armchair-librarians

[armchair-librarians]

Lost Boy, Found Boy

Alright, it’s an ungodly hour of the night and I just finished an amazing book! (We all know what that means… It’s review time! (Side note, I received an ARC book via an amazing website called netgalley- it’s sweet)

In a futuristic world, Neverland is a holomatrix, Hook is a cyborg, and Tinker Bell is an automated computer interface.

Peter is desperate to save his lover from a military draft that, unbeknownst to him, Mir volunteered for because they are desperate to be able to fly. So, naturally, Peter programs an entire island—Neverland—as a refuge where Mir can fly without having to fight in a war.

But he doesn’t locate Mir right away; instead, he fights for control of the island with automated interface Tinker Bell, and in his attempts to find Mir, others arrive on the island. But Peter’s single-minded focus on Mir generates repercussions for everyone.

So Lost Boy, Found Boy is written by Jenn Polish, and is set to be published on 19 March 2018. It’s a novelette of about 21K words and will cost $2.99 on  NineStarPress.com and you can also find it on https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/133994 . Now that I have all that technical stuff out of the way I just want to rave about this book. I am a queer individual and its sometimes really really hard to find representation in books- but not in this one. It was such a smooth read, and I finished it within a day of receiving it. I loved the twist on the classic Peter Pan story, the worldbuilding, the characters- everything. The world building was just enough as to not deter from the main story- but also give the reader enough to truly picture everything. Though I wish there was a tad bit more of background, as I found myself slightly lost at the beginning, honestly it isn’t necessary. Again I loved this book, and at the low price of $2.99 I think it’s a total steal and I highly suggest that you read it.

So, go and support this amazing author, and remember:

Books were made to be loved!

XO Lilli

[armchair-librarians]

Woodcutter + Interview (!!!)

So something really cool happened with this book. I was actually emailed by the publisher and given this book for free and given an opportunity to interview the author! This is also the first book that Cece and I have reviewed together. This is the debut novel of the author Shaun Baines

A gritty, contemporary crime thriller set in Newcastle Upon Tyne.

Some family trees are meant to fall…

On the run from his criminal family, Daniel Dayton returns home to Newcastle Upon Tyne when his abandoned daughter is attacked. But his family have problems of their own.Targeted by a brutal mercenary, their empire is destined to be destroyed should Daniel refuse to help. Betrayed by his parents.Despised by his brother. In love with his sister-in-law.Home has become a dangerous place to be. Daniel wants his daughter safe. And he wants his revenge, but in the shadowy streets of Newcastle, things are never what they seem.

So I do not usually read crime thrillers, as in I never read crime thrillers. However, I adored this book. Just a forewarning, almost no one in this book is a good person, however, I found myself rooting for the main character, Daniel, more often than not. With that being said, just the entire feel of the novel is amazing and I found myself drawn in from the very first page. What is even better is that this is a debut author. I had the pleasure to email him and give a quick little Q&A (It will be at the end) and he’s awesome. Okay, more about the book. So this will be the first in a series (Not sure how many), and honestly, I’m really really excited! Sorry, I really liked this book. But the plot grips you from the start, and never lets you go, throwing plot twists at every corner.

Woodcutter will be released June 7, 2018. However, it is available for ebooks and you can pre-order it for 14.99 (Paperback pre-order) or 4.99 (ebook). https://www.amazon.com/Woodcutter-Shaun-Baines/dp/1786080672 His website is Shaunbaines.com and you can find him on twitter @littlehavenfarm.

-Nikki

“Woodcutter”, is a gory crime family book that will captivate the readers from the first to the last page.  It’s an electrifying story of family and business.  Baines shows the reality of family drama, only with more risks and bigger rewards. Through Baines’ great use of description, the book transports the readers into the vivid world that is “Woodcutter”.

At some points, there were so many named characters that it was hard to keep straight who was who.  There were British words in the book that I had to look up since I did not know the meaning of them.

