Sally Bend's Blog, page 2

Weekend Freebies – Sexy Fantasy & Kinky Fantasies

Well, if it’s another weekend, then it must be time to bend our hearts and minds around preparing for the week ahead, and how better to do that than with some Weekend Freebies!

Every weekend I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might interest visitors to the ruins. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

Enjoy!

Weekend Freebies – Queer Fantasy, Romantasy, and PNR

Well, if it’s another weekend, then it must be time to bend our hearts and minds around preparing for the week ahead, and how better to do that than with some Weekend Freebies!

Every weekend I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might interest visitors to the ruins. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

Enjoy!

Swooning Over ‘The World Within’ by Dani Finn

Title: The World Within
Author: Dani Finn
Publication Date: Sept 7, 2024
Genres: Romantasy
Representation: Transgender, Lesbian

The World Within is a trans sapphic romantasy, and if that’s not enough to make your eyes widen and your heart beat a little faster, then you’re a monster, and nothing I can say will fix that (LOL). If, however, you’re even the tiniest bit curious, let me assure you that Dani Finn’s wonderful novel is everything you could ask for – and then some.

Set in the Weirdwater Confluence universe of (and I love the term) sword-free fantasy, but entirely standalone, this is a novel that immediately immerses you in the world while allowing background details to slip in naturally through the narrative. There were moments where I found myself asking questions, wondering about this or that, but more out of curiosity than a desperate need to understand.

The basic premise of the story is as delightful as it is unique. Lila is in the process of opening her own shop in a rehabilitated ancient temple, which would be pretty standard fantasy stuff for a tavern or apothecary, but what Lila is bringing to life is a luxury sex shop (complete with alchemical vibrators), wellness center (complete with a spa and baths), and a consulting service (for a wide variety of clients). As for Lila herself, what makes her unique is two things. One, she is transcendent (the culture’s term for transgender), and two, she’s turned her back on the painted faces of the aristocratic friends and family who disowned her, choosing to live her life on her terms.

Who she is and what she does are intricately wrapped up in one another, with her experiences driving her to help people discover, embrace, and excel at their passions. There is no shame or embarrassment in her shop. There, everyone is equal, painted faces or not, and those whom society shuns for being different or loving differently are welcomed with open arms.

Avisse is the delivery woman who arrives with the alchemical vibrators for the shop’s grand opening, instantly striking up a romance with Lila. It’s a distance relationship at first, given Avisse’s job, but they make the most of their time together. It’s such a sweet romance that develops between them, and they are such genuinely good people that it’s all too easy to get sucked into the love story. As the story progresses, we start getting as anxious as Lila for the next delivery, hoping that Avisse will stay closer, stay longer, maybe stay forever this time.

On top of all that, there’s a secondary story involving a hidden secret within the temple’s baths, one that brings together one of Lila’s friends and Avisse’s son. It’s a lovely sort of mentorship that adds a whole new dynamic to the story, not to mention a curious little mystery that ultimately brings Lila and Avisse closer together.

Leisurely paced, with wonderful characters, a truly unique setting, and some well-deserved spice, The World Within is the trans sapphic romantasy you may have never known you wanted, but certainly need.

Rating:

Can’t-Wait Wednesday – September Reads

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

With the first of the month having come and gone, it’s time to look ahead to the books I’m most excited about seeing on shelves next month.

Her Subtle Investigations by Scarlett Gale

Fantasy
August 16, 2025 by Unnatural Redhead Creations

A Tired Blade

The Knife has long been the Warrior Guild’s invisible answer to complicated problems-silent, sharp, and gone before her enemies even notice. She loves the work, loves helping people no one else will, but the years of endless travel-of lonely assignments, empty beds, and temporary allies-have worn her thin. Every new mission feels heavier, and Southport’s nostalgic foods and familiar heat stir a deeper ache: the yearning not just for a solid home, but for a shared life with someone to whom she’s just Kia, not the Knife…

A Collision Course

Chasing down a string of kidnappings, the Knife crosses paths-and blades-with two surprising Southport natives, both hunting for missing family. Masako wields nature magic with steely fury, but knows almost nothing about Southport’s criminal underbelly. Nukunya carries an encyclopedic knowledge of the city along with a dry wit that cuts as deep as any blade. After a violent first meeting the trio form an uneasy alliance, then a true team as their search leads them closer to their quarry… and each other…

A Branching Path

Pinned down and hiding out in a brothel’s back room, the Knife finds the lines between partnership, friendship, and romance blurring. Southport-and the people in it-has started to feel dangerously like home, but the Knife’s Guild assignments never let her stay anywhere for long. With duty pulling her to one path and the temptation of Masako and Nukunya pulling her to another, she’ll have to decide: Is it time to walk away again, or finally lay down roots?

