Siavahda's Blog, page 91
February 23, 2021
10 Laugh-Out-Loud Reads
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Check out upcoming Top Ten themes on Jana’s blog!
Today’s theme is Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud (from Claire @ Book Lovers Pizza). Books that make you laugh are rare and precious things, so I heartily approve of listing them together in one place!
The Forge of Dawn (Kastor Chronicles, #1) by Jesse Hajicek Representation: M/M or mlm
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Epic Fantasy
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This book is freaking hilarious. The set-up is, at least initially, very classic-looking – we have a mercenary, setting out to guard a nun on her journey. Things spiral away from the traditional tropes, though, when the mercenary’s ex shows up with a demand he help save the world. Besides having gorgeous prose, this absolutely made me laugh out loud, a lot. It’s wickedly clever with moments of delightful silliness, and you can read it online for free!
The Halcyon Fairy Book by T. Kingfisher, Sheila Perry Goodreads
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T. Kingfisher, aka Ursula Vernon, had me up till 5am muffling giggles into my pillow so I wouldn’t wake my poor husband with this one. Her annotations on traditional fairy-tales had me crying with laughter. And to be honest, you’re guaranteed really wonderful humour in almost all of her books…but if you’re too tired to face a real Book With Plot, this is a brilliant no-stakes comedy-fest that doesn’t ask you to think, but to just sit back and enjoy.
(And her original stories in the second half of the book are just beautiful.)
Generation V (Generation V, #1) by M.L. Brennan Representation: WoC love interest
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Goodreads
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Reality Bites
Fortitude Scott’s life is a mess. A degree in film theory has left him with zero marketable skills, his job revolves around pouring coffee, his roommate hasn’t paid rent in four months, and he’s also a vampire. Well, sort of. He’s still mostly human.
But when a new vampire comes into his family’s territory and young girls start going missing, Fort can’t ignore his heritage anymore. His mother and his older, stronger siblings think he’s crazy for wanting to get involved. So it’s up to Fort to take action, with the assistance of Suzume Hollis, a dangerous and sexy shape-shifter. Fort is determined to find a way to outsmart the deadly vamp, even if he isn’t quite sure how.
But without having matured into full vampirehood and with Suzume ready to split if things get too risky, Fort’s rescue mission might just kill him.…
Now this one, my husband ended up enjoying with me – because I had to explain why I kept laughing and ended up basically reading the whole thing aloud to him. Besides having a pleasantly unique take on the vampire mythos (I especially adore how vampires are made in this verse) this entire series is just hysterically funny. And it’s not a comedy! There is action and mysteries and magical politics…but it’s all filtered through the view of the main character, who would have a very successful career as a comedian if the vampire thing doesn’t work out.
Space Opera by Catherynne M. Valente Representation: Genderqueer pansexual MC of colour
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Goodreads
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IN SPACE EVERYONE CAN HEAR YOU SING
A century ago, the Sentience Wars tore the galaxy apart and nearly ended the entire concept of intelligent space-faring life. In the aftermath, a curious tradition was invented-something to cheer up everyone who was left and bring the shattered worlds together in the spirit of peace, unity, and understanding.
Once every cycle, the civilizations gather for the Metagalactic Grand Prix - part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past. Instead of competing in orbital combat, the powerful species that survived face off in a competition of song, dance, or whatever can be physically performed in an intergalactic talent show. The stakes are high for this new game, and everyone is forced to compete.
This year, though, humankind has discovered the enormous universe. And while they expected to discover a grand drama of diplomacy, gunships, wormholes, and stoic councils of aliens, they have instead found glitter, lipstick and electric guitars. Mankind will not get to fight for its destiny - they must sing.
A one-hit-wonder band of human musicians, dancers and roadies from London - Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeroes - have been chosen to represent Earth on the greatest stage in the galaxy. And the fate of their species lies in their ability to rock.
Glittering, gorgeous giggles all the way through. The best kind of giggles, because they’re all wrapped up in wonder and delight and love-of-life, and I just. I love this book so much, and it’s the perfect pick-me-up if you want a shot of pure sparkly joy sure to make you laugh.
The Extraordinaries (The Extraordinaries #1) by T.J. Klune Representation: M/M or mlm, secondary F/F or wlw
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Goodreads
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In Nova City, there are extraordinary people, capable of feats that defy the imagination. Shadow Star protects the city and manipulates darkness, and Pyro Storm is determined to bring the city to its knees using his power over fire.
And then there's Nick who . . . well, being the most popular fanfiction writer in the Extraordinaries fandom is a superpower, right?
Instead of fighting crime, Nick contends with a new year at school, a father who doesn't trust him, and a best friend named Seth, who may or may not be the love of Nick's short, uneventful life.
It should be enough. But after a chance encounter with Shadow Star, Nova City's mightiest hero (and Nick's biggest crush), Nick sets out to make himself extraordinary. And he'll do it with or without Seth's reluctant help . . .
Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl meets Brandon Sanderson's Steelheart in TJ Klune's YA debut: a queer coming-of-age story about a fanboy with ADHD and the heroes he loves.
The Extraordinaries got a little overshadowed, I think, by being released in the same year as Klune’s adult fantasy The House in the Cerulean Sea – which is a terrible shame, because it’s utterly wonderful! There’s a lot of deeply meaningful stuff going on….but there’s also trying to get bitten by a radioactive cricket, and writing fanfic, and an adorably oblivious main character. There’s moments that will tug at your heart, and there are even more that will have you rolling around giggling. It’s so much fun!
The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner Representation: Bi/pansexual MC, F/F or wlw
Genres: Secondary World Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads
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A charming historical fantasy with a tender love story at its core, from the author of Unnatural Magic.
Hard-drinking petty thief Dellaria Wells is down on her luck in the city of Leiscourt—again. Then she sees a want ad for a female bodyguard, and she fast-talks her way into the high-paying job. Along with a team of other women, she’s meant to protect a rich young lady from mysterious assassins.
At first Delly thinks the danger is exaggerated, but a series of attacks shows there’s much to fear. Then she begins to fall for Winn, one of the other bodyguards, and the women team up against a mysterious, magical foe who seems to have allies everywhere.
Even if the main character wasn’t, herself, hilarious, the fancy-sounding made-up words she sprinkles through her every dialogue is an absolute giggle-fest. It doesn’t hurt that Lady’s Guide is also a brilliant story, with an excellent amount of cake, a wonderful romance, and a Very Ominous Mouse.
BONG.
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan Representation: Disability, secondary gay character
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Goodreads
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Sarah Rees Brennan is probably best known for In Other Lands and the stories she’s co-written with Cassandra Clare, but she’s written so much more than that – and as much as I love and adore In Other Lands, she doesn’t get enough credit for her other books! The Demon’s Lexicon was her first published novel, and it absolutely established her as a brilliant, and brilliantly funny, writer. I urge you to check out all her books, but The Demon’s Lexicon is the place to start. The magic! The sneaking! The snark!!! I challenge you to read it without cackling at Nick’s flawless sarcasm.
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall Genres: Queer Protagonists
Goodreads
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Wanted:
One (fake) boyfriend
Practically perfect in every way
Luc O'Donnell is tangentially--and reluctantly--famous. His rock star parents split when he was young, and the father he's never met spent the next twenty years cruising in and out of rehab. Now that his dad's making a comeback, Luc's back in the public eye, and one compromising photo is enough to ruin everything.
To clean up his image, Luc has to find a nice, normal relationship...and Oliver Blackwood is as nice and normal as they come. He's a barrister, an ethical vegetarian, and he's never inspired a moment of scandal in his life. In other words: perfect boyfriend material. Unfortunately apart from being gay, single, and really, really in need of a date for a big event, Luc and Oliver have nothing in common. So they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends until the dust has settled. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened.