The stunning introduction to the main players automatically gives the readers a feel for what type of person the character is, but still leaves surprises to be opened along the way.  This book is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

-Cece

Q & A With Shaun Baines

Q: Does writing energize or exhaust you?

A: The thought of writing energizes me, but I’m generally exhausted after a session. It’s not a physical tiredness. I can still do my household chores. My wife makes sure of that, but I struggle to string a sentence together. At that stage, I’ve left it all behind on the page.

Q: Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

A: I would be happy to write under a pseudonym. I’m not in this for the fame, which is just as well. Writers rarely get recognized. However, it is gratifying to see my name on a book. It’s a testament to my hard work, though I think my friends and family get a bigger kick out of it than me.

Q: What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

A: I’ve made friends with writers in my local writers’ group and with a number of other authors from Thistle Publishing. There is no rivalry between us. It’s a mutual support network that I value. I still have lots to learn and my fellow authors freely offer their help and advice. I hope we can build an exciting body of work together.

Q: Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are’s you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

A: For me, there is no greater thrill than falling in love with a set of characters and discovering they’re in ten different books. Woodcutter is the beginning of a series of books. I am currently putting the finishing touches to the second installment and have a loose framework for the third. I hope people enjoy spending time with the Daytons, even though they’re a dubious bunch. As long as people do, I’ll keep writing about them.

Q: If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

A: Keep reading. I read more books in my teenage years than in the twenty years that followed them. I was voracious – Classics, sci-fi, horror, mystery – nothing was off limits. I even went through a spell of reading Russian literature. What kind of thirteen year old does that? A massive book geek, that’s who. It gave me a solid understanding of how to create characters and how to plot a novel.

Q: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

A: It hasn’t, but it almost did. As a new author, I’m still sensitive to what is written in reviews. I felt myself being swayed by the various comments in an attempt to please everyone. Of course, that’s impossible and a one way ticket to madness. I decided to stay true to my own voice, write what I wanted to write and hope people appreciated that. And guess what? They do.

Q: How do you balance making demands on the reader with taking care of the reader?

A: My agent – the excellent David Haviland of the Andrew Lownie Literary Agency – said in an interview that the trick to writing a good book is to get the reader to trust you. If you can do that, you can take them anywhere. This is particularly pertinent to me as I take my readers down some dark alleyways. I want the reader to trust me to lead them back out again.

Q: As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

A: An ex-battery farmed hen. My wife and I adopt them and nurse them back to health. It amazes me when they learn to trust humans again, but they do. They are so full of character, despite their troubled beginnings. I can relate to that.

Q: How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

A: While I was submitting Woodcutter to agents, I wrote a sequel. At the time, I didn’t know what I had with Woodcutter and the sequel became an odd blend of crime, horror, and science-fiction. There is a lot to be said for genre-blending, but my interests lie in crime fiction and genre soup isn’t for me. I spent three months on that book but had to admit when I was beaten. Instead of being upset, it was a relief to get back to on the right road.

Q: What does literary success look like to you?

A: I’m a part-time gardener and literary success would mean going full time as a writer. I’m not sure if I ever would. I love gardening and grow my own fruit and veg, but having the option would mean I’ve reached a level of measurable success.

Q:  What’s the best way to market your books?

A: I’m fairly new to this game so I’m still learning, but I know how important it is to have a strong marketing campaign. Bad books can be elevated by good marketing and a good book can be sunk by a weak one. I’m very active on Twitter, keeping people up-to-date with what’s going on. I’ve received support from local newspapers and magazines keen to promote emerging writers. I’ve also found other authors are keen to rally round, which is a huge resource.

Q: What kind of research do you do, and how long do you spend researching before beginning a book?

A: I do very little. I’m well versed in gangster books and films. I watched several documentaries on real-life criminals, though none of my characters are based on anyone specific. It was important for me not to hide behind the supposed glamour of criminal life but give a more realistic depiction. I tried to get behind gangsters’ motivation and how they justify their actions.

