August, September, October 2025 Reading Wrap Up

09 Nov 2025 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Every year I struggle with my reading and blogging when August or September comes around. While I thought I’d do better with reading in August since I’d be laid up after a surgery, the medications made me sleepier than I would have liked, so my reading suffered. Then September comes around and is always a busy month for some reason. So better late than never, here are the books I’ve been reading since August.

In August I did finish the four books shown below, although Rogue Protocol was technically a novella.

  • The Feeding by Anthony Ryan – You can find my review of this one here and a purchase link here.
  • Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver – My review is here and purchase link is here.
  • The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence – This was the third and final book in The Library Trilogy and was quite good. I hope to review it soon and you can find a purchase link here.
  • Rogue Protocol by Martha Wells – This was the third novella in the Murderbot Diaries series. I haven’t reviewed any of these books yet, but I did watch the recent Apple TV series. You can find the show here and a purchase link for this third book here.

For September, I read three books, but one was a struggle and I DNF’d (did not finish) it about 1/3 of the way through.

  • The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten – This was the anticipated finale in The Nightshade Crown series. My review of it is here and you can find a purchase link here.
  • What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller – I’ve read a couple of this author’s YA books (Warrior of the Wild, Blade of Secrets, Master of Iron) and this was her first adult novel (paid links). It is a stand-alone and I’ll have a review up soon. You can follow a purchase link here.
  • Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders – While I’ve enjoyed this author’s other books, with All the Birds in the Sky being one of my favorite books of 2019 (paid link), this is the book that I struggled with. I’ll have a review up soon with an explanation.

October should have been when I caught up, but the month continued to be crazy and I only finished two books:

  • The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong – This was a stand-alone novel as well. I recently reviewed the author’s first novel, The Teller of Small Fortunes, and found it to be surprisingly good (review here) for one of the first “cozy fantasy” novels I’ve read (paid link). This new book follows in the same vein and I’ll have a review here soon. This is a purchase link.
  • Crossroads of Ravens by Andrzej Sapkowski – This is the new prequel novel in The Witcher series about a young Geralt on one of his first adventures. I just finished the audiobook a few days ago and you can find a paid link for it here.

At the end of October I succumbed to the temptation to read six books at once. I’m still working on 5 of them (purchase links included below):

  • The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab – This is the first book that I’ve read by this author and I have about 50 pages left to go. It took some time to get into, but became more interesting about halfway through. I only need to find a dedicated hour to finish it.
  • Katabasis by R.F. Kuang – I have been a fan of this author since I read Babel (review here / purchase link here) and her new novel is a stand-alone dark academia tale that reads like Dante’s Inferno so far.
  • Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh – I was supposed to read this novel for a book club discussion, but didn’t finish it in time. It is a page-turner space opera tale that won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2024.
  • Twelve Months by Jim Butcher – This is the latest (book #18) installment in The Dresden Files, a well-known urban fantasy series, that I have early thanks to NetGalley. I was excited to start this book, but the beginning reminded me of the tragedy of the previous book, so it has been slow going to get into it so far.
  • A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon – This is the 6th book in the Outlander series and I’m more than halfway through it in audiobook format.

While it is only a short story, I just finished The Lady Astronaut of Mars by Mary Robinette Kowal (paid link) (technically this was read in November).

I’m trying to finish the year by reaching my goal of reading 50 books. I only have 11 left to go, so with two months remaining, I think I can do it! First I need to finish the current books above. Here are some of the other ones that I may read in November (purchase links):

Are there books on this post that you’ve read? What did you think? Which ones should I review here first?

What other books do you think I should try to squeeze in this year? Let me know in the comments!

Book Review – The Nightshade God

16 Sep 2025 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I was excited to receive my preorder of The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten near my birthday, but with other books and circumstances, I didn’t have a chance to read it until just the past couple weeks. This is the third and final book in The Nightshade Crown series (paid links).

Since this is a review for the last book in a series, my review won’t have spoilers for this volume, but there will unavoidably be some for the earlier books. Even the blurb for this book is a spoiler for the ending of book 2.

You can find my reviews of the earlier books in the series and affiliate purchase links here:

  • The Foxglove King (review here / purchase here)
  • The Hemlock Queen (review here / purchase here)
I read the hardcover edition.

