BOOKS | Review: The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison

Name: The Grief of Stones (The Cemeteries of Amalo series #2, The Chronicles of Osreth series #3)

Author: Katherine Addison

Publisher: Solaris

Date published: July 2022

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, mystery, steampunk

Pages: 330

Rating: 5/5

Celehar’s life as the Witness for the Dead of Amalo grows less isolated as his circle of friends grows larger. He has been given an apprentice to teach, and he has stumbled over a scandal of the city - the foundling girls. Orphans with no family to claim them and no funds to buy an apprenticeship. Foundling boys go to the Prelacies; foundling girls are sold into service, or worse.

At once touching and shattering, Celehar’s witnessing for one of these girls will lead him into the depths of his own losses. The love of his friends will lead him out again.

- From Goodreads.

Thara was once again a great choice for narrator in this book, he is a very sympathetic character and you understand his point of view as well as his friends', and he is great at describing what is happening around him. He has good judgement and a wonderful heart.

It was lovely to see his friendships grow with people like Anora and to see him find new friendships with people like his apprentice and to see him admit to actually wanting to stay in Amalo. When we first met him in The Goblin Emperor he was such a lost and lonely character, so sad and heartbroken, and now he's starting to find his place. He's still got a lot to struggle with and in this book he faces more events that brought him heartbreak, but he definitely doesn't have to face it alone anymore.

My favourite relationship in the book is definitely his with Iana, how much the two of them clearly care about each other, how careful they are about respecting each other but how there also always seems the possibility of something more, it's so sweet and tender.

The book was also good at dealing with multiple mysteries and all of them linking together to create a satisfying ending and keep up an exciting pace that made you want to keep reading. I have found this is true throughout all of the books in the world of The Goblin Emperor and I think it shows that Katherine Addison is a very skilled writer, and I look forward to any further books that build on this world and show us more of it.

BOOKS | Review: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Name: Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment #1)

Author: Rebecca Ross

Publisher: Magpie Books (Harper Collins)

Date published: April 2023

Genre: Fiction, young adult, fantasy, romance, historical

Pages: 368

Rating: 5/5

When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish - into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

- From Goodreads.

This was a very dramatic and compelling story that kept me invested all the way to the end. I liked that the story took you on quite a journey and the setting was often changing and the characters had a lot of opportunity to learn and grow and change.

Roman and Iris were wonderful main characters, both had a lot of depth, a lot going on in each of their lives that pulled at your heart and made you feel for them, and you could see why they would be drawn together despite their initial rivalry and begin to have such an intense and meaningful connection that I really loved.

I thought the world was so interesting and the way it was built and all the ideas put into it were so creative. The idea of the gods fighting a war but using the humans to do it and it also being set in a time equivalent to something between World War One and Two in our world was quite clever because it brought together something so ancient and powerful as the gods but in almost a modern setting. I thought the war scenes were described very well, you could feel how terrifying it was to be in the middle of all the destruction and how heartbreaking it was to be surrounded by all the loss.

Overall, it was a really incredible book that I was really happy to have enjoyed so much. I was devastated by the ending so I will have to pick up the sequel soon to find out what happens next!

BOOKS | Review: The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

Name: The Wishing Game

Author: Meg Shaffer

Publisher: Jo Fletcher Books

Date published: 2023

Genre: Fiction, adult, romance, contemporary, mystery, books about books

Pages: 283

Rating: 4/5

Make a wish...
Lucy Hart knows better than anyone what it’s like to grow up without parents who loved her. In a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy found her solace in books, namely the Clock Island series by Jack Masterson. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher’s aide, she is able to share her love of reading with bright, young students, especially seven-year-old Christopher Lamb, who was left orphaned after the tragic death of his parents. Lucy would give anything to adopt Christopher, but even the idea of becoming a family seems like an impossible dream without proper funds and stability.
But be careful what you wish for...
Just when Lucy is about to give up, Jack Masterson announces he’s finally written a new book. Even better, he’s holding a contest at his home on the real Clock Island, and Lucy is one of the four lucky contestants chosen to compete to win the one and only copy.
For Lucy, the chance of winning the most sought-after book in the world means everything to her and Christopher. But first she must contend with ruthless book collectors, wily opponents, and the distractingly handsome (and grumpy) Hugo Reese, the illustrator of the Clock Island books. Meanwhile, Jack “the Mastermind” Masterson is plotting the ultimate twist ending that could change all their lives forever.
... You might just get it.

- From Goodreads.

