Siavahda's Blog, page 16

Racing Feathered Dragons FTW: Windburn Whiplash by Matt Weber

Windburn Whiplash (Streets of Flame Quartet Book 2) by Matt Weber
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Brown bisexual MC of fictional minority; F/F; extremely minor nonbinary character
PoV: Third-person, past-tense
ISBN: 1960189026
Goodreads

It’s been six years since Zaya Shearwater lost her wife and her dragon in the most dangerous race in Yemareir. She’s retired from the dragon-racing circuit, supporting her family as a security guard on long-haul trade expeditions… until she comes back one night to discover that her newly adopted daughter, Vanako, has been dealing for a mob boss. Worse, she owes him a sky-high sum of money for lost product. And there’s not much he wouldn’t do – to Vanako, to Zaya, or to anyone in their family – to get it back.

Zaya doesn’t want to go back to the racing circuit. She doesn’t have a trained dragon, she doesn’t have anyone to ride with, and she thought she’d put those memories of pain and loss away. But even if she does ride again… after six years away from the scene, can she win what she needs in time to pay what she owes?

Windburn Whiplash is the first full-length novel in the Streets of Flame Quartet. Start with Brimstone Slipstream, the novella that opens the series, and keep an eye out for Heatstroke Heartbeat and Wildfire Riptide, forthcoming!

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~Central/South American setting
~with FEATHERED DRAGONS
~family is hard (but so worth it)
~illegal dragon-racing
~neon hair = queer
~Empaths Do It Better

:Although listed as book two, Windburn Whiplash is the first novel in the Streets of Flame series. The book listed as book one is a prequel novella, Brimstone Slipstream, set six years earlier. You don’t have to read it first, but it’s excellent, so why wouldn’t you?:

I dove right into this after finishing Brimstone Slipstream, the novella that introduces this series. And although Windburn Whiplash is very different – mostly because it’s a novel, not a novella framed as a journalist’s piece on an illegal sport – I was not disappointed!

Weber goes hard on the worldbuilding, but takes a very balanced approach to conveying it all to the reader. On the one hand, each chapter starts with an excerpt from a visitor’s guide to Yemareir (the city which is our setting), which give us quick rundowns on things like the various pharmaceuticals available, or the differences between dragon breeds, or the fucking demons. (Delightfully, the visitor’s guide is written by the same journalist who ‘wrote’ the article that is Brimstone Slipstream!) But most of what we learn from the excerpts is…fun-to-have info, but not necessary. The necessary stuff comes hard and fast and depends on the reader being alert and paying attention – little is explicitly explained; info-dumps simply do not exist here. For example, it might take you a while to realise that Zaya and most of her family are brown-skinned; it only really becomes clear in contrast to their one pale-skinned family member, or a brief description of one of the children as ‘rosewood’. (Alternatively, you can pick up the cultural coding, like the mentions of the haka, and conclude that Weber is not enough of an idiot to pull inspiration from Maori culture and give it to a fictional white group.)

This is basically my favourite approach to worldbuilding – one that rewards rereads and presumes readers don’t need to be spoon-fed – and I ate it up here with sprinkles. *chef’s kiss* It’s especially great because, reading this directly after finishing the ‘intro’ novella Brimstone Slipstream, I assumed I now knew everything I needed to know. Surprise! I did not; there was still plenty more to learn about this setting, and that there was more to learn plus what there was to learn delighted me endlessly!

Yemareir is a city in a Central/South American environs whose districts are each built around the ‘broodspires’ of different dragon breeds; different breeds reproduce at different intervals, so each district is out of commission (and unlivable) at different times every few years. The solution to this is surprisingly neat for a bureaucracy (although I bet it must have been such a hassle to set up!), and I won’t spoil it – but I will tell you that some of it depends on ancient, impossible-to-replicate magics that I really hope get explored more in future books! The dragons – wyrms – themselves remain incredible: feathered, often brightly-coloured, very interested in alcohol, and able to adapt physiologically to environmental pressures. (I cannot overstate how freaking cool this is, or how brilliantly dragon-racers take advantage of it!) And of course, we get to see a lot more dragon-racing in this book, including more of the individual races, each of which has a set ‘course’ with its own history, challenges, and perils.

Because even if the book opens with Zaya out of the game, obviously she’s getting dragged back into racing. Obviously. And although the blurb sounds fairly straightforward, things are actually pretty complicated: there’s the nature of Vanako’s adoption, for one, which leads to a lot of tension in Zaya’s home as the family divides on whether or not to keep Vanako around, and the reason Vanako was dealing at all is a mystery that winds through the entire book. A small subplot that grows more and more important is the ‘illness’ of Zaya’s son, who is – let’s call it haunted – by a demon that no one can do anything about, and which will kill him sooner or later in a horrific manner; he’s not a one-off, either, because being haunted in this fashion is a recognised, not-nearly-rare-enough condition, one so well-established there are even support groups. And not only does Zaya not own a dragon at the start of the book – which she’s going to have to rectify if she wants to race! – she also doesn’t have a partner, and a partner is mandatory if she wants to use her empathy-magic to win the way she and her deceased wife used to.

Yemareir is so believably complicated, as full of surprises and contradictions as a real city, and over and over again that was what struck me about Windburn Whiplash: it all feels so powerfully real, so easy to believe in. That we’re talking about a story packed full of dragons and demons and empaths doesn’t seem to matter; at no point did I ever feel that any part of this book was impossible, unrealistic, Too Much or Too Little. We have politics and social classes and traditions not everybody follows (because what tradition is universally followed or understood by those who follow it?), impossible magics that are taken for granted right alongside a police force I’d love to see defunded. And, vitally, we have characters who leap off the page; messy, complicated, brilliant characters, every single one of whom feels too real to be fictional, too true.

One of the consistently amazing things about this book was getting to see adults adulting – grown-ups who actually talk to each other, who admit when they fuck up and acknowledge when their emotions are being irrational. Who make mistakes, and often have to try things several times before getting it right. It’s not that Zaya and her family are perfectly evolved humans, but it made me so happy to see characters who stop and say ‘you know what, this isn’t your fault, I’m having a bad day, I apologise’, or ‘you’re right, that is what I was doing’, or ‘I know that’s not what you mean, but this is how it feels to me’. HI, THIS IS WONDERFUL, CAN I HAVE MORE OF THIS PLEASE??? And on a similar theme: found-family who actually get each other!!!

Cerminir turned without a word and walked to her mother’s pavilion.

Thelendil started after her; Zaya blocked him with an arm. “Leave her be,” she said. “Walking away isn’t telling you how serious she is, it’s managing how much stuff is in her brain. She needs to be in her own head to figure out what she’s feeling. If we try to make her do that while putting a bunch more stuff in her brain, she’ll just get more upset and take longer to recover.”

I mentioned in my review of Brimstone that, in Yemareir, found-family can become legal-family, and I was so happy that that was explored more in this book! House Shearwater, Zaya’s family, is made up of a bunch of people who aren’t blood-related, but who share a family name (Shearwater), live together, raise their children communally, and make decisions together. This isn’t the only House in the book, and some of the subplots touch on and explore the House system in ways that are clearly going to be a bigger deal in future books – but suffice to say, I love this. Like everything in Weber’s setting, it has its downsides (one of the reasons it all feels so believable is that every original concept/thing is used for good and for awfulness by someone) but, given how beloved the found-family trope is, I think many readers are going to adore a world that lets you make a legal family out of your found-, scavenged-, and upcycled-family! And the way Weber dives into what this means in practical terms, what it takes for people to live together like this, what family means and what is required to count as a family… It’s absolutely wonderful, and every bit as fascinating as the dragon-racing.

WHICH IS INDEED SERIOUSLY EPIC.

brought her back six years, to endless nights in bars with Kiriki and this man, when the skies had knelt to them.