Q: How long were you a part-time writer before you became a full-time one?

A: I’m still a part-time writer twinned with being a part-time gardener. It’s a great combination for me. When it rains, I write. When it’s dry, I garden. I try to split my time fifty/fifty, but I live in Scotland and we all know how often it rains there. Thanks to the weather, I’m quite a prolific writer.

Q: How many hours a day do you write?

A: When I write the first draft, I worry more about word count and aim for 1,500 words a day. When it comes to rewrites, the difficulty level rises. I might work for four/five hours a day and only achieve 500 quality words that will make it into the final draft. I write first thing in the morning. I’m awake crazy early – around 4am – and start after my first cup of coffee. On a good day, I’ll continue to 2pm when exhaustion finally sets in. That doesn’t mean I stop thinking about the story, though. It whirls around my head for a while afterward.

Q: How do you select the names of your characters?

A: I’m notoriously bad at naming characters. I know how important it is, that their names should reflect their personality in some way, but I don’t pay a lot of attention to it. I’m too busy driving the story forward to pause for long. When I write, I sit in front of shelves of books and DVDs. I usually steal the names of my favorite actors or directors. If I can’t find anything suitable, I drag a name up from my subconscious and use that. The danger of this method is that I often accidentally name gangsters after family members, which doesn’t make me popular at get-togethers.

Q: If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?

A: I would continue gardening. It’s great exercise. I get to travel the Scottish countryside and meet people from all walks of life. I work at isolated places with tremendous mountainous views or where I can watch cattle mooching around pastureland. I once spent a pleasant morning working in a garden surrounded by a herd of deer. Like writing, it’s a privilege to be given that opportunity.

Q: Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

A: Actually, only one person -  my best friend. I always name a character after him and make that character as unpleasant as possible. It sounds childish, even sadistic, but I know I’ll make at least one sale because he wants to know how he dies this time round.

Q: What was your hardest scene to write?

A: Some of the hardest scenes are those you use to set up a pay-off later in the book. It has to be memorable enough so the reader recalls its origins, but subtle enough not to ring alarms bells too early. Crime readers are astute. They’re looking out for things like this and it’s a delicate balance. I dedicate a lot of time to this in my book and I’ve become pretty good at delivering corkscrew plots.

Q: What is your favorite childhood book?

A: George and his Magic Knitting Needles. When I was a ten-year-old, my teacher asked us to choose a book for our first, ever book report. All my classmates went for Enid Blyton and the like. I went with George and I was scolded for having low standards, but I enjoyed it. He saved a town from being flooded by knitting a dam. What’s not to like? I learned how easy it was to be judged for your preferences, which for a ten-year-old is a heavy realization to have.

Q:  What is the most difficult part of your writing process?

A: Like most writers, I’m pretty insecure about what I write. I’m so intent on giving as much as I can to it, I throw every idea into the pot. I end up with a literary stew and the problem is – not everyone likes stew. I then have to backtrack and streamline the narrative. Crime fiction should be fast-paced and that’s impossible to maintain if there is too much going on. It can be hard understanding what works and doesn’t work, so there is a lot of switching around until it fits together.

Q: Does your family support your career as a writer?

A: They’ve been very supportive. I’m from a working-class background and I lived on a council estate where children didn’t grow up to be writers. They got a job – any job – and kept it for fifty years before spending their retirement in the pub. I might as well have said I wanted to be an astronaut. When I ‘came out’ as a writer, my family were thrilled I had the ambition to imagine a different future for myself. My wife and step-mam are particularly supportive and read my books as beta-readers, giving me advice and guidance along the way.

Q: If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?

A: I might have taken more notice in boring grammar lessons, but I wouldn’t change much else. Who you are is what you write. It’s my life experiences that have shaped me as a writer and given me a unique voice. It’s the same for everyone. Sitting at the computer, I bring all the slights and hurts, the joys and celebration of my life. They infiltrate every word.

