Tag: lgbt+

Review: Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone

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Please note this review contains reference to some of the events in this novel. Read with caution.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

When she left behind her coastal village to attend the illustrious Marchmain Academy, Lacrimosa “Lark” Arriscane never planned to return home. Certainly not before securing the heavily coveted postgraduate curatorship at the city museum. On the cusp of achieving all she’s worked for, Lark is expelled from her boarding school for a violent incident and sent home. In a windswept cottage by the sea, Lark and her family have prayed for generations to Therion, the chthonic god who lords over the tides, the salt, and the woods bordering their lands. Upon her return, Lark learns that the salt mines that have afforded them wealth and security have run dry and her family is on the brink of financial ruin. The only way out is a bargain with Therion, their god, who promises to restore the mines in exchange for Lark’s hand in marriage. Against her family’s wishes, Lark agrees, but when the ritual goes wrong, Lark is left bound to a god and dragged in between the mortal and chthonic realm. Lark can no longer deny she needs help, but her only allies lie in Alastair and Camille Felimath, her former childhood friends and the family to whom the Arriscane’s owe a tremendous debt. Bound to a demon and drawn to her demise, Lark seeks to sever her bindings, but she may not survive the fate she was promised, nor the loves rending her heart in two.

Pulled in and weighted by a heavy tide, Lyndall Clipstone’s Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a reassuring ballad to the broken-hearted and anyone on the cusp of something strange and unknown. Rigged with brambles, salt, and sea foam, this perilous novel embodies a keen and overwhelming longing for that period when everything seems possible and yet somehow still entirely impossible to grasp. Tenderly, I Am Devoured has all the trappings of a story on the edge, what with its main character, Lacrimosa Arriscane, stuck between the mortal and chthonic realms, an old life and a new, and two loves competing for her heart. Ruinous as the very sea that borders the lands of Verse, Tenderly, I Am Devoured is a gothic horror romance that aches to reach a resting place forever out of reach. One I could not help but feel swept up in myself as Clipstone tethers her heroine to demonic gods and the unwise bargains they make with mortals. Tenderly, I Am Devoured is the gothic-horror-academia sibling to Ava Reid’s, A Study in Drowning, but given Clipstone’s unique authorial voice and intent. Transient as the middle place between adolescence and adulthood, the past and present both, Lyndall Clipstone traverses the places between—where myths are made real and where love is our strongest act of defiance.

Lyndall Clipstone’s, Tenderly, I Am Devoured is an evocative work of art. There’s no other way to describe a novel so carefully designed. It’s as if every detail was poured over and sculpted into this sharp gothic and dream fugued lighthouse to those lost and in need of sanctuary. Clipstone plants herself firmly in what she calls “Flower-threaded” horror and I think that is an apt comparison for a novel that so exquisitely bridges the amalgam of beauty and horror. Significant details play the boundary between beauty and grotesque—the chthonic liqueur staining the teeth in some kind of irrevocable marking of the divine, the power of the sea to buoy or to suffocate, and the dark salt mines made for prayer and for dark bargains. Every portion further imparts Clipstone’s unique blend of horror-romance and the contradictions she explores at the center of her work. Tied up in all of this is Lark herself, an Aphrodite-esque figure crafted through the power of the sea, clinging to a life of her own if she can free herself from a chthonic god. Very much here for the soft hearted heroines who don’t have to be perfect to be worthy, the ones who make mistakes and take charge without compromising the core of who they are. There’s power in softness and I know how personal it was for Clipstone to represent this through her main character. Lark wears her heart on her sleeve, and her depth of feeling appears boundless, a trait that echoes in the very fabric of this story and its decisive end.

Bordered by an intriguing mythology, a dash of academia, and disastrous bargains with the divine, Tenderly, I Am Devoured binds together a great deal in just one gothic fantasy novel. Yet, there’s considerable intent behind every single facet of this story and they are as tangible as if one could reach into the page and experience them firsthand. In concluding Tenderly, I am Devoured, bleeding hearts are laid bare as the past is exposed and the future safeguarded for our core trio. Lyndall Clipstone somehow manages to tie everything together in a way that is hopeful without veering too far into the realm of implausibility. There are costs for our characters which is true as life itself where going after anything you value is worth some kind of personal sacrifice. Among the weather-worn cottages and the luring waves, Clipstone reinforces this notion that part of human nature is to be adrift, but certainly we’re not meant to be alone. Chthonic gods, polyamorous romance, cults, and myth make up this gothic romantic fantasy that called to me like some kind of dark offering. From its intense academic setting to the haunting coast of Verse, Clipstone tests what we can weather if only we hold fast to each other against the storms ahead—even if one must at first give in to a god.

Thank you to Book Forward and the author for providing me with a physical advance review copy.

Trigger warnings: death, blood, murder, drowning, physical abuse, child abuse, death of a child, cults

Preorder a Copy – Out 1st July

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Review: As Many Souls as Stars by Natasha Siegel

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Cybil Harding is cursed. The latest in a string of firstborn daughters fated to bring an end to the Harding family line, Cybil was not meant to live beyond infancy. Against all odds, Cybil survived. Raised in the isolated Harding Hall estate, Cybil is all aware of her strangeness, the various deaths in childhood she feels she orchestrated, the flames and shadows leaning towards her as if in prayer, and the whisperings of the servants within its halls. Miriam Richter is a creature of hunger. A mere shadow in human cloaking created long ago for dark purposes, Miriam must subsist off of human souls, and never has she seen a soul as alluring as Cybil’s. Souls have to be freely given however, and Cybil is not inclined to relinquish her soul—not even for the chance at removing her curse. But when an accusation of witchcraft leaves Cybil dead and Harding Hall in flames, all she wants is another chance at the life cruelly stolen from her. Thus the two bargain. Cybil will get as many years back as she lived and in that time must seek a cure for her curse, or her soul now magnified by her reincarnation will be Miriam’s to collect. Across the lifetimes, Miriam hunts Cybil intent on taking what’s hers, but the centuries have only emboldened Cybil to retain her soul, even if it means she must at first offer up her heart and what little remains of her humanity.

Drawing together Faustian bargains, gothic splendor, and reincarnation across three distinct periods of English history, As Many Souls as Stars is a historical novel for the ages and Natasha Siegel’s masterpiece. A witch desperate for survival bargains away her soul, a demon endlessly hungering for souls discovers the brightest, and both will be ruined in their association by journeys end. The Faustian bargain is not a new concept, not in the slightest, so to stake claim on such a tale is to promise something inventive and unique in the telling. In As Many Souls as Stars, Natasha Siegel ingeniously twists the Faustian bargain into a lesbian game of cat and mouse spanning multiple centuries and incarnations as an immortal and a witch engage in a toxic romance tinged with obsession. Cybil Harding and Miriam Richter, witch and demoness, hunger both—for love, for souls, and for the continuance of their survival. Drawn into a demonic bargain to suit their purposes, neither intends to lose the parts of themselves they believed intrinsic, nor ill-fated love taking flight. Questioning fate and personhood, Natasha Siegel’s As Many Souls as Stars is a tangled dance of violence, hunger, and destructive romance, in everlasting opposition as misguided bargains can ever be.

As Many Souls as Stars is a dark, resplendent jewel immersed in the gothic tradition and draped in midnight hungers. Demonic bargains gone awry, witchcraft, and obsession mark the beginnings of this expansive saga in which Natasha Siegel mercilessly binds a demon to a young witch clawing herself back from the dead at the cost of her soul. Where some novels take time to settle with you, As Many Souls as Stars is decidedly not one of them. A prologue illuminating the origins of our demon, and the opening lines “Cybil Harding was born on Christmas Eve, 1576, under inauspicious stars” immediately signaled to me Natasha Siegel’s storytelling caliber and exactly what was in store with this extraordinary tale. Siegel does not hold off a whit in building up her gothic romance that leans heavy on the enemies to lovers side of things. It’s been ages since I read a true enemies to lovers’ romance, something that threads the needle in between love and hate with a capable hand. As Many Souls as Stars takes that challenge and gives a lesbian relationship overflowing with want and drawn towards destruction, where the star-crossed love of a witch and demon comes second to their other desires.

I love a story traversing multiple genres, and As Many Souls as Stars takes up a bold space between historical fiction, fantasy, and gothic romance. Natasha Siegel has a firm hold on her narrative, depicting the three reincarnations of her character Cybil Harding and glimpsing Miriam’s interludes at key moments of history. Traveling the centuries, Siegel orchestrates the dance between these two fickle beings and their decline. So slow it could even be unnoticeable Natasha Siegel begins to track Harding’s descent into the loss of her humanity—in consequence to what was done to her and the bargain she made, and Miriam’s inexorable transformation towards it, drawing to her unmaking. The love brimming with hatred, the devotion that leads to violence, these are all things that appear entirely contrary, but Siegel proves in essence belongs to Cybil and Miriam’s volatile love. Cybil and Miriam clash and retreat across the years, a battle of wills neither will concede and made all the more precarious by their developing romance. I was immediately struck by their conviction, Cybil’s desire to survive and take back her life and Miriam’s commitment to her demonic ways. Misguided perhaps, but essential for their conflict and the incredible transformation brought about by its end.

In all of Cybil’s reincarnations as she is hunted by Miriam, Siegel explores the dichotomy between love and hate and its natural end—with only one of them holding the knife and the other destroyed. There’s always been hatred seething beneath Cybil and Miriam’s interactions but that is essential to the love they find together. Destructive love can be freeing in a way, and for Cybil it tethers her to a life of her own design, one she will fight for at any cost. Covering three lifetimes of Cybil reincarnating, Siegel questions not just if the cycle can be broken but if it can be accomplished without Cybil and Miriam as each other’s undoing. The natural end to any cat and mouse game is when one is caught, and Natasha Siegel gives us that with her fervent final act upon a ship headed towards New York. The setting of a ship with the salt spray and the incessant rocking was fitting, with Miriam and Cybil completely cut off from their resources and nowhere to escape. Miriam and Cybil were always going to destroy each other, we’re told that from the start, yet witnessing that destruction play out firsthand is something else entirely. I found my screams well matched with that penultimate scene on the crows nest, but just as shocking was Siegel’s life-altering final twist that cleverly flipped the script and sent me reeling.