It seems so freaking human that dragon-racing is completely illegal…and almost no one really cares. There’s a Standards Board! How can an illegal sport have a Standards Board?! Well, corruption, that’s how. And the politics of the racing – the changes that were brought in to stop Kayalim (poor, oppressed psychics descended from refugees) like Zaya and her wife from being able to compete, never mind being able to win… It’ll all make your blood boil, as it’s clearly supposed to – but the actual racing will set your blood on fire. Weber does a fantastic job at putting the reader in the rider’s seat, immersing us in the races, the flying and fighting and lightning-fast communication between Zaya and her dragon; you can all but feel the wind on your face. Obviously, a story about dragon-racing is an easy sell, but I had no idea how great the actual racing scenes were going to be – and the answer is, INCREDIBLE. I want to bury my face in a pillow and squee just THINKING about them. I PROMISE, THE DRAGON-RACING IS EVERY BIT AS FREAKING AWESOME AS IT SOUNDS!!!

Mercantalist colonizers like Transdesert are literally why we invented holes with poisoned stakes at the bottom.

I can’t get enough of this series: the world, the characters, the dragons, the racing, all the undercurrents and politics and magic and deliberate, defiant queerness. It’s so damn EXUBERANT, as if Weber decided to put everything and anything that brought him joy into these books – and even better, made it all work together. It’s brightly-coloured, glorious wish-fulfilment, without being pure escapism: this story has teeth, there’s pain and struggle and suffering in it, systemic injustice galore, behemoths too big to be taken down by a poor civilian (even with the best family ever at her back). That streak of grittiness anchors the rainbow, makes it real in a way it wouldn’t be if Weber had written it all as a cosy utopia; makes the bright colours more vivid by contrast.

I love it. Is that not obvious? And my gods, so will everyone else, if they just pick this up and start reading!

This series will blow you away – so quit sleeping on it!

The post Racing Feathered Dragons FTW: Windburn Whiplash by Matt Weber appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Must-Have Monday #215

Must-Have Monday is a feature highlighting which of the coming week’s new releases I’m excited for. It is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all books being published that week; only those I’m interested in out of those I’m aware of! The focus is diverse SFF, but other genres sneak in occasionally too.

NINE books this week, in what I think is the only big release day of December!

(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)

Infernal Bargains: Stories and Poems from the Deck of Destiny by C.S.E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Sci Fi
Published on: 3rd December 2024
Goodreads

What do a post-human starship captain, an actress of the macabre, a post-singularity revolutionary, and an exiled shapeshifter have in common? They are stories and poems that would never have been written without the “Deck of Destiny”: the grim yet playful centerpiece of the Negocios Infernales roleplaying game. But the Deck has a second vocation—to inspire artists, via its ghoulish wisdom and bloody sense of humor, to create.

The designers of Negocios Infernales, award-winning writers C. S. E. Cooney and Carlos Hernandez, have created new works based upon the Deck of Destiny, with all its fanged philosophies and macabre musings on display. Every story and poem of Infernal Bargains began by pulling one or more cards from the Deck and resulted in the satirical, sordid, somber, spirited, and very, very sanguine works you will find herein. Taken together, they compose the haunted menagerie that populates these two writers' deepest unconscious fears and desires—and, perhaps, your own.

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I am SO EXCITED for a collection that, from the sound of it, is all about Cooney and Hernandez leaving into their extravagant weirdness! Cooney’s one of my all-time favourite authors, and Hernandez is her husband with an excellent track record of his own, and a book that is the two of them together? YES PLEASE!

Sister Snake by Amanda Lee Koe
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Chinese MC, sapphic Chinese MC
Published on: 3rd December 2024
Goodreads

A glittering, bold, darkly funny novel about two sisters—one in New York, one in Singapore—who are bound by an ancient secret

Sisterhood is difficult for Su and Emerald. Su leads a sheltered, moneyed life as the picture-perfect wife of a conservative politician in Singapore. Emerald is a nihilistic sugar baby in New York, living from whim to whim and using her charms to make ends meet. But they share a once, they were snakes, basking under a full moon in Tang dynasty China.

A thousand years later, their mysterious history is the only thing still binding them together. When Emerald experiences a violent encounter in Central Park and Su boards the next flight to New York, the two reach a tenuous reconciliation for the first time in decades. Su convinces Emerald to move to Singapore so she can keep an eye on her—but she soon begins to worry that Emerald’s irrepressible behavior will out them both, in a sparkling, affluent city where everything runs like clockwork and any deviation from the norm is automatically suspect.

Razor-sharp, hilarious, and raw in emotion, Sister Snake explores chosen family, queerness, passing, and the struggle against conformity. Reimagining the Chinese folktale “The Legend of the White Snake,” this is a novel about being seen for who you are—and, ultimately, how to live free.

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I got a head’s up that this is apparently quite a bit heavier than it sounds? But I’m still very interested in an Adult retelling of the White Snake myth!

Rebel Blade (The Burnished City Book 3) by Davinia Evans
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: MLM MC, secondary nonbinary character, M/M
Published on: 3rd December 2024
Goodreads

From one of the most exciting new voices in fantasy comes the satisfying conclusion to Davinia Evans's wickedly entertaining debut trilogy full of monsters, mayhem, dangerous society ladies, and a dragon who holds the fate of the most famous alchemist of all in her claws.   

Siyon Velo has given magic back to the Mundane. But with it, monsters of myth have awoken to cause chaos in Bezim and--of course--everyone's blaming him. Hunted high and low, Siyon struggles against the rising tide of mystery, magic and mayhem threatening the city that's turned its back on him.

In the Flower District, Lady Sable has unleashed chaos. But in the Avenues, Anahid is desperate to keep her slippery secrets just a little longer, until Zagiri can join the froth and frippery of high society. With scandal stalking the sisters and revolution rumbling anew, the best--and the worst--they can do may not be enough to save their city...

The Alchemist must rise, or Bezim will burn.

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It’s the finale of the Burnished City trilogy! I’ve adored this series so far and I can’t wait to find out how it wraps up!!!

Ardent Violet and the Infinite Eye (The Starmetal Symphony Book 2) by Alex White
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Nonbinary MC, MLM MC
Published on: 3rd December 2024
Goodreads

In this new wide-screen space opera, humanity has met its match. An alien race of enormous robotic AI have destroyed most of humanity's outposts. But, on the eve of the Earth's destruction, a musician made one last desperate attempt to reach out and convince one of humanity's enemies to switch sides. Now, earth just might have a chance to survive...

A ragtag band of misfits is all that stands in the way between an army of giant mechas and humanity's total destruction in the second book of this big-hearted, technicolor space opera trilogy by one of the most exciting voices in science fiction, Alex White.

Ultra-glam enby pop star Ardent Violet thought they could catch a break and enjoy some time with their new boyfriend August Kitko after defeating the giant mechas hellbent on humanity's destruction. However, Ardent didn't count on their mecha allies summoning a host of extraterrestrials to defend Earth.

Between the diplomatic entanglements of the newly-arrived alien Coalition, and a mysterious all-powerful AI establishing a base within their solar system, there's no rest for the wicked.

When August makes a discovery that could turn the tide of the war, Ardent Violet finds they are back in the spotlight for an encore!

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I was a bit ambivalent about the first book in this series, but I’m hopeful about the sequel! The reveal about the Big Bad was such a jaw-dropper at the end of book one that I now have A WHOLE TON OF QUESTIONS THAT NEED ANSWERING!

Roland Rogers Isn't Dead Yet by Samantha Allen
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 3rd December 2024
Goodreads

One of Town & Country’s Best Ghost Books That Will Keep You Up All Night • One of Book Riot’s 2024 Books to Add to Your TBR • A Nerd Daily and LGBTQ Reads Most Anticipated Release

In this “unlikely romance for the ages” (Camryn Garrett), a ghostwriter is handed the gig of a lifetime, except there’s a catch: the client, a closeted A-list actor finally ready to come out in his memoir, is an actual ghost—and the sparks flying between the men are becoming a little too real . . .

Adam Gallagher has knocked on thousands of doors. An ex-Mormon and almost-famous memoirist, he is used to sharing his life story with strangers. But this day, this house, is different. For it belongs to none other than Roland Rogers: Hollywood Hunk, and soon to be author. Roland has a story to tell, a decades-old secret to spill, and he’s decided that Adam is just the guy to help him do it.

