Fifth book by Victoria Goddard this month, no regrets. This is book 1 of Greenwing and Dart, and I am so excited that this pair of dashing young gentlemen get more mysteries to solve. Jemis Greenwing, having slunk back from college with a broken heart, broken dreams, and severe hay fever, just wants to fade quietly into his job; his old friend Dart decides to cheer him up and they inadvertently stumble upon a secret society calling on the old gods with dark magic. I loved the mixture of gossipy small town atmosphere with cults, criminal gangs, and a general shared trauma over recent magical cataclysm, all overlaid with a Regency-level preoccupation with etiquette and social standing. Super charming read.
Category: quick reaction
Portrait of a Wide Seas Islander, by Victoria Goddard
Another companion novella to The Hands of the Emperor, but from the point of view of Cliopher’s great-uncle and occasional spiritual guide. It wouldn’t stand alone well but it provides a nice bit of insight into one of the most opaque characters in the book, and also allows us to see Cliopher from the standpoint of his native culture, instead of seeing him filtered through his own critical gaze.
Kingdom of Copper, by S.A. Chakraborty
Dives right into the mess left at the end of the first book, but with enough detail that you remember exactly why each of the main characters is in so much trouble. Chakraborty does a good job giving them enough agency to express their wishes, but also hems each in with both internal and external pressures. The big showdown at the end is heavily foreshadowed, but she still finds room for a surprise ending and a huge change going into the third book.
Petty Treasons, by Victoria Goddard
I could not get enough of Victoria Goddard this month. This is a companion novella to The Hands of the Emperor, but from the Emperor’s view instead of Cliopher’s; the burden of the Emperor’s enforced solitude is hinted at in the first book, but here we get to experience its crushing weight firsthand, and we also get to see Cliopher from the Emperor’s point of view. Perfect for someone in withdrawal from the glory of The Hands of the Emperor. I will say though that the shifting first/second person viewpoints read a bit awkwardly for me; I got why it was done, but I think the Emperor’s isolation could have been hinted at another way.
Noor, by Nnedi Okorafor
This may be unfair, because this is only the second book I’ve read by Okorafor (I’m counting the Binti series as a single book), but I am beginning to see a pattern: 1) she comes up with really cool ideas and characters, and then 2) writes a frankly incoherent and rambling story around them. Born malformed and then further injured in an accident, narrator AO defies social norms by repairing and augmenting herself with mechanical parts. AO lives in a futuristic Africa which has harnessed the punishing effects of climate change (scorching sun, blistering windstorms) to generate solar and wind power. From that foundation, we devolve into an illogical and disjointed tale that unsuccessfully mixes together cool concepts such as an evil megacorporation, nomadic herdsmen in the age of technology, an entire hidden city of technocrat rebels, manipulation of crowds through social media and superstition, and the cherry on top: a rather abrupt love story between two characters with no chemistry and nothing in common. Quite a letdown, really.
The Bride of the Blue Wind, by Victoria Goddard
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.
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.