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justgeekingby's reviews
2938 reviews
The Branded by Jo Riccioni
This book is set in a dystopian world where women are treated as breeders. Pregnancy and related topics are discussed frequently throughout the book, including infertility.
This book also contains scenes of animal deaths via hunting, death (on and off page), child death (off page), death of a loved one (off page), gore, weapon violence, physical violence, violence towards women, objectification of women, sexual assault and rape (off page, discussed on page), human trafficking, forced marriage, eugenicist beliefs, dehumanisation, religious zealotry, tyranny, classism, kidnapping, misogyny, suicide, captivity, slavery, slurs (racial and ableist), xenophobia, racism, child loss (off page, flashback), gaslighting, fire, mind-control, and alcohol use.
Teenage Pure women are paraded in front of Pure men every month at a religious service in low-cut gowns so that the men can pick their future brides.
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
The Branded by Jo Riccioni is a dystopian novel where centuries ago, a Great Malady happened, and the brume virus spread, decimating most of the population. It resulted in most of the population becoming more physically weaker and vulnerable to disease and infection. The virus left a blue mark on their skin like a brand, and they became known as the Branded. A smaller part of the population became physically bigger, and stronger, and were immune to disease and infection. They became known as the Pure.
As a result of these changes, the Pure became the dominant class in society in some parts of the Continent and the role of Pure women changed, with an emphasis on their ability to breed. They have become a commodity, and in Isfalk they are kept hidden away in a citadel under the guise of it being for their protection.
Meanwhile, the Branded live in squalor in the surrounding village. They are told that they must keep the Pure wardens fed as the wardens keep everyone safe, including them, so they must give their harvests to the Pure. In actuality, it’s so that the Pure can live in luxury and have an overabundance of food. The Branded who have less visible brands are allowed to serve in the citadel. It is a crime for the Branded and the Pure to have relationships in Isfalk as the Branded have a chance to pass on their physical weaknesses to their offspring, however, that does not stop Pure males from spending time in brothels in the Branded village.
The Branded tells the story of twins Nara and Osha, two young women who grew up with their grandmother in the forests before losing her in a vicious attack. With no details about their parents, the children fled to the citadel. Once it was established that they were both Pure, they were integrated into the restrictive and religious society of the citadel. While her sister seems to fit right in, Nara hates everything the citadel stands for, especially the expectation that young women will meekly accept being paired to a male Pure and give birth to a child every year for the rest of their lives.
She longs for the freedom she and her sister had before they came to the citadel, the freedom to choose her future. Nara doesn’t want to sit at home in luxury as someone’s wife, she wants to become a warden. But Pure women, Mor, are not even allowed outside the citadel without a cadre of wardens to protect them. They’re certainly not allowed to fight.
When Nara is unexpectedly thrown out of the citadel, she gets her wish but for the first time, the sisters are separated. Alone and in danger, she has to rely on the mysterious Wrangler, a Branded that seems to know more about Nara and Osha and their past than they do. As she tries to find a way back to her sister, Nara begins to learn things about herself and revelations that will change everything they know.
I enjoyed The Branded, it has an interesting story with good pacing, well-written characters and solid world-building. Unfortunately, there are some issues with this book that I can’t overlook. As a disabled reader, I’m interested in speculative fiction that has themes of illness. While this is a main theme in The Branded, I was disappointed to learn that it isn’t mentioned as one of the book’s main themes. Instead, it is being promoted as a “speculative novel with explosive ideas around gender and class“. Additionally, Riccioni’s author bio states that this series is inspired by her desire to “see women and women’s issues at the heart of the epic fantasy canon”.
The problem is that The Branded is not a book about gender and class; it’s a book about how a pandemic caused humanity to split into two groups. The resulting society that is created is founded on eugenicist beliefs, leading to a rigid class system with strict gender roles.
Although Riccioni has written a speculative fiction novel that mirrors our society and the divide between healthy people and the disabled and neurodivergent community, I do not think this was her intention. The Branded are subject to social barriers that negatively impact their lives, something that is very similar to the social model of disability.
Rather than bringing women’s issues into epic fantasy canon, I fear that this book represents the book world’s dismissive attitude towards the inclusion of disability-related topics in the genre. Riccioni has ample opportunity to include disabled characters, instead choosing to change her narrative to avoid them. When Nara journeys outside Isfalk she meets more Branded and learns that they aren’t as weak as the Isfalki have been told. It’s not unbelievable, as it’s one of many lies she learns that the Pure have been told. This doesn’t change the fact that it’s a very convenient way to avoid having to include disabled characters.
The Branded reminded me of Burrowed by Mary Baader Kaley, another dystopian book where society is split into two groups after a worldwide pandemic; one physically strong, and one weak and vulnerable to infection. Riccioni makes the same mistake that Kaley did by not considering the long-term effects of a low immune system. Both authors make multiple references to the weaker group being more prone to infection and illness, but there is no mention of chronic illnesses developing as a result. This oversight is not surprising since like Kaley, Riccioni appears to be non-disabled.
Ironically, there is one chronic illness represented in The Branded and that is arthritis – in a Pure man. Riccioni makes the point that despite living longer and being physically stronger, the Pure have some physical limitations. While they appear to live for much longer, they still have to deal with the effects of old age, including wear and tear. I think it says a lot that the only disability representation in this book is in association with ageing.
Disabled representation is not the only representation missing in The Branded. There is hardly any diversity in the entire book. Nixim, aka, ‘the Wrangler’ is the only BIPOC character for the majority of the book, with others only appearing very briefly. His people, the Reis, are called barbarians who spin fantastical stories and exploit people with their “dark arts”. I felt like these descriptions embodied quite a few racist beliefs, including the ‘good’ white people with their acceptable religious beliefs (Isfalk) and the ‘bad’ black people with their ‘hooky’ spiritual beliefs (Reis). While it does become evident that the Isfalk are not necessarily ‘good’, an anti-racism narrative would have felt more believable if there was more than one Reis character present.
Similar to race, there is only the briefest of mentions of LGBTQIA+ representation. One of the young Mor women is accused of “unnatural liaisons” with a Branded maid that goes against the “First Mother’s Natural Order”. As mentioned relationships between the Branded and the Pure are considered abhorrent, a crime that goes against the Isfalki religious beliefs. While the rhetoric used in the accusation is from the Isfalki’s religious doctrine, it uncomfortably echoes the views held by many anti-LGBTQIA+ campaigners. If there was any genuine LGBTQIA+ representation in the book I could believe that was meant to highlight prejudice, but since there is none, it feels uncomfortably deliberate.
This book had so much potential, and instead of utilising a great setting to discuss disability issues, Riccioni has actively removed any diversity from The Branded. She wanted to write a book that brought women’s issues into fantasy, and apparently, that meant white heterosexual women. While the world she has created includes a large group of physically vulnerable people, the only health issues featured are those that would concern mothers; pregnancy issues, fertility issues, infections (especially for children), and old age.
While we do need more books in fantasy that focus on women and family, I don’t believe that The Branded did that successfully. Although the characters fight against a restrictive society where women are forced into the role of motherhood, I like the book was predominantly shaped by ideas of motherhood. As a chronically ill queer woman who is not a mother, I felt like this book was written with people like me not in mind.
Although I have added the second book in the duology to my TBR, I do not hold out much hope for any improvement when it comes to the representation in it.
As a result of these changes, the Pure became the dominant class in society in some parts of the Continent and the role of Pure women changed, with an emphasis on their ability to breed. They have become a commodity, and in Isfalk they are kept hidden away in a citadel under the guise of it being for their protection.
Meanwhile, the Branded live in squalor in the surrounding village. They are told that they must keep the Pure wardens fed as the wardens keep everyone safe, including them, so they must give their harvests to the Pure. In actuality, it’s so that the Pure can live in luxury and have an overabundance of food. The Branded who have less visible brands are allowed to serve in the citadel. It is a crime for the Branded and the Pure to have relationships in Isfalk as the Branded have a chance to pass on their physical weaknesses to their offspring, however, that does not stop Pure males from spending time in brothels in the Branded village.
The Branded tells the story of twins Nara and Osha, two young women who grew up with their grandmother in the forests before losing her in a vicious attack. With no details about their parents, the children fled to the citadel. Once it was established that they were both Pure, they were integrated into the restrictive and religious society of the citadel. While her sister seems to fit right in, Nara hates everything the citadel stands for, especially the expectation that young women will meekly accept being paired to a male Pure and give birth to a child every year for the rest of their lives.
