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: 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: 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: 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: Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

Book title: Ruthless Vows
Author: Rebecca Ross
Genre: YA fantasy
Published: December 26, 2023
420 pages
My rating: 4/5

“Sometimes,” Iris began, “I don’t think we know what we’re made of until the worst moment possible happens. Then we must decide who we truly are and what is most important to us. I think we’re often surprised by what we become.”

Iris Winnow has returned home without her husband, Roman Kitt. Her hometown Oath continues to live in denial, unconcerned of the war between gods waging closer and closer to the city. When Iris is given the chance to return to the front, she once again heads westward despite the danger, determined to tell the truth of the war and to find Roman. On the other side of the enemy lines, Roman wakes up, healed by god Dacre but with no memories. He begins to work as a war correspondent for Dacre, but when a letter arrives beneath his wardrobe door, he is once again drawn to his mysterious pen pal.

Ruthless Vows is the second book in Rebecca Ross’s young adult fantasy duology Letters of Enchantment. I loved the first book, Divine Rivals, and I gave it four and a half stars. This book picks up a few weeks after the events of the first book. Iris and Roman are separated, and they need to find their way back together and to end the war between the gods. There’s less romance and a lot more fantasy warplot in this book. We also get a lot more scenes and chapters from Roman’s point of view. Personally, I would have preferred to see more of Iris’ point of view, and that’s one of the reasons why I didn’t like this book as much as Divine Rivals.

Book Review: Once upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Once upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber

Book title: Once upon a Broken Heart
Author: Stephanie Garber
Genre: YA fantasy
Published: September 28, 2021
408 pages
My rating: 4/5

All stories are made of both truths and lies, she used to say. What matters is the way that we believe in them.
And Evangeline had a gift when it came to believing in things that others considered myths—like the immortal Fates.

Evangeline Fox has always believed in happily ever after – but then the love of her life chooses to marry someone else. Desperate to stop the wedding, she strikes a deal with Jacks, an immortal Fate known as the Prince of Hearts. In exchange, he wants her to give three kisses to three people of his choosing. Evangeline agrees, but after the first kiss, she learns that Jacks wants more from her than she is willing to give.

Once upon a Broken Heart is the first book in Stephanie Garber’s young adult fantasy trilogy. The novel is set in the same world as Garber’s Caraval trilogy which I read last year. For some reason, I expected this series to be a prequel to Caraval, but I must have misread some review. It’s actually a sequel and the events take place immediately after the end of the last book of the Caraval trilogy, Finale. Nevertheless, you can easily follow the plot of Once upon a Broken Heart even if you haven’t read the other trilogy, although it is easier to understand some aspects of the world building if you’re familiar with the world and some of the recurring characters.

Book Review: Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Book title: Crooked Kingdom
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult fantasy
Published: September 27, 2016
561 pages
My rating: 4/5

“I would come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together – knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.”

Kaz Brekker and his team have just pulled off a daring heist, but instead of enjoying their reward, they have been double-crossed by the merchant who recruited them. Determined to get their revenge and their money while the whole city is after them, the group plans another series of elaborate schemes to destroy their enemies – and maybe to save a few Grisha as well.

Crooked Kingdom is the second book in Leigh Bardugo’s young adult fantasy duology set in her Grishaverse. While the first book Six of Crows left me a little disappointed, it also lowered my expectations enough so that I could be pleasantly surprised with Crooked Kingdom. I'm happy to report that I enjoyed this book a lot more.

Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Book title: Six of Crows
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult fantasy
Published: September 29, 2015
491 pages
My rating: 4/5

“Kaz Brekker didn’t need a reason. Those were the words whispered on the streets of Ketterdam, in the taverns and coffeehouses, in the dark and bleeding alleys of the pleasure district known as the Barrel. The boy they called Dirtyhands didn’t need a reason any more than he needed permission – to break a leg, sever an alliance, or change a man’s fortunes with the turn of a card.”

Criminal mastermind Kaz Brekker has been offered a deal of a lifetime: break into an unbreakable fortress of the Ice Court and retrieve a hostage, and he will become a millionaire. But he can’t pull it off by himself. Together with a team of five other outcasts, he sets out to carry an impossible heist.

Six of Crows is the first book in a duology set in Leigh Bardugo’s fantasy world Grishaverse. I read Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy a year ago, and I must admit I was slightly disappointed. You can find my reviews of Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising behind the links. However, several people told me that Six of Crows is a better series than the first trilogy set in Grishaverse, so I was excited to read this book. But again, I wasn’t as enamored with the book as I had hoped to be. I think my expectations were too high, and that led to an inevitable disappointment.

Book Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
by Heather Fawcett

Book title: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Author: Heather Fawcett
Genre: Historical fantasy
Published: January 10, 2023
317 pages
My rating: 4/5

“There was something about the stories bound between those covers, and the myriad species of Folk weaving in and out of them, each one a mystery begging to be solved. I suppose most children fall in love with faeries at some point, but my fascination was never about magic or the granting of wishes. The Folk were of another world, with its own rules and customs – and to a child who always felt ill-suited to her own world, the lure was irresistible.”

