The Swan's Daughter
by Roshani Chokshi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A retelling, ‘anyone but me’ love story (you know the kind where the last people who are supposed to get together do). With an obvious outcome, and a game of challenges to win a Prince’s heart. The Swan’s Daughter is exactly what you would expect from a Romantasy. Its blurb tells you everything you need to know. While there is nothing overly special here; there is also nothing wrong. For me this is a cozy, easy going ‘beach read’. I know (more or less) exactly what is going to happen (and not just because I know the original story outcome) as it is telegraphed from the opening chapters.
I really enjoyed the use of tree imagery, unique ‘life’ of the chosen one, and the overall layout of the curse. A well written, easy to follow story that provides some lovely landscapes to transverse. Roshanki Chokshi is as description and lovely in her prose as ever; whilst making this an easy enough cozy young adult read. There are zero surprises but sometimes that’s okay. A story like this will never be 5 stars for me but I can be content in one when I’m looking for something easy.
A cute, frustrating at times, friends to lovers storyline with a dash of girl power. I am impressed the girls don’t all claw each other’s eyes out during the competition; and it’s nice to see them (mostly) come together as friends supporting one another near the end. Kudos to Chokshi for not making this another woman pitted against woman story that degrades friendship and implies women must always be in competition with one another. This is the perfect type of story to show that there is a place suitable for each and every woman; we need not be all vying for the same life or partner. We aren’t all going to be princesses, and that’s okay. The sooner we accept that each woman’s path is her own and needs to be found for themselves the better off we will all be. I’m happy to say The Swan’s Daughter gives that morale in the end and I felt our ‘chosen one’ girl isn’t the only one to get what she desired. It’s a good message to give teens, and one we could all stand to be reminded of.
Overall, The Swan’s Daughter is a cute narrative, with exactly the right kind of young adult fantasy prose to bring a teen over to fantasy for the first time. A solid choice for any youngster interested in delving into fantasy and romance; or an adult looking for a cliche, predictable break.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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The Wind Weaver by Julie Johnson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 stars if pressed… ironically the fantasy world building is not bad. The romance is a bit cringy and our leading gal somewhat annoying at times. Which confuses me as this is Julie Johnson’s first foray into fantasy (she usually does contemporary romance, a genre I tend to avoid) and I’d have expected the exact opposite. Or maybe it’s that, as a long time fantasy reader, I’m still getting used to this Romantasy ‘thing’ in which decent fantasy books suddenly have heated romances.
The Wind Weaver is a tad long, has sometimes uneven pacing (but fantasy often does so I wasn’t bothered), and the most annoying spelling of magic (maegic). For me, I can’t figure out why you’d spell a couple words different (including fire as fyre) but not develop more lore and change up more items? Instead the choices of ‘made-up’ words or spelling feels awkward and unnecessary. Either embrace it and go all in; or avoid it entirely.
And yet I was flipping pages like mad! I was invested, curious, engaged, and all around on edge for most of the book. Now, that doesn’t make a book ‘good’ necessarily. It makes a book ‘readable’ (my choice of made up words). Or better yet accessible. Like Fourth Wing this is a very accessible fantasy debut. It has enough character interaction, mild spicy moments (not very many), and a lot of yearning and longing to bring you through the journey across the continent and into the lands where our leading man originates. I felt the romance was a bit abrupt (once kissing actually happened)… but it wasn’t awful. Interestingly the most intriguing character, Soren, is the one we see very little of; but appears to be a major player in book two.
However, Soren appears to get a bigger chunk of the pages in book two. Thus, I will continue on. I’m not enamoured but I do like both our leading men enough to balance out the annoyances of our main girl (she’s naive in dumb ways… I dunno she bugs me a bit). And I will get over the use of magic spelled stupid for the sake of wanting to find our other (possible?) elemental and see what twists the prophecy may give. I’m wary… as complex fantasy takes planning and thought. But I didn’t think Rebecca Yarros could pull it off after her Fourth Wing set-up, and I was wrong. So I’m willing to gamble here too; if only because I love a fast paced fantasy novel with powerful men!
