#Goredd

[queereads-bracket]

Queer Fantasy Books Bracket: Round 1

Book summaries below:

The Seraphina Duology (Seraphina, Shadow Scale) by Rachel Hartman

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high. Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life. Fantasy, young adult, secondary world, epic fantasy

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

You may think you know how the fairytale goes: a mermaid comes to shore and weds the prince. But what the fables forget is that mermaids have teeth. And now, her daughters have devoured the kingdom and burned it to ashes. On the run, the mermaid is joined by a mysterious plague doctor with a darkness of their own. Deep in the eerie, snow-crusted forest, the pair stumble upon a village of ageless children who thirst for blood, and the three 'saints' who control them. The mermaid and her doctor must embrace the cruellest parts of their true nature if they hope to survive. Horror, fantasy, retelling, adult, novella

[redgoldsparks]

July Reading and Reviews by Maia Kobabe

I post my reviews throughout the month on Storygraph and Goodreads, and do roundups here and on patreon. Reviews below the cut.

How Far The Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler

This collection of 10 essays weaves together memories and experiences of the author's real life with the rich and varied lives of sea creatures, from octopi, Chinese sturgeon, whales, sand strikers and immortal jellyfish to yeti crabs and more. My favorite part was learning about some deep sea creatures I had never heard of before, the kinds of beings that live in oases around thermal vents on the ocean floor and survive by chemo-synthesis. I loved a story about encountering a bloom of clear, gelatinous creatures known as salps flooding the water of Riis Beach, a historically queer hangout spot in New York. This book wrestles with heavy content- one essay deals with eating disorders and parental pressure to diet, another with sexual assault and blackout drinking. It's hard for me to judge the quality of these essays when my life has not been touched by these topics, but I appreciated the author's honesty and the thoughtful maritime metaphors.

Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M Valente read by Karis Campbell

I listened to this 2 hour novella all in one afternoon. It's another spooky little fairy tale from a master of the genre, but if I tell you which one it's a remix of that would spoil the surprise. This wasn't deep or as original as some of Valente's work, but her writing is so vivid with flavors, sensations, smells, colors, I was thoroughly engaged the whole time.

Cry Wolf by Charlie Adhara read by Erik Bloomquist 

Human Cooper Dayton and his werewolf boyfriend Oliver Park are engaged and beginning to plan their wedding, which is stressing Cooper out- not least because his family, who he didn't talk to much for a couple years, are being very supportive and it's weirding him out. Also, the chaotic scientist who threatened to expose the werewolf community and then turned herself in to werewolf government asking for a deal is making vague threats about enemies Cooper doesn't even know about. Then a body is discovered at the DC zoo, a werewolf killed and frozen in a half transformed state- nothing that the werewolves have ever seen before. I am still very entertained by this series as a whole and glad I listened to all of them, but I did want a little more than this book delivered on mysterious enemy front. There was a conspiracy, but it wasn't as far reaching as I was lead to believe by the cliffhanger ending of book 4. However, if you are reading these books more for the spicy scenes and romantic plot line, you won't be disappointed.

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman 

What an ambitious and satisfying follow up to Seraphina! This book is much longer than the first one, and adds a ton of new elements and so many twists and turns. It opens with Seraphina, court musician of Goredd, setting out on a journey to find and recruit her fellow half-dragons to the war effort. The dragon society is being torn part by civil war, and some of the dragons will be coming to south to attack human settlements soon. Seraphina finds many new friends, but also encounters her oldest enemy- a half dragon who invaded her mind and attempted to control her as a girl. I really loved the way this book expanded the world and the various societies who live in it. It did a wonderful job of maintaining the pace and rising stakes over more than 600 pages; it also has a hinted at queer/poly relationship in the ending that really delighted me. I will definitely be reading more!

Eniale & Dewiela vol 1 by Kamome Shirahama

This series was pitched to me as "Good Omens with lesbians" but sadly I wouldn't say it lives up to that claim. It's by the same author as "Witch Hat Atelier" and it is just a beautifully drawn, but it's missing an emotional core to really hold the plot together. Each chapter is essentially a standalone story about a demon and angel who have been in petty conflict for millennia; the theft of a tube of lipstick or pair of earring will set of a battle that destroys half a city. One fun element is that the leads can both magically change their outfits, as well as grow and shrink their wings, at will; the looks are all so fun.