But the thing about fake-dating is that it can feel a lot like real-dating. And that's when you get used to someone. Start falling for them. Don't ever want to let them go.
Not fantasy! Gasp! It’s true, this is contemporary fiction – BUT IT’S SO GODS’ DAMN FUNNY. And deep, and clever, and everything else that is Alexis Hall’s signature, but most of all it is a warm, loving book that will make you laugh even on the gloomiest of days.
Soulless (Parasol Protectorate, #1) by Gail Carriger Genres: Historical Fantasy
Goodreads
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Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations.
First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.
Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire--and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.
With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?
This is one of those books that should come with a warning – do not drink while reading, because you will end up laugh-spraying your drink through your nose. It’s pure giggles from start to finish, and best of all, there’s a whole series! And a sequel series!!! You can curl up in a comfy chair and spend a whole month laughing with the fantabulous ladies of this verse.
Lovequake by T.J. Land Representation: Pansexual Black MC, deaf, transgender, minor aromantic & asexual character, M/M or mlm, secondary F/F or wlw
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Goodreads
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No one knows what to make of Sunday.
He’s handsome. He’s stylish. He’s got endless amounts of cash that he splashes around like water.
But there’s something just a little bit wrong about the way he talks – like he’s never had a conversation before – and the way he walks – like he expects walls to simply get out of his way. Though his hair and beard are immaculately groomed, he never brushes the former or trims the latter. And he talks to the sky.
All of which are very solid, sensible reasons for Zip Fletcher, cheerfully rude Welsh sex worker, not to develop a crush on him.
Zip is, however, not a sensible man.
LOVEQUAKE is an M/M + F/F romantic scifi adventure set against the backdrop of a quintillion-year-old cosmic war.
Listen, I will shut up about this book when it makes the bestseller list and not before. This is another book that’s wrapped up in adventure – you could even call it a quest – and deeply meaningful arcs for the characters, and fantastic sci-fi worldbuilding…and is sure to put a smile on your face. Lovequake made me laugh during one of the worst bouts of fibromyalgia pain I’ve ever had, and I love it beyond the power of words to express because of that.
And if it can make me laugh through a fibro flare, I’m sure it will make anyone laugh out loud.
What are some of your favourite laugh-out-loud reads?
The post 10 Laugh-Out-Loud Reads appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.
February 22, 2021
Must-Have Monday #25!
SEVEN amazing-sounding fantasy and sci-fi books this week!
A Dark and Hollow Star (A Dark and Hollow Star, #1) by Ashley Shuttleworth Representation: Queer cast, F/F or wlw, M/M or mlm
on 23rd February 2021
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Urban Fantasy
Goodreads
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The Cruel Prince meets City of Bones in this thrilling urban fantasy set in the magical underworld of Toronto that follows a queer cast of characters racing to stop a serial killer whose crimes could expose the hidden world of faeries to humans.
Choose your player.
The “ironborn” half-fae outcast of her royal fae family.A tempestuous Fury, exiled to earth from the Immortal Realm and hellbent on revenge.A dutiful fae prince, determined to earn his place on the throne.The prince’s brooding guardian, burdened with a terrible secret.
For centuries, the Eight Courts of Folk have lived among us, concealed by magic and bound by law to do no harm to humans. This arrangement has long kept peace in the Courts—until a series of gruesome and ritualistic murders rocks the city of Toronto and threatens to expose faeries to the human world.
Four queer teens, each who hold a key piece of the truth behind these murders, must form a tenuous alliance in their effort to track down the mysterious killer behind these crimes. If they fail, they risk the destruction of the faerie and human worlds alike. If that’s not bad enough, there’s a war brewing between the Mortal and Immortal Realms, and one of these teens is destined to tip the scales. The only question is: which way?
Wish them luck. They’re going to need it.
This is one of those books I’ve been dying to get my hands on ever since the publication deal was announced! And if the premise isn’t enough to get you interested, who on earth could resist that cover???
Calculated Risks (InCryptid, #10) by Seanan McGuire on 23rd February 2021
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Goodreads
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The tenth book in the fast-paced InCryptid urban fantasy series returns to the mishaps of the Price family, eccentric cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of magical creatures living in secret among humans.
Just when Sarah Zellaby, adopted Price cousin and telepathic ambush predator, thought that things couldn’t get worse, she’s had to go and prove herself wrong. After being kidnapped and manipulated by her birth family, she has undergone a transformation called an instar, reaching back to her Apocritic origins to metamorphize. While externally the same, she is internally much more powerful, and much more difficult to control.
Even by herself. After years of denial, the fact that she will always be a cuckoo has become impossible to deny.
Now stranded in another dimension with a handful of allies who seem to have no idea who she is–including her cousin Annie and her maybe-boyfriend Artie, both of whom have forgotten their relationship–and a bunch of cuckoos with good reason to want her dead, Sarah must figure out not only how to contend with her situation, but with the new realities of her future. What is she now? Who is she now? Is that person someone she can live with?
And when all is said and done, will she be able to get the people she loves, whether or not they’ve forgotten her, safely home?
I’m a few books behind on the InCryptid series, because I am terrible, but it’s Seanan McGuire, which means it’s going to be awesome. If you’re not familiar with this series, then you need to start it; if you are familiar with it, then you don’t need me to tell you how great it is.
Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters by Aimee Ogden Representation: F/F or wlw
on 23rd February 2021
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Goodreads
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Sun-Daughters, Sea-Daughters has all the wonder and romance of a classic sci-fi novel, with the timelessness of a beloved fairy tale.
This is a sci-fi retelling of The Little Mermaid, and any hesitation I had in preordering it vanished when I got to read the excerpt. You may now colour me as Very Excited Indeed for this one!
The Shadow War by Lindsay Smith Representation: Queer cast
on 23rd February 2021
Genres: Historical Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads
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Inglourious Basterds meets Stranger Things in this dark and thrilling tale of power, shadow, and revenge set during World War II.
World War II is raging, and five teens are looking to make a mark. Daniel and Rebeka seek revenge against the Nazis who slaughtered their family; Simone is determined to fight back against the oppressors who ruined her life and corrupted her girlfriend; Phillip aims to prove that he's better than his worst mistakes; and Liam is searching for a way to control the portal to the shadow world he's uncovered, and the monsters that live within it--before the Nazi regime can do the same. When the five meet, and begrudgingly team up, in the forests of Germany, none of them knows what their future might hold.
As they race against time, war, and enemies from both this world and another, Liam, Daniel, Rebeka, Phillip, and Simone know that all they can count on is their own determination and will to survive. With their world turned upside down, and the shadow realm looming ominously large--and threateningly close--the course of history and the very fate of humanity rest in their hands. Still, the most important question remains: Will they be able to save it?
I still feel like I don’t know what to expect from this one, but the premise is just too amazing not to give Shadow War a go. Queer teens taking down the Nazis??? Um, hell yes?
Symbiosis (Escaping Exodus, #2) by Nicky Drayden Representation: Queernorm world, F/F or wlw, polyamory
on 23rd February 2021
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Sci Fi
Goodreads
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The Compton Crook Award-winning author weaves her trademark blend of science fiction and dark humor in this dazzling story that continues the imaginative saga begun in Escaping Exodus, in which a society lives in the belly of a beast—and an entire civilization's survival depends on a pair of uneasy allies who must come together for one epic battle.
Nearly a thousand years removed from Earth, the remnants of humanity cling to existence inside giant, space faring creatures known as the Zenzee. Abused and exploited by humans for generations, these majestic animals nearly went extinct, but under the command of its newly minted ruler, Doka Kaleigh, life in the Parados I has flourished. Thanks to careful oversight and sacrifice by all of its crew, they are now on the brink of utopia, and yet Doka’s rivals feel threatened by that success.