As dangerous as a bargain and as haunting as any loss, As Many Souls as Stars is about hunger in all shapes and forms, and the risk in losing ourselves as we chase it. Sometimes you read a novel that feels torn from the very fabric of your soul, and how could this not be that. We’ve got sentient shadows, a lesbian demon who can turn into a raven (caw caw), gothic locales, and an enemies to lovers tale with a wonderfully unhinged ending. Basically Robin catnip. Natasha Siegel’s gothic historical fantasy echoes with female rage and a wild and unrestrained magic in the hands of an isolated witch and sardonic demon caught up in a battle of wits. Fashioning such a saga is an immense challenge, and it’s felt in every overwhelming detail of this novel. Immortals being humanized! Hungering for the very thing that can destroy you! Things coming full circle! This novel has all that and more. The singular pieces that come together to form this story are striking all on their own but together they have ruined me for all other books. As Many Souls as Stars is so many things, but it’s largely a story about what we’re willing to give up for our autonomy and where we find the power to take it. All other gothic fiction aspires to be like this and I will continue to be haunted in its absence.

Thank you for Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy.

Trigger warnings: blood, death, death of a child, gore, murder, suicidal ideation, misogyny, homophobia,

Preorder a Copy – Out 25th November

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Review: Isn’t It Obvious? by Rachel Runya Katz

Robin3 Comments

Rating: 5 out of 5.

High school librarian and part time podcaster Yael Koenig never expected The Sophomore English Agenda, her podcast exploring the high school reading list, to gain any traction online. But seeing as it’s her side gig and its popularity has skyrocketed, she now needs to hire someone to help in its production. Enter Ravi “Kevin” Kissoon, a freelance editor and producer who recently moved to Portland to help his brother Suresh raise his four year old daughter. Working together on the podcast remotely, Ravi and Yael communicate entirely via email, which soon spirals into non-work related chats as the two strike up a friendship. Unbeknownst to the two of them, Ravi and Yael have met before, when he made a desperate escape out of her second story window after a disastrous one night stand with her roommate, Charlie. When Ravi turns up at her afterschool queer book club as the new library volunteer, Yael is certain nothing could be worse, but her hatred is short-lived as Ravi is surprisingly charming and his presence is good for the students. Just as Yael and Ravi fall hard in person, their online identities are revealed, and reconciling two identities into one may be impossible, even where true love is concerned.

I needed a book that was proudly pro library in these trying times and Isn’t It Obvious answered the call, while asking the question, what if we romanced each other over email while hating each other at queer book club? Yael, a librarian with a secret podcast critiquing the high school reading list, with witty titles such as “A Lack of Reading Comprehension Is a Prerequisite for Serving in Congress,” grates against her new library volunteer. Ravi, a freelance editor precariously balancing a new life, is more than a tad desperate to convince the roommate of his latest hookup that he isn’t an asshole, even continuing to volunteer at her queer book club. With hidden identities and exquisite tension in the library, Isn’t it Obvious puts romance on the books and every single page sings with hate to love goodness. Rachel Runya Katz was a relatively new to me author as of this year, but she has quickly become an unrivaled talent and one of my favorite romance authors in the contemporary romance scene. Isn’t It Obvious, her third novel, is undoubtedly the best romance of this year. Not just the library representation we deserve, but a reminder of the power in these spaces especially for the queer youth of today, and how much we stand to gain from reaching for love in spite of our supposed shortcomings.

Isn’t It Obvious details the love story between a librarian and her new book club volunteer and overall nuisance (who she hates if you didn’t know) while they unexpectedly fall for each other online. Rachel Runya Katz takes the concept of a secret identity and gives it a queer You’ve Got Mail twist, but set primarily within a library that screams out a profound love letter to these spaces. Over the course of just one romance novel, Runya Katz follows two individuals juggling their mental health, familial, and career responsibilities, all while falling hard for the last person they should ever want. Characters Yael and Ravi pretty much immediately charmed me—with their incessant arguing as one of them dangles precariously out of a second floor window while attempting to flee a misguided hookup. Hating each other in person, flirting over email, Yael and Ravi build trust and vulnerability with humor and tremendous feeling. In fact, as we get to know these characters, the correspondence via email gets even funnier. Like Ravi, my sweet summer child, signing off an emotional email with “best wishes,” which is so on point for him I cried laughing. Isn’t It Obvious deftly balances all the best aspects of the romance novel, the humor, the depth, the longing, and it brings new meaning to the word “romance” entirely.

In Isn’t It Obvious even mundane actions somehow manage to be so exquisitely agonizingly hot, and that is for one reason and one reason only, two people that hate each other so very much. Ravi and Yael wanted absolutely nothing to do with each other and god if that wasn’t a palpable feeling from the start. Rachel Runya Katz takes every opportunity to make these two confront each other, with exquisite interactions that straddle the line between love and hate. With a background like theirs it’s no wonder every interaction hinges on something more. Even helping each other shelve library books was terribly sexy and had my jaw on the floor. And wrist touches may be the new hand flex because Ravi made that into a whole art. So much of what I love about the hate to love trope is someone seeing you at your worst and still deciding you are worth the effort and that is the crux of the story Rachel Runya Katz designs. Yael, a young woman living with Bipolar disorder has always been treated as “too much” and newly minted Portlander Ravi is convinced he has taken on too much to ever have a serious relationship. I love the idea that we don’t have to be perfect to reach for the love we deserve at any time, which is essential to Yael and Ravi’s romance arc. These two really bring the chaos together and I’d expect nothing less from two bisexuals who got off to a rough start.

I could easily wax poetic about Isn’t It Obvious until the end of time. It is that good of a romance. It gladdens me to know that these kinds of books exist—unapologetically queer, neurodiverse, BIPOC, and jewish all at once. So many scenes from this novel will stick with me for all time, like the drag performance scene, Ravi and Yael talking in the car after taking Leo home, and Ravi’s love confession. In hand with her romance, Rachel Runya Katz devotes significant attention to the importance of libraries in creating community for queer youth. Ravi and Yael both get to be elders for the next queer generation which honestly made me tear up a little, particularly during the epilogue. The book club scenes in this made me want to pull up a chair and offer my thoughts on the current queer book and argue on the next one (clearly I just need to join a book club). Rachel Runya Katz has written one of my all time favorite romances and books to ever exist. Period. Isn’t It Obvious rightfully romanticizes the wrist touch, the book club rivalry, lit crit podcasts, and of course, libraries and falling for your nemesis. It is a beacon for anyone out there longing for love but determined to be perfect to have it. Know that your time is now. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me the advance review copy.

Trigger warnings: homophobia, parental abandonment, mental health disorder

Preorder a copy – Out 21st October

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Let’s Talk: Fantasy Favorites Old and New

Robin1 Comment

It’s my first fantasy roundup of the new year *gasp* and I am so excited to share all of the speculative fiction I have enjoyed in this first quarter of 2025. Fantasy has come second to romance these past few months but the ones I have read have really stuck with me. I have continued the trend of moving through my backlist of advance copies while interspersing some rereads to keep me out of the dreaded reading slump. On the reread front, I reread Shardless and the Jasad Heir ahead of their sequels publishing this summer. There are so many new books out this year and it’s so hard to keep up with all of them so I am committed to checking in every few months on here just to move through my favorites. So let’s get to it here with a chaotic fantasy debut, THE best friends to lovers fae fantasy of all time (I’m serious), a romantic fantasy novel brimming with unhinged yearning, an epic fantasy debut involving the powers of the ancestors, and a gay murder mystery fantasy mashup.

The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara

If you like your fantasy heavy on the chaos and the vengeance, then Maithree Wijesekara’s, The Prince Without Sorrow is the perfect book. A young prince destined to inherit a legacy of tyranny and violence, and a mayakari witch outcasted for her magic become entangled after a curse gone wrong kills the reigning emperor. Now The Prince Without Sorrow is pure chaos. Love me a book where the characters have no coherent plan and are just rolling with the punches and coming up with ideas on a complete whim and that was the essence of this debut in the best possible way. Wijesekara plays with the paths, chosen and inherited and the notion of legacy across her debut with such skill. I loved seeing these characters grapple with their morality as they endeavour to right the past and be different from their predecessors. Shakti in particular struggles with the pacifism of the Mayakari and the consequences of breaking their rules to curse Emperor Adil and enact her revenge, while Ashoka is determined to honor his commitment to nonviolence. Having a dead emperor offering you his unsolicited advice because you are now bound to his spirit is a specific kind of problem only Shakti could handle. She truly lept into this with flying colors and I was so here for her tendency to act on impulse. The Prince Without Sorrow fascinated me with its intricate politics, queer romance, and characters just trying to do the right thing but ultimately going down a path they always feared. There are so many threads present in this debut and I am hanging on to every single one as I await the next installment.