Eniale & Dewiela vol 2 by Kamome Shirahama

This comic is more visually beautiful than it is actually interesting to read. Eniale and Dewiela fight with each other over the soul of a child with a sick mother, then over a priest who feel in love with a criminal. One chapter is set in Japan and shows a conflict in which Japanese gods and spirits prove more powerful than Christian ones. I don't really have any emotional investment in any character or any story line but I'll probably read the last book in the series anyway.

The Wicked Bargain by Gabe Cole Novoa read by Vico Ortiz 

Mar is transmasc nonbinary, a pirate, and a magic user who can control fire and ice. On their 16th birthday, disaster strikes the ship they live and work on with their father and a crew as close as family-a storm takes the crew, and El Diablo comes for Mar's father's soul. Somehow, Mar is spared and wakes up on a different ship, also crewed by pirates who steal from the Spanish and give food, weapons, and other supplies to those in the Caribbean islands fighting Spanish control. Mar strikes up a somewhat reluctant friendship with a boy their age on the ship, and refuses to the negotiate with a demonio who says they can help Mar free their father's soul. This story has a lot of fun elements, and the audiobook is expertly read by Vico Ortiz. But I didn't love this book as much as I wanted to. I found the first half quite slow, and overall felt like not quite enough happened to justify the length. I loved the nonbinary rep and the Spanish phrases in the dialogue, but wanted faster pacing and quicker reveals, especially of the demonio's motivations.

The Joy Luck Club (abridged) written and read by Amy Tan

I listened to the abridged version of the audiobook, which is read by the author, and only runs for 2.5 hours (the full book is 9 hours). This turns the full length novel into a much more concise novella of interlocking short stories, each one quite poetic and moving. I love reading books set in and around San Francisco, as are the scenes from this book which aren't set in China. The stories focus on four women, friends and mahjong partners, who met after immigrating to the Bay Area, and their daughters. The daughters are mostly in their mid-30s, at various stages of their careers and marriages, and at varying levels of close with their families and Chinese heritage. The mothers recount stories from their childhoods and their flight from war in the 1940s. I know I watched part of the movie adaption once, and maybe also read part of the full length novel in high school, because a few scenes felt so familiar while others sounded unfamiliar and new. I would like to pick up the full novel at some point, but I also really enjoyed hearing the dialogue in the author's own voice.

[abookandacuppa]

Seraphina

This book was decent enough, but different from what I thought it would be. I think I expected more of a murder-mystery vibe based off of the summary, but it was mostly courtly politics. Which is interesting enough, I suppose, but not always my cup of tea. The story meandered slowly for the first half or so, but really gained momentum during the last third of it.

The themes were pretty good, with many of the characters trying to come to terms with the sins of their parents and how that means they need to go above and beyond to receive respect. The dragon lore was also pretty good, but I wish it was fleshed out s bit more. Same with the saints/deities of the world. It just seemed like saints were name-dropped at random, and honestly I sort of tuned out after awhile.

But overall the book is good. It isn't one I would reread, and I have no intense desire to continue the series, but it was a good experience. The main character is dry and witty, which made for some humorous moments. Her relationships with the people around her was probably my favorite parts of the story and was the saving grace for this book. I would recommend this book to the right sort of audience, but I don't think I am the right sort of audience.

All in all, I gave it 3/5

Summary under the cut:

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

[seekerreads]

july wrap up!

this was kind of a mid month ngl 😓 but on we go!

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Yona of the Dawn, Volume 2

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Mizuko Kusanagi

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: While on the run, Yona and Hak head to Hak’s hometown, where she attempts to heal her broken heart. However, she can’t rest there for long once she discovers that Su-won may soon become king! What will Yona choose to do in the wake of this news?

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: the pace is picking up! i've been told it only gets better so i'm ready for the journey!

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Mary Ventura and the Ninth Kingdom

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Sylvia Plath

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Lips the colour of blood, the sun an unprecedented orange, train wheels that sound like 'guilt, and guilt, and guilt': these are just some of the things Mary Ventura begins to notice on her journey to the ninth kingdom.