Here is the blurb:

Lore has failed. She couldn’t save King Bastian from the rotten god speaking voices in his mind. She couldn’t save her allies from being scattered across the continent—their own lesser gods whispering to them in their dreams. She couldn’t save her beautiful, corrupt city from the dark power beneath the catacombs. And she couldn’t save herself.

Banished to the Burnt Isles, Lore must use every skill she earned on the streets of Dellaire to survive the prison colony and figure out a way to defeat the power that’s captured everything and everyone she holds dear. When a surprise ally joins her on the Burnt Isles she realizes the way forward may lie on the island itself. Somehow, her friends must help her collect the far-scattered pieces of the broken Fount—the source of all the god’s powers—and bring them back together on the Burnt Isles, returning all magic to its source and destroying, once and for all, the gods corrupting the land.

But as Lore gets closer to her goal, her magic grows stronger… and to a woman who’s always had to fight for survival, that kind of power may be hard to give up.

I want to go back and re-read this series without breaks between each book, because the author doesn’t spend any words refreshing the reader’s memory about details (which is fine, more of a me problem). I think that would take this final volume from good to great, given that I found myself forgetting critical information about the gods, the politics, and other relationships.

Even with my poor memory, I enjoyed this book quite a bit and read the last 100 pages in one sitting. At the end of book 2, the characters have been scattered to three main locations. As this final book progressed, I wondered how they would end up in one place (because they clearly had to), and feared that it would feel contrived or rushed. Each set of characters had their own “side quest” and small dramas that gave them a reason to be apart from each other. However, when the finale is set up and everyone is on the move, it flowed naturally.

The romance in this series was different than some other romantasy books I’ve read. The relationships superficially seem like a standard love triangle where Lore will either be forced to choose between two rivals for her affection. Yet, this series does something different with that (not saying more – spoilers).

This has also never been a series that promises happiness. The ending brought death and heartbreak, although not in a way I could have guessed.

As a final note, the author says in her acknowledgments that this series was a way for her to look at her own complicated feelings about religion and spirituality. Having several characters take on the lost spirits of gods is certainly not unheard of in fantasy tales, as well as dealing with the temptations and consequences of power. Yet, in the conclusion of this series, the author asks what will stop the cycle of abuse of power and the violence and destruction that inevitably results.

I found that part of a quote from one of the final chapters encompassed an interesting theme of the series:

“In the end, the making of a god is a simple matter: It is someone deciding that the world is not as they want it, and letting nothing stand in their way. It is someone defying every destiny with no regard for consequences.”

As seen in the decisions each character makes in the final chapters of The Nightshade God, that defiance is not a uniform act. When performed for the wrong reasons, it becomes a perversion, allowing evil and corruption to return. Yet for one acting with more selfless goals, a quiet and peaceful resolution may achieved.

Have you read any of this series or other books by Hannah Whitten? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my book reviews here.

July 2025 Reading Wrap Up

06 Aug 2025 2 Comments

by Clare in Books Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I felt like I struggled with my July reading, but when I sat down here to write about it, it turned out that I did finish four books. While this number doesn’t get me ahead on my unrealistic reading goals, it is steady progress that could land me at 50 books read for the year. Three of the four books that I read were audiobooks: Columbus Day by Craig Alanson, Orbital by Samantha Harvey, and To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose (paid links).

The only non-audiobook that I read in July was Artificial Condition, the second book in the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells (paid links). I have been on medication that makes me tend to fall asleep when I sit/lay down to read, so I think that is part of the explanation for my reading struggles this month. I also had a lot to do at work, so fewer hours of downtime for reading.

Total pages read in July = 1,192.

I’ve been trying to get through The Book That Held Her Heart by Mark Lawrence, the third and final book in The Library Trilogy (paid links). The book is fascinating and I can’t wait to see how he ends this series. However, it is also a hardcover, and that means that I’m less likely to read it in bed due to the size and generally lower light conditions. The e-book solution to my reading slump was to start The Feeding by Anthony Ryan (paid link). I’ve had trouble getting into this one so far, but in the past few days I’ve been making more steady progress.

Currently reading:

I just started the sixth book (audiobook) in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series – A Breath of Snow and Ashes. I don’t know if I’ll be able to get through it in August because it is 57 hours, 48 minutes long. The other books that I might read in August are shown below.

