Srivalli Rekha (Semi Hiatus)'s Blog, page 45

Twisted Tales and Turns: A Journey through the Unexpected by Smita Das Jain - Book Review

Publication Date: 23rd July 2023

Genre: Short Story Anthology (Single Author)

3 Stars 

One Liner: A decent collection 

The anthology starts with a crisp author’s note detailing how the stories have different twists. Of course, with the title and the note, my instinct was to guess the twist. However, I decided not to ruin the stories and shifted my focus to enjoying the stories and going with the flow. 

I like how the collection is categorized into sections with headings that hint at the overall theme. While this can dampen the reading experience, it structures the book well and sets the right expectations. The stories deal with various themes, with Covid lockdown, neurodivergence, family & relationships, and war & peace recurring. 

As with most anthologies, some stories are a hit, and some aren’t. The concepts, as such, are beautiful and thoughtful. They nudge the readers to contemplate the various emotions and ideas presented throughout the book. However, the writing doesn’t always do justice to the premise. In quite a few stories, the execution leaves a lot to be desired and even dilutes the impact. 

Here’s a brief overview of the stories: 

Out of this World

As the title suggests, these stories have a character that doesn’t belong to this world (aka ghosts/ apparitions/ etc.). Only one of them is mildly spooky. The others are more along the lines of social/ family drama. 

• The Figure in the Charpoy – 3.5 Stars (short and sweet) 

• Top of the World – 4 Stars (heartwarming) 

• Masterpiece – 3 Stars (has potential but average execution) 

• Till We Meet Again – 3 Stars (has potential but doesn’t stir the emotions) 

• It Starts With Us – 3 Stars (the premise is great, but the second-person POV with dual narrators did not work) 

Not too far into the Future

This set has stories set in the future or near future. They mostly deal with wars, weapons, and control. While the concepts are cool, the tone borders on preachy, reducing my reading experience. 

• Throwback to History – 2 Stars (too short to make an impact) 

• For a Better World – 3.5 Stars (intriguing premise with decent execution; the ‘lemon tea with honey’ in a future setting kinda stood out)  

• Guided Missiles, Misguided Men – 3.5 Stars (artfully handled the use of real people and setting with an alien twist) 

• Kaleidoscope – 4 Stars (mainly for the sensitive portrayal of neurodivergent people)

• Too Hot a Bot – 3.5 Stars (could have been a satirical and humorous piece but falls short in execution) 

All Doesn't End Well

This set deals with stories that don’t have a happy ending and feel more realistic. The stories are shorter, which also affects their appeal. 

• The Mask of Pretence – 2 Stars (reads like a TV drama) 

• The Perfect Abode – 3.5 Stars (painful premise, but the emotions just don’t hit the way they should) 

• My Knight in White – 3.5 Stars (needed better exploration; too much packed into a small word count) 

• Great Things in Life – 2.5 Stars (packs too much, which dilutes the core point) 

• The Nothingness of Being – 3.5 Stars (sensitive topic dealt with care, but needed a little more depth) 

Love Comes in All Hues

In the final set, we have stories dealing with love as the central theme. Of course, these aren’t love stories but have love in various forms (or hues, as mentioned in the title). A couple of them are too short to inspire emotion, though they deal with heartwarming themes. 

• The Consent – 4 Stars (regular family drama but well-presented and sensitive) 

• The Wedding Dance – 2.5 Stars (could have been ‘aww’ but ends up ‘meh’)

• Purchased Love – 4 Stars (uses stereotypes but breaks them too; neatly done) 

• Everything Different About Me – 3.5 Stars (needs a little more emotion though the intent is evident) 

• A Matter of Her Identity – 3.5 Stars (self-love and identity; this could have been a wee bit longer) 

As you can see, most stories fall into the 3.5 range, which sums up the book perfectly. It’s a decent collection but nothing spectacular. I can already feel them fading from my memory. 

The stories were submissions for writing events hosted by different platforms. That could be one reason for the overall average feel, though they have been reworked before compilation. Another round of editing would have helped. 

To summarize, Twisted Tales and Turns is an enjoyable collection if you want to finish a book in a day. It will work better for beginner readers who want something easy but with a touch of everything. 

Thank you, Blogchatter and author Smith Das Jain, for the digital copy of the book. This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

You can buy Twisted Tales and Turns: A Journey through the Unexpected on Amazon. It is available as a Kindle version and paperback. 

A Lady's Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin - Book Review

Series: A Lady’s Guide #2 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 11th July 2023

Genre: Regency Romance 

3.5 Stars 

One Liner: A decent entertainer 

A shy Eliza Balfour got married to Earl of Somerset, twenty-five years her senior. Almost a decade ago, it was the match of the season, even if Eliza didn’t gain much from it. 

Now, a widow with no child, Eliza is rich and free, thanks to her dead husband’s will (never mind the morality clause). Determined to enjoy her new-found freedom, she travels to Bath with her cousin Margaret and has the time of her life. 

However, the news reaches the current Lord Somerset, a young man she knew as a debutante. Soon, she realizes that her freedom has come with strings attached, and she could lose it all if things went out of control. But should she resist the opportunities that come her way? 

The story comes from Eliza’s third-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

How you like this book will depend on a few elements – whether or not you read Persuasion, your opinion on love triangles, your tolerance levels for a mousy heroine, and how good you are with rushed endings. 

For me, it was a mixed read as I did not read Persuasion and didn’t compare the books. I also didn’t compare this book to any other historical novels, which made it easy to read the book for what it is. I don’t like love triangles, and things are a bit tricky here (more on this next). The heroine's 50-50 for me, and I dislike rushed endings. 