'But what is the ninth kingdom?' she asks a kind-seeming lady in her carriage. 'It is the kingdom of the frozen will,' comes the reply. 'There is no going back.'

Sylvia Plath's strange, dark tale of independence over infanticide, written not long after she herself left home, grapples with mortality in motion.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: quite spooky and atmospheric, but not long enough to leave much of a lasting impression.

𓆩♡𓆪 title: The Fake Mate

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Lana Furguson

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.

Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right? Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Nate will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: entertaining, but nothing ground breaking. hetero omegaverse just might not be for me. (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Yona of the Dawn, Volume 3

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Mizuho Kusanagi

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Yona and Hak set out on a journey to find a priest who can see the future. After they get severely injured falling from a cliff, a boy named Yun and his guardian Ik-su nurse them back to health—and Ik-su happens to be a priest! When Yona tells him that she wishes to protect the lives of those who are precious to her, what path will Ik-su show her?

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: n/a

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Seraphina

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Rachel Hartman

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: concept was neat, but overall i just wish this book did more. one big decision by the protag i thought was dumb and it soured the book for me. will not pick up the sequel. (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: The Broken Forest

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Megan Derr

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: When women and children begin to vanish, the people of Edge village summon a Huntress. Though she is long due for a break and exhausted from her previous assignment, Adamina accepts the assignment and heads for Edge. But when she arrives, the simple assignment she anticipated proves instead to be complicated—complicated enough she must consult with a witch. A beautiful, compelling witch that makes Adamina sharply aware of her own lonely life, and temps her to make it less lonely.

Assuming the forest doesn't kill them first.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: very short, very atmospheric, very queer! trans woman mc! would've loved for this to be longer! (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Patricia Wants to Cuddle

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Samantha Allen

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: When the final four women in competition for an aloof, somewhat sleazy bachelor’s heart arrive on a mysterious island in the Pacific Northwest, they prepare themselves for another week of extreme sleep deprivation, invasive interviews, and, of course, the salacious drama eager viewers nationwide tune in to devour. Each woman came on The Catch for her own reasons—brand sponsorships, followers, and, yes, even love—and they’ve all got their eyes steadfastly trained on their respective prizes. Enter Patricia, a temperamental and woe¬fully misunderstood local living alone in the dark, verdant woods, and desperate for connection. Through twists as unexpected as they are wildly entertaining, the self-absorbed cast and jaded crew each make her acquaintance atop the island’s tallest and most desolate peak, finding themselves at the center of an action-packed thriller that is far from scripted—and only a few will make the final cut.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: interesting concept, but ultimately didn't do what I wanted it to do ://. (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: How To Bite Your Neighbor & Win A Wager

𓆩♡𓆪 author: D.N. Brynn

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Vincent Barnes has suffered four years as a vampire, and they’ve been the most miserable years of his pathetic life. Too poor for black market blood, he feeds from sleeping humans to survive. He tries to never intrude on the same prey twice, but after a single delicious taste of a long-lost childhood neighbor, he can’t help returning for seconds.

Wesley Garcia has been waking up with fang marks. Lucky for him, he needs a vampire—to use as bait. He’s certain Vitalis-Barron Pharmaceutical killed his mother, but to gain access to their covert research labs, he has to bring them a bloodsucker for their experiments. 

Step one, a dramatic offer: Stay, and you can bite me. 

Vincent leaps at the chance to gobble Wesley up.

Wes’s plan is perfect. He’ll befriend the vampire, then trick him into coming to the lab. No fighting, no fuss. But Vincent is more than Wesley has bargained for: sweet and shy, with intoxicating fangs that awaken new desires in Wes. As the two bond, Vincent believes he might have finally found someone worth putting his trust in... and Wes fears neither of them will survive the betrayal he has planned.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: very cute! love supernatural romances and love queer stories, and this overall did what it was meant to do! nothing too groundbreaking but i still had a good time!

