A fun magic school story that centers three students with rare magical limitations that classical schooling can’t address (but they are quickly turnedA fun magic school story that centers three students with rare magical limitations that classical schooling can’t address (but they are quickly turned to advantages).
Hugh is a peasant from the magical bereft kingdom of Emblim attending the prestigious magical academy Skyhold, but his magic can’t ever seem to work. When he is apprenticed to a mysterious Librarian of the school’s magical library, he quickly learns there is much more to his gifts and to the school than he initially thought. I generally enjoyed this book, as the setting of Skyhold is great and all the various magics are very fun. I’m not the biggest fan of teen angst, which this story certainly has, but it is handled well and moves along quickly enough that it didn’t bother me. There is also a lot of nice representation, with plenty of characters dating people of both genders, and some very small side characters who are trans or nonbinary (Hugh is straight however).
I will say a critique for the first few books is how quickly Hugh and his two friends overcome their magical limitations. Yes, they work really hard, but their accomplishments are initially said to be basically unique. If four months of very hard work from sixteen year olds gives this level of results, there are definitely adult practitioners/graduate students that can also do this. Yes, you can teach a precocious high school student more about circuits/electrical engineering in three months than most adults and probably a lot of undergrads know, but definitely not more than a competent 30-something electrical engineer. This is later walked back in the later books, when the mentors reveal they had been overly encouraging due to all of the students’ insecurities, which I appreciated.
Recommended if you want fun high fantasy with a focus on found family. The first book is enjoyable, but the later books are much better and the series is complete with a very satisfying ending (to me). Also, only the first book takes place in the school with classes/exams. The rest of the books are more missions to other cities, so don’t read this only for magic school stuff....more
A quick and fun book, but I did want more answers.
Driftwood is a patchwork realm composed of fragments of worlds that survived their particular apocalA quick and fun book, but I did want more answers.
Driftwood is a patchwork realm composed of fragments of worlds that survived their particular apocalypse. Last is a man who seemingly won’t die, even as his world was long consumed by Driftwood. The book largely is composed of people telling stories about Last, which were fun and well done, but as the most significant anomaly in this odd realm, I was really hoping for more answers about the fundamental nature of what is going on. If the book hadn’t focused so intently on Last, I would have been more satisfying with the slice-of-life vibe, bit it didn’t quite work for me.
Lightly recommended if you want a quick fantasy with fun vibes were characters rapidly traveling through miniature worlds were magic is different....more
A very fun litrpg/reincarnated in a new world fantasy.
French special forces medic Viv is abruptly teleported into a fantasy world from godly shenanigaA very fun litrpg/reincarnated in a new world fantasy.
French special forces medic Viv is abruptly teleported into a fantasy world from godly shenanigans and must quickly leave her entry point, the magical radioactive wasteland of a fallen empire. I thought this was so fun! Viv is a great viewpoint to follow: competent, wisecracking, rolls with the punches, and deeply vengeful. The lit-rpg elements are simple and there is not an over focus on it, making it easier for new readers to the sub-genre. I will say that I initially thought this was a kind of cozy-litrpg due to the first book Viv’s upbeat attitude and collection of unlikely allies, but later books are quite willing to kill beloved characters to fuel Viv’s ambitions, so be aware. The later books don’t lose the fun tone, but there are periods of fairly brutal kingdom building/fending off invasions.
Highly recommended if you want a fun portal fantasy and/or are interested in litrpg’s....more
Folly is a fake fortune teller in a circus, but his one golden eye can see magic. Yarrow is a wild fae trying toA comfy and quick mm romance with fae.
Folly is a fake fortune teller in a circus, but his one golden eye can see magic. Yarrow is a wild fae trying to earn a place in the summer court sent on a quest to kill a dangerous shaper changer. Overall, the story was fun and wasted no time drawing the two love interests together. The world did feel a bit under developed for Lark, but since this is part of a multi-author universe, it makes sense she couldn’t make large changes. Nothing blew me away, but I had fun the whole time. This isn’t this story’s fault, but I will say that I am a bit tired of fae stories where the fae is superman romancing a weak, useless human. I know it comes from ACOTAR and before that Twilight (and many other influences I’m sure), but vampires are super human at the cost of needing the kill humans. Fae are super strong and sexy and magic at the cost of… sometimes silly rules? It setting just seems like a great opportunity to have magically powerful fae be bound by actually constraining rules and physically weaker than humans. Again, not this books fault as it is common to the genre, but it did feel lopsided with Yarrow providing all the muscle, magic, and knowledge.