First, good things – The writing style is easy to read. It is light with the right touch of depth expected (based on the cover). Even the tough topics are handled with a certain ease, which keeps the overall tone lighthearted. 

The book has good humor and strong second leads (Margaret and Lady Caroline). Sometimes, they outshine the FMC, which, I think, is intentional to show her growth from a demure pushover to an assertive woman. 

Melville is an interesting character. I liked him a lot (and not just because he is half-Indian). I wish he could have been explored in depth, though we see glimpses of it. 

The racism is well done. Must say I’m glad it has not been whitewashed in the name of bringing ‘diversity’ to a book. They never liked us (and many others), and there’s no reason to pretend otherwise. 

There's a mandatory LGBT+ track too. It's done well and doesn't take over the main plot, so that's fine. 

Now, we move on to the not-so-good aspects of the book. The pacing is uneven. The first half takes too much to establish the premise. The last quarter packs so much that events trip over each other. The reader doesn’t even get the satisfaction of seeing the couple together before the book ends. And there is NO epilogue. WHY? (I would have rounded the rating to 4 stars if there was an epilogue.) 

The ‘love triangle’ is there, yet not really there. This one had so much potential, but the whole thing is rushed, and Eliza’s thought process just doesn’t make the impact it should. Some of it might border on cheating, but I wouldn’t call it that, either. Still, I wish it was better written. It could have been. 

Anyway, I never liked that guy and couldn’t see why Eliza was well… so sure of it until she wasn’t. This forms the crux of the plot. Unfortunately, it doesn’t get enough space. Let Eliza explore her feelings in detail. Let her interactions with parties play in her mind. Let her realize things without the next event breathing down her neck. 

Despite everything, the book is pretty quick to read, and I approve of Eliza’s choice. Of course, the other option wasn’t even an option considering the developments afterward, but they are justifications to prove her right. There was this one point Eliza knew who/ what she wanted. 

To summarize, A Lady's Guide to Scandal is a decent read and a quick entertainer with a bit of family drama, personal growth, love interests, and some twisty reveals at the end. It is a complete standalone too. 

Thank you, NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Books, for the eARC.  

#ALadysGuidetoScandal #NetGalley

The Last List of Mabel Beaumont by Laura Pearson - Book Review

Publication Date: 04th August 2023

Genre: Women’s Fiction 

4 Stars 

One Liner: Heartwarming (a little slow) 

Mabel Beaumont and Arthur have lived sixty years of their lives together. When Arthur doesn’t wake up one morning, Mabel feels overwhelmed by the changes. Being all alone at eighty-six is not easy. However, when she comes across one of Arthur’s lists with a single task – Find D, she decides to complete it for him and herself. 

Dot was her friend, one of the four in the group, with Mabel, Arthur, and Bill (Mable’s dead brother). Dot left without a word more than six decades ago, and no one knows if she is even alive. As Mabel tries to find her, she realizes that she needs to do a lot more than search for a friend. 

Along the way, Mabel makes friends with women of different ages, dealing with their own issues. Can she go through the past and accept the secrets she hid? After all, it could be her last chance to find happiness and peace. 

The story comes from Mabel’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

The book almost lives up to the cover and the beautiful premise. It is a story of love, loss, friendships, relationships, bonding, learning, acceptance, and being brave enough to go after what you want. 

The story begins with a sample of how Mabel and Arthur live and have lived for most of their married life. Right away, Mabel’s thoughts hint at things outsiders don’t see in a relationship. 

The pattern continues throughout, which is an advantage and a disadvantage. Mabel doesn’t reveal the details she doesn’t want to acknowledge. This means we keep trying to connect the dots until she is ready to share (at the end). 

I love how Mabel’s arc develops as she meets different women and comes to terms with the past and present. She starts off as a closed person who likes to play it safe and stay away from others. Yet, with Arthur’s absence, she begins to crave some company. Fortunately, she has Julie - the temporary caregiver, Erin - a teenage girl she meets at the supermarket, Patty - a lively dance instructor, and Kristy - Patty’s neighbor and dog lover. 

Olly is Mabel’s dog, or rather, Arthur’s dog, which doesn’t like people. It’s great to see how Mabel and Olly’s bonding is presented. It’s different from what one would expect, making it even more real. Furthermore, Mabel's lack of desire for children adds another layer to her character. It's refreshing to see a woman from her era defy the norms of having kids. 

The side characters are well-developed. Everyone has flaws and makes mistakes. It’s heartwarming to see women from different age groups and backgrounds come together and form a bond. They all have issues to deal with. Of course, things get worse when Mabel tries to ‘help’, but they learn and sort out. 

While the actual reveal, as such, is a common trope, the execution is effective and elegant. I would have preferred another approach to lead to the reveal (the current one leaves me with a couple of questions).

The narration is slow and steady, which suits the premise. It cannot be rushed. However, it’s not so slow or boring. Things do happen, to the side characters, if not to Mabel, and she invariably becomes a part of it. 

To summarize, The Last List of Mabel Beaumont is much more than finding a person or reconnecting with lost old friends. It is a story exploring different kinds of love and how the right friends enrich our lives. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #TheLastListofMabelBeaumont

***

P.S.: Note that the book can be a little heavy with different kinds of grief and longing. It has some lighter moments, but the overall heaviness lingers throughout. 

Murder in Siena by T.A. Williams - Book Review

Series: Armstrong and Oscar Cozy Mysteries #4 

Publication Date: 01st August 2023

3.8 Stars 

One Liner: Great setting and food; okayish mystery 

Dam Armstrong and Oliver are back in action, this time, with Anna, Dan’s girlfriend, to add to the team. Dan and Anna (with Virgilio and his wife Lina) plan a trip to Tuscany for a weekend after the successful launch of his first book (in the UK). The historic city of Siena promises relaxation and fun. However, a mutilated body is discovered in the hotel gardens, and Dan and Virgilio get involved in the investigation. 