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Yona of the Dawn, Volume 4

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Mizuho Kusanagi

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: While on a quest to find the Four Legendary Dragon Warriors, Yona and her friends meet Gija, the White Dragon. Gija uses his power to detect the other Dragons, but locating the Blue Dragon proves to be more difficult than expected, and the group runs into a string of disasters!

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: more new characters being introduced! i'm quite intrigued with the backstories so far. it'll be interesting to see what the author does with them!

𓆩♡𓆪 title: December Park

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Ronald Malfi

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖

𓆩♡𓆪 description: In the quiet suburb of Harting Farms, the weekly crime blotter usually consists of graffiti or the occasional bout of mailbox baseball. But in the fall of 1993, children begin vanishing and one is found dead. Newspapers call him the Piper because he has come to take the children away. But there are darker names for him, too . . .

Vowing to stop the Piper's reign of terror, five boys take up the search. Their teenage pledge turns into a journey of self-discovery . . . and a journey into the darkness of their own hometown. On the twilit streets of Harting Farms, everyone is a suspect. And any of the boys might be the Piper's next victim.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: another very atmospheric read! overall enjoyed it but it was a bit too long imo and i didn't like some of the twists. (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Schoolbooks & Sorcery: An Anthology of Inclusive YA Fantasy

𓆩♡𓆪 author: multi

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: In this enchanting collection of young adult tales, 20 authors explore the overlap of the mundane and the fantastical, with LGBTQ protagonists juggling the pressures of school and the wonder of magic in its many forms. From entrance tests to final exams, casting spells to breaking curses, these teens seek to claim their place in the world. In these pages, you'll find gay and lesbian, bisexual and asexual, trans and nonbinary characters, all experiencing sexy, strange, wicked, wonderful, romantic adventures. They deal with bad roommates and bullies, first loves and new friends, all while crafting and inhabiting their ideal identities. Featuring authors such as Seanan McGuire, Cheryl Rainfield, Cecilia Tan, E.C. Myers, Rajan Khanna, and many more. Step inside and experience Schoolbooks & Sorcery?

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: very well-rounded anthology! each of the worlds were unique and dealt with different issues with enough diversity to impress for such a specific sub-genre to be writing from! (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Romeo And/Or Juliet, A Chooseable-Path Adventure

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Ryan North

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕

𓆩♡𓆪 description: In this choose-your-own-path version of Romeo and Juliet, you choose where the story goes every time you read What if Romeo never met Juliet? What if Juliet got really buff instead of moping around the castle all day? What if they teamed up to take over Verona with robot suits? Whatever your adventure, you're guaranteed to find lots of romance, lots of epic fight scenes, and plenty of questionable decision-making by very emotional teens.

All of the endings--there are over a hundred--feature beautiful illustrations by some of the greatest artists working today, including New York Times bestsellers Kate Beaton, Noelle Stevenson, Randall Munroe, and Jon Klassen.

Packed with exciting choices, fun puzzles, secret surprises, terrible puns, and more than a billion possible storylines, Romeo and/or Juliet offers a new experience every time you read it. You can choose to play as Romeo or Juliet (obviously) but you can also play as both of them, or as Juliet's nurse, or, if you're good, you can even unlock a fourth playable character That's right. We figured out how to have unlockable characters in books. Choose well, and you may even get to write the world's most awkward choose-your-own sex scene.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: i mostly just picked this up for fun lol. it was very cute.

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Vampires of Eden: Oliver

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Karla Nikole

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌖

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Welcome to Eden. A vampire aristocracy weighted down by the iron shackles of rigid and sometimes cruel customs. Eden exists as all vampires once were—motivated by power, wealth, influence and sexual desire. 

Oliver James Blakeley is a young purebred vampire raised in Eden. Although, he sincerely wishes that were not the case. He is isolated. Lonely. And his every move is controlled by his manipulative father, who has also saddled him with an arranged marriage. 

Oliver yearns to be free. To live as a liberated vampire in the twenty-first century. He knows that his dream is outlandish given his circumstance. But when he encounters a suave, progressive and much older vampire during the preparation for his wedding, the trajectory of Oliver’s life shifts, and nothing will ever be the same.  