I’m particularly excited for several of these! The Nightshade God by Hannah Whitten is the conclusion to a series I’ve really enjoyed (The Nightshade Crown) (paid links). You can find my reviews of the earlier books below:

I also found Julie Leong’s cozy fantasy story, The Teller of Small Fortunes, to be a surprising hit with me, so her new stand-alone novel – The Keeper of Magical Things – is also at the top of my upcoming list, thanks to Net Galley. You can find my review here (paid links).

What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller and Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders were also given to me for review courtesy of Net Galley. These are both by authors I’ve read before and these new novels looked exciting. The other books on this list are also at the top of my mind, but I don’t know which ones I’ll start. It seems like every time I have a plan for what to read next, it spontaneously changes!

One of my book clubs has been reading the Murderbot Diaries, so I have the third book, Rogue Protocol, also on my list for this month (paid link). If you are interested in joining our Science Fiction Women of Central Jersey Club discussion on August 24, take a look here.

I was doing so well with my book acquisition problem until yesterday found me at a local Barnes & Noble. I had already picked up The Nightshade God and Lessons in Magic and Disaster, as well as the latest Fairy Loot subscription box installment – A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena (paid link).

I couldn’t help myself and left the book store with three more stand-alone novels: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree, Someone You Can Build a Nest In by John Wiswell, and The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (paid links).

For August, I’m hopeful that I’ll get a lot of reading done. I’m having surgery next week and will have some enforced rest. So despite the anticipated drowsiness of pain medications, I should have more time to read!

What are you planning to read for the end of summer? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Let me know in the comments.

Book Review – Grimm Curiosities

09 Jul 2025 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I fell victim to Instagram advertising and signed up for a one-time surprise book box from Caffeine and Legends over the winter. When the book arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was written by an author I had read before and enjoyed. Grimm Curiosities by Sharon Lynn Fisher is an indie title that I would describe as a historical paranormal romance (paid link). Read on below to find out what I thought of it.

I read the paperback edition.

Here is the blurb:

It’s 1851 in old York. Lizzy Grimm struggles to save her late father’s charmingly creepy yet floundering antique shop, Grimm Curiosities. Then, during a particularly snowy December in this most haunted city in England, things turn…curiouser.

Lizzy meets Antony Carlisle, whose sister suffers from the same perplexing affliction as Lizzy’s mother—both stricken silent and unresponsive after speaking with ghosts. Working closely together to fathom what power has transformed their loved ones and why, Lizzy and Antony discover an important her father’s treasured set of rare books on ancient folktales, enchantments, and yuletide myths. Books that a persistent collector is awfully keen to purchase. Books Lizzy can’t bear to sell.

Every bewitching passage and illustration opens a doorway to something ancient and dangerously inviting. Keys to a mystery Lizzy and Antony are compelled to solve—even if doing so means unleashing one of this bright holiday’s darkest myths.

I enjoyed this book and found it to be an easy and quick stand-alone read. I was instantly sympathetic toward the protagonist, Lizzy Grimm, who has been caring for her ailing mother while trying to make a living from the shop left to her by her father. Societal norms from the time period limit the ways in which she can earn a living and the family is struggling.

The story takes off quickly as patrons visit Lizzy’s shop, one in particular showing a sinister interest in some of her father’s books. Lizzy is torn between a sentimental attachment and trying to stay in her home and current situation. While fending off these offers, she also meets her love interest, but he is scandalously above her own social standing. Together with the paranormal occurrences, this made for an entertaining story.

The romance in this book is not a surprise (as I would believe is true of most romances from what I’ve read of that genre), but it provides a way for Lizzy’s plight to catch the interest of those more powerful than she to move the plot forward. I found that Antony was a little too good and too nice to be true, but that didn’t bother me overly much.

The romantic scenes in this novel are less spicy and explicit than in some of the more recent romantasy genre books. If you’re looking for the heat level of Fourth Wing or ACOTAR, you won’t find it here. This is set in the 1800’s and Lizzy has to worry about her reputation, okay?

I’d definitely read another book by this author and I’ll have to look to see what else she’s published that might be a fun and light read.

Have you read many indie (self-published) books? Which ones would you recommend? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my reviews here.

June 2025 Reading Wrap Up

01 Jul 2025 2 Comments

by Clare in Books Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I didn’t do too badly with my June reading, and with the end of June, this also brings us to the halfway point of 2025. Despite my unrealistic goal of 96 books that I set on this post here, I am doing really well with my reading with 25 books completed so far, thereby putting me on track to read 50 books for the year. That is realistically the highest number I’ll ever hit unless I start reading significantly shorter books, quit my day job, or stop doing any writing, exercise, or cooking.