Except there’s a problem. Roland Rogers is dead. Not in the metaphysical realm—if he focuses, he can summon enough energy to communicate via the kitchen speaker—but certainly in the physical, and he needs Adam to pen his story before his body is found frozen beneath the avalanche of snow that squashed it. That means one month, a hundred thousand words, no breaks.

Ghostwriting is hard enough, let alone when you’re dealing with a real ghost, and so it isn’t long before Roland’s idea of what his book should be clashes with Adam’s vision for what it could be.But the clock is ticking, the ice melting. And as more truths are told, both men soon discover that this experience is less of a coming out, and more of a coming home . . .

The sophomore novel from the beloved author of Patricia Wants to Cuddle, Roland Rogers Isn’t Dead Yet is a witty and electric new rom-com for fans of Ashley Poston and Casey McQuiston.

“Everything I want in a queer romance.” —Marisa Crane, author of I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself

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I haven’t yet read Patricia Wants to Cuddle – this author’s previous book, which is high on my tbr! – but this sounds like so much fun? Absolutely ridiculous escapist ghost-romance. OKAY, WHY NOT? Right now, I am absolutely in the mood for this!

Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Genres: Adult, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MCs
Published on: 3rd December 2024
Goodreads

From the award-winning author of Our Wives Under the Sea, a speculative reimagining of King Lear, centering three sisters navigating queer love and loss in a drowning world

It’s been raining for a long time now, so long that the land has reshaped itself and arcane rituals and religions are creeping back into practice. Sisters Isla, Irene, and Agnes have not spoken in some time when their father dies. An architect as cruel as he was revered, his death offers an opportunity for the sisters to come together in a new way. In the grand glass house they grew up in, their father’s most famous creation, the sisters sort through the secrets and memories he left behind, until their fragile bond is shattered by a revelation in his will.

More estranged than ever, the sisters’ lives spin out of control: Irene’s relationship is straining at the seams; Isla’s ex-wife keeps calling; and cynical Agnes is falling in love for the first time. But something even more sinister might be unfolding, something related to their mother’s long-ago disappearance and the strangers who have always seemed unusually interested in the sisters’ lives. Soon, it becomes clear that the sisters have been chosen for a very particular purpose, one with shattering implications for their family and their imperiled world.

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Our Wives Under the Sea is another one I haven’t read which I really need to…but that does not stop me from eying Armfield’s next book! Because I am terrible, obviously. And because Private Rites has potential to be very interesting…

Keep It in the Dark by Justin Arnold
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, YA
Representation: M/M
Published on: 3rd December 2024
Goodreads

In this unashamedly queer, supernatural romance, Justin Arnold, author of Wicked Little Things, challenges the institutions that have sidelined queer love to the shadows, and brings it into the light.

Rowan Young knew where his life was heading.The headmaster’s son and golden boy of elite Vermont boarding school Mockingbird Prep, Rowan was set to inherit a legacy passed down through generations of forefathers.Until a strange new student arrives to derail those plans.

Casper Belamy didn’t ask to be a vampire.But now that he is one, all he wants is to travel the world looking for more of his kind.Before he can do that, he must accomplish an impossible task set forth by his adoptive family of vampiric royals: prove he can keep their kind safe and finish high school without being discovered.

If controlling his thirst wasn’t hard enough, he is forced to share a dorm with the headmaster’s son. And despite their instant dislike for one another, Casper can’t ignore the mouth-wateringly delicious scent of Rowan’s blood.

When bitter fights become late night rendez-vous, forbidden romance blossoms in the shadows. Facing a fearful world that would rather they stay hidden, Rowan and Casper contend with an onslaught of troubles: Rowan’s father is breathing down his neck, the safety of Casper’s new-found family is on his shoulders, and a secret society of slayers threatens to destroy everything.

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Vampire royals! It has been some time since I read anything with vampire royals, and the blurb of this one has me feeling nostalgic. Anyone else feeling it?

The Doppelgänger Queen (The Silver Fox Series Book 1) by K.N. Fitzwater
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MCs
Published on: 4th December 2024
Goodreads

Aramis Feres has failed.

Failed his friends on an expedition gone awry.

Failed to keep his marriage intact. Failed his city.

But what promises he couldn’t keep, he swears to rectify. Having unearthed a tome that can raise an army of ghouls, he finds himself surrounded by thieves and cutthroats—all vying for ownership of the book. After it is stolen by the last person he would have ever suspected, he must race to recover it before the ritual is completed by the insidious Doppelgänger Queen.

Witness the stunning inception of the Silver Fox a LGBTQ+, dark, high-fantasy adventure set in a far flung future. Perfect for D&D fans who want humor and horror in their next literary escape.

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I’ve heard almost nothing about this, so I only have the blurb to go on – but the blurb does sound potentially promising!

Point of Sighs: A Novel of Astreiant by Melissa Scott
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M, matriarchal queernorm setting
Published on: 5th December 2024
Goodreads

Magic, murder and danger in Astreiant.

Rumors are swirling among the boatmen that the Riverdeme, the ancient spirit of the river, once bound by the magic of the city's bridges, is back and hunting handsome young men. The broadsheets are full of dire predictions and Adjunct Point Nicolas Rathe has been handed a case that involves a murdered tea trader, a death that implicates a prominent merchant family in the crime. Philip Eslingen, now a captain in the City Guard, is assigned to assist him in navigating city politics and rivalry between the Points stations, as well as finding the killer. But there are tales from the riverside about extortion and violence and one murder follows another. Philip’s stars are bad for water and the Riverdeme is on the prowl…

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FINALLY! Point of Sighs is the last of the Astreiant series to be republished by Queen of Swords press – after this, the next book should be a brand-new novella, hopefully in January! I’ve been enjoying rereading these as QoS re-releases them, though – I’ve especially enjoyed the typos fixed from the earlier editions!

Will you be reading any of these? Did I miss any releases you think I should know about? Let me know!

The post Must-Have Monday #215 appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

In Short: November

This month’s been a rollercoaster; I was rejected for a job I really wanted and thought I was a perfect fit for, and the hubby and I chose a new apartment we’ll be moving to in the New Year. I’m a little sad to be leaving the area we’re currently in – we’ve been here about a decade – but it means massive savings for us AND an incredible yard for the dogs, and hopefully some excellent lifestyle changes for the cats and the lizard too.

ARCs Received

Strictly speaking, my copy of Moonstone Covenant is a finished copy, not an arc – but I was so happy to get it! Happily ensconced in it now. Six Wild Crowns is a debut from a new author that’s currently on my Unmissable list for next year; Drop of Corruption is the VERY EXCITING sequel to Tainted Cup, one of my favourites from this year; and Murder by Memory is Olivia Waite’s return to SFF, after an incredible historical romance trilogy!

Read

15 books read this month, five less than October. As in October, though, I mostly ended up rereading old favourites this month – nothing new really appealed, at least until I discovered Mat Weber’s Streets of Flame series (I am WILD to get to the next book!)

Highlights were Metal From Heaven (my fourth read of it!), Goblin Emperor, And All the Stars (easily my favourite first-contact story), my favourite Barbara Hambly novels, and the first two Street of Flames books!

Reviewed

So much for catching up on reviews this month! Sigh. Guess I shouldn’t hold my breath for being more productive in December… I’m pleased with what I did get written, though, especially my review of Windburn Whiplash (which goes live on Tuesday)!

DNF-ed

Ather DNFing 12 books in October, it’s a relief to only have five this month!

ARCs Outstanding

Still hoping to catch up to a few of these whose releases I missed…

Unmissable SFF Updates

I had to cut one book from my 2025 list – it’s not being published next year after all – but I got to add nine too! I’m now up to 63 books, and you know it’ll be much longer than that before we’re through…!