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The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick

In the city of Nadežra one can be reborn. After fleeing the city and a life in its criminal underbelly with her sister Tess, Ren returns for the con of a lifetime. Masquerading as the lost cousin of House Traementis, Ren hopes to instill herself in the family, securing wealth and prospects. What she doesn’t expect is how deep the con will take her, the bonds she will make with her pseudo-family, and the dark magic transforming the city into a waking nightmare. When I started The Mask of Mirrors I was confronted with a plethora of rich detail that at first is difficult to surmount. The elaborate backdrop of a city split between two banks, upper and lower, and the island in between, plus the ruling families with complex alliances, and the magic system make for a riveting read if you can absorb its wealth of information. Interwound with the house politics, a variety of perspectives, and a vigilante stalking the shadows known as the Rook, The Mask of Mirrors is certainly one of the most intensely layered fantasy trilogies I have ever read. There is a deep heart of mystery M.A. Carrick taps into to construct the beginnings of this trilogy. With so many masks worn not just by our main character, Ren, Carrick questions who one can trust when confronting larger constructs tied up in wealth and power—and the ties we hold to our cultures and families. The emergence of children lost to dreams proves the deception runs deep, and uncovering the mystery will rely on Ren taking on a third and final identity. The Mask of Mirrors is a puzzling dream that one cannot begin to untangle with just one read. This is the kind of book that requires time invested, but earned back through its memorable characters and intricate political landscape.

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The Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli

Rune Winters has been a witch in hiding even before her identity was unveiled by the man she loved and she was delivered to her enemies. Now Cressida Roseblood, a witch long thought dead has returned and she has a plan to restore a world where witches reigned. To aid her Rune will have to excise the part of herself that still cares for Gideon Sharpe, the witch hunter, lest she see the rest of her kind destroyed for good. The Rebel Witch initiates the long awaited conclusion to Kristen Ciccarelli’s Crimson Moth duology. This sequel elevates the tension between our witch and witch hunter through an entertaining game of cat and mouse that sees entirely new stakes emerge now that Rune’s witch identity has been revealed. The chemistry between Rune and Gideon is even more palpable as they reluctantly become allies while retreating back into the roles they used to occupy. Ciccarelli interrogates the crux of enemies to lovers—the conflicting worldviews, how these characters have been socialized to see one another as the enemy, and if love and hate can truly coexist. Gideon is at the forefront of this conflict as he has centered his life around hunting witches outside his experiences at the hands of the series villain, Cressida Roseblood. Gideon’s feelings towards Cressida are deeply personal, but enacting his revenge could destroy his relationship with Rune and his ability to let go of the rhetoric that has fueled so much of his life. The Rebel Witch makes clear the cost of othering one group in defense of another and the difficulties in disentangling oneself from the propaganda and rhetoric fueling such hatred. This conclusion is romantic and action packed, earning its place in one of my favorite duologies of the past few years.

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Shardless by Stephanie Fisher

On the island of Tempris the immortal magic wielding fae hold status above all others. Humans, or shardless, possess no magic and are treated as lesser citizens. When she was discovered in the ashes of her family home as a child, with no memory of her past, Taly Caro was adopted by a fey noble and his family, who became her family themselves. But after experiencing magic—premonitions of the future seconds before they happen, Taly knows she is in danger, for this kind of magic hasn’t been seen in an age, and she will be hunted like those who came before. When I say this book is my favorite romantic fantasy I am deadly serious. I first read Shardless back in 2020 and since then I’ve reread it four other times, each one only serving to deepen my love and appreciation for this brilliant fantasy novel. Every part of this story is well thought out, from the prologue detailing a glimpse at Taly’s beginnings, the epigraphs of letters and portions of Tempris’ history, and the engaging plot at its center involving Taly confronting her magic and the mystery of her past. Fisher deepens this with a stunning friends to lovers arc between Taly and Skylen Emrys, which was serving that delicious delicious angst only intensified by the secrets Taly refuses to give up. Every part of this world is epic in scope, but it is the gateways sundered in the schism that locked away entire worlds and trapped much of Tempris’ population in one place, that renders this novel its post-cataclysm feel. Adding the intersection of fae magic with modern weaponry places Shardless decidedly in the category of steampunk-esque. I could really wax poetic about this incredible book for a life age. But just trust in me for your next obsession because it is this novel.

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Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan

Liyen, heir to Tianxia, ascends to the throne after the passing of her grandfather who risked everything for her survival—securing a magical lotus flower belonging to the immortals that helped her recover from a deadly poison at the cost of his life. The relationship between the kingdom of Tianxia and the immortal realm has long been strained, but the loss of the lotus flower spells even more trouble for their alliance. Liyen travels to the Immortal Realm where she comes face to face with Zhangwei, the legendary God of War. As their respective worlds deem they work together, Zhangwei and Liyen push past their ire, confronting an unexpected connection and worse, an impossible love. Immortal is a novel I consider to be the height of romantic fantasy. Sue Lynn Tan poured her entire heart and soul into this mesmerizing tale of redemption and transcendent love. Ruthless betrayals, immortal bargains, and secrets are just the surface of this epic love story. There’s the tenuous relationship between the immortals and mortal realms, and an evil preying on the mortal lands connected to the Netherworld and our main duo. The breadth of the Celestial Kingdoms from Sue Lynn Tan’s former duology expands, providing a fabled sort of setting around which the entire love story is conducted. I’m afraid I have never seen yearning portrayed in the way the character Zhangwei yearns for Liyen and all of that is due to the layered relationship building Sue Lynn Tan imparts from start to finish. Immortal is surely the romantic fantasy of the year. Prepare to see a God of War down bad for his love interest as he suffers bouts of unshakable yearning and longs for a love he cannot get back.

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The Bitter Twins by Jen Williams

In a moment of desperation, Tormalin the Oathless and Noon, a fell-witch of extraordinary power brought forth the Ninth Rain after many years of silence. Now these war beasts of legend, brought to life through the tree of Ygseril, have no memory of their pasts. Tormalin and Noon must figure out how to mobilize them, or see Sarn fall to the Jure’lia, their enemy of old. The Bitter Twins is the expansive follow up to Jen Williams the Ninth Rain where Williams returns to the Eboran empire after an intense battle with the Jure’lia who are once again intent on conquering all of Sarn. The characters Williams brings together remain the highlight of her Winnowing Flames trilogy. Vincent, a peculiar lesbian explorer obsessed with exploring ancient ruins and the dangerous wild, Tormalin, her hired immortal who thirsts for answers as he clings to the past, and Noon, an imprisoned witch who will do anything to retain her freedom. Brought together by less than typical circumstances, this sequel deepens the relationships inside and outside our trio while introducing the temperamental war beasts now bonded to them. The Bitter Twins envisions a cycle interrupted and what happens when the cycle that has stalled for many years all of a sudden begins anew. At the forefront of this are those who have resigned themselves to a particular fate given the chance to step out from the shadows and fight back. Williams’ layered characterizations, involved histories and peoples, and intriguing legend make for an all-encompassing fantasy world and a wild journey from start to finish.

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A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde

Across the Kingdom of Nine Lands the ability to invoke the spirits of ancestors in battle is a coveted power granted only to those of noble birth. After a strange interaction leaves her bound to a mysterious spirit who grants her impossible power, Temi, a commoner, becomes embroiled in a plot connected to the ancestral realm and the truth to her kingdom’s history. A Song of Legends Lost debuts a gripping tale of ancestral power, histories lost, and revenge interwound with a quintet of characters confronting the legacy of their kingdom and the lies hidden at its heart. M.H. Ayinde constructs a unique fantasy world where advanced technology collides with legend. Both have power over the noble families fighting against the threat of Greybloods—mysterious beings of matter and techwork that are pushing into the lands, and these populations at large. A civilization long ago destroyed is remembered through forbidden techwork technology, a source of class tension that sees information suppressed from the top down. There’s power in storytelling and the histories that are passed down through generations, and Ayinde interrogates this at the center of her debut. Long ago civilizations and wars no one can remember are given context by the kingdom itself, an entity with its own agenda and a violent past. A Song of Legends Lost spans unique cultures, perspectives, and history, all given their time on the page through her organization of perspective. Ayinde skillfully submerges readers in her story and builds to an epic confrontation at its final act. A Song of Legend is the height of epic fantasy, confronting the legacy of colonization and the weaponization of history. I’m calling this as the best fantasy debut of the year and am imploring everyone to experience it for themselves.

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The Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide

Lord Nicholas Monterris has never been free to make his own choices. As the Monterris heir, Nicholas holds his family’s hopes in restoring their fortune through his arranged marriage to the daughter of his fathers greatest rival, Lady Leaf Serral. Combining the magic of two families is a delicate process, requiring a vowsmith to craft the marriage contract while the families are confined to the manor. When someone dies on the first night, Nicholas realizes someone wants to impede this marriage, and they are willing to kill for it. Locked in the manor with a killer, Nicholas relies on his intuition and unlikely companions—his fiance, Leaf, and former love, Dashiell sa Vare, to uncover the truth before the killer strikes again and his family is truly left beyond saving. The Gentleman and His Vowsmith sees historical fantasy meet arcane magic, a locked manor murder mystery, and a second chance romance. In this incomparable historical fantasy novel, two former flames reunite in a decaying manor where murder abounds and an impending marriage constrains any chance of their happily ever after. It should come at no shock to anyone that historical romance is one of my favorite genres. I’m a fan of anything blending genre and subverting conventions and tropes within this space, which this novel does wonderfully. Rebecca Ide delivers a queer romance with such intense longing and characters you can’t help but root for amidst the murder plot. Ide writes for anyone wanting the labyrinthine locked room mystery plot to come with a side of gay yearning and a dash of magic and The Gentleman and His Vowsmith delivers on all three fronts.

