Review: A DARK AND DROWNING TIDE by Allison Saft

 

Rating: 2.25/5 stars

Tell me this doesn't sound amazing: academic rivals must team up to solve their mentor's murder + sapphic rivals-to-lovers romance + fantastical expedition to locate the Ursprung, the source of all magic and power. Right? I thought so too! Unfortunately, I didn't love the execution as much as the premise. 

When I read the phrase "academic rivals" I expected more of the academic aspect, but that really isn't present at all here. I love novels about academia, but this novel isn't about that; it's more a facet of the two protagonists' backgrounds. Lorelai is the edgy, sharp-tongued one, and Sylvia is the beautiful, intelligent one. They are rivals in the sense that they are both vying for their mentor Ziegler's attention, but that's really it. Then after Ziegler is murdered aboard their expedition ship, Lorelai and Silva realize that one of the other five individuals aboard the vessel must be responsible for the murder, so they grudgingly team up to solve the mystery, all while still pressing forward toward their goal of finding the Ursprung. 

Each character has an elaborately developed background full of political motivations and cultural distinctions, but I struggled to keep them all straight. I really think this book needs a map, and I hope the final edition has one (I read a review copy that did not have a map). 

I think this book would be good for anyone who really enjoyed Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries as A Dark and Drowning Tide has the same vibes as that book as well as lots of mythical creatures the characters come across; I couldn't help but think of Emily Wilde multiple times while reading this book. The array of mythical creatures was neat, but I think that aspect of the story needed to be further developed as I still don't know what any of them look like or what abilities they have, and they felt to me like they were just thrown into the story at the last minute. 

The ending of the novel felt underwhelming to me, and I found myself rushing to get through the last 15% or so because I just really didn't want to be reading this book anymore, sadly. I don't think this story or these characters are going to stick with me, and there's nothing worse than an unmemorable book. I think certain people will love A Dark and Drowning Tide and I really wish I were one of them because I have been looking forward to this book for months. I own other books by Allison Saft, and I still want to check out those books, so I hope they will be more up my alley than this one.  

Review: DON'T LET THE FOREST IN by C.G. Drews

 

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

I've been following this author's book reviews on Goodreads for years, which is how I found out she wrote a book and why I was interested in reading it. Her writing in her reviews can be gorgeous and lyrical at times, and I was hoping that would translate to her novel. 

At times, it did, and at other times it didn't. There were moments of beautiful descriptions and lush prose, but sometimes it became too much, and the descriptions felt as if they were meaningless. 

My favorite part of the book was the setting: a boarding school with a dark off-limits forest behind it. Unfortunately, most other aspects of the story fell short for me. The main characters seemed almost like caricatures, not fully fleshed out beyond their initial descriptions. The side characters read rather one-dimensional to me and I struggled to connect with any of them. Even now writing this review, about two weeks after I finished the book, I cannot remember any characters' names outside of Andrew and Thomas, the two main boys. 

I liked the idea behind Thomas's monster drawings coming to life, but I also don't feel like it really made sense why that was happening. I don't know why I struggled so hard to connect to this book.

Overall, Don't Let the Forest In was fine but unmemorable for me. I don't think young adult novels hit the same for me as they did when I was younger and more in that age bracket, sadly. But if you don't mind YA books and you enjoy psychological horror novels with botanical elements and two boys who toxically yearn for one another, then you will likely enjoy this novel. 

Review: GODFIRE by Cara Witter

 

Rating: 4/5 stars

Put this book on your radar. Fans of epic fantasy and Brandon Sanderson alike are going to love Godfire. It was an excellent start to an adult epic fantasy series. This book has incredible worldbuilding, ancient magic, political intrigue, relatable and fleshed-out characters, slow-burn romance, multiple POVs, and an engaging and fast-paced plot. 

Side note: The whole series is available for free in the Audible Plus catalog for anyone interested! (Please go listen to it; it's so so good.)  

Kenton is the first character you get to know. He is the last of his people, and he is one of the godbearers. He sets out on a quest across the Five Lands to find the other godbearers in hopes that together they can reunite the gods to restore good to the lands before the evil dictator Diamis destroys everything with the dark magic he possesses. And then on his journey, Kenton finds an unlikely but powerful ally: Diamis's daughter, Daniella. 

I was invested in the story right from the beginning. I enjoyed the author's writing style, and I appreciated that she pulled no punches. There were very emotional scenes and violent scenes that I've seen other authors stay away from, but having them included only enhanced my experience with this series. I loved each of the main characters as well, and I felt like I got to know them personally. My favorite character duo was Daniella and Jaeme, and I loooved the slow-burn pining that occurred between them. There is not very much romance in this series, but what little there is is so well-written and I was very invested in it. 