She longs for the freedom she and her sister had before they came to the citadel, the freedom to choose her future. Nara doesn’t want to sit at home in luxury as someone’s wife, she wants to become a warden. But Pure women, Mor, are not even allowed outside the citadel without a cadre of wardens to protect them. They’re certainly not allowed to fight.
When Nara is unexpectedly thrown out of the citadel, she gets her wish but for the first time, the sisters are separated. Alone and in danger, she has to rely on the mysterious Wrangler, a Branded that seems to know more about Nara and Osha and their past than they do. As she tries to find a way back to her sister, Nara begins to learn things about herself and revelations that will change everything they know.
I enjoyed The Branded, it has an interesting story with good pacing, well-written characters and solid world-building. Unfortunately, there are some issues with this book that I can’t overlook. As a disabled reader, I’m interested in speculative fiction that has themes of illness. While this is a main theme in The Branded, I was disappointed to learn that it isn’t mentioned as one of the book’s main themes. Instead, it is being promoted as a “speculative novel with explosive ideas around gender and class“. Additionally, Riccioni’s author bio states that this series is inspired by her desire to “see women and women’s issues at the heart of the epic fantasy canon”.
The problem is that The Branded is not a book about gender and class; it’s a book about how a pandemic caused humanity to split into two groups. The resulting society that is created is founded on eugenicist beliefs, leading to a rigid class system with strict gender roles.
Although Riccioni has written a speculative fiction novel that mirrors our society and the divide between healthy people and the disabled and neurodivergent community, I do not think this was her intention. The Branded are subject to social barriers that negatively impact their lives, something that is very similar to the social model of disability.
Rather than bringing women’s issues into epic fantasy canon, I fear that this book represents the book world’s dismissive attitude towards the inclusion of disability-related topics in the genre. Riccioni has ample opportunity to include disabled characters, instead choosing to change her narrative to avoid them. When Nara journeys outside Isfalk she meets more Branded and learns that they aren’t as weak as the Isfalki have been told. It’s not unbelievable, as it’s one of many lies she learns that the Pure have been told. This doesn’t change the fact that it’s a very convenient way to avoid having to include disabled characters.
The Branded reminded me of Burrowed by Mary Baader Kaley, another dystopian book where society is split into two groups after a worldwide pandemic; one physically strong, and one weak and vulnerable to infection. Riccioni makes the same mistake that Kaley did by not considering the long-term effects of a low immune system. Both authors make multiple references to the weaker group being more prone to infection and illness, but there is no mention of chronic illnesses developing as a result. This oversight is not surprising since like Kaley, Riccioni appears to be non-disabled.
Ironically, there is one chronic illness represented in The Branded and that is arthritis – in a Pure man. Riccioni makes the point that despite living longer and being physically stronger, the Pure have some physical limitations. While they appear to live for much longer, they still have to deal with the effects of old age, including wear and tear. I think it says a lot that the only disability representation in this book is in association with ageing.
Disabled representation is not the only representation missing in The Branded. There is hardly any diversity in the entire book. Nixim, aka, ‘the Wrangler’ is the only BIPOC character for the majority of the book, with others only appearing very briefly. His people, the Reis, are called barbarians who spin fantastical stories and exploit people with their “dark arts”. I felt like these descriptions embodied quite a few racist beliefs, including the ‘good’ white people with their acceptable religious beliefs (Isfalk) and the ‘bad’ black people with their ‘hooky’ spiritual beliefs (Reis). While it does become evident that the Isfalk are not necessarily ‘good’, an anti-racism narrative would have felt more believable if there was more than one Reis character present.
Similar to race, there is only the briefest of mentions of LGBTQIA+ representation. One of the young Mor women is accused of “unnatural liaisons” with a Branded maid that goes against the “First Mother’s Natural Order”. As mentioned relationships between the Branded and the Pure are considered abhorrent, a crime that goes against the Isfalki religious beliefs. While the rhetoric used in the accusation is from the Isfalki’s religious doctrine, it uncomfortably echoes the views held by many anti-LGBTQIA+ campaigners. If there was any genuine LGBTQIA+ representation in the book I could believe that was meant to highlight prejudice, but since there is none, it feels uncomfortably deliberate.
This book had so much potential, and instead of utilising a great setting to discuss disability issues, Riccioni has actively removed any diversity from The Branded. She wanted to write a book that brought women’s issues into fantasy, and apparently, that meant white heterosexual women. While the world she has created includes a large group of physically vulnerable people, the only health issues featured are those that would concern mothers; pregnancy issues, fertility issues, infections (especially for children), and old age.
While we do need more books in fantasy that focus on women and family, I don’t believe that The Branded did that successfully. Although the characters fight against a restrictive society where women are forced into the role of motherhood, I like the book was predominantly shaped by ideas of motherhood. As a chronically ill queer woman who is not a mother, I felt like this book was written with people like me not in mind.
Although I have added the second book in the duology to my TBR, I do not hold out much hope for any improvement when it comes to the representation in it.
Content Warnings
The Grief Nurse by Angie Spoto
This book contains scenes of death, suicide, suicide ideation, poisoning, blood, physical violence, gun violence (off page), discrimination, exploitation, classism, prejudice, ableism, indentured servitude, emotional manipulation of children, sexual assault, objectification, animal death (hunting), discussion of pregnancy, involuntary commitment to a mental health facility and child abandonment.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Lynx is a grief nurse, an indentured servant who has the ability to remove grief. Only the affluent are awarded grief nurses, and Lynx lives with the Asters on the island of Mount Sorcha. Although she grew up alongside their youngest child Andromeda, she is not part of the family, looked upon with fear and distaste as well as necessity. Or jealousy by those who don’t have access to her gifts.
It is a life that Lynx longs to be free from. Following the death of one of their sons, Sculptor, the Asters hold a party to celebrate his life with Lynx, their grief nurse, on full display. Everything is going according to plan until Sculptor’s betrothed shows up with his will, which includes the inheritance of a grief nurse.
When more deaths occur and all the guests are trapped on the island by a heavy storm, Lynx finds herself in a world of secrets, drama and uncertainty as she deals with her own feelings and memories as well as those of the Asters.
Initially, I gave The Grief Nurse by Angie Spoto a four-star rating, as this haunting gothic novel seemed like a wonderful read at first. After reconsidering certain elements of the book, specifically the world-building, I decided to change it to a three-star rating. Spoto has created an intriguing world that interrogates the idea of grief and the role that negative emotions play in our lives. I enjoyed the overall story, and the mystery was satisfying, however, the gaps in the world-building kept niggling at me.
In the dystopian world of The Grief Nurse, being ‘Bright’ is the optimal state that affluent people seek, and they talk about losing that Brightness or becoming ‘Bright’ again when they feel grief. Grief is split into three emotions; Heartache, Dread and Sorrow. To take grief from a person, a grief nurse needs to hold their token, an object that they always have on them. This is the first point where there is a hole in Spoto’s world-building, as she never explains how a token is created. The use of Tokens prevents people from having to touch a grief nurse’s skin, something that is considered repugnant as it’s believed touching a grief nurse will lead to a contamination of grief.
Only the rich are allowed a grief nurse, and there is a waiting list for them. The social and political dynamics around grief nurses were well-developed and enriched the story. Likewise, the insight we are given into the grief nurse’s early life and training is well written. Again some details are lacking, and in this case, as a disabled reader, I find them quite problematic.
The physical appearance of grief nurses is very distinctive; white hair and eyes pale. At the start of the book, there is a scene with Andromeda reading divinatory cards for Lynx, and one of the cards is called ‘The Grief Nurse’. It is of a woman with white hair and white eyes holding a moon, and surrounded by other moons. This is the only suggestion in the book (some relation to the moon) as to why grief nurses have such a pale appearance, and it is very weak at best.
Considering how the novel ends, and the themes of exoticism and discrimination in The Grief Nurse, it concerns me that grief nurses have the same appearance as people with albinism and that no explanation is offered as to why this is so.