The Senate allowed Doka to lead their people believing he’d fail spectacularly—a disaster that would cement the legitimacy of their long-standing matriarchy. Despite vocal opposition and blatant attacks on his authority, Doka has continued to handle his position with grace and intelligence; he knows a single misstep means disaster. When a cataclysmic event on another Zenzee world forces Doka and his people to accept thousands of refugees, a culture clash erupts, revealing secrets from the past that could endanger their future. For Doka, the stakes are bigger and more personal than ever before—and could cost him his reign and his heart.
He has fallen for the one woman he is forbidden to love: his wife, Seske.
Doka and Seske must work closely together to sway the other Zenzee worlds to stop their cycles of destruction. But when they stumble upon a discovery that can transform their world, they know they must prepare to fight a battle where there can be no winners, only survivors.
The first book in this series made it onto my Best of the Decade list, so obviously I will be pouncing on the sequel as soon as I can get my grubby mitts on it!
Never Have I Ever by Isabel Yap Representation: Queer MCs
on 23rd February 2021
Goodreads
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“Am I dead?”
Mebuyen sighs. She was hoping the girl would not ask.
Spells and stories, urban legends and immigrant tales: the magic in Isabel Yap’s debut collection jumps right off the page, from the joy in her new novella, “A Spell for Foolish Hearts” to the terrifying tension of the urban legend “Have You Heard the One About Anamaria Marquez.”
Isabel Yap wrote Hurricane Heels, which I loved very much when it was published through Book Smugglers a few years ago, so of course I was going to be all grabby-hands at her collection! The reviews have all been glowing, and I can’t wait to dive in.
Paladin's Strength (The Saint of Steel, #2) by T. Kingfisher on 28th February 2021
Genres: Secondary World Fantasy
Goodreads
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He’s a paladin of a dead god, tracking a supernatural killer across a continent. She’s a nun from a secretive order, on the trail of the raiders who burned her convent and kidnapped her sisters.
When their paths cross at the point of a sword, Istvhan and Clara will be pitched headlong into each other’s quests, facing off against enemies both living and dead. But Clara has a secret that could jeopardize the growing trust between them, a secret that will lead them to the gladiatorial pits of a corrupt city, and beyond...
Any week we get a new T. Kingfisher (aka Ursula Vernon) book is a GREAT WEEK! This is the sequel to Paladin’s Grace, a story about a paladin of a dead god and a delightful perfumer getting caught up in politics and murder, with Kingfisher’s signature humour woven throughout. I’m rereading it right now so I can dive into Paladin’s Strength the moment it releases on Sunday! Which is, for the record, exactly what everyone else should be doing!
That’s it for this week! Will you be reading any of these? Let me know in the comments!
The post Must-Have Monday #25! appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.
February 21, 2021
Pragmatic Magic: All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter
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.
All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter, Angela Slatteron 9th March 2021
Goodreads
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For fans of Naomi Novik and Katharine Arden, a dark gothic fairy tale from award-winning author Angela Slatter.
'Harrowing and beautiful, this is the grim, fairy-tale gothic you've been waiting for' CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat
Long ago Miren O'Malley's family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and have fallen into decline. Miren's grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of Miren's freedom.
A spellbinding tale of dark family secrets, magic and witches, and creatures of myth and the sea; of strong women and the men who seek to control them.
~the coffins have locks and you should be grateful for them
~good girls carry knives
~the mer might be monsters but the humans definitely are
~Witchcraft – so easy, anyone can do it!
~a little blood fixes everything
First thing’s first: this is not a selkie story. I have no idea why it’s being described that way; All the Murmuring Bones features many magical water-creatures, but selkies are not among them. So if that’s what you’re after, you want a different book. (Maybe The Blue Salt Road by Joanne Harris, if you’re cool with having your heart ripped out.)
Which is not to say that All The Murmuring Bones is not a good book, because it very much is. It’s just not about selkies.
Miren O’Malley is the last ‘true’ O’Malley; while offshoots of the family are flourishing, the trunk is very much not. She lives with her grandmother in a manor growing more dilapidated by the day, on the coast, next to the sea that has been the source of the O’Malley fortunes since time immemorial. There are all kinds of stories told about the O’Malleys, and plenty of stories that they tell each other about their pasts, but the fact is that however grand and powerful they once were…they’re really not, anymore.
And Miren is more or less okay with that, until it becomes clear that her grandmother is scheming to marry Miren to Miren’s awful cousin, in order to rejuvenate the family fortunes.
And Miren’s not going to just lie down and take that.
All The Murmuring Bones has a cadence to it, a rhythm and style that is reminiscent of a folktale – something only strengthened by the actual folktales that break up the story, tales from the O’Malley’s book of not-quite-legends. And like a folktale, Miren’s story has a frank and undramatic acceptance of all things magical. I thought the world of All The Murmuring Bones was more or less like something from the Regency period…right up until Miren casually mentions the zombies (she doesn’t call them that) that the carriage-driver has to avoid when going into town. It was the wonderful casualness with which the magic in this world is introduced – so blithely, all of it taken for granted, all of it considered all but mundane – that made me sit up and pay proper attention.
That thread of…let’s call it normalised magic, runs throughout the book in a way that absolutely delighted me. Miren encounters mer (aka merfolk), ghosts, kelpies, and shapeshifters over the course of the story, and in her world witchcraft is something everyone can utilise (although there’s a huge difference between an untrained person meddling with the basics and a Proper Witch). On the one hand, the normalisation of it all takes some of the wonder away, because Miren and the narrative don’t treat kelpies and horses very differently; on the other hand, having magic woven that intrinsically into a world is wonderful in its own right. I enjoyed that aspect of the worldbuilding enormously, but sometimes it was a little maddening to get these intriguing hints and throw-away details about Miren’s society that weren’t fully explored – like the fact that there are brothels of men for women customers! Um, excuse me??? I want to know more about that please!
You kind of have to accept, very quickly, that just like in a fairytale, there aren’t any explanations here. Something that becomes very important to the plot is the fact that ‘all the waters in the world are joined’, but what the hell that means in practical terms? You’ll never know. The magic here doesn’t have a system that can be explained, and in fairness magic is supposed to be mysterious and inexplicable…but it’s been a while since I read about the kind of folklore-magic that doesn’t even pretend to have a system or pattern, even a vague one. It bothered me a little bit, but not too much. If you can let go of the questions and just let the story flow over you, it’s still a darkly enthralling tale.
At least, most of it is.
It’s difficult to talk about what makes All the Murmuring Bones weaker, because it’s all tied up with the final quarter or so of the book, the culmination of Miren’s journey and the answers to the book’s Big Questions. To be honest? The entire ending felt…rushed. Cramped, like too much plot was forced into too few pages. A great deal just works out Because Plot, coincidences and easy answers just dropped into Miren’s (and the reader’s) lap in a way that was really unsatisfying. I didn’t object to the twists and subversions of the ending at all, but I object pretty strongly to how we get there and in how they’re presented to the reader. It took a story that had been darkly gleaming-gorgeous for most of the book, and watered it down to something you can barely taste.
Which is a huge shame, because I loved pretty much everything else. Miren is a ruthlessly practical main character, with a sharp-clawed darker side that I adored, and Slatter’s writing is beautiful, scattering details of description like jewels throughout a setting that feels older and darker than the Grimm stories.
I’m not sorry I read it, and I would recommend it, with some caveats. I definitely want to go and hunt down all of Slatter’s books now. But this really great book was let down by a really lame ending, and it’s a little hard to overlook that.
The post Pragmatic Magic: All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.
February 17, 2021
WWW Wednesday: 17th Feb
I’ve decided that, at least for the foreseeable future, I’m going to be participating in WWW Wednesdays, which is a meme hosted over at Taking On a World of Words. To take part, you just answer the three questions below, and link back to TOaWoW!