Okay, so this is an August release, but it was also a surprise release that wasn’t announced until after I put together last month’s list. With His Secret Illuminations being one of my favorite books, this is a must-read.

Angel Maker by Elizabeth Bear

Science Fiction
Sept 2, 2025 by Sobbing Squonk Press

Every cowboy story needs a horse no man can ride.

No man—but Miss Karen Memery is all woman. When she and her beloved Priya sign on to do stunts for a motion picture about a rogue Mechanical named Cowboy and a Wild West show, she finds the horse of her dreams: Angel Maker.

Her plans to rescue him from a deadly stunt are ambitious enough, but she’s soon beset by even greater threats when two men are murdered brutally. Cowboy and Priya are arrested for the crime, and Karen must prove them innocent—and save the life of the wild stallion too!

Sure, it’s been 7 years since we last encountered Karen, but I remember her steampunk adventures fondly – and I’m excited for more.

Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon

Fantasy
Sept 16, 2025 by Bloomsbury Publishing

With the awakening of fire-breathing dragons, Among the Burning Flowers sees the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree.

Take your first steps into the epic.

Yscalin, land of sunshine and lavender, will soon be ablaze.

It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind.

Marosa Vetalda is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her cold father, King Sigoso. Over the mountains, her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn, rules Mentendon in all but name. Together, they intend to usher in a better world.

A better world seems impossibly distant to Estina Melaugo, who hunts the Draconic beasts that have slept across the world for centuries.

And now the great wyrm Fýredel is stirring, and Yscalin will be the first to fall . . .

A story of human resilience in the face of dire circumstances, Among the Burning Flowers leads readers through the gripping and tragic events that pave the way for the opening of the million-copy bestseller The Priory of The Orange Tree. 

While it’s not a full-length sequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree or A Day of Fallen Night, it’s a new story in that world, which is fabulous!

Teenage Girls Can Be Demons by Hailey Piper

Horror
Sept 16, 2025 by Titan Books

13 terrifying coming-of-rage stories from the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth, perfect for fans of Clive Barker, Mariana Enriquez and Eric LaRocca

13 coming-of-rage stories the way only Bram Stoker Award-winning author Hailey Piper can tell them—wildly inventive, brilliantly imaginative, and completely and utterly enthralling.

A vicious group of college upperclassmen prey on the freshman girls in “Why We Keep Exploding”; across the world, something is mutating adolescents into bizarre creatures in “The Turning”; a girl on a night out realizes a bizarre cop is hunting her in “The Long Flesh of the Law”; and in the acclaimed novella “Benny Rose, the Cannibal King”, a Halloween prank goes horribly wrong when a murderous ghost steps out of an urban legend and into the real world.

These stories take our most difficult years of transformation and twist them into new and terrifying shapes, where the monsters are real and you’ll do whatever it takes to get away, or get even.

All The Hearts You Eat was such a good read, and the comparison here to Clive Barker only whets my appetite futrher.

Best Woman by Rose Dommu

Fiction
Sept 23, 2025 by Ballantine Books

The “best woman” in her brother’s wedding tells a little white lie in her quest to get the girl—her lifelong crush and the maid of honor—in this wildly entertaining debut novel about bad decisions and life’s messiest transitions.

Julia Rosenberg loves her brother. Really loves him. Enough to: be the “best woman” at his wedding; leave behind her hard-won New York life, brilliant best friends, and drag brunches for Boca Raton, Florida; entertain the uptight bride-to-be and her vicious cronies; try (and fail) to dodge the hometown hookup buddy she can’t resist; and navigate the tricky dynamics with her divorced parents.

She’s not that nervous. Her family stood by her when she came out as a woman a few years ago. And it’s just one week in Florida—a week of old memories and sisterly duties that will force Julia to confront the tensions that have been bubbling beneath the surface of her closest relationships. No big deal.

