Review: Nettle & Bone

3 stars. I was not prepared for this! I have no idea why, but I was expecting something entirely different. I was expecting dark horror fantasy, not Diana Wynne Jones! I was so caught off guard I had no idea what to make of this for the first 25%. It's my first T. Kingfisher, surprisingly, and it definitely won't be my last. But yeah, sometimes going in blind is the move, and sometimes it actually isn't.

Nettle & Bone is about a princess, Marra, whose older sisters are married off by their mother the queen to the prince of a neighboring country as part of a political strategy to prevent war. The prince, shockingly, turns out to be abusive and cruel, and Marra, who has been sent to live with nuns at a convent, becomes determined to kill him, save her remaining sister, and save her own future in the process. To do this she must perform several impossible tasks, recruit a dust-wife, an ex-knight/prisoner and a fairy godmother. The odd crew then marches toward the city and an almost-certain death.

Couple of things I loved: the setting. The magic system. The sheer creativity and unexpectedness of each episodic obstacle - the tooth-merchant, the thief wheel, the innkeeper's cursed puppet - that made the story feel like a fairy tale. The hen with the demon in her. The sense of old wisdom baked into the narrative.

Couple of things I didn't love: the beginning which then rewound to the actual beginning. The prince - he made a very... boring antagonist, didn't he? Mostly off-page, and very basic? The bone dog's journey (I know what happens eventually but was it worth the pain?). The romance. And Marra herself. Her naivete was just way too damn much for me. 

So that lands us at a solid 3 stars. It is without a doubt a quick, fun read. I recommend it. I just wasn’t prepared or sitting right or in the mood or something. It is what it is!

Nettle & Bone on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Winterset Hollow

4 stars. To quote myself in the theater immediately after seeing Mother!: I think that was a metaphor for something. 

It was great - unusual, entertaining, funny and dark - but we have a lot to unpack.

Eamon and his two best friends, Mark and Caroline, decide to go on a day trip to visit their favorite author's old home: Addington Island. Its one-time inhabitant was inspired to write a popular book about animals having a feast on the island, and the story spoke to each of them in different, special ways. But after an apparently harmless afternoon of exploring, they realize that there's more to the island - and the story - than it seems.

Let's talk about the very, very good: the premise, and the depiction of the animals. They were perfectly characterized and I could feel them jump out from the pages of my beloved classics. I loved the twist and the intense chase/fight scenes. I truly was unsure how it would all end, and the bones of it were plotted nicely.

Let's talk about the maybe not as good: the author's writing style. It's pretty purple, pretty flowery, and while that results in some truly beautiful passages, it also results in what feels like... overwriting, or a distraction from the tension. There is also, as others have mentioned, a lot of head-hopping, which definitely tripped me up.

But back to the metaphor: I've seen conflicting reports on how successful or sensitive this author has been in representing the tragedy of colonization. I'm in no position to praise or complain. I would simply contribute that I thought this book asked really important questions, and threw out some fascinating answers.

Okay. We all know that I am pretty triggered by animal deaths and I will dock a star for a UDD. In this case I kind of sort of knew what I was getting into, and I'm not going to dock a star because every death in this story I would categorize as necessary. I absolutely, 100% got emotional - but in a good way, if that makes sense? These deaths were beautifully gorgeous and heartbreaking.

Would I have loved a happy ending for everyone? A return to the Hollow? Eamon as the island's caretaker? A celebratory, peaceful feast? Of course. I hoped. But this is basically a slasher horror/dark fantasy. This story gathered familiar aspects of our reading pasts and proceeded to chop them into little pieces. The animals grew up, suffered darkness, and learned to wield it themselves.

An amazing, incredible, savage debut.

Winterset Hollow on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Krampus

5 stars. This was really, really fun. I'm so lucky to have found Brom, because his books tick all my boxes as they say on Love Island. Other reviewers noted that this is more dark fantasy than horror, but it's not disappointing - in fact, it's breathtaking. I couldn't put it down. It's also peppered with plenty of truly funny moments... part of its charm. 