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This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara

Four years ago, Sarai was discovered broken and brutalized beneath Sidran tower. Against all odds she was put back together, though the physical and emotional scars have forever lingered. Pursuing the justice she never received, Sarai finds a way back to the capitol as a petitor, a prosecutor with the ability to detect lies. Taking on the mantle of petitor, Sarai is assigned to work alongside Tetrarch Kadra, the only figure she can remember from her fall off the tower, whom she thinks committed the crime. This Monster of Mine initiates an extensive quest for vengeance that questions the ability of achieving justice through a judicial system and the costs of striking out alone. Set in a fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Abeysekara builds out a series of tetrarchs with competing notions and dynamics of power, and a flawed justice system. Sarai, a victim of brutal violence saw no justice from the tetrarchs, necessitating her quest for revenge that reveals an intentional plot within this hierarchy. This Monster of Mine uncovers a larger exploitation at the heart of the city and the individuals more than comfortable upholding these injustices for personal gain. Alongside this, Abeysekara examines a society’s tendency to mythologize a person and their situation rather than fight for truth and justice. Sarai is hiding in plain sight, but her story as the “Sidran Tower Girl” has been local legend as long as she has sought the truth. This Monster of Mine attempts several threads of mystery, romance, and magic, and all of them have a strong connection within this story. I love a good revenge narrative and this one handles the nuances of such an arc with a mix of grace, heartbreak and “good for her.”

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Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill

For hundreds of years Jenny Greenteeth has made her home beneath the lake, where she devours her unwilling prey and witnesses the years pass on. In all her time beneath its waters, Jenny has never met a human, but that is quick to change when a young woman is bound hand and foot and thrown into the lake. Accused of witchcraft in the surrounding village, Temperance would have drowned if not for her rescue at the hands of the resident lake monster. Jenny and Temperance are nothing alike but this newfound fear of magic does not just threaten Temperance’s community, but Jenny’s home as well. Leaving behind the safety of her lake, Jenny and Temperance embark on a dangerous quest for fae magic to unravel the darkness before it consumes their respective homes and all they hold dear. Greenteeth wickedly ensnares folklore, magic, and Arthurian legend together in one adventurous fantasy standalone. Following the Jenny Greenteeth of tale and legend, O’Neill basks in uncovering her peculiar nature, the conflicting states of being between teeth barred and someone seeking connection. Monsters aren’t all as they appear in Greenteeth and O’Neill reveals the depths hidden beneath the murky surface of her charming cast of characters—a witch, a lake monster, and a spirited goblin. Found family never fails to get to me and Greenteeth achieves that along the road to adventure. Despite their oftentimes clashing perspectives, Jenny and Temperance find solid ground. I liked seeing how they connected over roles in motherhood, and their innate desire to protect others (even if you eat things sometimes). Greenteeth brings us to a Britain on the outset of legend, where the greatest power held is in memory and the legends themselves.

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Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods

Lucinde Léon has always felt an affinity to the sea. Raised at the side of her adoptive father, a wealthy French shipowner, Lucinde has been granted every comfort, but the surrounding walls of Saint-Malo only serve to block her from the waves that call to her beyond. In secret, Luce spends her days on the water, learning to sail alongside her friend and closest confidant, Samuel. But in the aftermath of a storm, a shipwreck washes up on shore, and Luce rescues its only survivor—setting off a chain of events that will reveal the truth to her heritage, her father’s legacy, and why she finds power in the treacherous deep. Upon a Starlit Tide strikes a delicate balance between historical fiction and fantasy, and retelling the Cinderella and The Little Mermaid fairy tales, finding a unique footing in the spaces between these genres and the folktales themselves. Subverting various touchstones for these stories and centering eighteenth century Brittany as her backdrop, Woods crafts a glimmering tale of betrayal, tragedy, and forbidden love. This has exactly my kind of romance, connecting to those siren and selkie tales of old, and the longing of awaiting your love to return. Upon a Starlit Tide has a bit more of a slow build, with the political and romance elements percolating to an intense confrontation in the final act. As Luce finds her power, Upon a Starlit Tide uncovers the deliberate violence orchestrated over her lifetime. Woods connecting this back to a certain figure in Luce’s life and their choices is timely, as was Luce coming into her abilities and choosing herself. Upon a Starlit Tide is a heady mix of history and folktales made real and I was mercilessly swept up in its tumultuous undertow like a ship wrecked upon its shore.

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The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

All Sylvia remembers about her past is the fire and destruction that ripped her away from her family and the kingdom she loved. In the aftermath, the kingdom of Jasad was pillaged and its remaining citizens scattered, later rounded up and executed simply for the magic they wield. As the lost Jasad heir, Sylvia has hidden herself away in a small village, suppressing her limited magic so as not to alert anyone to her survival. After a slipup involving an inquisitive guard and her beloved sesame candies Sylvia comes face to face with Arin, the Nizahl heir. Caught between the heir and survival, Sylvia makes a bargain with Arin, she’ll help him track a group of Jasadi rebels in exchange for her walking free. But the closer she gets to Nizahl and its pesky heir, the more Sylvia confronts the legacy of the Jasad crown and if she can truly leave the past behind to be left as nothing more than a legend. Egyptian inspired high fantasy involving ill-placed bargains, trials, and an enemies to lovers arc was enough for me to first pick up The Jasad Heir two years ago and it still holds up today. Sara Hashem’s debut is a piercing blade that expertly dissects the legacy of a kingdom lost to violence and the conflicting path to survival in a world seeking to eradicate all that you are. Sylvia is the beating heart of this story, caught in an impossible situation as she leverages her abilities to survive, but makes a choice that could see more of her kind captured and killed. She’s conflicted, yet uncompromising in protecting those she loves and safeguarding her future. Lost heirs returning is a niche kind of story I just adore and god is this one of the best I’ve read in years. That final chapter is nothing short of masterful, the masks come off in the best way as Sylvia chooses her fate over Jasad and her rightful crown.

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Review: The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten

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Please note this review contains spoilers for the former books in this series, The Foxglove King & The Hemlock Queen, and contains references to some of the events in this sequel. 

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Lore is in exile. After failing to cede her power to Apollius, the living god controlling King Bastian, she has been exiled to the Burnt Isles to atone. It is there that she fends for survival with her fellow prisoners and awaits the day she can take back her power and destroy Apollius for good. Gabe, the Priest Exalted, has fled Dellaire altogether. Alongside Lore’s parents and their fellow godly awakened, Gabe hatches a plan that would see Apollius crushed. When Lore meets an unexpected ally from her past, the two discover a way off the Burnt Isles and begin to track their way to the Golden Mount. There they must reunite all of the broken pieces of the Fount—the well of power which granted Apollius and his godly kin their immortality and godly abilities. These broken pieces are scattered across the continent who knows where, but reuniting them is the only way to destroy the divine powers and wrest control away from the gods. The closer Lore gets to the Golden Mount, the more her powers grow until she is forced to confront the role she was born into—a girl with immeasurable power destined to destroy, or one made only to be a martyr.

The Nightshade God concludes Hannah Whitten’s enthralling gothic dark fantasy trilogy, The Nightshade Crown which found its beginnings back with The Foxglove King. Brimming with death magic, fickle gods, and a chaotic bisexual trio—an arrogant prince, a duty bound priest, and a poison runner, embroiled in a sinister plot within the Sainted Kings court—The Nightshade Crown is a trilogy I’ve long considered as one of my favorites, perfectly poised against my more niche reading tastes. Entwining a deep expose into religion, its tendency to subjugate and the unavoidable allure of power, this conclusion sees our trio confronting the powers that have long sought to control them and their personal limitations. Lore, exiled to the Burnt Isles and cut off from her magic, Gabe lost and on the run in Caldien, and Bastian a mere puppet to a higher godly power. After two books of buildup Hannah Whitten lays bare the flawed roots of godhood, from the complexities of Auverraine’s religion to the godly beings who drank from the Fount centuries ago. This finale doesn’t let up on the relentless tension, and whatever you’re imagining for its end, prepare to be unmade in the transformative waters of the Fount upon the mountain.

Hannah Whitten returns to a world divided, as godly beings descend on Auverraine and Gabe, Lore, and Bastian are torn apart by fate and their respective ties. Returning to our trio in the midst of conflict with a god, The Nightshade God sees all three of these characters struck low. Lore fights for survival on the Burnt Isles, Gabe harnesses a fight back in Caldien, and Bastian battles for autonomy against the god taking over his body and mind. The Nightshade God is wholly different from the former two books in this series. After two books solely in Lore’s perspective, this finale pulls back to focus on other necessary perspectives. Given the nature of our characters separated across this world, Whitten bridges new points of view through Gabe, Alie, and Bastian’s fractured consciousness. The Nightshade God is perfectly designed narratively, with these split perspectives and the individual journeys of our trio making their way to the Golden Mount for the final showdown. Once again, Whitten delivers on the characters and it is this finale that draws out their startling persistence and what they are willing to give up to usher in a world free from divinity.

While I have been awaiting Bastian and Gabe’s points of view since the start of this series, The Nightshade God is the perfect moment to integrate them within the narrative. Yet, knowing where we last left these characters, it is a little heartbreaking to witness their perspectives. Gabe taking up fighting in Caldien as a way to finance his fight against Apollius and the Kirythean Empire, but also as a way to be closer to Bastian should not have hurt as much as it did. His journey out of religious subservience, shame, and fealty to Anton which was weaponized to further Anton’s sinister agenda at last reaches a solid landing place in this third and final book. Gabe really comes into his own in this finale and his devotion to Lore and Bastian was giving the longing I have long suspected was brimming beneath his stoic facade. Lore on the other hand is facing something unheard of in the loss of the power she has carried for most of her life. This third book has Lore confronting the destiny she was born into, as she grapples with her autonomy and the cost of holding fast to her power. Lore spent her life fighting for survival on Dellaire’s streets and is now granted a way to change things—a thread which all her choices hinge upon. The final act is the culmination of so many things, the journeys of our three characters together and apart, and Whitten’s examination into godhood and religion.