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey Genres: Sci Fi
Goodreads
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The Echo Wife is a non-stop thrill ride, perfect for readers of Big Little Lies and enthusiasts of "Killing Eve" and "Westworld"
Martine is a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn Caldwell’s award-winning research. She’s patient and gentle and obedient. She’s everything Evelyn swore she’d never be. And she’s having an affair with Evelyn’s husband.
Now, the cheating bastard is dead, and the Caldwell wives have a mess to clean up. Good thing Evelyn Caldwell is used to getting her hands dirty.
I got completely sucked in by this one; I inhaled the first 25% of my ebook in an hour! Can’t put it down, and I’m both delighted to experience that compelling-read feeling, and kind of confused because Echo Wife is nothing like the kind of stories I usually love. Clearly I should try new things more often!
WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter, Angela Slatter Genres: Fantasy
Goodreads
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For fans of Naomi Novik and Katharine Arden, a dark gothic fairy tale from award-winning author Angela Slatter.
'Harrowing and beautiful, this is the grim, fairy-tale gothic you've been waiting for' CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat
Long ago Miren O'Malley's family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and have fallen into decline. Miren's grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of Miren's freedom.
A spellbinding tale of dark family secrets, magic and witches, and creatures of myth and the sea; of strong women and the men who seek to control them.
I loved the first half of this, but it grew much weaker towards the finale. The story deserved a much better ending – I think it was too rushed. But I’ll be writing a review of this one, so you’ll get my full thoughts then.
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?
Thief of Songs by M.C.A. Hogarth Representation: Genderqueer MC, agender partner, bi/pansexual MC/love interest, queernorm world, polyamory
Genres: Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Goodreads
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My fibromyalgia’s been kicking my ass this last little while, so I think I’m going to spoil myself by rereading a dearly beloved fave with soothingly low stakes. Beautiful prose, gorgeous fantasy, indulgent romance; sounds like just the thing when you’re a little bit miserable.
That’s it for this week! What are you reading?
The post WWW Wednesday: 17th Feb appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.
February 15, 2021
Must-Have Monday #24!
We have EIGHT incredible fantasy-and-sci-fi books being released this week!
The Black Coast (The God-King Chronicles, #1) by Mike Brooks Representation: Nonbinary PoV character, queernorm cultures, nonbinary gender system
on 16th February 2021
Genres: Secondary World Fantasy
Goodreads
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Epic world-building at its finest, in an upcoming author’s fantasy debut. The Black Coast is the start of an unmissable series filled with war-dragons, armoured knights, sea-faring raiders, dangerous magic and crowd-pleasing battle scenes.
When the citizens of Black Keep see ships on the horizon, terror takes them, for they know who is coming: for generations, Black Keep has been raided by the fearsome clanspeople of Iwernia. Saddling their war dragons, the Naridans rush to defend their home only to discover that the clanspeople have not come to pillage at all. Driven from their own homeland by the rise of a daemonic despot who prophesies the end of the world, they have come in search of a new home. Meanwhile the wider continent of Narida is lurching toward war. Black Keep is about to be caught in the cross-fire of the coming war for the world – if only its new mismatched society can survive.
The Black Coast is even better than it sounds – I wrote a very incoherent review, but basically??? It’s peerless worldbuilding + feathered dragons + different kinds of normalised queerness + brilliant characters, all wrapped up in the start of an epic fantasy series that I just know is going to knock our socks off. Even if you’ve been feeling meh about epic fantasy lately (as I have) you’re going to want to read this one!
The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey on 16th February 2021
Genres: Sci Fi
Goodreads
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The Echo Wife is a non-stop thrill ride, perfect for readers of Big Little Lies and enthusiasts of "Killing Eve" and "Westworld"
Martine is a genetically cloned replica made from Evelyn Caldwell’s award-winning research. She’s patient and gentle and obedient. She’s everything Evelyn swore she’d never be. And she’s having an affair with Evelyn’s husband.
Now, the cheating bastard is dead, and the Caldwell wives have a mess to clean up. Good thing Evelyn Caldwell is used to getting her hands dirty.
This has been incredibly hyped, and who can be surprised – it’s Gailey! Echo Wife sounds a bit like Gone Girl, but with clones – and women working together, which is usually better than one woman working alone. I have no idea what to expect, but I am very intrigued.
Reaper of Souls (Kingdom of Souls, #2) by Rena Barron on 16th February 2021
Goodreads
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Desperate not to repeat her mother’s mistakes, Arrah must return to the tribal lands to search for help from the remnants of her parents’ people. But the Demon King’s shadow looms closer than she thinks. And as Arrah struggles to unravel her connection to him, defeating him begins to seem more and more impossible—if it’s something she can bring herself to do at all.
Set in a richly imagined world inspired by spine-tingling tales of voodoo and folk magic, Kingdom of Souls was lauded as “masterful” by School Library Journal in a starred review. This explosively epic sequel will have readers racing to the can’t-miss conclusion.
This is the sequel to Kingdom of Souls, and I don’t recommend jumping into it until you’ve read the first book! Barron’s writing really impressed me in Kingdom, though, so I expect Reaper will also be excellent.
Soulstar (The Kingston Cycle, #3) by C.L. Polk on 16th February 2021
Goodreads
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With Soulstar, C. L. Polk concludes her riveting Kingston Cycle, a whirlwind of magic, politics, romance, and intrigue that began with the World Fantasy Award-winning Witchmark. Assassinations, deadly storms, and long-lost love haunt the pages of this thrilling final volume.
For years, Robin Thorpe has kept her head down, staying among her people in the Riverside neighborhood and hiding the magic that would have her imprisoned by the state. But when Grace Hensley comes knocking on Clan Thorpe’s door, Robin’s days of hiding are at an end. As freed witches flood the streets of Kingston, scrambling to reintegrate with a kingdom that destroyed their lives, Robin begins to plot a course that will ensure a freer, juster Aeland. At the same time, she has to face her long-bottled feelings for the childhood love that vanished into an asylum twenty years ago.
Can Robin find happiness among the rising tides of revolution? Can Kingston survive the blizzards that threaten, the desperate monarchy, and the birth throes of democracy? Find out as the Kingston Cycle comes to an end.
It’s the finale of the Kingston Cycle! Again, you probably shouldn’t pick this up until you’ve read Witchmark and Stormsong, but at that point you should definitely pick it up.
We Are the Fire by Sam Taylor on 16th February 2021
Goodreads
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As electrifying as it is heartbreaking, Sam Taylor's explosive fantasy debut We Are the Fire is perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and the legend of Spartacus.
In the cold, treacherous land of Vesimaa, children are stolen from their families by a cruel emperor, forced to undergo a horrific transformative procedure, and serve in the army as magical fire-wielding soldiers. Pran and Oksana―both taken from their homeland at a young age―only have each other to hold onto in this heartless place.
Pran dreams of one day rebelling against their oppressors and destroying the empire; Oksana only dreams of returning home and creating a peaceful life for them both.
When they discover the emperor has a new, more terrible mission than ever for their kind, Pran and Oksana vow to escape his tyranny once and for all. But their methods and ideals differ drastically, driving a wedge between them. Worse still, they both soon find that the only way to defeat the monsters that subjugated them may be to become monsters themselves.
I don’t know much about this book, but the cover is beautiful and the premise sounds interesting. It’s also a standalone, which we don’t see in YA too often, and all the reviews I’ve seen for it are glowing. I’ll definitely be picking it up and giving it a go.
The Centaur's Wife by Amanda Leduc on 16th February 2021
Goodreads
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Amanda Leduc's brilliant new novel, woven with fairy tales of her own devising and replete with both catastrophe and magic, is a vision of what happens when we ignore the natural world and the darker parts of our own natures.