The biggest hole in the world building for me was the ‘Faders’. I was so confused by what they were, that I took a break while reading to look for answers online, hoping to find an interview with Spoto with an explanation. Instead, I found other reviews mentioning the same thing. Described as having grief that tasted different to grief nurses, and a mutual hunger, that often became sexual, between a grief nurse and a Fader, they are considered perverts by society. Faders also have a chance to give birth to a grief nurse child, something that is seen as prosperous for poor families and a scandal for rich families.
But what is the difference between a normal person and a Fader? Alongside Faders, some people seem to replenish grief more quickly. At first, I thought that these people may represent people with mental health conditions, however, I think that those who replenish grief too quickly may have anxiety. While Faders have mental health conditions. This is complete guesswork because Spoto seems to have created Faders as a means to create grief nurses and cause drama and distress, but has not anchored them in her world-building.
Visually, The Grief Nurse is stunning. Spoto names Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington as an influence, and I can see that influence in the way she describes the powers of grief nurses and how they view the world. I particularly liked the way she developed the concept of grief and how it appears and tastes differently depending on the person, shaped by their experiences.
I think that part of the problem with this book is that Spoto was a little too visual, and while she was busy painting gorgeous visuals with her words, she wasn’t connecting the dots behind the scenes. For example, the grief witches have a tree inside them and everything that happens with Lynx makes perfect sense… apart from, why is there a tree inside her? Why do grief witches have trees? And yes, the author does just get to say ‘I made this, it’s there because I said so!’ to a certain degree but when there are just so many holes it just feels unfinished.
This all being said, I still kept coming back to a three-star rather than a lower rating. This is Spoto’s debut novel, and I’ve added her next book to my TBR because her writing style is beautiful and unique.
It is a life that Lynx longs to be free from. Following the death of one of their sons, Sculptor, the Asters hold a party to celebrate his life with Lynx, their grief nurse, on full display. Everything is going according to plan until Sculptor’s betrothed shows up with his will, which includes the inheritance of a grief nurse.
When more deaths occur and all the guests are trapped on the island by a heavy storm, Lynx finds herself in a world of secrets, drama and uncertainty as she deals with her own feelings and memories as well as those of the Asters.
Initially, I gave The Grief Nurse by Angie Spoto a four-star rating, as this haunting gothic novel seemed like a wonderful read at first. After reconsidering certain elements of the book, specifically the world-building, I decided to change it to a three-star rating. Spoto has created an intriguing world that interrogates the idea of grief and the role that negative emotions play in our lives. I enjoyed the overall story, and the mystery was satisfying, however, the gaps in the world-building kept niggling at me.
In the dystopian world of The Grief Nurse, being ‘Bright’ is the optimal state that affluent people seek, and they talk about losing that Brightness or becoming ‘Bright’ again when they feel grief. Grief is split into three emotions; Heartache, Dread and Sorrow. To take grief from a person, a grief nurse needs to hold their token, an object that they always have on them. This is the first point where there is a hole in Spoto’s world-building, as she never explains how a token is created. The use of Tokens prevents people from having to touch a grief nurse’s skin, something that is considered repugnant as it’s believed touching a grief nurse will lead to a contamination of grief.
Only the rich are allowed a grief nurse, and there is a waiting list for them. The social and political dynamics around grief nurses were well-developed and enriched the story. Likewise, the insight we are given into the grief nurse’s early life and training is well written. Again some details are lacking, and in this case, as a disabled reader, I find them quite problematic.
The physical appearance of grief nurses is very distinctive; white hair and eyes pale. At the start of the book, there is a scene with Andromeda reading divinatory cards for Lynx, and one of the cards is called ‘The Grief Nurse’. It is of a woman with white hair and white eyes holding a moon, and surrounded by other moons. This is the only suggestion in the book (some relation to the moon) as to why grief nurses have such a pale appearance, and it is very weak at best.
Considering how the novel ends, and the themes of exoticism and discrimination in The Grief Nurse, it concerns me that grief nurses have the same appearance as people with albinism and that no explanation is offered as to why this is so.
The biggest hole in the world building for me was the ‘Faders’. I was so confused by what they were, that I took a break while reading to look for answers online, hoping to find an interview with Spoto with an explanation. Instead, I found other reviews mentioning the same thing. Described as having grief that tasted different to grief nurses, and a mutual hunger, that often became sexual, between a grief nurse and a Fader, they are considered perverts by society. Faders also have a chance to give birth to a grief nurse child, something that is seen as prosperous for poor families and a scandal for rich families.
But what is the difference between a normal person and a Fader? Alongside Faders, some people seem to replenish grief more quickly. At first, I thought that these people may represent people with mental health conditions, however, I think that those who replenish grief too quickly may have anxiety. While Faders have mental health conditions. This is complete guesswork because Spoto seems to have created Faders as a means to create grief nurses and cause drama and distress, but has not anchored them in her world-building.
Visually, The Grief Nurse is stunning. Spoto names Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington as an influence, and I can see that influence in the way she describes the powers of grief nurses and how they view the world. I particularly liked the way she developed the concept of grief and how it appears and tastes differently depending on the person, shaped by their experiences.
I think that part of the problem with this book is that Spoto was a little too visual, and while she was busy painting gorgeous visuals with her words, she wasn’t connecting the dots behind the scenes. For example, the grief witches have a tree inside them and everything that happens with Lynx makes perfect sense… apart from, why is there a tree inside her? Why do grief witches have trees? And yes, the author does just get to say ‘I made this, it’s there because I said so!’ to a certain degree but when there are just so many holes it just feels unfinished.
This all being said, I still kept coming back to a three-star rather than a lower rating. This is Spoto’s debut novel, and I’ve added her next book to my TBR because her writing style is beautiful and unique.
Content Warnings
The Council of Athyzia by D.H. Hoskins
This book contains scenes of death, war, violence, blood, gore, stalking, drugs, alcohol, smoking, gaslighting, mistreatment and prejudice of a fictional race (elves), prejudice, discrimination, oppression, radicalization, tyranny, military threats, extortion, witch burnings (off page), torture (off page), witch hunting, fearmongering, slurs (for fictional races), lynching, and the control of knowledge.
There is a reference to rumours of blood rituals involving young girls being sexually assaulted, and the organs of babies being eaten, however, nothing graphic happens in the book. It is just someone relaying rumours.
This book is set after a brutal twenty-five war and while the war happened off page, details about it are discussed on page. These include; undead armies raised from the dead, blighted land and crops, mass death, death of loved ones, controlling people by magic, and blood-letting.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A land divided, Jenor was ripe for The Osseomancer and his armies. He took full advantage of the divisions between men, elves and dwarves, catching them off guard for over twenty years until they worked together to banish him. Even though his reign of terror has ended, the impact of the war has been felt wide and far. There’s much to rebuild, physically and figuratively.
Snorri, one of the mages of Athyzia, the Academy of Mages, fought in the war alongside men, elves and dwarves from their various kingdoms. He saw first-hand what was achieved by working together and saw what great things could continue to be achieved after the war. With the help of his former apprentice, Nauveena he drew up a plan for a Council, the first of its kind.
Invites were sent out, discussions were had, and Snorri made his case to those unsure about the idea. Some declined the invite, some didn’t answer at all, but many did, and the Council’s first day soon arrived. Excited to tell everyone his full plans, Snorri’s good mood is instantly derailed by a complaint from one group, leading him to make a hasty allowance as an apology.
As the Council starts to make an agenda of topics, Nauveena starts to realise that while her mentor has good intentions, some of those intentions are naive. There was also a lot more happening in Jenor that they weren’t aware of when they planned the Council, which would have affected much of their planning. Struggling to play catch up, Nauveena finds an unlikely friend as she realises that she faces a battle as difficult as protecting Athyzia from the Osseomancer’s armies.
The Council of Athyzia by D.H. Hoskins is a very different beast of a book than I’ve read before, and I’m delighted that I accepted the opportunity to read it, as it’s brilliant! I’ve seen a few fantasy books use the setting of post-war now, which intrigues me a lot. It’s such a rich environment for writing and character development, and this is what Hoskins develops spectacularly throughout the book.
At the start of the book is a list of ‘Attendance’, detailing all the attendees and the people they represent. Normally I skim through lists like these and don’t pay them much attention; names mean little to me without the details the story provides me. However, for the first time, I was drawn to such a list. What made this one interesting to me was how much thought Hoskins had put into each group and their titles. Rather than the usual fare of Kings/Queens, Dukes, Leaders, Emperors/Emperesses etc., there was a wide range of titles listed. There are, of course, Lords and Kings, but among them, a Poet, an Amasadoress, a treasurer, a Burgomaster and many more that caught my attention.