When it turns out that Kim Cameron, the gorgeous, self-assured girl that she crushed on hard in high school, is the maid of honor, Julia panics. She tells a teensy little lie to win Kim’s favor—a lie that snowballs out of control and threatens to undermine the blossoming attraction between them and complicate an already challenging relationship with her family. Using her wit, charm, and a suitcase full of couture “borrowed” from a pop star, Julia just might survive the horde of clone-like bridesmaids, go-kart racing bachelor parties, and alcohol-fueled speeches. But she won’t make it out unscathed. As best woman, she’s making the worst decisions of her life.

An utterly contemporary send-up of My Best Friend’s Wedding and a riotous coming-of-age novel, Best Woman is rife with crackling wit and devastating poignancy and announces Rose Dommu as an exciting voice in fiction.

This just sounds like a lot of fun!

What Fury Brings  by Tricia Levenseller

Romantasy
Sept 23, 2025 by FEIWEL

#1 New York Times-bestselling author Tricia Levenseller makes her adult debut in What Fury Brings, a sexy, empowering romantasy featuring a warrior general who must kidnap and train a husband in order to take her rightful place as queen.

There’s a shortage of men in the kingdom of Amarra. After a failed rebellion against the matriarchy, most noblemen in the country are dead. Now the women of Amarra must obtain their husbands (should they want one) by kidnapping them from other kingdoms.

Olerra, a warrior princess vying for the throne, is determined to prove her worth by kidnapping a husband. And not just any husband. To outmaneuver her treacherous cousin, she needs the best. Fortunately, the second-born prince of their greatest enemy is widely known for both his looks and his sweet, docile temperament. He’s the perfect choice to secure her claim to the throne.

Sanos, heir to the Kingdom of Brutus, has nothing but contempt for the idea of a society run by women. Trained from birth to fight, lead, and follow in his father’s overbearing footsteps, his path has always been set. Until he takes his younger brother’s place in a drunken prank and finds himself kidnapped, carted off to the Amarran Palace, and informed that he is to become the husband of Queen Potential Olerra. Sanos needs to escape before anyone learns his real identity, but the more he gets to know his captor, the less sure he is of what he truly wants.

A matriarchy, a shortage of men, and female-led romantasy involving a kidnapped husband-to-be? Yes, please!

Falling in a Sea of Stars by Kristen Britain

Fantasy
Sept 30, 2025 by Daw

A romantic epic fantasy featuring a fire-wielding nun grappling with her dark past and a young spy caught between her mission and a growing attraction to an enemy princess

Magic, danger, and adventure abound for messenger Karigan G’ladheon in the eighth book in Kristen Britain’s New York Times-bestselling Green Rider fantasy series

After Sacoridia’s victory over Second Empire, Karigan G’ladheon’s life as a Green Rider should have settled into an ordinary routine. But her father’s abrupt departure to rescue Laren Mapstone, leader of the Green Riders and the woman he loves, from the far distant land of Varos, has left Clan G’ladheon’s business in disarray and Karigan’s hands full.

Even as Karigan tries to sort out the clan’s mess, a darker, more perilous crisis casts its shadows over her: Mornhavon the Black has reawakened. Moreover, he has freed two undead wraiths from their imprisoning tombs to hunt Karigan down and bring her to him in Blackveil Forest.

While this was not one of my favorite Green Rider novels, it’s still a Green Rider novel, and Karigan is always worth revisiting!

The Sovereign by C. L. Clark

Fantasy
Sept 30, 2025 by Orbit

The Sovereign brings princess Luca and soldier Touraine together one last time in the thrilling conclusion to C. L. Clark’s beloved queer political fantasy trilogy. 

Luca is the new queen of Balladaire. Her empire is already splintering in her hands. Her uncle wasn’t the only traitor in the court, and the Withering plague will decimate her people if she can’t unearth Balladaire’s magic. The only person who can help her wants the only thing Luca won’t give—the end of the monarchy. 

Touraine is Luca’s general. She has everything she ever wanted. While Luca looks within Balladaire’s borders, Touraine looks outward—the alliance with Qazal is brittle and Balladaire’s neighbors are ready to pounce on its new weakness. When the army comes, led by none other than Touraine’s old lover, Touraine must face the truth about herself—and the empire she once called home. 

A storm is coming. Touraine and Luca will stand against it together, or it will tear them apart once and for all.