With rumors about wolves in the region, Dan realizes that the killer is clever enough to divert the blame (if they are indeed human). This puts Oliver at greater risk, and Dan needs to step in and solve the case before things get out of hand. 

The story comes in Dan’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

This is the fourth installment in the series and pretty much as enjoyable as the previous ones. Though it works as a standalone, the subplots are integral to the central mystery and will be enhanced if you know the entire backstory. That said, there is enough information to fill the blanks. 

The setting is a treat to read (which is the specialty of this series). This time, we explore Siena and the nearby historical structures in Tuscany. The hotel, the ruins, the streets, hills, farms, etc., come alive on the pages. However, it never gets boring or too much. 

Food is another highlight of the series. There are many lunch and dinner scenes with the menu listed in detail. Dan enjoys talking about (Italian) food. 

The mystery starts well, and despite the endless list of suspects, it’s easy enough to track who is who. Dan’s method of tagging and categorizing suspects simplifies things, even if it doesn’t always sound good. The case drags in the middle and picks up toward the last quarter. However, the solution makes sense (got to pay attention to the bits scattered around). The elements may be convoluted, but the actual mystery is simple. 

As always, Oscar is more than Dan’s cute Labrador. He finds clues and helps with the investigation even without meaning to. And Oscar is so adorable that no one can resist his charm! 

We also see some extreme reactions to wolves from different people. They range from one end to another, and surprisingly someone with strong options display a balanced perspective. While this is well done, I’m a little disappointed that Reiner’s track doesn’t exactly add to the plot. This hasn’t happened before in the series. I hope it will continue in the next book (there’s a lead, so maybe…). 

Now that Dan and Anna are going strong, we see how Chief Inspector Virgilio and his wife handle their marriage. Can Dan help them, given he was in the same position a few years ago? 

There is quite a bit of repetition in this copy (ARC). I hope it will be edited out before the release. 

To summarize, Murder in Siena is a good continuation of the series and presents a delightful combination of food, virtual sightseeing, mystery, and wolves. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for the eARC. 

#NetGalley #MurderinSiena

Murder in Myrtle Bay by Isobel Blackthorn - Book Review - Blog Tour

 Murder in Myrtle Bay

Author: Isobel Blackthorn

Series: Ruth Final Mysteries #1 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 4th July 2022

Publisher: Next Chapter

Format: Digital Copy

Page Count: 288 pages (83K words)

Price: $2.99 for Kindle Version

Genre: Contemporary Cozy Mystery

Book Synopsis

When feature writer Ruth Finlay and her elderlyneighbor Doris Cleaver visit an antique and collectibles market in the smalltown of Myrtle Bay, they get a lot more than they bargained for.

After Ruth’s old tennis coach is found dead, theydiscover that there’s no lack of people who harbor a grudge against the victim,and a tangled web of family ties and lies begins to unravel. But can Ruth andDoris find the killer in time to avert a second murder?

A quirky feel-good mystery laced with intrigue,Murder in Myrtle Bay is the first book in Isobel Blackthorn’s ‘Ruth FinlayMysteries’ series. Set in small-town Australia, it is a sure pick for any fanof classic whodunits and cozy mysteries!

Book Review

3.5 Stars 

One Liner: Decent cozy mystery 

Ruth Finlay, a feature writer, and her seniorneighbor, Doris Cleaver, visit the local antique store. They come across adying man, Ruth’s old tennis coach, and are stunned to see that someone killedhim. The duo decides to investigate the case but realizes that the small townmanaged to give them way too many suspects. 

Undeterred by the developments (or the lack ofthem), Ruth and Doris spend the next few days digging, debating, anddiscovering details that led to the murder. Can the duo catch the killer beforethere’s another death in Myrtle Bay? 

The story comes from Ruth Finlay’s first-personPOV. 

My Thoughts 

This is the first book (standalone) in the seriesset in a Southern coastal town in Australia. As expected, the book divides timebetween character development and the central mystery. It sets the stage forthe series to take off in the subsequent books. 

Ruth and Doris share a warm friendship. I like howit is very realistic, with minor disagreements and differences of opinion. Bothwomen have strong personalities, though Doris tops the list with hertoo-definite views in some aspects. The flaws add to their characterdevelopment, though I wish the narration was in the third-person POV to give usa glimpse into Doris’ thought process. 

The timeline is contemporary, around the 2000s, buthas an old-world feel. While I struggled a little to align the two, I could seehow it helped define the town and its people. It’s a small town anyway, so wecan expect some older stuff to be a natural part of it. 

Ruth and Doris have their preconceived notions aboutpeople (can’t help it in a small town setting). And both take time to acceptinformation or consider details that don’t align with their opinions. However,they work towards the end goal of solving the crime. I wouldn’t call this anegative. After all, that’s how people react in real life.

I have to mention the food in this book. Ruth is afab cook and enjoys it too. We see her cooking multiple times, and the dessertsmade my mouth water. Yum! I also like how Doris is not the typical olderneighbor who likes to feed her younger friend. Ruth is the one in charge ofcooking and timely meals. Ruth also juggles too many things, and I could feelher exhaustion.  

I like the setting and began to enjoy its sort oferratic climate. It takes a while to visualize Myrtle Bay, but I did enjoy theprocess of discovering it, even if I don’t like being termed ‘geographicallychallenged’ for not knowing it rains in the region during October. I have noreason to know that! 

