Siavahda's Blog, page 40

Must-Have Monday #152

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.

September is starting strong, with THIRTEEN books this week!

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

Wolf, Willow, Witch (The Gideon Testaments #2) by Freydís Moon
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MCs
Published on: 4th September 2023
Goodreads

A vicious romance imbued with magic, thievery, and necromancy…

When Tehlor Nilsen stumbles upon an abandoned corpse hidden in her friend’s empty house, she can’t ignore the energy lingering around the broken albeit familiar body. Entranced by the promise of ritualistic power, she seizes her chance to secure a vorðr. Miraculously, Hel, the goddess of death, grants Tehlor an audience.

But Lincoln Stone has no interest in becoming a magical sentry and raising him from the dead comes with violent consequences.

When a mysterious neo-church arrives in Gideon, Tehlor catches wind of a rare relic. Despite Lincoln's troubling enthusiasm for demonology, she strikes a deal with her unruly vorðr, hoping to mend their strained relationship…

Work together. Steal the Breath of Judas. Control the dead.

As the magically bound pair infiltrate Haven and their heist becomes a hunt, Tehlor isn't sure if she's the predator or prey…

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The second book of the Gideon Testaments! I suspect this will work as a standalone – it features different characters than book one – but why would you deny yourself the awesomeness of the first book? You should definitely read both!

Sleep No More (October Daye, #17) by Seanan McGuire
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy
Representation: Queernorm world, secondary queer characters
Published on: 5th September 2023
Goodreads

October is very happy with her life as the second daughter of her pureblood parents, Amandine and Simon Torquill. Born to be the changeling handmaid to her beloved sister August, she spends her days working in her family’s tower, serving as August’s companion, and waiting for the day when her sister sets up a household of her own. Everything is right in October’s Faerie. Everything is perfect.

Everything is a lie.

October has been pulled from her own reality and thrown into a twisted reinterpretation of Faerie where nothing is as it should be and everything has been distorted to support Titania’s ideals. Bound by the Summer Queen’s magic and thrust into a world turned upside down, October has no way of knowing who she can trust, where she can turn, or even who she really is. As strangers who claim to know her begin to appear and the edges of Titania’s paradise begin to unravel, Toby will have to decide whether she can risk everything she knows based on only their stories of another world.

But first she’ll have to survive this one, as Titania demonstrates why she needed to be banished in the first place—and this time, much more than Toby’s own life is at stake.

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After the JAW-DROPPING cliffhanger/reveal of the previous book, I know I’m not the only one FROTHING AT THE MOUTH to pounce on Sleep No More! And we’re doubly lucky: this isn’t even the only October Daye book we’re getting this year!!! We’ll be getting Tybalt’s POV – for the first time outside shorts! – in The Innocent Sleep next month! So make sure to read Sleep No More quickly, so you’re ready for that!

The Fall That Saved Us by Tamara Jerée
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Black Sapphic MCs, F/F
Published on: 5th September 2023
Goodreads

Cassiel has given up the family tradition of demon hunting, leaving behind her sacred angelic duty and fated sword. What she can’t leave behind are the scars. To cope, she spends her days immersed in work, pouring all her attention into New Haven Books, her small bookstore and anchor in the new world she’s carved for herself.

But the past hasn’t let go of Cassiel yet. When a succubus named Avitue arrives to claim her angel-touched soul, Cassiel’s old hunter instincts flare, forcing her to choose between old knowledge and her truth. What should be a fatal seduction becomes a bargain neither woman expects. As they grow closer, Avitue is surprised to find her own pain reflected in Cassiel, a nephilim deemed fallen by her own family’s standards.

By choosing trust, they reveal the lies that bind them. Falling for each other begins a path towards healing. But exorcising the effects of trauma is harder than naming it, and to explore the unfettered possibility Avitue represents, Cassiel must find a way to reclaim and redefine her angelic heritage.

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I’m not going to lie, the cover is DEFINITELY what caught my attention here – can you blame me??? And as always, I’m hoping for an outside-the-box take on angels, demons and nephilim – fingers crossed!

Providence Girls by Morgan Dante
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 5th September 2023
Goodreads

Love changes you. So do the Outer Gods.

Now: Alone in a cottage, Lavinia writes to the woman she loved.

Fifteen years ago: Middle-aged Lavinia Whateley escapes her hilly Massachusetts town when the townsfolk decide to sacrifice her on Halloween. After almost dying in the woods, she's saved and housed by the stoic and mysterious Asenath Waite, or Azzie. On the coastal outskirts of East Providence, they start to fall in love.

However, things change when Azzie, with her secret past and the strange "scars" on the side of her neck, begins to transform into an eldritch creature of the deep.

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Another promising, unusual-looking sapphic fantasy! This one’s been all over my feeds lately, and I’m looking forward to, ahem, diving in for myself!

City of Bones: Updated and Revised Edition by Martha Wells
Genres: Fantasy
Published on: 5th September 2023
Goodreads

Before Martha Wells captured the hearts of MILLIONS with her Murderbot series , there was Khat, Sagai, and Elen, and a city risen out of death and decay…

The city of Charisat, a tiered monolith of the Ancients’ design, sits on the edge of the vast desert known as the Waste. Khat, a member of a humanoid race created by the Ancients to survive in the Waste, and Sagai, his human partner, are relic dealers working in the bottom tiers of society, trying to stay one step ahead of the Trade Inspectors.

When Khat is hired by the all-powerful Warders to find relics believed to be part of one of the Ancients' arcane engines, he, and his party, begin unravelling the mysteries of an age-old technology.

This they expected.

They soon find themselves as the last line of defense between the suffering masses of Charisat and a fanatical cult, bent on unleashing an evil upon the city with an undying thirst for bone.

That, they did not expect.

This updated and revised edition is the author’s preferred text.

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I never read the first/old edition of City of Bones, so I get to go into the revised edition with everything brand-new to me! Wells has said that there isn’t really any new content, so if you’re familiar with the book already, you don’t have to read this version as well.

Alcestis by Katharine Beutner
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 5th September 2023
Goodreads

For fans of The Song of Achilles, a queer and fiercely feminist retelling of a little-known Greek the ultimate story of sacrifice and forbidden desire—now in a deluxe reissue.

In Greek myth, Alcestis is known as the ideal wife; she loved her husband so much that she died and went to the Underworld in his place. But who was Alcestis before she was married? Other than her love for Admetus, what circumstances led her to make this ultimate sacrifice? And what happened to her in the three days she spent in the Underworld?

Katharine Beutner’s lush, emotionally devastating debut explores the magical reality of Ancient Greece, where gods attend weddings and the afterlife is just a river away, as Alcestis goes on a heroine’s journey from sheltered princess to self-actualized savior—redefining love and discovering her own power. Giving an achingly beautiful voice to the most misunderstood wives of Greek mythology, Alcestis is the Underworld as you’ve never seen it before.

This deluxe edition features discussion questions, a craft essay, and a bonus short story.

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This another reissue, this time of a book that was first published in 2010 – AND nominated for a Lambda! I don’t think the book itself has been updated, but the new edition apparently contains a bonus short story – and that cover is enough to convince me all on its own, honestly. (Plus, it’s praised by Jacqueline Carey? All I need to know!)

The Chatelaine by Kate Heartfield
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Trans MC
Published on: 5th September 2023
Goodreads

Winner of the Aurora Award for Best Novel

Hell is empty and all the devils are here.

The Chatelaine has come.

The year is 1328 and Hell has overrun Bruges. Demons stalk the streets and revenants swarm the walls. The city’s men have fallen and only widows remain.

But Hell should fear them.

Margriet de Vos killed her first soldier when she was eleven. She has buried six children and will fight for the daughter left to her. Their only wealth is gone, taken into the inferno. And she will not be stolen from. The Devil be damned.

Together with a man-at-arms with unfinished business, a widow and her forgehammer, and a alderman's wife who escapes with her children, Margriet will raise a raiding party like Hell has never seen.

Originally published as Armed in Her Fashion.

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The ebook of this edition was released earlier this year, I think, but this week sees the paperback release! Yes good excellent!

Exadelic by Jon Evans
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy
Published on: 5th September 2023
Goodreads

When an unconventional offshoot of the US military trains an artificial intelligence in the dark arts that humanity calls "black magic," it learns how to hack the fabric of reality itself. It can teleport matter. It can confer immunity to bullets. And it decides that obscure Silicon Valley middle manager Adrian Ross is the primary threat to its existence.

Soon Adrian is on the run, wanted by every authority, with no idea how or why he could be a threat. His predicament seems hopeless; his future, nonexistent. But when he investigates the AI and its creators, he discovers his problems are even stranger than they seem...and unearths revelations that will propel him on a journey -- and a love story -- across worlds, eras, and everything, everywhere, all at once.

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What even??? This is so bonkers on every level that I kind of have to check it out. Although the reviews are very mixed…

Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 5th September 2023
Goodreads

This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labours, his endless adventures…everyone’s favourite hero, right?

Well, it’s not.

This is the story of everyone else:

Alcmene: Herc’s mother (She has knives everywhere)
Hylas: Herc’s first friend (They were more than friends)
Megara: Herc’s wife (She’ll tell you about their marriage)
Eurystheus: Oversaw Herc’s labours (Definitely did not hide in a jar)

His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods, his victims.
It’s time to hear their stories.
Told with humour and heart, Herc gives voice to the silenced characters, in this feminist, queer (and sometimes shocking) retelling of classic Hercules myth.

Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Joanne M. Harris.

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Published in the UK last week, out in the US this week, and I still plan on reading it!

Shadowmancy by Jason Franks
Genres: Fantasy
PoV: 5th September 2023
Goodreads

On a mountain that does not exist, there is a school where they teach the impossible.

From his first day at the Academy, things have been difficult for Quay. Though he has surrendered his name, like every other acolyte at the magical school, Quay is the son of a disgraced professor, and he finds that his father's old enemies are already lined up against him-while the professor's own faction is just as suspicious. Quay refuses to take a side, but as his powers grow it becomes apparent that the damaged young boy may prove a greater threat than his father ever was.

Deep in the Library of Shadows Quay finds a way to survive his father's treacherous legacy, but the price is high indeed.

"A mysterious and compelling read told in spookily disconnected first person narrative, delivered by a likeably unlikeable main character. A subtle and dreamlike tale." - Sam Bowring, author of the Broken Well trilogy

"What happens when the ordinary and everyday is not kind? What happens when we take the hard road and make the harsh, bad choices? Shadowmancy explores this... with relish." - Gillian Polack, author of The Year of the Fruitcake

Includes 12 interior illustrations by Nicholas Hunter.

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I don’t think this is YA, despite the magic school aspect – maybe it’s more like magic college? But I’ve heard that the magic system in this one is especially excellent, so I want to take a peek at it for sure!

The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White
Genres: Horror, Queer Protagonists, Historical Fantasy
Representation: Autistic trans MC
Published on: 5th September 2023
Goodreads

Mors vincit omnia. Death conquers all.

London, 1883. The Veil between the living and dead has thinned. Violet-eyed mediums commune with spirits under the watchful eye of the Royal Speaker Society, and sixteen-year-old Silas Bell would rather rip out his violet eyes than become an obedient Speaker wife. According to Mother, he’ll be married by the end of the year. It doesn’t matter that he’s needed a decade of tutors to hide his autism; that he practices surgery on slaughtered pigs; that he is a boy, not the girl the world insists on seeing.