This gives you just a brief inkling of the diverse political setting of The Council of Athyzia. I’ve seen others call this a political fantasy, and I agree with that categorisation. However, do not let that put you off. There is plenty of action in this book, and while there are some stuffy discussions, they are still very interesting and included with tongue-in-cheek narration that they’re boring.
I liked that Hoskins didn’t avoid those topics, as it balances the book so well. He does a fantastic job of pacing the book, after all, much of it is about a group of sitting down and talking at length about politics. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t think of anything more dull, and yet I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Hoskins has perfectly captured the balance of including just enough of the Council’s discussion to show what is happening and summarising the rest through Nauveena’s narration to stop it from overwhelming the book.
Nauveena is a great narrator who offers vulnerability, suspicion and frustration. She was left behind to guard Athyzia during the war and therefore, does not know the attendees just like the reader. She is in the perfect position to be the narrator, introducing them and learning about them. Nauveena is young enough to be a little naive, but old enough to stand on her own two feet from her mentor, Snorri. This leads her to still seek out his advice while following her instincts and making alliances of her own.
It isn’t easy to have such a large cast of characters and make them all memorable, yet Hoskins manages to do just that. Every attendee of the Council has a unique personality and due to the nature of the plot we get to meet them all. While the overall plot of the book is the politics of the Council, be prepared for some extra surprises along the way!
The Council of Athyzia is a political fantasy that draws on traditional swords and sorcery fantasy and European history to bring an intriguing story of what happens after the evil has been vanquished. With a dash of mystery and plenty of unique world-building, this debut from D.H. Hoskins is not to be missed!
Snorri, one of the mages of Athyzia, the Academy of Mages, fought in the war alongside men, elves and dwarves from their various kingdoms. He saw first-hand what was achieved by working together and saw what great things could continue to be achieved after the war. With the help of his former apprentice, Nauveena he drew up a plan for a Council, the first of its kind.
Invites were sent out, discussions were had, and Snorri made his case to those unsure about the idea. Some declined the invite, some didn’t answer at all, but many did, and the Council’s first day soon arrived. Excited to tell everyone his full plans, Snorri’s good mood is instantly derailed by a complaint from one group, leading him to make a hasty allowance as an apology.
As the Council starts to make an agenda of topics, Nauveena starts to realise that while her mentor has good intentions, some of those intentions are naive. There was also a lot more happening in Jenor that they weren’t aware of when they planned the Council, which would have affected much of their planning. Struggling to play catch up, Nauveena finds an unlikely friend as she realises that she faces a battle as difficult as protecting Athyzia from the Osseomancer’s armies.
The Council of Athyzia by D.H. Hoskins is a very different beast of a book than I’ve read before, and I’m delighted that I accepted the opportunity to read it, as it’s brilliant! I’ve seen a few fantasy books use the setting of post-war now, which intrigues me a lot. It’s such a rich environment for writing and character development, and this is what Hoskins develops spectacularly throughout the book.
At the start of the book is a list of ‘Attendance’, detailing all the attendees and the people they represent. Normally I skim through lists like these and don’t pay them much attention; names mean little to me without the details the story provides me. However, for the first time, I was drawn to such a list. What made this one interesting to me was how much thought Hoskins had put into each group and their titles. Rather than the usual fare of Kings/Queens, Dukes, Leaders, Emperors/Emperesses etc., there was a wide range of titles listed. There are, of course, Lords and Kings, but among them, a Poet, an Amasadoress, a treasurer, a Burgomaster and many more that caught my attention.
This gives you just a brief inkling of the diverse political setting of The Council of Athyzia. I’ve seen others call this a political fantasy, and I agree with that categorisation. However, do not let that put you off. There is plenty of action in this book, and while there are some stuffy discussions, they are still very interesting and included with tongue-in-cheek narration that they’re boring.
I liked that Hoskins didn’t avoid those topics, as it balances the book so well. He does a fantastic job of pacing the book, after all, much of it is about a group of sitting down and talking at length about politics. I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t think of anything more dull, and yet I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Hoskins has perfectly captured the balance of including just enough of the Council’s discussion to show what is happening and summarising the rest through Nauveena’s narration to stop it from overwhelming the book.
Nauveena is a great narrator who offers vulnerability, suspicion and frustration. She was left behind to guard Athyzia during the war and therefore, does not know the attendees just like the reader. She is in the perfect position to be the narrator, introducing them and learning about them. Nauveena is young enough to be a little naive, but old enough to stand on her own two feet from her mentor, Snorri. This leads her to still seek out his advice while following her instincts and making alliances of her own.
It isn’t easy to have such a large cast of characters and make them all memorable, yet Hoskins manages to do just that. Every attendee of the Council has a unique personality and due to the nature of the plot we get to meet them all. While the overall plot of the book is the politics of the Council, be prepared for some extra surprises along the way!
The Council of Athyzia is a political fantasy that draws on traditional swords and sorcery fantasy and European history to bring an intriguing story of what happens after the evil has been vanquished. With a dash of mystery and plenty of unique world-building, this debut from D.H. Hoskins is not to be missed!
Content Warnings
Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs
This book contains scenes of blood, violence, gun violence, gore, dismemberment (off page), death (including the death of a child), transphobia, misgendering, phone harassment, obsession, mind control, sexual harassment, spiders, and a car accident (minor injuries, no deaths).
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
The day I don’t enjoy a Mercy Thompson book is going to be a very sad day indeed, and once again I thoroughly enjoyed this latest novel by Patricia Briggs. Winter Lost comes after the very dark Soul Taken, and all the characters are reeling from the events of that book. While Mercy, Adam, the Pack and their allies triumphed, and the Soul Taker was destroyed, Mercy was left with gaping wounds in her magic and soul. While she’s trying to deal with them in her own way, aka stubbornly hoping it will fix itself, she’s terrified that the situation is permanent and what that now means for her.
Meanwhile, Bonarata, the most powerful vampire in the world who kidnapped Mercy in Silence Fallen, is continuing his obsession. Already on edge, Mercy is forced to endure harassing phone calls and hanging up on Bonarata has deadly consequences. With the threat of him lurking and Mercy not at her best, the last thing Mercy and Adam need is her brother Gary turning up at their door, unable to communicate.
All paths lead to Montana, where Gary was last working on a ranch. Mercy and Adam head to the ranch to see what they can find, a massive storm hits, cutting them off from everyone and everything. They find themselves at a lodge with a group of strangers, and soon realise there’s more going on than they realised.
While Winter Lost connects to everything that has happened in previous books, what I liked about this one was it took a step back and gave Mercy and Adam some breathing space instead of piling on another huge Tri-Cities crisis. That’s not to say the stakes in Winter Lost aren’t big – they are! – but they’re focused on something specific rather than it being a continuation of the ongoing scenarios.
In this book, Briggs also introduces ‘interludes’ between Mercy and Adam’s chapters, and these are short scenes that include other characters and tell the reader about events that take place outside the current events and timeline. Some happen before the book’s events start or before a particular scene, while others show what is happening to The Pack while Mercy and Adam are in Montana.
In the last few books, the dynamics of the Pack have been changing, especially since Sherwood’s identity and memory were restored. In Winter Lost, Adam leaves some of the dominant wolves in charge, letting them work things out for themselves while also ensuring there’s a third wolf to act as a tie-break vote if needed. One of the interludes shows us how some of the characters got on without Adam, and it was a brilliant scene.
A lot is happening in this book, and Briggs’ fantastic world-building shines through as she weaves myth and urban fantasy together. There’s a great mixture of humour, quirky characters and witty dialogue as always, that balances the difficult hard-hitting topics. I’ve seen some readers complain about the way Briggs has been depicting Mercy in the most recent books, particularly her vulnerability, and how Mercy is trying to be more open with Adam. I’m all for it.
Relationships are hard work, especially long-term relationships, and you don’t just hit a certain milestone and go aha that’s X amount of years, we can communicate perfectly now! People change constantly, and in a world like Mercy and Adam’s with magic and Pack bonds, it’s even more complicated. It makes a lot of sense that at this stage in the series, and in their relationship, this is where Briggs is heading.