Q: How long did it take you to write Woodcutter?

A: I work to a strict timetable. The first draft was written in three months, followed by a month where I went and did other things. The subsequent rewrites take another four/five months.  I submit the story to beta-readers and rewrite based on their feedback, then rewrite again following my agent’s feedback. Then comes the polishing and copy edits. If things are going my way, I can complete a book once a year.

In summary- We really loved this book!

So, go support this amazing author and don’t forget:

Books were made to be loved!

XOXO Nikki & Cece

[armchair-librarians]

Sienna (The Forest Folk Series)

Unlike the last one, it’s actually a healthy hour to be writing a review. This wasn’t exactly an ARC review- It was published April of 2017 (I am currently in mid-March of 2018) However I received this for free through NetGalley to review. The author is Zoe Blessing.

Siena can heal wounds with a touch of her hands. A captive since birth, she is used as a tool of war by a Plainsmen tribe. A chance escape into the forest proves successful… and deadly. Rescued by the Forestfolk—a group of people she always thought were nothing more than bedtime stories—Siena remains on edge. Trust does not come easily when persecution is all she’s ever known. Keeping her abilities a secret seems like the right thing to do until a tragic accident renders two Forestfolk spiraling toward death. If she chooses to reveal her abilities, she risks being subjugated again. Treated as no longer human. Maybe even sent back to the Plainsmen. But keeping her talent to herself means ignoring the injured around her, even allowing them to die. The choice seems obvious to Siena, but living with the repercussions of that choice is another matter altogether. A journey of self-discovery, a bit of adventure, and a splash of romance

Alright, I loved this book more than the last one I reviewed on this site. Fantasy novels will always trump anything else. Sienna is a great narrator, and although she could be considered as an “op” character- I disagree, yes she is powerful, but she has real human struggles. I think a lot of people can relate to the hurt of being marginalized for all of her life, and the time that it took to heal those wounds. I liked the slow chemistry between Sienna and her love interest, I also absolutely adored her character development and her interactions with all of the other characters. It did take a while to sink into the story- you are almost thrown into this world but in a good way. Less like being thrown into an ocean, and more like into a kiddie pool. So, if you would like to read this you can find it on Amazon- it’s 2.99 for the Kindle version and paperback for 8.99 (Though it isn’t currently available for Prime).  https://www.amazon.com/Siena-Forestfolk-Book-Zoe-Blessing-ebook/dp/B06XZTP2HD/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520604271&sr=8-1&keywords=9780998861418 

I would highly recommend reading this book- It’s a smooth read and it pulls you in and pulls you in quick. There are only two books (currently) in this series written by Zoe Blessing, and I look forward to reading more of her work. You can find her on her website http://www.zoeblessing.com/books.html

So, go and support this amazing author, and remember:

Books were made to be loved!

XO Lilli

[armchair-librarians]

The Song of Achilles

Today’s review will be kinda short- I have exams to study for! 

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the kingdom of Phthia to be raised in the shadow of King Peleus and his golden son, Achilles. “The best of all the Greeks”—strong, beautiful, and the child of a goddess—Achilles is everything the shamed Patroclus is not. Yet despite their differences, the boys become steadfast companions. Their bond deepens as they grow into young men and become skilled in the arts of war and medicine—much to the displeasure and the fury of Achilles’ mother, Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece, bound by blood and oath, must lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice. Built on the groundwork of the Iliad, Madeline Miller’s page-turning, profoundly moving, and blisteringly paced retelling of the epic Trojan War marks the launch of a dazzling career.