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: i didn't like this one as much as nikole's other works, but still a good time! gay vampires are always fun. (full review here)

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Giant Days, Volume 1

𓆩♡𓆪 author: John Allison, Whitney Cogar with Lissa Treiman

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌗

𓆩♡𓆪 description: Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves. But in the face of hand-wringing boys, "personal experimentation," influenza, mystery-mold, nu-chauvinism, and the willful, unwanted intrusion of "academia," they may be lucky just to make it to spring alive. Going off to university is always a time of change and growth, but for Esther, Susan, and Daisy, things are about to get a little weird. 

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: INCREDIBLY british.

𓆩♡𓆪 title: Green Rider

𓆩♡𓆪 author: Kristen Britain

𓆩♡𓆪 rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌘

𓆩♡𓆪 description: On her long journey home from school after a fight that will surely lead to her expulsion, Karigan G'ladheon ponders her uncertain future. As she trudges through the immense Green Cloak forest, her thoughts are interrupted by the clattering of hooves, as a galloping horse bursts from the woods. 

The rider is slumped over his mount's neck, impaled by two black-shafted arrows. As the young man lies dying on the road, he tells Karigan he is a Green Rider, one of the legendary messengers of the king of Sacoridia. 

Before he dies, he begs Karigan to deliver the "life and death" message he bears to King Zachary. When she reluctantly he agrees, he makes her swear on his sword to complete his mission, whispering with his dying breath, Beware the shadow man.... 

Taking on the golden-winged horse brooch that is the symbol of the Green Riders, Karigan is swept into a world of deadly danger and complex magic, her life forever changed. Compelled by forces she cannot understand, Karigan is accompanied by the silent specter of the fallen messenger and hounded by dark beings bent on seeing that the message, and its reluctant carrier, never reach their destination.

𓆩♡𓆪 thoughts: good start to the series! some things went unexplained or waved away but i suppose that's to be expected from the first book in a series. i will be continuing to book 2! (full review here)

ending stats:

books read: 15

pages read: 4,742

average rating: 3.67

yearly goal: 116/150

(divider credit: @drinkthesky)

[imagine-lilareads]

TESS OF THE ROAD, SPOILERS!!

[falliblefabrial]

Ok can we talk about Tess of the Road for just like one second

I fell in love with seraphina because of the cover art. And then I fell in love again because of the book. I loved every about it. I loved the characters and the world and the storytelling and the languages and the magic and the species and the way dragons were supposed to be emotionless but maybe it was just that some people show emotions differently, and that those who didn’t conform were suppressed

Maybe it was the dragons. I really REALLY liked dragons

That was in 9th or 10th grade, and when shadow scale came out I read it, and I really liked it, and it had a lot of the same stuff as seraphina had.

But then last week I saw this gorgeous cover.

Then I saw the author, and was intrigued. And I picked it up. And then I read it All. It was really good. The characters were compelling and so completely different from what I’m used to, and the languages were cool, and the myths were amazing. But the book had so much more to it than that.

I texted this to my friends tonight

The reasons I was up till two reading:

This series has: a three person loving main relationship, a gender non conforming main character, a main character with ptsd, dragons, gay people accepted by society, a character that chooses to continue on every day, dragons that turn into people, a sex worker teaching a really important lesson on self acceptance, a woman as the boss of a road fixing crew, magic talking devices, a disabled character who is not portrayed as broken, gender neutral pronouns, giant magic snakes, mighty fine redemption arcs, and a character that grows as the book does.

Everyone go read these books.

[incorrect-seraphina]

Guntard: Can I play some music?

Carriage driver: Sure.

Guntard, pulling out an oud: Do you like VeggieTales?

[this-is-lit]

Tess of the Road

by Rachel Hartman

In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons can be whomever they choose. Tess is none of these things. Tess is. . . different. She speaks out of turn, has wild ideas, and can’t seem to keep out of trouble. Then Tess goes too far. What she’s done is so disgraceful, she can’t even allow herself to think of it. Unfortunately, the past cannot be ignored. So Tess’s family decide the only path for her is a nunnery. But on the day she is to join the nuns, Tess chooses a different path for herself. She cuts her hair, pulls on her boots, and sets out on a journey. She’s not running away, she’s running towards something. What that something is, she doesn’t know. Tess just knows that the open road is a map to somewhere else–a life where she might belong.

