Book Review: A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth

A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth

Series: A Dark and Hollow Star #2

Published: March 3, 2021

Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads

The “ironborn” half-fae outcast of her royal fae family.
A tempestuous Fury, exiled to earth from the Immortal Realm and hellbent on revenge.
A dutiful fae prince, determined to earn his place on the throne.
The prince’s brooding guardian, burdened with a terrible secret.

For centuries, the Eight Courts of Folk have lived among us, concealed by magic and bound by law to do no harm to humans. This arrangement has long kept peace in the Courts—until a series of gruesome and ritualistic murders rocks the city of Toronto and threatens to expose faeries to the human world.

Four queer teens, each who hold a key piece of the truth behind these murders, must form a tenuous alliance in their effort to track down the mysterious killer behind these crimes. If they fail, they risk the destruction of the faerie and human worlds alike. If that’s not bad enough, there’s a war brewing between the Mortal and Immortal Realms, and one of these teens is destined to tip the scales. The only question is: which way?

Wish them luck. They’re going to need it.

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I’m so grateful that I was able to get this book through my Illumicrate subscription. Honestly, it wasn’t even on my radar until it was described in the theme reveal for February, and I wasn’t immediately in love with the cover which looks SO MUCH BETTER AND AMAZING in person. Boy, would I have been missing out.

This is the most fun that I’ve had reading a book in ages. Based on this book alone, I think this series has the potential to be one of my favorites (of all time)! There are so many nerdy references and asides throughout that had me snorting in laughter. And the romantic angst between the characters!

A Dark and Hollow Star switches between the POV’s of four main characters – Nausicaa, Arlo, Aurelian, and Vehan. I’m normally not a fan of multiple POV’s in a book, but for some reason this one just worked for me. Maybe it’s because I found the voices to be unique enough to individually differentiate – even with third person POV. Maybe it’s because I was so invested in how the characters interacted with each other that switching between them didn’t throw me off my stride too much. The characters (with the exception of 300 year old Nos) are mainly late teens/early twenties, which makes this a bit of a YA/New Adult crossover and it does have some darker themes.

One of the focuses of this book – and I’m guessing future installments in the series – is the prejudice against people with low or no magic, as well as against different types of faeries. Arlo is trying to prove to the high council of fae that she has worth, even though her magic is currently low to non-existent. This is largely unresolved and I can see Arlo coming into her own power and advocating for others being a major focus in the future.

My favorite part of everything was the romance. There are multiple couples that I’m shipping, and such sweet, sweet, slow burn that had me squealing and gasping and drawing little hearts and exclamation points on page flags.

The next installment, A Cruel and Fated Light, is already on my most anticipated releases of next year, and I can’t wait to read about Nos and Arlo and Vehan and Aurelian. (But seriously, that title has me a little worried for my babies.) I need answers and for everyone to live and be happy and safe forever!!!

Book Review: The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

Goldsboro Sci-Fi Fantasy Fellowship September Book

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

Series: The Drowning Empire #1

Rating: ★★★★☆

Goodreads

The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands.

Lin is the emperor’s daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.

Yet such power carries a great cost, and when the revolution reaches the gates of the palace, Lin must decide how far she is willing to go to claim her birthright – and save her people.

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My favorite part of this book was the intricate world building and magic system that seems so unique compared to the typical fantasy system. The world of the drowning empire is made up of floating islands that migrate on a fourteen year pattern. Magic is only known by the emperor, who takes bone shards from his subjects heads and carves runes on them to animate the sewn together bodies he creates.

Lin, the emperor’s daughter, has been trying to earn back his confidence since her memories were taken after a fever. Jovis is a smuggler who has been searching for his missing wife (and ends up finding a kitten/otter creature named Mephi during his mis-adventures). Ranami, Phalue, and Sand also have small parts throughout the book that are better left uncovered by the reader.

Most of the book is focused on setting up the world and the multiple moving parts that finally start coming together in the last 100 pages. The beginning of the book is mainly dedicated to setting up this complex world and system. This unfortunately made it a bit of a slog for me, but the latter part of the book saved it in my eyes. I also struggled throughout with the multiple points of view, especially Lin’s because I didn’t really care for her until the end. Phalue and Ranami are important for setting up some of the final scene drama, but I was wondering why they were included for the majority of the book as I thought their parts were kind of boring. I love Jovis and Mephi’s parts, and would read any subsequent books just for them and their adventures.

There is the potential for some romance being set up in future books, especially with some of the revelations present at the end, but budding feelings is not a main focus. The main “romantic” parts are between Phalue and Ranami who are having struggles in their ongoing relationship. Their conflicts are mainly political and seemed to be espoused upon because of the political statement the author wanted to make.