Buy Link: 

 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006IE2IO8/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B006IE2IO8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

This book was… wow. Honestly, all I can say is wow. The voice was so strong and beautiful. It was such an immersive read, and I found myself literally unable to put it down until the last page. As the page number climbed I found myself anxious for what I knew was going to happen (If you’re familiar with the myth of Achilles you’ll know what I’m talking about). I didn’t want this amazing and absolutely breathtaking book to end, and I found myself crying as I read the last pages, not only from how moving it was, but also mourning the loss of the story. Thankfully I knew there was going to be a happy ending, and there was, but this is still a beautiful roller coaster of a book. I cannot recommend reading this enough, and if you are on the fence about buying this masterpiece- please do read this.

Please support this stellar author and remember…

Books were made to be loved!

XOXO Nikki

[armchair-librarians]

Catching Stars Review

“Catching Stars" by Cayla Keenan is one of my favorite indie fantasy novels that I have read.  It has an expansive world that feels real and tangible, characters that you can identify with and root for, and a killer ending that opens itself for many theories and a possible sequel, although to my dismay I have not heard any news of one to be written.

Jayin Ijaad is in hiding. A witch with powerful abilities, she carves out a life for herself in the slums of Pavaal, a city rotting from the inside out. When an old acquaintance tracks her down, Jayin is dragged back into a world she tried to escape – and is determined to escape again.

Maddix Kell is on the run. After two years in prison for crimes he did not commit, Maddix escapes and seeks out a legendary order of witchhunters who are his only chance to find justice.

But all is not as it seems and Maddix soon finds himself on the run from the people he sought as allies. When their paths collide, Jayin and Maddix must put aside their prejudices and forge an uneasy alliance that could crumble at any moment. But if they want to survive in Aestos – a brutal kingdom where magic and corruption lie hand in hand and enemies lurk around every corner – they must first survive each other. (Via Goodreads)

Keenan captures the reader’s attention and holds fast as you read through- even the opening sentence immediately snatches your mind. “Maddix wasn’t afraid of witches.” Who is Maddix? Should he be afraid? Why isn’t he? Throughout the prologue you can plainly see Maddix’s contempt of witches and magic users, and also his need to prove himself- traits that run throughout most of the book and set up a rather lovely character arc for Maddix- not to mention the whole demonic possession and subsequent murder spree that follows the end of the prologue.

In the chapters from Jayin’s point of view (and the whole novel), Keenan does a rather astounding job of fitting into her characters and making them feel real and tangible- from the very first page of Jayin’s POV we can tell she has a certain swagger about her, not to mention a sort of rough confidence and heart of gold. I may be biased, as swaggering magic-wielding kick-butt ladies are by far one of my favorite character archetypes. The main plot of the story kicks off with Jayin coming face to face with a palace witch from her past with a job for her- to find the escaped murderer Maddix Kell. She calls Jayin by her street name of sorts- the “Gullwitch” and needs Jayin for her astounding magical talent in reading people and locating them.

Maddix ends up being picked up by witch hunters, and soon joins their ranks. Jayin then seeks a talented fire mage who loathes his powers and owes her a debt and they (over the course of a time) become quite close as  they charter a ship together to escape from the palace witches, we find Jayin lowering her barriers and finding peace out on the open seas- that is until Maddix and the witch hunters attack the party as they reached the shore. Ending with the death of Jayin’s friend, and his peace with his own magic in his final breaths. Jayin is captured, and a turn of events leads her to escape nearly dead with Maddix and he ends up binding the two’s life together so that he can use her magic to clear his name.

I realize that I have been dragging on too long, and will leave the rest up to you if you finish this wonderfully twist-riddled tale. All in all Catching Stars has a rich and wonderfully understandable magic system, deeply satisfying character arcs, wonderfully written characters, both main and background and a plot that will keep you wrapped up in it tight and won’t let you go. I will admit I first read this all in one sitting and didn’t put it down (much to my sleep schedule’s dismay, I might add) and I am anxiously awaiting a sequel so I can find resolution in the amazing twist of an ending Keenan constructed.