Tess of the Road is a companion book to Hartman’s Seraphina series—which you should absolute go read!—but you don’t need to have read those 2 books in order to enjoy Tess.

While Tess of the Road bears a lot of similarities between it and Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy, Hartman herself has said that she read Hardy’s book 30yrs ago and had no intention for her book to be a contemporary retelling of Hardy’s tragic story.

First off, while there is love in this story, it’s not a love story. The main conflict is Tess’s journey to find herself and realizing along the way that she can’t do so without first working through her past trauma.

Like most successful characters, it’s easy at times to empathize with Tess even when she’s unlikable and working against her own best interests. Hartman makes great use of the fantastic worldbuilding she’s done in Seraphina without expecting any new readers to jump into the deep end.

Even the side characters in Tess’s story are multifaceted, and there are many surprises when one of them shows a different face than what you were expecting. There are antagonists whose actions become understandable, if not acceptable, and even some of the “good” characters show an ugly side when pushed.

I would heartily recommend this book if you’re looking for an enagaing read with strong characters and an woman protagonist who is all too human.

[foxingfae]

Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman

Goodreads rating: 3.92

My rating: 4/5 stars

Full review below:

Tess Dombegh is far too big for the box the world has tried to squeeze her into. She is expected to be a proper lady and fit in at court and, at the very least, not embarrass her twin sister at her wedding. Unfortunately Tess is a young girl with a lot of hurt in her heart. She is weighed down by the decisions she has made and the consequences she’s been forced to face as a result. She’s rude, crass, angry, and selfish. At first, anyway.

Tess of the Road is a very grown-up young adult fantasy that is character driven more than anything else. Over the course of 500+ pages, we follow Tess as she unravels the events that led to her family all but disowning her and trying to send her off to a convent. Along the way she sorts out her personal responsibility and begins to heal by digging out a niche for herself in this life that she never really fit into before.

The medieval fantasy land of Goredd is filled to the brim with unique lore and world-building. Humans live alongside dragons who are a bit high and mighty at times. The World Serpents who created the earth might be sleeping below somewhere, just out of reach.

Yet as fantastical as this world is, Rachel Hartman gives Tess a voice that is so true to life and relatable that we can all find ourselves right at home on the road with her.

In particular, I loved the way this story illustrated the personal struggles Tess has with her family. Her mother can be cold and cruel and she makes no attempts to understand her unruly daughter. Tess’ twin sister Jeanne is sweet and kind, but also self serving in her own right. Tess’ half sister Seraphina is quite literally a Saint and so can do no wrong in the eyes of society. All of this serves to isolate and frustrate Tess (understandably, so). It makes it very hard for her to wrestle with her own shortcomings and move on to become a better person. All of these things help to humanize this character who might otherwise come across as overly bitter and catty (though I know this was exactly the reason why some readers didn’t click with Tess. For me, it worked.).

There are some interesting plot elements as well. Tess and her Quigutl friend Pathka experience no shortage of adventures over the course of this book, but Tess herself truly is under the spotlight the whole time.

Tess is a character I won’t soon forget and I really cherished my time with her. Tess of the Road is a spin-off of the bestselling books Seraphina and Shadow Scale. It’s recommended that you read Seraphina first to get a better understanding of the world of Goredd, however I didn’t read Seraphina prior to Tess and I didn’t have too much trouble with it. Just thought I’d mentioned that in case you would rather not jump in totally blind.

[just0nemorepage]

Seraphina || Rachel Hartman || Seraphina #1 || 467 pages -------------------------------------------------------- Top 3 Genres: Fantasy / Young Adult / Dragons

Synopsis: Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

Publication Date: July 2012. / Average Rating: 3.97. / Number of Ratings: 70,670~.

[krelboom]

Name: Toby Domzalski

Age: 16

Species: Half Ityasaar and Half Human

Ityasaar parent: Father

Ityasaar parent’s Dragon parent: Father

Nickname in Claire’s garden: Ghostie

Ityasaar mark: Dull gold scales on his knees

Country of Origin: Goredd

Occupation or Parental Occupation: Toby is a blacksmith’s apprentice and his Nana worked on a farm

Additional facts: Collects stones

Due to only being half Ityasaar, he doesn’t fully show up in Claire’s Garden. His firm flickers like a ghost, hence his nickname.