The mystery, as such, is decent. We have manysuspects and a few red herrings and slight twists. However, I don’t like how amajor development (reveal) is done. It is a coincidence rather than a logicalsolution because of the sleuthing duo’s efforts (doesn’t help that they admitit). However, the ending is detailed and ticks off each issue one by one. Thisis well done without rushing through a multi-page explanation.

My biggest issue is with the pacing. The book feelslong and slow despite being less than 300 pages. It takes time to understandthe character dynamics during the initial pages. This further reduced thereading pace as I had to re-read a few paragraphs to understand who, what, andwhy. 

There are many characters (active and mentioned) inthe book. Most of them are also interrelated to each other. The whole thing canbe confusing unless you want to draw a family tree. Just wing it like I did andgo with the flow. Details will make sense along the way. 

To summarize, Murder in Myrtle Bay is a goodintroduction to a new cozy mystery series with an uncommon sleuthing pair. Ittakes some time, but the characters will grow on you. My best wished for therest of the series. 

My thanks to the author and Coffee and Thorn for theeARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about thebook. 

***

About Isobel Blackthorn

Isobel Blackthorn is an award-winning author of unique and engaging fiction. She writes gripping mysteries, historical fiction and dark psychological thrillers. Her Canary Islands collection begins with The Drago Tree and includes A Matter of Latitude, Clarissa’s Warning and A Prison in the Sun. Her interest in the occult is explored in The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A. Bailey and the dark mystery A Perfect Square. 

Her dark thriller The Cabin Sessions was nominatedfor the Bram Stoker Award 2018 and the Ditmar Awards 2018. Isobel’sbiographical short story ‘Nothing to Declare’ which forms the first chapter ofEmma’s Tapestry was shortlisted for the Ada Cambridge Prose Prize 2019.  A Prison in the Sun was shortlisted in theLGBTQ category of the Readers’ Favorite Book Awards 2020 and the InternationalBook Awards 2021. And The Unlikely Occultist: A biographical novel of Alice A.Bailey received an Honorable Mention in the 2021 Reader’s Favorite Book Awards.

Isobel writes nonfiction too. She is the author ofthe world’s only biography of Theosophist and mother of the New Age movementAlice Bailey – Alice A. Bailey: Life & Legacy.

Isobel’s first work, which she wrote in 2008, isVoltaire’s Garden. This memoir is set in the mid 2000s and tells the story ofbuilding a sustainable lifestyle B&B in Cobargo on the south coast of NewSouth Wales, Australia, which gained international attention when a firestormrazed the idyllic historic village on New Year’s Eve 2019.

Isobel’s writing appears in journals and websitesaround the world, including Esoteric Quarterly, New Dawn Magazine, Paranoia,Mused Literary Review, Trip Fiction, Backhand Stories, Fictive Dream and OnLine Opinion. Isobel was a judge for the Shadow Awards 2020 long fictioncategory. Her book reviews have appeared in New Dawn Magazine, EsotericQuarterly, Shiny New Books, Sisters in Crime, Australian Women Writers, TripFiction and Newtown Review of Books.

Isobel’s interests are many and varied. She has along-standing association with the Canary Islands, having lived in Lanzarote inthe late 1980s. A humanitarian and campaigner for social justice, in 1999Isobel founded the internationally acclaimed Ghana Link, uniting two highschools, one a relatively privileged state school located in the heart ofEngland, the other a materially impoverished school in a remote part of theUpper Volta region of Ghana, West Africa.

Isobel has a background in Western Esotericism. Sheholds 1st Class Honours in Social Studies, and a PhD from the University ofWestern Sydney for her ground-breaking research on the works of Alice A. Bailey.After working as a teacher, market trader and PA to a literary agent, shearrived at writing in her forties, and her stories are as diverse andintriguing as her life has been.

Isobel has performed her literary works at events ina range of settings and given workshops in creative writing.

British by birth, Isobel entered this world inFarnborough, Kent, She has lived in England, Australia, Spain and the CanaryIslands.

Website: https://isobelblackthorn.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IBlackthorn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/isobelblackthorn/

***

Links to the Book 

Amazon (US) (Hardback): https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Myrtle-Ruth-Finlay-Mysteries/dp/4824144493

Amazon (US) (Kindle): https://www.amazon.com/Murder-Myrtle-Ruth-Finlay-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0B5VRZX2Q

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62210711-murder-in-myrtle-bay

***

This has been a pitstopon the #MurderinMyrtleBay blog tour conducted by Coffee and Thorn(Instagram).Thank you for stopping by! 

Together in Lilacwell by Sasha Morgan - Book Review

Series: Lilacwell Village #3 (Standalone)

Publication Date: 03rd August 2023

Genre: Contemporary Small Town Romance 

3 Stars 

One Liner: Mismatched expectations and styles 

Note: This book is the last in the series. So the author tried to complete the tracks pending from the previous two books to provide a rounded and satisfactory ending to the series. However, this crucial information is missing from the blurb. 

***

Eva decides to start fresh and invest in her pottery career after a miscarriage and breakup with an unresponsive and selfish boyfriend. This decision takes her to Lilacwell, a gorgeous small town a few hours away from her home. She meets the mysterious Fitz, the local carpenter with handsome features and a possibly hidden past. 

Fitz feels instant attraction towards Eva but needs to face his past before he can move ahead with her and get into a relationship. They need to help each other to find their HEA. Of course, the local community is more than happy to provide the necessary support. 

We also get detailed insights into the lives of others and how some of them make the most important decisions of their lives. 

The story comes in the third-person POV of multiple characters.