Overall I’m happy with my reading progress for the year so far! I’ve even managed to keep up with my posts and book reviews here (more or less). On top of that, I put together an e-book of one of my own short stories that is one of my favorite things that I’ve written. You can find my story, Renewal, by following this link.

In June, I finished listening to The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst as an audiobook. I finally had a chance to pick up the second book in Mark Lawrence’s Library Trilogy with The Book That Broke the World. You can find my review of the first book, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, here. Then I finished up Inverse by Margot Conor, one of the members of my writing group. With my recent back problems, I needed something easy to read to finish up the month, so I jumped into the third book in the ACOTAR series by Sarah J. Maas – A Court of Wings and Ruin (paid links).

Total pages read in June = 2,014.

I’m currently reading only two books. Expeditionary Force: Columbus Day is an audiobook that starts a military science fiction series, and I only have 6 hours left to go. The Book That Held Her Heart is the final book in Mark Lawrence’s Library series, and I’m less than 100 pages into it (paid links).

Looking ahead for the next month, I have a few books that I’m definitely planning to read in July, either for book club discussions or as upcoming releases that I’m reviewing for Net Galley. The ones that are book club picks include To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose and Artificial Condition (Murderbot Diaries #2) by Martha Wells. I received an ARC of The Feeding by Anthony Ryan and an e-book copy of Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver from Net Galley to review (paid links).

I expect that I’ll start the next audiobook in the Outlander series with A Breath of Snow and Ashes (#6) sometime in July, and then if I’m doing really well, perhaps the next book in The Wheel of Time series with The Path of Daggers (#8) (paid links). There are plenty of other books that I’ve had on my upcoming reads list, and I may also pick up one of those, depending on my mood later in July.

Of course, I wouldn’t be myself if I didn’t pick up some new books this month. Orbital by Samantha Harvey is about astronauts and won the Booker Prize recently, so I picked this up in audiobook format. It’s quite short (5 hours), so I might use it to break up my Outlander listening (paid link). Artificial Wisdom is one of the books I already mentioned receiving from Net Galley.

After I enjoyed The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong so much (review here), I was ecstatic to see that the publisher approved me for a copy of the author’s upcoming book, The Keeper of Magical Things, on Net Galley. Then the latest surprise book that I received from Fairy Loot is the new bestseller Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab. I’ll put a coupe of photos of the special edition below.

How have you done with your own reading goals for the year so far? What books are you most looking forward to reading later this year? Let me know in the comments!

Short Story Publication

21 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

by Clare in My Fiction, Writing Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I did a thing!

Since I’ve been laying on the couch for most of my day with my ongoing back problems, I have had a lot of time on my hands. I decided to take one of my favorite stories that I’ve written and put it out as an e-book. This story previously appeared in one of the genre magazines in 2021, and now you can read it for free on Kindle Unlimited or for $1.99 otherwise. I didn’t create a print version, but depending on how this goes, I might toss several of my short stories together in a print anthology later.

Renewal is a fantasy story and here’s the blurb:

“Not everyone has a tomorrow. All the world must change. Not every beast will live or thrive. But with every death there follows dawn, a new life, a new way.”

The night of Greatwinter is nearly upon Ladji and her people, challenging their ongoing survival in a harsh world. When Ladji’s mentor suddenly declares that she must face that dark spirit, Ladji must perform the rites of life, death, and renewal before Greatwinter’s night becomes eternal.

Please read! Please review! Please share!

May 2025 Reading Wrap Up

09 Jun 2025 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I did a little better with my reading in May, finishing five books total. Of those books, one was the massive fifth book in Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series – The Fiery Cross. I also finished the newest book in the Hunger Games world – Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. I should have reviews of these up in the next few weeks (paid links).

Two of the books that I read in May were a bit shorter – Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher and All Systems Red (first in The Murderbot Diaries series) by Martha Wells. I had wanted to read these award-winning books for a while, and the start of the TV series on Apple TV got me to finally pick up All Systems Red. The last book I squeezed in for the month was Verdant Divided by Doc Honour, the second book in the Empathic Humanity series (paid links).

A scene from Apple TV’s Murderbot show.