500 years ago, the ancient god Baldr trapped the Yule Lord Krampus deep underneath Boone County, West Virginia. During his captivity, Krampus manages to gain several followers and Baldr evolves into what we know as Santa Claus. When Krampus escapes, he is intent on getting his revenge and gaining back the believers he lost. Caught in the middle of this is Jesse, a young, struggling musician trying to get his wife and daughter back. 

Brom himself in the afterword mentions that part of his inspiration came from wondering what would happen if Krampus fought Santa. His explorative answer is a fantastic mish-mash of Nordic folklore, ancient myth and religious imagery. I love two-in-one stories: stories that weave a fairy tale with some sort of social, political or human challenge (think Pan's Labyrinth) and this one does it beautifully.

Here's what I loved: the twist on good vs evil. Santa and Krampus are decidedly capable of both. Both have committed atrocities for personal gain. Both have brought hope and strength to their believers. I also loved what Krampus, especially, stood for. I don't believe in much, but I respect ancient beliefs. I loved the chapter at Horton's deeply, all the way down to my toes. I loved the ending, Vernon's most of all. 

And I loved the depiction of West Virginia, a land of small, struggling communities largely failed by their leaders. Krampus' discoveries about the way humans treat ourselves and the land were heartbreakingly true. It was a proper choice of setting and I'm glad we didn't widen the window really, except to go to Spain lol.

I do also have to say that from a technical standpoint, Brom is really perfect at plotting, pacing, character and structure. He incorporates elements and returns to them at clever times, leaving the reader with a feeling of intense satisfaction. His characters have depth and complexity, and nothing feels half-assed or poorly written. I really am a huge fan, and I highly recommend it.

Krampus on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Girl in the Tower (Winternight Trilogy #2)

4 stars. Love this whole vibe. Katherine Arden manages to pair cozy fairy tale flavors with intense action and chaos for the characters we know and love at this point. It definitely suffers a bit from second book syndrome, and it took me a longggg time to get through, but The Girl in the Tower really just works. Jumping in immediately after the end of the first book, it follows Vasya as she travels, reunites with her siblings, and finds a lot of trouble along the way. 

I would've wished for a bit more of the creepy spooky bits I loved in The Bear and the Nightingale, and a bit less of the politics, but I get what's going on here. I don't mind a reasonable, deliberate expansion to further along her arc. The way Arden incorporates folklore and legends is really beautiful and interesting. She excels especially at villains - almost more so than heroes. The bad characters in these books are really nasty.

Vasya is a wonderful and flawed heroine. She's brave, smart, determined, stubborn and incredibly selfish. She also demonstrates growth and wisdom and a fierce protection of self despite the constraints of the time. There are hints of what's to come in the finale, and I have a feeling that Arden is going to collectively drag us all across the coals in a very well-written way... can't wait.

The Girl in the Tower on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight Trilogy #1)

5 stars. Everything I was promised and more. I am so buzzed off this story, despite the fact that it took me fucking ages to read. I blame that on a very intense job transition... the last month or so has left me barely alive, let alone functioning normally. I will absolutely not be meeting my reading goal for this year, nor will I be even up to what I usually read, numbers-wise. That's life. But I'm so glad to have read this incredible book that is warm and cold at the same time, in all the best ways.

There's enough hype out there so I'll forego a summary, but if you've been living under a rock (in which case, I'm sorry you emerged into the world when you did - read this book, it'll help), The Bear and the Nightingale is an atmospheric fairy tale that braids together threads of Russian folklore, magic, a little history, a fiery, feisty heroine and an ice cold frost demon. It's classic good versus evil set against a fascinating backdrop of religious transition.