I mentioned that the stakes were big in Winter Lost, albeit differently, and I liked the way that Briggs played around with myth and belief. It was very much a case of ‘well this could happen and no one wants to find out if it’s true or not!’, rather than complicating things and saying for certain that it would happen. That was my read on it anyway, I’m sure each reader will have their own.
Briggs has never been one to shy away from representation, with one of her main characters being gay, and the issues other male werewolves have with that character discussed in previous books. In this one, it was great to see her feature a transgender character working for Adam, and there was also an inner dialogue about a character possibly being neurodivergent. While the character isn’t neurodivergent, I very rarely see authors have their characters acknowledge the possibility. Instead, it’s comments about being “slow” or “weird” which is what another character says, and this inner dialogue was used to correct that, which was extremely appreciated!
I enjoyed Winter Lost a lot, and there were many new characters that I hope we see again. I also hope that Briggs includes interludes in each book from now on, as they were very interesting and often hilarious.
Meanwhile, Bonarata, the most powerful vampire in the world who kidnapped Mercy in Silence Fallen, is continuing his obsession. Already on edge, Mercy is forced to endure harassing phone calls and hanging up on Bonarata has deadly consequences. With the threat of him lurking and Mercy not at her best, the last thing Mercy and Adam need is her brother Gary turning up at their door, unable to communicate.
All paths lead to Montana, where Gary was last working on a ranch. Mercy and Adam head to the ranch to see what they can find, a massive storm hits, cutting them off from everyone and everything. They find themselves at a lodge with a group of strangers, and soon realise there’s more going on than they realised.
While Winter Lost connects to everything that has happened in previous books, what I liked about this one was it took a step back and gave Mercy and Adam some breathing space instead of piling on another huge Tri-Cities crisis. That’s not to say the stakes in Winter Lost aren’t big – they are! – but they’re focused on something specific rather than it being a continuation of the ongoing scenarios.
In this book, Briggs also introduces ‘interludes’ between Mercy and Adam’s chapters, and these are short scenes that include other characters and tell the reader about events that take place outside the current events and timeline. Some happen before the book’s events start or before a particular scene, while others show what is happening to The Pack while Mercy and Adam are in Montana.
In the last few books, the dynamics of the Pack have been changing, especially since Sherwood’s identity and memory were restored. In Winter Lost, Adam leaves some of the dominant wolves in charge, letting them work things out for themselves while also ensuring there’s a third wolf to act as a tie-break vote if needed. One of the interludes shows us how some of the characters got on without Adam, and it was a brilliant scene.
A lot is happening in this book, and Briggs’ fantastic world-building shines through as she weaves myth and urban fantasy together. There’s a great mixture of humour, quirky characters and witty dialogue as always, that balances the difficult hard-hitting topics. I’ve seen some readers complain about the way Briggs has been depicting Mercy in the most recent books, particularly her vulnerability, and how Mercy is trying to be more open with Adam. I’m all for it.
Relationships are hard work, especially long-term relationships, and you don’t just hit a certain milestone and go aha that’s X amount of years, we can communicate perfectly now! People change constantly, and in a world like Mercy and Adam’s with magic and Pack bonds, it’s even more complicated. It makes a lot of sense that at this stage in the series, and in their relationship, this is where Briggs is heading.
I mentioned that the stakes were big in Winter Lost, albeit differently, and I liked the way that Briggs played around with myth and belief. It was very much a case of ‘well this could happen and no one wants to find out if it’s true or not!’, rather than complicating things and saying for certain that it would happen. That was my read on it anyway, I’m sure each reader will have their own.
Briggs has never been one to shy away from representation, with one of her main characters being gay, and the issues other male werewolves have with that character discussed in previous books. In this one, it was great to see her feature a transgender character working for Adam, and there was also an inner dialogue about a character possibly being neurodivergent. While the character isn’t neurodivergent, I very rarely see authors have their characters acknowledge the possibility. Instead, it’s comments about being “slow” or “weird” which is what another character says, and this inner dialogue was used to correct that, which was extremely appreciated!
I enjoyed Winter Lost a lot, and there were many new characters that I hope we see again. I also hope that Briggs includes interludes in each book from now on, as they were very interesting and often hilarious.
Content Warnings
Elusive by Genevieve Cogman
This book contains scenes of violence, death, blood, gore, gun violence, bloodletting, abduction, forced captivity, drugged against will, attempted abduction of a woman, prejudice, racism, misogyny, ableism and discussions of executions.
Vampires have toxic views of humans, viewing them as their property
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Elusive by Genevieve Cogman continues the story of maid Eleanor and her involvement with the Scarlet Pimpernel. Now working as a maid in the Blakeney household when not accompanying Sir Percy and his friends on missions, Eleanor’s perspective of the world and her place in it has started to change since the events of her first mission to France. She has been back there several times since, and can’t help comparing the ways that the English aristocracy while away their time drinking as people die in France.
It’s not just Eleanor’s world view that has grown; she’s recognising the way that her friends, especially the noblemen, treat her. When they need a woman, especially someone who can pose as a servant, they are happy to have her along on their missions, but when she tries to act on her own she is told it is too dangerous. Those feelings grow even stronger when Sir Percy goes missing in France while on the hunt for the notorious French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyran.
For safety, the Chief likes to keep things close to the vest, meaning that if a member of the League is caught, they only so know much. It’s a good tactic until he’s the one that’s missing, leaving the rest of the League struggling to put the pieces together with little intel to go on. Determined to be of use and not made to sit on the sidelines, Eleanor starts to make her own plans alongside those of the League with the help of Anima, the mage spirit inhabiting her body.
But things in France are getting more dangerous, and as Eleanor and the League try to find Sir Percy and their other missing friends, they stumble across more than they bargained for.
After finishing the first book, I had hoped to see more development of Eleanor in this book, and Cogman certainly delivered on that front! I felt that the way her thoughts and awareness changed were very on point with her experiences as well as the period she lived in. It was particularly startling to start the novel with her as a maid, to be honest, rather than living as a peer to the Blakeneys or running a modiste as discussed at the end of the last book. There are also multiple times during Elusive when Cogman steers the point back to Eleanor’s low social status, as Eleanor herself reminds us of the harsh reality of living in Georgian England.
That didn’t get tedious, however, at the start of the book Eleanor’s constant back and forth about whether the nobles considered her part of the team or even cared for her was beginning to wear on me. While a maid might find it difficult to accept, members of the aristocracy could act honourably or accept her as family, the situation Eleanor finds herself in isn’t a normal situation. She has, by this point, been on several missions and in incredible danger alongside these men. The bond between them is beyond social classes.
What it isn’t, is beyond gender, and Cogman does a fine job of showing the disparity between how they treat Eleanor compared to Marguerite. Whether it is Lady Blakeney’s history, experience with age or that she is the Chief’s wife, she is treated with much more respect and while they protect her, they would never dream of telling her she couldn’t go somewhere if she put her mind to it. Unlike Eleanor, who they treat as a little sister rather than one of them.
A lot happens in Elusive, and Cogman has done a wonderful job of spinning a conspiracy. A character who I expected never to see again (and wrote off as a nobody) is suddenly very much in the thick of it, and I am looking forward to seeing where the story goes. There is also a scene between Eleanor and someone else which was my favourite part of the book, and I’m very happy with the way that Cogman chose to handle that character.
I would have liked to have learned a bit more about some things, but I can also see why Cogman chose to only reveal so much in this book. Book three is going to be an absolute cracker, that’s for sure!
It’s not just Eleanor’s world view that has grown; she’s recognising the way that her friends, especially the noblemen, treat her. When they need a woman, especially someone who can pose as a servant, they are happy to have her along on their missions, but when she tries to act on her own she is told it is too dangerous. Those feelings grow even stronger when Sir Percy goes missing in France while on the hunt for the notorious French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyran.
For safety, the Chief likes to keep things close to the vest, meaning that if a member of the League is caught, they only so know much. It’s a good tactic until he’s the one that’s missing, leaving the rest of the League struggling to put the pieces together with little intel to go on. Determined to be of use and not made to sit on the sidelines, Eleanor starts to make her own plans alongside those of the League with the help of Anima, the mage spirit inhabiting her body.
But things in France are getting more dangerous, and as Eleanor and the League try to find Sir Percy and their other missing friends, they stumble across more than they bargained for.