This story was whimsical and delightful but also able to deal with some darker and more emotional themes. Anyone sensitive to themes around childhood abuse and neglect may want to tread carefully with this book as it is a big theme. The foster system and adoption are also mentioned because of Lucy's struggle to adopt Christopher, and there is a lot of discussion in general of the terrible things children can go through. Lucy's sister is ill throughout their childhood so that is also something that is dealt with. As well as that, and this is something that does not happen to any of the main characters, and it is just mentioned in backstory as happening to a child that one of the characters knew, but there are mentions of sexual abuse and the death of a child. I thought it was all dealt with well and with sensitivity and thoughtfulness but these things can effect everyone differently so you may just need to consider your own tolerance levels to these topics when picking up this book.

I liked the concept of the book in general, the idea of the eccentric author of a fantasy series actually living on an island like the one from his books and inviting people there to take part in a game also as from his books was a lot of fun and entertaining to read. 

I really loved the romance in the book. Hugo and Lucy were really sweet together and it was lovely to see them open up to each other and understand each other. I think it would have been nice to get a little more focus on their romance towards the end, maybe a scene or two more with just the two of them, but overall I was really happy with how their story ended.

The only other thing I thought could have been improved was that some of the side characters and minor characters did not feel completely fully rounded out and like they needed a little more development to feel more like real people. They were not completely flat, I think they just needed a little more work to feel like they were not just waiting in the background until they were necessary. All of the main characters felt fully developed though, all of them were interesting and I was happy to follow their journey through the book.

Overall, while it was not perfect, I still enjoyed the book a lot, I thought it was very wholesome and had a great message to it. I might pick up another book from the author in the future if she writes a similar romance.

BOOKS | Review: Upon a Frosted Star by M.A. Kuzniar

Name: Upon a Frosted Star

Author: M.A. Kuzniar

Publisher: HQ (HarperCollins) 

Date published: September 2023

Genre: Fiction, adult, fantasy, historical, fairy tales, retellings

Pages: 384

Rating: 3/5

This review contains major spoilers.

When the snow falls, she will be free...
The invitations always arrive the same way - without warning, appearing around the city on the first snowfall of the year, simply inscribed with 'Tonight.'
When struggling artist, Forster, finds an invitation, he's bewitched by the magic of the evening, swept up in the glamour of this notorious annual party and intrigued as to who is behind them.
Determined to find out more about the mysterious host, Forster discovers an abandoned manor house silent with secrets and a cursed woman who is desparate to be free...

- From Goodreads.

Upon a Frosted Star had all the magical atmosphere, whimsical fairytale elements and beautiful descriptions that Midnight in Everwood had, but with a unique set of characters, different plot structure and new setting. I think you could enjoy this if, like me, you loved the previous book, and will find yourself swept away in a completely new story too. It will depend though on how you like sad endings as to whether you like the ending of this book. Personally they are not usually for me and I do not think this one was either, but I do not think it reflects badly on the book, it will just be a matter of personal preference. Obviously if you know the story of Swan Lake you might be able to see the way the story is going, I was just not sure after Midnight in Everwood had such a hopeful ending if this book might take a more romantic story approach rather than a tragic tale, but it did not in the end.

However, there was a brief mention of Marietta from Everwood and what happened to her after her book that made me very happy to see and I was glad we got to have that.

Other than being conflicted by the ending, I thought the rest of the book was very well written. The characters were full of life and loveable, the romance was beautiful and full of yearning and tenderness. I thought the mystery was very suspenseful and kept me intrigued to the end, so I mostly enjoyed reading the story apart from being so nervous for the characters and what was going to happen to them of course. I am just not sure I would read it again because of the ending. I still adore Midnight in Everwood though and would definitely give another book from the author a chance.

BOOKS | Review: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Name: Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands (Emily Wilde series #2)

Author: Heather Fawcett

Publisher: Orbit

Date published: January 2024

Genre: Fiction, adult, romance, historical, fantasy, fairy tales, mythology, folklore, cosy fantasy

Pages: 352

Rating: 5/5

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore - she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures... and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.
Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage. Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.
And she also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.
But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.

- From Goodreads.

I really enjoyed how this book expanded the world building that was started in the first one. We got to see more of both the mortal world and the faerie realms and there was so much detail in the descriptions and in the history and backstories, it felt very real. I loved the way the faerie realms had to be described differently to the mortal world and sometimes Emily did not even have the words for them, it really gave the sense that it was something otherworldly and almost incomprehensible to humans, too beautiful to witness.