You can find this book on Amazon for less than 5 dollars and I would emphatically recommend doing it (especially with vacation season coming up!)

Remember, books were made to be loved (and so were you)

XOXO Nikki

[armchair-librarians]

You can find us on Spotify right here

https://open.spotify.com/show/3fbLlKRFNTYWNcQsfyoVIj?si=FhR_jXLMSHGFIhRwDRU61A

[armchair-librarians]

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zLdoAs6hoH2PqjxhsjfiS?si=bqr8wPysQAiPMjh-gO0_hg

As promised here is the Spotify link!

The Mist Keeper’s Apprentice

(Hi! As a note, this is also a podcast! I’ll be posting the link to Spotify as soon as it is up! This is a transcript of that episode!)

Hey howdy and hello everyone it’s me your host and resident magical girl, Nikki! Welcome to the first episode of The Armchair librarians, a podcast about books as told by a bunch of friends with a lot of opinions. Today I will be reviewing The Mist Keeper’s Apprentice, the debut novel of indie writer @esbarrison-wips​ (Find her website here!) It just dropped today so be sure to pick up a copy. As a note, I did receive an ARC copy of this book for free to review honestly! So, with all that stuff out of the way let’s dive right in!

Storytelling was outlawed. Magic had all but vanished.

That all changed when the woman in black came to town. Branded with the black stamp at a young age, Brent thought he would end up a vagrant like his father. His craft was telling stories, but the Order had long forbidden any weaving of tales. When Brent sees the woman in black, she leads him into a menagerie of tunnels beneath the earth where his life falls into the nauseating, but beautiful, mist of the dead.

He finds friendship in Rho, a young woman who hides her face with a tree branch while roots and vines bow to her every whim. Together, they embark on a journey to explore the world, escape the watchful eyes of the Order, and discover the woman in black’s secrets.

For thousands of years, the mist and the tunnels were under the sole guardianship of the Council of Mist Keepers. But as new monsters enter the mist, and magic is forced out of the shadows, the Council searches for young blood to join their ranks and Brent’s next in line.

Okay so first off- this was the first book I’ve read all quarantine, even though I have a to be read list the size of Alaska, I’ve only been reading fanfic so take everything with a grain of salt, babes.

 Alrighty, so overall I really enjoyed the story! I will admit that it took me a while to get really invested in the story- don’t get me wrong, its really enjoyable, but up until a certain lovely plot twist at chapter 24 I was overall pretty neutral on the whole shebang. I loved the characters, the worldbuilding was rather interesting but it very much felt like the first novel of a series- which isn’t horrible, cause that’s what it is! And again, remember that I’ve read nothing but slow burn fanfics for the past several months, so this wasn’t the worst way to break back into traditional novels! But again, once I was really hooked, I was hooked. I think it took me around 6-8-ish hours to get through the 526 pages but I was blessed with the gift of speed reading, and I got it down in two sittings, I think I got to chapter 14 and then had to break for this thing called life and then the ret I completed in an afternoon so it was really enjoyable.  One of my favorite things in fantasy novels is the obligatory map on the first two pages, and at first, I was like, hmm, odd map and then I was like oop! Those are the tunnels, Double neat!!! But yeah overall this is a pretty enjoyable read, it’s definitely a high fantasy so if that isn’t your style this one may not be for you. This also has a PG-13 rating for language, and I’ll add in a trigger warning for violence and some implied things, but everything else is rather chill from what I remember.

More under the cut with (minor) spoilers!

Keep reading

[armchair-librarians]

The Mist Keeper’s Apprentice

(Hi! As a note, this is also a podcast! I’ll be posting the link to Spotify as soon as it is up! This is a transcript of that episode!)

Hey howdy and hello everyone it's me your host and resident magical girl, Nikki! Welcome to the first episode of The Armchair librarians, a podcast about books as told by a bunch of friends with a lot of opinions. Today I will be reviewing The Mist Keeper’s Apprentice, the debut novel of indie writer @esbarrison-wips​ (Find her website here!) It just dropped today so be sure to pick up a copy. As a note, I did receive an ARC copy of this book for free to review honestly! So, with all that stuff out of the way let’s dive right in!