How did my predictions/anticipated reads for November go? I declared seven books Unmissable for this month, and–

four were DNFs (Interstellar Megachef, The Teller of Small Fortunes, The Lotus Empire, and Witch Queen of Redwinter)two I haven’t gotten to yet (The Legacy of Arniston House and I Am the Dark That Answers When You Call)one I’m currently reading (The Moonstone Covenant)

Which I think we can all agree counts as a massive fail of my prediction skills!

Misc

I’m very glad I started assembling my best of the year lists months ago! My favourite 2024 releases list is currently 24 books long, and probably won’t get much longer now. Very much looking forward to seeing everyone else’s lists!

Looking Forward

It’s December, of course there aren’t many releases next month! But Infernal Bargains and Rebel Blade are two I’m immensely looking forward to.

May we all have a delightful December!

The post In Short: November appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

November DNFs

FAR less DNFs than last month, which is a relief!

The Prince Without Sorrow (Obsidian Throne, #1) by Maithree Wijesekara
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Desi cast, gay MC
PoV: Third-person, past-tense; multiple PoVs
Published on: 18th March 2025
ISBN: 0063420562
Goodreads

Drawing on inspiration from the Mauryan Empire of Ancient India, debut author Maithree Wijesekara plunges readers into the first amazing book of the Obsidian Throne trilogy, a new fantasy series of hunted witches, romantic angst, and political intrigue. Perfect for fans of The Hurricane Wars and The Jasmine Throne.

A prince born into violence, seeking peace.

Prince Ashoka is the youngest son of the tyrannical Emperor Adil Maurya. Considered an outcast by his father for his rejection of the emperor’s brutal onslaught against the witches of the empire, Ashoka longs for change. When the sudden and unexpected death of his father leaves the monarchy in disarray, Ashoka is sent to govern a tumultuous region annexed by Emperor Adil that is terrorized by nature spirits—a task many see as doomed to fail. Suspected by a disdainful governor and evaded by distrustful witches, Ashoka must question his rigid ideals and fight against becoming the one person he despises the most—his father.

A witch shackled by pacifism, seeking revenge.

Shakti is a a witch bound by a pacifist code. After witnessing the murder of her aunt and village at the hands of the emperor, Shakti hurtles down a path of revenge, casting a curse with unexpected consequences. Posing as a maidservant in the famed palace of the Mauryas and armed with newfound powers beyond her imagination, Shakti attempts to dismantle the monarchy from within by having the royal progeny ruin themselves and turn their father’s legacy into nothing but ash.
In a world where nature spirits roam the land, and witches are hunted to extinction, Ashoka and Shakti will be forced to grapple with the consequences of to take it for themselves or risk losing it completely.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Hard nope, no thank you, not even maybe.

Reader, the following quotes are all taken from the prologue + first two chapters.

They were women who used their power to maintain peace, not sow seeds of destruction, it was their code, a mark of their livelihood.

A mark of their livelihood? A livelihood is a job. But you’re talking about witches, and in this story, being a witch is not a job, it’s just something you are. What is meant here is something like ‘philosophy’ or maybe ‘calling’, not ‘job’.

powers humans were wary of, and had kept an uneasy balance between fear and respect when it came to the mayakari.

What does this sentence mean? What are you saying? The powers of the mayakari (witches) keep an uneasy balance between fear and respect…when it comes to the mayakari? What are you talking about? I think you’re trying to say that the humans feel respect and fear, but the actual sentence you have written is nonsensical.

A round pink body atop a round head

…so it’s upside down? The body is on top of the head. That’s not how humanoids work. What is happening?

performing a simple kill equated to having the aptitude to conduct a complex one.

Sorry, a complex what? A complex kill? Does one ‘conduct’ a kill now? I’m deeply sceptical that one ‘performs’ a kill, but I’m willing to let that one go. But ‘conduct’? Also what do you mean, doing a simple version of a thing means you can do a complex version of it? What?

It didn’t stop Ashoka from viewing his father with contemptuousness.

Contempt. You can just say ‘contempt’.

To Emperor Adil, more power meant expansion.

I think you mean, expansion equals more power. More power equalling expansion doesn’t make sense without more of an explanation.

scores of iron ore

Scores of what? That’s not a thing. You can’t say ‘scores of ore’ for the same reason you can’t say ‘hundreds of ore’. An ore is not a unit of measurement!

minor disturbances where little was harmed as humanly possible.

‘As little’ was harmed as humanly possible.

Clearly his age was just an excuse. What a privilege to be father’s favourite.

Okay, I think the favourite comment is meant about Ashoka’s sibling, but it sounds like you’re saying Ashoka is the favourite and because of that his age is an excuse for something. ?

Once he was of age, his father would not be able to argue against royal decrees.

What royal decrees? Is there a law saying when he’s of age he can enter the councils? No? Then what are you talking about?

An innocent requires a cremation it didn’t deserve.

What you mean is: this innocent didn’t deserve to die.

What you’ve said is: this innocent didn’t deserve to be honoured for its death.

the scent of water buffalo lingered even after they had been taken in for the night by the farmers. Or perhaps it was their droppings; Shakti couldn’t tell. They smelled the same.

Tell me you’ve never been around livestock without telling me you’ve never been around livestock.

‘Slip, and you’ll be helping smelt my weapons this entire week.’

I’m pretty sure no one has ever said ‘this entire week’ this way. ‘You’re going to be doing chores for this entire week!’ No? No, because it sounds deeply incorrect, that’s not how people speak.

her penchant for explosiveness was difficult to set aside.

This is trying to talk about the character’s explosive temper, but that’s not what ‘penchant’ means. This makes it sound like she just likes exploding. Also, ‘explosiveness’ is deeply awful.

It doesn’t help at all that Ashoka’s a stuck-up twit and Shakti is unlikeable in a very boring way – and they’re both incredibly simplistic characters. Winged snakes can’t save this story, not for me!

The Lotus Empire (The Burning Kingdoms, #3) by Tasha Suri
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Desi cast, F/F
PoV: Third-person, past-tense; multiple PoVs
ISBN: B0CRTSNWNG
Goodreads

The Lotus Empire brings Tasha Suri’s acclaimed Burning Kingdoms trilogy to a heart–stopping close. As an ancient magic returns to Ahiranya and threatens its very foundations, Empress Malini and priestess Priya will stop at nothing to save their kingdoms—even if it means they must destroy each other.

Malini has claimed her rightful throne as the empress of Parijatdvipa, just as the nameless gods prophesied. Now, in order to gain the support of the priesthood who remain loyal to the fallen emperor, she must consider a terrible Claim her throne and burn in order to seal her legacy—or find another willing to take her place on the pyre.

Priya has survived the deathless waters and now their magic runs in her veins. But a mysterious yaksa with flowering eyes and a mouth of thorns lies beneath the waters. The yaksa promises protection for Ahiranya. But in exchange, she needs a sacrifice. And she's chosen Priya as the one to offer it.

Two women once entwined by fate now stand against each other. But when an ancient enemy rises to threaten their world, Priya and Malini will find themselves fighting together once more – to prevent their kingdoms, and their futures, from burning to ash.

Praise for the Burning Kingdoms Trilogy
“Will undoubtedly reshape the landscape of epic fantasy for years to come.” —Booklist, starred review
“Alluring, action-packed, and gut-wrenching.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
“More than lives up to the hype with its rich and expansive world, compelling characters, cool magic system and Suri’s excellent writing.” —BookPage, starred review

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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I’m appalled at myself, but…I just have no interest in finishing this.

Maybe I should have reread the rest of the trilogy before diving into Lotus Empire? Maybe? Except that didn’t seem like the issue – I had no problem remembering who was who and what was happening. But there’s no sense of urgency; a lot of POV switching that doesn’t really add anything to the story, and…nothing really happening for the entire first half of the book?

I’m not kidding: I made it to page 303 of 606 on my kindle, exactly 50%, and it all feels so…vague? Meh? Nothing’s happening, and it doesn’t feel like anything’s going to happen.

There’s a high possibility that the problem is me – my reading has been seriously wonky this month, it’s been a struggle to stay interested in any book. But at the moment, I don’t want to continue, and I don’t foresee picking Lotus Empire up a second time in the future.

