Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire

The 9th book in the Wayward Children series, Mislaid continues Antsy’s story and fills in a little more knowledge of the doors. Portal fiction can take a bit to get used to, but McGuire knows her way around.

There are undercurrents of abuse, but nothing explicit, and everything makes sense and boy howdy, is there a satisfying conclusion! Another series about a found family and aftermaths, this is a series that will linger far after the last page is turned. Recommended!

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#MislaidInPartsHalfKnown #NetGalley

All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows

Continuing somewhat directly on from A Strange and Stubborn Endurance, Paths is much more political that Endurance. Which, to some bemusement, I absolutely enjoyed. Politics is much more entertaining when it has a veneer of queer romance and semi-feudal touches.

Meadows comes right out and says, “this is a book about what happens after you come out” and they are correct. It is also about the aftermath of trauma and the continuing effects of PSTD and how they can absolutely fuck you up and how people will still love you anyways. I love this series and hope that it continues but would also be happy with the duology.

Warning: this is what I would consider on the explicit end of romance so if that’s not your jam, you may want to skip this. (Or just flip quickly through some parts) If you’re a fan of (sort of) high fantasy, give it a try.

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#AllTheHiddenPaths #NetGalley

Anything With Nothing edited by Mercedes Lackey

For Valdemar fans, this is a perfectly good anthology. What I particularly like about these is that the stories fit in between the books – filling in other little bits of background. Fiona Patton’s Watchmen stories are a prime example, there are 14 of the stories now and I (for one) would love to see either a collection or a novel.

But I digress. As with any anthology, you probably won’t love all the stories, but I did enjoy them all and will be dipping back in and out as my fancy takes me. Might be a little confusing to start here, but it wouldn’t be too bad, I don’t think. (As usual, I think you should start at the beginning of a series, but YMMV)

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#AnythingWithNothing #NetGalley

The Innocent Sleep by Seanan McGuire

Many of McGuire’s books have an underlying theme of ‘found family’, which, I have to admit, I absolutely love. The Toby Daye books are no exception. I think the decision to release Sleep No More and The Innocent Sleep only a month apart was genius. The main character shift was a little jarring at first and I think it would have been harder to keep everything straight if the traditional publishing scheme of one book/year had been adhered to. Once I got used to the shift, it was fascinating to see Toby from outside as it were.

Read this one immediately after Sleep No More and enjoy!

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#TheInnocentSleep #NetGalley

Sleep No More by Seanan McGuire

McGuire doesn’t pull any punches in this installment of the Toby Daye series. I found it unsettling at first, but after finishing the book, I realized that that was kind of the point. Toby is so different for most of this novel, it really brings home how much we’ve seen her change over the series. Part of the charm of this series is that McGuire has done her homework about Faerie and weaves information into the books as you need it without doing info dumps at you.

The stakes definitely felt higher in this book, I’m not sure if it was the plot or what, but I was on the edge of my seat while reading it and inwardly cheered at the ending. Again, DO NOT START WITH THIS ONE, start at the beginning – or, if you’re like me, go back a few books (or, hey, back to the start) and continue forward, you won’t regret it.

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#SleepNoMore #NetGalley

Road Queens by MaryJanice Davidson

Road Queens is a cross between a heist, a rom-com, and a girl power movie and it is delightful. Davidson has a knack for creating characters that you would like to spend time with outside of the covers of the book they currently inhabit.

She explores the concept of ‘found family’ throughout this book and how you can be so furious at a loved one while simultaneously wanting to help them out. Funny, charming, acerbic where it needs to be, definitely check this one out! Not a series (AFAIK) so a good place to check her writing out if you haven’t before. (NB: Many of her earlier novels have been paranormal romance, so if that’s not your jam, skip them. Although you might want to give her a try, she’s a great writer!)

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#RoadQueens #NetGalley

The Navigating Fox by Christopher Rowe

Christopher Rowe has written a novella that opens a fascinating world. The Navigating Fox is a mix of quest fantasy and talking animals and somehow it all works together.

You're told as much as you need to know about the world and the quest to start with, without bogging you down in exposition. I found it a little hard to get into, but once I really dug into it, I couldn't put it down. It's very hard to describe this without going off on tangents (the buffalo! The Gates of Hell!), you really need to read this for yourself.

Take an afternoon, a cup of tea (or beverage of choice) and maybe a cookie or two and immerse yourself. You won't regret it.

I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

T. Kingfisher hit automatic to-buy status pretty much after her first book. So every time a new book comes out, I celebrate a little bit (yes, even the horror! Best horror writer out there, I think.). This is not horror, (whew!) so I'll be rereading this one. And have.

A retelling of Sleeping Beauty, except there's a twist. An absolutely logical twist, once you figure everything out. I had to put the book down for a bit and just think about fairy tales for a while.

Loved this book, love the retellings of fairy tales (really, everything Kingfisher has written).