After finishing the first book, I had hoped to see more development of Eleanor in this book, and Cogman certainly delivered on that front! I felt that the way her thoughts and awareness changed were very on point with her experiences as well as the period she lived in. It was particularly startling to start the novel with her as a maid, to be honest, rather than living as a peer to the Blakeneys or running a modiste as discussed at the end of the last book. There are also multiple times during Elusive when Cogman steers the point back to Eleanor’s low social status, as Eleanor herself reminds us of the harsh reality of living in Georgian England.
That didn’t get tedious, however, at the start of the book Eleanor’s constant back and forth about whether the nobles considered her part of the team or even cared for her was beginning to wear on me. While a maid might find it difficult to accept, members of the aristocracy could act honourably or accept her as family, the situation Eleanor finds herself in isn’t a normal situation. She has, by this point, been on several missions and in incredible danger alongside these men. The bond between them is beyond social classes.
What it isn’t, is beyond gender, and Cogman does a fine job of showing the disparity between how they treat Eleanor compared to Marguerite. Whether it is Lady Blakeney’s history, experience with age or that she is the Chief’s wife, she is treated with much more respect and while they protect her, they would never dream of telling her she couldn’t go somewhere if she put her mind to it. Unlike Eleanor, who they treat as a little sister rather than one of them.
A lot happens in Elusive, and Cogman has done a wonderful job of spinning a conspiracy. A character who I expected never to see again (and wrote off as a nobody) is suddenly very much in the thick of it, and I am looking forward to seeing where the story goes. There is also a scene between Eleanor and someone else which was my favourite part of the book, and I’m very happy with the way that Cogman chose to handle that character.
I would have liked to have learned a bit more about some things, but I can also see why Cogman chose to only reveal so much in this book. Book three is going to be an absolute cracker, that’s for sure!
Content Warnings
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
This book contains scenes of violence (gun and knife), death, attempted murder by a drug causing paralysis, grief, vehicle accident, blood, blood-letting, gore, classism, genocide, colonisation, experimentation on/vivisections of magic users, mention of internment camps, prejudice, racism, forced captivity, dehumanisation of magic users, animal and bird deaths, abusive relationship with coercive control, blackmail, threats, decaying flesh, mistreatment of a corpse (not sexual), hospital/medical settings and open-heart surgery while the patient is awake and without their consent.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
In The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le, Nhika is a healer, following an ancient tradition using abilities she was born with. Under the guise of a homoeopathic healer, she uses her abilities in secret, accepting payment at clandestine appointments where she heals patients failed by doctors. While doctors rely on science, Nhika can look directly inside a body and seek out the root of an illness or injury. But healer isn’t what people call her; she’s known as a Bloodcarver, feared for her abilities and hunted for them.
When an appointment goes wrong and Nhika gets caught, she finds herself being sold to the highest bidder. Among the buyers is someone who wants to eat her. When she’s bought by a teenage girl who turns up with an absurdly high bid, Nhika has no idea what could happen next. Prepared to run for it at the first opportunity, she’s stunned when she finds she’s been bought by one of the wealthiest families to help heal a man in a coma.
The more time she spends with the siblings and their bodyguard, she realises there is more going on, and she eventually learns that the injured man is the only witness to their father’s murder. As Nhika works to help heal her patient, she struggles with her past, and identity as a Bloodcarver. Her limited training might be her undoing, and as she seeks help, she unwittingly puts herself in danger. Is the enigmatic yet confusing physician’s aide, Ven Kochin, someone she can trust or someone who will destroy her?
The Last Bloodcarver is an ambitious fantasy novel that aims to mix elements of fantasy, folklore and science. It’s a bold task and one that Le accomplishes well. I think what makes it work is that Le doesn’t try to blend the scientific and fantasy elements too much. For example, Nhika’s training, while spotty, is very different to the medical training of a doctor. This means that she has no medical jargon for what is happening in the body, and that allows Le to wash over a lot of science through her protagonist’s ignorance.
While that may seem like a convenient way to avoid dealing with the subject, Le’s character-building is solid, and it is completely fitting with Nhika’s character that she does not know these things. Le also introduces other information that shows further merging of science and fantasy, but that is a spoiler, and you’ll need to read The Last Bloodcarver for yourself to find out more 😉
There are many layers to this book, and through the characters and sub-plots, Le tackles many difficult themes and topics in The Last Bloodcarver. These include but are not limited to grief, trauma, generational trauma and genocide. I’ve not seen anyone else list this as dark fantasy, however, due to some of the content in it, I feel that it fits that genre.
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le offers unique world-building, characters you will grow to love and a story that will draw you in.
When an appointment goes wrong and Nhika gets caught, she finds herself being sold to the highest bidder. Among the buyers is someone who wants to eat her. When she’s bought by a teenage girl who turns up with an absurdly high bid, Nhika has no idea what could happen next. Prepared to run for it at the first opportunity, she’s stunned when she finds she’s been bought by one of the wealthiest families to help heal a man in a coma.
The more time she spends with the siblings and their bodyguard, she realises there is more going on, and she eventually learns that the injured man is the only witness to their father’s murder. As Nhika works to help heal her patient, she struggles with her past, and identity as a Bloodcarver. Her limited training might be her undoing, and as she seeks help, she unwittingly puts herself in danger. Is the enigmatic yet confusing physician’s aide, Ven Kochin, someone she can trust or someone who will destroy her?
The Last Bloodcarver is an ambitious fantasy novel that aims to mix elements of fantasy, folklore and science. It’s a bold task and one that Le accomplishes well. I think what makes it work is that Le doesn’t try to blend the scientific and fantasy elements too much. For example, Nhika’s training, while spotty, is very different to the medical training of a doctor. This means that she has no medical jargon for what is happening in the body, and that allows Le to wash over a lot of science through her protagonist’s ignorance.
While that may seem like a convenient way to avoid dealing with the subject, Le’s character-building is solid, and it is completely fitting with Nhika’s character that she does not know these things. Le also introduces other information that shows further merging of science and fantasy, but that is a spoiler, and you’ll need to read The Last Bloodcarver for yourself to find out more 😉
There are many layers to this book, and through the characters and sub-plots, Le tackles many difficult themes and topics in The Last Bloodcarver. These include but are not limited to grief, trauma, generational trauma and genocide. I’ve not seen anyone else list this as dark fantasy, however, due to some of the content in it, I feel that it fits that genre.
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le offers unique world-building, characters you will grow to love and a story that will draw you in.
Content Warnings
Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
The author lists the following content warnings: violence, injury, swearing, near-death experiences.
Additionally:
This book contains scenes of blood, poison, tyrannical rule, a toxic relationship between a male friend/coworker and female friend/coworker, toxic workplaces and an emotionally abusive employer.
There are references to events off page: corpses put on display, spiked drinks, and death of loved ones.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Guarding the Queen is all Reyna has ever known. It’s the family business, and it was assumed from birth that she would follow in the footsteps of her mother. The thought of doing something else hadn’t crossed her mind until she met Kianthe, the Arcandor, the infamous Mage of Ages. Falling in love with Kianthe was a risk, and the two sneaked midnight rendezvous afraid that the Queen, not known for her mercy, would find out.
After a particularly nasty assassination attempt leaves Reyna realising just how expendable she is to the Queen despite her loyalty, Reyna decides to accept the offer Kianthe made to her – to run away and set up a bookshop with a tearoom.
Of course, Queen Tilaine is never going to just let Reyna go. Finding the seemingly perfect place in Tawney, a town with uncertain borders far away from the Queen’s court, the couple set up shop in an old bandit hideout. But life was never going to be quiet for the Mage of Ages, and Tawney, well, it’s a town that has more happening than they first realised, including dragon attacks.
Can Reyna and Kianthe help the town, avoid the Queen’s guards, and get their business off the ground, all while working out their relationship as a proper couple?
I picked up Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne because the title practically begged me to, and the synopsis backed it up. I was expecting a cosy fantasy that would be fun and interesting and was blown away by how good it was. Thorne’s writing is brilliant. From her characters to her plot twists and her world building, her writing was a delight to read and I love her style. Her unique narrative style fits well with the cosy fantasy genre, and I loved the way that the narrative slipped into omniscient narration at times, commenting on how Renya and Kianthe reacted to a situation later. For example, when they tell a necessary white lie to save a teenager from a life of crime, the narration mentions that it’s something that they never dissuade him of his belief.