I still need to read The Faithless, so I’m trying to ignore this blurb, but having the finale coming out is making me eager to catch up.

The Dominion and the Sugilite: Episodes 23-25 by B.J. Frazier (erotica)

Title: The Dominion and the Sugilite
Episode 23 | Episode 24 | Episode 25
Author: B.J. Frazier
Publication Date: June 10 to August 1, 2025
Genres: Erotica | Sci-fi
Protagonist Gender: Various

If you’re new to The Dominion and the Sugilite, it’s a serialized erotic science-fantasy soap opera by B.J. Frazier, set on a female-ruled planet where the power exchange is the foundation of a fantasy-themed society fueled by the magic of gems known as sugilite.

As always, I will do my best to avoid spoilers, but there’s only so much I can not say when we’re deep into the 2nd season.

With Episode 23, conflict is still very much on the table. We’re invited to watch as Cozima continues her harsh (sometimes cruel) power exchange with Craig as she teases out what she’s planning with her mine. This chapter is heavy on Craig’s humiliation fetish, and while the cruelty of it is a bit much for me, that’s fine because it’s his fetish, not mine, and B.J. Frazier frames it very well.

In a softer form of confrontation, Alisa and Pebbles have a fascinating discussion about whether or not they can legally share a submissive. It’s a great insight into female dynamics and the philosophy of power exchange, and a fun peek into their friendship. Getting back to the deeper conflict, the Arbiters continue with their hearing, with testimony from Jewel, Neelam, and Gaius demonstrating why the interspecies event is so needed.

Episode 24 continues the action while returning to a few other plots. Following on the case before the Arbiters, Geo & Naqqi compare legal systems, and we find that the proud, enlightened, expedient Naturalists are anything but (which, should be no surprise, if you’ve paid attention to their spiritual leader).

Stone brings another defector to Cozima to consider for a job at the mine, and with two bigger, stronger, more endowed men, she seizes the opportunity to lean heavily into her power exchange, using the men to double down on Craig’s humiliation. Bay pays the futa truck a visit, where he is far too interested in how they dispose of the magical part of their essence, but it’s really just enough to tease where that storyline is headed. 

What’s most interesting is that the story comes back around to Chantal, after several episodes away, and we watch as she continues trying to learn to be dominant while craving sexual favors that most women would consider submissive. It’s a fun scene, with lots of back-and-forth discussion, but what I felt it did best was make the reader think about the ethics of the Dominion and the irony of a power exchange that can deny a woman her own desires.

Catching up with Episode 25, it feels like the story is moving forward in numerous areas. For starters, Geo and Naqqi have what I’ll go so far as to say is a pivotal talk about jealousy, with Geo deflecting an admission of guilt by introducing the idea of compersion – and then we see Aurora and Nug have their own conversation about jealousy. I wouldn’t say all the cards are on the table, or that all the underlying tensions have been revealed, but things are developing.

Chantal continues to struggle to be dominant while her mother continues to put humiliation ahead of reason, refusing to acknowledge Craig’s warnings, and when Cozima returns home to catch her daughter in a tender, compromising position that prompts a rather dramatic moment for mom. We also pay a visit to Obadiah, who continues to prove what a dirty old man he is while taking his grooming of Malachai to the next level.

Finally, not only do Geo and Nug get along well enough to help with preparations for the interspecies event, suggesting that (maybe) they’re moving on, but they also come to Aurora with a very good idea that allows her to kick things off with a powerful speech to the selected Committee members that not only demonstrates why such a event is needed, but shows how much she’s invested in all along.

Rating:   

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Celebrating the 37th Annual Lambda Literary Awards Finalists

The Lambda Literary Awards are one of those programs I keep a close eye on every year, scouring the list of finalists for new authors to discover (or old favorites to celebrate all over again). Every reader has their own tastes, of course, but these are the finalists that have earned a place on my TBR this year:

