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.

Book Review: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping
by Sangu Mandanna

 Book title: A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping
Author: Sangu Mandanna
Genre: Cozy fantasy
Published: July 15, 2025
352 pages
My rating: 3.5/5

“There is always a little magic in the heart of a person who loves it.”

Sera Swan used to be the most powerful young witch in Britain, until an illegal resurrection spell caused her to lose most of her magic and be evicted from the magical Guild. Now at thirty, she runs an inn with the help of what little magic she has left. When she learns about an ancient spell that might help her restore her powers, she turns to magical historian Luke Larsen to ask for his help. Together with Sera’s weird found family, they set about to reclaim Sera’s lost magic.

 A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is Sangu Mandanna’s standalone adult cozy fantasy with a strong romantic subplot. I listened to it as an audiobook, and I thought the narrator did a great job in bringing the characters to life. The writing style was witty and bantery – a little too witty to my taste at points. Not every sentence needs to try that hard to be witty. I find that this type of bantery narration so typical of romantic comedy and chick lit can get on my nerves if I consume too much of it. But if you love that style of narration, you’ll probably enjoy this book! 

September Wrap-Up and October Hopefuls

September reads

 

September Wrap-Up

• Finished: 16
• Started but not finished: 1
• Total pages read: 3,501
• Average rating: 3.8

I did not expect to finish this many books in September! I read more e-books, audiobooks, and nonfiction books than I had planned. Out of the sixteen books I finished, nine were nonfiction and seven were fiction. I’ve written reviews for four of the fiction books: Marie Brennan’s adult fantasy A Natural History of Dragons (5/5 stars), Sabaa Tahir’s young adult fantasy An Ember in the Ashes (3/5 stars), Rachel Ann Hubert’s adult fantasy The Debt Collector (4/5 stars), and Hayley Gelfuso’s adult historical fantasy The Book of Lost Hours (5/5 stars). The two five-star fantasy novels were so good that I’m not sure which I liked more!

Book Review: His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

 Book title: His Majesty’s Dragon
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: Historical fantasy
Published: January 3, 2006
356 pages
My rating: 5/5

“I am afraid I am not rich enough a partner for you; I will not be able to give you a heap of gold to sleep on.”

“I should rather have you than a heap of gold, even if it were very comfortable to sleep on,” Temeraire said.

During the Napoleonic Wars, British sea captain Will Laurence captures a French frigate and seizes its precious cargo, an unhatched Chinese dragon egg. When the dragon Temeraire hatches, he chooses Laurence as his handler, and Laurence must leave his ship behind. He and Temeraire join the Aerial Corps, taking a crash course in aerial battle tactics before Napoleon’s forces threaten to invade Britain.

His Majesty’s Dragon in the first book in Naomi Novik historical fantasy series Temeraire. This was another audio book read for me, and although I wasn’t a huge fan of the audio book narrator, the story eventually won me over.

Book Review: The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso

The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso

 Book title: The Book of Lost Hours
Author: Hayley Gelfuso
Genre: Historical fantasy
Published: August 26, 2025
391 pages
My rating: 5/5

“A memory, once it’s over, is never exactly what it was when it was happening. Whatever comes later changes the meaning of it.”

Eleven-year-old Lisavet Levy finds herself trapped in a vast library where memories are stored in books. As she grows up among the memories, she discovers that government agents are destroying memories to maintain their preferred version of history. She attempts to salvage as many memories as she can, but when an American agent Ernest Duquesne is sent to stop her, she must risk everything to change history itself.

The Book of Lost Hours is Hayley Gelfuso’s adult historical fantasy and an instant five star read for me. I can already tell that this will be one of my favorite books this year. I listened to it as an audio book, but I wish I had this as a physical book so I could have savored it longer! That being said, the audio book narrator did a great job, and I enjoyed the listening experience.

Book Review: The Debt Collector by Rachel Ann Hubert

The Debt Collector by Rachel Ann Hubert

 Book title: The Debt Collector
Author: Rachel Ann Hubert
Genre: Fantasy
Published: December 21, 2022
371 pages
My rating: 4/5

Evening had fallen, and I was already running late. I hurried past a mess of ivy-covered stone shops, their windows boarded up with roughly cut black wood from the forest to the east. I followed a path that seemed to narrow as I drew further in, carefully hurrying as I darted down a slope in the road that took me deeper into the city.

I glanced at my wrist and winced when I saw the flashing red coordinates.

Not much further now.