My Thoughts: 

I’m always up for sweet small-town romance with adorable covers. Just look how beautiful it is! The premise is sweet too, and so are most of the characters. 

I didn’t know this was a series when I requested it. Of course, that wasn’t really an issue. We get enough backstory to know what had happened in the previous books. However, I’m not sure if this book belongs to the central couple or all of Lilacwell. 

There are multiple tracks, each dedicated to different couples. The ones from books #1 and #2 have a lot of space in this one. Other characters also get their POVs, which makes it more of a community book (needless to say, I didn’t expect this and didn’t know why until I read the author’s note at the end. By then, it was too late.). Soon, I adjusted my expectations. 

The book introduces a character and provides their backstory before moving on with the story. While it helped the main characters, it felt a little too much for the side characters. Of course, it’s hard to say who the side characters are, as many get equal importance. 

The writing is easy enough to read. The book begins with Eva’s story, which makes a strong impact. Unfortunately, the others don’t feel the same (even Fitz’s story pales despite being poignant). 

My biggest issue is with the execution and timeline. Instant attraction is fine, but the rest of it feels surreal. I couldn’t connect with how Eva and Fitz’s relationship progresses. That’s because the bonding between them happens off-page and has to be assumed. The story begins when a side character is in her first trimester and ends when her baby is three months old. The issue isn’t with the time but how it jumps every few weeks and months, summarizing the most vital part of the lead couple’s relationship. 

With such a tender premise, the book could have a tear-jerker or a heartwarming romance where two wounded souls come together and heal each other. Here, it’s pretty much on the surface. I think this is a case of mismatched reading and writing styles. The author’s writing style didn’t work for me. So I’d say this is a case of ‘not you, it’s me’. Readers of the series are likely to love this book.  

To summarize, Together in Lilacwell is a rounded conclusion to the series and should be read in order if you want the right feel of it. It is a sweet and cozy romance with minor issues that get resolved fast. It’s a quick read, too. A good summer book. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Canelo Escape, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #TogetherinLilacwell

Grimm Machinations by Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Greg Schauer (Editors) - Book Review

Publication Date: 01 August 2023

Genre: Fairytale Retellings, Multi-Author Anthology, Steampunk 

4 Stars 

One Liner: An entertaining collection 

Grimm Machinations is a collection of fairytale retellings with a steampunk/ gaslamp twist to the original. Each story is written by a different author, offering varied styles and themes. 

Those who enjoy this subgenre will find the stories more appealing. Though I haven’t read Steampunk, I do like the concept and enjoy new takes on well-known fairytales. 

As with every anthology, some stories are wonderful, while some are good, and some are okayish. Here’s a brief review of each retelling. 

The Souls of Misbehaved Boys by James Chambers – 3.5 Stars 

This is a retelling of Pinocchio. The atmosphere is spot on. The storyline has merit but feels rushed, with a few missing links. This could be because I barely remember the original, but even a retelling has to stand on its own. Maybe a slightly longer version would have helped. The steampunk twist, blending machines and magic is very well done. I enjoyed those bits. 

The Fox and the Clockwork Bird by Jeff Young – 4 Stars 

This is a retelling of The Wonderful Bird (adding a link as I read three versions before finding the actual one). This one is deftly done and reads exactly like a fairytale. It has a fox addressed as ‘they’, a kingdom in an industrial era where everyone wears masks, and a clever queen ruling the land. The story length is just right, provides the necessary information without going overboard, and has a smooth ending. 

Three Days of the Cuckoo by Bernie Mojzes – 4 Stars 

This story is a retelling of The Elves and the Shoemaker and combines steampunk, Elves, social commentary, etc. The storyline is strong and reads great until the last part. Then, it feels a little rushed, as if the ending needs to fit within a word limit. Yet, I love Lucia’s arc and the hopeful ending, different from how fairytales normally conclude. I’d have liked a little more description, but the writing is easy to follow. 

The Porcelain Princess by David Lee Summers – 4 Stars 

This story is based on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. With the Snow White automation (that has a real heart), the dwarves as engineers, and the queen as an alchemist, the retelling is near perfect in presenting the original in a steampunk setting. The plot is elaborate but compact and has all the crucial elements with enough freshness to make for an entertaining read. 

The Pipes Are Calling by Patrick Thomas – 4 Stars 

As you might have guessed, this is a retelling of the Pied Piper. However, it comes from the POV of Spellpunk Grimstone, an earthling kidnapped and carried to a steampunk planet with airships and cool devices. But the sadistic Baron Rory was a pain. The plot blends the original with an innovative extension full of adventures and wit. I like the premise and the execution, even if the world-building is lacking. 

The Binding Clause by Cynthia Radthorne – 4.5 Stars 

This story is loosely based on Rumpelstiltskin. We have Emily, the only woman engineer in the steampunk city, working a boring and dangerous job for peanuts. She is excited when she gets an offer worth her caliber, but the warning bells in her head when signing the contract ring for a reason. So how does Emily outwit the other person? The setting is well-described without going overboard. The pacing is steady, and the ending is perfect. 

The Six Clockwork Swans by Christine Norris – 4.5 Stars 

This retelling of The Six Swans uses the original premise and recreates it in the steampunk setting. Kadie has to make six music box machinations to free her six older brothers of their curse. Her husband, Daniel, is a duke, and his mom is an evil mother-in-law. The story has a lot of ‘tell’ but combines it with enough descriptions to make the setting and characters come alive. The fairytale feel is intact and creates a great atmosphere. 

Daniel becomes David at one point (I hope the error will be corrected in the final version). 