Speaking of said teenager, the whole bandit subplot was such a laugh, and I enjoyed the way that Thorne seamlessly blended humour with romance and fantasy in this book. While this cosy fantasy definitely comes under the romantasy genre, there is a lot more happening other than just the romance. Also while there are a lot of displays of care, snuggles, hugs and kisses, that is the only intimacy shown on the page, although there are plenty of hints in the dialogue that more is happening off the page. I’ve seen other reviewers referring to the flirting scenes as being a lot more involved.
I don’t know if the author has reworked the book for this Tor reprint in 2024 or if other people have a much lower tolerance for scenes like this. But I did not find anything to be “inappropriate for a workplace”, especially one that is run by a couple that is clearly in love.
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea also has great mental health representation, which was a nice surprise, and I was very impressed with how well these scenes were written. There is a focus on anxiety, intrusive thoughts and recovering from abusive and toxic situations.
What stops this book from being a full five stars for me is that I realised a bit of a big plot hole. Reyna is running for her life from the Queen, and a huge deal is made about how dangerous it is for her… and yet she doesn’t change her appearance at all? It also takes a while for both her and Kianthe to realise that Reyna running around with her Queen’s guard sword probably isn’t the smartest idea! Everything else in the book fits together very well, and Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea has one of the most daringly funny endings I’ve read in a long time. But that bit let it down for me, and once I realised it, I couldn’t stop going back to it.
I fell completely in love with the world and characters that Thorne has created, and can’t wait to continue the adventures of Renya and Kianthe in the next Tomes & Tea book!
After a particularly nasty assassination attempt leaves Reyna realising just how expendable she is to the Queen despite her loyalty, Reyna decides to accept the offer Kianthe made to her – to run away and set up a bookshop with a tearoom.
Of course, Queen Tilaine is never going to just let Reyna go. Finding the seemingly perfect place in Tawney, a town with uncertain borders far away from the Queen’s court, the couple set up shop in an old bandit hideout. But life was never going to be quiet for the Mage of Ages, and Tawney, well, it’s a town that has more happening than they first realised, including dragon attacks.
Can Reyna and Kianthe help the town, avoid the Queen’s guards, and get their business off the ground, all while working out their relationship as a proper couple?
I picked up Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne because the title practically begged me to, and the synopsis backed it up. I was expecting a cosy fantasy that would be fun and interesting and was blown away by how good it was. Thorne’s writing is brilliant. From her characters to her plot twists and her world building, her writing was a delight to read and I love her style. Her unique narrative style fits well with the cosy fantasy genre, and I loved the way that the narrative slipped into omniscient narration at times, commenting on how Renya and Kianthe reacted to a situation later. For example, when they tell a necessary white lie to save a teenager from a life of crime, the narration mentions that it’s something that they never dissuade him of his belief.
Speaking of said teenager, the whole bandit subplot was such a laugh, and I enjoyed the way that Thorne seamlessly blended humour with romance and fantasy in this book. While this cosy fantasy definitely comes under the romantasy genre, there is a lot more happening other than just the romance. Also while there are a lot of displays of care, snuggles, hugs and kisses, that is the only intimacy shown on the page, although there are plenty of hints in the dialogue that more is happening off the page. I’ve seen other reviewers referring to the flirting scenes as being a lot more involved.
I don’t know if the author has reworked the book for this Tor reprint in 2024 or if other people have a much lower tolerance for scenes like this. But I did not find anything to be “inappropriate for a workplace”, especially one that is run by a couple that is clearly in love.
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea also has great mental health representation, which was a nice surprise, and I was very impressed with how well these scenes were written. There is a focus on anxiety, intrusive thoughts and recovering from abusive and toxic situations.
What stops this book from being a full five stars for me is that I realised a bit of a big plot hole. Reyna is running for her life from the Queen, and a huge deal is made about how dangerous it is for her… and yet she doesn’t change her appearance at all? It also takes a while for both her and Kianthe to realise that Reyna running around with her Queen’s guard sword probably isn’t the smartest idea! Everything else in the book fits together very well, and Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea has one of the most daringly funny endings I’ve read in a long time. But that bit let it down for me, and once I realised it, I couldn’t stop going back to it.
I fell completely in love with the world and characters that Thorne has created, and can’t wait to continue the adventures of Renya and Kianthe in the next Tomes & Tea book!
Content Warnings
Once Upon a Spring: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology by Katherine Shaw, S. Markem, Jenna Smithwick, Ella T. Holmes, Caroline Logan, Laila Amado, Jake Curran-Pipe, A. J. Van Belle, Fiona Simpson, Bharat Krishnan, H.L. Macfarlane, M. J. Weatherall, Josie Jaffrey, Elanna Bellows, Kate Longstone, R. a. Gerritse, Adie Hart
‘But for a Dream’ by Ella T Holmes – Violence, death.
‘Far Far Awake’ by Adie Hart – Illness recovery.
‘Darkness Green’ by Laila Amado – Murdered girls, violence, death, blood, burned bodies.
‘The Circus of Forgotten Things’ by Caroline Logan – Stolen/missing children, blood,
‘She Vanishes’ by Josie Jaffrey – Death, grief, mention of suicide, toxic spousal relationship,
‘Forget-Me-Not Jones’ by Jake Curran-Pipe – Misogyny, sexual harassment, suicide ideation.
‘Perennial’ by Katherine Shaw – Toxic relationship (manipulative, obsessive, possessive), physical assault, victim blaming.
‘I Like Quiet Places’ by Fiona Simpson – Deaths, alcohol, brutal physical assault, heart attack, car accident (off page), hospital setting.
‘Spring Tide’ by Kate Longstone – Stolen child.
‘To Name a Rose’ by Elanna Bellows – Prejudice.
‘It Started with Bluebells’ by M. J. Weatherall – Effects of Climate Change, poisoning, details of someone slowly dying, animal death.
‘Radhakrishna’ by Bharat Krishnan – Racism, prejudice.
‘The Girls of Spring’ by Jenna Smithwick – Violence against women, death, victim blaming.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
The third season-themed anthology released by Macfarlane Lantern Publishing, Once Upon a Spring: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology, was another solid four-star read for me. Unlike my previous reviews, I managed to read this one at the start of the appropriate season, and my timing fit beautifully with the themes of this anthology in particular. With themes of rebirth, renewal and change, Once Upon a Spring was the perfect read for me as I said goodbye to winter and watched the world around me change into spring.
I will note that having read the other anthologies at completely different times of the year from the season they were representing, it isn’t necessary to read them during the correct season. Sometimes it’s nice to read stories about summer during the cold heart of winter, or the cooler seasons during a blistering summer.
The anthology starts with the excellent ‘But for a Dream’ by Ella T Holmes, a bittersweet story of love, belonging and dreaming. Adie Hart continues her fabulous stories of sapphic witches in ‘Far Far Awake’ a spin on Sleeping Beauty. The universe Hart has created in these stories is just begging to be made into a full series of books. I have adored reading these stories in each anthology, with their incredible world-building and amazing characters. I want and need more.
‘Season’s Keep’ by R. A. Gerritse is beautiful, and this one truly touched me as I sat reading it at the start of spring. For those who like their stories a bit darker, the gothic horror of ‘Darkness Green’ by Laila Amado will be right up your alley. I lapped this one up with delight, wishing there was more. Caroline Logan’s ‘The Circus of Forgotten Things’ is a creepy delight that will stay with you long after you’ve finished; Logan nails it with that last line.
‘Forget-Me-Not Jones’ by Jake Curran-Pipe takes a much different approach, and I’m not usually a fan of magical realism. But the themes of misogyny in science and depression that Curran-Pipe tackles in this one caught my attention, and I liked the ending. This is one of those that you need to stick with. I love clever stories and ‘Lady of the Flame’ by A. J. Van Belle falls under that category. I was definitely kicking myself though for not realising things sooner though. Sometimes you can’t see what is right in front of you.
In ‘Perennial’ Katherine Shaw retells the Narcissus myth, and her story is heartbreaking. It is very well written, but please check the content warnings for this one. Another cleverly written story that reimagined folklore (I can’t say what because it’s a huge spoiler!) is ‘I Like Quiet Places’ by Fiona Simpson. This one stuck with me after I finished it.