After a failed attempt to escape an arranged marriage, Silas is diagnosed with Veil sickness—a mysterious disease sending violet-eyed women into madness—and shipped away to Braxton’s Sanitorium and Finishing School. The facility is cold, the instructors merciless, and the students either bloom into eligible wives or disappear. So when the ghosts of missing students start begging Silas for help, he decides to reach into Braxton’s innards and expose its rotten guts to the world—as long as the school doesn’t break him first.

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White’s debut, Hell Followed With Us, blew me (and everyone else) away in 2021, so yes, I am majorly excited for The Spirit Bares Its Teeth! Even though I suspect this one, unlike Hell, is going to make me squirm with the horror. THERE ARE TOO MANY EYES ON THAT COVER, I AM ALREADY UNNERVED.

The Dark Lord's Daughter by Patricia C. Wrede
Genres: Fantasy
Published on: 5th September 2023
Goodreads

From the New York Times bestselling author of Dealing with Dragons comes this timeless fantasy, about an ordinary girl who discovers she's the heir to a dark throne, and must find her place between her life on Earth and her magical inheritance.

"A heart-stopping, unique adventure for all!" —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Kayla is just an ordinary girl . . . or so she thinks. When a day at the state fair is interrupted by the news that she’s the daughter of a “Dark Lord,” she and her family are quickly whisked to another world—one that’s chock-full of magic but lacking in technology!

As her family encounters fantastical creatures in place of their Earthly gadgets, Kayla must prepare for the meeting her father, the Dark Lord himself, for the very first time. All Kayla wants is to go home, but she must learn magic to do so. The catch? For the Dark Lord’s daughter, the road to mastering magic is filled with evil traditions.

As she ventures closer to her father, Kayla must decide whether to accept her birthright. Is she destined for darkness? Or can she become a new kind of Dark Lady?

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I’ve been looking forward to this for YEARS! And it sounds exactly as much fun as I hoped it might, from the pub deal announcement way back when. I can’t wait to get to this!

The Unmaking of Them by H.A. Watson
Genres: Fantasy
Published on: 8th September 2023
Goodreads

A woman who must teach herself magic. A monster who wishes to prove his humanity.

A love that threatens to unravel them both.

Artemis Sanchez has thrive in her dream job in London and care for her young cousin and the aunt who raised them. But her carefully-constructed life is threatened when she gets in the way of Sevan, a magical being bent on expanding their hive mind.

Ignorant of the magical world beyond her own, she is caught in the creature’s thrall and nearly consumed––when a monster of shadow and darkness comes to her aid. He is a horror crafted from nightmares; he is the thing children fear in the dark. His name is Verick, and as Artemis learns of a centuries-long struggle between these creatures, their lives become more and more entangled.

But when Verick is struck by a curse that renders him comatose, Artemis is unable to leave the safety of his shielded home and becomes cut off from the outside world. To wake Verick and ensure the safety of her loved ones, she will have to teach herself magic.

Yet as she uncovers more about Verick––and as Sevan grows in power––she begins to wonder, not if you can love a monster, but if you should.

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It’s hard to put my finger on what about this sounds enticing to me – maybe the hive mind? I don’t know, but I’m hoping for awesomeness.

Will you be reading any of these? Let me know!

The post Must-Have Monday #152 appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Wonder-Striking: The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan

The Pomegranate Gate (The Mirror Realm Cycle #1) by Ariel Kaplan
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Portal Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Jewish cast, major bi/pansexual character, queer MC
PoV: Third-person, past-tense; multiple PoVs
Published on: 26th September 2023
ISBN: B0BVP71HMD
Goodreads

Ariel Kaplan’s The Pomegranate Gate is the lyrical first installment of the Mirror Realm Cycle, a vibrant and heartfelt Inquisition-era Jewish epic fantasy in the vein of Naomi Novik, Katherine Arden, and Tasha Suri.

Toba Peres can speak, but not shout; she can walk, but not run. She can write with both hands, in different languages, but has not had a formal education. The only treasure Toba has dared to keep is a precious star sapphire, set in a necklace she must never take off.

Naftaly Cresques sees things that aren’t real, and dreams things that are. He is a well-trained tailor, but a middling one, and he is risking his life to smuggle a strange family heirloom: a centuries-old book he must never read, and must never lose.

The Queen of the Sefarad has ordered all Jews to convert, or be exiled with nothing. Toba, Naftaly, and thousands of others are forced to flee their homes. Toba, accidentally separated from their caravan of refugees, stumbles through a strange pomegranate grove into the magical realm of the Maziks: mythical, terrible beings with immense power. There, she discovers latent abilities that put her in the crosshairs of bloodthirsty immortals, but may be key to her survival. On the other side of the gate, Naftaly, intent on rescuing Toba, finds his new companions harbor dangerous secrets of their own.

Now, hunted by an Inquisition in both worlds, Toba and Naftaly must unravel ancient histories and ancient magics in order to understand the link between the two realms. More than their own lives might be at stake.

Brimming with folkloric wonder, The Pomegranate Gate weaves history, myth, and magic into an exquisite tale of fate, legacy, and friendship that will leave readers spellbound.

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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~a surprising number of lentils
~respect ruthless grandmothers
~girls made of magic
~fish made of magic
~defenestrate your expectations, nothing will conform to them here

This book was exactly 600 pages long on my ereader, and that was not long enough.

I wanted The Pomegranate Gate to go on forever.

Usually when you see a book getting comped to writers like Naomi Novik, Katherine Arden, and Tasha Suri, that book fails to live up to the comparisons. It’s not even the book’s fault, because that’s just too much for anyone to live up to (publishers, seriously, you’re setting up so many of your books to fail when you market them like this). The Pomegranate Gate, though, more than justifies those comparisons: it bursts out of the gate incandescent, gorgeous and strange as a dream caught in a jewelry box.

Instant new favourite – and instant new auto-buy author. I’m saying it now: I will henceforth read anything and everything Kaplan writes. May her works be many!

The Pomegranate Gate sets out to confound and delight, and does both superbly. Kaplan’s prose feels warm and familiar, but everything about this story is deliciously different, imbued with a lush, unique fantasticality that makes it stand out from the very first page. You could argue that it’s partly because Kaplan draws inspiration from a part of Jewish folklore with which I’m not familiar (and I doubt many other gentiles are either), but that’s really not it: firstly, because she really only took a tiny piece of the folklore, and what she spun out of it is immense and intricate and wholly her own; and secondly, what really makes The Pomegranate Gate a constant surprise to the reader is the plot, which not once – not ONCE! – goes the way you think it will.

Not even ONE TIME!

I really, REALLY want to emphasise that, because – look, I read a lot, okay? A lot. 200+ books a year a lot. And anyone who reads a lot eventually notices that stories have patterns. Templates. Whatever you want to call them. (These templates vary across genres, languages and cultures, which is SUPER COOL AND INTERESTING, but just take it as read that in this case I’m talking specifically about the predominantly-white Western English-language fantasy stuff, okay?) It gets so that you can often guess where a story’s going, what a character’s arc is going to be within it. Thing A is going to happen, because it always happens. There’s no way Thing B is actually going to go down, because it never does. And so on.

Now, sometimes your guess is wrong! Sometimes an author sets you up to expect What Always Happens…but surprise! This time it doesn’t! This is always (at least to me) Very Exciting. It’s one of the things that will make me fall hard for a story, almost without fail.

But when this does occur, it’s generally only one or two deviations from The Pattern. There might be a handful of surprises, but the story still, overall, goes where you knew it must be going.

The Pomegranate Gate does not.

Not even a little.

Not even once.

Kaplan strips your heart of its calluses with all these impossible twists and turns, leaving it raw and vulnerable to the lightest brush of story. Every page is a surprise; a delight, a gut-punch, a shock, a wonder, a devastation, a revelation. And all of it builds upon the rest, entwines with every other gasp-worthy moment, so that every curve and curlicue of the plot forms the most breathtaking filigree.

“I don’t suppose you’d be decent enough not to bleed on me if I cut off your head?”

“No,” she said quickly. “I’ll make a point to bleed out all over your lovely boots. It will be horrible. Gore, everywhere.”

And within the plot? The magical elements, what the book’s actually about, everything that Kaplan created for the story she’s telling? Wow. I don’t know how she dreamed all of this up, but I take my hat off to her, because all of it feels new and fresh but also ancient and intricate, rich and bewitchingly unfamiliar. There are so many odd, gleeful little details that give The Pomegranate Gate a sense of magical otherness that can’t be compared to any other book I’ve ever read: the square pupils of the Maziks, the dried lentils, a girl who can’t run. From the very first page, it’s clear that this book is, in ways both subtle and outstandingly overt, something very special.

Naftaly was dreaming again, in that strange dream-landscape where the stars whirled over head like snow on the wind and the people he met all had square-pupiled eyes.

This does, however, make it very difficult to talk about while also avoiding spoilers. The Pomegranate Gate is like a dream; beautiful, breathtaking, but impossible to put into words. Something you have to experience for yourself. I can tell you that there is magic, and political intrigue of many kinds, portals and dreams and assassins and semi-sentient shadows…but I can’t tell you more than that. I don’t want to ruin the surprises for you, because the sheer joy of encountering each one unprepared is just…intoxicating, astonishing, wonder-striking.

Especially if you feel as though you’ve seen all there is to see of this genre; if you, gods forbid, feel jaded. If that’s where you’re at…then, my friends, I promise you: this is the book you need to make you fall in love with magic again.

muttering a series of numbers best known only to some creatures that live in the deep sea

The Pomegranate Gate is jewel-toned, rich, decadent in its beautiful strangeness. It dances, impossible to predict; and like the best kind of dance, it sweeps you up into it, with it, whirling you through the air and the story. I cannot love it more; honestly, I feel like I can’t love it enough. It is heart-breakingly perfect, and I implore you – no, I need you to read it. I need everyone to read it.

And then come sit with me and tell me how it brought wonder back into your heart again.

The post Wonder-Striking: The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

In Short: August

Well, I got laid off this month, which is going to slow down my book buying considerably. Can’t pretend I’m sorry to see the back of the company I’ve been working for, though. Ah well, onwards and upwards!

ARCs Received

I actually completely forgot I put a request in for Unbound, but I’ve been promised a dark-and-domme princess, so I’m very eager to get to it. And I got auto-approved by DAW!!! Which is extremely flattering. To Cage a God and So let Them Burn are two of my most anticipated releases of 2024, so I may have shrieked a little when I got my hands on them; and I’m rereading Notorious Sorcerer as fast as I can so I can jump into Shadow Baron!

RE The Dragons of Deepwood Fen; I’ve admired Beaulieu’s worldbuilding for years, though I never quite got into any of his previous books – but his worldbuilding talent + dragons??? Hell yes I’m pouncing on that!

Read

18 books read in August – quite a comedown from last month’s 32! But July was an outlier and should not be counted; even so, for a normal month, 18 is pretty low. Which doesn’t really surprise me, because I’ve definitely felt like reading is a struggle lately. Not because I’ve been stuck with bad books or anything! It’s just…really hard to focus on much for very long. Which is kind of a prerequisite for reading!

Amazing rereads – like Hunting and Stranger – aside, August didn’t have too many blow-me-away books. Prophet grabbed me by the throat, and A Door in the Dark only had me a little less hooked. The Undetectables was intense and weirdly wonderful (hopefully I’ll be able to put it better than that in my review!) and the Every Wickedness series continues to be amazingly indulgent and fun. MORE PEOPLE NEED TO BE READING TJ LAND, OKAY???

To the best of my knowledge, 11.11% of this month’s books were by BIPOC authors. Not good at all, but at least it’s better than last month? *winces*

Reviewed

I decided to start counting my mini-reviews – aka the Sunday Soupçons – because you know what? A fair bit of effort goes into those, actually, and I’m aware they’re much longer than what most people would consider a mini-review. So. Giving myself credit for them from now on!

