Ooh, this was lovely: short and sweet and impactful. I was worried I didn't love Novik's writing outside of Scholomance (after being thoroughly underwOoh, this was lovely: short and sweet and impactful. I was worried I didn't love Novik's writing outside of Scholomance (after being thoroughly underwhelmed by Buried Deep and Other Stories), but this was wonderful.
It's amazing how much world-building and heart Novik fit into just over 100 pages, and we see character growth from pretty much everyone. It's honestly shocking how much is crammed into this novella without it feeling rushed at all.
I would have enjoyed this more if the book actually concluded. I don’t need everything wrapped up at the end, but it feels like it ended at a random sI would have enjoyed this more if the book actually concluded. I don’t need everything wrapped up at the end, but it feels like it ended at a random spot to be continued in the next book in the series. ...more
I’ll eat up any mythological retelling, and I was super excited to read Wiswell’s take of the story of the labors of Hercules, told from Hera’s and HeI’ll eat up any mythological retelling, and I was super excited to read Wiswell’s take of the story of the labors of Hercules, told from Hera’s and Heracles’s perspectives. I really like Wiswell’s writing style: it’s irreverent and wry and you really feel the characters.
There’s tragedy and found family and self-discovery for both parties—all great ingredients.
Four rather than five stars because the last 20% dragged on a bit for me, and there were a few things I would’ve loved to have delved further into.
For lovers of Alix E. Harrow, Seanan McGuire and Simon Jimenez
I love portal fiction, books where our heroes go through a door or a wardrobe or a pond For lovers of Alix E. Harrow, Seanan McGuire and Simon Jimenez
I love portal fiction, books where our heroes go through a door or a wardrobe or a pond and find themselves in another world.
This was fantastic. I picked it up because I’d read and liked The Wishing Game. This one is 10x better: the prose itself is much stronger, and the story just feels like one that Shaffer was dying to tell. It comes together really well, and the characters felt like real people.
Years ago, two boys disappeared in the woods and were found again months later. In present day, one has a preternatural ability to find people who are lost while the other is a reclusive artists who doesn’t know where the inspiration for his art comes from. They haven’t spoke in 15 years.
They are brought back together to help a young woman find her sister, who disappeared into the same woods they had.
The story moves along quickly—I finished this in two settings—and the love and support between the characters was beautiful. I definitely recommend this one for anyone who likes portals, fairy tales, cozy romance stories and the motto “scared is a feeling, not an excuse.”
Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books!...more
This is kind of a masterpiece. At some point in the future, I’m totally going to forget about books six and seven and think this is how Harry Potter eThis is kind of a masterpiece. At some point in the future, I’m totally going to forget about books six and seven and think this is how Harry Potter ended.
For lovers of Harry Potter and Handmaid’s Tale, with tons of content warnings.
Ugh, I hate to say this. I thought I was a Naomi Novik fan, but this collection of short stories made me reconsider that. I loved the Scholomance seriUgh, I hate to say this. I thought I was a Naomi Novik fan, but this collection of short stories made me reconsider that. I loved the Scholomance series, but *what if* I just really loved El? What if it's that I loved this specific world that Novik created rather than her writing itself?
I was so excited to pick this up, and I just kept putting it back down again. The only story I read through in once sitting was, of course, the one that took place in the world of the Scholomance. And now I'm just feeling so guilty.
Maybe I need to come back to this collection in the future; maybe I just wasn't in the right place for it.
Ooh, okay, this one is *brutal*. Clytemnestra’s story is one of the Greek myths I’m most familiar with, and even knowing what was going to happen did Ooh, okay, this one is *brutal*. Clytemnestra’s story is one of the Greek myths I’m most familiar with, and even knowing what was going to happen did not diminish how hard this was to read, especially as a mother.
I love this retelling from Clytemnestra’s perspective: her challenges being a clever woman in a man’s world, the trauma she faces in her life, being a mother to children who never quite feel like hers. This was really well-written and well-researched, and I’d recommend this to others.