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
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The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fourth Princess is a lovely combination of historical fiction, what Janie Chang is know for, and gothic mystery. The reveals caught me by surprise in two instances (while three others were what I expected). This is, however, a good enough ratio (without having anything too convenient happen) that I can say it was an enjoyable story overall. My favourite points are, of course, the most gothic ones. I loved the mansion and its atmosphere, our ghost, and learning more about Chinese superstition. I know the Chinese tend to be very superstitious and Chang certainly portrays that here; as well as shares tidbits of culture including wards to deter the bad and how much ‘evil’ a Chinese household staff can endure before heading for the hills.
A stand out moment for me is the diary entries of our absent, but still close to the narrative, Rosaline. It’s impressive that the diary entries give enough sense of our missing woman that I felt she was a character all on her own; even though we never actually interact with her. I also adored the many languages, and mixture of Western influence on China during this time period which Rosaline seems to embody (as does the crazy Princess). Although, it reminded me how much I hate that Western culture is always so pushy about its ‘ways’ and so disrespectful of others. I try to take solace as a Canadian (Chang is also Canadian) that we embrace many cultures here; but I know we are also suppressing so much more than we should.
I was glad to get a brief overview of the politics of the day. While on one hand it might have been nice to gain a better understand of the political chaos; I’m also glad not to as it was complex and I felt I got just enough to feel the anxiety of our characters living on the cusp of a great change. If you are interested in the intricacy of the politics as the last Emperor falls you may be disappointed as this story mostly revolves around the mansion mystery and our characters personal experiences.
Overall I feel this is a solid mixture of historical fiction (with many facts throughout as Chang always has) and a flavour for the gothic. It’s not quite at the same gothic level as Silvia Moreno-Garcia but it was just enough gothic atmosphere to keep me going. It helps I was pleasantly surprised at the complexity of the ending reveals. I will confess, I might give this only four stars if not for adoring Chang and having met her whilst in the midst of reading this book. There is always something a bit special about hearing the author talk, in person, about what inspired their book and why they chose the people and topic they did.
All caveats aside, you won’t go wrong with this read if you want some gothic mystery threaded with the clash of Chinese and Western culture of the day. And be sure to savour the diary entries as they truly speak out from the page in a captivating way.
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The Astral Library by Kate Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
**** Post review note: I got to meet Kate Quinn and she’s just lovely! This heroine sounds sooo much like her! ****
I’ll confess I wasn’t sold at first, and I was getting very nervous as in 2 days I get to meet Kate Quinn at a talk and signing (thank you Kate Quinn for coming to a lowly Canadian city like Calgary!!). The last thing I wanted was to tell her I didn’t love her first foray into fantasy (magical realism) and so while it was fun at first and a bit nostalgic at times it did take me a bit to really get into it. Our leading lady and I were not quite clicking… but then along came a stunning man, whom I can’t thank Quinn enough for making bisexual(!). And while he’s a relatively minor factor; Beau just made it all work that better for me. The turning point is (naturally) when a dragon shows up; and then all bets are off. Which makes perfect sense for a reader like myself whose number one genre is Fantasy, followed very closely by Science Fiction.
Before I spoil (promise that’s all the juicy tidbits you get) any further plot points I want to tell you this is a cozy story. It has a happy ending, it’s unrealistic to the ultimate, and completely unlike the way stories tend to end in our own world. It’s hope, wrapped in a lot of book references, and many pages talking about library smells, decor, and the rustling of pages. Which is okay. It’s the kind of book I might read again just to feel content when I close the back cover. I do have the limited edition to get signed (2 days!) so I’ll at least be looking at it on a special shelf in my home, and as a part of my own personal library. Yes I confess I meet the ‘criteria’ of owning 1000+ print books!
My least favourite part is that George R. R. Martin is mentioned so many times. Yes his books are incredible (or at least the first 3) but my feud with him will never end and (having met him personally long before HBO snared him) he’s more than a bit of a jerk so I struggle when he’s mentioned with any kind of adoration these days. I could go on and on about all this but I won’t because this is about Kate Quinn’s book!
So yes, I recommend picking this one up. A cozy little read that most will devour quickly. It’s not a ‘best ever’ read, but still worth five stars. I love how much Quinn puts of herself, her parents, and her love of books and reading into The Astral Library. It’s worth a quick read for any ‘book dragon’ or anyone who’s ever lost themselves inside a book and wished they could stay there forever.
The line used time and time again that stands out above all else:
”Have you ever wished you could live inside a book?”
Alternatively have you ever wished you could be Belle? Not just for the love and romance of the Beast story; but even so you could hang out in that amazing library with its glorious ladders? If yes, I bet this one will tickle a bit of your fantasy and even might bring you to get teary eyed or misty as you realize the distinct parallel between The Astral Library’s fight for survival and that of our own worlds literary access.