Hannah Whitten sharpens her themes in this finale as Lore faces down Apollius at the Golden Mount with the rest of our crew. Here Whitten unveils the depths to Auverraine’s religion, and the god who promised to usher in a new world for the faithful, but instead only wished to further his own ends. Some of my favorite portions of The Hemlock Queen were the flashbacks pre Godsfall to Apollius, Nyxara, and Hestraon’s perspectives. Rich in religious commentary and driving context to the situation that led to these individuals becoming gods, these scenes are paramount as Lore, Gabe, and Bastian return to the Golden Mount to reconstruct the Fount and drive out the gods for good. Even with these godly beings seeming so far above the meager desires of humanity, in actuality Apollius and his fellow kin are being driven by human desires. This was the final piece to the puzzle in understanding that these gods were once humans themselves and thus his promises and blessings all fed back to his selfish beginnings. That Apollius’s fear of death was his core drive was a superb reveal on Whitten’s part, fitting into balance between life and death—Spiritum and Mortem both.

Hannah Whitten’s resplendent fantasy trilogy at last finds a bittersweet end. From the final few chapters to that emotional epilogue spanning several centuries, Hannah Whitten delivers on the angst and an unconventional end to the journey initiated long ago at the Sainted Kings Court. Whitten outweighs these moments of sorrow with Lore’s unfettered determination and the tremendous love she feels for Gabe and Bastian that she refuses to let go. The Fount as its own character was an unexpected part to this final act and witnessing it go toe to toe with Lore was the perfect balance to some of the more painful revelations laid bare. I love the full circle moments we get here, as Lore takes ownership of the story and guards against humanity’s nature to take power—becoming a kind of myth herself. In this finale characters are unmade, reborn, and entire belief systems are shaken. The Nightshade God manages to paint a comprehensive picture of religious ideology, queer love, and the roles we play, be it by choice of circumstance, in a final book that is nothing short of world-altering. The Nightshade God is just perfection in my eyes and Hannah Whitten an author I trust to lead me through any kind of tale, no matter how twisted.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the advance review copy.

Trigger warnings: religious abuse, blood, violence, death

Preorder a Copy – Out 15th July

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Review: Queen Demon by Martha Wells

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Please note this review contains spoilers for the former book in this series, Witch King, and contains references to some of the events in this sequel. 

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Kaiisteron, Demon Prince of the Fourth House and the Witch King, survived a conspiracy that left him close to death and his companions scattered across a continent. If not for Kai’s careful planning many years prior it would have aided in the rise of an empire from within the Rising World Coalition. Now, their companion Dahin believes he has uncovered the precise location of the Hierarchs Well. Kai and his family will do anything to prevent the return of the Hierarchs and the well that grants untold power. Knowing Dahin isn’t telling them everything, but trusting in his judgement, they quickly travel to the University of Ancartre in Belith where a conspiracy is brewing. Meanwhile, in the past, Kai works alongside Bashasa and his allies to continue to wage war against the Hierarchs and wrest control back to the allied territories. The mysterious dustwitches who claim allegiance to no one but their own are causing problems on the road, and it is Kai who is called to fix the problem and bring them into the fold. Past and present contrast and in both timelines Kaiisteron must step into the mantle as leader and Witch King to unite his allies and stop the rise of the hierarchs—before more are corrupted by the allure of their forbidden power.

After the radiant triumph that was Witch King, Martha Wells returns with a sequel decidedly more world spanning that sees Kai and his crew on the road to the Hierarchs’ Well. Kaiisteron, Prince of the Fourth House of the Underearth, the Witch King, initially endeared me with his demonic nature and violent tendencies. From that first chapter of Witch King, as Kai awakes to his murdered body and a mage trying to control his magic to the “I’m the demon” line, I knew he was going to be one of my all time favorite fantasy protagonists. Uncovering a sinister conspiracy and facing a dark power that would see him enslaved, it is Kai’s inner goodness that manages to shine through the various betrayals, deaths, and even the loss of his family. Martha Wells reassembles our unconventional crew and family in the next installment to her Rising World series, this time embarking on a mission of academic research with disastrous consequences. In this sequel, the dynamics shine and the inner workings of the Rising Coalition and Bashasa’s rebellion are finally unveiled. Queen Demon takes a leap back in time and a step forward in the present, confronting the issues of empire and whether or not true power can be willingly destroyed before it is corrupted.

Where Witch King very much throws readers into a bottomless well, Queen Demon steps back to view the creation of long established alliances and relationships we saw present in book one. The mystery of the hierarchs comes to a head as Dahin enlists his family to travel to Sun-Ar where he believes the true fount of the hierarchs’ power to be located. So much of what I love about this sequel is getting to peek behind the curtain—to the hierarchs, the issues present in the Rising World Coalition, and the intricacies to our main character, Kaiisteron himself. An enigmatic figure no matter where we intersect his journey, I eagerly consumed everything Martha Wells elected to reveal about Kai in this sequel. Confounding the expectations of many even as he stays true to his roots, Queen Demon challenges Kai as a leader to his fellow witches and the bonds to his family. As Wells shifts back to the past, detailing the revolution against the hierarchs she furthers Kai’s endless desire to protect, especially in the present where those who once met the call to war have long since passed. 

Stepping back to the conspiracy that involved Bashat, foremost of the Rising World Coalition, kidnapping Kai and his allies so they could not vote in an upcoming council meeting that would have granted him an empire, Kai wishes only to leave the past behind and move forward. Yet, in essence, Queen Demon is about how much he cannot. As long as there exists power to be gained, whether through the Well of the Hierarchs or the creation of an empire, someone will try to take it. Shaped by his experiences of war and genocide, Kai is unwilling to entertain a situation that would usher in an empire—especially after fighting for years to wrest back territories from the hierarchs and establish the coalition. The strength in his character rests entirely in his reservations and his commitment to toil for a better world, of which empire has no part. My favorite moment in this sequel is when Kai comes face to face with Bashat and tells him exactly why he foiled his plans within the coalition. A big part of why I love morally grey characters so much is how throughout their conflicting choices, their desire to protect shines through. Kai has undeniably been shaped by his experiences and his journey hinges entirely around preventing further injustice. If he kills a few people in the middle of that it’s all part of his demonic charm.

Queen Demon continues Martha Wells’ seamless narrative structure of past and present. Witnessing the various successes and pitfalls of the war against the hierarchs alongside Kai and Bashasa is a long time coming after the effort at the Summer Palace in book one. As the center of focus for the past here in its sequel, I loved getting in deep with Bashasa’s plans, especially knowing Kai’s connection to Bashasa whom he mourns in the present. Alongside this, Martha Wells examines the difficulties of mobilizing a fight against an oppressive force, with differing cultures and peoples that have unique costs to fighting back. Kai’s bonds to others are the real star of the show here. His connection to Ziede and Tahren, her brother Dahin, Tenes and the orphan Sanja serve that unconventional found family aspect I crave in fantasy. There is a core of goodness to Kai represented in all of his endeavors, especially in regards to his family. This culminates in an ingenious final act at the Hierarchs Well, where Martha Wells once again demonstrates her proclivity for cliffhangers—and we’ll just have to wait until book three to see how it’s all resolved. 

If you fell in love with Witch King prepare to surrender all the more in this sequel. Queen Demon is everything I wanted after I finished book one, expanding on the world we were initially introduced to, its unique peoples, and struggles. Once a fledgling demon, Kai is now fully instilled in Bashasa’s rebellion against the hierarchs at his right hand and in the present, he faces the dangerous power that fueled their conquest. With all of our characters reunited, Wells is able to further expand upon character dynamics and relationships in an entirely new environment. The found family element is at its height with our characters on the path to destroying the Hierarchs’ Well. Queen Demon is not without its twists, particularly as our crew uncovers a sinister plot amid the hidden well of the Hierarchs. I never put it past Martha Wells to leave you stranded in uncertain territory and Queen Demon frames that in an entirely new light. The Rising World is certainly one of the best new high fantasy series and if nothing else, read it for a demon witch main character on a quest of revenge & academic inquiry with his chaotic found family.

Thank you to Tor Books for providing me with an advance copy to review.

Trigger warnings: death, blood, violence, war, slavery, genocide

Preorder a Copy – Out 7th October

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Review: The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once, the forest was good. Before it became known as Mavetéh, Into Death, the forest bordering Malka’s village of Eskravé was a place of beauty. Now five years soured, the forest devours all women who enter it. In the footsteps of these disappearances is a plague that has struck many of the villagers low. Malka is the daughter of a healer. When her mother is falsely accused of murder by a priest, Malka has the chance to prove their stories of the woods are true and save her mother from execution. All she has to do is enter the forest and bring back the Rayga, the monster itself. But when she enters the woods, Malka discovers Nimrah, a golem exiled for her crimes. Nimrah agrees to take the blame for the killings, in exchange for Malka aiding her in freeing her creator, the Maharal, a rabbi known for his teaching and practicing of Kefesh—a type of Yahadi mysticism. The Maharal is currently imprisoned and awaiting trial in the capital city Valón. To get there, Nimrah and Malka will have to engage in a bargain steeped in Kefesh, but when Nimrah and Malka make it to the capital, they find a devious plot at work within the city. Confronting it will mean facing down a world that sees one of them as a monster, and the feelings that have taken root through their flawed bargain.

In The Maiden and Her Monster, Maddie Martinez reimagines the Jewish myth of The Golem of Prague, connecting the power of folklore, memory, and faith in one transformative fantasy debut. Now I know I am not the only one that has been eagerly awaiting this novel ever since Maddie Martinez first announced it. Sapphic romance intimately connected to folklore, a monstrous forest, and romantic yearning is like Cupid’s arrow aimed directly at my heart. Martinez more than delivers with The Maiden and Her Monster, as a Yahadi healer and a monstrous Golem bargain to save their people and uncover a love they will risk everything for. The Maiden and Her Monster intricately lays bare the conflicting facets of storytelling, from those that connect a larger community and its struggles, to those built, in effect, to justify violence and oppression. Scattered across the narrative, these folktales expand upon Martinez’s inquiry into identity and the long-lasting endurance of a people. Enveloped in history and folklore, The Maiden and Her Monster hides much behind the overgrowth of one twisted forest, if one is courageous enough to venture into its gaping maw.