Hammajang Luck: A Novel by Makana Yamamoto
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Nonbinary Hawaiian MC
PoV: First-person present-tense
Published on: 10th December 2024
ISBN: 0063430835
Goodreads

HAMMAJANG | adjective. Definition: In a disorderly or chaotic state; messed up. Chiefly in predicative use, esp. in all hammajang. Etymology: A borrowing from Hawaiian Pidgin. Source: Oxford English Dictionary.

Edie is done with crime. Eight years behind bars changes a person - costs them too much time with too many of the people who need them most.

And it's all Angel's fault. She sold Edie out in what should have been the greatest moment of their lives. Instead, Edie was shipped off to the icy prison planet spinning far below the soaring skybridges and neon catacombs of Kepler space station - of home - to spend the best part of a decade alone.

But then a chance for early parole appears out of nowhere and Edie steps into the pallid sunlight to find none other than Angel waiting - and she has an offer.

One last job. One last deal. One last target. The trillionaire tech god they failed to bring down last time. There's just one thing Edie needs to do - trust Angel again - which also happens to be the last thing Edie wants to do. What could possibly go all hammajang about this plan?

Ocean's 8 meets Blade Runner in this trail-blazing debut science fiction novel and swashbuckling love letter to Hawai'i about being forced to find a new home and striving to build a better one - unmissable for fans of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Not objectively bad in any way, just not for me. The prose is very quick and plain and direct, and the first-person narration isn’t to my taste. I was hoping to get swept up in the characters and worldbuilding even though I don’t usually like heist stories, but alas – no, I just don’t like heist stories. Which is of course not Yamamoto’s fault!

If you DO like heist stories, and the blurb sounds up your alley, I encourage you to look this one up! Because it seems like it’s going to hit all the usual heist high-points.

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Chinese-coded MC
PoV: Third-person, past-tense
ISBN: 0593815904
Goodreads

A wandering fortune teller finds an unexpected family in this warm and wonderful debut fantasy, perfect for readers of Travis Baldree and Sangu Mandanna.

Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells "small" fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences…

Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.

Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Pleasant enough, I guess, but pretty dull. None of the characters interested me, and neither did the stakes, which are so low and banal that I’m not sure how anyone is supposed to care. Even the missing child, objectively the most urgent problem that needs solving, completely lacks tension, and it’s possible to forget about her for long stretches of time, which…is not really how missing kids should work!

If I contrast this to something like Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst (also billed as cosy fantasy) – Spellshop has a snarky talking plant, lots of enchanting magical creatures (cloudbears, merhorses, winged cats), and the whimsy of opening and running a freaking jam shop, which is bizarre and also delightful. Teller has no equivalents to catch my interest, my sense of humour, or my desire for enchantment or whimsy. (The idea of a fortune teller of small fortunes has all of that, but then it becomes clear the MC can see ‘proper’ fortunes but doesn’t because angst, which is lame and boring.)

I mean, you can do a lot with low stakes, but Teller doesn’t. Even Legends and Lattes, which bored me senseless, had the intrinsically appealing cafe set-up and the creation of cinnamon rolls and the whole process of inventing different coffee drinks. That’s cute! The dichotomy of an orc barbarian opening a cafe is whimsical and interesting! But a fortune-teller angsting over her magic, wandering around with no goal at all, gathering up other randomers who each have only one defining characteristic…that’s not cute, it’s not whimsical, it’s not appealing. She doesn’t have problems the rest of us can empathise with. It’s incredibly boring.

Suffice to say, I don’t get the hype.

The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre by Darcy Ash
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Anorexic gay MC, M/M
PoV: First-person, past-tense; dual PoVs
Published on: 30th January 2025
ISBN: 1837864780
Goodreads

Prince Fierre has three big problems. He’s suffering from a mystery illness. He’s surrounded by lords who expect personal favours. And worst of all, he’s in love with his best friend, Aiven, a former farm boy and studious enforcer of rules, now right-hand to the prince.

Can Fierre heal himself, deal with the noblemen snapping about his ankles, and confront his desire for a man who has no noble blood… but a very noble heart?

Set in a Scottish-inspired world, The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre combines a happily-ever-after romance with a story of disordered eating and healing. Blending queer joy with glittering aesthetics, this fantasy explores what it means to learn to love yourself amidst the harshest strictures of diet culture. Perfect for fans of Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light and Foz Meadows’ A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, this book will have queer romance fans feverishly page-turning all the way to its triumphant and heated finale.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Hoo boy.

It’s a terrible sign when an adult first-person narrator refers to his arse as his ‘behind’ (page one) but what convinced me I didn’t want to keep reading was the nonsensical wouldbuilding.

In Ash’s setting, which is a Medieval or maybe Elizabethan Scotland analogue, kings are supposed to be delicate and beautiful. To the point that they are religiously mandated to be anorexic, because that’s the only way to achieve the desired body-type.

This is, to put it mildly, insane.

Look: this is fantasy Scotland. Traditional Scottish manhood, for better or worse, is big and brawny and unfortunately macho. It makes zero sense, in this culture in particular, to venerate delicate, pretty men; to hold that up as an ideal. Especially when it’s acknowledged in-text that this is literally only for the monarch; other men are not supposed to be like this. I cannot come up with any way in which a culture would evolve this way.

More to the point: no monarch can be effective while starving themselves. Anorexia and/or starvation leaves you with pretty intense brain-fog, and leaves you permanently exhausted. No one wants a king like that! So you would never have a tradition mandating that your kings always be in that state. Especially not in a society where kings have real power, and the decisions they make (while struggling to think, while exhausted) will have real impact on literally everybody.

And let’s not even get into: Oh, the prince sleeps around, look how tragic and awful that is, look how his lords are taking advantage of him by sleeping with him. Nope! I refuse. We’re not doing that. It’s 2024, put your weird slut-shaming away already.

I called it quits (not even 10% through the book) when, during the king’s coronation, one lord goes to kill another one and is not immediately cut down for drawing a sword at the king’s coronation just a foot away from the king. The guards don’t even react, because it all happened too fast for the king to call them, apparently. Because the king’s guards don’t do anything unless the king orders them to act. If he doesn’t get off a cry for help they just watch him get assassinated, I guess.

OKAY. SURE. THAT’S NOT HOW GUARDS WORK, BUT SURE. WHATEVER. WHY SHOULD THINGS MAKE SENSE, WE DON’T NEED THEM TO MAKE SENSE, WHO NEEDS THEM TO MAKE SENSE???

When this book said it was going to be about eating disorders, I figured the main character had developed one on his own, not that it was religiously and socially mandated for him to have one. I have no interest in a casual approach to sex being treated as tragic evidence of how much this character doesn’t value himself – and the love interest thinking it’s a tragedy just makes him come off as deeply patronising. I’m bored of court settings where women just don’t exist (again, it’s 2024 and this book is being published in 2025, do better) and the farmer-based insults don’t make sense to me given that most nobles in this kind of culture got their wealth from farming (which the story actually points out). So???

A disappointed no thank you from me.

Five seems like a reasonable number of DNFs in a month, but still going to hope for fewer in December!

The post November DNFs appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

I Can’t Wait For…Infernal Bargains by C.S.E. Cooney & Carlos Hernandez

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about but haven’t yet read. Most of the time they’re books that have yet to be released, but not always. It’s based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme, which was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

This week my Can’t-Wait-For Book is Infernal Bargains by C.S.E. Cooney & Carlos Hernandez!

Infernal Bargains: Stories and Poems from the Deck of Destiny by C.S.E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Horror, Sci Fi
Published on: 3rd December 2024
Goodreads

What do a post-human starship captain, an actress of the macabre, a post-singularity revolutionary, and an exiled shapeshifter have in common? They are stories and poems that would never have been written without the “Deck of Destiny”: the grim yet playful centerpiece of the Negocios Infernales roleplaying game. But the Deck has a second vocation—to inspire artists, via its ghoulish wisdom and bloody sense of humor, to create. The designers of Negocios Infernales, award-winning writers C. S. E. Cooney and Carlos Hernandez, have created new works based upon the Deck of Destiny, with all its fanged philosophies and macabre musings on display. Every story and poem of Infernal Bargains began by pulling one or more cards from the Deck and resulted in the satirical, sordid, somber, spirited, and very, very sanguine works you will find herein. Taken together, they compose the haunted menagerie that populates these two writers' deepest unconscious fears and desires—and, perhaps, your own.