There are some elements to this narrative that are unusual or could seem a little confusing. The pacing is very atypical and the character arcs are also unpredictable. In that sense it tastes a little less like a traditional fairy tale even though it smells like one. But I'm a huge sucker for religious transition, as I said ... give me alllll the clashing of beliefs resulting in allllll the social, economic and personal consequences! Bring me the tension between the old and the new! Bring me a protagonist who rejects them both!

I've been really into Katherine Arden's story for a while - not to be creepy - and I'm so happy that her writing matches my impression of her as interesting, capable and talented. Everything about this: the word choice, the flow, the imagery, the premise, the descriptions of winter... all of it has strong appeal. I cannot emphasize enough how unnecessary my stamp of approval is at this point (at any point really), but here it is. Approved. More, more, more, more, please.

The Bear and the Nightingale on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Ariadne

3 stars. I'm all over the place - I'm sure I enjoyed this book, and I big time appreciate the effort and the importance of twisting and retelling myths to reflect more inclusive perspectives. But I couldn't help but think almost immediately after starting Ariadne that this is a Madeline Miller wannabe, or a publisher's bid to capitalize on the success of her books.

Don't mistake me: this story is successful in its own right. The author is a tremendous writer, and I would compare her rich, flowery language to Miller's as a complete compliment. But Miller's stories have a point to them (beyond retelling with a twist) that felt missing here. While a story like this could only be inevitably bleak, any takeaways weren't crunchy or interesting enough for me. Women suffer at the hands of men. We know this and experience this and feel this in our souls every day. So I wouldn't agree with marketing this is a "feminist retelling." Her voice, as it is presented, isn't enough.

All that being said, this is a lush, captivating read. Great for fans of the myths or those who aren't as familiar. The descriptions of Crete, Athens, the Underworld, Naxos... the gods and goddesses are brought to life in really fun ways. I loved the focus on sisterhood - in all its beautiful, complicated, chaotic, painful glory. I loved that both Ariadne and Phaedra were intelligent and made independent choices despite truly having almost none, back then. The depiction of each of them as capable of both good and messy gave everything a refreshing flavor as it was meant to and may have been the point. Each of them had very different experiences and relationships with motherhood, another element reminiscent of Miller.

I liked it enough to try again with this author. There's nothing bad about it, it just didn't quite get there, for me. TWs for animal death, btw... not something I'd normally include but it's vivid enough here that I sort of have to. Also, I didn't realize how much season 2 of True Blood pulls from the lore, lol. Marianne was totally on that island at some point.

Ariadne on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Empire of the Vampire

3 stars. Hmmmmmmm.

First of all - wow, I'm surprised this book hasn't gone totally viral on TikTok, because it is a MOOD, a VIBE, and an AESTHETIC all rolled into one. This is going to sound like a very weird observation, but I think this story would've been better as ....... a video game. The quest/D&D vibes, the visuals, the delightful side characters all sort of give off a game flavor, or something. It's also incredibly long, and it requires an active eye and an active brain because there are many details in this world that for whatever reason would not stick for me. Certain names, for example, and aspects of the conflict (the bloodlines, the various rulers, etc.). The sheer amount of scrolling back I did was unprecedented. But I stuck with it. I couldn't resist.

And yet... sigh. It was okay. A couple of things just weren't to my preference, like the non-chronological narrative. I prefer, like the protagonist's captor, for stories to be told in order. And a lot of the exposition was only thinly veiled by the aforementioned captor's requests that our narrator "explain things to him as though talking to a child." AKA, for the reader. Real subtle, there. I also tend to be a bit quick to reject stories that involve, like, the one true epic love (unless I'm reading romance, of course). This bothered me in The Name of the Wind, which is a clear and blatant influence on Empire of the Vampire.