Dress for the Occasion by Gordon Linzner – 3 Stars 

This is a gender-reversed retelling of Emperor’s New Clothes. Maxine Minuchi takes over after her father’s death but is a terror to deal with. Rosa and Blanche are tailors who promise her the best dress ever seen in the history of the world. You can guess how it goes! I loved the idea of the gender reversal for the main characters. However, the plot doesn’t really offer anything else. The steampunk setting is a bare minimum and doesn’t even register its presence. 

Ala al-Din and the Cave of Wonders by Danielle Ackley-McPhail – 3 Stars

This is a retelling of the Aladdin and the Lamp. Ala al-Din has a physical disability (his right hand is cut off at the wrist), which puts him at a disadvantage until a man claiming to be his uncle comes to bring a drastic change. The plot is true to the original and tries to recreate the same magic with mechanical birds and artful clocks. However, it doesn’t fully succeed in its attempt. It was interesting but not enough to wow me. (Also, I zoned out thrice in the beginning, which is never a good sign.) 

Heart of Stone by Michelle D. Sonnier – 4 Stars 

This is a retelling of the Stone Soup set in France in 1872. Lyse de Montre is a technomancer, an earth witch, without riches or backing. The Council provided her with basic skill training, but she needed to pay back the debt. Lyse took jobs, traveling from one town to another and completing her mission to earn a living. She needs to succeed in the Dambach-la-Ville mission or risk her life. The story is creative and provides a detailed backstory for the MC. I like how it uses the theme of Stone Soup in the steampunk setting. However, the climax feels rushed. Though it is heartwarming, the buildup is more than the main element. 

As you can see, 7 out of 10 stories get a 4(+) rating. The collection can be read over a few days or at a time as they don’t feel repetitive. The author’s bios are at the end of the book. I wish there was an editor/ compiler’s note too.

To summarize, Grim Machinations is entertaining, creative, and fun take on fairytales. Most stories stay true to the original (which is mentioned right under the title) in some way or another. Grab this if you enjoy retelling with a good dose of gears, bolts, and machinations. ;) 

Thank you, NetGalley and eSpec Books, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #GrimMachinations 

The Witch Hitch by Elizabeth Bass - Book Review

Series: A Cupcake Coven Romance #2 (Standalone) 

Publication Date: 25th July 2023

Genre: Contemporary Witchy Romance

3.3 Stars 

One Liner: Okayish; got its moments 

*****

Bailey Tomlin’s life feels worse than a rollercoaster ride. She has to deal with her wedding preparations, her fiancé and his rich family, her adopted mother, the entry of her birth mother, a handsome stranger from 1930, and her newly active witchy magic. Thrown in a talking parrot to up the stakes. 

Phew! Bailey’s birth mother, Esme, is a witch and tells her that she, too, has powerful magic in her blood. Bailey knows she has to keep it a secret from her in-laws. However, that’s not the only thing she has to hide. Seton Atterbury from 1930 has entered the present time, no thanks to one of Esme’s time travels. Bailey wants to help him find a way back, but things get complicated too soon. Where will this lead to – disaster or HEA? 

The story comes from Bailey’s first-person POV. 

My Thoughts: 

After enjoying the first book in the series, I was excited to find book #2, though I couldn’t exactly determine who the characters are. Luckily, Gwen and Griz make an entry pretty soon, and then I remembered that Esme is their scary aunt. Bailey is Esme’s daughter with Odin, the one she had to give up for adoption. 

Also, this book works well as a standalone. Reading book one is not necessary as there’s enough info to understand the relationships between the recurring characters. Bailey’s story is quite independent and has no mention in the previous book (as far as I know). 

The premise promises fun, with a good dose of drama and magic (romance, too, of course). While the book is entertaining in bits and pieces, it doesn’t live up to its potential on the whole. The issue is with the character development, especially of our lead pair. Bailey just couldn’t make me feel for her. 

Django, Bailey’s parrot, is fun. His sassy comments and antics are good to read. The magic elements are also well-done and align with the theme. This magic is far from perfect. It’s messy and chaotic as the characters (except Esme) haven’t had magic for a long time. Gwen and the others are better now but not great. 

Wes, Madeline, Olivia, et al. are pretty much one-dimensional. There isn’t much to connect with them or even know them. I did feel a little bad for Wes, but with Mad in the picture, it’s hard to empathize with him fully. Healthy boundaries are essential in every relationship. 

Since the story comes from Bailey’s perspective, there isn’t enough to see others as anything more than cardboard cutouts. Furthermore, we pretty much know what will happen at the end. It’s evident from the premise (if you are a reader of this genre). Of course, I’d have liked it if Bailey did the right thing instead of justifying certain things. 

Unfortunately, the romance doesn’t click. With so many threads, there isn’t time for any organic growth. The whole thing feels rushed and chaotic (just like the rest of the book). As much as enjoy light reads, I do like some depth to do justice to the plot. Give them more time with each other, at least! 

Despite not finding it great, I still enjoyed the book and liked refreshing my memory about the core subplot. Looking forward to seeing where it goes next and how the family can clear their name. Tannith gets her due yet again, though she’ll be back, intent on vengeance. 

To summarize, The Witch Hitch is a lighthearted witchy romcom with some interesting moments. It deals with a few themes like family, relationships, love, etc., but doesn’t have enough to provide a much-rounded story. 

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Books, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #TheWitchHitch

The Yogi Witch: Bloodlines and Legacies by Zorian Cross - Book Review

Publication Date: 20th June 2023

Genre: Contemporary Urban Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Indian, Coming of Age 

3 Stars 

One Liner: Great premise and potential; Average output 

*This review contains spoilers* 

Jai Gill is a yogi and a yoga trainer raised by a trio of witches. He captures and slays demons on the side, thanks to his family’s magical legacy. He falls in love with Vir, the boy who moves next door with his rich and influential family. 