Heather is sleeping peacefully after the birth of her twin daughters when the sound of the world ending jolts her awake. Stumbling outside with her babies and her new husband, Brendan, she finds that their city has been destroyed by falling meteors and that her little family are among only a few who survived.
But the mountain that looms over the city is still green--somehow it has been spared the destruction that has brought humanity to the brink of extinction. Heather is one of the few who know the mountain, a place city-dwellers have always been forbidden to go. Her dad took her up the mountain when she was a child on a misguided quest to heal her legs, damaged at birth. The tragedy that resulted has shaped her life, bringing her both great sorrow and an undying connection to the deep magic of the mountain, made real by the beings she and her dad encountered that day: Estajfan, a centaur born of sorrow and of an ancient, impossible love, and his two siblings, marooned between the magical and the human world. Even as those in the city around her--led by Tasha, a charismatic doctor who fled to the city from the coast with her wife and other refugees--struggle to keep everyone alive, Heather constantly looks to the mountain, drawn by love, by fear, by the desire for rescue. She is torn in two by her awareness of what unleashed the meteor shower and what is coming for the few survivors, once the green and living earth makes a final reckoning of the usefulness of human life and finds it wanting.
At times devastating, but ultimately redemptive, Amanda Leduc's fable for our uncertain times reminds us that the most important things in life aren't things at all, but rather the people we want by our side at the end of the world.
This sounds so delightfully strange and dreamy??? However, it does seem like it’s only being published in Canada for the moment. Fingers crossed it makes it to the rest of us asap!
The Memory Theater by Karin Tidbeck on 16th February 2021
Goodreads
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In a world just parallel to ours exists a mystical realm known only as the Gardens. It is a place where feasts never end, games of croquet have devastating consequences, and teenagers are punished for growing up. For a select group of Masters, it's a decadent paradise where time stands still. For those who serve them, however, it's a slow torture where their lives can be ended in a blink.
In a bid to escape before their youth betrays them, Dora and Thistle--best friends and confidants--set out on a remarkable journey through time and space. Traveling between their world and ours, they hunt the one person who can grant them freedom. Along the way they encounter a mysterious traveler who trades in favors and never forgets debts, a crossroads at the center of the universe, our own world on the brink of war, and a traveling troupe of actors with the ability to unlock the fabric of reality.
Endlessly inventive, The Memory Theater takes the reader to a wondrous place where destiny has yet to be written, life is a performance, and magic can erupt at any moment. It is Karin Tidbeck's most engrossing and irresistible tale yet.
This one wasn’t on my radar at all, until an excerpt from it was posted on Tor.com…and then I knew I absolutely had to read it. This is probably the book I’m most excited for this week (although that’s in large part because I’ve already read Black Coast and The Galaxy, and the Ground Within!)
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (Wayfarers, #4) by Becky Chambers on 18th February 2021
Goodreads
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With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop.
At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through.
When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other.
I mean, it’s the new (and last!) Wayfarer book!!! Of course you need to read it! That said, this is actually it’s UK release date; it won’t be available in the US until April. But wherever you are, you should definitely preorder it; you can read my review if you need more convincing.
Witherward (Witherward, #1) by Hannah Mathewson on 16th February 2021
Goodreads
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Ilsa is a shapeshifting Changeling who has spent the first 17 years of her life marooned in the wrong London, where real magic is reviled as the devil’s work. Abandoned at birth, she has scratched out a living first as a pickpocket and then as a stage magician’s assistant, dazzling audiences by secretly using her Changeling talents to perform impossible illusions. When she’s dragged through a portal into the Witherward, Ilsa finally feels like she belongs.
But her new home is on the brink of civil war, and Ilsa is pulled into the fray. The only way to save London is to track down Gedeon, and he just so happens to be Ilsa’s long-lost brother, one of the last surviving members of the family who stranded her in the wrong world. Beset by enemies on all sides, surrounded by supposed Changeling allies wearing faces that may not be their own, Ilsa must use all the tricks up her sleeve simply to stay alive.
SIX OF CROWS meets THE PRESTIGE in a debut YA/crossover fantasy set in an alternate Victorian London, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab.
This is another YA fantasy that sounds strange in a good way, with a premise that has a whole lot of potential. I’m pretty excited to see what Mathewson does with it.
And that’s it! Did I miss any? Will you be reading any of these? Let me know in the comments!
The post Must-Have Monday #24! appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.
February 12, 2021
The Most Perfect Goodbye: The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
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.
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (Wayfarers, #4) by Becky ChambersRepresentation: Secondary nonbinary character
Published by Hodder & Stoughton on 18th February 2021
Genres: Sci Fi
Goodreads
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With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop.
At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through.
When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other.
~natural history can be rocks
~Significant Sparkles
~a truly excellent bathhouse
~cheese
~brain maps
~DESSERTS FOR EVERYONE
As delighted and honoured as I felt to get approved for an ARC of this, it’s kind of hard to imagine that any book of Becky Chambers’ needs pre-release hype. Surely it’s enough to just announce that she’s written a new book, and it’ll fly off the shelves like the spaceships she made her mark with? I mean, do we even need titles or pretty covers or blurbs at this point??? If it’s by Becky Chambers, we’re going to read it and love it, yes?
By which I mean, yes, The Galaxy and the Ground Within is utterly perfect.
Obviously.
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is to the reader what it is to the characters: an enforced pause to rest and breathe. It’s reflective and a little bit dreamy; gently exploratory; focussed on people and the relationships between them rather than big, galaxy-changing adventures. It’s quiet and soft and so perfectly soothing: exactly the kind of book so many of us have been craving.
Or, like some of the characters, maybe you don’t think or realise that you need a little quiet time. But I bet giving your mind a break within this book will still do you good.
Although it stands perfectly as a standalone (like all the Wayfarer books), Galaxy does circle around somewhat to book one, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet; it feels like a kind of companion to it, maybe a mirror. In Long Way, we encountered Pei, the Aeluon in a secret romance with the Human Ashby, who was one of Long Way‘s main characters; in Galaxy, it’s Pei’s turn to shine, as she becomes one of the PoV characters. The other main PoV characters are Roveg and Speaker, who both come from species we have only known until now from the negative interactions we had with them in Long Way. You can absolutely read Galaxy without having read Long Way (although why are you denying yourself the pleasure of more Wayfarer???) but Roveg and Speaker very much serve to – forgive the term – humanise species that we had a poor impression of before.
So Galaxy does bring us back around to the beginning, in a way. It closes the circle, neatly and gently, on what has been one of my favourite, and one of the objectively best, series ever.
I’m struggling to describe the plot to you, because it’s built out of so many quiet, personal, normal moments rather than any big drama. Yes, there’s an accident that grounds hundreds (thousands?) of ships while it’s sorted out, but we’re not up there in the atmosphere with the people dealing with the difficult, exciting part; we’re on the ground, seeing how this delay, and the forced break from their lives, affects the characters. Which is not to say that it’s one long flatline of serenity; Roveg is incredibly anxious that he not be late for a very important appointment; Speaker is unable to contact her sister, who is still in orbit with a chronic health condition; Pei is restless and wrestling with the life-changing choice she’s promised to make; and Ouloo, their incredibly sweet host, is immensely distressed that there’s a problem for her guests that she can’t smooth away.
But these are all…personal, intimate problems. Kingdoms won’t rise and fall by what Pei decides; governments won’t topple if Roveg doesn’t get to where he’s going; and even if Speaker’s sister dies, people die every day, and the universe keeps going.
