Ash by Malinda Lo
Started: 1/28/19
Finished: 1/30/19
I like fairy tale retellings, and I very much enjoyed this Cinderella retelling with actual fairies (like the fae, the cannot-be-trusted types) in the background.
magic
Three Parts Dead by Max Gladstone
Started: 1/23/19
Gave up: 1/25/19
This is the first book in the Craft Sequence. I wanted to like it, but I couldn’t get into the story. I didn’t find the characters particularly interesting, and the pacing was odd, so I wasn’t feeling involved. I gave up after a couple of days of avoidance.
The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst
Started: 1/21/19
Finished: 1/23/19
Finishing the Queens of Renthia series, still good, but with more main characters I was left feeling like I needed more time with them. I suppose that’s a good thing – give me more!
The Reluctant Queen by Sarah Beth Durst
Started: 1/19/19
Finished: 1/21/19
Continuing the Queens of Renthia series, highly enjoyable with a surprising ending (in a good way).
The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst
Started: 1/17/19
Finished: 1/18/19
For some reason, I thought there were dragons in this series, but there are not. Figured you should know that up front. However, I REALLY liked this book, and I’m eager to read the next one.
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones
Started: 1/13/19
Finished: 1/14/19
The Goblin King in this book is SO very David Bowie, which is great. I think the characterization of the main character shifts halfway through, and not for the better. Her motivations aren’t consistent, and she gets all worked up about things that could be resolved if she would just TALK to the guy. Same goes for him, of course. On the other hand, she’s a teenager, and she’s acting like a teenager, so maybe I should be praising the author for her realism instead.
Sorcery & Cecilia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Started: 1/5/19
Finished: 1/7/19
Delightful! A story told in letters between two cousins/best friends, set in Regency England with a bit of magic.
The Girl With The Red Balloon by Katherine Locke
Started: 11/23/18
Finished: 11/27/18
Young adult novel with a little time travel, a little magic, and some linked narratives. Mostly set in East Germany in the late 80s, which is a setting I don’t think I’ve ever read before. Pretty good!
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor
Started: 7/29/18
Finished: 8/7/18
Really good, really interesting, but a little tough to start. Once I was in, though, I was all the way in. The magic is super weird but in a good way, and at the same time, this is set in our future.
The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller
Started: 7/17/18
Finished: 7/21/18
I’m really not sure if I liked this. It was interesting, and there’s an open question about the abilities the kid had (Did he actually have them? Did those things really happen?), but aside from that, it’s about a teenager, his relationships, and his eating disorder.
Children of Thorns, Children of Water by Aliette de Bodard
Started: 7/4/18
Finished: 7/4/18
I’m not sure I liked this novelette. The magic was odd, the setting was interesting, but I didn’t get enough background or explanation to get into the story.
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire
Started: 6/17/18
Finished: 6/23/18
First book in the October Daye series. I love all things Seanan McGuire, so it’s no surprise I enjoyed this. There are at least 10 books in the series already, and I’m looking forward to reading them all. Fairies, detectives, alliances, set in the present day. My cup of tea.
The Black Tides of Heaven by JY Yang
Started: 6/13/18
Finished: 6/15/18
This is silkpunk, which I believe is Asian steampunk, with some tech, some magic, a twin fated to die with the other determined to save them both. It’s an intro to the author’s novel-length series, but I’m not in a hurry to read those. Good, but not for me.
The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher
Started: 6/4/18
Finished: 6/7/18
This starts out kind of like a Beauty and the Beast story, but it gets weirder fast and in a very good way.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Started: 5/29/18
Finished: 6/2/18
Thieves and heists and magic and adventure. What’s not to like? I mean, when the writing is good. As it is here.
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Started: 5/23/18
Finished: 5/26/18
There’s a secret society whose members steal rare books from all the universes to store in the invisible library between the universes. Sounds awesome. The execution was not awesome. It was okay and sometimes interesting, but I felt let down.
The Future Falls by Tanya Huff
Started: 5/20/18
Finished: 5/22/18
Third in the Enchantment Emporium series. The world is actually ending. What can the family do to stop it? Let’s find out!
The Wild Ways by Tanya Huff
Started: 5/17/18
Finished: 5/20/18
Second in the Enchantment Emporium series. We take a step away from the family and focus on one character and selkies, which was a surprise. Fun, but not as fun as the first.
The Enchantment Emporium by Tanya Huff
Started: 5/13/18
Finished: 5/17/18
First in the Enchantment Emporium series. Intro to the family who takes care of the world, largely with a lot of infighting, power grabs, and squicky incest. That last bit was a surprise and a pretty big departure from other Tanya Huff novels. The story was good – one of the family is trying to carve her own path (and find her grandmother, who is missing) – but this series isn’t my favorite by this author.
First Rider’s Call by Kristen Britain
Started: 2/19/18
Finished: 2/25/18
Sequel to Green Rider (which I read back in Jan/Feb 2017). Good fantasy, good sequel. I found it relaxing after the pressure of reading new/unusual fiction (like The Stars are Legion – SO WEIRD).