Poverty and desperation reign in Adelliah’s world. Like many people, she has made a deal with a money lender. The loan terms are generous: a lifetime to repay what was borrowed. But if a person dies before the loan is repaid, it’s Adelliah’s job as a debt collector to make sure that the loan doesn’t go unpaid. Her job is to collect the dead people’s souls to pay for their debts. Until one night, someone collects the soul first, and she must find out who did it and why.

The Debt Collector is an indie book and the first volume in Rachel Ann Hubert’s fantasy series Rise of the Tarnished. I was expecting a gritty urban fantasy-esque story, but this book wasn’t exactly what I expected. The first chapters focus on Adelliah’s work as a debt collector in several cities of the fantasy world. (As a sidenote, I wish the book would have had a map. There were quite a few different places to keep track of.) I really enjoyed these urban settings and the new characters Adelliah meets along the way.

Book Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

 Book title: An Ember in the Ashes
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Genre: YA Fantasy
Published: April 28, 2015
446 pages
My rating: 3/5

“There are two kinds of guilt. The kind that’s a burden and the kind that gives you purpose. Let your guilt be your fuel. Let it remind you of who you want to be. Draw a line in your mind. Never cross it again. You have a soul. It’s damaged but it’s there. Don’t let them take it from you.”

Seventeen-year-old Laia knows not to defy the Martial Empire that has occupied her land—she has already lost her parents because of the Empire. But when her brother is arrested for treason, she turns to a group of rebels to ask for their help to free him. In exchange, she promises to spy for the rebels within the Empire’s greatest military academy. There, she meets Elias, who is training to become an elite soldier, but who is secretly planning for his escape.

An Ember in the Ashes is the first book in Sabaa Tahir’s young adult fantasy series. I listened to this book as an audio book, and it significantly affected my experience. I found the writing of this book (it’s Tahir’s debut novel) clunky and full of clichés. I’m sure that if I had been reading the book, it wouldn’t have bothered me as much as it did in the audio format.

Book Review: A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

 Book title: A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent
Author: Marie Brennan
Genre: Fantasy
Published: February 5, 2013
351 pages
My rating: 5/5

You continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one's life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten.

Isabella, Lady Trent, is a world-famous dragon naturalist. In the first part of her series of memoirs, she narrates how she became obsessed with dragons as a little girl, how that passion led her to choose a husband who would allow her to continue her study of dragons, and how she embarked on her first expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made her first discoveries.

Marie Brennan’s A Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent is the first book in the adult fantasy series The Memoirs of Lady Trent. The book is set in a fantasy world that vaguely resembles the 19th century world. Isabella grows up in Scirland (the fantasy equivalent of Great Britain) with a growing fascination with dragons. The worldbuilding with its many nations and cultures is intricate, and this first book seems to only skim the surface of the fantasy world.

Book Review: Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

Blood Over Bright Haven By M.L. Wang

 Book title: Blood Over Bright Haven
Author: M.L. Wang
Genre: Fantasy, dystopian
Published: July 25, 2023
428 pages
My rating: 5/5

“Brilliant men—even moderately intelligent men—in this city get showered with opportunities to succeed. Brilliant women have to fight for those opportunities, and, when we get them, we have to defend them tooth and nail, or they’ll be snatched away.”

27-year-old Sciona Freynan has worked hard to become a Highmage at the University of Magics. When she finally becomes the first woman to get a position there, she finds herself undermined by her colleagues. Instead of getting a lab assistant, she is paired with Thomil, a janitor. But Thomil turns out to be exactly the assistant Sciona needs to succeed in her research and uncover centuries-old secrets.

Blood Over Bright Haven is M.L. Wang’s adult dystopian fantasy standalone. It has been recommended to me left and right, and I’m so glad I read this book. What an amazing read and worth all the praise it gets! This book is truly dark academia—a story where the academia itself is the source of evil. The story explores the themes of sexism, classism, racism, and the persecution of native peoples.

Book Review: And Break the Pretty Kings by Lena Jeong

And Break the Pretty Kings by Lena Jeong

 Book title: And Break the Pretty Kings
Author: Lena Jeong
Genre: YA fantasy
Published: June 20, 2023
448 pages
My rating: 3/5

Summoning fire was easy. Mirae had been studying the manipulation of the four elements her whole life. Scorching the woman in front of her, however, was something she hadn’t managed even once in the past three months.

After a generational madness incapacitates her mother, sixteen-year-old crown princess Mirae needs to take the crown. Before she can do that, she needs to show herself capable of wielding the three magic powers of her bloodline, including her rare ability to switch with herself in time. But when a monster is unleashed and her brother is kidnapped, she must embark on a mission to save her brother and to stop a war that has been brewing for thousands of years.