I would hand this to pretty much any fantasy reader from, say, twelve up. (Depending on the reader, of course)

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#Thornhedge #NetGalley

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree

Since Legends & Lattes became a comfort read of mine almost as soon as I finished the last page, I was thrilled to see that Travis Baldree was writing another book set in that world.

Bookshops and Bonedust did not disappoint. It's a prequel to L&L, so we see Viv as a very green (hah!) mercenary and her effect on a small town. This is cozy fantasy at its best – the writing is superb and you come to care about every character and their fate, even though no-one is searching for the Great Treasure of Zyquist or attempting to wield the Blood Sword of Thunder Fate. Sometimes you just need slow, intimate stories about orcs.

Definitely recommended and Baldree is now on my automatic to-buy list!

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#BookshopsBonedust #NetGalley

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

A Power Unbound by Freya Marske is the conclusion to The Last Binding trilogy and a spectacular conclusion it is. Marske's writing sweeps you into her world – Victorian England, but with magic!

Marske touches more on the class divisions in Victorian England than she did with the gender divisions, giving A Power Unbound greater depth. She also touches on some of the consequences of being openly gay in that time period, which I feel was a positive choice.

You could read and enjoy it without having read the first two books in the trilogy, Marske deftly inserts little catch-ups without making it seem clunky, but you will enjoy it more if you've read the first two. The stakes are high for our protagonists, both in their personal lives and the heist-adjacent storyline.

Everything comes to a staggeringly satisfactory conclusion and I can't wait for what Marske writes next. Off to reread the whole trilogy again!

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#APowerUnbound #NetGalley

Spring's Arcana by Lilith Saintcrow

I will admit, I have not read a lot of Lilith Saintcrow, but what I have read, I've liked.

You don't need to be a Russian mythology expert to enjoy Spring's Arcana, you should be fine with what's floating around in common knowledge and Saintcrow provides explanations of some of the more esoteric bits.

Somewhat of a cross between a mob drama and a road trip/quest story, Spring's Arcana is a bit of a slow burn at first, but I couldn't put it down for the last few chapters. Looking forward to picking up the conclusion (it's out by now, this review is very late) and finding out what happens!

I received a free copy from NetGalley for my unbiased opinion.

#SpringsArcana #NetGalley

Cozy Coastal Knits by Rosann Fleischauer

Cozy Costal Knits is a fairly standard knitting book. Pictures are plentiful and detailed and there are discussions of knitting tools and tricks.

Emphasis is placed on hats, mitts, cowls and ponchos, with multiple patterns for each. Nothing too tricksy here and an intermediate beginner should be able to complete most patterns. There is one pattern for a men's sweater, a women's shell and a skirt. Plus-size knitters: be aware that none of the garments are plus-sized, although if you're an experienced enough knitter you may be able to size the pattern up for yourself.

A decent addition to a knitting library, especially if you live (or have people you knit for who do) in places where knitted outerwear is needed.

NetGalley provided me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

#CozyCoastalKnits #NetGalley

The Prince and the Apocalypse by Kara McDowell

What if the apocalypse was…fun?

“The Prince and the Apocalypse” asks and mostly answers that question. Kara McDowell has written a YA romance centered around an apocalypse and a Prince of England who just wants…not to be one. (Hmm, too soon?)

I was able to handwave away the apparent conviction of people showing up to work during an apocalyptic event with “well, it makes the plot go”, because really, I don’t think anyone would be going to work. McDowell’s world is much better behaved, which is certainly refreshing. And cliffhanger ending? I’ll be looking for the sequel!

Charming and well paced, with engaging characters, “Prince” is worth a read. I would say older tweens (mention of past sexual encounters/alcohol use and one non-explicit sex scene) all the way to adults. I was given a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz

The underlying idea of “The Terraformers” was amazing. I was really interested in how Newitz was going to pull it off. Who gets to decide who or what is a person? How far should we go in ‘making’ people? What could be the consequences of personhood? Unfortunately, I didn’t love this book. It took me a while to read through it as I would pick it up and put it down; it just didn’t pull me into the story. I couldn’t really connect with the characters in the time that Newitz allotted them as there are two major time shifts in the storyline.

This is one of the few books that I genuinely think should be a series, I think that each ‘chunk’ of story could absolutely be expanded into its own novel. More time spent with the characters may have allowed me to connect with them. It’s hard sci-fi, but with sociological/ecological underpinnings, so if that’s your jam, you should love this. It was okay and I’ll be thinking about some of the themes for some time to come.

Netgalley provided me with an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion

Backpacking through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire

"Backpacking through Bedlam" is another strong chapter in the InCryptid universe. McGuire is realistic about the circumstances she puts her characters into, and no matter what, she holds true to what makes sense for both the characters and the story.

"Backpacking" doesn't exactly tie up the story, but it does have a feel of bringing things full circle. McGuire shows real skill in her plotting and characterization. Character decisions make sense and the ending is satisfying but leaves you wanting more.

Again, don't start with this one, start with "Discount Armageddon" and enjoy your adventures with the Price clan!

NetGalley provided me with a free copy in exchange for my honest opinion.