Encompassed in a verdant snarling prose, The Maiden and Her Monster establishes a fable-like setting through the village Eskravé and its surrounding forest Kratzka Šujana twisted into Mavetéh—a dark wood seeming to swallow women whole. The threat of this twisted forest is second only to a plague spreading throughout the village and the increasingly prevalent tithes levied against the villagers by the Ozmini Church. The presence of the church gnaws on the villagers through direct and indirect acts of violence that press one healer’s daughter to brave the forest to confront the monster within. The imagery rendered within The Maiden and Her Monster is confoundingly ineffable, yet nevertheless it remained impressed upon my mind long after the novel’s conclusion. Through these details, Martinez hinges on her novel’s core themes and the journey Malka embarks upon at its start. One such instance was in Malka’s conversation with the Maharal on the edge of the woods near Valón and the crumbling ruins of a Synagogue. This portion of the novel was particularly memorable, as the memory of the shul Amichati is made present through Kefesh and the resilience of the Yahad made all the more tangible. The language, the imagery, the story retold, all illustrate the perseverance of this community and their call to rebuild again and again.

The characters Martinez molds into being were my favorite part of The Maiden and Her Monster. The juxtaposition of Nimrah, a golem assembled from river stones to protect the Yahad in Valón, and Malka, a devout Yahad and daughter to a healer was the perfect center of conflict for this story. Faith is as easy as breathing for Malka, and her connection to Kefesh as an extent to her faith and relationship to Yohev was incredibly profound. Maddie Martinez ties the mysticism of Kefesh to various folktales created to caution and warn against its practice, and conversely the autonomy gained through such knowledge. Nimrah’s arc on the other hand, is a bit more tricky. Faith to her is an essential part of why she exists—as a protector to the Yahad, but it confines and leaves her little room to forge her own path, to have unique desires, or make connections to belief unconstructed. Nimrah confronting these limitations and her core drive to protect is as liberating as the Yahad standing strong against their oppressors in Valón. Martinez bridges this with an intense query into the monstrous—are individuals only the sum of their parts and monstrous by design, or is it more deliberate—an intentional choice. 

The Maiden and Her Monster is a novel entirely concerned with story, from the tales that further nationalistic agenda and rhetoric, to the ones that confine and free all in a single breath. Maddie Martinez unveils unique interpretations within their telling, which can mean the difference between a cautionary tale, the revising of key histories, or the endurance of a community. I love the story within a story style narratives, and the patchwork narratives that connect folktales against the larger backdrop of a quest journey. The Maiden and Her Monster starts by constructing a typical quest narrative that is irrevocably, and necessarily sundered by Martinez as Malka and Nimrah arrive at a city teetering on the edge of something. The stories themselves hold tremendous weight, to empower, warn, or justify, and at the core of Maiden is an interrogation into all of these facets. Adding in the history of the Yahadi people and the political landscape within Ordobav, everything within The Maiden and Her Monster is thoughtfully placed and works in tandem as a living, breathing thing—much like stories themselves.

Trekking through an evil forest responsible for killing dozens of women while falling in love with the monster within is merely the enticing surface to Maddie Martinez’s debut fantasy novel. But like the dense and twisted forest Mavetéh, Martinez’s debut hides much within the background and the only way to uncover it is to brave the forest, and the monsters, within. Through Malka, a young woman desperate to slay the monster and return to a semblance of normalcy, Martinez illustrates a community’s pain as a representation of more deliberate, systemic injustices, than a singular evil that can be defeated with just one blow. A work long endeavored, but no less important in undertaking as this novel draws to a close. The Maiden and Her Monster sees stories take on a life of their own, becoming the extent of a people and the complex tapestry of history reinterpreted and retold. A Jewish fantasy novel abundant in history, politics, and faith, The Maiden and Her Monster is exactly the kind of story that will endure long after its initial telling. Maddie Martinez is the kind of talent that doesn’t come around often, and I am overwhelmingly feral for anything she writes next.

Thank you to Tor Books for providing me an advance review copy.

Trigger warnings: death, violence, blood, murder, gore, torture, xenophobia, antisemitism, sexism, misogyny

Preorder a Copy – Out 9th September

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Review: The Devil She Knows by Alexandria Bellefleur

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

When her girlfriend rejects her proposal, dumps her, and leaves her a week to move out of their shared New York apartment, Samantha Cooper could not imagine her life getting any worse. Except now she’s stuck in the elevator in her apartment building with a beautiful stranger who somehow knows intimate details from her personal life. Decked out in bubblegum pink, seeming to appear from another era entirely, nobody would expect that this beautiful stranger, Daphne, is in fact a demon and she’s here to grant Samantha a bargain. Daphne claims she can offer Samantha the opportunity to right the failed proposal in exchange for something Samantha will barely miss—her soul. But six wishes means six chances to win back Hannah, and it’s not like Samantha will need to use all of them to accomplish this. What she doesnt know is that Daphne is under contract to collect one thousand souls, only then can she finally be free from her own misplaced bargain. Stuck in an elevator with a demon was never how she imagined her night going, nor experiencing six alternate realities where she made different choices. As Samantha’s wishes dwindle, freedom is in Daphne’s grasp, but the devil is in the details and neither of their bargains ever afforded them a chance at a happy ending.

The Devil She Knows is the latest in a long line of incredible romances from author Alexandria Bellefleur, but her first dabbling in romance of the paranormal variety. A Faustian type bargain between a contracted demon and a down on her luck chef becomes the love story of legend in this devilish contemporary romance that takes place—for the most part—entirely in an elevator. From the moment the premise for The Devil She Knows was first revealed I knew Bellefleur was going to deliver another romance masterpiece. This is truly a story only Alexandria Bellefleur was capable of drumming up. The Devil She Knows is like It’s a Wonderful Life, but instead of an angel saving you from cashing in that life insurance policy it’s a demon showing you six alternate realities and how deeply terrible your ex is. Cloaked in Bellefleurs classic wit, The Devil She Knows details an unlikely love story with a contemplative center. Hot as hell takes on a whole new meaning in this romance where hell is the backdrop affording bargains and stealing souls for dark purposes. Hellish romance is the new standard thanks to Bellefleur and The Devil She Knows has me wanting to bargain for more.

Unlike most of Bellefleur’s previous romances, The Devil She Knows sees the romance taking a bit of a back seat. Instead, Bellefleur explores two women defined by their circumstances finding assurance in their lives and the choices that made them who they are. The six wishes Daphne grants Samantha allow her to glimpse her different selves, albeit with a fantastical twist. Samantha experiences herself as a legendary thief responsible for stealing rare culinary ingredients worth millions, a celebrated chef competing on Daphne’s Inferno, a cooking show in hell, and the combinations just get more and more absurd. These absurd scenarios, while deeply humorous, hinge on the experiences from Samantha’s reality, the personalities that show through regardless of the situation. Bellefleur makes it clear that who we are is a constant, threading through these different realities. It is through this that Samantha learns to see herself as someone worthy of being loved exactly for who she is, not someone that needs to change every aspect of her personality to be chosen.

The Devil She Knows promises a sapphic paranormal romance surrounding a deal with the devil gone astray and it’s safe to say, Alexandria Bellefleur gives that and then some. Like a three-headed dog judging a cooking show in hell, a misguided demoness who was tricked by the devil himself, and the pitfalls of influencer marketing, the details to this one are as bizarre as they are expertly placed in Samantha’s path. A locked room romance was never something I imagined being a thing, but being stuck in an elevator with a demon is quite the enticing synopsis. Unveiling the complexities to her two characters, a demon wrapped in pink and a lovelorn chef, Bellefleur continues to excel at unlikely pairings that are perfectly compatible, and the dynamics that bring on the heat. The Devil She Knows is exactly what I needed going into spring and it is going to be a wonderful read for the upcoming fall season. A call to stay true to our roots and surround ourselves with people who do the same, this novel provides a fresh view on modern romance with just a dash of ill-conceived demonic bargains. I’m all but ready to bargain my own soul for more paranormal romances from Alexandria Bellefleur, but for now, I’ll stay sane with this.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this advance review copy.

Trigger warnings: infidelity, death

Preorder a Copy – Out 21st October

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Let’s Talk: Spring into Romance

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The horrors are relentless and they never cease so yes, I am out here recommending more romance novels in these trying times. A romance peddler if you will. When life gets rough, I like to have several romance novels on deck and if my current stack of romances is any indication it is indeed dire right now. This post name is not only apt because it’s finally spring, but we just gained an hour and I don’t know how to function. But in all seriousness I will continue to support the notion of reading as an act of resistance. Romances are exactly what we need to be reading right now and I’m here with twelve new favorites for ya’ll to read and preorder for the coming months. You know the drill, this is a mix of historicals and contemporary romances depending on your persuasion. Prepare yourself for a French lady obsessed with overly scandalous outfits, a hate to lovers historical romance on a boat, a hockey marriage of convenience, a When Harry Met Sally retelling, and so much more!

The Reluctant Countess by Eloisa James

Lady Yasmin Régnier has long been followed by scandal, ever since she was tricked as a teenager by a man who never intended to marry her, and her mother became infamous as Napoleon’s mistress. Years later in England, Yasmin wears her fashionably low cut dresses, eschews the ton’s rigorous rules, and hides none of her laughter, much to society’s chagrin. Those of you that have followed me on my historical romance journey know that Eloisa James is one of my favorite authors and My Reluctant Countess may just be my favorite from her to date. This novel concerns all things scandal, so called polite society’s impossible standards, and how significant events shape who we are and inform our belief systems. Put it simply, Lady Yasmin was just an icon. She knows the rules of the game and cares not to adhere to them, deciding to instead enjoy her time in England. When she falls for Giles Renwick, an Earl who cares so much for perception and avoiding scandal, she is challenged to either change herself or stand resolute in the face of scandal. Eloisa James creates some incredible tension stemming from this profound disconnect. Giles needed to be bonked over the head several times but Yasmin was perfect, standing strong in her knowledge and refusing to change just because Giles struggled to appreciate her as she is. This one is a winding road through scandal but it’s a wonderfully humorous and heated journey all the same.