Speaking of influences: there's so much. From Stephen King (if a character hovers at a window and says "let me in," my brain is going straight to 'Salem's Lot) to LOTR (SO MUCH LOTR... the ringbearer-I-mean-Dior should decide, the "no man can kill me" thing, references to riddle games, so much more) to HP (nice to visit the forbidden section of a library again) to the Witcher books to ASOIAF to True Blood to The Da Vinci Code to even like...the Southern Reach Trilogy and The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (plus the more overt ones like Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles), I could detect references and borrowed elements around every corner. It's kind of fun, actually. This book knows its ancestors and pays tribute accordingly, if not a little obviously.

I will say: it took an incredibly talented, smart, dedicated, rock star of a writer to craft this story. Next to other high fantasies, the worldbuilding is there. The tropes are there, applied adorably and with delight. But where the writing is very beautiful and the the themes compelling, there's something a little ... immature about this book. One reviewer stated that the characters seem like "caricatures designed for specific fandoms," and I could not agree more. Listen, Mr. Kristoff is a very famous, successful author with a passionate following, and I wouldn't blame if he... used what he's figured out works, if that makes sense.

I've heard other reviewers call this book out for male posturing, or criticize the swearing/bawdy humor. Maybe that's part of what I felt was immature, although typically I don't find that sort of thing offensive or bothersome (although a couple of the period jokes made me pause). I would also say that perhaps there are some pacing issues. Perhaps with plotting, as well. Again, the flashback-flashforward storytelling device is NOT my favorite, but in this case I think I can objectively say it weakened the flow a bit.

I don't know if I'll read the next one. To be honest, I spent a lot of this book miserable alongside the characters. There are victories, to be sure, and warm moments, I suppose, but the story in this book primarily involves loss - or the anticipation of loss. The dread of loss. Loss of innocence, faith, love, loved ones. Things going wrong, over and over and over again. I don't know if I'd want to put myself through that again. Oh, and trigger warning: animal death. I'd dock a star for that regardless.

I have the utmost respect for Jay Kristoff and his success is well-deserved. He's such a talented writer and I love that people love this book. I'm just not one of them, today.

The illustrations get 5 stars.

Empire of the Vampire on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Something Wicked This Way Comes

5 stars. Wow. This one moved me to tears. It's so strange... I didn't even really enjoy most of this reading experience. I stopped halfway through to read two other books, because I was bored and confused and needed a break from the purple prose. But somewhere in the second half, I got hooked - or maybe things clicked - and boom, suddenly I was crying. The ending hit me right in the fucking heart, or the gut, or the feels, or something. I just really wasn't expecting that.

Something Wicked This Way Comes should attract readers of all ages and preferences. I feel like my eyes have been opened... I see its influence everywhere from Stephen King to Erin Morgenstern to Clive Barker to Neil Gaiman to Cornelia Funke. It's about the arrival of a carnival at Green Town, Illinois, and how two young boys' discover something dark and sinister under the bright lights and the colorful canopies. It's also about being young and being old and corruption and friendship and fathers and sons and determination and heroism and laughter and free will and... temptation.

It's incredibly beautiful. I don't think I've encountered such gorgeous and unexpected prose since I read Lolita. The imagery is as haunting as it is whimsical and lush. It took some getting used to, but I'll miss those words floating around in my head painting vivid songs. I have associative synesthesia, and this writing might be the closest thing I could find that captures the way my brain concepts concepts and sounds and feelings with certain colors. The words have shapes and edges and corners. Reading this was like dancing inside of an orchestra made of many colors during a thunderstorm.

Originally published in 1962, this book does feature some out-of-date allegories, references and metaphors. And there's a thinly veiled thread of nostalgia running in between the lines, suggesting support for the imagined idea that America was a perfect dreamscape utopia in the 1950s (spoiler alert: it wasn't that). I've also read some fascinating reviews about how this book doesn't hold up at all, especially from an adult perspective. But that's partly why it made me so emotional, I think: like Stephen King's It, it strikes me as a story about the tragedy that is growing up, and I appreciate books that double down on that theme and then give it a solid kick in the teeth for fun.