And Break the Pretty Kings is the first book in Lena Jeong’s young adult fantasy series Sacred Bone. It is also Jeong’s debut novel. I liked the Korean-inspired fantasy world and found the magic system interesting enough. However, despite the worldbuilding being solid, it wasn’t super exciting.

Book Review: Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by Amélie Wen Zhao

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White
by Amélie Wen Zhao

Book title: Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White
Author: Amélie Wen Zhao
Genre: YA fantasy
Published: January 2, 2024
345 pages
My rating: 4/5

I am Sòng Lián, survivor of the Sòng clan and heir to the Order of Ten Thousand Flowers. I will bring an end to the Four Demon Gods and the vicious cycle of power, war, and bloodshed they have wrought upon this land and its peoples.

Eighteen-year-old Lan must find an ancient weapon to destroy the demon gods and to rid her land of the occupying, cruel Elantians. At the same time, Zen seeks to harness the dark powers of the demon gods. Both will find what they are seeking in the desert city of Salakhira, but once they find the hidden city, they uncover dangerous secrets.

Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White is the second book in Amélie Wen Zhao’s young adult fantasy duology Song of the Last Kingdom. I read the first book, Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, last year. Unfortunately, over the year, I had forgotten a lot about what had happened in the first book, and Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White didn’t do a very good job of reminding me of all the things I had forgotten. I wish more fantasy series did something like what Saara El-Arifi’s The Ending Fire trilogy did with the second and the third book beginning with a recap of the events of the previous books.

Book Review: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Book title: Mansfield Park
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: Classic
Published: 1814
479 pages
My rating: 5/5

“Fanny Price was at this time just ten years old, and though there might not be much in her first appearance to captivate, there was, at least, nothing to disgust her relations. She was small of her age, with no glow of complexion, nor any other striking beauty; exceedingly timid and shy, and shrinking from notice; but her air, though awkward, was not vulgar, her voice was sweet, and when she spoke her countenance was pretty.”

My choice for this year’s Jane Austen July was Austen’s third published novel, Mansfield Park. This review is a rather spoilery one, so if you haven’t read all (or any) of Jane Austen’s novels, be warned. Ten-year-old Fanny Price is sent to live with her rich relatives at Mansfield Park. Growing up with her cousins, she is constantly aware how precarious her place in society is. When a dashing couple from London, Henry and Mary Crawford, enter this rural world, they manage to dazzle everyone except Fanny, who sees through their superficial glamour.

Book Review: Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price

Book title: Pride and Premeditation
Author: Tirzah Price
Genre: YA historical mystery, Jane Austen retelling
Published: April 6, 2021
368 pages
My rating: 3/5

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a brilliant idea, conceived and executed by a clever young woman, must be claimed by a man.”

Seventeen-year-old Lizzie Bennet dreams of becoming a barrister like her father. When she learns of the murder of Mr. Hurst, she quickly deduces that the man suspected of the murder, Mr. Bingley, might be innocent. She suggests to Bingley that they find the real murderer, but she is faced with opposition from Bingley’s friend and lawyer, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. 

Pride and Premeditation is Tirzah Price’s young adult historical murder mystery inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I read it for this year’s Jane Austen July. This was the first Jane Austen inspired murder mystery I’ve read, and I was excited to see how the author would handle the source material in a new setting.

June Wrap-up and July Hopefuls

Two of my June reads

June Wrap-Up

• Finished: 9
• Started but not finished: 2
• Total pages read: 2,738
• Average rating: 3.944

I had not expected that I’d read so many books in June! I thought I’d have time to finish five books, but I read four more. In the beginning of the month, I read one novel in verse, Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming (5/5 stars), which was also my favorite book of the month. I also read Sarah Brooks’s steampunk fantasy The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands (3/5 stars), which unfortunately was a bit of a disappointment.

Book Review: The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks

The Cautious Traveller's Guide
to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks

Book title: The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands
Author: Sarah Brooks
Genre: Steampunk fantasy
Published: June 18, 2024
372 pages
My rating: 3/5

“There is a woman on the platform with a borrowed name. With steam in her eyes and the taste of oil on her lips. The shrill, desperate whistle of the train turns into the sobbing of a young girl nearby and the cries of the trinket vendors, hawking their flimsy amulets as protection against Wastelands sickness.”