However, the trouble is that Vir’s life is steeped in evil, and it could bring a lot more than heartbreak for Jai. It’s time for Jai to fully explore his magical powers and do what he must. 

The story comes from Jai’s first-person POV. 

What I Like: 

The premise is too good to resist. I loved the idea of a desi-witchy story with LGBTQ+ central characters. Fortunately, the book delivers on certain elements and makes it a worthy read. 

Jai’s voice is authentic and very well done. It aligns with his upbringing and age, making it easy to listen to his narration and empathize with him. The pop culture references and the allure of social media add depth to the MC. Jai’s character flaws (he’s quite judgmental) act in his favor and portray him as a realistic person. Jai is the book’s biggest strength (not a surprise as this seems to be a #OwnVoices book). 

Some side characters are well-developed and support the MC. They have to be strong since they train Jai to understand life and his quest. Even though Vir’s arc is much more limited, the other important characters establish themselves. 

The details about yoga are the real deal. After reading so many fake and diluted versions of what yoga is supposed to mean, it’s a relief to see the truer interpretations in this book. In fact, the author’s knowledge of the subjects is evident in many parts of the book (if only…). 

The pacing is slow in the beginning but picks up after the first 50-60 pages. The writing is easy enough to read and follow. I did enjoy some of the concepts and the interpretations. The overall plotting is pretty solid, even if the route is winded and long. 

What Could Have Been Better for Me: 

The story comes in two timelines. Jai begins at the present time (when he is almost twenty-one years old) and goes on to share detailed information about his childhood and events leading to his current situation. However, there is no clear marking between time jumps when they happen within the same chapter. This makes it hard to follow when the story is in the present and in the past. 

A lot of crucial information is revealed through dialogues. Despite the dialogue size being moderated with enough tags, it’s still like reading pages of conversation to stay up to date. This info dump is due to the single first-person POV, which makes it impossible for others to reveal their backstories in other ways (at least, we don’t have diary entries, so that’s a relief). 

One of the reasons for my interest in the book is the possibility of having an all-Indian witchy novel. I sure didn’t read one till now. However, given Jai’s parentage and his family’s lineage, most scenes in their house read like Western witchy cozy reads with itsy bitsy pieces of colonized gyan from Hindu scriptures.  

This book suffers from what I call the Excessive Knowledge Syndrome. The author has years of experience in Tarot, Kabbalah, Eastern and Western Schools of Mythology and Mysticism, and is a certified Ashtanga, Vinyasa, and Yin Yoga teacher. This means the book has information about all of it. We have an entire chapter dedicated to Major Arcana in Tarot (Hero’s Journey) and its comparison with the Super Mario game. Let’s say it adds nothing to the plot.

There are several fillers throughout the book. Some are interesting, and some are not. Even with immense interest in the subjects, I found the added details tiresome. Not sure how the general readers will feel. I won’t be surprised if they zoned out. I’d have preferred a toned-down version (and a larger font size in the print copy). 

As much as I love mysticism and et al, I don’t want my fiction to take a philosophical tone- definitely not on the first page. The prologue should have begun with the action and moved on to introspection about the spiritual & real world, Delhi, and stuff instead of a page and a half of theory. Luckily for me, the book improved to have enough action later on. 

There’s a lot of descriptive writing, which works for some scenes. However, it gets excessive in some places and weighs down the narration. Not sure who the target audiences are, but all that overall explanation makes me wonder if the global market is the aim. 

The climax started great, giving me high expectations for a wow scene. Of course, I jinxed myself and ended up with average stuff. There’s great potential. No denying that. It blends entities from different mythologies and creates a fab fight scene. However, the execution dampens the appeal. Also, one bit is directly borrowed from how Kali and Chandikaa kill Raktabija. Other readers may think it’s a sort of ode (didn’t work for me). 

What Didn’t Work for Me: 

(this section contains the elachis no one wants in their biryani) 

There’s a conversation in the book about how even excess of anything is not good. Then, there’s another about intentions. Ironically, both these aspects seem to have slipped through the cracks in certain aspects. 

First, stop using stories about gods to justify personal food choices. God Shiva accepting beef as nivedam (offering) doesn’t mean he wants us to eat the same. It means he will accept anything you give him with true devotion. There’s a story in Mahabharatha where a rishi eats bull’s dung on orders. It gives him temporary immortality and keeps him alive in a dangerous situation. Does it mean we bring dung to the dining table? Also, avoiding silk for silkworms when you want to enjoy meat doesn't look good. Animals surely don't volunteer to become human food! Do what you want, but don’t give unwanted gyan. 

Second, stop justifying religious conversions in the name of love. How is it that love doesn’t have religion, but nikah does? Why it’s patriarchal for women to change their surname post-marriage but absolutely okay to change their name, religion, and entire identity in ‘inter-faith’ relationships? Where is inter-faith when one party converts to the other’s religion? 

Third, trick-and-treat cannot be really compared to the tarpanam (black sesame seeds released with water in a ritual) given to ancestors during Pitru Paksha (we don’t offer the sesame seeds to living beings or share them with neighbors). It has similarities with Samhain (both are pagan practices), which has been misappropriated multiple times to become something it wasn’t (modern-day Halloween). 

Fourth, based on what I’ve read and enquired from others well-versed in history, the Hakenkreuz was already used in Germany before Hitler. It's there in the ancient Germanic heraldry with different names. So even though they know the swastika was used in India and Japan, they took it from what they thought was Pangermanism. (And what on earth is Indian mysticism even?) 