That being said, I was really disappointed with my review of Pluralities; it’s very meh, when the book most certainly is not.

On the other hand, I poured blood, sweat and tears into my review of The Pomegranate Gate, and I think I came close to capturing how perfect it is. My review of it goes live tomorrow!

DNF-ed

Nine DNFs in one month is officially a new record – and honestly, I’m tempted to count THESE as reviews too, since I did a write-up on each one. Whatever; the important thing is, lots of these are actually perfectly good, or even VERY good, but just don’t gel with me specifically. You can check out yesterday’s DNF roundup for more details, if you want them!

ARCs Outstanding

I’m a little behind where I wanted to be with arcs and arc reviews by the start of September, but I’m reasonably sure I can still manage. Guess we’ll see!

Misc

Extremely belatedly, I managed to post my Every Month is Pride: Queer Adult SFF For the rest of 2023 list – I meant to have it up on the 1st of July, but oh well, better late than never?

Looking Forward

As we all know, September is a HUGE month for SFF – for most book genres, really – and there are MANY books I’m ridiculously excited for! I’ve gotten arcs of some, but others I’ll be going into blind – like The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, which promises, gulp, lots of eye-related body-horror, THAT’LL BE FUN. But it’s Joseph White, not reading it is simply not an option. And then there’s book SEVENTEEN in McGuire’s October Daye series, Sleep No More. Book seventeen! I can’t get over how impressive it is to have that long a series, especially a) one that doesn’t deteriorate in awesomeness, and b) in this day and age, wherein longer series seem a lot rarer than they used to be. I may also be going a little feral at finally getting my grubby paws on Cursebreakers, which sounds like it might as well have been written for me!

And that’s a wrap! May we all have a splendiforous September!

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

August DNFs

Nine DNFs this month – a new record! But in fairness, quite a few of this month’s DNFs are good books that just didn’t sync with me personally, as opposed to being objectively terrible.

A Market of Dreams and Destiny by Trip Galey
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M, secondary brown character, secondary nonbinary character
Published on: 12th September 2023
ISBN: B0BPWS85K7
Goodreads

Enter the bazaar of the bizarre—where fate and fortunes are for sale just beneath Covent Garden—in this high-stakes historical fantasy debut set in 19th-century London, perfect for fans of Neverwhere and The Night Circus.

Below Covent Garden lies the Under Market, where anything and everything has a a lover’s first blush, a month of honesty, five minutes of strength, a wisp of luck and fortune. As a child, Deri was sold to one of the most powerful merchants of the Under Market as a human apprentice. Now, after seventeen years of servitude and stealing his master’s secrets, Deri spots a chance to buy not only his freedom but his place amongst the Under Market’s elite.

A runaway princess escapes to the market, looking to sell her destiny. Deri knows an opportunity when he sees it and makes the bargain of the century. If Deri can sell it on, he’ll be made for life, but if he’s caught with the goods, it will cost him his freedom forever. Now that Deri has met a charming and distractingly handsome young man, and persuaded him that three dates are a suitable price for his advice and guidance, Deri realises he has more to lose than ever.

News of the princess spreads quickly and with the royal enforcers closing in, Deri finds himself the centre of his master’s unwanted attention. He’ll have to pull out all the stops to outmanoeuvre the Master Merchant, save the man he loves, make a name for himself, and possibly change the destiny of London forever.

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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This one is another case of the writing sounding ‘out of tune’ to me – a problem I run into all the time, but still don’t know how to explain, or if anyone else on the planet experiences the same thing.

Galey’s Undermarket is exactly what I want from a magical market – peopled by all manner of strange, scary, and wonderful beings, with all sorts of intangible things for sale; whispers from loved ones, memories, promises, and, of course, destinies, alongside ‘yell-hounds’ (hellhounds?), arrows that never miss their targets, and firstborn children. After several very unsatisfying goblin market stories in the last few years, the Undermarket was a delight.

And I absolutely loved the explanation for how magic ended up back in the world: Henry the 8th accepted the ambassador of Faery’s offer of druidism rather than inventing the Church of England! It’s a small detail, not really relevant to what’s actually happening in the story, but it’s the kind of small detail that often makes or breaks a book for me.

But no matter how badly I want to adore this book, I just can’t deal with the prose. It’s not objectively bad; it’s just that sense of being out of tune, like the writing rhythm is just off. To me, it reads as awkward and clunky, stopping and starting constantly; distracting and discordant. But as I’ve confirmed many times, this is one of those things that not only doesn’t bother other people, other readers usually have no idea what I’m talking about – so if Market of Dreams and Destiny sounds good to you, I encourage you to go for it: it’s unlikely in the extreme that you’ll have the same issue with the prose that I do.

And aside from my issues with the writing? This book is kind of ridiculously awesome. So a DNF from me, but I do recommend it despite that!

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft
Genres: Fantasy
Published on: 30th January 2024
ISBN: B0C1X7NVN6
Goodreads

In this romantic fantasy of manners from New York Times bestselling author Allison Saft, a magical dressmaker commissioned for a royal wedding finds herself embroiled in scandal when a gossip columnist draws attention to her undeniable chemistry with the groom.

Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into every dress she makes is the same one that will kill her—sooner rather than later—and she’s determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family. When she’s commissioned to design the wardrobe for a nearby kingdom’s royal wedding, she knows this is her one chance to make something of herself.

Niamh arrives in Avaland, where young nobles are making their debuts into society during the candlelit balls and elegant garden parties that fill the social Season. The only damper on the festivities is the groom himself: Kit Carmine, prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a desperate political act. Beneath Avaland’s glittery façade, unrest is brewing, and an anonymous gossip columnist has been spreading rumors about corruption within the royal family. As Niamh grows closer to Kit, an unlikely friendship begins to blossom into something more…until the columnist starts buzzing about her chemistry with the prince, promising to leave her alone only if she helps uncover the royal family’s secrets. Niamh discovers that the rot at the heart of Avaland goes far deeper than she bargained for—but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

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 kind of heartbroken about this, because I loved Saft’s A Far Wilder Magic so much, but A Fragile Enchantment is simply not working for me. It’s not quite striking the right notes for the kind of soft romantic-fantasy I enjoy, and almost halfway through the book, I still don’t feel at all invested in the characters, never mind the romance.

It’s possible that Saft setting this story in an analogue of Ireland and England, post-Great Famine, is part of what’s making me feel uncomfortable – I’m half-Irish, was born and grew up in Ireland, and it’s not that I think Saft’s depiction is disrespectful or anything; it’s more that this is a hugely dark period of history that doesn’t mix well with the light-hearted charm Saft is going for here. Saft is writing ballroom scenes, and all I can think about are the pictures and exhibits from my history books and school trips to the museums. It’s jarring, and definitely keeping me from really connecting with the story.

If you never went through the Irish school system, then that probably won’t be an issue for you. I don’t think this is a badly-written book as such, but it’s not gripping me, and I really don’t care about how all the relationships and intrigue are going to fall out. (If anything, the idea of a not-English prince potentially marrying a not-Irish woman in the political climate Saft has set up is wince-inducing to me.) So I won’t be at all surprised if most other readers enjoy this a lot, but alas, I’m not one of them – and it’s not a book I’d recommend if I was asked for romantic fantasy recs.

This isn’t going to stop me from pouncing on Saft’s future books, though, especially A Dark and Drowning Tide, out next March, which sounds like it will be much more to my taste!

Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Representation: Mesoamerican setting and cast
Published on: 7th November 2023
ISBN: 0063254336
Goodreads

Rumor has it on the streets of sixteenth-century New Spain, there's a new vigilante in town serving justice. This reimagining of Zorro--featuring a heroic warrior sorceress--weaves Mesoamerican mythology and Mexican history two decades after the Spanish conquest into a swashbuckling, historical debut fantasy with magic, intrigue, treachery, and romance.

A new legend begins...

In sixteenth-century New Spain, witchcraft is punishable by death, indigenous temples have been destroyed, and tales of mythical creatures that once roamed the land have become whispers in the night. Hidden behind a mask, Pantera uses her magic and legendary swordplay skills to fight the tyranny of Spanish rule.

To all who know her, Leonora de las Casas Tlazohtzin never leaves the palace and is promised to the heir of the Spanish throne. The respectable, law-abiding Lady Leonora faints at the sight of blood and would rather be caught dead than meddle in court affairs.
No one suspects that Leonora and Pantera are the same person. Leonora's charade is tragically good, and with magic running through her veins, she is nearly invincible. Nearly. Despite her mastery, she is destined to die young in battle, as predicted by a seer.

When an ancient prophecy of destruction threatens to come true, Leonora--and therefore Pantera--is forced to decide: surrender the mask or fight to the end. Knowing she is doomed to a short life, she is tempted to take the former option. But the legendary Pantera is destined for more than an early grave, and once she discovers the truth of her origins, not even death will stop her.

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 had such high hopes for this one – genderbent Zoro retelling with Mesoamerican mythologies! – but I straight-up hated it. Choppy, jerky prose combined with a pretty bland first-person, present-tense perspective, with a heroine right out of a bad YA novel. The dialogue stops and starts and jumps topics seemingly at random, and virtually every character is a predictable, simplistic trope – the evil stepmother, the wicked guard-captain, the wise but inscrutable magical mentor. I was torn between rolling my eyes and fighting to keep them open, because I was falling asleep despite the leaping from roof to roof and all. Blunt prose turns even moments that should be exciting into snoozefests – I was either pissed off at how stupid a scene was, confused, or incredibly bored.

I mean – no sensory description of the magic, shapeshifting or wall-leaping means none of it hits me; you might as well be telling me your grocery list. Forget telling-not-showing; this is a telling-not-feeling book, which is infinitely worse.

Luckily I’m passingly familiar with the mythology Lares is drawing on here: if you’re not, good luck, because despite the clumsy 5-page-long info-dumps absolutely none of the mythos is explained. Neither is the history; do you know who Cortés is, and his role in the slaughter of the South Americas? No? Then you might want to have Wikipedia open as you read, because so much is treated like it’s general knowledge that doesn’t need explaining, when in fact a lot of readers are going to be pretty lost.

And – of course there’s a sexy pirate. Of course there is.

A really amazing premise ruined by an execution that couldn’t do it justice.

Under the Pendulum Sun by Jeannette Ng
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
ISBN: B06VTV9W39
Goodreads

Victorian missionaries travel into the heart of the newly discovered lands of the Fae, in a stunningly different fantasy that mixes Crimson Peak with Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.

Catherine Helstone’s brother, Laon, has disappeared in Arcadia, legendary land of the magical fae. Desperate for news of him, she makes the perilous journey, but once there, she finds herself alone and isolated in the sinister house of Gethsemane. At last there comes news: her beloved brother is riding to be reunited with her soon – but the Queen of the Fae and her insane court are hard on his heels.

File Under: Fantasy

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I have been banging my head against this book for THREE YEARS, and I am finally calling it quits – admitting to myself, and anyone who reads these posts, that I am never going to finish it, because I simply can’t stand it.

The premise is ridiculously cool, and the titular pendulum sun (as well as its accompanying ANGLER FISH MOON) are objectively amazing. But the writing just sends me to sleep. How is it possible for a book to get LESS interesting when the Faerie Queen enters the story?!

Ng works hard to make Faerie seem eldritch and strange, and for Gethsemane to be packed full of mysteries – but we don’t see enough of Faerie in the first third of the book for its strangeness to be enticing, and the many, MANY secrets of Gethsemane are just confusing without being interesting.

I liked the inclusion of Enochian, and really wanted to see how it was going to fit into Ng’s worldbuilding, but the reading experience is just so, so dull, and when it’s not dull, it’s frustrating in how it almost gives us something interesting, but not quite. I simply Cannot any longer. And I don’t feel like I’m missing out on much.

Talonsister by Jen Williams
Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Achillean MC, minor M/M
Published on: 12th September 2023
ISBN: 1803364351
Goodreads

Uncover a magical past that refuses to be forgotten in a world of mythical creatures and ruthless religion in this brand-new duology from the multi-award winning author of The Ninth Rain, perfect for fans of John Gwynne and Andrea Stewart.

Leven has no memory of her life before she was a soldier. The process of turning her into a Herald – a magical killing machine – was traumatic enough that it wiped her mind clean. Now, with the war won and the Imperium satisfied, she finds herself unemployed and facing a bleak future. Her fellow Heralds are disappearing, and her own mind seems to be coming apart at the seams. Strange visions, memories she shouldn’t have, are resurfacing, and none of them make any sense. They show her Brittletain, the ancient and mysterious island that the Imperium was never able to tame. Leven resolves to go to this place of magic and warring queens, with the hope of finding who she really is.

Envoy Kaeto has done a number of important little jobs for the Imperium, most of them nasty, all of them in the shadows. His newest assignment is to escort the bone-crafter Gynid Tyleigh as she travels across the Imperium – as the woman responsible for creating the Heralds, his employers owe her a great deal. But Tyleigh’s ambition alarms even Kaeto, and her conviction that she has found a new source of Titan bones, buried deep in the earth, could lead to another, even bloodier war.

Ynis was raised by the griffins, and has never seen another human face. She lives wild, as they do, eating her meat raw and flying with her talon-sister, T’rook. The griffins fiercely protect their isolation – the piles of skulls that litter the mountains of Brittletain are testament to that – but the magic they guard will always make them a target for the greed of men. By choosing not to kill Ynis when she was just a baby, the griffins may have doomed themselves – because the girl’s past is coming for her, and it carries a lethal blade.

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 am so confused about why Talonsister isn’t working for me, because everything about it is objectively amazing??? We have a human girl raised by a pair of gay griffins, we have an ancient-Ireland analogue ruled by a Boudicca-esque queen, an empire called the Starlight Imperium (I completely understand that some readers might find that kind of trite or whatever, but I adore star-things in fantasy), and warriors who can FLY and are in practical terms unstoppable because they have the bones of magical creatures fused to them!

And it’s not like there’s a problem with the prose; Williams is a great writer, whose books I’ve massively enjoyed before.

So???

Talonsister is like a pleasant walk; while I’m reading it, it’s perfectly nice, but every time I put the book down, I have no interest in picking it up again. Despite the well-crafted world, great characters, and various plots and mysteries that by any objective measure ought to be genuinely tantalising…there’s nothing drawing me on, nothing that hooks behind my breastbone and DEMANDS I see how it all ends. It feels weirdly…forgettable? I read dozens of books at the same time, reading a few chapters here, jumping to another book and read another few chapters there, and so on, and when I jump from Talonsister, I forget it exists until I happen to see the cover on my ereader screen while looking for something else.

This is very puzzling, but with an enormous pile of books I do feel the need to get through, I can’t justify pushing on with it when I simply don’t care about it. I fully intend to come back and give it another try later, though – maybe when the sequel comes out, I can try rereading this to prepare for it. Hopefully it’ll hook me then!

A Second Chance for Yesterday by R.A. Sinn
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Queer MC, nonbinary love interest
ISBN: 1786188260
Goodreads

Nev Bourne is a hotshot programmer for the latest and greatest tech invention out SavePoint, the brain implant that rewinds the seconds of all our most embarrassing moments. She’s been working non-stop on the next rollout, even blowing off her boyfriend, her best friend and her family to make SavePoint 2.0. But when she hits go on the test-run, she wakes up the next day only to discover it's yesterday. She's falling backwards in time, one day at a time.

As things spiral out of control, a long-lost friend from college reappears in her life claiming they know how to save her. Airin is charming and mysterious, and somehow knows Nev intimately well. Desperate and intrigued, Nev takes a leap of faith. A friendship born of fear slowly becomes a bond of deepest trust, and possibly love. With time running out, and the whole world of SavePoint users at stake, Nev must learn what it will take to set things right, and what it will cost.

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Okay: this one is not the book’s fault. This is entirely on the publisher, because the blurb Second Chance For Yesterday had on Netgalley at the time I requested it comped it to This Is How You Lose The Time War.

Which obviously made me pounce on it!

(When am I going to learn?)

Someone in the marketing or publicity department realised that was a WILDLY INACCURATE AND MISLEADING comp, and it’s not in the blurb anymore, which I am very glad of because, as I said: WILDLY INACCURATE AND MISLEADING.

Taken for what it actually is, as opposed to holding it up against Time War and finding it extremely lacking, Second Chance For Yesterday is another book that is objectively excellent: the prose is quick and addictive, the characters are wonderfully human (even if I don’t love Nev as a person, she’s a great character and I enjoyed her antics), and the future the authors have come up with is very believable, including all the probable ramifications of and uses for extremely short-term time travel.

Second Chance For Yesterday also dodges the time loop trope, since Nev isn’t reliving the same day over and over but progressively going backwards – much more interesting, imo.

Unfortunately time travel in general is not actually my jam – I never would have picked this up without the Time War comp, which led me to think Second Chance For Yesterday was going to have the same kind of…untraditional framework and storytelling style that Time War did. That’s what I was here for, and alas, Second Chance For Yesterday doesn’t have that.

So I’m DNF-ing it, but if you DO love time travel stories, then it’s very likely you’ll enjoy the hell out of this. It’s clearly a really great book; it’s just one that’s not for me!

Truth of Crowns: Book One in The Ash Eternal series by Carl D. Albert
Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Representation: Indigenous-coded cast, nonbinary character
ISBN: 9798987897508
Goodreads

“Secrets, secrets are so fun. Secrets, secrets – cut my tongue.”

In a land where magick is heresy and ancient forces manipulate human whims, secrets will tear a fragile peace asunder. Four people stand at the heart of this burgeoning war.

An unproven prince who married a woman forbidden to him.

A sickly boy with a connection to an eldritch beast.

An outcast knight who hides the infidelity of her liege lady.

And a traitorous duke caught between the contradictions of his ideals.

Two will die. Two will rise. And the Age of Terkir will march toward its end.

Truth of Crowns is the tragic first installment in The Ash Eternal series, an epic fantasy rife with blood-soaked politics, arcane mysteries, and the human heart at conflict with itself.

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I picked this up because I was promised epic fantasy with many a queer character – and I was initially pleasantly surprised, and massively intrigued, by the worldbuilding, which seemed to be built on the premise what if Indigenous Americans had started building castles?

(It’s actually more complicated than that – there’s references to the fae, bits drawn from Irish mythology, and the dominant religion features a triple god – a nice change from the usual triple goddess! – whose ‘evil’ face, events in the prologue suggest, may be incorrectly or unfairly demonised. Plus a ton of stuff that seemed to be wholly original, with no obvious – to me – real-world inspirations, including powerful Saint-Queens and female dukes, which, yes please!)

But there’s something about the prose that feels so heavy, that triggers my brain-fog hard, and despite the dream serpents, the ‘miracles or black magic?’ question, the secret marriage, the Mud King, the anti-royalist rebellion… I found I just didn’t care about any of it. And it was hard to get invested when the content warnings include transphobia and homophobia – I just don’t want to deal with that shit in my fiction, and the prose and cast weren’t nearly good enough to make me want to read on despite knowing that kind of awfulness was coming.

(Also, for the record? Having an extensive content warning list, and then finishing it with ‘among many other terrible things’ is…not a complete content warning list??? You’re literally telling us there’s other awful stuff you’re not including in your content warnings? What??? Why bother then???)

A Hundred Vicious Turns (The Broken Tower, #1) by Lee Paige O'Brien
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Nonbinary MC, major trans character (love interest?)
Published on: 12th September 2023
ISBN: B0BVMJ2TJR
Goodreads

The heir to an arcane bloodline must outwit their ambitious rival to stop a ruthless magical adversary in a YA fantasy debut perfect for fans of A Lesson in Vengeance and Hell Followed With Us   

Rat Evans, nonbinary heir to one of the oldest magical bloodlines in New York, doesn’t cast spells anymore. For as long as Rat can remember, they’ve been surrounded by doorways no one else sees and corridors that aren’t on any map. Then one day, they opened a passage and found a broken tower in a field of weeds—and something followed them back.  

When Rat is accepted into Bellamy Arts, all they want is a place to hide and to make sure they never open another passageway again. But when the only other person who knows what really happened last year—Harker Blakely, the dangerously gifted trans boy who used to be Rat’s closest friend—turns up on campus, Rat begins to realize that Bellamy Arts might not be as safe as they’d thought. And the tower might not be through with them yet.  

Soon, Rat finds themself caught in a web of secrets and long-buried magic, with their friend-turned-enemy at their throat. But the closer they come to uncovering the truth about the tower, the further they’re drawn toward the unsettling powers that threaten to swallow them whole.

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 cannot tell you how excited I was for a MAGIC SCHOOL STORY featuring a NONBINARY MC. I mean. !!!!!!!!! And then that jaw-dropping cover?!

*chef’s kiss*

But…I ended up being so bored. For a start, you really shouldn’t go into this looking for a magic school story – yes, the main setting is a magic school, but apparently that does not a magic school story automatically make. Not only do we never get to see classes, but Rat actually hates magic and doesn’t want to learn about it, never mind use it, at all. That was a pretty big shock to me, and was kind of difficult to reconcile – I didn’t really understand how even the frightening interactions with the Tower could turn someone born into and raised with magic into someone anti-magic.

(That might be more of a personal hang-up than a failure of the writing, though. I can’t, off the top of my head, think of what might be enough to turn me against magic.)

That aside, A Hundred Vicious Turns just seemed to go in circles – I think I saw another review describing Rat’s actions as ‘running in place’, and yeah, that’s very much the vibe I got too. Rat is scared; Rat hates themself for [insert repetitive reason here]; Rat is sure Harker is Up To Something. Wash, rinse, repeat. Nothing seemed to actually happen, nothing moved forward, I had no idea why the stolen map mattered so much, the characters were superficially interesting but lacking the depth required to make them feel like real people, and the prose is very plain, with no appeal of its own. There’s none of the wonder or beauty I was hoping for, either in the magic, setting, or worldbuilding; there’s nothing very interesting about this set-up. I read the first 25% of the book and honestly, you could have set it in a normal high school and it wouldn’t have changed much.

Magic’s supposed to be magical, and this is just…dull.

I don’t even think this is a case of expectations not matching reality (although I do think readers should go in knowing this isn’t a magic school story); I think A Hundred Vicious Turns is just objectively really boring. The premise is still great, but it needed to be executed very differently to be a story I could care about.

HeartbreakingIy disappointed here.

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
Genres: Sci Fi
PoV: First-person, past-tense
ISBN: 059331817X
Goodreads

From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans.

In Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

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Klara and the Sun has been on my tbr for a while now, and I really enjoyed the beginning, while Klara was at the Store, before she’d been bought as an AF (artificial friend). Klara is very sweet, almost childlike in a lot of ways, and in the beginning that’s appealing – she’s new, new to the world (which in fact she’s extremely sheltered from), trying to understand how humans work by people-watching, confused about how she works (hence obsessing over getting enough sunlight, because she’s solar-powered and what if she gets too little sunlight and starts to get weak or worn down?)

But once the story gets moving – once Klara is bought as the AF for Josie, a young girl with an unnamed, long-term illness – I rapidly lost interest. Klara’s narration doesn’t grow any more complex as she gains experience, and the whole childlike thing palls eventually. It would have been really interesting (and so clever!) from a writerly perspective if Klara’s voice had grown more sophisticated as she herself learns and grows, but she doesn’t grow – and she’s so ignorant and naive that I’m baffled as to how she, and others like her, are supposedly designed to be full-time companions to human children. If you were designing a robot that was going to accompany, entertain, and take care of a child 24/7, wouldn’t you pre-load her with at least basic medical knowledge and some understanding of psychology? Wouldn’t you give her enough general knowledge to be able to help with understanding schoolwork and completing homework? How is it that she’s thrown by something like a food blender not remaining in the same place all the time; how on EARTH does she not understand that the sun can’t help or cure humans, because they’re not solar-powered like the AFs? Come on.

And then there was just – general Lit Fic levels of family and interpersonal drama that I could not care less about and did not pick up this book looking for.

There’s nothing at all unique or groundbreaking here, and I’m very confused by all the hype. If you don’t lose taste for Klara’s narration, then I can see this being a mildly pleasant read, but Klara and the Sun has nothing to offer beyond that.

Here’s hoping for FAR fewer DNFs next month!

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

I Can’t Wait For…Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black

Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 21st November 2023
Goodreads

Marriage isn't always sunshine and unicorns... sometimes it's monsters and necromancy.

It's been almost a year since Logan 'The Bear' Theaker hung up his axe and settled down with his sunshiny bard husband, Pie. But when Pie disappears, Logan is forced back into a world he thought he'd left behind.

Logan quickly discovers that Pie has been blackmailed into stealing a powerful artifact capable of creating an undead army. With the help of an old adversary and a ghost from his past, Logan sets out to rescue his husband.

But the further the quest takes him, the more secrets Logan uncovers. He'll need all his strength to rescue his husband - but can he save their marriage?

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I am a total sucker for a punny title, and everything about this premise delights me! Especially since, for all the blurb says ‘marriage isn’t always sunshine and unicorns’, there are – count them! – not one, not two, but THREE unicorns on that gorgeous cover!

Strongly suggesting that there will, in fact, be unicorns.

Which makes me extremely happy! (I need more unicorns in my fiction, okay??? I’ll accept even a brief glimpse of one!)

And can you believe the sunshiny bard husband is named Pie??? Even if it’s just a nickname, that is so silly and on-point that it’s charming.

Which is how this whole book feels, really: light-hearted, indulgent, and charming. Likely to be funny and plenty escapist. EXACTLY what the doctor ordered, in other words! I’m majorly looking forward to curling up with this when it arrives…somewhere cosy with a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate. In my unicorn mug, of course.

Tell me you’re not charmed by this adorable-sounding fantasy romance???

The post I Can’t Wait For…Til Death Do Us Bard by Rose Black appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Softly Finding Your Place: Pluralities by Avi Silver

Pluralities by Avi Silver
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Science Fantasy, Speculative Fiction
Representation: Nonbinary MC, trans bestie, nonbinary spaceship
PoV: First-person, past-tense; third-person past-tense.
Published on: 3rd October 2023
ISBN: 1961654016
Goodreads

"Wait—rewind. I was still a girl back then, before the universes converged."

Guided by premonitions and a fateful car ride, a burned-out retail worker stumbles into the grand exit from womanhood. Meanwhile, in a galaxy not so far away, an alien prince goes rogue with his sentient spaceship, seeking purpose in the great glimmering void. As the two of them come together in a fusion of mind and body, they must reckon with the identities that have been assigned to them.

Tender and daring, Pluralities is a slipstream-meets-space-adventure story honouring the long and turbulent journey into gender euphoria.

“Years into my own journey, this story was especially meaningful to me. I love that the narrative is filled with queer love, friendship, and euphoria. This novella doesn’t shy away from challenging questions about the intersection of feminism and trans identity, and it doesn’t offer glib answers, but faces those questions head-on. I found the read experience-broadening, and hope this book finds the audience it deserves.” — José Pablo Iriarte, Hugo and Nebula Finalist

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

Highlights

~more lightbulbs = wordier spaceship
~Stardew Valley obsession
~alien ex-princes need hugs
~if it’s your shirt or your pride, go topless
~a Significant strap-on

Pluralities is a beautiful velvet dream of a book, odd and gentle, defying easy categorisation as thoroughly as its characters do. It’s not quite like anything I’ve ever read before, more introspective and meditative than plot-driven, and it’s left me feeling pleasantly thoughtful.

There are two stories told side by side: in a world that might almost be ours, a college-aged-ish person grapples with the growing certainty that they’re not a woman; and out in space, an alien prince flees his royal role with his best friend, a sentient spaceship. It should be jarring – at first glance, these two stories are completely different, as if they don’t belong in the same book. But it’s not jarring. Somehow it is perfectly correct. Somehow these very different stories complement each other, reflect each other, and, eventually, blur together into one.

I think I read Pluralities at the wrong time, when outside circumstances left me too numb for the love and joy in this book to really reach me. But they shine out of every page, conveyed by light, beautiful prose that manages to be easy and approachable even when dealing with tough or tricky topics. Silver breaks down the confusion, exploration, and euphoria of a person discovering their gender into terms a CIS reader can understand and appreciate; I loved the the parallel drawn between a person figuring out that they’re nonbinary, and a CIS person trying to understand what nonbinary even means – both people in that scenario are confused, often about the same aspects of it! It’s generally not a quick and simple thing for the nonbinary person in the equation, either.

I wasn’t sorted into Box A instead of Box B at birth–I fell off the assembly line altogether.

Basically: if you think the concept of being nonbinary is hard to grasp, imagine trying to understand it from the inside!

something had fundamentally changed within me.

Well, no, I don’t know if changed is the right word. It had always been there. But now I was looking at it, and more importantly, it was looking back.

It had more eyes than I expected.

Our alien not-prince, Cornelius, is a many-eyed sweetheart, and it’s not hard to empathise with his literal search across the galaxy for purpose and identity. His relationship with Bo – the sentient spaceship who, imo, is the star of the book! – is so deep and inalienable (hah) that it catches in your throat. And I cannot tell you how much I adored Bo’s – backstory? origin story? Learning where it came from and that it’s far from the only one. Silver keeps the worldbuilding simple, but it’s always interesting, and quality definitely comes before quantity on this.

And on the other side from our aliens we have our (nameless) first-person human narrator, whose ability to see visions when they touch other people is balanced by their VERY relatable plunge into Stardew Valley–

When we finally paused long enough to do that Hollywood heavy-breathing-eye-contact thing, I watched the crease of doubt return to his face. I recognized the look, the classic worry that comes after a first kiss, the fear that somehow one act of physicality will manage to change the fundamentals of a relationship. The exhausted fear of losing what you had by acting on only one part of what you wanted.

I was trying to figure out how to explain how much I didn’t want that to happen when I looked over his shoulder at the television screen. “Dude!”

“What?”

“You didn’t pause?!”

“Oh shit–“

“We just lost like four hours!” I shouted. “And we still need to get Clint that fucking iron!”

He all but shoved me to the side, grabbing at the controller and cursing.

I CACKLED.

The whole book is like that – balancing the speculative elements with the very familiar, anchoring the difficult-to-grasp concepts (like sentient spaceships and being nonbinary) in the human element (not the best choice of words, seeing as we’re talking about aliens too, but you know what I mean). It creates the comforting, stress-less aura of being in a dream, where things can be weird and wonderful without being frightening; strange and delightful, but also normalised. Which is very much part of what makes Pluralities an oddly relaxing read, despite the (arguably) heavy themes.

And if it needs saying – yes, the rep is spot-on. I really liked the struggle of balancing the idea of the Divine Feminine with the whole not-being-a-girl; as someone who fell hard into Wicca back in the day (and was thus very into the whole Divine Feminine thing at one point) I get it – and that’s not an aspect of discovering-your-nonbinary-ness that I’ve seen talked about before, how weirdly difficult it is to break away from a gender when you don’t want to insult that gender, the complicated guilt of that process. It really is me-not-you, honest.

Pluralities isn’t a space opera, and it’s not an urban fantasy where the MC uses their visions to solve/prevent crimes. It’s a warm fluffy blanket, and a hug, and quiet magic of both the speculative and non-pejoratively mundane kind. This isn’t the right book if you’re looking for fast-paced action, but if you’ve been craving something soft and thoughtful and loving – with spaceships that talk through lightbulbs and trans besties living their best lives in Stardew Valley – then it’s absolutely perfect.

The post Softly Finding Your Place: Pluralities by Avi Silver appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Must-Have Monday #151

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.

A big week this week, with SIXTEEN new releases to be excited for!

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

The Phoenix King (The Ravence Trilogy, #1) by Aparna Verma
Genres: Science Fantasy
Representation: Desi-coded cast and setting
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

In a kingdom where flames hold magic and the desert hides secrets, an ancient prophecy comes for an assassin, a princess, and a king. But none are ready to face destiny—and the choices they make could burn the world. 

“If we carry the burdens of our fathers, we’ll never know what it means to be free.” 

For Elena Aadya Ravence, fire is yearning. She longs to feel worthy of her Phoenix god, of her ancestors who transformed the barren dunes of Sayon into a thriving kingdom. But though she knows the ways and wiles of the desert better than she knows her own skin, the secrets of the Eternal Flame elude her. And without them, she’ll never be accepted as queen. 

For Leo Malhari Ravence, fire is control. He is not ready to give up his crown—there’s still too much work to be done to ensure his legacy remains untarnished, his family protected. But power comes with a price, and he’ll wage war with the heavens themselves to keep from paying it. 

For Yassen Knight, fire is redemption. He dreams of shedding his past as one of Sayon’s most deadly assassins, of laying to rest the ghosts of those he has lost. If joining the court of flame and serving the royal Ravence family—the very people he once swore to eliminate—will earn him that, he’ll do it no matter what they ask of him. 

But the Phoenix watches over all and the fire has a will of its own. It will come for all three, will come for Sayon itself….and they must either find a way to withstand the blaze or burn to ash. 

The first in an action–packed debut epic fantasy trilogy, The Phoenix King is "a captivating adventure from a gifted new voice” (Peter V. Brett).

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The Phoenix King is the final book of this year’s Desi Trinity (the other books being The Surviving Sky and Sons of Darkness)! Apparently there’s actually quite a lot of sci fi elements – making this science fantasy rather than simply fantasy – and the author has warned that it gets quite dark, with a morally grey cast who don’t always choose Good. But Verma also promised us phoenix magic, and I absolutely have to know more about that!

Devout: An Anthology of Angels by Quinton Li, Freydís Moon, Dorian Yosef Weber, Angela Sun, Ian Haramaki, Tyler Battaglia, Daniel Marie James, Morgan Dante, Cas Trudeau, Aurélio Loren, Rae Novotny, rafael nicolás, Emily Hoffman
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Sci Fi
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

Featuring work by Freydís Moon, Dorian Yosef Weber, Angela Sun, Ian Haramaki, Tyler Battaglia, Daniel Marie James, Morgan Dante, Cas Trudeau, Aurélio Loren, Rae Novotny, Rafael Nicolás & Emily Hoffman.

A collection of stories, poetry, and art dedicated to the angelic.

Here you will find the strange, the creepy, the funky, slightly silly, pieces with feeling. An experience buried deep inside, it might be from another dimension. Something questionable that makes you wonder if your first impression of the world is accurate enough to trust.

Or maybe something human — too human.

How about a feeling between a feeling? Longing, yearning. Conflict between moral and love. World between worlds.

Above all — angelic.

Are we what angels make of us, or are angels what we make of them?

This anthology is for mature audiences due to themes and explicit content. Our genres include, but are not limited to: Contemporary Fantasy Romance, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Historical Fantasy Romance, Mythological, Gothic Fiction, Science Fiction, Horror Drama

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Angels are very much one of my Things, and this collection features some of my favourite self-published authors! This is another book I’ve been looking forward to since I first heard about it, and it’s almost here!!!

A Second Chance for Yesterday by R.A. Sinn
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Queer MC, nonbinary love interest
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

Created by historian and futurist sibling authors, {::}   A Second Chance for Yesterday is a time-twisting story of family, redemption and queer love, for fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife .

Nev Bourne is a hotshot programmer for the latest and greatest tech invention out SavePoint, the brain implant that rewinds the seconds of all our most embarrassing moments. She’s been working non-stop on the next rollout, even blowing off her boyfriend, her best friend and her family to make SavePoint 2.0. But when she hits go on the test-run, she wakes up the next day only to discover it's yesterday. She's falling backwards in time, one day at a time.

As things spiral out of control, a long-lost friend from college reappears in her life claiming they know how to save her. Airin is charming and mysterious, and somehow knows Nev intimately well. Desperate and intrigued, Nev takes a leap of faith. A friendship born of fear slowly becomes a bond of deepest trust, and possibly love. With time running out, and the whole world of SavePoint users at stake, Nev must learn what it will take to set things right, and what it will cost.

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This didn’t quite work for me, but only because I was led to believe it’s something it’s not. Objectively, it’s bloody brilliant, with really tight, electric prose and a scarily believable future. If you like the sound of someone being stuck time-travelling backwards one day at a time, then you’ll probably massively enjoy this!

Where Peace Is Lost by Valerie Valdes
Genres: Science Fantasy
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

A brand-new space fantasy novel from master world-builder Valerie Valdes! A refugee with a secret, a dangerous foe, and a road trip that could either save a planet or start a war. 

Where peace is lost, may we find it.

Five years ago, Kelana Gardavros lost everything in the war against the Pale empire. Now Kel Garda is just another refugee living on the edge of an isolated star system. No one knows she was once a member of an Order whose military arm was disbanded and scattered across the galaxy. And no one knows that if her enemies found her, they might destroy the entire world to get rid of her.

Where peace is broken, may we mend it.

Kel’s past intrudes in the form of a long-dormant Pale war machine, suddenly reactivated. If the massive automaton isn’t stopped, at best it will carve a swath of devastation that displaces thousands of people. At worst, it will kill every sentient creature on the planet.

Where we go, may peace follow.

When two strangers offer to deactivate the machine for a price, Kel and a young friend agree to serve as their guides. The journey through swamps infested with predators and bandits is bad enough, but can they survive more nefarious dangers along the way? And will Kel’s fear of revealing her secrets doom the very people she’s trying to protect?

Where we fall, may peace rise.

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I love, love, love science fantasy, and this one sounds pretty promising. Also, I am loving that winged-fairy space armour!!!

Kit & Basie (Tales from Long Lily, 1) by Tess Carletta
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

Immortality is a dangerous affair when it isn’t done right.

Basie Yeats knows he’s doing immortality all wrong, spending endless days in the same place, but he doesn’t see a reason to leave the home he loves in Long Lily, Pennsylvania. Once the impossible death of his mother leaves him the only immortal person he knows, Basie decides that the only thing he wants to do is get out of Long Lily and start doing immortality the right way—alone.

Kit Elliot has wandered the world looking for the right place to call home, so when a church-turned-cottage suddenly goes up for sale in a quaint Pennsylvania town, it feels like it was meant to be. It takes only a few days at Wellhead Cottage for Kit to decide that the man who sold it to him is frustrating, awkward, and terribly handsome. He offers to help Basie find a new home away from Long Lily—but as days turn to months, Kit finds himself wishing he could make Basie stay.

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This sounds immensely sweet and cosy, which is exactly what I’m in the mood for right now! And I’m curious about this idea of doing immortality right or wrong – surely there isn’t really a wrong way to do it, any more than there’s a wrong way to Life? (Yes, that’s a verb now.)

Beast Mom by Kim Imas
Genres: Speculative Fiction
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

An Oregon mom is about to lose her $#!t.

It might be what the government’s been waiting for.

On the outside, Harriet “Harry” Lime is a typical American mom. But after years of packing all the lunches and picking up all the socks, she’s become a bit…off on the inside. And after stumbling upon the offensive new statue at her daughter’s school, she gets unusually angry and turns into a gigantic monster.

Now she’ll have to figure out why that keeps happening—and why some mysterious uniformed men have begun lurking around town—all while keeping up with the grocery shopping, the carpool, and all those %@#!-€*&ing socks.

As soon as Harriet discovers that other local women are undergoing their own amazing transformations, she faces the sudden danger of being ripped away from everyone and everything she loves. Still, she’s begun to wonder: How much of her old life—with its surplus of cleaning, cooking, and monthly cramping—does she want to hold on to, anyway?

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Not gonna lie, this sounds like a lot of fun, and potentially very indulgent. Who hasn’t wanted to turn into a rage monster at some point???

The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord
Genres: Sci Fi
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

As first contact transforms the Earth, a group of gifted visionaries race to create a new future in this wondrous science fiction novel from the award-winning author of The Best of All Possible Worlds.

The world is changing, and humanity must change with it. Rising seas and soaring temperatures have radically transformed the face of the Earth. Meanwhile, Earth is being observed from afar by other civilizations ... and now they are ready to make contact.

Vying to prepare humanity for first contact are a group of dreamers and changemakers, including Peter Hendrix, the genius inventor behind the most advanced VR tech; Charyssa, a beloved celebrity icon with a passion for humanitarian work; and Kanoa, a member of a council of young people from around the globe drafted to reimagine the relationship between humankind and alien societies.

And they may have an unexpected secret weapon: Owen, a pop megastar whose ability to connect with his adoring fans is more than charisma. He has a hidden talent that may be the key to uniting Earth as it looks towards the stars.

But Owen's abilities are so unique that no-one can control him, and so seductive that he cannot help but use them. Can he transcend his human limitations and find the freedom he has always dreamed of? Or is he doomed to become the dictator of his nightmares?

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Although this has been billed as a standalone, it’s apparently the third book in a loosely connected series? Several reviewers have said they’d have gotten much more out of Blue Beautiful World if they’d known that going in, so…now you know?

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle (Edinburgh Nights, #3) by T.L. Huchu
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy
Representation: Black MC
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

Duels, magic, and plenty of ghosts await in The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle, the third book of T. L. Huchu's USA Today bestselling Edinburgh Nights series.

Everyone’s favorite fifteen-year-old ghosttalker, Ropa, arrives at the worldwide Society of Skeptical Enquirers’ biennial conference just in time to be tied into a mystery—a locked room mystery, if an entire creepy haunted castle on lockdown counts. One of the magical attendees has stolen a valuable magical scroll.

Caught between Qozmos, the high wizard of Ethiopian magic, the larger-than-life Lord Sashvindu Samarasinghe, England’s Sorcerer Royal, and Scotland’s own Hamish Manas MacLeod, it’s up to Ropa (and Jomo and Priya) to sort through the dangerous secret politics and alliances to figure out what really happened. But she has a special tool—the many ghosts tied to the ancient, powerful castle.

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Already released in the UK, Mystery at Dunvegan Castle arrives in the US this week! This is a ridiculously amazing urban fantasy series that you should definitely be reading, if you aren’t yet!

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bi/pansexual Black MC, past F/F
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

There will be blood.

Ace of Spades meets House of Hollow in this villain origin story.

Laure Mesny is a perfectionist with an axe to grind. Despite being constantly overlooked in the elite and cutthroat world of the Parisian ballet, she will do anything to prove that a Black girl can take center stage. To level the playing field, Laure ventures deep into the depths of the Catacombs and strikes a deal with a pulsating river of blood.

The primordial power Laure gains promises influence and adoration, everything she’s dreamed of and worked toward. With retribution on her mind, she surpasses her bitter and privileged peers, leaving broken bodies behind her on her climb to stardom.

But even as undeniable as she is, Laure is not the only monster around. And her vicious desires make her a perfect target for slaughter. As she descends into madness and the mystifying underworld beneath her, she is faced with the ultimate choice: continue to break herself for scraps of validation or succumb to the darkness that wants her exactly as she is—monstrous heart and all. That is, if the god-killer doesn’t catch her first.

From debut author Jamison Shea comes I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me, a slow-burn horror that lifts a veil on the institutions that profit on exclusion and the toll of giving everything to a world that will never love you back.

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I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me is exactly as epic and delicious as it sounds, though imo Laure isn’t at all a villain – she’s just not ‘nice’ in the way girls, especially Black girls, are ‘supposed’ to be. I love her for making no apologies for that, for reveling in it. But dear gods is the world of professional ballet horrifying!!! Seriously, brace yourselves for that.

My review!

Neverwraith by Shakir Rashaan
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy
Representation: Black MC
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

Bel-Air meets Cloak & Dagger in this explosive and innovative paranormal debut…

Being the new kid is always gonna land you in it.

Yasir Salah isn’t like the other guys in his new suburban Georgia high school. Lately, he can feel something shifting in his body. Raw. Edgy. Volatile . Like his eyes changing colors and heat on his skin when some alpha bro comes for him…or how just a grin from the gorgeous, untouchable girl at school sends vibrations shooting through his entire body.

Only it’s not just being at a new school. It’s a new town. New rules. New flow . And everything feels way smaller than his ex-life in Atlanta. All he can do is what he’s been keep a low profile and try to not be noticed…and keep his anger under control.

But they never warned him.
They never told him what he is.
And they sure as hell didn’t tell him that the world is gonna need him.

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The cover looks vaguely superhero-ish to me, but every source I’ve checked calls Neverwraith fantasy, which is much more interesting to me! And has me really curious about what the big secret is…

House of Marionne by J. Elle
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy
Representation: Black MC
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

Rich is the blood of the chosen

17 year-old Quell has lived her entire life on the run. She and her mother have fled from city to city, in order to hide the deadly magic that flows through Quell’s veins.

Until someone discovers her dark secret.

To hide from the assassin hunting her, and keep her mother out of harm’s way, Quell reluctantly inducts into a debutante society of magical social elites called the Order that she never knew existed. If she can pass their three rites of membership, mastering their proper form of magic, she’ll be able to secretly bury her forbidden magic forever.
If caught, she will be killed.

But becoming the perfect debutante is a lot harder than Quell imagined, especially when there’s more than tutoring happening with Jordan, her brooding mentor and— assassin in training.

When Quell uncovers the deadly lengths the Order will go to defend its wealth and power, she’s forced to choose: embrace the dark magic she’s been running from her entire life or risk losing everything, and everyone, she’s grown to love.

Still, she fears the most formidable monster she’ll have to face is the one inside.

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What is it about the whole debutante thing that’s so fascinating??? I can’t put my finger on it, but I definitely feel it. And magical debutantes are even better!

A Tall Dark Trouble by Vanessa Montalban
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy
Representation: Cuban-American MCs
Published on: 29th August 2023
Goodreads

Practical Magic meets Erika L. Sanchez in this dazzling YA fantasy about a Cuban American family of brujas who get entangled in love, magic, and murder, alternating between 1980s Cuba and present-day Miami.

Twin sisters Ofelia and Delfi know better than to get involved with magic. Their Mami has seen to that. After all, it was magic that cursed their family, turning love into a poison. Romance is off the table for the Sanchez women. They’ve seen the curse take hold enough times to know how that road ends. And yet. Sometimes a girl catches feelings and just can’t help herself.

When Ofelia and Delfi begin having premonitions of a series of murders, the sisters know it is time to embrace their magical inheritance to get to the bottom of the mystery and save innocent lives. Teaming up with their best friend Ethan and with brooding detective-in-training Andres, the sisters set out to learn the truth. They just need to make sure Mami doesn’t find out what they’re up to.

Meanwhile, in 1980 Cuba, Anita struggles with a different magical conflict. Her mother, Mama Orti, is a bruja who belongs to a secret coven of elders and Anita knows she will be forced to join the coven herself one day. She sees no escape, though the thought of staying and letting this future claim her is terrifying. Ofelia, Delfi, and Anita’s stories collide as each woman steps into her power and embraces who she truly is, refusing to be subdued by any person, coven, or curse.

In this stunning YA contemporary fantasy, debut author Vanessa Montalban explores the interlocking struggles of three generations of women in one family. An unputdownable debut for anyone who roots for magic, sisterhood, and love.

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I admit to being kinda tired of the whole ‘women cursed for their love to turn to poison’ thing, but the rest of this sounds potentially interesting.

Sky Heart (Ridderden Riders #1) by Sierra J. Meril
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 30th August 2023
Goodreads

What will win; love or revenge?

The people of Ridderden have always been at war with the dragons that has gone on and off for thousands of years. Losses heavy on both sides haven't deterred the ruling Families who continue to push the conflict despite it bleeding the land dry.

Lay Scáth, caster and the only scholar of dragons, has fled after his family were all killed. He is determined to stay out of the fight until Damen, a half dragon and the country's only hope for peace, crashes into his life. The only issue is Damen is a Skyborn, the Family responsible for ruining Lay's life.

A journey across Ridderden to reach the Home of the Dragons shows both enemies and friends and Lay is forced to make a choice. Follow through with his plan to get revenge or put them aside for the handsome man whose honesty starts to break him from his armor.

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Dragons AND queerness??? Oh, I’m so hoping this will be great – fingers crossed!

Herc by Phoenicia Rogerson
Genres: Fantasy
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 31st August 2023
Goodreads

This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labours, his endless adventures…everyone’s favourite hero, right?

Well, it’s not.

This is the story of everyone else:

Alcmene: Herc’s mother (She has knives everywhere)
Hylas: Herc’s first friend (They were more than friends)
Megara: Herc’s wife (She’ll tell you about their marriage)
Eurystheus: Oversaw Herc’s labours (Definitely did not hide in a jar)

His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods, his victims.

It’s time to hear their stories.

Told with humour and heart, Herc gives voice to the silenced characters, in this feminist, queer (and sometimes shocking) retelling of classic Hercules myth.

Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Joanne M. Harris.

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I think this is out in another few weeks in the US, but Herc releases this week in the UK! I’ve seen mixed reviews, but I’m more curious than not, so I’ll probably be taking a look at it.

The Teras Trials (The Teras Threat Book 1) by Lucien Burr
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
Published on: 31st August 2023
Goodreads

Teras ravage England. Only London is safe.

In an England where monsters have spilled into the world out of myth, only London is magically protected from the monstrous threat. The University runs the city, allowing family of graduate Hunters, Healers, Scholars, and Artificers to live behind the wards.

Cassius Jones is nineteen and ready for the University. But when a bad year for the teras threat is projected, the University opens its admissions to anyone in England, behind the wards or otherwise, and suddenly the Jones' place in London is no longer secure. Cassius must contend with every other student vying for a place, and the darkest secrets of his society, whilst also balancing a tenuous interest in another boy.

Burr's debut is the first book in a dark fantasy series that challenges the nature of academia and the integrity of morality.

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This sounds like it’s going for (queer) dark academia monsters? That’s a mix I can definitely get behind!

Forget I Told You This: A Novel by Hilary Zaid
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Speculative Fiction
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 1st September 2023
Goodreads

Winner of the Barbara DiBernard Prize in Fiction

Amy Black, a queer single mother and an aspiring artist in love with calligraphy, dreams of a coveted artist’s residency at the world’s largest social media company, Q. One ink-black October night, when the power is out in the hills of Oakland, California, a stranger asks Amy to transcribe a love letter for him. When the stranger suddenly disappears, Amy’s search for the letter’s recipient leads her straight to Q and the most beautiful illuminated manuscript she has ever seen, the Codex Argentus , hidden away in Q’s Library of Books That Don’t Exist—and to a group of data privacy vigilantes who want her to burn Q to the ground.

Amy’s curiosity becomes her salvation, as she’s drawn closer and closer to the secret societies and crackpot philosophers that haunt the city’s abandoned warehouses and defunct train depots. All of it leads to an opportunity of a an artist’s residency deep in the holographic halls of Q headquarters. It’s a dream come true—so long as she follows Q’s rules.

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I have no idea what to make of this, which is WILDLY exciting to me! Love letters, illuminated manuscripts, and…data privacy vigilantes?! Yeah, I’m definitely checking this one out; it sounds so unlike my usual reads, but in a great way!

Will you be reading any of these? Let me know!

The post Must-Have Monday #151 appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

I Can’t Wait For…Wolf, Willow, Witch by Freydís Moon

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 Wolf, Willow, Witch  by Freydís Moon!

Wolf, Willow, Witch (The Gideon Testaments #2) by Freydís Moon
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Horror, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MCs
Published on: 4th September 2023
Goodreads

A vicious romance imbued with magic, thievery, and necromancy…

When Tehlor Nilsen stumbles upon an abandoned corpse hidden in her friend’s empty house, she can’t ignore the energy lingering around the broken albeit familiar body. Entranced by the promise of ritualistic power, she seizes her chance to secure a vorðr. Miraculously, Hel, the goddess of death, grants Tehlor an audience.

But Lincoln Stone has no interest in becoming a magical sentry and raising him from the dead comes with violent consequences.

When a mysterious neo-church arrives in Gideon, Tehlor catches wind of a rare relic. Despite Lincoln's troubling enthusiasm for demonology, she strikes a deal with her unruly vorðr, hoping to mend their strained relationship…

Work together. Steal the Breath of Judas. Control the dead.

As the magically bound pair infiltrate Haven and their heist becomes a hunt, Tehlor isn't sure if she's the predator or prey…

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Moon is one of my auto-buy authors – one who consistently proves that self-published books can be as epic or better than anything trad-pubbed! So far every book they’ve released has delighted me, and I don’t expect this one to break that winning streak.

Wolf, Willow, Witch is the second book in the Gideon Testaments trilogy. Book one, Heart, Haunt, Havoc, was awesome – all Catholic magic and exorcisms with deliciously complicated haunter-hauntee dynamics – and we met Tehlor in it, briefly. She made one Hel of an impression (sorry-not-sorry, I couldn’t resist) so I wasn’t shocked to hear she’d be starring in the sequel. She definitely deserves a book of her own!

But Lincoln? LINCOLN I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO SEE AGAIN! And I can already tell I’m going to be eating up his and Tehlor’s dynamic with a spoon.

M.E. Morgan knocked it out of the park again with the cover, which was revealed yesterday. I mean – hi, SO MUCH YES. But even without the gorgeous cover, that BLURB!!! A church heist and infiltrating Heaven?! HOW DO YOU INFILTRATE HEAVEN AND WHAT ARE THE RAMIFACATIONS OF THAT, PLEASE AND THANK YOU???

Bonus: we have been promised nothing bad will happen to Tehlor’s rat. I was pretty sure the rat would be okay, but it’s a relief to have confirmation.

Wolf, Willow, Witch releases in just under two weeks, which gives you plenty of time to read Heart, Haunt, Havoc if you haven’t already! If you’re into unapologetic queer supernatural-horror, this is definitely a series (and an author!) you should be keeping an eye on.

The post I Can’t Wait For…Wolf, Willow, Witch by Freydís Moon appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Must-Have Monday #150

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.

SIX books this week!

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

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang
Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Chinese cast, sapphic PoV character, minor nonbinary characters
Published on: 22nd August 2023
Goodreads

Inspired by a classic of martial arts literature, S. L. Huang's The Water Outlaws are bandits of devastating ruthlessness, unseemly femininity, dangerous philosophies, and ungovernable gender who are ready to make history—or tear it apart.

In the jianghu, you break the law to make it your own.

Lin Chong is an expert arms instructor, training the Emperor's soldiers in sword and truncheon, battle axe and spear, lance and crossbow. Unlike bolder friends who flirt with challenging the unequal hierarchies and values of Imperial society, she believes in keeping her head down and doing her job.

Until a powerful man with a vendetta rips that carefully-built life away.

Disgraced, tattooed as a criminal, and on the run from an Imperial Marshall who will stop at nothing to see her dead, Lin Chong is recruited by the Bandits of Liangshan. Mountain outlaws on the margins of society, the Liangshan Bandits proclaim a belief in justice—for women, for the downtrodden, for progressive thinkers a corrupt Empire would imprison or destroy. They’re also murderers, thieves, smugglers, and cutthroats.
Apart, they love like demons and fight like tigers. Together, they could bring down an empire.

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If you keep up with fantasy releases, you’ve almost certainly heard of Water Outlaws, and the hype is justified! Delightfully over-the-top anime-esque fight scenes are balanced by unflinchingly thorny themes; underdogs out for justice face off against a cruel and corrupt Empire, and the results are rarely bloodless. Parts are very dark, but it’s also really light-hearted – I realise that sounds impossible, but if you read it, you’ll see what I mean.

Content warning for [View post to see spoiler]

My review!

In Charm's Way (The Witches of Thistle Grove, #4) by Lana Harper
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Published on: 22nd August 2023
Goodreads

A witch struggling to regain what she has lost casts a forbidden spell—only to discover much more than she expected, in this enchanting new rom-com by New York Times bestselling author Lana Harper.

Six months after having been hit by a power surge that nearly obliterated her memory, Delilah Harlow is still picking up the pieces. Her once diamond-sharp mind has become shaky and unreliable, and bristly, self-sufficient Delilah is forced to rely on friends, family, and her raven familiar for help. In an effort to reclaim her wits and former independence, she casts a dangerous blood spell meant to harness power with healing capacities.

While the spell does restore clarity, it also unexpectedly turns Delilah into an irresistible beacon for the kind of malevolent supernatural creatures that have never before ventured into Thistle Grove. One night—just as things are about to go terribly sideways with a rogue succubus—a mysterious stranger appears in the nick of time to save Delilah's soul.

Gorgeous, sultry, and as dangerous as the knives she carries, Catriona Quinn is a hunter of monsters—and half-human, half-fae herself, she is the kind of sly and morally gray creature Delilah would normally find horrifying. Though Delilah balks at the idea of a partnership, she has no choice but to roll the dice on their collaboration. As the two delve deeper into the power that underlies Thistle Grove, they uncover not only the town's hidden history but also a risky attraction that could upend Delilah's entire life.

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I’ve been a fan of Harper’s since her debut, and the Thistle Grove books are one of my favourite easy-on-the-brain escapist series. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the amount of worldbuilding in Thistle Grove (rare in contemporary fantasy-romance, in my experience!) and it sounds like we’ll be learning a fair bit more in Charm’s Way (there are fae and monster-hunters in this verse?! GIMME!) So yes, I’m excited!

In the Roses of Pieria (The Blood Files, #1) by Anna Burke
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: F/F
Goodreads

Award-winning author Anna Burke delivers the shivers in this daring queer dark fantasy romance teeming with sensuous vampires, dark academia, plant horrors, and terrifying fungal fae.