The romance was so sweet and affectionate. I loved how clearly Wendell adored Emily and how Emily tried to be brave when taking steps in their relationship. I think they were both good for each other and helped each other grow. I loved that Emily was quite honest with herself and so her relationship with Wendell was quite open and honest too and they told each other how they were feeling. Reading them together was just very enjoyable as they could be both lighthearted and humorous and also serious and romantic and I think both sides to them were written very well.

I think it was a great sequel to the first book, the author was able to continue writing in both Emily and Wendell's voices well and I will definitely be reading the next book as I am very much looking forward to finding out what happens next on their adventures.

BOOKS | Review: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Name: Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde series #1)

Author: Heather Fawcett

Publisher: Orbit

Date published: January 2023

Genre: Fiction, adult, historical, fantasy, romance, fairy tales, folklore, mythology, cosy fantasy

Pages: 315

Rating: 5/5

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party - or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.
So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.
But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones - the most elusive of all faeries - lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all - her own heart. 

- From Goodreads.

This was such a delightful story to read, I really struggled to put it down anytime I had to stop reading. I always wanted to know what would happen next and wanted to see more of the characters.

Emily and Wendell were both so loveable. I loved how they both had their own quirks and were both a little ridiculous at times but in a way where you could not help but be fond of them. Their friendship and developing feelings for each other felt so unique and was slowly built in a perfect way. I really liked the place they ended up at by the end of the book and how, although it felt like a satisfying ending, there was still room for more growth in their relationship in the next book.

It has been quite a while since I have read a book written in journal entries and I really liked how it was done in this one. It did not feel like it restricted us from getting the full story and was used very effectively to add suspense and intrigue and the characters wrote in their own distinct voices which really added to developing their personalities and giving us a good sense of who they were. They also both wrote in quite a humorous way that made it even more entertaining to read.

I loved the way folklore, myth and fairy tales were interwoven throughout the story. It made the world feel very real, with a rich history and it was all clearly well researched, including details and elements of folklore from our world while also creating its own tales and magic.

Overall it was just a perfect story for me, so charming and full of fairytale magic, but also with some darker moments that made it feel intense and compelling. I will definitely be picking up the next book!

BOOKS | Review: The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater

Name: The Witchwood Knot by Olivia Atwater (Victorian Faerie Tales series #1)

Author: Olivia Atwater

Publisher: Olivia Atwater

Date published: November 2023

Genre: Fiction, adult, romance, fantasy, historical, gothic

Pages: 328

Rating: 5/5

Victorian governess Winifred Hall knows a con when she sees one. When her bratty young charge transforms overnight into a perfectly behaved block of wood, she soon realises that the real boy has been abducted by the Fair Folk. Unfortunately, the lord of Witchwood Manor is the only man in England who doesn’t believe in faeries - which leaves Winnie in the unenviable position of rescuing the young lord-to-be all by herself.
Witchwood Manor is bigger than its inhabitants realise, however, and full of otherworldly dangers. As Winnie delves deeper into the other side of the house, she enlists the aid of its dark and dubious faerie butler, Mr Quincy, who hides several awful secrets behind his charming smile. Winnie hopes to make her way to the centre of the Witchwood Knot through wit and cleverness... but when all of her usual tricks fail, who will she dare to trust?

- From Goodreads.

I like that the author did something different to her previous books in this story. All her books feel distinct from each other in terms of plot and characters, while still having the the similar writing style and perfect romantic feelings that I love from her books.

The gothic, dark atmosphere was done perfectly. It definitely took a darker turn from her other books but worked very well for this story. All of the descriptions of the setting and all the details in the house and the way it became a whole sinister world of it's own all added to the spookier feeling of this story.

The characters were so fascinating and a joy to follow. I loved Winnie and how she slowly became more caring and protective of Robert who she had been hired to be a governess for, and how he slowly came to trust her.

I also loved the slow build of the relationship between Winnie and Mr Quincy. How they went from enemies who could not trust each other to falling in love and telling each other things they had not told anyone else was done so perfectly and written so well. I just adored every scene they were in together and he was such an intense, intriguing character.

The plot was thrilling and suspenseful, and I was intrigued the whole time to find out how Winnie would unravel the mystery and help to fix everything. I think it resolved well while also leaving enough suspense for the next book, which I will be very excited to read. I think this book solidified that Olivia Atwater is a new favourite of mine and I will definitely continue to read everything she writes.