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If you have hung around here for any length of time whatsoever, you know it goes without saying that anything Cooney writes, I will pounce on – and a collection she’s written with her seriously wonderful husband?!

THIS IS THE YULE GIFT TO END ALL YULE GIFTS!

It also has a very cool origin story: the authors created the Deck of Destiny as part of their aliens+Spanish Inquisition roleplaying game Negocios Infernales (which you can read all about at their Kickstarter page, and preorder here!), and they’ve demonstrated in a few of their Infernal Salons that the deck is fantastic at creating prompts for creative writing. Infernal Bargains is what you get when the authors themselves start writing based on those prompts!

This will be my first time reading anything by Hernandez, and I’m very excited about that. (And about 95% sure that my next stop will be preordering the ridiculously awesome-sounding game!) But I’m even more excited by how this set-up CLEARLY allows both Cooney and Hernandez to lean into their weird, extravagant imaginations – I can’t wait to see what they’ve written with this deck as their inspiration!

The post I Can’t Wait For…Infernal Bargains by C.S.E. Cooney & Carlos Hernandez appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Must-Have Monday #214

Must-Have Monday is a feature highlighting which of the coming week’s new releases I’m excited for. It is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all books being published that week; only those I’m interested in out of those I’m aware of! The focus is diverse SFF, but other genres sneak in occasionally too.

Just TWO books this week!

(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)

Kalyna the Cutthroat (Failures of Four Kingdoms, #2) by Elijah Kinch Spector
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Representation: Bisexual MC
Published on: 26th November 2024
Goodreads

The Daughters of Izdihar meets The Foxglove King: An ex-soothsayer and stranded scholar of curses upend a Utopian community that has no love for refugees.

Radiant Basket of Rainbow Shells, scholar of curses and magical history, has spent several years on a research expedition abroad in Quruscan, one of the four kingdoms of theTetrarchia. When Tetrarchia and Radiant’s home country of Loasht suddenly revoke their tenuous peace, Quruscan is no longer the safe haven for Radiant that it once was. He needs someone to help him a bodyguard, perhaps, or someone with the sheer cunning to escort him to safety. The perfect candidate is Kalyna a crafty, mysterious mercenary with an uncanny reputation.

But the political situation in Loasht is far more volatile and dangerous than Radiant left it; it soon becomes clear that he may never be able to return home to his family. With a little of Kalyna’s signature guile, she finds Radiant asylum in a utopian community on the border between Loasht and the Tetrarchia, and, for a moment, it seems like they might finally have a safe place to stay. But when the group’s charismatic leader grows wary of the refugees flocking to his community—and suspicious of Kalyna in particular—that sense of safety begins to unravel once more.

Kalyna the Cutthroat deftly imagines how the pressures of heroism can warp even the most unshakeable of survivors, asking what responsibilities human beings have to one another, and whether one good deed—of any magnitude—can absolve you of your past for the sake of a future.

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I admit to not loving book one, Kalyna the Soothsayer, but I actually have high hopes for the sequel! Cutthroat sounds much more interesting – here’s hoping it will be!

Titanchild (Talon Duology, #2) by Jen Williams
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MCs
Published on: 26th November 2024
Goodreads

The stunning sequel to Talonsister, full of romance and treachery, powerful magic and devastating choices. Perfect for fans of Andrea Stewart, John Gwynn and Samantha Shannon.

The Othanim have conquered Brittletain. Their murderous leader, Icaraine, plans to feed Brittletain's queens to her monstrous son. But total victory over the othanim's ancient enemy, the griffins, still eludes her. If Brittletain's resistance can secure an alliance with the griffins, they may still stand a chance of defeating the othanim.

Envoy Kaeto has returned to the Imperium, hiding Felldir and Belise in a ruined castle. He believes both his friends and his attempt to murder Gynid Tyleigh have escaped the Empress's notice. Yet secrets are not so easy to keep in the Imperium. Kaeto will do anything to protect Felldir and Belise – and so finds himself en route to Brittletain as ambassador to the Othanim.

Leven, Cillian, and Ynis have spent the last two years tracking Ynis's griffin sister, T'rook, a prisoner of Gynid Tyleigh. But Ynis has secondary motives for pursuing Tyleigh. Meanwhile, Leven's health is deteriorating, and Cillian – exiled and disgraced – is tormented by strange voices, who tell him of the return of the mythic Green Man to Brittletain.

There is no hope for humanity in a world ruled by Icaraine. But the price of defeating her might be almost too heavy to bear.

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I’ve very carefully not read the blurb, because I haven’t made it through book one yet – but I’ve read enough that I know Titanchild deserves a spot on my weekly feature!

Will you be reading any of these? Did I miss any releases you think I should know about? Let me know!

The post Must-Have Monday #214 appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

I Can’t Wait For…The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre by Darcy Ash

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Wishful Endings to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about but haven’t yet read. Most of the time they’re books that have yet to be released, but not always. It’s based on the Waiting on Wednesday meme, which was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. 

This week my Can’t-Wait-For Book is The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre by Darcy Ash!

The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre by Darcy Ash
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 30th January 2025
Goodreads

Prince Fierre has three big problems. He’s suffering from a mystery illness. He’s surrounded by lords who expect personal favours. And worst of all, he’s in love with his best friend, Aiven, a former farm boy and studious enforcer of rules, now right-hand to the prince.

Can Fierre heal himself, deal with the noblemen snapping about his ankles, and confront his desire for a man who has no noble blood… but a very noble heart?

Set in a Scottish-inspired world, The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre combines a happily-ever-after romance with a story of disordered eating and healing. Blending queer joy with glittering aesthetics, this fantasy explores what it means to learn to love yourself amidst the harshest strictures of diet culture. Perfect for fans of Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light and Foz Meadows’ A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, this book will have queer romance fans feverishly page-turning all the way to its triumphant and heated finale.

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Solaris revealed the cover for this a few days ago, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since!

I am a shallow creature; if you promise me glittering aesthetics, I’m pretty much guaranteed to show up. Scottish-inspired settings are honestly too rare – plus a comp to Strange and Stubborn Endurance??? Hi, yes, where do I sign up please?!

I don’t know anything about this author; most of my hopefulness is based on Solaris, who have brought many of my favourites to me (see Saint of Bright Doors, or The Mountain Crown, or The Spear Cuts Through Water, or If Found Return to Hell – and let’s not forget Bang Bang Bodhisattva!) Very much hoping that this will be another fave!

The post I Can’t Wait For…The Two Hungers of Prince Fierre by Darcy Ash appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Feathered Dragons and Epic Worldbuilding: Brimstone Slipstream by Matt Weber

Brimstone Slipstream (Streets of Flame Quartet Book 1) by Matt Weber
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F, fictional minority cast
PoV: First-person, present-tense
ISBN: 196018900X
Goodreads

It’s the eve of the biggest dragon race in the city of Yemareir. Zaya Shearwater and her wife, Kiriki, have spent the year shooting up the rankings, and now they’re favored to win. But how did a team of women from Yemareir’s roughest precincts become the favorites in a sport where most winners buy their victories?

Doctor of Journalism Shenireen Agama wants to know. Through interviews with Zaya, Kiriki, and the ground crew that’s become their family, she begins to weave a story. Its threads are love, desperation, biology, and magic – all bound together with the early history of Yemareir, where Zaya and Kiriki’s ancestors fled centuries ago to escape the pogroms of a mad king, and where the colonists resettling the ruins of an ancient city have just discovered that it is home to dragons…

Brimstone Slipstream is the opening novella in the Streets of Flame Quartet, to be followed by Windburn Whiplash, Heatstroke Heartbeat, and Wildfire Riptide.

