B- Reviews / Book ReviewsFantasy / fantasy adventure / First-Person / friendship / Historical / Islam / Middle East / Muslim / POC / scholar / Soldier / sorcerer / swashbuckler4 Comments
As a snowfall blankets 8th century Mosul, a Persian noblewoman arrives at the home of the scholar Dabir and his friend the swordsman Captain Asim. Najya has escaped from a dangerous cabal that has ensorcelled her to track down ancient magical tools of tremendous power, the bones of the old ... more >
ConversationsContemporary / enemies to lovers / enemies with benefits / Fantasy / genre history / genre tropes / historical romance / mystery / Paranormal / recommendations / rivals to lovers22 Comments
Janine: In our conversation about our reading in 2021, the enemies-to-lovers trope came up. I loved some of what you said and thought we could have a wider and deeper conversation about it. Here are some questions to start us off: Do you enjoy the enemies-to-lovers trope? Why or why ... more >
B Reviews / Book ReviewsEngland / Fantasy / Historical / Late Victorian / selkies / shapeshifters / single father / single mother / Widowed Heroine / working class / Yorkshire9 Comments
On a windswept British coastline the tide bestows an unexpected gift… It was the cry that she first noticed, the plaintive wail that called to her over the crash of winter waves. Wrapped only in a sealskin, the baby girl looks up at Effie and instantly captures her heart. Effie ... more >
B Reviews / Book Reviewsanimals / Fantasy / holiday novella / immigrant / LGBTQIA+ / mystery / novella / reporterNo Comments
A Shady Hollow Holiday Short Story It’s the winter solstice in Shady Hollow, that magical time of year when creatures of all shapes and sizes come together to honor the season and eat as much pie as possible. Reporter Vera Vixen is eager to experience her first holiday in town ... more >
Book Reviews / C+ ReviewsDark Fantasy / discrimination / doctor hero / Fantasy / LGBTQIA+ / m/m / m/m fantasy / m/m romance / PTSD / Soldier / The Saint of Steel series14 Comments
Piper is a lich-doctor, a physician who works among the dead, determining causes of death for the city guard’s investigations. It’s a peaceful, if solitary profession…until the day when he’s called to the river to examine the latest in a series of mysterious bodies, mangled by some unknown force. Galen ... more >
A- Reviews / B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readsboarding school / British Indian main character / class differences / competition / diversity / Fantasy / friendship / high school sweethearts / joint review / magical powers / magical school / Naomi-Novik / POC / prickly heroine / prophecy / Scholomance series / students / survival / YA / YA fantasy34 Comments
Jennie: Janine, Sirius, and I reviewed the first book in the Scholomance series (originally slated as two books; now a trilogy). Sirius gave it a C- and said she wouldn’t be reading this sequel, but Janine and I, though we had some reservations, ended up liking A Deadly Education quite ... more >