Genre: Fantasy

Ever Alice by H. J. Ramsay

By now, I think you all know that when there’s an Alice in Wonderland retelling, it’s going immediately on my TBR. I don’t discriminate – you say “Alice” and I say “Yes, please!” Ever Alice is another Wonderland retelling, with POVs from both Alice and Rosamund, the Queen of Hearts. It tells the story of Alice as she returns to Wonderland to help depose of the mad queen, but most of the story is from Rosamund’s POV as paranoia completely consumes her. One of the first things mentioned in the summary for this book is that Alice is in an asylum and […]

Posted July 18, 2019 in Reviews // 0 Comments //

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Before I go into details, I do want to say that I think Skulduggery Pleasant is one of those books I’m going to have to re-read in hard copy. While the audiobook narration wasn’t strictly bad on this one, the voices didn’t really fit the characters in my head, and it wasn’t working for me the way I thought it could. I really enjoy this obscure little subgenre of “humorous fantasy books written by western European authors”. Derek Landy’s style falls comfortably in with Jonathan Stroud, Douglas Addams, Eoin Colfer, and Terry Pratchett. Also Christopher Moore (American). Skulduggery Pleasant was a […]

Posted July 3, 2019 in Reviews // 4 Comments //

Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

I’m very apprehensive when it comes to adult fantasy. It’s a genre that takes itself really seriously, and inevitably there are graphic, unnecessary sex scenes. While this is all well and good for people who enjoy that, I personally prefer books that are a little lighter and skip the sex scenes. I mention this, because Ship of Magic is adult fantasy and I was really nervous going in because… you never know. Here’s the thing, though. Ship of Magic also promised me pirates and I have a weakness for pirates. Give me a story with pirates and I am 150% in to […]

Posted June 30, 2019 in Reviews // 4 Comments //

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

I’ve read and listened to The Amulet of Samarkand many times since I was first introduced as a high schooler, and so help me, I still love Bartimaeus. This series has a world-feel all it’s own. It feels like a bit later than Victorian England, but there’s no element of steampunk. There was a similar aesthetic to Ink and Bone but where that version of the world had fallen apart, this one is tightly held together, like a fine tapestry foretelling doom. The stiffness of the humans (magician or not) is the contrast needed to make Bartimaeus himself so funny. Where even young […]

Posted June 29, 2019 in Reviews // 0 Comments //

Season of the Witch by Sarah Rees Brennan

Nope, nope, nope. Let’s be honest here, media tie-ins are always a risk. First of all, most the time they make the assumption that you’re already a big fan and that’s why you’re reading the book. I personally believe they’d be a more effective resource if the two could stand alone, and make you want to seek out the other. Season of the Witch made me want to avoid The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. I think it’s in part because of the complications of this story. Season of the Witch is being marketed as YA because Sabrina is fifteen and the […]

Posted June 27, 2019 in Reviews // 2 Comments //

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

I really, really, really like this book. I was so surprised by it. At the time of writing this review (January 29th! I’m dying, waiting for everyone else to be able to read it!) it’s currently at a well-deserved 4.53 stars on Goodreads. I’m so happy for Elizabeth Lim and I hope the rating stays high. This book is pitched as Mulan meets Project Runway, and that description is doing it a huge disservice. It is Mulan in as far as she’s a girl disguised as a boy, and it’s Project Runway only because she makes dresses. So know that, then […]

Posted June 26, 2019 in Reviews // 7 Comments //