There are a lot of mysteries that I want solved – what is happening with all of the Alanga artifacts? What is Sand and her fellows going to do? I’m honestly more excited to explore those mysteries than I was/am about this book. But the set up for these was enough to raise my star rating.

Book Review: A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.5

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Months after the explosive events in A Court of Wings and Ruin, Feyre, Rhys, and their companions are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can’t keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated–scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.

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Ultimately a fluffy holiday fanfiction-like piece. It did provide some slight refreshers on what happened in A Court of Wings and Ruin (which I needed before diving into A Court of Silver Flames), along with the tiny hints at how Nesta and Cassian feel towards each other after the war. As I’m writing this review after finishing the latter book, I can also say there is some issues brought up that are central to some sub-plots in A Court of Silver Flames.

Nothing else to really write home about, a good nearly-mindless read for Maas fans. The sex was the most exciting part about it, but there is something a little creepy about picturing a possible future child when being involved with your partner.

Book Review: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Series: The Goblin Emperor #1

Published: April 1, 2014

Rating: ★★★★☆

Goodreads

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an “accident,” he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend… and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne – or his life.

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This was an interesting one to read on audiobook. On the one hand, I’m glad I read this on audio because I may not have made it through the first half of the book if I had to read it physically. The first half is almost completely exposition and world building, with the complex naming system and SO many people introduced. The second half made it all worth it though, I couldn’t stop listening to the last 50%.

I learned that I am definitely a visual learner, because I was constantly forgetting characters and being confused by their names with titles attached. I was constantly referring to The Goblin Emperor Wiki Character page which had a decent list of the characters and their titles/role in the story (although I did spoil some plot points this way, so beware). The naming in this book was very different, which led to many of the names sounding like whatever the heck Britney Spears is saying at minute 2:42 in her iconic song Work B*tch.

Maia was such a loveable character and you couldn’t help but root for him all the way through. There are some tough decisions he has to make, but he is able to learn quickly and begin to navigate the tricky court politics. I am excited that there is a sequel to this book coming out this year because I want to learn more about what he gets up to in his revolutionary reign (even if it is going to be based on Celehar – a side character: see more at this Goodreads page). I’m hoping to at least be able to read about a royal wedding.

My favorite characters were Csevet and Cala, a servant and guard of Maia’s that were loyal to him from the beginning even when it seemed everyone else was not. Maia did not live an easy life before coming to court, and seeing him slowly blossom into someone more sure of himself was wonderful (and really the point of the entire book).

Overall, this is definitely a slow book meant more for an experience of some court intrigue without tons of action involved. I would rate the first half of this book three stars and the second half five, leading to my rating of four. Addison has definitely built an intricate and interesting world we only get to dip our toes into. This book is NOT for people who like plot driven books. It is a very slow and intricate build up that showcases character strengths and flaws when thrust into an unexpected situation.

Review: Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Series: Dresden Files #2

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads

Business has been slow. Okay, business has been dead. And not even of the undead variety. You would think Chicago would have a little more action for the only professional wizard in the phone book. But lately, Harry Dresden hasn’t been able to dredge up any kind of work–magical or mundane.

But just when it looks like he can’t afford his next meal, a murder comes along that requires his particular brand of supernatural expertise.

A brutally mutilated corpse. Strange-looking paw prints. A full moon. Take three guesses–and the first two don’t count…

I enjoyed Fool Moon significantly more than I did it’s predecessor, Storm Front. I felt that Fool Moon was more developed, and Harry was a bit more appreciative of the women in his life which I felt was lacking in the first book of the series. It also helps that the focus of the book is Werewolves and we are currently in the thick of Spooky Season.

The different species starting to appear brings to light just how large the supernatural world that Harry inhabits really is, and how much is left to explore. Turns out there are more types of Werewolves than I thought were possible, so I’m a little worried to see how many sub-species of fairies there are.

The romance is pretty convoluted – although Harry is broke and apparently fashion blind, he has two lovely ladies interested in him. The ever-ambitious paranormal reporter Susan and Murphy, the bull-headed detective of the “supernatural” unit. I feel like the angst between Murphy and Harry is starting to come to a head, although it still hasn’t resolved itself fully.

Despite all the werewolf mystery, one of the most intriguing parts of this book for me was the small reveals into Harry’s past and the hints of what is to come in future installments. Harry makes some big conclusions at the end of Fool Moon based on the events of the last two books which point to major upheaval and issues headed his way in the future.

There are multiple forums that claim that this book is the weakest in the series. If this is the case, I can’t wait to see what the other books have to offer because I felt like Butcher was just starting to hit his stride in this one.

Book Review: Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

Series: The Dresden Files #1

Published: April 1, 2000

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Lost Items Found. Paranormal Investigations. Consulting. Advice. Reasonable Rates. No Love Potions, Endless Purses, or Other Entertainment.

Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he’s the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the “everyday” world is actually full of strange and magical things—and most don’t play well with humans. That’s where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a—well, whatever. There’s just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks.

So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry’s seeing dollar signs. But where there’s black magic, there’s a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry’s name. And that’s when things start to get interesting.

Magic – it can get a guy killed.

Goodreads Amazon

Mini Review:

I wasn’t expecting for this book to read so much like a mystery or P. I. novel, but thoroughly enjoyed it – especially with my newfound love for the genre (shout out to J. D. Robb’s In Death series).

I didn’t really find Harry to be a likable character – in part because of some of the many misogynistic comments about/towards his female counterparts, some of which remained unaddressed throughout the novel. Such as: The murderer is a woman because they as a sex feel more passionate hate. I wonder if these assorted one-liners directed at women were due to teh writers ignorance/youth or to plant seeds for character development later in the series.

I will be continuing with the Dresden files – if only because I own the first three installments already on kindle, and also because the internet insists the series really gets good starting at the third one.

Favorite Things

• A talking skull named Bob with a great memory and some deviant tendencies
• Murphy, the bada$$ (if a little hard-headed) cop I hope to learn more about in the future
• The hints of an immense magical world just waiting to be explored later on

Review: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Series: All Souls Trilogy #2

Rating: 3/5

Goodreads

***Spoilers ahead for Book 1, A Discovery of Witches ***

Diana and Matthew time-travel to Elizabethan London and are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the School of Night. As the search for Ashmole 782 deepens and Diana searches for a witch to tutor her in magic, the net of Matthew’s past tightens around them, and they embark on a very different—and vastly more dangerous—journey.

This book, above all other things, reads as the author’s love letter to Elizabethean Europe.

While it was truly interesting learning about a lot of these places in this time period, I’m the type of person that has to stop and google any names that seem significant to find out why they’re important. I will say this contributed to my learning a lot more about Elizabethean figures and politics than I knew before, but it also probably tripled the amount of time it took to read the book. For this reason, I often found my attention drifting when sitting down to read and I had to take a break after getting about 1/3 of the way in because I just had no desire to continue. Ultimately, I am glad that I picked it back up.

This book is more…steamy than book 1, but a lot of the sex scenes have some hella awkward dialogue in them that had my snapchatting my buddy-reader to share secondhand embarrassment. There were some touching moments as well which gave a glimpse of what the future holds for Diana and Matthew. Matthew’s controlling tendencies are in full blast during the events of this novel. I’m more inclined to go along with the fantasy setting and fantasy man (cause Lord knows I would never put up with this type of behavior in real life), but it does get on some peoples nerves i.e. my aforementioned buddy reader.

Despite the length of this book (nearly 600 pages) I feel like nothing SIGNIFICANT really happened. Yes, there were some big lifestyle changes for the main characters, but no major revelations with Ashmole 782 or the origin of supernatural species occurred that justified the length to me.

I’m still holding out hope that the conclusion of the series will draw me in like A Discovery of Witches, but some of the review I’ve read are making me a little hesitant to start it.

Review: Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

Series: The Dark Artifices #1

Published: March 8, 2016 by Margaret K. McElderry

Rating: ★★★★ 1/2

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In a kingdom by the sea…

In a secret world where half-angel warriors are sworn to fight demons, parabatai is a sacred word.

A parabatai is your partner in battle. A parabatai is your best friend. Parabatai can be everything to each other—but they can never fall in love.

Emma Carstairs is a warrior, a Shadowhunter, and the best in her generation. She lives for battle. Shoulder to shoulder with her parabatai, Julian Blackthorn, she patrols the streets of Los Angeles, where vampires party on the Sunset Strip, and faeries—the most powerful of supernatural creatures—teeter on the edge of open war with Shadowhunters. When the bodies of humans and faeries turn up murdered in the same way Emma’s parents were when she was a child, an uneasy alliance is formed. This is Emma’s chance for revenge—and Julian’s chance to get back his brother Mark, who is being held prisoner by the faerie Courts. All Emma, Mark, and Julian have to do is solve the murders within two weeks…and before the murderer targets them.

Their search takes Emma from sea caves full of sorcery to a dark lottery where death is dispensed. And each clue she unravels uncovers more secrets. What has Julian been hiding from her all these years? Why does Shadowhunter Law forbid parabatai to fall in love? Who really killed her parents—and can she bear to know the truth?

The darkly magical world of Shadowhunters has captured the imaginations of millions of readers across the globe. Join the adventure in Lady Midnight, the long-awaited first volume of a new trilogy from Cassandra Clare.