LESBIAN FICTION: Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash: For readers of Donna Tartt and Ottessa Moshfegh comes a brilliant, deliriously entertaining novel from the acclaimed author of Honor Girl. Rainbow Black is part murder mystery, part gay international fugitive love story—set against the ’90s Satanic Panic and spanning 20 years in the life of a young woman pulled into its undertow.LESBIAN ROMANCE: Loving Safoa by Liza Wemakor: When schoolteacher Cynthia gets a tattoo at a block party in 1991 Flatbush, she doesn’t realize she’s embarking on a life-changing romance with an immortal Ghanaian vampire. Cynthia’s affair with Safoa weaves together stories from nineteenth century Ghana, late twentieth century New York and a near future reality in Maryland that defies the utopian/dystopian binary.LESBIAN ROMANCE: Outlaw Hearts by Lori G. Matthew: Outlaw Hearts is a thrilling lesbian romance set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Wild West, where love proves to be the most dangerous adventure of all.LGBTQ+ ANTHOLOGY: We Mostly Come Out at Night edited by Rob Costello: An empowering cross-genre YA anthology that explores what it means to be a monster, exclusively highlighting trans and queer authors who offer new tales and perspectives on classic monster stories and tropes. LGBTQ+ ROMANCE AND EROTICA: Leather, Lace and Locs by Anne Shade: a wonderful book that works on so many different levels. It’s a story of gender (female and nonbinary), race (Women of Color), relationships (families, friendships, and lovers), ambition (personal and professional), sexuality (lesbian and bisexual), and more. Read my review for more!LGBTQ+ SPECULATIVE FICTION: Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle: The instant USA Today bestseller by Chuck Tingle about what it takes to succeed in a world that wants you dead. Named one of the Best Horror Books of 2024 (Esquire, Parade, and Library Journal)! A Locus Award Finalist!LGBTQ+ SPECULATIVE FICTION: Metal From Heaven by August Clarke: For fans of The Princess Bride and Gideon the Ninth: a bloody lesbian revenge tale and political fantasy set in a glittering world transformed by industrial change – and simmering class warfare.TRANSGENDER FICTION: Love the World or Get Killed Trying by Alvina Chamberland: Through playful poetic prose, sharp social commentary and self-deprecating gallows humor LOVE THE WORLD OR GET KILLED TRYING dives into the mind of Alvina, a trans woman on the eve of turning 30.

Check out the full list of finalists here.

Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post

Stacking The Shelves (Reading Reality) and The Sunday Post (Caffeinated Reviewer) are both blog memes about sharing the books we’re adding to the shelves and sharing news of the week ahead.

New Purchases

One notable new purchase this week, which is A Shift of Time, the 4th book of Night’s Edge by Julie E. Czerneda, whom I got to meet up with at Indigo, ensuring I have the entire series signed – along with the full collection of toad postcards!

For Review

Just the one book for review this week – episode 25 of The Dominion and the Sugilite by B.J. Frazier – so watch for my catch-up review next week!

Currently Reading

We’re off to a friend’s cottage this weekend, so I’m packing light. Along for the trip is my tattered paperback copy Deathstalker Rebellion by Simon R. Green to finish off, along with copies of The World Within by Dani Finn and A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows to crack the spine on.

Weekend Freebies – Gender Play & Power Play

Well, if it’s another weekend, then it must be time to bend our hearts and minds around preparing for the week ahead, and how better to do that than with some Weekend Freebies!

Every weekend I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might interest visitors to the ruins. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

Enjoy!

The Dominion and the Sugilite: Episodes 21-22 by B.J. Frazier (erotica)

Title: The Dominion and the Sugilite
Episode 21 | Episode 22
Author: B.J. Frazier
Publication Date: Ma3 17 to May 22, 2025
Genres: Erotica | Sci-fi
Protagonist Gender: Various

If you’re new to The Dominion and the Sugilite, it’s a serialized erotic science-fantasy soap opera by B.J. Frazier, set on a female-ruled planet where the power exchange is the foundation of a fantasy-themed society fueled by the magic of gems known as sugilite.

As always, I will do my best to avoid spoilers, but there’s only so much I can not say when we’re deep into the 2nd season.

We ended last season with a lot of things having come to a head, forcing various confrontations, but there are even bigger conflicts waiting to explode. As we enter Episode 21, the tension between Geo and Aurora is thicker than ever before, forcing both to act very much out of character – to one another and the Dominion at large. It’s an unhealthy situation, and its consequences are beginning to slip into politics. On the positive side, we do see Gemma overstep and get slapped down, but she’s also given something of an olive branch that is sure to cause conflict down the road.

Speaking of tension (and correction), we are privy to a difficult scene back at Quarry’s, following the resolution of the Gaius situation, and the species prejudice exposed reminds us why Aurora’s interspecies event is so important.

