October Wrap-Up and November Hopefuls

 

October reads

October Wrap-Up

• Finished: 14
• Started but not finished: 1
• Total pages read: 4,439
• Average rating: 3.86

Another month when I read more than I was expecting. I read more nonfiction, audiobooks, and nonfiction books than I had planned. Out of the fourteen books I finished, seven were nonfiction, five were audiobooks, and two were physical books. The physical books I read were cozy fantasies, the second and the third book of Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (4/5 stars) and Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales (4/5 stars). The audiobooks were Sangu Mandanna’s cozy fantasy standalone A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping (3.5/5 stars) and the first four books of Naomi Novik’s historical fantasy series Temeraire: His Majesty’s Dragon (5/5 stars), Throne of Jade (4.5/5 stars), Black Powder War (4.5/5 stars), and Empire of Ivory (4.5/5 stars).

Book Review: Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik

Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik

Book title: Empire of Ivory
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: Historical fantasy
Published: September 25, 2007
416 pages
My rating: 4.5/5

“Laurence,” Temeraire said, looking around, “where are they all? Victoriatus is in Edinburgh; he at least ought to have come. After all, we helped him, when he was hurt; not that I need help, precisely, against these little dragons,” he added, straightening his neck with a crackle of popping joints, “but it is not very convenient to try and fight while we are carrying so many people.”

Returning to England from China, Captain Will Laurence and his dragon Temeraire learn that an epidemic has struck the Aerial Corps. The entire fleet of dragons is sick and many have died. Laurence and Temeraire must travel back to South Africa in search for a cure before Napoleon hears about the dire situation and attempts to invade Britain.

My audio book listens of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series continues, now with the fourth book in the series, Empire of Ivory (you can find my review of the first book in the series here). This time we learn more about dragons in southern Africa, where Laurence and Temeraire go in search of a cure. It was fascinating to imagine how Africans could have fought against slavery if they had had dragons.

Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde's Compendium of
Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett

Book title: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales
Author: Heather Fawcett
Genre: Historical fantasy
Published: February 11, 2025
368 pages
My rating: 4/5

“I stepped into the sunlight, a welcome change from the dank chill of the winter faerie’s house. A little shudder went through me, though whether it signified terror or excitement, I could not tell. A part of me wonders if my fear of Wendell’s kingdom, instilled by the many dark and unpleasant stories I have read of it throughout my career – not to mention my experiences here previously, which have faded into half-memories with the aura of nightmares – will ever fully leave me.”

Emily Wilde and her fiancé, faerie prince Wendell Bambleby, return to Wendell’s kingdom to seize the throne. Emily is both terrified and excited about the prospect of being able to study the inner workings of the faerie court, but she has little time to settle down as she and Wendell must save the land from a deadly curse his stepmother has unleashed.

Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales is the third book in Heather Fawcett’s cozy historical fantasy with light academia vibes. I read the first book (Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries) a year ago and the second book (Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands) right before this one. Even though I’m giving this book the same rating as the first two books in the series, I didn’t think this was quite as good as the first two books, although I have a hard time figuring out why.

Book Review: Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

 Book title: Black Powder War
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: Historical fantasy
Published: May 30, 2006
365 pages
My rating: 4.5/5

“I do not know that the Chinese system is any worse; there is a limit to the evil one despot alone can do, and if he is truly vicious he can be overthrown; a hundred corrupt members of Parliament may together do as much injustice or more, and be the less easy to uproot.”

While still in China, Captain Will Laurence and his dragon Temeraire receive an urgent message to bring invaluable dragon eggs from Istanbul to Britain. They don’t have much time before the dragon eggs hatch, and they and their crew set off at once, following the Silk Road west and encountering sandstorms and feral dragons on the way.

Black Powder War is the third book in Naomi Novik’s historical fantasy series Temeraire, set during the Napoleonic Wars and featuring dragons. I recently listened to the first two books (His Majesty’s Dragon and Throne of Jade) as audio books, and this was yet another audio book listen. Needless to say, I really like this series.

Finishing Draft 2 of Project Urban Fantasy

I've had such a great late summer and early fall! Project Urban Fantasy, my current work in progress, has taken up most of my time, and I just finished the second draft -- or at least the first pass through the manuscript. As it turns out, there are still a few things I want to tweak before I'm calling the draft done.

But I've also had time to fill my creative well with a visit to three museum, a couple of walks, and knitting while listening to fun audio books. And I decided to celebrate (almost) finishing draft two with an apple pie. If you want to see more of what I've been doing this fall, check out my recent writing vlog below! I'm also sharing my favorite apple pie recipe in case you want to give it a try as well.

Book Review: Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

Throne of Jade by Naomi Novik

 Book title: Throne of Jade
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: Historical fantasy
Published: April 25, 2006
398 pages
My rating: 4.5/5

“Those men want to take Laurence from me, and put him in prison, and execute him, and I will not let them, ever, and I do not care if Laurence tells me not to squash you.”

A Chinese delegation has come to London to demand the return of the Chinese dragon Temeraire to his native land. Unwilling to part with Temeraire, his handler Captain Will Laurence must join him on a perilous sea voyage to the Far East in an attempt to convince the Emperor to let Temeraire stay in Britain.

Throne of Jade is the second book in Naomi Novik’s historical fantasy series Temeraire set during the Napoleonic Wars and featuring dragons. I listened to the audio book of the first book, His Majesty’s Dragon, a few weeks ago. This was also an audio book listen, and I will be continuing to listen to audio books of this series as long as they are available on my library app. I’m really enjoying this series so far! 

Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands
by Heather Fawcett

 Book title: Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands
Author: Heather Fawcett
Genre: Historical fantasy
Published: January 16, 2024
337 pages
My rating: 4/5

“I’m afraid I have not gotten over my resentment of him for saving me from the snow king’s court in Ljosland earlier this year, and have made a solemn vow to myself that I shall be the one to rescue him from whatever faerie trouble we next find ourselves in. Yes, I realize this is illogical, given that it requires Wendell to end up in some dire circumstance, which would ideally best be avoided, but there it is. I’m quite determined.”

Emily Wilde, professor of faerie folklore, has just published her comprehensive encyclopaedia of fairies with the help of a fellow scholar and infuriatingly charming faerie king Wendell Bambleby. Her new research project is a map of the faerie realms, but her research is interrupted when Wendell’s murderous stepmother sends assassins to kill him. In order to free him from his family’s sinister plans, Emily and Wendell must travel to the Austrian Alps in search of a door to Wendell’s realm.

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is the second book in Heather Fawcett’s light academia fantasy series. I read the first book, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, a year ago, and I enjoyed it a lot. The second book was as charming as the first one. I still loved Emily’s character and her diary-style narration. One thing I liked more in this installment than in the first book is that I didn’t find this book as heavy-handed in Emily’s autism-coded representation. That may be due to the fact that we already know the character, so there is no need to over-explain her personal quirks.