But why are we even discussing all these elements in this book? Well, refer to the point about excessive knowledge syndrome. These add almost nothing to the central plot but somehow had to be there. 

To summarize, The Yogi Witch is a decent work of desi fantasy with quite a bit of introspection, information, and some action. The queer voice is the highlight of the book. 

Looks like this could be a duology or a trilogy, so I hope the subsequent books have fewer fillers and more core action. 

Thank you, Blogchatter, author Zorian Cross, and publisher HarperCollins India, for a copy of the book. This review is powered by Blogchatter Book Review Program and contains my honest opinion about the book. 

You can buy the paperback of The Yogi Witch on Amazon. 

***

P.S.: Though the character falls in the YA-NA (young adult & new adult) category, the book is marked adult due to sexual content. A couple of scenes are gross. Steam level – 2.5.  

***

TW: Male rape (off-page), homophobia, abuse, and sex rituals (including necrophilia). 

Minor Disturbances at Grand Life Apartments by Hema Sukumar - Book Review

Publication Date: 27th July 2023

Genre: General Fiction, India 

4.3 Stars 

One Liner: Character-driven and a slice-of-life novel (a worthy debut) 

Grand Life Apartments is a middle-class apartment block in Chennai. With its beautiful gardens and open space, it is home to different people navigating various stages of their lives. 

Kamala is a widowed dentist and a typical middle-aged conservative woman whose daughter is studying at Oxford. She and her friend Sundu share a wonderful relationship. Revathi is a thirty-two-year-old working professional living on her own and dealing with her mother’s non-stop calls about getting married. Jason, the British chef, moved to India after a breakup with his girlfriend and hopes to restart his life in a new country. Mani is the owner of the apartments, an old man writing a book about the city. 

The residents lead parallel lives, which get entwined over time. And when a construction company threatens to tear apart their home, they may have to do more than passively move on from one day to another. 

The story comes from the limited third-person POV of Kamala, Revathi, and Jason, with a couple of chapters from Mani.  

My Thoughts: 

As always, I was hesitant and curious when I requested the book. (My reviews for India-based books begin with the same disclaimer). However, this one proved to be a good choice in many ways. 

This is a character-driven novel with no specific ending. It’s not something I like in my novels, but this book is an exception. The characters are based on their stereotypes but are rounded and complete. Their emotions, feelings, vulnerabilities, fears, decisions, etc., are realistic and align with their arcs. 

The exact period of the setting is not mentioned (trust me to read such books back-to-back). It seems to be around the early 2000s at the most (and definitely not after 2010). Fortunately, I could relate to it, given my nationality. 

The characters are your average people with personal issues trying to find ways to make their lives better, handle the changes around them, and still be hopeful about the future. These are the kind we see around. They could be us and our friends! 

The writing is easy to read and has some quirky metaphors. I’m not sure how the pacing will work for others, but for me, it went well. I could read at a steady pace and didn’t feel bored even when the plot was slow to progress. 

As such, there isn’t any plot. The central premise of the threat from the construction company is more of a subplot and is established only at the midway point. Even then, there is no action. We don’t see any drastic change in personalities or social activism. There’s more passivity than action. While it keeps the story realistic and true to life, it can also disappoint readers expecting something dramatic. My only issue was that the case gets resolved too easily (we know how the courts work). (Rewording the blurb to remove the focus from the threat would set better expectations.)

The setting, Chennai, comes alive on the pages. Though I haven’t been there, I know enough (and many Indian cities are similar, sans the beaches) about the buildings, weather, Saravana Bhavan, and food! 

Oh, man, the food in this one made me so hungry! I read after dinner, but the descriptions of my South Indian dishes made my tummy rumble in approval. Here, I’ll have to mention a scene where Jason makes jackfruit short beard and offers them to young Salim. The kiddo says, “Of all the things you can make with jackfruit, you choose to make biscuits?” (paraphrased), and I was like hi-fi dude, couldn’t have said it better. 

The side characters, Sundu (Soundavalli), Salim (this kid is going places, I tell you!), Mani, Reva’s mother, Karthik, and Lakshmi are also well-etched. Even though Reva’s mother is the most stereotypical character, there’s no exaggeration as such. That’s the only way she knows to express her concerns (generational conditioning, you could say). 

“…As she (Reva) brought up this reference with ease, she realised how much she knew about life in the UK from just reading the books that had filled the library in her school. She had pieced together clues along with Enid Blyton's intrepid investigators as a child, swooned in the countryside in the arms of Georgette Heyer as a teenager and, as recent as the month before, had inhabited the world woven by Zadie Smith for an entire weekend. She was certain that Jason would not have encountered as many stories from India and wondered, in a slightly alarmed manner, if his entire frame of reference for the country came from watching Slumdog Millionaire.”

Of course, Jason is an absolute sweetheart. He was neither an ‘eww… dirty Indians’ tourist nor an ‘oh, such potential for activism’ foreigner. 

I love that we don’t have any unwanted romance or love blooming between the characters. There is a possibility of it but things may or may not happen. There’s no attempt to force connections. Rather, how the characters come to know each other and become friends (despite their differences) feels very organic (and much like how things work in real life). 

To summarize, Minor Disturbances at Grand Life Apartments is a quiet and gentle book that celebrates middle-class Indians and their lives. If you want a book that shows a more human (and realistic) side of India, pick this one and go with the flow. 

Thank you, NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and Coronet, for the eARC.  

#NetGalley #MinorDisturbancesatGrandLifeApartments

***

P.S.: I admit I didn’t pay much attention to the cover until I finished the book. The details reflect the characters and the premise without being in the face. I love how artfully this is done.