So it would be easy to dismiss all of these as…uninteresting, I guess. But Chambers has always had the magic of making the reader care about ‘small’ problems. Where other storytellers look at the big picture, Chambers zooms in on the small one…and shows us how beautiful it is. How delicate. How intricate and interesting, made up of so many tiny parts, all of which are infinitely valuable in different ways. And Galaxy, even more than the other Wayfarer books, is very much all about how much the small picture matters. About remembering to care about yourself, and others, not as players on a galactic stage, but just as people.
It’s also, beautifully, about how people come together during times of stress, of emergency. It’s about unexpected kindnesses and confronting your own ignorance or beliefs about others; it’s about different kinds of love and different ways of being; it’s about how fast and deeply you can form a bond with someone who’s gone through a scary thing with you, even if you were strangers before.
It’s about delicious desserts, and just wanting people to be happy.
And I’m tearing up a bit, because this is the end of the series and that makes me sad. But I’m happy too. Because Ouloo is very, very good at her job of taking care of people, and after closing Galaxy, I feel like I’m leaving the Five-Hop One-Stop after receiving the best possible care.
And I can always come back and visit again, just by opening up the pages.
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within is out on the 18th of Feb in the UK, and 20th of April in the US. I heartily recommend you make sure you get a copy!
The post The Most Perfect Goodbye: The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.
February 11, 2021
Epic in Scope and Intimate at Heart: The Black Coast by Mike Brooks
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.
The Black Coast (The God-King Chronicles, #1) by Mike BrooksRepresentation: Nonbinary PoV character, queernorm culture, nonbinary-norm culture, background M/M and F/F, NB/M
on 16th February 2021
Genres: Queer Protagonists, Epic Fantasy
Goodreads
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Epic world-building at its finest, in an upcoming author’s fantasy debut. The Black Coast is the start of an unmissable series filled with war-dragons, armoured knights, sea-faring raiders, dangerous magic and crowd-pleasing battle scenes.
When the citizens of Black Keep see ships on the horizon, terror takes them, for they know who is coming: for generations, Black Keep has been raided by the fearsome clanspeople of Iwernia. Saddling their war dragons, the Naridans rush to defend their home only to discover that the clanspeople have not come to pillage at all. Driven from their own homeland by the rise of a daemonic despot who prophesies the end of the world, they have come in search of a new home. Meanwhile the wider continent of Narida is lurching toward war. Black Keep is about to be caught in the cross-fire of the coming war for the world – if only its new mismatched society can survive.
~dragons with FEATHERS
~what flavour of gender do you prefer, we have SIX
~vikings
~gay??? lesbian??? sorry we don’t have words for those we just call them PEOPLE
~krakens
~don’t wear the brooch unless you mean it
~vote stabby princess for queen 2021!!!
The very first thing I wrote down in my notes when I finished Black Coast was: AHHHHH I LOVED THIS SO MUCH!
This is going to make very little sense, but I’m going to say it anyway: Black Coast felt like a luxury to me, like every chapter I read was a decadent gift to myself. What other people might feel during a spa day full of pampering, I felt reading this book; like I was being catered to and indulged and spoiled absolutely rotten, because Black Coast is just jam-packed full of all the things I love.
The opening of the book is a pretty good example: the ‘prologue’ of sorts is an excerpt from a fictional book, in which a Naridan is writing about another country, a series of islands called Alaba. The writer is scandilised because Alabans recognise five or six genders ‘depending on how they are counted’.
Now, from the original blurb I saw, I was under the impression that the whole of the story was going to take place in Narida. So not only was I confused as to why we were hearing about another land entirely (I really should have cottoned on!) but I was wistfully disappointed. Why did he set the story in Narida? I want to visit Alaba! were pretty much my exact thoughts.
So you can imagine my delight when I found out that Black Coast does take the reader to Alaba! The story is definitely focussed on Narida, but fear not; we spend a fair bit of time in Alaba with all its genders (which I’ll talk about in a bit).
See? My every wish, instantly granted!
The story itself is actually pretty easy to summarise: as the blurb says, a clan of Tjakorshans (you can think of them as Vikings, more or less) has appeared on the Black Coast, not to kill and steal and raid as they always have before, but to beg sanctuary and permission to settle. The adopted son of the local lord is the one who gives that permission, and is then responsible for trying to get his people to accept the arrangement, which has him working side-by-side with Sanna, the Tjakorshan clan-chief. Meanwhile, the sister of the Naridan God-King is working to hunt down and have killed a threat to her brother’s throne, a mission which almost has her crossing paths with an Alaban street-urchin who will prove very important to the outcome of that mission…
But that description really doesn’t do Black Coast any justice at all.
Firstly, Brooks’ prose is lovely; not the dreamy poetry of Catherynne Valente and her ilk, but not the blunt hammer of…authors we won’t name, either. Brooks’ prose flows like water, with just the right balance of description and action to appeal to just about everyone, with a pacing that fits the story incredibly well. Aside from the battles, I wouldn’t call Black Coast fast-paced, but it’s not overly slow either; it feels like…like the pace of life. Which works beautifully, because a great deal of this book focuses on the day-to-day life of the characters. This is far from dull, because everyone we encounter is having an unusual time, but the pacing and focus does help to make this story feel intimate, even as we’re seeing the events of an epic fantasy.
Part of this is achieved by the multiple perspectives Brooks chooses. Daimon, the adopted lord’s son mentioned earlier, and Sanna, the clan-chief, probably get the most page-time, but we also spend time with Sanna’s daughter Zhanna; a witch of her clan; some of the villagers; Daimon’s adopted brother, Darel; several Tjakorshans from other clans, who are hunting down Sanna’s clan; Tila, the princess of Narida, sister to the God-King; and Jeya, an Alaban street-urchin and pickpocket. That might sound like too many PoV characters, but it works here, especially because Brooks is careful to balance them all in just the right proportions to the rest. It makes the epic seem real; translates the grand scope of everything going on into something human, something the reader can really feel along with the characters. It’s the difference between an epic poem and a written account from someone who was there for the adventure, and I approve immensely.
And then there’s the careful mixing of cultures and the baby dragon runt that needs saving and this thread of surprising mischief and humour woven throughout, and I could probably go on forever, okay?
But folx. FOLX. I have to talk about the worldbuilding!!!
Because Brooks is a freaking master. Like all the best worldbuilders, he’s introduced one or two seemingly small things and then followed the ripple effects those things would have on the cultures they’re in. Naridan, for example, is a language without words for ‘I’ or ‘me’; every time you refer to yourself is different depending on the social status of the person you’re talking to, and your relationship with them! I just want to SHRIEK with how cool this is! But don’t panic; Brooks hasn’t introduced hundreds of fantasy words for ‘I’ that you have to remember. It’s all written as if the reader were a native speaker – thank goodness! – so, for example, Daimon usually refers to himself as ‘this lord’ where an English speaker would say ‘I’, or ‘this lord’s’ when he’s talking about something that belongs to him. If that sounds strange, don’t worry; it’s actually very easy to read, and you get the hang of it very quickly.
What stands out with Alaba also revolves around linguisitics. The Alabans recognise multiple genders, but again, Brooks has hit on a brilliant way to keep things simple for his readers. I’m agender with half a dozen nonbinary friends, and I still have trouble keeping track of some of the nonbinary pronouns English is experimenting with, so it’s a huge relief to me that the Alabans denote gender…through diacritics!!!
Diatrics are the little symbols various languages use to indicate pronunciation of a letter. If you’ve ever studied French or German, you’ve run into diatrics like à and ü. Brooks uses them to indicate Alaban gender. So, basically, the different genders are
Hè/hìm – high masculine
Hê/hîm – low masculine
Shē/hēr – high feminine
Shé/hér – low feminine
Thëy/thëm – agender, genderless
They/them – gender-neutral formal
EXCUSE ME WHILE I SHRIEK MY WORLDBUILDING-ADDICT HEART OUT
Again, this is a system that looks intimidatingly complicated at a glance, but in practice, it’s so clear and easy! I will admit that I wasn’t sure how to pronounce everything while I was reading, but as a reader, it’s so easy to keep the different genders straight because the signifiers are visual while you read! Folx, this is so freaking clever! You don’t need to memorise entirely new words, pronouns that are unfamiliar to you; you just need to keep track of the diatrics on she/he/they, and that’s so much easier than you might think. After a few paragraphs of Alaban PoV, I had a handle on it just fine.
