Look, I had to immediately find another Victoria Goddard work, ok? This one is an action-packed novella, told like a fairy tale. In this retelling of the Bluebeard story, three sisters go forth to find their destiny; the first becomes a weaver of magic, the second a fierce warrior, and the third is swept away by a god who takes her as a wife. As the third daughter slowly becomes suspicious of her new husband’s ultimate motives, her sisters unite to ride to her rescue. Great strong female characters obv, and the language was just beautiful.
Author: librarykat
Huda F Are You? by Huda Fahmy
Really great comic, simply drawn and deeply felt, about the author’s experience growing up as one of five daughters in a Muslim family, and moving to Dearborn MI for high school. She goes from being “the girl in the hijab” in school to “just another girl in a hijab,” and has to settle on an identity for herself; she also finds that just being among more Muslims is not a free pass from discrimination.
The True Queen, by Zen Cho
Sequel to Sorcerer and Crown. Muna and her magical sister Sakti remember little of their past; all they know is that they are inseparable, and that Sakti is fading. In trying to break their curse, they go to England where the Sorceress Royal may be able to help. However, they are separated along the way, and Muna is left with nothing but her own wits to navigate both English and fairy society, while she figures out the mystery of her and Sakti’s existence. Muna is a very Zen Cho narrator, blunt and forthright, never hesitating to point out (even if it’s just to herself) when people are being unreasonable or ridiculous. The pace of the story started out slow, but got rolling quite well in the last two-thirds.
The Hands of the Emperor, by Victoria Goddard
I loved this book so much. It begins when Cliopher Mdang, secretary to His Radiancy the god-Emperor, wonders if his employer might want to come on vacation with him. It sounds trivial, but that simple gesture ends up affecting the entire system of government that Cliopher and His Radiancy have worked so hard to build. Politics and court drama are hinted at, earthshaking events in history are implied, but mostly this is a 900+ page tome full of either conversation or quiet reflection, which results in absolutely stellar character development and moments of total emotional perfection. Cliopher is a really self-effacing and humble narrator who tries his best, and you just want to alternately hug him, high-five him, or tell him to go take a much-needed nap. The emperor His Radiancy as seen through Cliopher’s eyes is full of such generosity and good humor, but wound so tightly with power and stress and responsibility, that you also want to hug him (but that would be taboo, and that’s also a problem). It reads like a really comforting slow burn of a love story, but if said love was utterly platonic and built on mutual respect and fond worry and decades of working patiently together towards the greater good. Also, Cliopher’s dynamic with his family and friends is just incredible, full of history and the kinds of misunderstandings that can only arise when you don’t wish to hurt the ones you love the most. I would recommend this to everyone, except let’s be real, most people would look at the length and back away. But I thought this book was amazing and you’ll probably see Victoria Goddard’s name frequently here as I chase down literally everything else she’s written.
One Last Stop, by Casey McQuiston
A cute story of found family, making one’s peace with one’s past, and falling in love with that incredibly hot girl on the subway train who turns out to be a punk lesbian ghost from the 70s. College student August, trying to get some distance from her past, finds herself in a community of adorable weirdos who help her get a job flipping pancakes at the local diner. On her commute, she finds herself constantly running into the fearless Jane, who never seems to change out of her outfit, and who has trouble remembering her past. The book juggles their star-crossed romance with side character relationships, family drama, long-buried mystery, and the pressure of paying rent in NYC, while also giving a nod to the fight for queer recognition through glimpses of Jane’s experiences. Plenty of plot holes so don’t think too closely about the details, but for a cozy comfort read, it’s a perfectly good time.
Crooked Kingdom, by Leigh Bardugo
Sequel to Six of Crows. Picks up very smoothly where the previous one left off, except now you know the characters… or so you think. Bardugo uncovers new depths in each of the characters, allowing them growth and development in believable and well-founded ways, while still rolling the plot along at a crazy pace. I loved the action and the pacing, the chemistry between the cast members was excellent, and the banter was delightful.
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating, by Elisabeth Tova Bailey
A really beautiful and meditative piece. The author, bedridden by a mysterious disease that has taken all of her strength and energy, finds companionship in a wild snail brought by a friend. The tiny snail’s determination and curiosity become a source of fascination for the author, who mixes facts and observations on the snail with her own reflections on illness and isolation.
Under the Pendulum Sun, by Jeannette Ng
In which a missionary’s sister, desperate for news of him, follows him into the land of faerie where he’s been having trouble making converts. Queen Mab, changelings, malicious spirits, enormous land whales, creepy changing landscapes, and tons of epistolary research feature in this story of finding one’s way through lies, temptation, and illusion. Very atmospheric, very gothic, very much a wallow in guilt and manipulation; it was well done, but a little much for me. I liked the fairyland and the well-thought-out physics of its pendulum sun, but I didn’t much like the characters and couldn’t really get into their problems.
A Psalm for the Wild-Built, by Becky Chambers
Another cute robot story. It’s set generations after robots became self-aware and humans let them walk into the wilderness rather than continue to enslave them, and also after the small number of remaining humans have decided to minimize their footprint on the earth rather than continue to destroy it. In that time, a tea monk named Dex (they/them) finds themself unsatisfied with life, goes literally off the beaten path, and meets a robot named Mosscap who has decided its mission is to figure out what humans want. Since this is also what Dex is trying to figure out, the two go off on an odd-couple journey through the wilderness, having philosophical discussions along the way. Quiet, thoughtful, and adorable.
Artificial Condition, by Martha Wells
Murderbot Diaries #2 is almost as good as its prequel, which is to say that it’s still extremely good. In this story, the security cyborg that calls itself Murderbot is investigating some strange events in its past, and reluctantly accepts the help of a bored research transport ship in doing so. Murderbot being Murderbot, it also finds itself once again reluctantly protecting naive humans who get themselves into dangerous situations. Love Murderbot’s exasperated and sarcastic internal monologue, and how Wells gently eases in the character development and moments of growth. Beautifully done. And there are space station battles too, which are always fun.