Category: Fantasy

‘The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea’ – Axie Oh

For centuries Mina’s homeland has been ravaged by storms. Every year a young woman is sent down to the bottom of the sea in order to become wife to the Sea God in an attempt to break the cycle. Nothing works. The consequences of the storms become more severe and people are losing hope that anything can help them.

Mina’s brother is in love with Shim Cheong, and when she is due to be sacrificed Mina cannot let her brother suffer so. She throws herself to the bottom of the sea, and though she does not believe herself worthy of the title of bride, she is brave enough to try and find out what needs to be done to save her people.

What follows has a fairytale quality. The prose in this was almost simplistic, but woven together in a way that kept me quite entranced.

Mina finds herself in a new land, taking on tough challenges but trying her best to do what she needs to in order to help those she loves.

Naturally, there’s more to this but it really is a story best discovered.
Stunning.

 

‘These Fleeting Shadows’ – Kate Alice Marshall

Due for release early August 2022, thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication.

Touted as Knives Out meets The Haunting of Hill House, this was always likely to be a book that perplexed and entertained. With clear nods to the Gothic, this was a story that started oddly and just got stranger.

When her grandfather dies, Helen Vaughan goes with her mother to the ancestral home (known as Harrow). She learns that she is due to inherit millions and the property on the condition that she lives in the house for a year and is not rejected.

From start to finish we never know who to trust. Helen grows sick and starts to see things that make little sense. She is determined to get to the bottom of these visions, but we soon see that this could be a more dangerous scenario than envisioned.

I loved the fact this was based on a story that sounds even weirder and creepier than the one Marshall delivers. Deftly blending horror and mystery, this was a story that both puzzled and entertained.

‘The Dragon’s Promise’ – Elizabeth Lim

Princess Shiori is determined to stick to her promise to her stepmother, and to return the pearl to its rightful owner. However, fulfilling this promise is fraught with danger.

She visits the dragon realm, and it is clear that the pearl holds more sway over those who desire it than she realised. The opening of the story took a while to recall exactly who was who, and how they linked to the story. Shiori is tempted to take up the offer to remain in the dragon realm, but her determination to return to Takkan and to fulfil her promise means that her time there is short.

Upon her return we realise very quickly that the people of her homeland fear her magic. Shiori cannot understand why, but she soon sees that the demon has become stronger and that she will have to call on an assortment of people to help her. Assasination attempts, desperate plotting and a perilous journey to return the pearl keep us on our toes.

I liked that Shiori comes to learn more about her stepmother, and exactly who she was. Shiori comes to find acceptance of her skills and talents, and finds the courage to follow her convictions even though they challenge what she has always been taught.

While there was a lot to like here, I felt at times that there were a lot of characters introduced and discarded once they’d served their purpose. The initial focus on the dragon realm suggested an influence that felt lacking by the end, though it does not get wholly ignored. I understand that this ties Shiori and Takkan to the stories of their past, but the ending felt like something of a hedge-better. However, I couldn’t rate it 3 stars as there were many sections – namely those with Kiki, and the story of her stepmother – that were deserving of a higher rating.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this prior to publication.

 

‘The Society for Soulless Girls’ – Laura Steven

Jekyll and Hyde inspired story…school setting…supernatural…I was curious about this the moment I saw it on NetGalley, and I wasn’t disappointed.
The elite Carvell College of Arts has a fantastic academic reputation, but it’s association with student deaths has haunted it. Ever since her family friend Janie died there, having jumped from the infamous North Tower, Lottie is determined to find out what happened. Much against her family’s wishes, Lottie enrols at the college.

From the outset she feels a darkness to the place. Her roommate, Alice, appears unnaturally angry. Lottie finds herself waking in the middle of the night, covered in dirt, with no memory of having left her room. One morning she finds herself with a ruby – which seems to come from the statue of Saint Maria – embedded in her neck. Whenever she talks about leaving the place, the ruby grips her throat and causes intense physical pain. Soon after their arrival at college a student is found dead outside the North Tower. On the night in question Alice (having experimented in a ritual she finds written down in a mysterious book in the library) has several unaccounted hours and wakes drenched in blood.

When I see those events recorded in the way I have just presented them, this book sounds crazy. It requires you to suspend your disbelief and trust that the supernatural elements serve a purpose…and they do.

Once the parallels between Jekyll and Hyde were explicitly made, and we focused on the mystery surrounding the college, the book became more interesting. At its heart it is a story about friendship, love and trusting in others to help – while taking on those who would do their best to crush women simply for daring to have strong emotions!

 

‘This Wicked Fate’ – Kalynn Bayron

While The Poison Heart was a good read I’m more than a little surprised by how this seemed to focus on quite a different story (and was quite a bit slower) to that I was expecting.

Briesis is caught up in a determined effort to do whatever she needs to in order to try and bring her mother back from the dead. It shouldn’t be possible, but with the support of Hecate Briesis is in line to get her wish.

Slow to get going, although it was a great idea. I liked the ongoing attempt to show the danger these people put themselves in to support others, but there was a lot we had to take for granted and I don’t feel all my questions were answered (particularly about the use of plants).