I highly recommend this book, and now that I've finished the whole series, I can confidently tell you that each book gets better and better. This is a very underrated series. I listened to all the books via audio, but now I want to buy physical copies of each book and reread them with my eyes; it was just that good. 

Review: A SORCERESS COMES TO CALL by T. Kingfisher

 

Rating: 4/5 stars 

A Sorceress Comes to Call is retelling of The Goose Girl with T. Kingfisher’s signature writing style that’s whimsical and fantastical and weird and just a little bit creepy. This book is mostly fantasy, but it does have a few horror elements thrown in there as well, and the setting also has a historical feel to it. 

I haven’t read The Goose Girl, nor do I know what the tale is about, so I don’t know how well this retelling follows the original story, but I did enjoy this book nonetheless. It stands on its own without the reader needing any prior knowledge of the classical tale. 

A Sorceress Comes to Call is a multi-POV tale largely centering Cordelia, whose mother, Evangeline, is an evil sorceress trying to con her way into a better life with a wealthy older man called the Squire. Cordelia reluctantly comes along for the ride and finds companionship and solace in the Squire’s sister, Hester, who is very suspicious of Evangeline. Hester and Cordelia team up with a few others at the estate to try to stop Evangeline from ensnaring the Squire and release Cordelia from her controlling clutches. 

I loved the characters in this novel. Cordelia was really delightful and I enjoyed seeing her grow into her self and become more confident throughout the story. Hester and Lord Evermore were my favorite “not-a-couple” couple and I loved their dynamic. There are even protector geese and a very eerily-aware horse named Falada. All of the characters were so well written and memorable. 

Overall, this was a delightful story. I love T. Kingfisher’s writing style, and if you do too then you will also like this book. I recommend it to anyone looking for a classical standalone fantasy tale that’s a little dark and a little cozy and a little funny all at the same time. 

I received a digital copy of this book for review from the publisher via Edelweiss. 

Review: WHERE THE DARK STANDS STILL by A. B. Poranek

 

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

I picked up Where the Dark Stands Still solely because I had seen multiple people comparing it to Howl’s Moving Castle and saying it was a book for Miyazaki lovers. I love anything Miyazaki-related, so I knew I needed to read this book. It’s a standalone young adult fantasy set in a gothic manor tucked deep inside an enchanted forest. 

I can definitely see the comparisons to Howl’s Moving Castle as Liska and Leszy’s banter rivals that of Howl and Sophie’s. However, I would also point out that there are some similarities to For the Wolf, The Bear and the Nightingale, Uprooted, The Paper Magician, and The Near Witch too. I tend to seek out and enjoy books set in dark forests with mysterious love interests who have to mentor the female protagonist in her magic, and each of these books more or less falls into that category. There’s just something about that setting and style of story that really calls to me, so if you are also like me then you should read Where the Dark Stands Still. It’s one of the better books on that list, in my opinion. 

In this story, Liska makes a deal with the demon Leszy to rid her of her magic if she will serve him for one year. Easy enough, she thinks, but Leszy doubts she will even be able to stay alive that long. So Liska moves into his enchanted crumbling house in the woods, and she faces all kinds of magical encounters. The house is changing, doors appearing and disappearing before Liska’s eyes. Strange creatures are roaming the grounds at night. And Leszy is not what he seems. 

The majority of the book was more or less a story that I’ve read before and it was pretty easy to tell where the plot was going. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this book. The Polish influence was unique, and I really enjoyed the characters and the setting. However, I wasn’t overly fond of the ending. I appreciated that it was nontraditional since I wasn’t able to anticipate where the story was going, but it wasn’t the most satisfying of endings for me. 

Overall, this book is a soft recommendation. Those who enjoy similar stories would likely enjoy Where the Dark Stands Still too, and those who tend to not like these kinds of stories probably won’t find anything life-changing in this one. I did think this was a strong book for a debut though, I am looking forward to reading more books from A. B. Poranek in the future. 

Review: RENTAL PERSON WHO DOES NOTHING by Shoji Morimoto

 

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

I found this book to be fascinating and I’m so happy I spent the time reading it. 

Rental Person Who Does Nothing is a memoir of exactly that: a rental person who does nothing. Do you need a person to accompany you to an event but can’t ask anyone in your personal life? Do you want some company while you quietly work at home? Do you want to try a new restaurant but don’t want to go alone? That’s what Rental Person is for. 