Recommended if you want a light mm fae romance. ...more
A fantastic children’s book that I love re-reading as an adult.
Lyra is a wild child raised in Jordan college by a constellation of scholars and staffA fantastic children’s book that I love re-reading as an adult.
Lyra is a wild child raised in Jordan college by a constellation of scholars and staff. When the Master of the college mysteriously tries to poison her uncle, Lyra is abruptly entangled in a vast conspiracy that seems to have her at the center. I loved rereading this book so much! The atmosphere of the world is superb: the daemons, the theological steampunk, and the vicious politics. Lyra is reckless, brave, and deeply intuitive in a way that feels earned. Yes, she often gets lucky breaks from the plot, but it feels like she deserves it and she takes full advantage of every opportunity.
Toadling was a human child stolen from her crib and given to water spirits in faerieland. However, one day A delightful retelling of sleeping beauty.
Toadling was a human child stolen from her crib and given to water spirits in faerieland. However, one day she is taken from the comfort of her home to return to the land of humans to deliver a godmother’s blessing to the changeling left behind in her place. This was super fun, especially with Kingfisher’s usual narrative tidiness. I really liked how Toadling’s perspective was so full of love and beauty for things that humans would find ugly and dangerous, like being the monster’s beloved step-sister in a horror novel....more
Another great entry, although this was my least favorite so far as the tournament arc was more classic Cultivation novels. Still a lot of content on bAnother great entry, although this was my least favorite so far as the tournament arc was more classic Cultivation novels. Still a lot of content on building a happy life, but the focus is a lot more on a martial tournament....more
A great follow to the first book with more incredibly soothing and warm slice-of-life farming in a high fantasy setting. I didn’t know I needed an epiA great follow to the first book with more incredibly soothing and warm slice-of-life farming in a high fantasy setting. I didn’t know I needed an epic quest about a Rooster traveling the land and fighting evil, but it was wonderful....more
An absolutely fantastic twist on a classic cultivation story (Stardew Valley meets Chinese high fantasy).
Jin Rou is a lowly outer disciple of the presAn absolutely fantastic twist on a classic cultivation story (Stardew Valley meets Chinese high fantasy).
Jin Rou is a lowly outer disciple of the prestigious Cloudy Mountain Sect. However, when his heart stops during a training bout, a soul from Earth is zapped into his body and decides he wants nothing to do with the crazed honor bound cultivators and leaves to start a farm. It sounds a bit convoluted, but it flows really well, and is ultimately an incredibly satisfying story about gently taking care of yourself, the land, and your neighbors. The interactions between characters (especially with woman) can sometime be childish or clunky, but the author’s commitment to avoiding gross tropes (harem, etc.) makes up for it. The dual journey’s of Jin crafting his own ideal home while his farm animals awakening to sentience as spirit animals and go on epic quests is a lot of fun.
Highly highly recommended if you want a cultivation slice-of-life. Do not read it if you want classic adventure or power scaling with cultivation. Maybe okay to read if you’ve never read a cultivation book, but do maybe google the genre basics....more
The best of the series so far! A lot of worldbuilding questions are answered (as well as what is up with Maud’s morality), which I really appreciated.The best of the series so far! A lot of worldbuilding questions are answered (as well as what is up with Maud’s morality), which I really appreciated. It also had a nice balance of longer plot arcs with Maud slice-of-life. It was fun to have a quest through a fae world where the main character is much more dangerous than the whimsically dangerous fairyland. I am very excited for book 5!...more
A fun and surprisingly cozy story about a woman who is accidentally made into a Lich. She just wants to spend time crafting, but Paladins keep gettingA fun and surprisingly cozy story about a woman who is accidentally made into a Lich. She just wants to spend time crafting, but Paladins keep getting in the way. It can be pretty grisly, as Maud’s crafting now includes bones and flesh, but it’s all told with such levity and practicality, that it comes across as cozy slice-of-life. The balance of Maud’s morality isn’t always pulled off perfectly, it was a little unclear if she was evil, amoral, fighting a Lich’s innate mindset, or just unhinged. Some plot points also seem to happen a little to easily for Maud.
Recommended if you like fantasy, slice-of-slice, and necromancy....more
A cute story about finding different ways to cook monsters in a dungeon. I really enjoyed the premise, a plucky group wandering around eating weird moA cute story about finding different ways to cook monsters in a dungeon. I really enjoyed the premise, a plucky group wandering around eating weird monsters, but the set up was odd. The story starts with everyone fighting a dragon and then their healer is swallowed. Her last act is to teleport everyone out of the dungeon besides her self. It was a pretty grim start, but you quickly learn that resurrection magic should make rescuing her a cinch, if they can get to her body before the dragon digests her. It puts an odd and morbid timeline that is at odds with the party members’ food antics. I don’t know why the healer couldn’t be stuck in a trap/dungeon instead.