Once the quest got underway I felt a lot was relying on their personalities to carry events. There were some great moments, and yet I wanted to know more about the special talents Brie has.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this in advance of publication.

 

‘Daughter of the Moon Goddess’ – Sue Lynn Tan

From start to finish we are immersed in a world rich with history and tradition. Some of this is explained, some is revealed as we read and yet I still feel there’s a lot to be told. This was a book I was unsure about before I started, but not far in I knew this was a book I’d want to return to so ordered my own copy.

Our tale focuses on Xingyin, the daughter of the moon goddess. Banished from the Celestial Empire for her actions, Xingyin’s mother has lived a half-life as she tries to protect her daughter from the wrath of the Immortal who took everything from her. Unfortunately, as she grows older her magic is harder to hide and Xingyin is forced to leave her home to try and remain safe.

Xingyin finds herself in the Emperor’s palace, companion to the young prince. She has to hide her true motivations, but we watch as Xingyin finds her skills growing.

While the situation felt unlikely, the friendship and respect between Xingyin and the prince was evident from the start. While events overtake them rather, their bond was obvious.

The different battles Xingyin experiences allow us to see her growth as a character, and her relationship with her training partner – who is not what he seems – lent a tension to the book that I hope will be developed in book two.

While the lyrical descriptions will not be to everyone’s taste, they helped me immerse myself in the world and lent a depth to it that I found hugely appealing.

 

‘The Blood Traitor’ – Lynette Noni

After the ending of The Gilded Cage I really was torn over whether or not to start this. I was desperate to find out what happened to Kiva, but I worried whether this could possibly live up to my expectations. I’m pleased to report that this really is a phenomenal end to the series, and – yet again – I shall be urging people to read this.

This time round we focus on Kiva and the part she plays in trying to restore the wrongs that have been taking place. Relationships are key to this novel, and while I hoped throughout that everything would resolve in the way I dreamed, it wasn’t clear cut. Nobody is quite as they seem, and there’s some seriously unexpected revelations that make so much sense once they come but which sneak upon us as we’re focusing on other matters.

Integral to the plot is a quest…and it’s a good one. Tension aplenty, risks and adventure but also the opportunity for key threads from the previous books to be addressed.

Once I’d started and got back into the world Kiva inhabits, it was incredibly difficult to put the book down. From start to finish I was desperate to see how certain elements would unfold, and though I knew the ending would be bittersweet it honestly felt as if no stone was left unturned and Evalon/Winderall would be in safe hands.

Huge thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this prior to publication, and now to wait until it’s launched into the world and I can talk to others about it!

‘Aurora Rising’ – Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Aurora Rising is science-fiction with heart. Set in the future, the students of Aurora Academy are about to graduate and find out their assignments. Star pupil, Tyler Jones, sets out on a solo flight the night before the draft and sets in place a strange turn of events.
He brings back a human, Aurora, and yet his delay in returning means he misses the draft and gets left with a crew made up of those students nobody else wants.
At the outset I wasn’t sure what to make of this scenario. Tyler was a character I found hard to read, but he comes into his own once their first mission is underway.
This rag-tag bunch of misfits are quirky, odd, but hugely loyal. From start to finish they bicker and squabble but they have each other’s back. And boy do they need to!
The first mission is a seemingly straightforward one, but we soon see that things are not at all what we were led to believe. Aurora has something special about her, but between them this group undertake a heist, a daring mission and even end up with one of their number sacrificing themselves for the greater good. Book two bought…and I can’t wait to see what happens.

 

‘Forging Silver into Stars’ – Brigid Kemmerer

I was unsure just how much of the world of Cursebreakers this would inhabit, and though many of the characters are the same there is enough here to offer something fresh.

Our main focus is baker Callyn and her best friend, Jax the blacksmith. They live in a fairly remote town, but have their own reasons to fear the magic that King Grey has at his disposal. Both struggling to survive, they are tempted by an offer to pass notes between people in exchange for silver. Naturally, they become curious as to the content of these notes, and as events proceed they learn all too well how their actions have consequences.

Alongside our pair, much of the action focuses on Tycho and Lord Alek, and their obvious dislike of one another. Both have their own reasons for visiting Briarfeld, and it’s a hard task to work out who to trust. Is their job protection? If so,who exactly are they protecting, and from what?

The pacing of the story means that things take a while to get going, but we learn some interesting details about Tycho and his powers. We get to see a little more of the inner circle and the issues they’re facing. Some familiar faces return…and there are more than enough hints about exciting things to come as the story continues.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this before publication.

 

‘Black Sun’ – Rebecca Roanhorse

The first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.

I feel bad that it took me so long to get going on this, and that I struggled initially to keep track of who was who and the various factions involved. However, once I got underway this was a strong read.

Set mainly in the holy city of Tova, the book focused on the preparations for a very special Solstice…that of the black sun. We follow the current Sun Priest as she deals with the machinations of those who don’t support her. We also know that there is a very special cargo on its way to Tova, a young man who is part of a prophecy that will shake this world. He is being guided by a young woman who has to overcome the superstitions of her crew about who she is and what she can do.

From the start this was a world richly described. I can’t say I fully understood the various groups and what they each represented, but I loved the way they were presented to us. The interactions between the characters made this book, and I’m excited for the upcoming release of part two.