For June so far, I have been listening to The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst as a significantly shorter audiobook than anything in the Outlander series. I should finish that in the next couple of days. I’m reading Inverse by Margot Conor on my Kindle, and I have been resisting the urge to read more books at once (paid links).

Looking ahead for the rest of the month, I have some of the same books that I had posted for reading in May, because I will just never have enough time to read what I want to. First up is The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence. For my next audiobook, I’m going to listen to Expeditionary Force: Columbus Day by Craig Alanson. Of course this is the start of another (18 book) series (which I don’t need to become invested in, but oh well), but it was recommended by my brother. After that, I’m not sure which books I’ll pick up, but you can see some of my options in the graphic below (paid links).

I might need to immediately finish Mark Lawrence’s Library Trilogy with the final volume, The Book That Held her Heart, depending on how the second book ends. Or I could delve back into ACOTAR with the third book, A Court of Wings and Ruin, by Sarah J. Maas. I think that both Quicksilver by Callie Hart and The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson are stand-alone novels, which makes a nice one-time commitment. I love reading long series, but well… they’re really long sometimes (paid links).

Depending on how the month goes, I could also plunge into the second book in Ed McDonald’s Redwinter Chronicles, with Traitor of Redwinter. Will I be ready to commit to another Outlander volume? The sixth audiobook, A Breath of Snow and Ashes , is nearly 58 hours long (paid links).

Because I can never have enough books, here are my new acquisitions that I have to squeeze into my reading plans somewhere.

What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller was sent to me as an ARC from NetGalley. I’ve enjoyed this author’s other books and this looks to be her first foray into more adult fiction. I received The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig through my Fairy Loot subscription box. I’ve been hearing a lot about this book recently, and this will be a new author for me to read. Lastly, I was feeling sorry for myself with some back problems, so I picked up this special edition of Swordheart by T. Kingfisher to help make myself feel better. It is very pretty, and the green-edged pages are calling to me (paid links).

How do you decide what to read next? How do you resist acquiring more books when you already have too many? Let me know in the comments.

Book Review – The Teller of Small Fortunes

19 May 2025 3 Comments

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

The Teller of Small Fortunes is a stand-alone novel by Julie Leong (paid link). I received this book as part of a book subscription box where I am surprised by a beautiful special edition of a new release every month. You can find out more about Fairy Loot at this link.

I read the Fairy Loot hardcover edition.

Here is the blurb:

Tao is an immigrant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells “small” fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences…

Even if it’s a lonely life, it’s better than the one she left behind. But a small fortune unexpectedly becomes something more when a (semi) reformed thief and an ex-mercenary recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they’re joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and—of course—a slightly magical cat.

Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as she lowers her walls, the shadows of her past are closing in—and she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.

I didn’t think that I’d like this book, but it was such a cute story and I loved it! I guess that this novel could be considered part of the newer genre of cozy fantasy, which I honestly thought sounded boring. How can a story be engaging without life-threatening stakes and constant dire risk to the characters? Well, this novel has none of those aspects, but it was a wonderful story.

The characters are the central focus of this book. Tao is the titular fortune teller who has fled her home and fears using her power for anything beyond minor readings. She meets the others mentioned in the blurb and they reluctantly decide to travel together out of convenience, but accidentally become inseparable friends by the end. They each become invested in each others’ small quests, and the biggest threat they face is the magefinder who trails behind Tao, insistent that she must be trained to use her power for the Crown.

Despite the low stakes in this book, the themes that it touches upon are serious ones, including confronting prejudice, following your own dreams and not those put upon you by others, believing in yourself, and finding what makes you happy, even if that isn’t money, power, or material things. I also loved the mule and the cat in this story, but I can’t say more without spoilers.

As stated in my intro, this is a stand-alone novel and was a fairly short read, at 346 pages in this hardcover edition. The cover on the Fairy Loot edition is drastically different from the standard one, and you can see it in the photos I’ve interspersed here. This is such a pretty book that while part of me wants to pass it along to someone else to read, my inner dragon wants me to add it to my book hoard. I tend to keep books if I really liked them or if they are part of an unfinished series where I might re-read them as later volumes are published.

Have you read anything in the cozy fantasy genre? I’m planning to read The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst in the next few weeks (paid link). What other books in this genre would you recommend? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – Onyx Storm

15 May 2025 2 Comments

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros is the third book in The Empyrean series (paid links). I had originally thought it was the final book, but it now looks like she is planning for five volumes in this series.