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~sapphic dragon racers
~neon feathered dragons
~when found-family -> legal family!
~what are these two nobodies doing dominating this sport
~it’s FREE so you have no excuse not to read it

I’M GONNA NEED EVERYBODY TO DROP WHAT THEY’RE DOING AND GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW.

(You can find it on Smashwords, the Big River site, Kobo, everywhere, COMPLETELY FREE!)

Quick context: I’ve been struggling to read anything new, instead of rereading old faves, this month; I’ve also felt like I have nothing to say about what I’ve been reading. This book, though, lit me up like a Roman candle and blew my reading slump to smithereens AND ALSO I WANT TO NEVER SHUT UP ABOUT IT so, you know. That should already be enough proof that it’s excellent!

Brimstone Slipstream is a novella – just 65 pages, according to Goodreads – that introduces us to the setting and characters of Weber’s Street of Flames series. The conceit is that it’s an article written by a journalist, interviewing the best dragon-racing team around, with enough context and background info to be interesting and informative to readers who don’t know much about dragon racing – LIKE, YOU KNOW. US IN THE REAL WORLD.

This is just – such a great introduction to the world Weber’s created. It’s incredibly readable, and sort of friendly – Shenireen’s voice is wonderful, her kind of wry slant on things, her genuine fascination with the topic and people she’s covering, and most of all the way she invites the readers of her paper to come along on this journey with her. Some of her explanations do get a little dense at times – I had to read a couple of passages twice to be sure I understood what was being said – but only momentarily, and what’s being told to us is so worth the bit of extra effort!

Zaya and Kiriki are characters who aren’t going to give all their secrets away to some journalist. They come from a disenfranchised minority, who are not supposed to be rocketing to the top of the rankings in a sport dominated by the rich-and-dumb – and are killing it anyway. I loved meeting them, and their family, who are also their racing team. In this world, people’s found/forged-families can become their legal families, so although Zaya and Kiriki are the only ones married, the rest of the team also bear the name Shearwater, despite not being blood-relations. I approve immensely.

The worldbuilding is detailed, original, and phenomenal: we have multiple species of feathered dragons who can adapt physiologically to environmental stressors, empaths, Central/South-American vibes, ancient cities built by magically advanced nomads, cycles of colonialism and immigration… I’m honestly stunned, and so impressed, by how much thought has gone into this! And I adore that it looks like nothing else I’ve ever read, no other setting I’ve seen. Bits of it have a very modern flavour – like the classism and racism endemic to the sport of dragon-racing – but so much of it is just perfectly unique: a city where people move from district to district in time with the breeding cycles of different dragon breeds! THAT IS SO FREAKING COOL!

And of course, there’s that gut-punch ending.

TL;DR: I fell in love with this world and cast in 65 pages, and I am diving into book two (which is on sale for only $0.99 this month on all sites!) the second I post this. I am mad I didn’t hear about this series till now, and I fully intend to make it everyone else’s problem.

JOIN ME!

The post Feathered Dragons and Epic Worldbuilding: Brimstone Slipstream by Matt Weber appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Must-Have Monday #213

Must-Have Monday is a feature highlighting which of the coming week’s new releases I’m excited for. It is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all books being published that week; only those I’m interested in out of those I’m aware of! The focus is diverse SFF, but other genres sneak in occasionally too.

FIVE books this week!

(Books are listed in order of pub date, then Adult SFF, Adult Other, YA SFF, YA Other, MG SFF.)

Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Representation: Brown MC
Published on: 19th November 2024
Goodreads

A traitor and a swordsman join forces to save the world from being rewritten into devastation.

Every year the image of the Wheel of the Infinite must be painstakingly remade to ensure another year of peace and harmony for the Celestial Empire. Every hundred years the very fabric of the world must be rewoven. Linked by the mystic energies of the Infinite, the Wheel and world are one. But a black storm is spreading across the Wheel, reappearing each morning, bigger and darker than before, unraveling the beautiful and orderly patterns.

Maskelle, a murderer and traitor, has been summoned back to help put the world right with the assistance of the mysterious Rian, a swordsman of some renown. If they can’t find the source of the problems that plague the Wheel, the world may find its latest rotation is its last.

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Whead of the Infinite is probably my single favourite Martha Wells book, and I’m very hopeful that this new edition will reach a bunch of new readers! I’m pretty sure Wells has said you don’t need to read this version if you’ve read the original, but you can bet I’ll be reading it anyway!

The Anonymous Letters of C Forestier (French Letters Book 3) by Felicia Davin
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bigender MC, queer MC
Published on: 19th November 2024
Goodreads

Paris, 1825. Isabelle de Tourzin cannot afford to fall in love with a mortal. Not again. Ageless and nearly invulnerable, she spends her days in private grief and plots to end Malbosc, the powerful, secretive man who seduced her only to leech her magic for more than a century.

She was rescued before she had the chance to kill him, and he’s eluded her ever since. At last, Isabelle has in her hands a magic compass that will point her toward her quarry. Infuriatingly, a cunning stranger keeps disrupting her search. The interloper claims to be hunting Malbosc as well. Trust is impossible, but the stranger proves to have useful information. Isabelle reluctantly agrees to an alliance.

The stranger—a shameless liar who appears to be a man named Forestier—accompanies Isabelle across France. He’s charming and unexpectedly kind. It’s been a lifetime since she enjoyed anyone’s company so much, which makes Forestier an even greater danger than Malbosc. Forever is too long to live with a broken heart.

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Been seeing a lot of love for this one – delighted that it features Isabelle, who has fascinated me from the first time she appeared in book one!

And the Mighty Will Fall by K.B. Wagers
Genres: Adult, Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: QBIPOC cast
Published on: 19th November 2024
Goodreads

With the fourth stand-alone NeoG novel, Die Hard meets A Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet in this nail-biting, action-filled story that’s as much about found family as it is about survival when a peaceful transition of power in the Mars Orbital Station goes terribly wrong as rebels decide this is the moment to make their move, leaving two NeoG members stranded inside a ticking time bomb.

When you’re trapped in space, there’s no way out.

The mission of the Near-Earth Orbital Guard is to ensure the peace and security of the solar system. Commander Maxine Carmichael and Lieutenant Commander Saqib Vahid are at the Mars Orbital Station (MOS) to help facilitate the official handover from NeoG to Mars civilian control as part of the ongoing negotiations. Members of the extreme wings of the fight for Martian independence refuse to remain silent, and are willing to resort to violence to make their voices heard; Max and Saqib find themselves fighting for their lives. The attacks both on the MOS and the ground of Mars sets off a chain reaction that could destabilize the last few years of cautious peace.

The leader of Free Mars, Sylvia Moroz, knows better than anyone how fragile harmony is, having seen for decades the Coalition of Human Nations’ inability to negotiate for peace. Without any assurances—and knowing her splintered people all too well—anything less than complete liberation will only lead to more bloodshed. She’s not opposed to fighting, but when there’s an attempt on her life, she finds she must look for help from the NeoG and Commander D’Arcy Montaglione. The pair will have to overcome their past to figure out who they can trust and how to stop the attacks on the ground before more lives are lost.

Trapped inside the station, Carmichael and Vahid are scrambling to not only get to the bottom of the attackers’ motives, but also to simply survive. Because with the rest of the Zuma’s Ghost crew stuck down on Mars, it’s up to them to do what they can to keep the MOS from fully falling into the wrong hands…and keep Mars from descending into all-out war.

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I need to catch up with this series, but each one is meant to work as a standalone, so you could start here if you wanted!

Sundown in San Ojuela by M.M. Olivas
Genres: Adult, Horror
Representation: Latine cast
Published on: 19th November 2024
Goodreads

When the death of her aunt brings Liz Remolina back to San Ojuela, the prospect fills her with dread. The isolated desert town was the site of a harrowing childhood accident that left her clairvoyant, the companion of wraiths and ghosts. Yet it may also hold the secret to making peace with a dark family history and a complicated personal and cultural identity.