The whole thing makes me just want to swoon. This is the kind of worldbuilding I live for! And this is without getting into the freaking DRAGONS, or how Naridan culture doesn’t have words for being gay, lesbian, or bisexual, because those things are just considered normal. This is without writing an ESSAY on the differences between Alaban and Naridan religion – and Tjakorshan, for that matter.
And the thing is, absolutely none of this is info-dumped on the reader. Brooks doesn’t drown you under a ton of strange new information at once. It’s all introduced naturally, and switching between PoVs helps because we get to be in the head of a character who is encountering the New Thing for the first time, just as the reader is. So you’re never left feeling stupid or confused or overwhelmed. It’s all done so deftly that you almost don’t notice that you’re learning something new about this world Brooks has created.
So we’ve established that, if you’re looking for great worldbuilding, Black Coast has it in spades. But it also has a fabulous cast, all of whom just feel so human, even when they’re coming from a culture very different to the reader’s. Daimon is shy but determined to do what he thinks is right, even when everything he’s grown up with demands he do otherwise; Sanna is driven to protect her people, but she’s also a mother who worries about her daughter; Tila is a princess with so many knives. They’re all trying to survive, to take care of what’s theirs and safeguard the future, and even the ostensible villains are compelling as hell.
Brooks also lays the foundations for even bigger challenges to come, dropping hints that click together in your head to form eye-widening theories. Bits of history and mythology from the different cultures seem interconnected, and there’s both magical and political unrest gathering not-quite out of sight, but it’s hard to consider that properly when the immediate stakes are so damned high!
TL; DR: This is a fabulous novel that opens what promises to be an extremely epic series, and if you haven’t pre-ordered it already, you need to.
It’s out on Tuesday, so there’s still time!
Now, if you don’t mind, I’m just going to lie here and pine for book two for a bit.
READ THIS BOOK SO I HAVE PEOPLE TO YELL ABOUT IT WITH, OKAY???
The post Epic in Scope and Intimate at Heart: The Black Coast by Mike Brooks appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.
February 10, 2021
WWW Wednesday: 9th Feb
I’ve decided that, at least for the foreseeable future, I’m going to be participating in WWW Wednesdays, which is a meme hosted over at Taking On a World of Words. To take part, you just answer the three questions below, and link back to TOaWoW!
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (Wayfarers, #4) by Becky Chambers on 18th February 2021
Goodreads
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With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop.
At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through.
When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other.
It goes without saying that I’m enjoying the hell out of this. It’s so soft and comforting and thoughtful, in that way that no one can pull off like Chambers. It’s like sinking into a warm bath, complete with the Lush bath bomb of your choice!
WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?The Black Coast (The God-King Chronicles, #1) by Mike Brooks on 16th February 2021
Goodreads
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Epic world-building at its finest, in an upcoming author’s fantasy debut. The Black Coast is the start of an unmissable series filled with war-dragons, armoured knights, sea-faring raiders, dangerous magic and crowd-pleasing battle scenes.
When the citizens of Black Keep see ships on the horizon, terror takes them, for they know who is coming: for generations, Black Keep has been raided by the fearsome clanspeople of Iwernia. Saddling their war dragons, the Naridans rush to defend their home only to discover that the clanspeople have not come to pillage at all. Driven from their own homeland by the rise of a daemonic despot who prophesies the end of the world, they have come in search of a new home. Meanwhile the wider continent of Narida is lurching toward war. Black Keep is about to be caught in the cross-fire of the coming war for the world – if only its new mismatched society can survive.
I just finished this today, and my reaction was: AHHHHHHHHH I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I can’t wait to review it, and I really can’t wait until it’s released so I can talk about it with other people!
Basically
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter, Angela Slatter on 9th March 2021
Goodreads
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For fans of Naomi Novik and Katharine Arden, a dark gothic fairy tale from award-winning author Angela Slatter.
'Harrowing and beautiful, this is the grim, fairy-tale gothic you've been waiting for' CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat
Long ago Miren O'Malley's family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and have fallen into decline. Miren's grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of Miren's freedom.
A spellbinding tale of dark family secrets, magic and witches, and creatures of myth and the sea; of strong women and the men who seek to control them.
I’m so excited for this one…and I can’t explain why. Angela Slatter is a wonderful writer, but her stuff has freaked me out before…and yet I get a really good vibe from this? I think it’s at least partly due to the promise of the mer – I love merai, but I rarely see them done in a way I can appreciate, and I think Slatter is definitely going to impress me!
Just picture me doing excited twirls! It’s been a good week, and I think it’ll keep being good. How’s everyone else doing?
The post WWW Wednesday: 9th Feb appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.
WWW Wednesday: 10th Feb
I’ve decided that, at least for the foreseeable future, I’m going to be participating in WWW Wednesdays, which is a meme hosted over at Taking On a World of Words. To take part, you just answer the three questions below, and link back to TOaWoW!
WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?The Galaxy, and the Ground Within (Wayfarers, #4) by Becky Chambers on 18th February 2021
Goodreads
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With no water, no air, and no native life, the planet Gora is unremarkable. The only thing it has going for it is a chance proximity to more popular worlds, making it a decent stopover for ships traveling between the wormholes that keep the Galactic Commons connected. If deep space is a highway, Gora is just your average truck stop.
At the Five-Hop One-Stop, long-haul spacers can stretch their legs (if they have legs, that is), and get fuel, transit permits, and assorted supplies. The Five-Hop is run by an enterprising alien and her sometimes helpful child, who work hard to provide a little piece of home to everyone passing through.
When a freak technological failure halts all traffic to and from Gora, three strangers—all different species with different aims—are thrown together at the Five-Hop. Grounded, with nothing to do but wait, the trio—an exiled artist with an appointment to keep, a cargo runner at a personal crossroads, and a mysterious individual doing her best to help those on the fringes—are compelled to confront where they’ve been, where they might go, and what they are, or could be, to each other.
It goes without saying that I’m enjoying the hell out of this. It’s so soft and comforting and thoughtful, in that way that no one can pull off like Chambers. It’s like sinking into a warm bath, complete with the Lush bath bomb of your choice!
WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?The Black Coast (The God-King Chronicles, #1) by Mike Brooks on 16th February 2021
Goodreads
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Epic world-building at its finest, in an upcoming author’s fantasy debut. The Black Coast is the start of an unmissable series filled with war-dragons, armoured knights, sea-faring raiders, dangerous magic and crowd-pleasing battle scenes.
When the citizens of Black Keep see ships on the horizon, terror takes them, for they know who is coming: for generations, Black Keep has been raided by the fearsome clanspeople of Iwernia. Saddling their war dragons, the Naridans rush to defend their home only to discover that the clanspeople have not come to pillage at all. Driven from their own homeland by the rise of a daemonic despot who prophesies the end of the world, they have come in search of a new home. Meanwhile the wider continent of Narida is lurching toward war. Black Keep is about to be caught in the cross-fire of the coming war for the world – if only its new mismatched society can survive.
I just finished this today, and my reaction was: AHHHHHHHHH I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH! I can’t wait to review it, and I really can’t wait until it’s released so I can talk about it with other people!
Basically
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter, Angela Slatter on 9th March 2021
Goodreads
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For fans of Naomi Novik and Katharine Arden, a dark gothic fairy tale from award-winning author Angela Slatter.