You can find my reviews of the earlier books below:

I read the hardcover edition.

Here is the blurb:

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming…and not everyone can survive its wrath.

I think it going to be impossible to write this review without some spoilers from the previous two books, so be warned going into this. I will try to avoid spoilers for this book though.

I enjoyed Onyx Storm more than Iron Flame, but not as much as Fourth Wing. I think that was partly because the first book was more focused and everything in Basgiath was new to me as a reader, so the experience of reading the story mirrored that of Violet experiencing the school. Onyx Storm has a massive sprawling plot, with a growing host of characters, more expansive politics, and takes place over an enlarging geographic region. While I often love that kind of thing, it made me feel like I didn’t know which direction things were heading.

Onyx Storm is filled with shocking events. I found myself wondering what else could possibly happen at several points in the book, only to be surprised by another twist a few pages later. For the most part, these surprises worked and didn’t feel forced, although the way the story has developed makes me want to re-read the series before the next book is released so that I’m not missing some of the smaller details.

Violet and Xaden’s relationship is challenged after he turns venin at the end of Iron Flame. He struggles against this destructive power and tries to keep his change secret from everyone but Vi and their dragons. It has to be tough as an author to keep the romance fresh through multiple books. Something has to keep the couple apart, whether it’s a fight, a breakup, political pressure, or becoming a power-sucking red-eyed demon, in order for them to have a reason to make up and keep things hot. I think that the author does a decent job of this through this book, but nothing that is much different than what happens in the first two books.

I pre-ordered this novel and the Deluxe Limited Edition is a gorgeous book. I love the design and the color choices with the black fading into silver. This edition also features sprayed edges with what else – dragons!

Have you read any of the books in The Empyrean series? Which one did you like the best? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my reviews here.

Book Review – Knife Children

06 May 2025 Leave a comment

by Clare in Books, Reviews Tags: , , , , , ,

Lois McMaster Bujold is one of my all-time favorite authors, and despite winning numerous Hugo Awards, numerous Nebula Awards, the Mythopoeic Award, and being named a SFWA Grand Master, her books don’t feel as well-known as I think they should be.

I have read all but one of Bujold’s series, and was happy to see this novella, Knife Children, up for review on NetGalley. This short novel is set in her Sharing Knife world, which is comprised of four main novels: Beguilement (#1), Legacy (#2), Passage (#3), and Horizon (#4) (paid links). I never reviewed any of these books on this blog because they were published before I started writing here, but I did enjoy them, particularly the creative worldbuilding and dangerous magic.

I read the ebook edition.

Here is the blurb:

Lakewalker Barr Foxbrush returns from two years of patrolling the bitter wilds of Luthlia against the enigmatic, destructive entities called malices, only to find that the secret daughter he’d left behind in the hinterland of Oleana has disappeared from her home after a terrible accusation. The search for her will call on more of Barr’s mind and heart than just his mage powers, as he tries to balance his mistakes of the past and his most personal duties to the future.

This short novel is something that would only be of interest to readers who are already familiar with Lois McMaster Bujold’s novels set in the Sharing Knife world. It is a small story about Barr Foxbrush and his daughter’s discovery of her Lakewalker powers (and thereby her parentage). Family is one of the main themes throughout the narrative – both for Barr and his daughter.

I enjoyed the story and thought that it was a nice addition to this world. It doesn’t touch on the greater plot and seems to be set after the main novels, although it has been a long time since I read those books and my memory is a bit fuzzy. I did remember enough about malices, mudmen, and how lakewalkers imbue the bones of their deceased with magic to help them fight these evil powers to let me understand the danger that the characters faced.

The only criticism I have is that this cover was terrible. This made this story feel like an afterthought where no publisher wanted to spend money for a cover artist. Even my friends who self-publish their work have nicer artwork and a more appealing design. That aside, if you have never read anything by Lois McMaster Bujold, she is definitely worth a try. Just start with one of her main series, since this novella isn’t the best introduction. I’d recommend either the Vorkosigan Saga which is space opera or The Curse of Chalion which is the first in a fantasy series, where each book is loosely related and could be read as a stand-alone novel (paid links).

Have you read anything by Lois McMaster Bujold? Which books were your favorite? Let me know in the comments.

You can find more of my reviews here.

Previous Older Entries Next Newer Entries

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 415 other subscribers