 Storytelling was outlawed. Magic had all but vanished.

That all changed when the woman in black came to town. Branded with the black stamp at a young age, Brent thought he would end up a vagrant like his father. His craft was telling stories, but the Order had long forbidden any weaving of tales. When Brent sees the woman in black, she leads him into a menagerie of tunnels beneath the earth where his life falls into the nauseating, but beautiful, mist of the dead.

He finds friendship in Rho, a young woman who hides her face with a tree branch while roots and vines bow to her every whim. Together, they embark on a journey to explore the world, escape the watchful eyes of the Order, and discover the woman in black’s secrets.

For thousands of years, the mist and the tunnels were under the sole guardianship of the Council of Mist Keepers. But as new monsters enter the mist, and magic is forced out of the shadows, the Council searches for young blood to join their ranks and Brent’s next in line.

Okay so first off- this was the first book I’ve read all quarantine, even though I have a to be read list the size of Alaska, I've only been reading fanfic so take everything with a grain of salt, babes.

 Alrighty, so overall I really enjoyed the story! I will admit that it took me a while to get really invested in the story- don’t get me wrong, its really enjoyable, but up until a certain lovely plot twist at chapter 24 I was overall pretty neutral on the whole shebang. I loved the characters, the worldbuilding was rather interesting but it very much felt like the first novel of a series- which isn’t horrible, cause that’s what it is! And again, remember that I’ve read nothing but slow burn fanfics for the past several months, so this wasn’t the worst way to break back into traditional novels! But again, once I was really hooked, I was hooked. I think it took me around 6-8-ish hours to get through the 526 pages but I was blessed with the gift of speed reading, and I got it down in two sittings, I think I got to chapter 14 and then had to break for this thing called life and then the ret I completed in an afternoon so it was really enjoyable.  One of my favorite things in fantasy novels is the obligatory map on the first two pages, and at first, I was like, hmm, odd map and then I was like oop! Those are the tunnels, Double neat!!! But yeah overall this is a pretty enjoyable read, it's definitely a high fantasy so if that isn’t your style this one may not be for you. This also has a PG-13 rating for language, and I'll add in a trigger warning for violence and some implied things, but everything else is rather chill from what I remember.

More under the cut with (minor) spoilers!

So, the characters, Okay so one of my favorite things is that the woman in black is cast as some sort of shadow-y big bad from the back of book synopsis but she actually turned out to be one of my favorite characters and I’m really excited to see how her character progresses across the sequels. I also loved Rho and just the whole idea of a plant-based badass girl is just my entire cup of tea. Also, childhood friends/lovers with a dash of hidden/mistaken identities?? Stunning. I also enjoyed Brent’s growth as a character throughout  this book and I’m stoked to see how he changes over the course of the rest of the series.

And for the worldbuilding, I still have some lingering questions about just how everything works, but again, it’s the first in a series so that’s to be expected. I really enjoyed just the overall premise of storytelling and magic being extremely taboo, which always leads to super interesting settings- like a storyteller speakeasy. I also just love how the library and tunnels were done, and just the whole vibe of the council.

When it comes to pacing, I’m kind of on the fence, on one hand, it did take me quite a while to be attached to the characters and plot as a whole, and some parts were a little too fast or slow for my tastes, but it didn’t take away from the overall enjoyment of the book.  

So all in all,l while it isn’t in my top ten of books, it was a really fun afternoon read so if you have a lazy weekend and a hankering for some really neat worldbuilding and a rather unique plot this one is definitely one to check out! It has most definitely earned its place on my bookshelf!

Have a wonderful day, and remember books were made to be loved!

Also, you can find me personally over at @drowsy-quill​!