‘To Name a Rose’ by Elanna Bellows focuses on the theme of change in multiple ways in this intriguing fantasy story. It is followed by ‘It Started with Bluebells’ by M. J. Weatherall a hauntingly dark tale of renewal that ticked all the boxes for me.
I enjoyed the variety of the stories in Once Upon a Spring and how the authors each interpreted the themes of change and renewal associated with Spring. There is something for everyone in this anthology.
The full list of stories in Once Upon a Spring: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology are:
‘But for a Dream’ by Ella T Holmes
‘Far Far Awake’ by Adie Hart
‘Season’s Keep’ by R. A. Gerritse
‘Darkness Green’ by Laila Amado
‘The Circus of Forgotten Things’ by Caroline Logan
‘She Vanishes’ by Josie Jaffrey
‘Be Careful What You Wish’ For by S. Markem
‘Forget-Me-Not Jones’ by Jake Curran-Pipe
‘Lady of the Flame’ by A. J. Van Belle
‘Perennial’ by Katherine Shaw
‘I Like Quiet Places’ by Fiona Simpson
‘Spring Tide’ by Kate Longstone
‘To Name a Rose’ by Elanna Bellows
‘It Started with Bluebells’ by M. J. Weatherall
‘Radhakrishna’ by Bharat Krishnan
‘The Girls of Spring’ by Jenna Smithwick
I will note that having read the other anthologies at completely different times of the year from the season they were representing, it isn’t necessary to read them during the correct season. Sometimes it’s nice to read stories about summer during the cold heart of winter, or the cooler seasons during a blistering summer.
The anthology starts with the excellent ‘But for a Dream’ by Ella T Holmes, a bittersweet story of love, belonging and dreaming. Adie Hart continues her fabulous stories of sapphic witches in ‘Far Far Awake’ a spin on Sleeping Beauty. The universe Hart has created in these stories is just begging to be made into a full series of books. I have adored reading these stories in each anthology, with their incredible world-building and amazing characters. I want and need more.
‘Season’s Keep’ by R. A. Gerritse is beautiful, and this one truly touched me as I sat reading it at the start of spring. For those who like their stories a bit darker, the gothic horror of ‘Darkness Green’ by Laila Amado will be right up your alley. I lapped this one up with delight, wishing there was more. Caroline Logan’s ‘The Circus of Forgotten Things’ is a creepy delight that will stay with you long after you’ve finished; Logan nails it with that last line.
‘Forget-Me-Not Jones’ by Jake Curran-Pipe takes a much different approach, and I’m not usually a fan of magical realism. But the themes of misogyny in science and depression that Curran-Pipe tackles in this one caught my attention, and I liked the ending. This is one of those that you need to stick with. I love clever stories and ‘Lady of the Flame’ by A. J. Van Belle falls under that category. I was definitely kicking myself though for not realising things sooner though. Sometimes you can’t see what is right in front of you.
In ‘Perennial’ Katherine Shaw retells the Narcissus myth, and her story is heartbreaking. It is very well written, but please check the content warnings for this one. Another cleverly written story that reimagined folklore (I can’t say what because it’s a huge spoiler!) is ‘I Like Quiet Places’ by Fiona Simpson. This one stuck with me after I finished it.
‘To Name a Rose’ by Elanna Bellows focuses on the theme of change in multiple ways in this intriguing fantasy story. It is followed by ‘It Started with Bluebells’ by M. J. Weatherall a hauntingly dark tale of renewal that ticked all the boxes for me.
I enjoyed the variety of the stories in Once Upon a Spring and how the authors each interpreted the themes of change and renewal associated with Spring. There is something for everyone in this anthology.
The full list of stories in Once Upon a Spring: A Folk and Fairy Tale Anthology are:
‘But for a Dream’ by Ella T Holmes
‘Far Far Awake’ by Adie Hart
‘Season’s Keep’ by R. A. Gerritse
‘Darkness Green’ by Laila Amado
‘The Circus of Forgotten Things’ by Caroline Logan
‘She Vanishes’ by Josie Jaffrey
‘Be Careful What You Wish’ For by S. Markem
‘Forget-Me-Not Jones’ by Jake Curran-Pipe
‘Lady of the Flame’ by A. J. Van Belle
‘Perennial’ by Katherine Shaw
‘I Like Quiet Places’ by Fiona Simpson
‘Spring Tide’ by Kate Longstone
‘To Name a Rose’ by Elanna Bellows
‘It Started with Bluebells’ by M. J. Weatherall
‘Radhakrishna’ by Bharat Krishnan
‘The Girls of Spring’ by Jenna Smithwick
Content Warnings
The Hemlock Queen by Hannah Whitten
The author lists the following content warnings on her website:
alcohol and tobacco use
parental abuse (emotional, physical)
explicit sexual content
adult language
religious abuse
intimate partner violence (emotional, sexual, physical)
gore/violence (fairly severe)
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In The Foxglove King, Lore and Bastian survived a prophecy that would have seen Lore dead and Bastian’s body taken over by a god. Bastian is about to be crowned King, Gabriel is now Priest Exalted and Lore, a former poison smuggler, has been elevated to Bastian’s right hand. As Bastian begins to rule the Court, Lore starts to notice changes in his behaviour and fears the worst. Something is whispering in her ear, and she’s beginning to wonder what or who is whispering in Bastian’s ear…
The Hemlock Queen is everything I hoped that the previous book would be, and I loved every moment of it. The character development was much better for a start, and the overall plot was more interesting to me. It’s a lot less religious-based, and leans more towards mythology and folklore, which is what I tend to expect from Whitten. It was a wild ride of suspense and emotion, and I can’t wait for book three!
The Hemlock Queen is everything I hoped that the previous book would be, and I loved every moment of it. The character development was much better for a start, and the overall plot was more interesting to me. It’s a lot less religious-based, and leans more towards mythology and folklore, which is what I tend to expect from Whitten. It was a wild ride of suspense and emotion, and I can’t wait for book three!
Content Warnings
Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew
The author lists the following content warnings:
Animal death (not pets)
Blood
Allusions to violence / abuse
Poisoning
Cults
Bones / skeletons
Allusions to sexual assault
Paranormal activity
Elements of body horror
Mild gore
Insects / Spiders
Mild depictions of torture
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Heading back to the farmhouse where she spent her summers, Wyatt is planning to burn the place and her memories of her father’s neglect to the ground with it. She is not expecting to find, Peter, one of her childhood friends, locked up in the basement. Her desire to leave the past behind in one large, fiery gesture is put on hold as she learns there was a lot more happening every summer while she, Peter and their friend James hung out. The place has a history, her family has a legacy, and it’s now hers, and it’s a bloody one that Wyatt can’t avoid.
Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew grew on me as I read it. It’s set in the same world as The Whispering Dark, but it is a lot darker in tone and content, and I wasn’t expecting it. That isn’t to say it’s a bad thing, far from it, it just took me a minute to get my footing when I first started reading it. Andrew has such a unique way with words, and her descriptions are out of this world. Every time I read something by her, it’s a complete experience in itself.
In Your Blood, My Bones she has spun a wonderfully dark story filled with cryptids, plant magic and friendship tinged with trauma and grief. It took me a ridiculously long time to recognise that a certain name being dropped was THAT person from The Whispering Dark until it was right in my face. I loved the way that Andrew linked the two books, and that her next book is also set in the same world.
This is one of those books that you need to experience rather than read about. If you enjoy gothic horror, unique world-building, dark magic and found family friendships then this is for you!
Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew grew on me as I read it. It’s set in the same world as The Whispering Dark, but it is a lot darker in tone and content, and I wasn’t expecting it. That isn’t to say it’s a bad thing, far from it, it just took me a minute to get my footing when I first started reading it. Andrew has such a unique way with words, and her descriptions are out of this world. Every time I read something by her, it’s a complete experience in itself.
In Your Blood, My Bones she has spun a wonderfully dark story filled with cryptids, plant magic and friendship tinged with trauma and grief. It took me a ridiculously long time to recognise that a certain name being dropped was THAT person from The Whispering Dark until it was right in my face. I loved the way that Andrew linked the two books, and that her next book is also set in the same world.
This is one of those books that you need to experience rather than read about. If you enjoy gothic horror, unique world-building, dark magic and found family friendships then this is for you!
Content Warnings