May we all fight to keep books on shelves and become book dragons ourselves.
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The War
by Garth Ennis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Originally published in Hello Darkness comics (and in Vol 1 & 2 collected trade paperbacks), I’ll admit I read War awhile back in parts; it gutted me then and today, re-reading it in its entirety cover to cover in this fully collected edition, I found it just as heart wrenching as the first time. Even knowing what happens, why Ennis is telling the story (to deter nuclear war!), and being wholly prepared for the horror I still put this down and went ‘damn’. The War is a bleak, honest look at scenarios experience by a group of friends (who all go different ways) knowing their city is about to be hit with the bomb.
The War is terrifying in its realism, lovingly tearful with genuine love, and all around horrific in how the world ends. If you are looking for happy endings you will find none here. And yet I love it. It’s sooo well done, and hits me (twice now) so hard that I can’t help but want to experience the genuine emotion on the page again and again. I believe, only the unique medium of a comic, with both words and art, could really bring this kind of a story to a place where you can’t help but flip the pages as you gasp, cry, and whimper at everything seen and heard.
Truly a masterpiece of storytelling and one I hope to only ever experience via printed media. At the end of it all this is a warning, a reminder of what fallout and an apocalypse really looks like. There’s no heroes to save you here, no obvious villains to blame; just the sheer stupidity of the human race and our (seemingly) rush to destroy ourselves and our planet. I want to both recommend AND warn everyone away from this shocking masterpiece. May we all, no matter our power, class, race, sexuality, or politics hope (pray?) we (and everyone who comes next) never EVER see a future of this kind.
While NetGalley and BOOM! Studios provided me an eARC (and this is an unbiased and honest review); I’ll confess that I already owned the single edition comics and trade paperbacks this was first published in.
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Outlaw Planet by M.R. Carey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow!! I knew 35% of the way in this was shaping up to be an epic science fiction tome. What I didn’t know then was how beautifully Carey would bring everything together.
I’m told this is set in the same world as Carey’s duology (which I haven’t read but I’ve bumped up my list!!). Currently, I don’t feel like I missed anything by reading it as a stand-alone (which is how it’s being marketed). Be prepared for a very dense, high stakes, elaborate science fiction epic. While we don’t leave the planet, this world is both alien, yet familiar all at once. Carey did a brilliant job of making this feel like a place we know; yet one we are baffled by all the same.
The characters are what really makes this a glorious read. The plot is there, the action of a western, a touch of romance and lots of camaraderie; but at its core Outlaw Planet is about two people, our leading lady, Dog Bitch Bess, a scorned, angry, heart broken woman (for most of the book) who just wants the world to know it sucks. Our unknown stranger that shows up in logs at the end of each ‘part’ of the story is a mystery until very close to the end. And trust me you will not see this ending coming. It fits perfect; and yet predicting it is nigh on impossible as Carey has woven things together so well.
If I’ve ever thought a book was written backwards (author starting at the end and writing forward) it was this one. Every piece of the puzzle fits so perfect as you move forwards. Click the ‘click’ is happening only because the future knows what it is. I loved the journey of this epic and (intentionally) read it slowly so as to savour it. In fact I read it so slow I had to return my library copy and bought my own print one so I didn’t have to rush through! And rightfully so, this novel deserves a coveted place in my print library. I’ve even added it to my favourites just now (an elite list) as I’m confident it won’t be leaving me anytime soon (if ever!).
Carey and I have had some good reading times in short stories and Gifts was good. But Outlaw Planet has vaulted him to my ‘must read’ list. And now I need to catch up on the Koli trilogy and the duology attached to this book because I can’t not devour every word he has ever written!
All that praise aside please be cautioned. This is fairly hard science fiction with no chapters, instead 8 dense parts with few breaks. The technology is elaborate, the pieces you are given to start are confusing and meant to leave you unsure of what is going on. Trust the journey. But know it’s a slow, lengthy journey. If that’s not your kind of book that’s okay you can find another. But if you love an epic saga that knows what it is and wants to be so well you feel like it’s already a classic, then pick this beauty up and enjoy the time you spend with Dog Bitch Bess and her sentient gun Slim. Time is unforgiving; and you’ll want to spend some of yours in this world.
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