I was unaware of Shoji Morimoto before reading this book, despite his prolific online presence. I was intrigued by the title alone, which is why I decided to pick it up, and I’m so happy I did. This was one of the most unique and thought-provoking books I’ve read in quite some time. 

Morimoto recounts many of his experiences as a rental person, but he also provides commentary on the idea of a society that finds value in a rental person and also the value that someone can provide who simply does nothing. In fact, my favorite part of the book was the commentary he provides about the value a person has regardless of their job and the value they provide just for existing as a person, even if they do nothing. 

He states that his dream was to do nothing, and he hated working for his company simply because he needed money when he didn’t like anything he was doing at work. So he started his rental person business. I say “business” but it’s important to note that Rental Person does not charge for his services, only for transportation and any applicable food. But his time comes free. He discusses in detail why he decided to operate this way, and I found it all to be extremely fascinating. 

I would definitely recommend this book. The concept alone is worth reading about, but hearing specifically about Morimoto’s experiences and thought processes makes for an incredible experience.

Review: THE FAMILIAR by Leigh Bardugo

 

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Familiar was good, but nothing about it really wowed me. I enjoyed my time reading it, but it likely won’t be a standout or memorable book for me this year, sadly. 

I wish the setting was more prominent. If I didn’t know before starting this book that the story takes place in the 1600s during the Spanish Inquisition, I wouldn’t have been able to gather that information from the narrative. Maybe that’s just me being dumb though, because I have heard others mention the setting was a prominent feature. 

The entire book was rather slow-moving to me, and I do wish the pace had been faster. I felt the whole time I was reading that it was moving along very leisurely, and that frustrated me a bit. Especially when the plot picks up, the pace should too, but I personally feel that it did not. 

I felt rather emotionally distant from the entire story, including from the characters. All the characters outside of Luzia and Santángel fell flat for me, unfortunately, and I found myself not really caring what happened to any of them. I was most invested in Luzia of everyone. 

I really enjoyed Luzia as a protagonist though and thought she was deceptively strong-willed, which I love to see. She had a tiny bit of magic, which was cool too. Even though she had the ability to use some magic, this story definitely reads like a historical fiction and not like a fantasy though; the fantastical element is so small, found in just her tiny miracles and in the familiar’s immortality, but that's really it. 

I didn’t feel the chemistry between Luzia and Santángel at all. He seemed pretty creepy to me the whole novel, but love was clearly developing between them. When did he turn from the unsettling emaciated immortal creature to the handsome and loving man? 

I didn’t particularly care for Santángel as a love interest, but I do appreciate that Bardugo included a non-traditional love interest in this novel. I did enjoy learning about his backstory and why he is immortal though. In fact, that was the most captivating chapter of the whole book for me. 

The ending kind of came out of nowhere, and while I’m not sure yet if I liked it or not, I do appreciate it and the message it was communicating. I like that it wasn’t a conventional ending either, something both expected and unexpected at the same time. 

Maybe Leigh Bardugo’s writing style just isn’t for me. I have enjoyed the books I’ve read by her but I haven’t really loved any of them. I felt emotionally detached from The Familiar and from most of the characters, and I’m sad about that. I was prepared to love this book and have a great time reading it, but it was just a book that I read, no emotional strings attached, no significant impact on my life hereafter. I know many people are going to love this book though, and I wish I were one of those people too. It was fine, but that’s about it. 

Review: WHAT FEASTS AT NIGHT by T. Kingfisher

 

Rating: 3.25/5 stars 

I absolutely loved What Moves the Dead, and it was the book that got me hooked on both T. Kingfisher and horror novels last year. I was so excited to see that she was releasing a sequel to that beloved book. 

What Feasts at Night sees the return of our intrepid solider, Alex Easton, on a new adventure with our favorite mycologist, Miss Potter. They both journey this time to a hunting lodge, where they find the caretaker dead and a strange silence permeating the area. As rumors of a breath-stealing monster swirl through the air, Alex must keep their guard up in the lodge—and in their dreams. 

I enjoyed this story, but it was not as good as What Moves the Dead. That book had a sort of magic to it, plus a strong gothic atmosphere and sentient mushrooms, and this book was missing all of that. 

I love T. Kingfisher’s writing and I will continue to read every book she writes. I would definitely recommend reading What Moves the Dead, which can be treated as a standalone, but I’m hesitant to recommend What Feasts at Night since it’s subpar to the first book, unless you’re a huge T. Kingfisher fan like me.