'Harrowing and beautiful, this is the grim, fairy-tale gothic you've been waiting for' CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN, New York Times bestselling author of Ararat
Long ago Miren O'Malley's family prospered due to a deal struck with the mer: safety for their ships in return for a child of each generation. But for many years the family have been unable to keep their side of the bargain and have fallen into decline. Miren's grandmother is determined to restore their glory, even at the price of Miren's freedom.
A spellbinding tale of dark family secrets, magic and witches, and creatures of myth and the sea; of strong women and the men who seek to control them.
I’m so excited for this one…and I can’t explain why. Angela Slatter is a wonderful writer, but her stuff has freaked me out before…and yet I get a really good vibe from this? I think it’s at least partly due to the promise of the mer – I love merai, but I rarely see them done in a way I can appreciate, and I think Slatter is definitely going to impress me!
Just picture me doing excited twirls! It’s been a good week, and I think it’ll keep being good. How’s everyone else doing?
The post WWW Wednesday: 10th Feb appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.
February 9, 2021
10 Fantastical Loves: Fantasies With Epic Romances
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. Check out upcoming Top Ten themes on Jana’s blog!
Today’s theme is a Valentine’s freebie. I’m not really a fan of romance (oh, the one and only time my now-hubby bought me flowers!) but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a good ship (romantic relationship) when I read about one! So here, in no particular order, are ten of my favourite fictional couples-and-moresomes, wrapped up in great fantasy novels!
Dag and Fawn, The Sharing Knife series
Besides being a series that manages to feel like a warm hug even during the scarier parts, the Sharing Knife books are built around one of the best couples in Fantasy. Superficially, Dag and Fawn seem like they shouldn’t work as a couple; he’s traveled all over, she’s never left her family’s farm; he’s been married and widowed, she’s never had a real relationship; he’s a warrior, she knits. Etc. But they do work, and they work beautifully. Fawn is fiercely intelligent and incredibly curious about everything, and her love of learning drags Dag from surviving into living again. He’s caring and patient, she’s more than brave enough to keep up with him, and they’re both open and honest with each other. They complement each other beautifully and are pretty damn unstoppable in tandem. These were some of the books that taught me what a healthy romance is supposed to look like, and they didn’t lead me wrong.
Kieran and Ashes, The God Eaters
A hardened, Indigenous death-witch, and a fragile white boy whose superpower is empathy. It ought to be a disaster, but instead Kieran and Ashes are one of my favourite couples of all time. Both of them grow and change over the course of the book, but like the best couples they grow together, in complementary ways, rather than growing apart; Kieran gradually opens up, and Ashes discovers his own beautifully ruthless side. They have plenty to teach each other, and though the going is anything but easy, they don’t give up on each other. There are so many moments between them that another author would play for the drama, but these two subvert the expected at every turn. I love them so much!!!
Jack and Thomas, Book of All Hours duet
How much do you love your beloved? Enough to keep searching for them in every universe, every timeline, every alternate reality? Enough to find them in every world, no matter how strange, no matter what the two of you are to each other in that reality – soldiers on the front lines, gods on the run, urban legends, rebel angels?
Because that’s Jack and Thomas. No matter where they are, who they are, what they are, they always find each other, and it’s hard to top a love story like that.
James and Lydia, James Asher series
Despite the fact that these books are set in the lead-up to WW1, James intensely admires and respects Lydia’s intelligence and capabilities, and they’re both very much equal partners in their marriage – and as characters in the books. When James is blackmailed by vampires, the first thing he does is tell Lydia about it – and while they do take sensible precautions to keep both of them safe, Lydia isn’t relegated to their home in Oxford while James works in London; she goes with him. There’s no question of benching her because what they’re doing is too dangerous; Lydia has her own autonomy, and it’s not something that James ‘puts up with’; it’s something he loves about her. They’re both wonderfully smart, brave people who are encouraging and supportive of each other, and they always have the other’s back.
Rune and Addam, The Tarot Sequence
In any other writer’s hands, Addam would come across as too perfect, so ridiculously good and kind that he would read like a Ken doll. Happily for all of us, K.D. is as ridiculously good a writer as Addam is a boyfriend, so it all works out!
But seriously, Addam is ridiculous. He’s kind, generous, and thoughtful, and doesn’t bristle when he’s called on his privilege, but uses it to help others. He’s completely comfortable not being the most important, or powerful, person in the room, and his pride isn’t the sort that makes (or tries to make) other people small. He literally turns into a white knight when he takes on his magical Aspect, okay?
And Rune is good. He’s brave and so compassionate, and when monsters are trying to kill him his first response is to take care of the civilians. He gives his whole heart to the people he cares about, and he would die for a stranger because that’s what it means to be a prince. He’s shy and wickedly smart and very, very funny.
…Look, I could sit here and write an entire essay, but just take it as read that they’re the best of fictional couples, okay? Okay.
Lina and Eva, The Dark Tide
Lina is a Fierce Flowergirl* and Eva is the witch queen who is outraged to be experiencing Feelings. What I love about these two is how Lina is more than a match for Eva, not because the Power of Love makes Eva nice, but because Lina herself is not nice. Secretly. Secretly even from herself! Instead of Eva becoming soft, Lina becomes steel, and the two of them are like a cinematic swordfight: absolutely glorious.
*Not literally, she doesn’t sell flowers for a living, that’s just her vibe
Dancer, Always Falling, & Amet, Thief of Songs
Dancer is a third-sex royal composer; Always Falling is an agender, asexual peacebringer, and Amet is a prickly composer who gets swept away by them both. I love all these characters, and I love them together; their dynamic as a threesome/polycule is just really, really wholesome and sweet and wonderful??? And I love that Always Falling gets to be completely asexual, but is still absolutely an equal in the relationship, a vital part of what makes them work as a triad. The three of them balance each other perfectly in every single way.
Beatrice and Ianthe, The Midnight Bargain
Beatrice is smart, passionate, and dedicated, and Ianthe is a man who actually listens to her. He doesn’t snap back when Beatrice calls him on his privilege; he listens, and thinks about it, and does his best to be a real ally. The two of them have open, intelligent, sometimes painful conversations; it’s that honesty and respect they have for each other that makes me swoon, the way in which they listen to and learn from each other. And I suppose it’s romantic how hard they have to struggle to find a way to be together that both of them can live with… But it’s definitely Ianthe’s arc, his gradual transformation from fabulous gentleman into someone who actually gets what Beatrice is saying and feeling and experiencing, that makes me love them as a couple.
Nothing and The Sorceress Who Eats Girls, Night Shine
I love these two because their love story is about embracing wildness, not taming it; about falling for the monstrous; about choosing the beast over the beauty. They are strange and wild and fierce together, and frightening, and utterly unstoppable. And at the same time, it’s about autonomy and respecting boundaries and loving someone so much you’ll literally give your heart for them. Tenderness with claws, kisses with sharp teeth. Theirs is a romance that turns its back on all convention, that subverts the ideas we have of who is worth loving, who we’re supposed to love, the kind of person we’re supposed to want to be with. I love all of it.
Daemon and Jaenelle, The Black Jewels series
Daemon and Jaenelle are…the only possible person for each other. They both have scars that no one else could understand, and they both have the capacity for devastating violence…but they also make each other laugh, and play pranks, and read to each other. They complement each other beautifully, perfectly. When they rage or grieve, the other can reach them through the trauma; when they go dark, they can be dark as equals; when they play, they play together. They’re incredibly protective of each other; they trust each other so much, with everything, without question. Theirs is another unconventional love story, to be sure, but it’s still one I very much treasure.
Aaand, that’s a wrap! Who are some of your favourite couples (or polyamorous clusters)?
The post 10 Fantastical Loves: Fantasies With Epic Romances appeared first on Every Book a Doorway.