[brownichu27]

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 

Durante el lluvioso verano de 1816, cuatro de los escritores ingleses más talentosos de su tiempo se dieron cita en Villa Diodati. La mansión a orillas del lago Ginebra fue el escenario en que Lord Byron, John Polidori, Percy Bysshe Shelley y Mary Shelley se retaron a escribir una historia de terror. Aquel juego llevó a la autora londinense a crear Frankenstein, una de las grandes cimas del horror gótico y una brillante reflexión sobre la ética científica. La novela narra el intento de un joven estudiante de medicina de crear vida artificial y las terribles consecuencias de su experimento.

¿Dónde encontrarla? Casa del Libro

¿Qué opinan Seliria? Una de las obras predecesoras de la ciencia ficción actual y, para mucha gente, la primera novela de ciencia ficción tal y como la entendemos hoy en día. También podéis leer mi reseña al respecto. 

Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway  

Novela en la que se inspiró la película «Las horas», protagonizada por Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore y Nicole Kidman, “La señora Dalloway” relata un día en la vida de una mujer de la clase alta londinense desde el punto de vista de una conciencia que experimenta con plena intensidad cada instante vivido, en el que se mezclan sentimientos, pensamientos y emociones y se condensan el pasado, el entorno y el presente.

¿Dónde encontrarla? Editorial Alianza

¿Qué opinan Seliria? Una de las novelas que inauguró el Modernismo de una de las autoras más importantes de la historia de la literatura.

Seanan McGuire, Cada corazón, un umbral  

Deslizándose entre las sombras bajo la cama, o a través de un armario, o por madrigueras de conejos… los niños siempre han sabido acceder a mundos mágicos. Pero ¿qué ocurre cuando regresan y no consiguen adaptarse y no son aceptados por sus familias? Eleanor West tiene un internado que acoge a estos niños que quieren volver a su mundo de fantasía. Pero con la llegada de Nancy algo cambia en el internado y pronto tendrán que enfrentarse a una tragedia por sí mismos.

¿Dónde encontrarla? Alianza Editorial

¿Qué opinan Seliria? Una novela corta donde se mezcla la magia con el suspense de una historia de asesinatos y de búsqueda de la identidad.

Rachel Hartman, Tess del camino 

En el reino de Goredd, de las mujeres se espera que sean damas; de los hombres, que las custodien; y de los dragones… En fin, de ellos no se espera nada bueno. Tess no encaja en ninguna de esas tres categorías. Ella es… diferente. Ni siquiera intenta parecer respetable, a diferencia de su hermanastra Seraphina. Un día llega demasiado lejos: lo que hace mancha tanto su reputación que su familia decide enviarla a un convento.

Pero Tess escoge otra senda: se corta el pelo, se disfraza de hombre y emprende un viaje por las fascinantes Tierras del Sur, donde descubrirá que no es posible huir de un sitio sin avanzar al mismo tiempo hacia otro lugar.

¿Dónde encontrarla? Nocturna Ediciones

¿Qué opinan Seliria? Una historia en un mundo de fantasía y el viaje de una muchacha para encontrarse a sí misma.

  #UnAñoDeAutoras: Iria y Selene nos recomiendan sus autoras favoritas Mary Shelley, Frankenstein  Durante el lluvioso verano de 1816, cuatro de los escritores ingleses más talentosos de su tiempo se dieron cita en Villa Diodati.

[jamiesshelves]

Book: Shadow Scale Series: Seraphina (Book 2) Author: Rachel Hartman Pages: 602 Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5) Favorite Quote: “Sometimes everyone does their best and things still go wrong.”   Recommendation: If you like dragons, beautiful writing, excellent world building and lore

Synopsis:

The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways. As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?

