This book (6th in the Greenwing and Dart series) takes place during the leadup to Winterturn, which is obviously a Christmas analogue; it’s all snow and gifts and wild magic, driving back the dark, and getting ready for the turning of the year. It honestly felt quite a bit like Susan Cooper’s Dark is Rising. Goddard’s universe, which already involved old and new gods and religions, suddenly expands to include fairies, which took me a bit aback; however, it’s of a piece with the general theme of “weird stuff happens around Jemis Greenwing” so it’s easy to roll with.
Month: November 2022
The Trials of Nina McCall, by Scott W. Stern
Nonfiction, a deeply detailed and infuriating delve into the American Plan, a little-known and widespread government program, which for decades empowered authorities to detain women on the flimsiest of premises, perform invasive procedures on them without consent, imprison them without trial or hope of appeal, and force them to undergo dangerous and ineffective treatments if (highly unreliable) tests found them to have venereal diseases. This program ensnared and abused tens of thousands, possibly hundreds of thousands, of American women, including the titular Nina McCall; when the program finally faded, it was buried from history. The book was clearly well-researched and the subject is horrifying, but unfortunately the writing drowned the reader in mind-numbing detail; it if weren’t for the urgent subject matter (and the fact that I had a book club deadline), I likely would not have forced myself through to the end.
Two Witches and a Whiskey, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart
Another of Marie’s Guild Codex books; in this one, human bartender Tori tries to stay out of trouble with the magical police, who are investigating fallout from her earlier adventures. Being Tori, of course she fails utterly at lying low, and finds herself not only getting entangled with powerful fae and dark magic guilds, but pulling her friends into the mess as well. Entertaining and amusing as usual. Dukehart’s Tori, sassy and pouty by turns, helps the character’s choices seem more believable in the moment.
Legends & Lattes: A Novel of High Fantasy and Low Stakes, by Travis Baldree
This book reads, and feels, like a warm and reassuring hug. Nothing demanding in the plot or the writing: tired of fighting, an orc barbarian named Viv decides to retire and open the town’s first coffee shop, with the help of a lucky-charm artifact she gained in her final job. With the help of a motley crew of found friends, she eventually creates every writer’s dream coffee shop. Although she faces difficulties from the local mob, bitter ex-crewmates, and a populace suspicious of a barista with her build and species, the tone of the book is so friendly that you never feel like her adorable enterprise is under serious threat.
Warrior, by Marie Brennan
This book has two narrators: bounty hunter Mirage, tough and fast; and witch-in-training Miryo, earnest and sheltered. Miryo learns that she has to kill her doppelganger, which she’s never met, to come into her full power; obviously, Mirage has something to say about that. Good worldbuilding with an interesting premise, but both Miryo and Mirage feel a little flat as characters; they’re incomplete halves of a whole and don’t really have a lot of character growth to do. First in a series.
All the Murmuring Bones, by A.G. Slatter
Miren O’Malley was raised with stories of merpeople and magic, debts and revenge, knowing that each story could have some truth at its core: after all, her own family’s fortune came from a bargain with the sea. However, with her generation, the bargain has fallen into decline, and against the wishes of her family she digs into the reasons and history behind her family’s situation. I loved the interstitial stories, told by and to Miren; the writing was dark and atmospheric, but the characters felt alive.
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy, by Becky Chambers
Second in the Monk and Robot series: Tea monk Dex and their robot buddy Mosscap continue their journeys together, both through human villages and through their internal motivations. The first book was about the characters but also worldbuilding; with the worldbuilding established, the second book concentrates almost entirely on the characters. Mosscap’s quest is to ask what humans want, but begins to ask itself: what information is it really looking for? And what role can Dex find for themselves along the way?
Shades in Shadow and The Awakened Kingdom, by N.K. Jemisin
These short works expand on Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy, and should definitely not be read by those unfamiliar with the series. Shades in Shadow is a triptych of short stories, each exploring the origin story of a specific character: who they are, and who they decide to be. The Awakened Kingdom takes the same theme but goes much more into detail, from the point of view of a newborn godling. Even though there’s sometimes a lot of action in the stories, the feel of them is very quiet and meditative; most of the actual change takes place inside the characters.
Dark Arts and a Daiquiri, by Annette Marie, read by Cris Dukehart
Second in the Guild Codex “Spellbound” series, human bartender Tori quickly gets over her head when she goes off-script and gets herself kidnapped by a notorious magical criminal; snark and action ensue. I like how her actions grew out of her past trauma, and how her friends are understanding but still call her out when she’s behaving badly. Fun and satisfying, and Dukehart does a great Tori: perky, indignant, and brave.
Nona the Ninth, by Tamsyn Muir
This is the third book of Muir’s amazing Locked Tomb series, which is actually kind of impossible to summarize… I was waiting on this forever, and I was almost afraid to open it lest it let me down, but thankfully it was a breath of fresh air after the incredibly angsty and dense second book. Narrator Nona presents everything matter-of-factly, no matter how weird (and with this series, everything is inevitably weird). Her narration is interspersed with monologues from John Gaius that revealed the crazy birth of their universe, and as an extra bonus John’s New Zealand turns of phrase felt super familiar to me now that I’ve been Down Under for a couple of months. Nona’s self-absorbed ignorance actually echoes Gideon’s from the first book, which works really well. I absolutely loved Nona’s conversations with her chosen family, and her very innocent yet piercingly insightful observations about them; like other books in the series, this one begs to be read again immediately once the many mysteries reveal themselves. Definitely curious where the series goes next.