Recommended if you want a fun and light fantasy manga. ...more
A bunch of manic assholes are stuck on a ship solving a magical murder mystery. I thought this was a lot of fun.
Maud Blyth is supposed to accompany anA bunch of manic assholes are stuck on a ship solving a magical murder mystery. I thought this was a lot of fun.
Maud Blyth is supposed to accompany an elderly magician across the Atlantic, but when her companion is murdered, Maud must gather unlikely (and often unwilling) allies in order to solve the mystery and steal back a magical artifact. The start was perhaps a bit bumpy, I don’t know if I buy everyone’s motivations/actions, but it’s so fun when everyone is locked in a room together that I don’t really care. I was under the impression this was a companion novel to A Marvellous Light, but it is a direct plot sequel with different characters so I was a little lost at the start until the plot was recapped.
Recommended if you liked the first book and want a locked room sapphic murder mystery. ...more
Fantasy YA at its finest. This is one of my favorite books of the year.
In an alternate 1800s America where dragons power industry and war, a young indFantasy YA at its finest. This is one of my favorite books of the year.
In an alternate 1800s America where dragons power industry and war, a young indigenous woman finds an egg of her people’s long lost dragon breed. She must go to the local dragon school of the conquering Anglish to both learn how to control the her dragon’s dangerous breath, but also to gain legal legitimacy to keep her dragon and way of life. Every part of this book felt so well crafted: the world, the characters, the plotting. Beyond the superb craft, Anequs is a great POV for me because she is very low angst and self assured (perhaps a bit too much, but far far preferable for me to angsty). I just enjoyed this so much, it was a delight and breath of fresh air.
Highly recommended if you want an alternate history, dragon school YA with an indigenous and queer POV....more
Phenomenal. P h e n o m e n a l. Fun, gay space adventures with a terrifying new type of sex/marriage/body horror.
Set in Leckie’s Imperial Radch worlPhenomenal. P h e n o m e n a l. Fun, gay space adventures with a terrifying new type of sex/marriage/body horror.
Set in Leckie’s Imperial Radch world, the story follows three POV’s: Qven, a juvenile Presger translator with some questions about growing up, Enae, a fifty some woman given busy work of a long cold missing person case to get her out of sight, and Reet, an odd man just trying to watch his pirate dramas. I had so much fun with this book, it was a fantastic return to the world of Ancillary Justice. It was great to finally get insight into the translators (but not really the Presgar!). I thought this book did a great job with asking serious questions while also being fairly tongue in cheek or straight up funny. What if children ate people so you had to let them run feral until 30 (it’s fine they’re aliens or something, unless maybe they’re not)? I also was genuinely terrified by the body horror in this book. It’s brief, but it really packs a wallop when it appears. I think Leckie did a great job of having a bit tighter of a narrative than in the Ancillary books and the book clips along quite compulsively.
Highly recommended to all. You could probably start your journey with the Imperial Radch world here, it works great as a stand alone, but it probably would make more sense if you had at least read Ancillary Justice....more
A really lovely high fantasy that is a great spiritual successor to Martha Wells’ Books of the Raksura series. If you only know Wells from the MurderbA really lovely high fantasy that is a great spiritual successor to Martha Wells’ Books of the Raksura series. If you only know Wells from the Murderbot Diaries, this might not be what you expect.
The immortal demon Kai awakes to find that he and his dear witch friend Ziede have been sealed in a tomb for a year. They must travel the world collecting old and new allies while figuring out exactly what has happened in their absence. The book really throws you in the deep end with the world politics, with Kai usually knowing a lot more than other people (and the reader), but the story itself is pretty tight to a small cast of characters, which I thought was a nice balance. As with the Books of the Raksura, Wells is not afraid to write weird fantastical worlds, which feels really fresh to me in a genre that loves to retread LOTR settings. This books is very strongly about found family, as Kai vigorously collects allies throughout book, although they sometimes fade into the background. I also thought this was delightfully queer, as there are several same sex relationships as wells as body swapping demons which don’t seem to particularly care about sex. I dearly hope Wells writes more books in this world, I really loved it.
Highly recommended to fantasy fans. If you are a fervent Murderbot fan, please approach this with an open mind, its a 432 page high fantasy, not a sassy sci-fi novella. ...more
Christopher
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