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Gloves Off by Stephanie Archer

Can I interest you in a marriage of convenience between a hockey player on the verge of retirement and the team’s physician who have hated one another for years? Ever since they met Alexei and Georgia have hated each other. She thinks he’s arrogant and he thinks she’s vapid, but Georgia needs research funding from her inheritance to continue her program training young women athletes after injury, and Alexei needs a green card to remain in Canada following his imminent retirement. Solution: a year long marriage until they both get what they want. Who cares if she’s actually intelligent and fiercely kind with a not-so-minor Vampire Diaries Addiction and a tendency to sleepwalk into his bed. And who cares if he wears glasses, communicates through the secret language of flowers, and takes care of her two bunny rabbits, Stefan and Damon. Warning, Gloves Off will leave you in the feels as these two so called enemies cohabitate and open up to friendship—and to love. What I liked about this addition to the Vancouver Storm series was how Stephanie Archer built a solid bedrock for the mutual hatred between her two leads. I could really understand why Alexei and Georgia viewed each other the way they did — even as I wanted to shake them so hard and beg them to see things properly. Romance is in the little things in this twist on marriage of convenience and hate to love. The drives to soccer practice and showing up to hockey games are all part of this developing romance. Georgia and Alexei had a slower build up but it is totally worth the wait. I entered this wondering how they would make a marriage work, and left wishing I could romance someone through a marriage of convenience myself. Funny how that works.

Preorder a Copy – Out June 17th

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The Love Lyric by Kristina Forest

Kristina Forest concludes her series of interconnected romances with The Love Lyric, third in the Greene Sisters trilogy and dare I say my favorite?  Headstrong and put together Iris Greene never expected to lose the love of her life at twenty four and be left a single mother. Since then, the door to romance has been firmly shut, but when she meets Angel Harrison, a pop and R&B singer, at a wedding event, sparks fly and she finds that love may not be so firmly in the rearview. The Love Lyric is a wonderful romance all about grief, loneliness, and starting over—featuring a man so down bad for our heroine he writes the song of the summer all about their romantic moments. What I love so much about this series is the heroes, and Angel is definitely a contender for the swoonworthiest hero in the trilogy. He was so patient and gentle with Iris as she worked through her continuing grief and started to come around to romance. But in private he’s yearning to be with her and writing the most intensely romantic songs without her knowing. The tension sparks as these two work together in a brand partnership, fighting feelings and the reality that their romance is not something either of them can pass by. As an aside I highly recommend the audiobook for this novel because the narrators absolutely smashed it. This wonderful series of sisterhood and modern love may be at a close, but Kristina Forest is a romance author you won’t want to pass by.

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Whenever You’re Ready by Rachel Runya Katz

Two estranged friends, Nia and Jade, haven’t spoken since their explosive fight years prior. Before their best friend Michal passed away from cancer, the three planned a road trip that they never ended up taking. To honor her memory and their promise, Nia and Jade reconnect on a trip through southern Jewish history, confronting the love they’ve been denying for years. A sapphic friends to lovers romance traversing through years of grief, Jewish history in the south, and the complexities of a friendship, Rachel Runya Katz’s novel is a multifaceted romance gem. Whenever You’re Ready is an emotional journey unlike anything I’ve ever read. The love between Nia and Jade is wrapped up in so much history, between themselves, their departed friend Michal, and Jade’s twin brother, Jonah. This romance is just as much a journey out of grief, and reconciling the pain that grief dealt three different people—who has the right to grief and why? And how do we hurt others when we feel our grief is a singular experience. Runya Katz delves into the complicated history of Jewish communities in the south alongside this and it struck the perfect note between informative and entirely connected to our characters sense of identity. Whenever You’re Ready is everything I love about romance and what it affords us about human connection. Healing is possible but it is our connection to others that can help us along, reminding us we aren’t alone.

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A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

Just a woman and her live chicken skeleton, her friend cursed into the body of a fox, her resurrected aunt, the dungaree wearing aspiring hobbit in love with said aunt, a 20-something cosplaying as a knight, two small children, and a stoic historian. Now that’s a family. Sangu Mandanna’s long awaited, Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is here, and wow what a triumph of a novel it is. Sena Swan, a young witch, depleted her well of magic performing a forbidden resurrection spell on her aunt fifteen years ago. She was subsequently exiled from the Guild and left with nothing to do other than to help run the magical inn that serves wayfaring travelers in need. But one day, she hears of a spell that could restore her magic and just like that, Sena embarks on a quest to reclaim what she lost. A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is a lovely beacon to the lost, the caregivers who burn themselves out in service to others who deserve to be taken care of and so much more. Mandanna recaptures the magic with her debut. From the eclectic mix of people who make the inn their home, the comforting atmosphere of baked goods and twisted magic—including a guest bedroom that rains apple blossom tea, the ghosts of Sena’s past that wander the house, and the wildflowers blooming in teacups—all of it left me utterly enchanted. A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping contains the kind of magic only Sangu Mandanna is capable of drumming up and I want nothing more than to remain under its spell.

Preorder a Copy – Out July 15th

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When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa

Welcome to Mia Sosa’s twist on When Harry Met Sally, where the road to romance is long and tumultuous but hidden between moments of angst and true friendship. Almost ten years ago and some change, Javi met Mari during a late night protest which involved Mari stealing every copy of the college paper while Javi stared on dumbfounded. After some snippy back and forth they became friends and in their Sophomore year, made a promise to always vet the other person’s dates, until now —when Mari shows up to a friendship lunch engaged to a colleague Javi has never even met. Integrating dual perspectives and timelines, Sosa harkens back to the beginnings of this friendship as it stands on the brink of change in the present, and what went wrong in the years leading up to this moment. With these two the chemistry is intense but no match for the denying-you’re-in-love-with-your-best-friend mentality they both are holding fast to. Sosa really made me feel for Javi and Mari, their differences and their similarities, but also what they can be when they are on the same team. I have always said I love my love stories on the messy side and Mia Sosa understands that deeply. This was messy, sexy, and SO SO funny I think I hurt my chest a few times with all the laughing. Javi was a sweet theatre guy who yearns but feels like he isn’t good enough whereas Mari was ambitious and determined to chase the successful lawyer lifestyle and prove herself to her father and I loved them both dearly. Mia Sosa shows how it’s never too late in this reimagining of a classic, full of heat, misunderstanding, and the wedding mishaps we all adore. 

Preorder a Copy – Out 24th June

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A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell

Who wants to uncover lost treasure with their childhood enemy. Anyone? Elfreda Marsden has long been in her father’s shadow helping him publish his various papers of archaeological research. Elf desires to make her own name as an archaeologist—starting with proving her theory that a Viking army camped on the Marsden estate, but when she uncovers an amulet that proves her theory, she immediately loses it after clumsily colliding with her childhood enemy, Georgiana Redmayne. Georgiana and Elf have never gotten along, due in part to the history of animosity between their two families, but can they bury the hatchet and uncover a hoard of Viking gold instead. Joanna Lowell has been recommended to me by several seasoned readers in the genre and it’s safe to say I have never read a historical romance as charming as A Rare Find. This is Lowell’s first foray into Regency romance and it’s a purely whimsical, absurd, adventure through not just the regency period, but lost moments of history and antiquarian endeavors. Including some fantastic nonbinary representation and queer people discovering their identities, finding happiness and love, this book is a treasure in itself. The author’s note on Lowell’s research was an incredibly fascinating read and I’m reminded just how much historical notes are my love language. If you like your plots meandering with significantly lower stakes, A Rare Find is the perfect historical romance to unwind with.

Preorder a Copy – Out 10th June

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Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De La Rosa

Gabriela Luna Valdés has long felt the odd one out. As her eldest sisters have all married and gone on to contribute politically to Mexico back home and abroad, Gabi cannot help but feel adrift. After many years away from Mexico, Gabriela intends to return after a scandal leaves her with no other choice but to flee London altogether. Who should be called to provide a watchful eye on the ship bearing her home but Sebastian Brooks, the Duke of Whitfield, and Gabriela’s nemesis. But outside of the expectations of London society, Gabriela and Sebastian soon discover how little they actually know each other, and the sizzling chemistry underlying their years of hatred. Put simply, Gabriela and His Grace is historical romance perfection. Liana De la Rosa focuses on the end years of the illegal occupation of Mexico by the French as her heroine travels home to a world transformed, and I loved the windows into a part of history long uncovered within this genre. Liana De la Rosa entwines this tumultuous time in Mexican history with an exploration into home and how we can stand for our communities and ourselves. The hate to lovers arc is built up around this with the slowest of slow burns. I love seeing characters removed from their comforts so much that the facades come down and that is central to this romance. Liana De la Rosa really works to make Sebastian and Gabriela see one another, and that in contrast to their upbringings makes for some truly delicious tension. As an aside I don’t think I will be moving on from the sharing-one-bed-on-a-boat scenes, they were really so so hot (thank you Liana De la Rosa). This was a scrumdiddlyumptious romance and I will be yelling about it more in time.