As has been promised with the launch of season 2, we have come around to another Attis Day celebration, and while it initially seems a little more of a colder, more sterile depiction, that’s largely because we’re experiencing it as observers, not through the eyes of last year’s winner. We are introduced to Jade in the process, a most curious contestant with remarkable talents, and I dearly hope we see more of her. Naqqi, our visitor from the Naturalists, gets thrown into the deep end of the cultural exchange, witnessing the competition, and his embarrassment is quite delightful.

Moving on to Episode 22, conflict is once again the name of the game. We’re invited to witness a most awkward meal between Aurora, Geo, and Naqqi, one that’s full of misunderstandings, shock, and embarrassment, and it becomes increasingly difficult to guess Geo’s true motives. This leads to more tension between him and Aurora later, and if you read the scene carefully – it really comes down to one sentence while he’s on the cross – there’s something markedly wrong with their power exchange. Later, it feels as if we might get some answers, if not a resolution, but yet another heart-to-heart is interrupted.

Oh, Miss Frazier, you are such a cruel tease!

Continuing on the theme of conflict, we get a sad peek into Bay’s betrayal of Ichiniko, but he twice corrects his co-conspirator’s pronouns for the beautiful futa, so maybe there’s hope . . . although it’s very clear he’s up to no good. Dvita is certain of that as well, and after a tense conversation with her partner, she takes Ichiniko in hand for a penetrating punishment that has yummy consequences!

And to close out on that theme, we sit amongst the audience and watch as both Gemma and Gaius bring conflicting cases between the Arbiters, and even though we really only get through half of the arguments in this episode, there’s more than enough outbursts, outrage, and other shenanigans to keep your fingers glued to the page.

As we slide deeper into this second season, it’s clear that (a) things change, and (b) perhaps the Dominion was never quite as perfect as we wanted to believe. There’s pettiness, selfishness, and disgusting behavior to be found beneath the older generation of utopian power exchange, but there’s also happiness, selflessness, and a growing responsibility to be found in the younger generation that I suspect will become more important as the story continues.

Rating:   

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Falling (Short) in a Sea of Stars by Kristen Britain: Book Review

Title: Falling in a Sea of Stars
Author: Kristen Britain
Publication Date: September 30, 2025
Genres: Epic Fantasy
Representation: N/A

As a long-time fan of the Green Rider series, it pains me to say this, but Falling in a Sea of Stars was . . . not very good. It had moments I enjoyed, and aspects I felt were well done, but overall . . . it was just lacking.

There are a handful of plots to this book, any of which could have been worthy subplots in a more significant story, but instead of filling out that larger narrative, they’re left to stand alone, connected by a story that feels like padding. We get something of a resolution to the kidnapping of Laren Mapstone (except it’s interrupted and largely abandoned); we follow through on a pair of lingering consequences of Grandmother’s evil (one of which feels odd, the other of which is resolved too easily); and we witness a gathering of forces by Mornhavon the Black (the best part of the first half of the book, but a disappointing twist in the second).

As for Karigan, her story is so scattered that it’s hard to latch onto any one thread and become engaged. She’s a battle-scarred veteran trying to overcome the horrors of the Second Empire; she’s a love-struck young girl caught between desire and duty; she’s a struggling merchant fighting to keep her clan afloat in her father’s absence; she’s the avatar of a god, caught in a cycle of death and rebirth; she’s the target of a hidden, intangible enemy with games to play; and she spends most of the book either inside dreams or outside reality, never grounded long enough to really matter.

In many ways, this feels like Wheel of Time disease, where Sanderson took the outline for Jordan’s final book and stretched it into an unnecessarily padded trilogy. When originally announced, this was supposed to be the end of Karigan’s story arc, but Kristen Britain later chose to split it into 2 books due to its length, leaving us with the set-up book here and leaving the climax ahead of us. I can’t help but feel she had to do a lot of stretching and padding to turn one too-lengthy book into two lengthy books, and it does Falling in a Sea of Stars no favors. Had she given us a trio of focused novellas, akin to The Dream Gatherer and Spirit of the Wood, I think she could have accomplished the same goal with greater emphasis, but that’s just me.

At the end of the day, this is still a Green Rider book, and that makes it worth reading, but like Firebrand, it’s a transitional novel where I expected more.

Rating:

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.