1899, a train runs from Beijing to Moscow across the Siberian Wastelands where strange phenomena are taking place. Marya Petrovna, a young woman with a borrowed name, boards the train to find out what happened to her father on the previous crossing. Weiwei, a girl born on the train, defies the rules of the train company and protects a stowaway girl. Henry Grey, a disgraced naturalist, is determined to restore his reputation. Together, they must survive the journey even as the uncontrollable Wastelands seem to break into the train.

The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands is Sarah Brooks’s debut novel. The premise sounded fascinating, and I was excited to read this steampunk fantasy, but unfortunately, the book left me a little disappointed.

Book Review: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Book title: Brown Girl Dreaming
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Genre: Memoir, novel in verse
Published: August 28, 2014
337 pages
My rating: 5/5

Brown Girl Dreaming is Jacqueline Woodson’s memoir or autobiographical novel in verse about her youth in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Born in Ohio and raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In her poems, she talks about growing up as a brown girl, her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement, and her love of stories even while she struggled to learn to read.

I was maybe expecting a novel in verse to be more poetic, but Woodson’s poems read almost like prose. I don’t know if this is because I read the book in a Finnish translation and poems are notoriously difficult to translate, or if the translation accurately captures Woodson’s style. Whether the lack of lyricism is a minus is a matter of taste. I probably only paid attention to it because I’m not the target audience for this middle grade book. The prose-like style makes the book easy to read and understand for younger readers.

Book Review: Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

Godkiller by Hannah Kaner

Book title: Godkiller
Author: Hannah Kaner
Genre: Fantasy
Published: January 19, 2023
304 pages
My rating: 4.5/5

“Why does it matter what happens to me?” said Elo.
“Because we could be the same, you and I,” she said after a moment. “What happened to us does not define us, what we do next is what matters.”

After a brutal war between gods and people, worship of gods is forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Kissen makes a living as a godkiller, but when she meets a god that has bonded with a young girl, she promises not to kill him. They set out to the ruined city of Blenraden to ask for help from the last wild gods haunting the place. On the way, they meet a former knight on a mission to save the king.

Godkiller is the first book in Hannah Kaner’s adult fantasy trilogy Fallen Gods. This was a fast-paced and exciting read. Although the plot was rather simple, there were nice twists along the way to keep my interest up. I also liked all four point-of-view characters, and there wasn’t single one whose chapters I wanted to skip. Despite them all being moody and grumpy, it was easy to learn to like them and to root for them. I also liked the disabled and queer representation in this book.

Book Review: The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi

The Ending Fire by Saara El-Arifi

Book title: The Ending Fire
Author: Saara El-Arifi
Genre: Fantasy
Published: September 10, 2024
512 pages
My rating: 4/5

“But small rebellions don’t change the world.
Some truths were too big to hide among the pauses of a soliloquy. They needed to be shouted. They needed to be confronted.”

The Warden’s Empire, the Blood Forged, and the Zalaam are preparing for a coming war. In the Warden’s Empire, a vigilante called Truthsayer raises an army against the wardens, and Sylah and Hassa have to navigate the changing political system while searching for Anoor. After joining her grandmother, Anoor is celebrated as the Child of Fire who will bring victory to the Zalaam. She finds herself a new purpose as they set off on their last voyage to wage war against the other nations.

The Ending Fire is the third and final book in Saara El-Arifi’s fantasy trilogy. I read the first book The Final Strife (4/5 stars) last year and the second book The Battle Drum (3.5/5 stars) right before this book. There is again a helpful recap of the events of the previous book as well as a glossary and a list of characters.

Book Review: The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi

The Battle Drum by Saara El-Arifi

Book title: The Battle Drum
Author: Saara El-Arifi
Genre: Fantasy
Published: May 23, 2023
560 pages
My rating: 3.5/5

“Freedom is not free. It has a cost. But it cannot be bought or given. Only taken. And it’s time to take ours.”

Anoor is the first blue-blooded ruler of the Warden’s Empire, but before her reign has even started she is falsely accused of a murder, and she must solve the crime without the help of her lover, Sylah. Sylah has left the Empire in search of a solution to the hurricane that threatens her land. The new truths she learns change everything she knows, and soon she must prepare for an oncoming battle. Meanwhile, Hassa, the Ghosting spy, uncovers more atrocities of the Empire’s past and present.

The Battle Drum is the second book in Saara El-Arifi’s fantasy trilogy The Ending Fire. I read the first book, The Final Strife, last year and gave it four stars. The Battle Drum is a solid sequel to the first book, but unfortunately it suffers from a middle book syndrome.