My Opinion:

An underwhelming sequel and conclusion

The writing was still absolutely stunning

It lacked the wonderful relationships that I really loved in the first book

The first half and second half felt disconnected. I wish they were each fleshed out and made into separate books

I still would love to read the new book that takes place in this world

Full Review | My Reviews | Bookstagram | Ko-Fi

[jorammiireads]

Seraphina

by Rachel Hartman

Seriously one of the most interesting takes on dragons and dragon-lore that I have read. I listened to the audiobook and read the book after which made it easier to have a feel for 1. how to pronounce the names and words and 2. how the music influences the narrative. Although her instances of self-deprecation felt a little much (but maybe that’s just because it was a little too easy to relate to), I’m glad that the focus was on her learning to accept herself for all the good she is and that she does end up building herself a support system to remind her of it. Seraphina is mostly a book about family, learning where you belong, and marking your worth within your space, and especially about learning to love. Also, cannot get over the romance; so much great chemistry and back and forth, how unfortunate that it’s too much of a star-crossed lovers thing.

Content Warning: violence, self-harm

This is @shadowtearling ‘s choice for @youthbookreview ‘s traveling book club and it was a great choice 💕💕

Summary from Goodreads:

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high. Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

What I liked:

-Dragons and dragon-lore! Woah! This was a really cool and interesting take on dragons, creatures that have kind of lost their foothold on current fantasy novels. Basically, dragons are super rational beings that can opt-into transforming into a human body, but with that comes human emotions which they have a hard time handling. Much of the narrative is about the differences and commonalities between humans and dragons and learning how to live, and love, and have feelings.

-The music from the audiobook. I’m not sure how much control over the music Rachel Hartman had, but I hope she approves of how the lyrics were composed to music, but I think it helped create the setting and set the tone (hah) for the storyline.

-Great characters! I was going to choose and list a few but then as I was listing them I realized I kinda ended up listing all of them and maybe that would have gotten really long. 

Seriously have a soft spot for Prince Lucian Kiggs, I love how clever and sassy he is and how loyal he is and also like half of his interactions with Seraphina are full of awkwardness and it’s kinda cute. I’m not a fan of insta-love, but I can genuinely believe that these two are kindred spirits. 

But I also liked Princess Glisselda who began as a rather two-dimensional character but really grew into her potential as a friend and princess.

Also all of the characters from the garden. I love the ones that we met and am seriously intrigued by the ones that we didn’t. I won’t say more specifics because spoilers.

What I didn’t like:

-Seraphina’s self-deprecation and eventually her self-harm. I wasn’t expecting it to be that bad and I really just wanted someone, anyone, to pick her up and tell her she was okay and that she was a great person and that she needed to stop thinking about herself that way. We didn’t really get that resolution exactly, but we did get to see her learn and grow on her own and *spoilers* eventually she was able to find people to love and support her which was awesome. 

-It kinda took me a while to get into. Not sure why, but I was so confused for like the first tenth of the book. I suggest if you’re reading it and find yourself feeling the same, then keep going just a little more because it is definitely the kind of layered tale that makes more sense as things click into place. It’s not that the book moves slowly, it’s just that it moves...oddly and can feel like it needs a little extra care to buy-into.

Read: August 11, 2018

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Publication date: July 1, 2012

[mybookishlife2]

▪️◽️Self-Care◽️▪️ QOTD: what do you do for self-care? Do you give yourself a break from life? What’s a book cover you really like? Sometimes you just have to not do anything. I forgot what that was like until this past weekend and it was sooooo nice. I kinda just laid there for a while. Life has been so hectic. 😂 Y’all I tried doing a sweater book photo but it was not working out for the life of me, if you have tips, please let me know!!! These are some items I love for self care. I love nicely scented lotion for my hands. Candles when I’m wanting to just chill in my room and listen to music. Reading of course is another self care as a mini getaway. 😂 Thank you @theworld.in.words for gifting me this!!! I really want to get to it in 2022. It sounds like such a great book. ◽️Synopsis◽️ Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high. Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life. ▪️Tags▪️ #seraphina #rachelhartman #yafantasy #dragons #magic #yaromance #bookishphoto #bookishflatlay #bookishcandle #bathandbodyworkslotion #bookstagrammer https://www.instagram.com/p/CXjiDgBrMEJ/?utm_medium=tumblr