I would've liked to have read this in college, for a class. I would've liked to have read this at age 13, when the battle between good and evil would've seemed brilliantly intense, and important. But here we are, age 30, disillusioned and cynical and skeptical and yet- and yet- or maybe because all of that- moved to tears by the written sound of laughter and Charles' parting thought that running with the boys, even if it killed him, would be worth it. Ohmygod I'm crying again. Thrilling, this one.

Something Wicked This Way Comes on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Vengeful (Villains #2)

4 stars. I DON'T KNOW, OKAY? I just couldn't focus on this one - it took me weeks - WEEKS - to read! I was even considering 3 stars but the truth is I'm not sure I can actually identify what's wrong with it... I really try to be critical in a fair way, but sometimes my rating is just all about my personal, instinctive, gut-check reaction. So, 4 stars it is.

Vengeful picks up where Vicious left off. Victor Vale, resurrected by Sydney at the end of book 1, is back and ready to resume his mission to kill his nemesis, Eli Ever. Except he's sick. And he can't get to Eli until he gets better. So he starts hunting down EO's, trying to find one who can fix him. Meanwhile, Eli is locked up in EON's super freaky monster jail, and oh yeah, there's a new, scary EO taking over the city with her deliciously destructive powers. Heroes fall, villains rise, yada yada yada.

It's so awesome. I absolutely adored Schwab's expansion of this universe, even if I didn't connect to the plot that much. It was fun getting a peek into some other POVs, and learning more about EO origins. Marcella is a tremendous character, and it was particularly enjoyable to watch her, ahem, burn it all down.

“How many men would she have to turn to dust before one took her seriously?”

I would also say that, like the first book, this series is a must-read for comic book and graphic novel fans. The twists and turns, the level of insanity, the character names, the settings, the campy villains, the attention to visual details - the architecture of a building, the color of nail polish - elevate this story to a steady level of fun I experience reading about superheroes.

I loved the narrow focus of the first book - it felt like such a prequel - and I could just feel the tremors of possibility. Schwab opened all those doors and then some. Despite not getting that super orgasmic 5 star feeling, I really enjoyed it. I'm officially joining the chorus: I WANT MORE!!! THIS IS SOME CRAZY GOOD SHIT!!!!

Vengeful on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

Review: Black Sun (Between Earth and Sky #1)

4 stars. SO FUN. So interesting. I highly recommend this new book from Rebecca Roanhorse, a fantasy set in the Pre-Columbian Americas as an important change of pace. It has all the complex world-building of, for example, ASOIAF, but it's accessible, fast-paced, inclusive, and much more fun. I'm really excited for the next installment, because this in a lot of ways did feel like a prequel; a set-up; a tease.

The story is multiple POV, set primarily right before the Convergence: a solar eclipse that marks the Winter Solstice. It is also meant to bring, for only some expectedly, the rebirth of the Crow God, set to emerge from a human vessel marked for this purpose since birth. This God will bring vengeance to those who betrayed his clan decades ago, and throw the world into a dark chaos brimming with magic old and new.

That all sounds really bloody and grim, which it is, sort of. But the characters navigating this dark premise are charming, funny, lovable, and determined, plus a slow-burning romance gives as many light moments as it does angsty ones. There's a disgraced sea captain, feisty and clumsy and struggling with her own identity. There's a savvy and smart priestess, focused on political strategy for good rather than personal gain. And there's the human vessel himself, powerful and dangerous and duty-bound to sacrifice the unimaginable.

It's quite a collection of characters, and I cheered for every single one, despite them all being on different sides (...for now). The world-building is pure and imaginative but not overly detailed or heavy - plus magical elements create some really sparkly moments. I docked a star for occasional preachiness and a somewhat amateur feel during certain moments, but please know that I highly recommend this book. I'm really looking forward to what happens next.

Black Sun on: Amazon | Bookshop.org | Goodreads