also knows better about the consequences of her actions, and can make more informed choices about what is in her hands and what's outside of them. But that doesn't stop the world around her from getting crazier and crazier. The political situation Anequs finds herself in grows increasingly complex and I have no idea where the next book will lead!
This book was a beautiful sequel! It keeps up the pace and tension from the first book, while leaving room for new characters to expand the world (I'm particularly a fan of Jadi and her "polszczyzna"). And just like in the first book, Anequs and Kasaqua are reminders of different ways of being and living in the world. But now, Anequs is more confident in her beliefs and more assured in the her decisions. Through older characters, she gets to see possible futures more clearly for herself and for others. She also knows better about the consequences of her actions, and can make more informed choices about what is in her hands and what's outside of them. But that doesn't stop the world around her from getting crazier and crazier. The political situation Anequs finds herself in grows increasingly complex and I have no idea where the next book will lead!
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I keep wanting to say that this book is a breath of fresh air (and not just because of the pun), but the more I think about it, the more Blackgoose's book feels like a return to what I liked about dragon books as a kid. Well, at least it felt closer to that than other dragon books I've read recently (I'm looking at you, Fourth Wing). Books that turn dragons into sentient fighter jets and limit them exclusively to military service or to royal bloodlines. The world of To Shape a Dragon's Breath isn't devoid of all that. Anequs enters into a realm where dragons are mostly owned by the rich, or by the military, and are bred and sold in the same as way as racehorses. But for Anequs' community, among other in Markesland, treats dragons as partners, helpers in planting crops and stopping hurricanes. It's a return to what I remember seeing dragons as when I was a kid: helpers, friends, partners.
And aside from all that, the book is just an engrossing read. The kind that kept me up late. The world-building is fun! The "Anglish" colonizers might sound familiar, but Blackgoose defamiliarized a society we should be used to by re-imagining the Anglish as colonized themselves by Norse culture. Readers have to learn the confusing ins-and-outs alongside Anequs, and traverse a world where no one explains the rules until you've already got them wrong. As if that wasn't enough, Anequs also has to negotiate the active colonization of her community, and the difficulty of balancing Anglish rules with her own beliefs and desires.
It all wraps up in a book you really lose track of time with! I can't recommend it enough.
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
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:
Complicated
Who doesn't love a heist novel? Ever since Six of Crows, I have been searching for the same heart-racing high. (Yes, I know this technically came first) There is simply nothing like the epic life-or-death twists and turns of thieves and their capers. And Scott Lynch delivers it all wrapped up in a complex and lively fantasy setting. Now, did I understand all of the deep lore of Camorr and the other city states? No. Did my eyes glaze over a little during all the building and bridge descriptions? I'll never tell. BUT, did the shark-fighting, death priests, and loveable characters always win me back? Definitely!
Lynch builds a believable relationship between each and every character, from the deep loyalty of the Gentleman Bastards to the layers of suspicion in every business deal. It is the backbone of the story, more so than the world-building, and it helps every character feel real. There is an underlying pessimism in the world of the book and it paints the whole society as greedy, power-hungry, and selfish. Camorr becomes a gritty, cut-throat city full of death and deceit. But the book betrays itself. Love and loyalty are at the heart of every character and their decisions. Even when the book is at its darkest, Lynch reminds readers that there might be a heart in everyone. Though, it might be under layers of violence and murder.
This book is already a fantasy classic, and I look forward to picking up the other two books in this trilogy!
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
if you wanted to kill me, robin hobb, poisoning would've been faster.
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:
Yes
As someone who doesn't read a ton of romance, but does read some historical romance, I picked this book up with the wrong intentions. Everything I was worried about did happen BUT the cast of characters really won me over in the second half. Once the will-they-won't-they is over and done with the characters get to spend their time growing and working out their issues together. PRACTICALLY ON ACCIDENT OR AGAINST THEIR WILL. But still.
I liked how prominently flawed both Julia and Alaric are and how those flaws never magically disappear even as the story ties up every other loose end. I liked the whirlwind of events, though some stuff near the end couldve been more fleshed out.
Overall a really impressive debut and I think I'll be keeping an eye on anything else Jenny Williamson publishes.
I liked how prominently flawed both Julia and Alaric are and how those flaws never magically disappear even as the story ties up every other loose end. I liked the whirlwind of events, though some stuff near the end couldve been more fleshed out.
Overall a really impressive debut and I think I'll be keeping an eye on anything else Jenny Williamson publishes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Slavery, Violence, Alcohol
Moderate: Vomit, War
Minor: Rape, Sexual assault
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Fawcett's book arrived during the height of BookTok and publisher's obsession with fae and faerie romances, so when I first heard about it, I chalked it up to being much the same. But anything to with academia always pulls me in. Maybe its my brain's own desire to catalogue and draw connections? I'm not sure. So I gave this book a shot. And wow, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Fawcett's world and characters feel far more connected to Naomi Novik's tales of Slavic folklore and Marie Brennan's Victorian dragon academics than it did to faerie romances and stories I've read and heard about in the past. In my opinion, that connection stems from the underlying respect and gravitas the book holds for folk and oral histories. Emily, as a character, lives and breathes folk and faerie stories, and her love is built on a respect both for the faeries she studies and also the people whose lives are intertwined with the fantastic. Even the residents of Hrafnsvik, who originally see Emily's search as naive and perhaps dangerous, come to understand and respect her knowledge and skill. I've seen fae romances in which their existence is equated to elves, or portrayed as an overwhelmingly powerful and unknowable "other" force. Fawcett's book, like other tales focused on the folklore aspect of fae, treats them with the same respect and understanding one might hold towards the ferocity of nature. Which is arguably what likely inspires many faerie stories.
On top of that, Emily and Wendell have such a beautiful, believable bond. I like any book couple with a "I love you. I will kill you for doing that, but I love you" energy, and these two both have it in spades. And on top of that, the book knows when to give their relationship space to breathe, and when to hone in on their feelings. I think, and I hate to repeat myself, its the sense of respect both characters have for each other that makes for a believable and enticing romance between them.
I have yet to pick up the other two books in the series (each copy is $30+ in Canada!), but if fate (or faerie magic) wants to drop them off at the thrift store again, I won't hesitate to grab them.
However,
-1 star for Wendell saying he felt like he was "in a movie" in 1909. Technically possible but did rip me out of the story momentarily. Even "moving picture" wouldve been better.
But then again,
+1 star for Poland existing (and having a queen!) in this fictional version of Europe in 1909. Would love to know the sweeping socio-political implications of that.
So it evens out.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Another banger from C.J. Cooke. She has such a way of bringing and all time periods to life, including modern day. Not as directly terrifying as some of her other work, but fits neatly with her other family- and witch-focused books. As always though it was a satisfying and intriguing read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Torture, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, Abortion, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail