Siavahda's Blog, page 78

Must-Have Monday #58

There are EIGHT releases of interest this week, ranging from Black mermaids to libraries in Hell to sapphics against the apocalypse!

Star Mother by Charlie N. Holmberg
Published on: 1st November 2021
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

When a star dies, a new one must be born.

The Sun God chooses the village of Endwever to provide a mortal womb. The birthing of a star is always fatal for the mother, and Ceris Wenden, who considers herself an outsider, sacrifices herself to secure her family’s honor and take control of her legacy. But after her star child is born, Ceris does what no other star mother has: she survives. When Ceris returns to Endwever, however, it’s not nine months later—it’s seven hundred years later. Inexplicably displaced in time, Ceris is determined to seek out her descendants.

Being a woman traveling alone brings its own challenges, until Ceris encounters a mysterious—and desperate—godling. Ristriel is incorporeal, a fugitive, a trickster, and the only being who can guide Ceris safely to her destination. Now, as Ceris traverses realms both mortal and beyond, her journey truly begins.

Together, pursued across the Earth and trespassing the heavens, Ceris and Ristriel are on a path to illuminate the mysteries that bind them and discover the secrets of the celestial world.

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I love stories about stars and celestial bodies, so this one grabbed my attention straightaway. I have no idea what to expect from the time-travel aspect though!

Her Name is Knight by Yasmin Angoe
Representation: Black MC, Black cast
Published on: 1st November 2021

Her Name Is Knight revolves around Nena Knight, codename Echo, a highly trained assassin for The Tribe – a clandestine international organization dedicated to the protection and advancement of the peoples and countries of Africa around the world. Her Name Is Knight is a propulsive character story and action thriller driven by retribution, passion, strength — and coming to terms with your own true self, regardless of what anyone calls you.

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This just sounds amazing from start to finish. Action/thriller is not typically my genre, but who the hell can resist a premise like that?!

A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding, #1) by Freya Marske
Representation: M/M, secondary Desi character
Published on: 2nd November 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He's struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents' excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what's been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he's always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it--not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin's predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they've been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles--and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

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I got to read this early, and can confirm that it absolutely lives up to all the hype! You can read my review here, but this is an incredibly readable fantasy with lots of Feels and hidden depths.

Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen
Representation: Black MC, Black cast
Published on: 2nd November 2021
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

An unforgettable fantasy debut inspired by West African mythology, this is Children of Blood and Bone meets The Little Mermaid, in which a mermaid takes on the gods themselves.

A way to survive.
A way to serve.
A way to save.

Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata--a mermaid--collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.

But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi does the unthinkable--she saves his life, going against an ancient decree. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy it.

To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But all is not as it seems. There's the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail. . . .

Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she doesn't, then she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.

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Mermaids! BLACK mermaids! Honestly that’s really all I need to hear, I’m sold.

The God of Lost Words (Hell's Library, #3) by A.J. Hackwith
Representation: Brown pansexual MC, secondary bi/pansexual character, casual background queerness
Published on: 2nd November 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads

To save the Library of the Unwritten in Hell, former librarian Claire and her allies may have to destroy it first.

Claire, the rakish Hero, the angel Rami, and the muse turned librarian Brevity have accomplished the impossible by discovering the true nature of unwritten books. But now that the secret is out, Hell will be coming for every wing of the library in its quest for power.

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The third and final book of the Hell’s Library trilogy! It’s very much a case of, I don’t want it to be over but I need to I know how it ends, you know???

The Demon Equilibrium by Cathy Pegau
Representation: F/F
Published on: 2nd November 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads

When the demonic Horde threatens to unleash Hell on Earth, two women must summon every bit of their shared power to save the world.

Grace Carter, a “source” of magic, has spent the last nine months searching for Maggie Mulvaney, her “catalyst.” The joy of reuniting with her partner—and her lover—is thwarted by her worst fear: Maggie doesn’t remember Grace or their life together. Grace blames the Order of Saint Teresa, the centuries-old organization that trained them to be the strongest demon-hunting duo in generations. But why has the Order done this?

As Maggie and Grace begin to piece their lives back together, they discover that their memories have been masked by someone within the Order. Should the Horde succeed in their plan, those who have committed their lives to slaying worldly demons will be relegated to little more than minions as humans are completely enslaved.

Now, Grace and Maggie must sacrifice everything, possibly even their lives, as they battle to save humanity.

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The cover initially made me think this was going to be some kind of post-apocalyptic story, but no, it’s historical fantasy! Which is interesting, because I don’t think I’ve come across this sort of story in a historical setting before. I just hope everyone gets their memories back!

Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross
Published on: 2nd November 2021
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

Perfect for readers of The Hazel Wood and The Night Circus, this lush and layered story about magic and the captivating power of dreams is delivered with acclaimed author Rebecca Ross’s signature exquisite style.

A curse plagues the realm of Azenor—during each new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians, who serve as territory wardens, stand between people and their worst dreams.

Clementine Madigan is ready to take over as the warden of her small town, but when two magicians challenge her, she is unwittingly drawn into a century-old conflict. She seeks revenge, but as she secretly gets closer to Phelan, one of the handsome young magicians, secrets begin to rise. Clementine must unite with her rival to fight the realm’s curse, which seems to be haunting her every turn.

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I’m reading an ARC of Ross’ adult debut – A River Enchanted – at the moment, and I’m enjoying her writing so much that I definitely want to check out her YA!

Terciel and Elinor (The Old Kingdom, #6) by Garth Nix
Published on: 2nd November 2021
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

Bestselling novelist Garth Nix returns to the Old Kingdom for the never-before-told love story of Sabriel’s parents, Tericel and Elinor, and the charter magic that brought them together—and threatened to tear them apart. A long-awaited prequel to a classic fantasy series.

In the Old Kingdom, a land of ancient and often terrible magics, eighteen year-old orphan Terciel learns the art of necromancy from his great-aunt Tizanael. But not to raise the Dead, rather to lay them to rest. He is the Abhorsen-in-Waiting, and Tizanael is the Abhorsen, the latest in a long line of people whose task it is to make sure the Dead do not return to Life.

Across the Wall in Ancelstierre, a steam-age country where magic usually does not work, nineteen year-old Elinor lives a secluded life. Her only friends an old governess and an even older groom who was once a famous circus performer. Her mother is a tyrant, who is feared by all despite her sickness and impending death . . . but perhaps there is even more to fear from that.

Elinor does not know she is deeply connected to the Old Kingdom, nor that magic can sometimes come across the Wall, until a plot by an ancient enemy of the Abhorsens brings Terciel and Tizanael to Ancelstierre. In a single day of fire and death and loss, Elinor finds herself set on a path which will take her into the Old Kingdom, into Terciel’s life, and will embroil her in the struggle of the Abhorsens against the Dead who will not stay dead.

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The covers for all the various editions of Terciel and Elinor are so awesome I couldn’t choose between them – though I admit to having a soft spot for the one on the left, which features Mogget too! (And also a glimpse of the belt-of-bells, which, haven’t we all been fascinated by that???) But ultimately: NEW OLD KINGDOM BOOK! If you’re not at least a little bit excited, you’re Wrong.

That’s all I’ve got for this week! Will you be reading any of these? Did I miss any books I should know about? Let me know!

The post Must-Have Monday #58 appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

In Short: October

This month was rough – my fibro and mental health were both all over the place, and I wasn’t nearly as active on the blog as I wanted to be. But I did still get some reading done!

Read

The Greenwing and Dart books by Victoria Goddard have been amazing at holding my attention on bad brain days, and I was really taken aback by how much I loved The Charm Offensive – I’m slowly but surely finding more and more to love in contemporary romance! But no question, my favourite read this month was The Fox’s Tower and Other Stories, which is perfect in absolutely every way. And I’m really pleased I finally managed to read-and-finish The Broken Crown – this must have been around my sixth attempt at trying to read it, but the payoff was so worth it! Can’t wait to dive into book two of the series!

Now we come to the stats, so: out of 17 authors, I read

14 women, 2 men, 1 nonbinary person (to the best of my knowledge re everyone’s gender identities)13 white & 4 BIPOC authors

The numbers aren’t great, but 4/13 = 23.53%. 23% of my monthly reading isn’t ideal, but it’s a lot better than last month. In fact, a quick check suggests it’s my new record! (As a percentage, not number of books read, thank the gods).

Reviewed

An average of one review a week is acceptable, considering how this month has been. It’s the bare minimum I require of myself!

DNF-ed

I wasn’t a massive fan of the Captive Prince trilogy, so I’m not super surprised that Dark Rise didn’t work for me either. I wouldn’t call it a bad book – it was actually very readable – but every time I put it down it felt like a chore to pick it up again, so… I’m not going to pick it up again. Not in the foreseeable future, anyway.

Starless Crown, on the other hand, is pretty incredible, and I loved almost everything about it. But while I wouldn’t call it grimdark, it’s still a bit too gritty for me to fully enjoy it. I think it’s going to be massively popular, and it deserves to be, but I’m not quite the right reader for it.

Scorpica was a huge disappointment, but I reviewed it so I’m not going to go over it again here.

ARCs Received

I was checking Edelweiss and Netgalley oh, upwards of ten times a day once CSE Cooney mentioned on twitter that she’d seen e-arcs for Saint Death’s Daughter – and I freaked when it finally appeared!!!

Cue a stern lecture to myself that I might not get approved, and even if I did, it might take weeks and weeks. BUT NO. I WAS APPROVED THE SAME DAY.

I might have had to bury my face in a pillow to muffle the delighted screaming. Possibly.

A River Enchanted and Manhunt both sounded interesting (albeit for very different reasons!) but I’m kicking myself for requesting Carnival of Ash – the premise sounded right up my alley, but I didn’t like the excerpt I read and I haven’t been enjoying the ARC. Shouldn’t have asked for it. Ah, well.

The Marvellous Light was bloody marvelous, but I have to admit to being a bit peeved by the timing – I requested it months ago but was approved last week, which gave me almost no time to read and review it before its release day (Nov 2nd). But I did manage, and I have Saint Death’s Daughter, so nothing can put me in a genuinely bad mood!

ARCs Outstanding

I had eight outstanding last month and the month before that, so this is getting to be standard!

Rec Lists & Misc

I really wanted to try and get a Halloween-themed reading list up, but I didn’t have the spoons. Maybe next year!

Looking Forward

Two of the books I was most looking forward to in November – The Nightland Express and Kerstin Hall’s Second Spear – have been pushed back, which is disappointing, but there’s still plenty to get excited about! Like Catherynne Valente’s Comfort Me With Apples – its original October release date was also pushed back, but only by a few weeks! Then there’s The Bone Shard Emperor, which I’m really excited for, and Briar Girls, which by all reports is queer and gorgeous and maybe a bit dark??? And even if I’ve already read it, A Marvellous Light still deserves to be on a most-anticipated-of-November list!

Here’s to a better November for all of us!

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

The Story’s Not Over, It’s Ablaze: Ember Boys by Gregory Ashe

Ember Boys (Flint and Tinder, #1) by Gregory Ashe
Representation: Bisexual MC, Gay MC, sapphic secondary character, M/M
Published on: 15th August 2020
Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads

Emmett Bradley thinks his adventures are over. Together with his friends, he stopped an ancient evil and lived to tell about it. But life as a survivor, even as a survivor of a victory, isn’t easy, and when Emmett runs away from Vehpese, Wyoming, he takes a few things with him: a battered ego, a broken heart, and his addictions. He’s lucky that Jim Spencer, his former English teacher, happens to have ended up in the same small, coastal town. He’s even luckier that Jim is doing everything he can to help Emmett hold himself together.

When Emmett’s parents commit him to the psychiatric ward of an infamous hospital, though, Emmett finds himself struggling day to day to remember that the life he’s lived—a life with monsters and psychics—is real. Every day, he finds himself a little less certain that he can trust any of his memories.

A chance encounter with a strange girl, though, forces Emmett to confront the possibility that things around him aren’t quite what they seem. The hospital may not actually be a hospital. His adventures may not be over. And the ancient evil he stopped in Wyoming might have been only one strand in a larger web.

Then Emmett is attacked by a dead man, and he realizes that he’s caught up in a war he doesn’t understand. He must hurry to learn the truth about what’s going on, and he’ll need Jim’s help to do it. He just has to convince his old teacher that things between them aren’t too complicated already—but first, Emmett will have to convince himself.

Note: Emmett has previously appeared in the Hollow Folk series.

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~not-very-super superpowers
~so many Feels
~JUST KISS ALREADY
~Vehpese was only the beginning
~shit just got real

First thing’s first: if you haven’t read the Hollow Folk series, go away and read them, and then come back. There’s no way you can appreciate Ember Boys properly if you haven’t read the first series.

*Spoilers for Hollow Folk from this point on!*

If you’re like me, you cried at the end of Mortal Sleep – even though it was absolutely the ending the story needed, it was still heartbreaking in a lot of ways. And a big, big part of that was in the way Emmett’s story ended.

Well, fear not, because Gregory Ashe has gone and given Emmett his own series! Along with Jim, the fire-wielding English teacher who fought alongside Emmett and Vie to stop the Lady. They’re both in California now.

It’s not going great.

Ember Boys opens with Emmett in a psychiatric facility, because at some point during his treatment for heroin addiction, the idiot started telling people about what went down in Vehpese – you know, the superpowers stuff. I’m still unclear on why Emmett did that, although it’s implied that it might have been due to the heavy medication he was on; regardless, he’s now locked up in a mind-numbing, surprisingly un-cushy facility, and the only thing making any of it worth it is Jim, who visits and sometimes even gets to take Emmett out for an afternoon.

It’s immediately obvious that Emmett and Jim, regardless of their age difference, have developed pretty deep feelings for each other, and that while romance is a part of those feelings, there’s more to it than that – for example, they have their shared experiences (*cough*PTSD*cough*) from Vehpese to bond them, and the fact that they are, here and now, the only people either of them know with supernatural powers. I didn’t find it at all difficult to believe they’d started falling for each other. Yes, there’s an age difference – Jim angsts about it to the point that I really did want to shake him more than once – but a) Emmett’s 18, which should really be the end of the discussion, and b) maturity is complicated. After everything Emmett’s been through, I doubt many teenagers could understand or keep up with him in the way a partner should. And it is immediately, blindingly obvious that Jim is not a creepy creep being creepy.

At the start of Ember Boys, Emmett and Jim are both keeping the full truth of their feelings to themselves – even if Emmett is a flirty brat. Neither of them are really okay, and most alarmingly, Emmett’s power seems completely gone. Is it all the meds he’s taking??? Maybe, but Jim’s powers are weaker than they used to be too, and he’s not on any medication. The hubby and I were buddy-reading Ember Boys together, and you can bet we spent a lot of hours coming up with possible theories.

None of which were correct.

The maddening thing is that I can’t really talk about what makes Ember Boys so freaking amazing, because it definitely counts as a major spoiler, and it’s so damn jaw-droppingly awesome that you deserve to discover it for yourself. But there is a THING, people, there is a BIG MAJOR THING, and I am so unbelievably happy because the Hollow Folk books left me with so many questions. I’m a worldbuilding nut, okay, I wanted to know more about how the breaking-the-chakras thing works, about who or what determines what power you get and how strong it is! I wanted to know if there were more people like the Lady and Vie’s mom, and where they were, and how the Lady got her territory – who did she make that agreement with??? And pretty much my first question when I finished Mortal Sleep (after I finished SOBBING) was: okay, they took out the Lady, but what about Vie’s mom???

Ember Boys does not answer all of those questions – in fact I think it only answered one and a half of them – but it’s… It’s the promise that those questions are going to be answered. That Ashe has not, in fact, left us hanging. That the story is not even nearly over – that Vehpese really was only the tiniest part of a very, very big picture.

AND THAT IS SO EXCITING ON SO MANY LEVELS.

Beyond that, everything I’ve come to expect from Ashe is here in spades: characters you can’t help but love, even when they’re idiots or messes or messy idiots. Dialogue that feels like real people talking, not script intended to move the plot along. Prose that is quick and deft and very, very addictive. Revelations that Ashe lay the groundwork for entire books ago.

So. many. FEELS.

If I hadn’t been buddy-reading it, and therefore had to read it at a reasonable, normal-person pace??? I would have devoured it in a single afternoon. The addictive readability of Ashe’s other books is here in full force, and the first-person narration (alternating between Emmett and Jim) is brutal and beautiful and incredibly immersive. It’s a can’t-put-down book.

(Unless your best-beloved is giving you puppy eyes to slow down don’t read so fast wait for meee!!! But like. Come on. It’s not reasonable to expect any book to be able to beat the puppy eyes. If the fire alarm had gone off while I was reading, though, I doubt I’d have even noticed.)

The hardest thing may be the emotional whiplash from how we left things in Mortal Sleep – the last we saw Emmett, he loved Vie enough to leave him – to now, when Emmett has developed feelings for someone else. If there’s any critique I have of this book, it might be that: that the time-skip was too much, that going straight from Emmett-in-love-with-Vie to Emmett-in-love-with-Jim is too sudden, makes it feel like it all happened much faster than it did (at least six months have passed since the events of Mortal Sleep, but if you reread the Hollow Folk books to prepare for this series, like I did, going right from Mortal to Ember, there’s no real sense of that time-gap). I wish we could have seen Emmett and Jim’s relationship grow from its beginnings, not cut right to the will-they-won’t-they.

That being said: I don’t know how Ashe could have written Ember Boys any differently. It would have been extremely difficult to write a book detailing the beginning and earlier stages of Emmett and Jim’s relationship, because that was clearly a long, slow process, without anything much happening. Nobody was getting kidnapped or murdered or throwing supernatural powers around during that time period – and Emmett was going through the first steps of treatment for his heroin addiction, which can’t ever be pretty. It would have been a very slow, painful book.

It does feel weird to ship Emmett with someone else, after so intensely hoping he and Vie and Austin could somehow all be happy together. But – I do ship it. For one thing, Mortal Sleep‘s ending was the only way that series could have ended; as much as I loved them, Vie and Emmett were not good for each other, and they and Austin could never have made a polyamorous arrangement work. (Although I will continue to daydream about the alternate reality in which they could and did and everything is Happily Ever After.) And for another thing – Ashe sold me on Emmett and Jim. I buy it. I get it. I believe in it.

I am very, very good with it.

You absolutely, categorically cannot read Ember Boys before you’ve read the Hollow Folk books. Nothing will make sense, and the revelations and emotional gut-punches won’t hit nearly as hard, because you won’t have the background knowledge and context for them.

But once you’ve read Hollow Folk? You absolutely, categorically cannot not read Ember Boys.

The story’s not over, folx. And I cannot wait to see where it’s going next!

The post The Story’s Not Over, It’s Ablaze: Ember Boys by Gregory Ashe appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

A Delight From Start to Finish: A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding, #1) by Freya Marske
Representation: M/M, secondary Desi character
Published on: 2nd November 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
ISBN: 1250788870
Goodreads

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He's struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents' excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what's been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he's always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it--not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin's predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they've been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles--and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

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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~cat’s cradle, but magic
~smart magic > big magic, assholes
~MAGIC DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM
~how to tell your crush you’re queer & Interested: ‘I’ve read that book too’
~‘Woe.’

This book deserves every bit of the hype it’s been getting.

It’s incredibly, addictively readable – but it doesn’t skimp on the introspection or depth. There’s just enough worldbuilding to make the premise of a magical society hidden within our own believable, but not enough to bog down readers who aren’t interested in the cogs and gears under the hood of the story. The main characters – who you’re about 90% sure will get together by the end of the book – are strikingly different in personality; the contrast between them is great, and works to make them interlock like puzzle pieces, not clash. The cast of secondary characters are excellent; even if you despise more than one of them, there’s no denying that they feel very, very real, and Miss Morrissey and Maud (Robin’s badass sort-of-secretary and sister, respectively) are worth the price of admission all on their own!

It’s a ridiculously good book, is what I’m saying here.

A major part of what makes A Marvellous Light so marvelous is in how closely Marske sticks to some very well-beloved tropes, keeping the arc of the plot relatively predictable (and therefore comfortable), but surprising (and delighting) the reader with the at-first-glance minor details that end up subvert expectations. Robin, one of the main characters, is a pretty good example of this – at first glance, he’s the quintessential English Chap, fairly jolly, enthusiastic about cricket and rugby, to the point that bookish Edwin distrusts him. Heck, I distrusted him; I think most self-declared bookworms are a bit wary of That Type, because at best they’ll try and drag you away from your books, and at worst, they’ll bully you for preferring books to sports. But Robin does neither; in fact, our impression of him does a 180 almost immediately, when he’s enchanted (not magically) by his first glimpse of magic. He’s not shallow and sporty; there’s a lot more going on there. There’s a capacity for wonder that his public persona doesn’t hint at.

Edwin is very much the same: he also goes completely against our expectations within a page of our meeting him. He presents himself as cold and snooty, but he works a delicate, beautiful piece of magic to introduce Robin to its existence – he creates a snowflake. That’s not what I expected, when he was about to demonstrate a spell; I thought it would be something bigger, flashier. So did Robin.

I prefer the snowflake, though. That moment – Edwin’s choice and Robin’s reaction – really embodies the whole of the book. Everything you need to know, you can sum up with that scene. It’s wonderful.

I’m not sure what I can say that hasn’t been said better elsewhere. A Marvellous Light is just the right kind of readable to suck you in completely, so that before you know it you’ve read ten chapters and it’s time for bed but damn it you can’t go sleep now!!! It’s a book that makes you want to keep turning pages, not so much because it’s incredibly fast-paced – it’s not an action-thriller story, although I wouldn’t call it slow either! – as because of all the delicious Feels that are going on just beneath the surface. We alternate between being in Robin’s head and Edwin’s, which is perfect, because they’re such different people – and coming at this scenario from such different perspectives – that we really do need the insight into them both; there are many times when Edwin doesn’t understand Robin, and vice versa, but we know exactly what’s going on, because we get to see both sides of it.

There’s the best kind of fanfic-y feel to it all. You know? The warmth, the yumminess, the Feels, the certainty that everything’s going to work out but you’re still biting your nails because AHHH THE THING, AND THE OTHER THING, AND THE OTHER OTHER THING!

And I have to write a quick bit about Edwin specifically. I have an immense love for characters who use brains over brawn when it comes to magic, and Edwin is exactly that kind of character; having very little magical power has made him precise and creative with what he has. He’s the only magic-wielding character we meet interested in experimenting with magic and what it can do – he even creates his own spells, which we gather is very rare indeed. I loved seeing him be clever rather than powerful, and the way that that creativity and curiousity interacts with Robin’s I-don’t-know-what-is-and-isn’t-possible to get them out of some pretty bad scrapes. And although it broke my heart, the exploration of how his small amount of power has affected his relationship and standing with his family and society is incredibly well done.

The Marvellous Light had me turning pages as fast as I could, sighing, gasping, and holding my breath. It made me laugh way more than I thought it would, and also left me with the strong urge to stab quite a few fictional people. The quiet, subtle details that added new life to familiar tropes, or completely subverted them, delighted me. Even the aspect of the worldbuilding that made me roll my eyes at first (women aren’t taught proper magic, YAY FOR MISOGYNY) was more than redeemed by the time I reached the last page. Really, any doubts you have – about the world, the plot or the characters – will be reassured and resolved before the end.

Markse knows what she’s doing. Keep reading, and trust her.

And if you haven’t already, preorder The Marvellous Light – it’s out November 2nd!

The post A Delight From Start to Finish: A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

I Can’t Wait For…Silk Fire by Zabé Ellor

Can’t-Wait Wednesdayis 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 is Silk Fire by Zabé Ellor!

Silk Fire by Zabé Ellor
Representation: Bisexual MC, M/M/F
Published on: 5th July 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, Science Fantasy
Goodreads

Set in a planet-sized matriarchal city where magic and technology freely bleed together, a male courtesan’s quest for vengeance against his aristocrat father draws him into an ancient struggle between dragons, necromancers, and his home district’s violent history.

Koré knew that meddling in politics could end badly, particularly when trying to sabotage his aristocratic father’s campaign before it destroys the city he has come to love. And when a chance encounter with a dying god imbues him with magic-breathing powers, it gets worse: he suddenly becomes a commodity – and a political player.

But the corruption in his city runs deeper than just one man, and an ally's betrayal unleashes an army of the dead on his home street. Koré must trust the world with his deepest secret to stand beside the woman and man he's finally let himself love, as only the bright truth of dragon's fire can break the iron fist of a necromancer's hold.

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Let me get this straight (hah): you’re giving me a bisexual male courtesan, in a matriarchy, with a polyamorous love story and DRAGONS?! Are you kidding me?! Did I save the world in my past life?! Because that’s the only explanation I can come up with for how a book THIS EPICALLY PERFECT FOR ME could exist!!!

It’s genuinely like someone slipped Ellor my wishlist of Everything I Ever Wanted and he went and WROTE IT ALL INTO A NOVEL and I am BEYOND HYPED, OKAY? BEYOND.

It certainly doesn’t hurt that Ellor went and commissioned one of my favourite artists, Therese aka warickaart, to create a depiction of his main characters!

I’m not sure it’s physically possible to swoon any harder than I am swooning right now.

Clearly, this is one of my most-anticipated books of next year and yes, of course I have it preordered already. YOU SHOULD TOO!

The post I Can’t Wait For…Silk Fire by Zabé Ellor appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Must-Have Monday #57

This week I have SEVEN books on my radar, including several that are being self-pubbed or released by indie presses, and a couple that are outside of my usual comfort zone, but that I really want to read anyway!

Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons (A Miss Percy Guide #1) by Quenby Olson
Published on: 26th October 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fantasy
Goodreads

Miss Mildred Percy inherits a dragon.

Ah, but we’ve already got ahead of ourselves…

Miss Mildred Percy is a spinster. She does not dance, she has long stopped dreaming, and she certainly does not have adventures. That is, until her great uncle has the audacity to leave her an inheritance, one that includes a dragon’s egg.

The egg - as eggs are wont to do - decides to hatch, and Miss Mildred Percy is suddenly thrust out of the role of “spinster and general wallflower” and into the unprecedented position of “spinster and keeper of dragons.”

But England has not seen a dragon since… well, ever. And now Mildred must contend with raising a dragon (that should not exist), kindling a romance (with a humble vicar), and embarking on an adventure she never thought could be hers for the taking.

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Regency settings with dragons?! YES PLEASE! Olson apparently wrote this book during the pandemic, publishing it a chapter at a time on her Patreon, and a book written as an act of escapism with dragons is sure to be my cup of tea. I can’t wait to start reading it tomorrow!

Tink and Wendy by Kelly Ann Jacobson
Representation: Pansexual MC
Published on: 26th October 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads

What happens when Tinker Bell is in love with both Peter Pan and Wendy?

In this sparkling re-imagining of Peter Pan, Peter and Wendy’s granddaughter Hope Darling finds the reclusive Tinker Bell squatting at the Darling mansion in order to care for the graves of her two lost friends after a love triangle gone awry. As Hope wins the fairy’s trust, Tink tells her the truth about Wendy and Peter—and her own role in their ultimate fate. Told in three alternating perspectives—past, present, and excerpts from a book called Neverland: A History written by Tink’s own fairy godmother—this queer adaptation is for anyone who has ever wondered if there might have been more to the story of Tinker Bell and the rest of the Peter Pan legend.

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Peter Pan is not my favourite classic, but that only makes me more interested in retellings and reimaginings. A pansexual Tinkerbell in love with both Peter AND Wendy is a sure way to get my attention. Although the early reviews are a bit mixed, there’s been a lot of talk about lyrical prose, which obviously not everyone enjoys, but I Very Much Do. So I’m excited!

Sacaran Nights (The Masque Duology Book 1) by Rachel Emma Shaw
Published on: 28th October 2021
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

"Sacara is decaying. The dead walk the streets, fungi light the night, and Dagner must fight to keep the rot at bay."

Legacy is everything in Sacara. Those few who inherit live only to keep theirs alive, protecting the ghosts of their ancestors from the corruption seeping into every corner of the city.

Dagner longs to leave - to create a legacy for himself and see the world beyond - but he is trapped by an inheritance that was never meant to be his. When a figure from his past returns to claim the legacy Dagner has sworn to protect, he must decide if he will forge his own path, or stay and make the sacrifices needed to save the city of the dead.

From SPFBO finalist author, Rachel Emma Shaw, comes a new take on dark fantasy, one that's built from the legacies of the dead.

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I know almost nothing about this book, but Shaw’s been on my radar for a while, and I’m in love with the Aesthetic of this book – a whole city illuminated by bioluminescent fungi?! YES PLEASE. Plus, it’s definitely the right time of year for some dark fantasy.

Total Creative Control (Creative Types, #1) by Joanna Chambers, Sally Malcolm
Published on: 28th October 2021
Genres: Queer Protagonists
Goodreads

Sunshine PA, meet Grumpy Boss ...

When fanfic writer Aaron Page landed a temp job with the creator of hit TV show, Leeches, it was only meant to last a week. Three years later, Aaron’s still there ...

It could be because he loves the creative challenge. It could be because he’s a huge Leeches fanboy. It’s definitely not because of Lewis Hunter, his extremely demanding, staggeringly rude ... and breathtakingly gorgeous boss.

Is it?

Lewis Hunter grew up the hard way and fought for everything he’s got. His priority is the show, and personal relationships come a distant second. Besides, who needs romance when you have a steady stream of hot men hopping in and out of your bed?

His only meaningful relationship is with Aaron, his chief confidante and indispensable assistant. And no matter how appealing he finds Aaron’s cute boy-next-door charms, Lewis would never risk their professional partnership just to scratch an itch.

But when Lewis finds himself trapped at a hilariously awful corporate retreat, Aaron is his only friend and ally. As the professional lines between them begin to blur, their simmering attraction starts to sizzle

… And they’re both about to get burned.

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I have been dipping my toe into the Romance genre bit by bit this year, and this is the next example I’m looking forward to! It’s queer and cute, one of the MCs writes (or wrote?) fanfic, and apparently it has as many feel-good vibes as sprinkles on a sundae!

Duskborn Radiance: A Mother's Question (Duskborn Radiance, #1) by Pasquale di Falco
Published on: 28th October 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Sci Fi
Goodreads

As the forces of tyranny run rampant, the Universe needs a hero, and a mysterious sorceress is almost ready to answer the call. But first, she needs answers to her oldest questions. Without them, she cannot hope to prevail. Strange, then, that with so much on her shoulders, she takes such keen interest in three ordinary teenagers.

Dominic, Caterina, and Amadeus live a simple life in a little village. All they want is to tend the gardens and fall in love, yet as they grow older, they begin to notice peculiarities in their environment. Further, they're aware of something brewing inside themselves: an indescribable feeling in their minds, hearts, and guts. Nonetheless, their people's power has long since faded, so the sensations that the three share, well, they simply can't be signs of magic.

With Duskborn Radiance, author Pasquale di Falco rewrites the rulebook. Forget what you know about fantasy and sci-fi; about genre fiction, literary fiction, and the novel form; about reality and time; A Mother's Question shows us that they are so much more. Di Falco tells an epic and symbolic tale while leading readers on a journey into our own selves. Read Duskborn Radiance, and discover your own magic.

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Rewriting the rulebook? Forget what you think you know about fantasy and sci fi??? Duskborn is talking a pretty big talk here, and I really want to see if it walks the walk. The early reviews have been pretty positive, but vague, so I have very little idea of what to expect from this one!

Tell Me I’m Worthless by Alison Rumfitt
Representation: Trans MC, queer cast
Published on: 29th October 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads

A dark, unflinching haunted house novel that takes readers from the well of the literary gothic, up through Brighton’s queer scene, and out into the heart of modern day trans experience in the UK.

The House spreads. Its arteries run throughout the country. Its lifeblood flows into Westminster, into Scotland Yard, into every village and every city. It flows into you, and into your mother. It keeps you alive. It makes you feel safe. Those same arteries tangle you up and night and make it hard for you to breathe. But come morning, you thank it for what it has done for you, and you sip from its golden cup, and kiss its perfect feet, and you know that all will be right in this godforsaken world as long as it is there to watch over you.

Three years ago, Alice spent one night in an abandoned house with her friends Ila and Hannah. Since then, things have not been going well. Alice is living a haunted existence, selling videos of herself cleaning for money, going to parties she hates, drinking herself to sleep. She hasn’t spoken to Ila since they went into the House. She hasn’t seen Hannah either.

Memories of that night torment her mind and her flesh, but when Ila asks her to return to the House, past the KEEP OUT sign, over the sick earth where teenagers dare each other to venture, she knows she must go.

Together Alice and Ila must face the horrifying occurrences that happened there, must pull themselves apart from the inside out, put their differences aside, and try to rescue Hannah, who the House has chosen to make its own.

Cutting, disruptive, and darkly funny, Tell Me I’m Worthless is a vital work of trans fiction that confronts both supernatural and real-world horrors as it examines the devastating effects of trauma and the way fascism makes us destroy ourselves and each other.

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Even more tentative than my dips in the Romance pool have been my tries with Horror this year, but Tell Me I’m Worthless sounds so amazing that I just can’t not. I can’t put my finger on exactly why; I just know that I’ve been looking forward to it all month!

[image error]Cascade Hunger (The DuPage Parish Mysteries Book 2) by Gregory Ashe
Published on: 29th October 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads

Eli and Dag survived a monster.

Two monsters, in fact.

A year later, though, they’re still trying to settle into a ‘regular’ life. Dag is working hard in school. It’s not going great. Eli is working hard at…being a better Eli. He’s eating right. Most of the time. He’s thinking about exercise in healthy ways. He’s ok with how he looks, as long as he doesn’t walk past any mirrors.

He goes out some nights, though. He goes across the lake, back to Bragg, where the monsters were. And he’s not sure why. He’s not sure what keeps calling him back.

When a woman is brutally murdered and an eyewitness claims to have seen the killer transform into a mysterious light, Eli and Dag are forced to set aside their own problems and face a difficult truth: there is another monster out there. Worse, there doesn’t seem to be anybody else who can stop it from killing again.

But not all monsters are the same, as Eli and Dag discover. And the most dangerous monster might be the one who can give you what you’ve always wanted.

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Gregory Ashe is one of my favourite authors (just check out my review for his Hollow Folk series) and Cascade Hunger is the sequel to last year’s Stray Fears, which I enjoyed the hell out of. Ashe has a real gift for characters, and I am EXTREMELY INVESTED in what happens next for Eli and Dag!

That’s all I’ve got! Will you be reading any of these? Did I miss a book you think I should know about? Let me know!

The post Must-Have Monday #57 appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

I Can’t Wait For…Moon Dark Smile by Tessa Gratton

Moon Dark Smile (Night Shine, #2) by Tessa Gratton
Representation: Assorted nonbinary and genderfluid cast
Published on: 21st June 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Secondary World Fantasy
Goodreads

The fate of an Empire lies with a headstrong Heir and a restless demon in this lush YA fantasy for fans of Laini Taylor and Girl, Serpent, Thorn.

Ever since she was a girl, Raliel Dark-Smile’s best friend has been the great demon that lives in the palace. As the daughter of the Emperor, Raliel appears cold and distant to those around her, but what no one understands is that she and the great demon, Moon, have a close and unbreakable bond and are together at all times. Moon is bound to the Emperor and his two consorts, Raliel’s parents, and when Raliel comes of age, she will be bound to Moon as well, constrained to live in the Palace for the rest of her days.

Raliel is desperate to see the Empire Between Five Mountains, and she feels a deep kinship with Moon, who longs to break free of its bonds. When the time finally arrives for Raliel’s coming of age journey, she discovers a dangerous way to take Moon with her, even as she hides this truth from her travel companion, the beautiful, demon-kissed bodyguard Osian Redpop. But Osian is hiding secrets of his own, and when a plot surfaces that threatens the Empire, Raliel will have to decide who she can trust and what she’ll sacrifice for the power to protect all that she loves.

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Tessa Gratton is one of my favourite authors, and the previous book in this series/setting, Night Shine, is one of my favourite books of all time. (You can read my review of it here!) You should have heard me when I found out we were getting a sequel! I’ve been checking every week since to see if a release date had been set yet, and this week I found not just a release date, but a cover and preorder links as well!!!

Yesterday in their newsletter (which if you are not subscribed to, you ought to be!) Gratton talked about the official blurb and how, although it’s beautiful and accurate, it doesn’t give any hint as to how incredibly queer the book is. Obviously, that’s both good and a bad thing – readers looking for queer fantasy might not know to pick this up, but anyone who is queer but closeted can read it openly without being worried about the reactions of those around them.

(Personally, I think anyone who’s looking for queer SFF will find it, as long as they’re looking online. There are so many amazing resources now – including, I hope, this blog!)

Regardless, even though I was 99% sure Moon Dark Smile was going to be queer – because it’s Tessa Gratton, and also, it’s the sequel to Night Shine, which was queer as hell – I’m still ridiculously delighted to get it confirmed. More nonbinary rep! NONBINARY MAGIC!!! Do you know how long I’ve been asking for someone to give me nonbinary magic??? ALWAYS. ALWAYS IS HOW LONG. And I’m excited that we’re going to get more of some characters who appeared in Night Shine – especially the palace’s Great Demon!

And let’s be real, that cover is making me swoon. It’s so gorgeous!

Obviously I preordered it the second I could. Now it’s just a matter of pining for next June to arrive faster!

The post I Can’t Wait For…Moon Dark Smile by Tessa Gratton appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Must-Have Monday #56

Fairytale retellings and ghost stories feature in this week’s SIX new releases!

Little Thieves (Little Thieves, #1) by Margaret Owen
Representation: Demisexual-coded MC, demisexual-coded love interest, secondary sapphic characters and F/F or wlw, very minor nonbinary characters, queernorm world
Published on: 19th October 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads

Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl...

Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother's love--and she's on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele's dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja's otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back... by stealing Gisele's life for herself.

The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.

Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele's sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja's tail, she'll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.

Margaret Owen, author of The Merciful Crow series, crafts a delightfully irreverent retelling of "The Goose Girl" about stolen lives, thorny truths, and the wicked girls at the heart of both.

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I have to list this one first, because I already know it’s freaking stunning. An incredibly original and insightful take on a lesser-known fairytale, you really don’t want to miss this one!

Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn
Published on: 19th October 2021
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

Flowers for the Sea is a dark, dazzling debut novella that reads like Rosemary's Baby by way of Octavia E. Butler.

We are a people who do not forget.

Survivors from a flooded kingdom struggle alone on an ark. Resources are scant, and ravenous beasts circle. Their fangs are sharp.

Among the refugees is Iraxi: ostracized, despised, and a commoner who refused a prince, she’s pregnant with a child that might be more than human. Her fate may be darker and more powerful than she can imagine.

Zin E. Rocklyn’s extraordinary debut is a lush, gothic fantasy about the prices we pay and the vengeance we seek.

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I’ve gotta be honest, this sounds kind of dark, but it also sounds pretty incredible, and the early reviews have been full of praise, so I’ll be giving it a go!

City of Shattered Light by Claire Winn
Representation: F/F
Published on: 19th October 2021
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Goodreads

As darkness closes in on the city of shattered light, an heiress and an outlaw must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other.

As heiress to a powerful tech empire, seventeen-year-old Asa Almeida strives to prove she's more than her manipulative father's shadow. But when he uploads her rebellious sister’s mind to an experimental brain, Asa will do anything to save her sister from reprogramming—including fleeing her predetermined future with her sister’s digitized mind in tow. With a bounty on her head and a rogue A.I. hunting her, Asa’s getaway ship crash-lands in the worst possible place: the neon-drenched outlaw paradise, Requiem.

Gun-slinging smuggler Riven Hawthorne is determined to claw her way up Requiem’s underworld hierarchy. A runaway rich girl is exactly the bounty Riven needs—until a nasty computer virus spreads in Asa’s wake, causing a citywide blackout and tech quarantine. To get the payout for Asa and save Requiem from the monster in its circuits, Riven must team up with her captive.

Riven breaks skulls the way Asa breaks circuits, but their opponent is unlike anything they’ve ever seen. The A.I. exploits the girls’ darkest memories and deepest secrets, threatening to shatter the fragile alliance they’re both depending on. As one of Requiem’s 154-hour nights grows darker, the girls must decide whether to fend for themselves or fight for each other before Riven’s city and Asa’s sister are snuffed out forever.

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I have heard only good things about this, and who doesn’t love that cover? I am Intrigued!

Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood
Representation: Brown MC, Ethopian-coded cast
Published on: 19th October 2021
Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads

What the heart desires, the house destroys...

Andromeda is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye. When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rochester reaches out to hire her, Andromeda quickly realizes this is a job like no other, with horrifying manifestations at every turn, and that Magnus is hiding far more than she has been trained for. Death is the most likely outcome if she stays, but leaving Magnus to live out his curse alone isn’t an option. Evil may roam the castle’s halls, but so does a burning desire.

Kiersten White meets Tomi Adeyemi in this Ethiopian-inspired debut fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre.

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I hated Jane Eyre in school, and the various retellings I’ve seen haven’t caught my interest – until now. Ethiopian-inspired and with an exorcist Jane?! Hells yes!

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
Representation: Bisexual Chinese MC
Published on: 19th October 2021
Genres: Queer Protagonists
Goodreads

Cassandra Khaw's Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore and full of devastating twists.

A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company.

It’s the perfect wedding venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends.

But a night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare. For lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart.

And she gets lonely down there in the dirt.

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Let’s not beat around the bush: I am 110% certain this is going to give me nightmares, but after Khaw’s All-Consuming World, I will read anything they write. Even full-on horror!

The Ghost Sequences by A.C. Wise
Published on: 19th October 2021
Goodreads

From A.C. Wise, the acclaimed author of Wendy, Darling, comes a brand new collection of horror stories, The Ghost Sequences.

"A haunting is a moment of trauma, infinitely repeated. It extends forward and backward in time. It is the hole grief makes. It is a house built by memory in-between your skin and bones."

A lush and elegant collection of tales - many having appeared in various "Best Of" anthologies - teeming with frightful and tragic events, yet profoundly and intimately human. These chilling tales will engross and enthrall.

For readers of Kelly Link, Carmen Maria Machado, and Angela Carter, this is a must have collection of ghostly tales set to deliver a frisson of terror and glee.

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More horror – but maybe short stories will be easier to deal with? And even if they’re not, this has to be one of my favourite book covers of 2021!

That’s all I’ve got! Have I missed any I should know about? Will you be reading any of these? Let me know!

The post Must-Have Monday #56 appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Stings With Disappointment: Scorpica by G. R. Macallister

Scorpica (The Five Queendoms, #1) by G.R. Macallister
Representation: Minor F/F, reference to nonbinary people existing
Published on: 22nd February 2022
Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy
ISBN: 1982167890
Goodreads

A centuries-long peace is shattered in a matriarchal society when a decade passes without a single girl being born in this sweeping epic fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Robin Hobb and Circe.

Five hundred years of peace between queendoms shatters when girls inexplicably stop being born. As the Drought of Girls stretches across a generation, it sets off a cascade of political and personal consequences across all five queendoms of the known world, throwing long-standing alliances into disarray as each queendom begins to turn on each other—and new threats to each nation rise from within.

Uniting the stories of women from across the queendoms, this propulsive, gripping epic fantasy follows a warrior queen who must rise from childbirth bed to fight for her life and her throne, a healer in hiding desperate to protect the secret of her daughter’s explosive power, a queen whose desperation to retain control leads her to risk using the darkest magic, a near-immortal sorcerer demigod powerful enough to remake the world for her own ends—and the generation of lastborn girls, the ones born just before the Drought, who must bear the hopes and traditions of their nations if the queendoms are to survive.

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 magic-system that draws from sand
~Amazons are hard-core
~mind-control never ends well
~the wind can keep you hidden

I’m not sure how you could have gotten me more hyped for this book – matriarchies!!! Matriarchies get me so excited – any set-up where gender roles are explored or flipped around or completely rewritten has be bouncing in my seat, okay? I was even hopeful, because this is a book releasing in 2022, that this would be a matriarchy that acknowledged more than two genders.

The problem is, Scorpica just puts me to sleep.

I tried. I tried so much harder than I usually do with a book I’m struggling with – my normal cut-off point is 20%; with Scorpica, I made it all the way to 48% before I just had to give up.

Red flags went off for me in the prologue, when we learn that each of the five kingdoms has a Role – and by that I mean it sounds like a Divergent set-up, except that you’re born into your designation, with no opportunity to change it. This kingdom is made up of nothing but warriors, this one is a land of bureaucrats, this one is the land of magic-users – I mean. That’s awfully simplistic and reductive right away – not that different from dividing society up into dominant/valued personality traits like Courage or Intelligence ala Divergent, is it?

After the prologue, things are just…boring? All these Big Things happen, but the emotional impact isn’t there. Although I could intellectually sympathise with some of the characters, I didn’t find myself caring about a single one of them – if anything, they all frustrated me in their different ways. Despite what’s going on – despite the fact that several of the characters do take action! – all the characters felt very passive to me. It reads like Macallister came up with this amazing premise – what if matriarchal cultures stopped giving birth to girls??? – but could no more figure out how her fictional queendoms would react to that than the characters themselves can figure out what to do about it. Scorpica, the queendom of the title, is the only one that takes steps to try and stave off their destruction; as far as I could tell, no one else was doing anything at all.

I can’t emphasise enough that the worldbuilding here is pretty lackluster. There’s no meat on that bone. The Divergent-esque set-up was immensely disappointing, and then the gender politics were…well. There’s hints of trouble brewing, that as only boys are born some men start to question why they have no political or social power, but we’re just told this. (Gods, there’s so much telling-not-showing; I’m not someone who thinks you’re never allowed to tell, but Scorpica feels like one long lecture after another, and the prose isn’t rich or lush enough to make me enjoy that.) And although we get one brief aside in the first half of the book acknowledging that nonbinary people exist, there’s just that one mention (although of course, I don’t know if it comes up again later, or if we might even meet nonbinary characters in the second half of the book – I don’t think so, but it’s possible), with no – no follow-through.

If you design a matriarchal culture – or five! – then it should look different depending on how many genders it recognises. And Macallister’s worldbuilding only recognises two, even if there’s a careless hand-wave acknowledging nonbinary identities. If we weren’t told nonbinary people exist, we’d never know, because Macallister certainly doesn’t show us them, or even a culture that has room for them. We do get a few minor glimpses at sapphic relationships (which, given that Scorpica is a country of nothing but women, definitely need to be a thing) but the ones we get are either so background we don’t even meet the characters involved…or the fabulous one where one partner is forced to kill the other and is then, herself, destroyed, so – I’m not really willing to give Macallister points for great queer rep, here.

Again: I didn’t finish the whole book, and what I read mostly focussed on Scorpica and Arcan – two of the queendoms. Maybe the other three are better designed, with more complex values and gender systems. I can’t say.

I can’t say, and I’m not interested in finding out. The writing isn’t bad so much as bland; there’s no beautiful description, no manipulating sentence length to convey urgency, nothing lovely or enjoyable about the writing itself. And the story is just…meh. It feels so basic. The characters are all so very two-dimensional, defined by one or two traits with nothing to make them feel real. Scenes that should be tense, or intense, or horrifying, or tragic, ring incredibly hollow – I shrugged when we got to meet the demigod mentioned in the blurb, and my heart didn’t ache at all when one character dies in a way that’s clearly meant to be heartbreaking. One queen decides, apparently at random, to do something drastic and taboo that has Never Been Done Before, and… To make me grasp the full import of something like that, you have to do more than just tell me that it’s never been done before. Show me enough of the culture and the situation that you don’t need to tell me it’s not been done before; immerse me in this culture enough that I don’t need your cues to tell me when to gasp and clap my hands over my mouth because OMG.

This isn’t a script, and I’m not an actor: I don’t want cues on how to behave or react, I want to react on my own, spontaneously and with genuine emotion, because you’ve made me care enough that I have feelings of my own about it all. And with Scorpica, I just didn’t. Don’t. I have no strong feelings about this book whatsoever, except exhaustion. Scorpica just made me Tired, and pretty disappointed, because I was so excited about this story…until I read it.

The post Stings With Disappointment: Scorpica by G. R. Macallister appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.

Horrifyingly Beautiful & Utterly Perfect: The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor

The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor, Andrew Garin
Representation: Aro-ace MC, aro-ace nonbinary queerplatonic partner, secondary sapphic character, minor polyamory/group marriage, minor disabled character, queernorm world
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads

Skythulf wants to live. Raised in the fight pits, trained to kill or be killed, he yearns for freedom that's out of reach. He's a scythewulf: a wolf-shifter considered neither fully man nor beast, his life worth nothing to his keepers…until Brennus, knight-champion of Saorlland, rescues him from certain death and offers him a new life.

When he mistakenly kills a corrupted nun, Skythulf has one chance to redeem himself and restore his honor. He must run with the Wild Hunt: an age-old trial of blood and courage, where every step hides peril and carnage. If he survives, he will be pardoned. If he fails, Brennus will die brutally at his side.

Few have ever returned from the fae-haunted land, where horrors unnamed dwell beside the enchanted and the damned. There is no rest, no relent, and no mercy.

In the Wild Hunt, you run or you die.

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~turns out you can be a deadly wolf shapeshifter AND a cinnamon roll
~Mythic Horror = beautiful evil
~nonbinary knights ftw!
~heed the magpies
~don’t stop running

My relationship with horror is not complicated: I don’t read or watch it, because I’m a total wimp.

…Except. Sometimes. Sometimes a premise is just too fucking good. Sometimes a premise or line or snippet of passage is so fucking good that it makes me brave enough to take a breath and take the plunge.

Folx, I am so, so glad I risked it this time, because The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt isn’t just going on my best-of-2021 list: it’s going on my next Best of the Decade list.

…I don’t even know where to start. Gods.

Well, I’m gonna start with the worldbuilding, because worldbuilding is my Thing, ’kay?

Worldbuilding

The impression that Wolfmoor’s world is generically Medieval Western Europe-esque dies pretty much instantly: yes, there are castles and nobility and knights, but this a queernorm world right down to its bones. Not only are same-sex pairings not noteworthy in this setting, neither are nonbinary people – the honorific for whom, by the way, is Maurr – who get to just exist here; we have a major nonbinary character in the main cast, but many of the so-minor-they’re-unnamed background characters use they/them pronouns too, and you don’t realise how revolutionary that is until you’re reading it and seeing it treated as completely normal. And Wolfmoor goes even further: group marriage is a normal part of this world, too, and the society is utterly gender-neutral in the same casually powerful way that it embraces nonbinary people – I’ve read books where women can be knights before, I don’t know how to explain what it is about Wolfmoor’s version that makes the existence of women knights pack such a punch here, especially when we see just one or two of them fairly briefly. But it does – pack a punch, that is.

That is not even close to all of the delicious gender-fuckery in this book: women can be knights, yes, and they can be noble – but Wolfmoor’s gone and made the titles gender-neutral as well. ‘Lord’ can refer to a woman or a man or a nonbinary person, and I got such a fucking thrill when it was revealed that the King of the Wild Hunt is a woman. It’s such a small thing, letting women use traditionally male titles; it seems like it shouldn’t be a big deal. But it is, because no matter how forward-thinking we believe ourselves to be, ‘Lord’ and ‘King’ have different connotations in our heads than ‘Lady’ and ‘Queen’. They just do. And in Medieval-esque settings, ladies and queens typically had less power than lords and kings. That’s not the case in this book, but…but maybe that lingers in my mind, because it felt to me like these women using – claiming – having male titles were reaching for or embracing a quality or power not traditionally, typically granted to women.

We’ve seen women as evil Queens before. But as a terrifying dark King?

I don’t know how to say what I mean. Can I just say it’s awesome?

The Story

The Wild King is relevant because Skythulf – who is a kind of shapeshifter called a scythewulf, able to shift between wolf and human forms at will, and considered bestial and sub-human because of it – is offered the choice of execution or running with the Wild Hunt as punishment for displeasing his queen. As you might have guessed, the vast majority of those who choose to run do not come back; and although at first glance it seems like an easy choice – nobody comes back from execution, whereas with the Wild Hunt you have a chance – I…am not sure I’d be brave enough to choose the run, myself.

Because the run may not do you the mercy of actually ending you.

Wolfmoor very deftly alternates between the present – Skythulf’s run with the hunt – and his past; we get glimpses of a good number of life-changing moments throughout Skythulf’s life up to this point, especially with regards Brennus, the (nonbinary) knight who rescued him from the fighting pits and taught him how to be a knight himself, and the Cold Lady, the horrific queen they both serve. These back-and-forths serve as breathers – much-needed breaks from the nauseating, terrifying horrors of the Wild Hunt – but also contrasts between two different kinds of horror: although a lot of the flashbacks are heart-warming, and give us a lot to love about Skythulf very quickly, I think you could make the argument that he handles the obvious, undisguised (and therefore more honest?) horrors of the Hunt better than he does the abuses of the Cold Lady and, to a lesser extent, her court.

Part of this is the Cold Lady’s order that Skythulf serve in her bed, which would still be rape even if he wasn’t asexual. (Sure, it’s not what we think of when we hear ‘violence’ – she doesn’t beat him bloody first – but what would you call forcing someone to have sex with you – multiple times, over and over – when they don’t want to?) Thankfully this isn’t graphic and is kept mostly off-page, and as much as it broke my heart that Skythulf had to suffer that (because he is kind of a cinnamon roll and definitely a sweetheart and I absolutely love him) it’s still important that we get stories where men are sexual assault victims – and the victims of women perpetrators, at that. It’s a real thing that too many people think isn’t real, and we need the representation.

That, however, is mostly background, because in the here-and-now, Skythulf can’t really let the past keep hold of him. One misstep, and he’ll never make it home. And he has to get home, because home is Brennus.

The Characters

I should probably feel stranger about calling Skythulf – who tears out another warrior’s throat with his teeth in the first three pages of the book – a cinnamon roll. HE IS, THOUGH. He doesn’t need me to protect him at all, but he pulls at all my protective instincts anyway. Despite being raised in the fighting pits, encouraged to be as animalistic as possible, his manner is gentle and soft (possibly a pointed comment, actually: the ones who consider him sub-human are far more monstrous than he could ever be). It’s not that he secretly wants to be a baker or gardener or something, but the kind of knight he wants to be is one who only draws their sword to defend others, not attack them.

Dance was a slowed, deliberate form of battle. Each partner was both enemy and shield-mate. Skythulf did not find it exhilarating at first, for it was not fast enough to rouse his blood. Yet the splendid grace and poise in every flex and turn of Callan’s body entranced him. A waltz might be as deadly as a duel.

I spent pretty much the entire book wanting to wrap him up in blankets and whisk him away from all the horrible things. He’s that kind of sweetheart.

Probably the second-most important character is Brennus, the nonbinary knight who rescued Skywulf from the pits and trained him for knighthood. Brennus is steady and honourable and honest, with a love of stories and a longing to be a knight worthy of being a story themself, someday. Their relationship with Skywulf is just. IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY. Because no, they’re not lovers – both of them are ace and aro – but the strength of feeling they have for each other is easily that of a romantic bond. Surpasses most romantic bonds, actually, since I think most people would be too afraid to do for their romantic partners what Brennus does for Skythulf. Theirs is an epic love story, and I mean that both in the sense that it is awesome – and that it’s a tale for the ages.

“You’re my friend and my other heart,” Brennus says. “Stay with me, scythewulf. Stay by my side. I can’t finish this journey alone.”

I think this is my first time seeing a queerplatonic partnership in fantasy (although that term isn’t used in this setting), and it just gave me so much JOY. I’m not aromantic, but I am ace and gods, I get it, romantic love is a big deal, but it’s so far from the only kind of love and can we give the other kinds some time in the spotlight, PLEASE AND THANK YOU. This was both a wonderful change of pace, and a beautiful depiction of a kind of love we don’t get to see featured very often. I massively approve!

I think Wolfmoor is making a point about people and relationships in this book, actually, because Skywulf and Brennus’ bond is massively important, but their ability to also connect to people than each other proves absolutely vital. It seems a little strange to say that a fantasy-horror novel is very much about friendship and allies and working together, but…it is.

Which is about all I can say without going into spoiler territory!

The Writing

Is fucking gorgeous.

his bearing was gilt with sight-learned manners

Look at that quote. LOOK AT IT. Is that not the most amazing image? Somebody’s bearing being gilded, with mannerisms rather than gold? Is that not absolutely breathtaking?

The whole book is like that.

Enough said.

The Horror

Wolfmoor is not fucking around when it comes to scaring the ever-loving daylights out of you. Whichever flavour of horror you prefer – gore, psychological, monstrous, emotional – it’s all here in spades. And where I might have put the book down, taken breaks, were it written by another author – here, putting the book down and walking away wasn’t an option. Between the beautiful prose and the main characters who’d stolen my heart right out of my chest, I was addicted – which is great, because I’m not sure I could have gotten through it otherwise. More than once, I thought I was going to be sick, and there are moments I still can’t think about without wanting to claw my own skin off. I happened to be cooking dinner during a scene where something else was filling its pot in the book, and – no.

NOPE.

ALL THE NOPE.

And yet – it’s so compelling??? This is not crude splatterpunk gore; the horrors Sky faces during the Hunt are deeper and richer – and so much scarier because of that. Wolfmoor weaves in the history and myth of Sky’s homeland into every one, so that we learn about ancient alliances between half-mythical peoples, see how something brutal but honest evolved into something nauseatingly evil, even as Sky’s fighting for his life. I loved these tangents, because worldbuilding is my Thing, but don’t expect the tangents to help you get through the worst parts, because they won’t. They’re horrifying too. Beautiful, but horrifying.

Beautifully horrifying. That’s what it is. That’s what I mean when I call it compelling; it’s not the can’t-tear-your-eyes-away of a car crash. It’s not nearly as simple as being morbidly fascinating. It’s…honestly, it’s art. It’s horror exalted. It reminds me of the horror of Billy Martin, who writes/wrote as Poppy Brite; Martin’s prose and storytelling, too, is beautiful – and that beauty, like Wolfmoor’s, makes it so much worse.

A horrible, scary, nauseating thing written in a story is a thing written in a story. But when you make the horrific beautiful…then you, the reader, become part of the horror. You become complicit in the horrors, because – you realise that you’re enjoying this. Not just being scared by it, not just finding it horrifying – not even finding it simply entertaining. You realise that you think it’s beautiful. And that…lifts the horror out of the story and into you. It makes you a monster too. And the horror of that realisation is…beyond words.

I’m not immune: it made a monster out of me. I can’t help but recognise the…the beautiful evil in Wolfmoor’s creations. Horror that is not crude, that is precise as a scalpel, that is imaginative and bold, the nightmares of my nightmares. This is mythic horror, and I bow before it.

To the horror fans, I say: whatever you’re looking for, it’s here. To readers who do not like horror, I say: this book is more than worth the nightmares it has left me with.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. You need to read it too.

The post Horrifyingly Beautiful & Utterly Perfect: The Wolf Among the Wild Hunt by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.