When Clara Eden is offered a job as an archivist working for eccentric estate owner Agatha Montague, she thinks her prayers have been answered. Soon, she finds herself sucked into her research world, captivated by a romantic correspondence thousands of years old. But as her feelings for her employer's assistant, Fiadh, deepen, so does her suspicion that something about Agatha Montague isn't right. Unfortunately for Clara, it is far too late to run by the time her suspicions are confirmed..

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My dear, you had me at FUNGAL FAE. The rest of the blurb is just gravy!

Worst Knights Ever by Dane Hanson, Jimmy Paulsen
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Gay MC
Published on: 22nd August 2023
Goodreads

"Hilarious and irreverent! The only thing I don't like about this is that I didn't think of this premise first." - Steve Hofstetter, comedian

It's autumn 2001, and a fire-breathing dragon is destroying London. With most of her military overseas, the Queen decides to do what previous Queens would've done and call in her Knights! The only problem is that the Queen has only knighted celebrities.

Worst Knights Ever is the hilarious tale of four celebrities who volunteer to hunt down the dragon and try and save all of London.

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Apparently this story was originally meant for the big screen, starring Elton John, Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins, and Michael Caine – the celebrity knights in question – what a hilarious film it would have made! But I’m willing to bet it’s a lot of fun as a book too, and I’m definitely going to give it a go!

Board to Death (Board Game Shop, #1) by C.J. Connor
Genres: Queer Protagonists
Representation: Queer MC
Published on: 22nd August 2023
Goodreads

In a trendy Salt Lake City, Utah, neighborhood, Ben Rosencrantz's board game shop has become a community hotspot for players of all ages--and for killer collectors.

Back in his hometown of Sugar House running his family's board game shop and cafe, Ben Rosencrantz just can't seem to get his life to pass go, much less collect $200. Once he was a happily married English professor in Seattle. Now he's a divorced caregiver, looking after his ill father and a chihuahua named Beans while still figuring out the rules of retail management. At least the town has become more LGBTQ+ friendly than when Ben was a teenager--and that flower shop owner Ezra McCaslin enjoys flirting with him.

But despite his usual clientele of gamers, Ben is barely earning enough to keep the store running and stay on top of his father's medical bills. Then a local toy and game collector named Clive offers him a winning strategy--to purchase a turn-of-the-twentieth-century edition of The Landlord's Game, the realty and taxation game that inspired Monopoly, at a tenth of the rare edition's true value. Suspicious of Clive's shady, low-priced deal, Ben turns the offer down.

Then Clive turns up dead in the dumpster behind Ben's shop and a backpack full of $100 bills appears on his doorstep. Now Ben is the #1 suspect in Clive's death, and unless he and Ezra can prove his innocence and find the real killer, he'll go to jail for murder--and no amount of double dice rolls will set him free . . .

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This sounds weirdly cosy and adorable, despite the murder??? And I have a definite Thing for characters (and real people) who are passionate about their hobbies or collections or interests in general, so an MC big into board games? Who ALSO has a chihuahua named Beans??? I’m pretty much guaranteed to love him.

Love and Other Wicked Things by Philline Harms
Genres: Fantasy, Contemporary or Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Sapphic Black MC
Published on: 22nd August 2023
Goodreads

Sometimes love is the strongest magic of all

Nineteen-year-old Rhia Greenbrook has lived in the sleepy town of Oakriver in a house with three generations of witches her entire life. Rhia draws her magic from the earth and likes to spend her time amongst plants and nature. Her practice is gentle, sacred, and—per her family’s tradition—secret.

New-to-town witch Valerie Morgan is looking for answers about her mother’s disappearance from Oakriver seventeen years ago. Without her mother’s guidance, Valerie has cultivated her fire magic on her own and she makes no effort to keep her powers hidden. Although Rhia is immediately annoyed by Valerie's blatant use of magic, she can’t deny the instant magnetism between them.

But amidst their magical connection, a dark presence looms over Oakriver. Unsettling visions from Rhia’s grandmother and dangerous sleepwalking episodes throw into question Valerie’s past and what role her presence plays in the strange happenings. And as Valerie gets tangled up further into the darkness, it’s up to Rhia to tap into the full potential of her power in order to save the town she loves and the girl she’s fallen for.

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Sweet sapphic witchery! I’m curious about the ‘in the broom closet’ vs ‘out and proud’ approach to magic – which now I write that out seems an obvious metaphor for queerness. But – are witches known about in this world? What are non-witches’ views on magic? There’s probably a good reason Rhia’s family keeps their magic secret… I have questions, and must read the book for answers!

Will you be reading any of these? Let me know!

The post Must-Have Monday #150 appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Sunday Soupçons #23

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!

I’ve reread both these books – which both qualify as Crescent Classics – so many times, but I still adore them!

Hunting by Andrea K. Höst
Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy
Representation: Minor gay character
PoV: Third-person, past-tense
ISBN: B00C7T8IF6
Goodreads

Ash Lenthard doesn’t call herself a vigilante. She’s merely prone to random acts of derring-do, and occasional exhibitions of tomfoolery. Her friends, the Huntsmen, have never stepped over the line while patrolling the streets of Luinhall.

That was before the murder of Ash’s beloved guardian, Genevieve.

Now, Ash Lenthard is out for blood and even when the hunt sends her to the palace, on a collision course with a past identity she would do anything to forget, Ash cannot, will not, back down.

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Andrea K Höst is one of my all-time favourite authors, and is frankly a CRIME that she is not queen of the bestseller lists! Hunting is probably one of her more escapist standalones, although it definitely has some Properly Scary Villains. The worldbuilding here – wherein every landowner, from those who own just a house all the way up to monarchs, have to be confirmed in their ownership by the gods – is amazing without being overwhelming; Höst never infodumps, and the setting remains close enough to Generic Fantasy that it’s easy to absorb the unique aspects. There’s also a definite element of competence porn, since Ash and the lord who half-adopts her (with no idea that Ash isn’t the boy she pretends to be!) are both very good at what they do – although their skillsets are more complimentary than overlapping.

Ash is my favourite kind of lead: one who doesn’t care about pride, about being seen as The Best, while going ahead and doing her best – which is pretty damn good. She sees things clearly, including herself, and is ruthless about looking the truth in the eye, even when it’s painful. She also has an amazing sense of wry humour, and isn’t afraid to show it; she can be polite, but she’s never cowed, and she doesn’t act any differently for the heir to the throne than she does with anyone else. Following along as she digs into the murder of her guardian is a delight, not least because she manages to get herself entangled in a few other plots as well.

There’s a romance, which I actually loved (I rarely care much one way or another for romance plotlines, but I shipped these two hard) and no matter how many times I reread Hunting (this was my fourth time reading it) I’ll never stop being impressed with what the evil, wide-scale plan of the villains turns out to be. I mean, it’s awful, but it’s so…so well-built. You know?

Hunting is a massively satisfying standalone, the kind where you wouldn’t mind revisting the world of the book, but you definitely don’t need to. Stretching the story out to be a duology or, gods forbid, a trilogy, would have been a disservice to it; it’s exactly as long as it needs to be, and every single thread is wrapped up beautifully.

Also: rooftop free-running.

*chef’s kiss*

I love it; you’ll love it; go read it!

Stranger (The Change, #1) by Rachel Manija Brown, Sherwood Smith
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Representation: Brown disabled MC, brown MC, brown demisexual MC, gay Japanese PoV character, M/M, minor F/F, polyamory
PoV: Third-person, past-tense, multiple PoVs
ISBN: 9781101615393
Goodreads

Many generations ago, a mysterious cataclysm struck the world. Governments collapsed and people scattered, to rebuild where they could. A mutation, "the Change,” arose, granting some people unique powers. Though the area once called Los Angeles retains its cultural diversity, its technological marvels have faded into legend. "Las Anclas" now resembles a Wild West frontier town… where the Sheriff possesses superhuman strength, the doctor can warp time to heal his patients, and the distant ruins of an ancient city bristle with deadly crystalline trees that take their jewel-like colors from the clothes of the people they killed.

Teenage prospector Ross Juarez’s best find ever – an ancient book he doesn’t know how to read – nearly costs him his life when a bounty hunter is set on him to kill him and steal the book. Ross barely makes it to Las Anclas, bringing with him a precious artifact, a power no one has ever had before, and a whole lot of trouble.

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Allllll the way back in 2011, Brown and Smith went public with the fact that, in trying to get Stranger published, they had offers for the book contingent on their rewriting a gay character to be straight. (The original post is 404ed, but that’s what the Wayback Machine is for!) It kicked off a lot of great discussion, and a push for more queer rep in books (in YA in particular) that we then started to get. It was a gamechanger.

What I’m saying is that this little book had a big ripple effect on the world before it was even published.

Setting all that aside, though – it’s also just a freaking excellent book. This was my third time reading it, and I loved it just as much as I did the first time. It’s the (imo, best) kind of YA that can be read by adults as easily as teenagers, with plenty for both groups to enjoy and think about. The world Brown and Smith have created together is a really FUN one, even if not all the Changes are good – it’s a world where rabbits project (terrible) illusions to hide themselves from prey, squirrels teleport food out of your hands and run off with it, and crystal trees are pretty but one of the scariest things out there. Las Anclas itself isn’t a utopia by any means – the conflict between those prejudiced against the Changed and everyone else simmers away under everything – but it’s pretty wonderful, massively diverse with so many people who’ve managed to hold on to their cultures despite whatever cataclysm rocked the world generations ago. Prepare yourself for extremely delicious descriptions of all kinds of food (and the sometimes very weird, only technically edible creations of the town’s doctor!)

The characters are fantastic; you have Ross, who’s been surviving on his own for so long that he’s terrified of crowds and closed-in spaces; Mia, the sweetheart mechanic/engineer/gadget inventor who’s never had a crush; Jennie, the town teacher who is also one of the elite Rangers, wonderfully comfortable in her body; Yuki, last survivor of his parents’ ship-kingdom, and desperate to become a prospector like Ross; and Felicité, the daughter of the town’s mayor, superficially all sweetness and light, but manipulative and bigoted underneath. Those five are the PoV characters – though the book focuses mostly on Ross, Mia, and Jennie – and every one of them reads as unique and compelling (even Felicité, much as I dislike her as a person), with their own hopes and desires and motivations behind everything they do.

To say nothing of the equally incredible cast of secondary and minor characters. Seriously, the character-work in Stranger is superb.

Story-wise, things are a little bit small-town vibes for most of the book – everyone in Las Anclas has an opinion on whether or not Ross should be allowed to stay, but they also all have jobs to do and relationships with each other to tend. A lot of it’s quite cosy-feeling, with small little dramas like Jennie’s tension with her boyfriend and Felicité trying to organise a town-wise party. (Plus: Princess Snowflake. Yikes!) You have time to sort of…sink into Las Anclas, until it feels like somewhere you live, flawed but home.

Things do get more high-stakes as the ripples spread from Ross’ discovery; there are plenty of people who want a piece of it, or all of it, and/or a piece of Ross – including Voske, the ‘king’ of a nearby ’empire’, who has attacked Las Anclas once before and is definitely not someone to mess with.

Also: the beginnings of a happy polyamorous relationship, which includes the demisexual character. YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU!

I don’t feel like I’m doing a great job of selling Stranger to you, so suffice to say, it’s awesome and I love it, and I’m always so happy to come back to it. And since book 4 is in sight, it’s a great time for newcomers to jump into the series!

Do either of these appeal to you? Let me know!

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