Setting out on the train with her younger sister Mary in tow, she soon finds herself hemmed in by a desolate landscape where monsters and ancient gods stalk the night. She’s relieved at first to find that her childhood best friend Julian still lives in San Ojuela, but soon realizes that he too is changed. Haunted.

Yet she’ll have no other choice than to seek out his help as the darkness closes in.

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Indigenous mythology galore in this one, allegedly! The author has described it as ‘a gothic spaghetti western with aztec vampires and queer necromancers in the Inland Empire’, which, hi, GIMME!

The Last Hour Between Worlds (The Echo Archives, #1) by Melissa Caruso
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic MC
Published on: 19th November 2024
Goodreads

A whip-smart adventure fantasy packed with rival guilds, reality-bending magic, and sapphic pining, The Last Hour Between Worlds is the brilliant launch of a new series from David Gemmell Award-nominated author, Melissa Caruso.

Kembral Thorne is spending a few hours away from her newborn, and she's determined to enjoy herself at this party no matter what. But when the guests start dropping dead, Kem has no choice but to get to work. She is a Hound, after all, and she can't help picking up the scent of trouble. 

She’s not the only one. Her professional and personal nemesis, notorious burglar Rika Nonesuch, is on the prowl. They quickly identify what’s causing the a mysterious grandfather clock that sends them down an Echo every time it chimes. In each strange new layer of reality, time resets and a sinister figure appears to perform a blood-soaked ritual. 

As Kem and Rika fall into increasingly macabre versions of their city, they’ll need to rely on their wits—and each other—to unravel the secret of the clock and save their home.

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Not for me – I don’t like time loops – but Caruso is a great writer and I wanted to feature this one!

Will you be reading any of these? Did I miss any releases you think I should know about? Let me know!

The post Must-Have Monday #213 appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Sunday Soupçons #34

soupçon/ˈsuːpsɒn,ˈsuːpsɒ̃/ noun
1. a very small quantity of something; a slight trace, as of a particular taste or flavor

Sunday Soupçons is where I scribble mini-reviews for books I don’t have the brainspace/eloquence/smarts to write about in depth – or if I just don’t have anything interesting to say beyond I LIKED IT AND YOU SHOULD READ IT TOO!

Two books I loved, which I have nothing smart to say about beyond GO READ THEM!

The City in Glass by Nghi Vo
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy
Representation: Minor trans characters
PoV: Third-person, past-tense
Published on: 1st October 2024
ISBN: 1250348285
Goodreads

In this new standalone, Hugo Award-winning author Nghi Vo introduces a beguiling fantasy city in the tradition of Calvino, Mieville, and Le Guin.
A demon. An angel. A city that burns at the heart of the world.

The demon Vitrine—immortal, powerful, and capricious—loves the dazzling city of Azril. She has mothered, married, and maddened the city and its people for generations, and built it into a place of joy and desire, revelry and riot.

And then the angels come, and the city falls.

Vitrine is left with nothing but memories and a book containing the names of those she has lost—and an angel, now bound by her mad, grief-stricken curse to haunt the city he burned.

She mourns her dead and rages against the angel she longs to destroy. Made to be each other’s devastation, angel and demon are destined for eternal battle. Instead, they find themselves locked in a devouring fascination that will change them both forever.

Together, they unearth the past of the lost city and begin to shape its future. But when war threatens Azril and everything they have built, Vitrine and her angel must decide whether they will let the city fall again.

The City in Glass is both a brilliantly constructed history and an epic love story, of death and resurrection, memory and transformation, redemption and desire strong enough to burn a world to ashes and build it anew.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Vo’s prose and imagination are always breathtaking, but what struck me about City in Glass was the delicate precision of every detail. More than anything else I’ve read of Vo’s, this book felt like a deliberate work of art, something that has been created so carefully, so exactingly, over a long period of time. The picture it conjures in my head is of a watchmaker using tweezers and a loupe to put every minuscule gear exactly where it needs to be.

(I don’t, at ALL, mean that City in Glass feels manufactured – there’s no sense that this is synthetic, false. Only that it’s the work of a master craftsperson, and you can almost glimpse, or understand, how much craft and skill went into making it.)

From the topmost tower of the observatory to the floating docks on the beach, the city of Azril lit up with paper lanterns, with candles, with girls throwing flaming knives and boys in firefly crowns, with passion, with desire, with hatred, and with delight.

Beyond that, I don’t have much to say about it. It’s beautiful, of course. My breath caught in my throat on the very first page, as we see the angels coming to the city. I enjoyed reading it immensely. But I don’t feel like I got it – maybe my head’s too foggy to analyse what I read, or maybe Vo was saying things I didn’t hear. I was kind of disappointed that for most of the book, the city is in ruins – somehow I didn’t realise that would be the case – because I was most enchanted with the descriptions of the city while it was alive, and then the glimpses we got of its flourishing past. But I loved the casual queerness, I want to wrap the prose around me like a velvet blanket, and the ending surprised me enormously – which delighted me. (Love it when I can’t see the end coming!)

Strongly recommended, but you should look elsewhere if you want some smart analysis of this one!

Sorcery and Small Magics (The Wildersongs Trilogy, #1) by Maiga Doocy
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
PoV: First-person, past-tense
Published on: 15th October 2024
ISBN: 031657676X
Goodreads

Desperate to undo the curse binding them to each other, an impulsive sorcerer and his curmudgeonly rival venture deep into a magical forest in search of a counterspell—only to discover that magic might not be the only thing pulling them together.

Leovander Loveage is a master of small magics.

He can summon butterflies with a song, or turn someone’s hair pink by snapping his fingers. Such minor charms don’t earn him much admiration from other sorcerers (or his father), but anything more elaborate always blows up in his face. Which is why Leo vowed years ago to never again write powerful magic.

That is, until a mix-up involving a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Sebastian Grimm. Grimm is Leo’s complete opposite—respected, exceptionally talented, and an absolutely insufferable curmudgeon. The only thing they agree on is that getting caught using forbidden magic would mean the end of their careers. They need a counterspell, and fast. But Grimm casts spells, he doesn’t undo them, and Leo doesn’t mess with powerful magic.

Chasing rumors of a powerful sorcerer with a knack for undoing curses, Leo and Grimm enter the Unquiet Wood, a forest infested with murderous monsters and dangerous outlaws alike. To dissolve the curse, they’ll have to uncover the true depths of Leo’s magic, set aside their long-standing rivalry, and—much to their horror—work together.

Even as an odd spark of attraction flares between them.

I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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Despite the horrifically ugly cover (I have no idea what Orbit was thinking, my sympathies to poor Doocy) this was a lot of fun! Leo is a snarky character who is well aware of his own flaws, which is a combination I enjoy very much, and although the worldbuilding is a bit simple for my taste, a) there’s more than enough story to compensate, and b) there are hints that things (such as the way magic really works) are a lot more complicated than Leo thinks.

The magic system…is also pretty simple, but it fit the story really well: there are sorcerers who can cast spells, and sorcerers who can write spells, and no one can do both. Spells are (usually) written, and once cast, you need a spell-writer to write it for you again if you want to cast it again. Somehow this has not resulted in the veneration of spell-writers, which I found quite odd.

But that really didn’t matter, because I had so much FUN reading this! It’s immersive, super readable, and just the right blend of escapist+serious. The stakes are high for the characters – the spell that forces Leo to obey any order of Sebastian’s is seriously screwed-up, and also gets worse the longer it’s in effect, and that keeps both the characters and the story moving along at a great pace. And everything that goes down in the Unquiet Wood? *chef’s kiss*

When I first got my arc, there was no mention of this being the start of a series, which made the ending (not a cliffhanger, but leaving some important things unresolved!) a surprise. I am MUCH relieved that the story’s not over, although I have no idea where the rest of the series (trilogy?) is going – we weren’t presented with any kind of Big Bad, so Sorcery ends without clearly aiming the characters at the Next Thing. We’ll just have to find out with the next book! (Which I am ABSOLUTELY going to be reading!)

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