Preorder a Copy – Out 26th August

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The Best Worst Thing by Lauren Okie

Nicole and her husband Gabe have been trying for a baby for a long time, so long that Nicole launched a semi-successful podcast documenting her experiences with infertility. On the cusp of their final try with a gestational carrier, Nicole discovers her husband’s infidelity. To top it off, the pregnancy she has been wishing for for so long is viable, and their surrogate, Valerie, is now pregnant. Nicole’s entire world has been upended in mere minutes and in a fugue state, Nicole finds herself on the doorstep of a former colleague and friend, Logan Milgram. They haven’t seen each other in years but in seconds their immense history comes roaring back to life. The Best Worst Thing is a timely friends to lovers romance about the merits of Jane Austen’s, Persuasion, reading the books someone recommended as a love language, and all the messy and complicated bits of stirring up the past. Shifting between the past and the present, Okie documents the rise and fall of this relationship and just how much Logan and Nicole stand to gain from loving one another right now. A golden retriever protagonist so sickeningly in love and a messy second chance romance is the essence of Lauren Okie’s, The Best Worst Thing. This story is heartfelt, compelling, and extremely hot—exactly what you’d expect from a slow burn friends to lovers romance, but somehow nothing like anything you’ve ever read before. 

Preorder a Copy – Out 14th October

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Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer

Weeks after her ex, Sam, dumped her, Alison Mullally finds herself at his funeral. Alison soon realizes that no one there knows that they broke up, and she is called to play the part of the grieving partner—which includes boxing up all of Sam’s things in his former apartment alongside Adam Berg, Sam’s best friend. Four Weekends and a Funeral is a uniquely situated romance debut that centers some notably underrepresented topics within the genre. I really appreciated the focus on preventative healthcare and the anxieties that come with recovery and romance. When we are introduced to Alison she is on the heels of a double mastectomy after she found out she was a carrier for BRCA 1 and in all likelihood would develop breast cancer in her lifetime. Alison’s mother is pressuring her to go further with other preventative surgeries, after her own battle with breast cancer, and there is a lot on her shoulders because of this. Meanwhile Adam and Allison are growing closer as the four weekend apartment cleanout becomes significantly more involved, and they realize they have a connection. This romance certainly brings a lot into focus, but every topic is handled with such care. The close proximity between Adam and Alison is the real standout, with their delightful back and forth spurring forth the chemistry and their romance. This really is the perfect contemporary love story full of delightful Twin Cities representation and characters just trying their best.

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How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long

Julie Anne Long’s Pennyroyal Green series has long been lauded as one of the best in the historical romance genre and I’m here to say that the praises are true. How The Marquess Was Won is book six in this eleven book saga (each romance can be read independently), and it is high up on my list of favorites from the series. Julian Spenser, the Marquess Dryden has specific requirements for his life, and that includes his search for a wife. Nowhere does tempting a kiss from his intended fiancee’s paid companion play into this plan. When she overhears a bet regarding Julian Spenser enticing a kiss from her, Phoebe Vale decides to confront him head on. What emerges is a back and forth in the hallways between gatherings, gifted bonnets, romantic kisses in forest glades, and a love neither of them can afford. Opening with Julian Spenser, shot, and calling out to a woman who he says does not love him, Julie Anne Long was not playing around. From there, it’s back to the beginnings of this slow burn and heavy longing between group outings and various social gatherings as we encroach closer upon why Julian was shot. Julie Anne Long knows how to build tension, and class disparity is the primary vehicle driving the tension here. How the Marquess Was Won is a perfectly crafted romance and yet another Julie Anne Long novel to reread over and over again. This romance made me so giddy it’s no wonder I immediately moved to finish the remaining books in this eleven book series.

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Slap Shot by Chelsea Curto

A star hockey player in need of a private chef hires a newly unemployed chef and single mother in Slap Shot, a romance of epic slow burns. This was my first foray into Chelsea Curto romance and wow am I obsessed. I’ve often complained how the landscape of today’s contemporary romances don’t tend to leave space for slow burns or developing a friendship before romance enters the conversation, and that is why I love Slap Shot so much. Curto spends a tremendous amount of time highlighting who our protagonists are individually, as they strike up a professional relationship that transitions into friendship. Hudson and Madeline endear themselves separately without romance immediately being at the center, which only serves to deepen their connection and why their partnership works when they eventually start dating. Hudson is still dealing with the loss of his mother, and Madeline is desperately trying to balance her career with caring for her daughter, Lucy, after her partner walked out on them. These struggles are personal and yet together, Hudson and Madeline begin to build a future unencumbered by grief and strengthened by the sharing of these burdens. If this wasn’t enough, Slap Shot is seriously so hot. Hudson and Madeline’s sexual compatibility was on another level that I posit as due to the immense foundation Curto builds up over five hundred pages. I’m not one to typically recommend romance novels of this length, but every single page of Slap Shot is essential and certainly worth the read.

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Review: The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

When Minerva was young, her Nana Alba would begin all her stories with, “When I was a young woman, there were still witches,” but they were just that —stories, tales to entertain her younger self that did not predicate their existence. Now, Minerva is not so sure. A grad student studying all things horror, Minerva became fascinated by the woman horror writer Beatrice Tremblay, whose novel The Vanishing was inspired by Stoneridge College, the institution Minerva currently attends. Remaining at Stoneridge over the winter break, Minerva plans to pour all of her attention into wrapping up her untouched thesis. As she continues her research, Minerva uncovers the extent to which Beatrice was inspired by her own time at Stoneridge through an unpublished manuscript in which Beatrice detailed the events leading up to the disappearance of her college roommate, Virginia Somerset. Eerily, the signs surrounding the disappearance of half a century ago echo in the present, and Minerva swears she feels an evil force watching her steps. Finishing her thesis will require her to plumb deeper into Beatrice’s life, but uncovering the truth may come at the price of Minerva becoming a cautionary tale.

Writing in the tradition of New England horror, Silvia Moreno-Garcia returns with The Bewitching, a tale of witches tethered across generations and one grad student’s descent into the dark magic at work on her college campus. If Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes it, I’m reading it. That has been the case ever since I first read Mexican Gothic back in the early days of the pandemic and fell in love with her craft, and it is still true today. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a masterful storyteller. Her ability to immerse readers in her richly detailed landscapes and characters, regardless of the time period or the genre has always confounded me, but I am nevertheless grateful for it. The Bewitching is the latest witch struck tale to round out her lengthy backlist. This time, Moreno-Garcia spotlights the eerily quiet winter period on a Massachusetts college campus and an incoming thesis deadline, which is already its own kind of horror. Shifting between multiple timelines and integrating the lost manuscript of Beatrice Tremblay, Silvia Moreno-Garcia presents a different kind of witch, malevolent and intent on destroying others for their own gain. In The Bewitching, the unexpected reigns, and as something stalks the night, the hardest part is not being left forever spellbound.

The Bewitching is everything I have come to expect from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, full of mesmerizing magic, standout characters, and timelines intersecting across the decades. With her latest novel, Moreno-Garcia voices the witch stories of her childhood, where witches were malicious and preyed upon innocent victims. These stories and her own experiences attending college in New England form the bones of this story and the character of Minerva, a resident assistant funding her way through grad school in Massachusetts. This discovery of witches’ and their designs is split between several decades and the experiences of three different women, Beatrice, Minerva, and her grandmother Alba. Though entirely misaligned at its beginning, The Bewitching slowly pulls these individual narratives together into one comprehensive tale of witches and the inherent exploitation of the powerful. I put my fate in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s talented hands, and as always, she managed to exceed my expectations at every point of this imaginative novel.

The setting in The Bewitching is simply to die for. Opening on Massachusetts in the late 1990’s, The Bewitching introduces us to Minerva as she shunts off the last of the on-campus students for winter break and picks up her incomplete thesis on Beatrice Tremblay. From the unruly peacocks prowling Stoneridge campus to the lore of the Witch Thicket, The Bewitching first finds its footing through this campus setting. Stoneridge College is built up by an expert hand, and these quirks and college legends help better frame the narrative. The unsettling mystery of Beatrice Tremblay’s missing roommate reverberates in Minerva’s research and it is through Moreno-Garcia’s strong sense of place that this first creeps up on the reader. Wandering the woods with Minerva as we accompany her on her RA rounds, to the chilling sounds in the night echo in the disappearances of days past. Yet the past cannot be left behind as an unseen force prowls the campus ready to strike again.

The stories of witches feel grounded in place, Stoneridge Campus for Minerva and Beatrice, and Alba’s family farm in Mexico during the early 1900’s. I have always appreciated the historical connections and deep dives Silvia instills into her novels. The Bewitching is no different in that regard. Much of this novel deals with the dichotomy between the practice of magic and nonbelievers, landowners versus city folk, and the upper and lower class. All of these are connected across timelines and Silvia Moreno-Garcia uses them to initiate the journeys of her three characters. Generational knowledge has a real power here and connection through storytelling tethers Alba and her granddaughter Minerva in the present day. The exploration into the exploitation of the lower class to fuel the lives of the wealthy, spiritualism of the 1930’s, and the folklore of witches are heavily scrutinized across this novel. Moreno-Garcia further challenges this notion of what makes a witch through her stories villains—not only flipping the script on witch folklore but who is truly pulling the strings.

The Bewitching is the latest in a long line of incredible novels from Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Part gothic, part horror, and part historical fiction, the true connection to her past works is that this is a standard Moreno-Garcia genre meld. The Bewitching represents all the horror writers writing on New England, and the horror within these spaces themselves. The way setting informs the horror and the cultural wounds intrinsically tied to a place is central to this novel, and New England horror as a whole. If you’re up on the genre you’ll notice some clever nods to the horror writers of today and I loved dissecting those in line with the actual mystery. The Bewitching is an eerie journey through the folklore surrounding witches across three distinct decades and all of it is extraordinary. Unsettling to the extreme, I never could have expected this novel to end where it did, but I’m afraid that’s yet another Silvia Moreno-Garcia standard. Come for the chaotic grad student desperately trying to finish her thesis, and stay for the real horror underlying a New England college and decapitation unknowingly tethering a family together (no further comment).

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc to review.

Trigger warnings: blood, death, gore, murder, animal death, incest, sexual assault

Preorder a Copy – Out 15th July

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