Shadowhunters have been with me since middle school, and while a lot of people say it’s time for the series to end, I’m glad new spin-offs keep coming. I waited so long to read The Dark Artifices series because I know how heavy Clare’s cliffhangers can be. I may have waited a bit too long because now that the final book – A Queen of Air and Darkness – is out, I’m still reading Lord of Shadows. 

I absolutely love any world with faeries in it, which is part of the reason I was so excited to start Lady Midnight. While faeries did feature in it, we didn’t actually get to go into faerie which I was a little sad about (but I have it on good authority characters make the journey in the second installment). 

I loved seeing the Blackthorn children all grown up after seeing them briefly in City of Heavenly Angels and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy. Ty is undoubtedly one of my favorite characters from the Shadowhunterverse. The new characters of Kit Herondale and Cristina Rosales are also quite loveable and I’m intrigued to see how their storylines play out in the series. 

Teenage love angst is one of my favorite types of angst. The romance in this book is torturous and I shamelessly love it. Emma is the strong warrior, with Julian as the artistic family man. Their trials and tribulations – some of which would undoubtedly be resolved with communication – provided the real driving force behind the book to me. 

While the true “mystery”-based plot was intriguing the story did seem a bit like one that I’ve read before in the series – ultimately while I docked half a star. There were also a few instances that had me questioning the situations validity (SPOILER: i.e. a faerie horse-turned-motorcycle that can’t/doesn’t defend itself when other faerie steeds seem to be able to).

I’m very excited to dive into Lord of Shadows and I believe this book set up what may become my favorite Shadowhunter series! Have you read any of the Shadowhunter books? What did you think?

Review: The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley

Series: Damar #1

Published: 1982

Rating:★★★★ (4 Stars)

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Harry Crewe grew up a tomboy in forests, until her brother joined the Homelanders guarding the far desert reaches. Now an orphan, she joins him. Only a few months later, asking for military aid against advancing Northeners, comes Corlath, the Hillfolk King. After exchanging a single glance, his inner magic compels him to kidnap her, without knowing why. She does not know the Hillfolk language or why she has been chosen.

Renamed Hari, she sees visions, and brings one to all, of the Golden Age legendary Dragon-Killer Queen Aerin, who smiles upon her. Hari is trained in the arts of war until she is a match for any of the elite royal guard, and carries Aerin’s famed Blue Sword. Does she have the courage to accept her true fate?

Robin McKinley is one of the writers that I consistently am somewhat confused on the first read through, and during the second or third I can’t stop thinking how absolutely brilliant the story is. Admittedly, the only books by her I’ve read are Beauty, Rose Daughter, and Sunshine (all of which are Beauty and the Beast retellings of some kind – yes I include Sunshine in this). Doubtless, I will be drawn back to this story in the near future because McKinley’s prose does that to me. However, I do acknowledge that her style of writing is not for everyone.

Harry’s story would probably seem a little dull and over-used if published today. However, considering the book was published in 1982 I can see how this may have been new and fresh at the time.

The magic system was interesting even if it did need a little fleshing out – in fact a lot of the world could have used some further explanation.

Overall an enjoyable story that I probably would have enjoyed even more if I was a tad younger. If you enjoyed this book I would recommend Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series (although I do believe Pierce’s series is better – especially in the world-building aspects).

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski, Danusia Stok (translator)

Series: The Witcher #.5

Published: December 14, 2008 (originally 1993)

Rating: ★★★★ 1/2 (4.5 Stars)

Geralt of Rivia is a witcher. A cunning sorcerer. A merciless assassin. And a cold-blooded killer. His sole purpose: to destroy the monsters that plague the world. But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good… and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

A collection of short stories introducing Geralt of Rivia, to be followed by the first novel in the actual series, The Blood of Elves. Note that, while The Last Wish was published after The Sword of Destiny, the stories contained in The Last Wish take place first chronologically, and many of the individual stories were published before The Sword of Destiny.

I started this short story collection at the same time as I started the game Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and I felt that it really added to my video game experience. I’m so glad that I decided to pick up this book series because it adds so many layers over the world. A lot of these short stories are twisted and dark takes on classic fairytales which made them even more enjoyable for me because I LOVE a dark retelling.

The backstory of Geralt was something that was so unique and unlike most if not all fantasy stories I’ve read. Geralt is a dark and gritty assassin who has a grey moral compass that makes him all the more likable. There are so many decisions that he has to make in this first collection that have no all-together good or positive outcomes which is rare in a world where the good guy normally wins.

My one complaint is at some points the writing seemed a bit clunky – I believe this is likely because the book was translated from Polish to English and can’t really bring myself to dock a star because of it. I know that the rest of the series has a different translator, so I’m interested to see if the prose flows a bit better.

Now I just need to buckle down and finish the rest of the series before the Netflix adaptation of the books! I definitely recommend this series to any fantasy fans, whether or not you enjoy video games as well.