Young Cambridge professor Emily Wilde travels to the distant northern village of Hrafnsvik to prepare the final chapter of her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. She has no intention of befriending any of the local townsfolk, nor does she wish to spend any time with her insufferable rival, Wendell Bambleby, who suddenly arrives at the village. But as Emily begins to uncover the secrets of the Hidden Ones, the most elusive of the faeries, she must learn to accept the villagers’ friendship and help if she wants to escape the faeries’ enchantments.

Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is a cozy light academia fantasy full of magic and faeries. I loved the main character, and her social awkwardness reminded me of myself. Her growing friendships with the rest of the cast of characters were adorable. I also enjoyed reading the book’s first person diary-style description of Emily’s experiences and the footnotes on fairy lore. This book formed a nice contrast to the dark academia vibes of my previous read, R.F. Kuang’s Babel, and I must say I prefer light academia myself. This book made a perfect cozy fall read.

Book Review: Cecilia by Frances Burney

Cecilia by Frances Burney

Book title: Cecilia
Author: Frances Burney
Genre: Classic
Published: 1782
1004 pages
My rating: 4/5

Cecilia Beverley is an heiress who can only keep her fortune if her husband agrees to take her surname. Surrounded by fortune-hunters and other people who want to use her money for their own gain, the beautiful and virtuous Cecilia has to navigate the world with only the help of three questionable guardians. She falls in love with Mortimer Delvile, the son of one of her guardians, but his father insists that he keeps the family name, and it seems impossible they will ever have their happy ending.

Cecilia, or Memoirs of an Heiress is Frances Burney’s second novel, published in 1782. I started this book for this year’s Jane Austen July, but as the book is closer to thousand pages (plus foreword and appendices), it took me over two months to finish it. I don’t usually mind long classics, but Cecilia was way too long.

Book Review: Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amélie Wen Zhao

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night
by Amélie Wen Zhao

Book title: Song of Silver, Flame Like Night
Author: Amélie Wen Zhao
Genre: Young Adult fantasy
Published: January 3, 2023
459 pages
My rating: 4/5

“The Elantians destroyed everything that made the roots of our kingdom: our culture, our education, our families and principles. They wish to take us out on our knees, to subdue us so that we will never lift our heads again. But what they do not know is that, so long as we live on, we carry inside us all that they have destroyed. And that is our triumph, that is our rebellion.”

For years, the Hin kingdom has been occupied by the Elantians, a metal-magic wielding nation determined to destroy the Hin culture. Eighteen-year-old Lan entertains the occupiers by night and by day scavenges the remnants of the past for anything that might help her understand the mysterious mark her mother left her right before she died. She meets Zen, a practitioner of forbidden Hin magic, who saves her life and teaches her to use magic. Together, they hold the power to liberate their land – or to destroy it.

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night is the first book in the young adult fantasy duology Song of the Last Kingdom. I have to admit I’m not one hundred per cent sure how I feel about this book. I enjoyed the story and thought the description of colonialism and oppression was well-done, but at the same time there were a few things that stop me from giving it five stars. The first is the writing style. The text was slow to read, and especially the first half of the book was full of exposition that was done in a clumsy and info-dumpy manner.

Book Review: The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi

Book title: The Final Strife
Author: Saara El-Arifi
Genre: Fantasy
Published: June 23, 2022
502 pages
My rating: 4/5

“If your blood runs red, go straight ahead
If your blood runs blue, you’re not coming through
Translucent hue, who are you, who are you, who are you?”

The Warden’s Empire is divided by blood: the red-blooded Embers rule over the blue-blooded Dusters and the clear-blooded Ghostings. Sylah Alyana, a twenty-year-old Ember, was stolen as a baby and forged into a weapon to change the empire from the inside – until her adoptive family was killed. Anoor Elsari has been told her whole life that she is worth nothing by her mother, the Warden of Strength. But when Sylah crashes into Anoor’s life, Anoor is determined to show her mother wrong by entering Aktibar, a competition where the next Wardens are decided.

The Final Strife is an adult fantasy and the first book in The Ending Fire trilogy by Saara El-Arifi. The story is told from four points of view: Sylah’s point of view is the most prominent, followed by Anoor’s. Small parts of the story are also told from the points of view of Hassa, a Ghosting transwoman, and Jond, Sylah’s friend and part-time lover.

Book Review: Finale by Stephanie Garber

Finale by Stephanie Garber

Book title: Finale
Author: Stephanie Garber
Genre: Young Adult fantasy
Published: May 7, 2019
478 pages
My rating: 4/5

“Every story has four parts: the beginning, the middle, the almost-ending, and the true ending. Unfortunately, not everyone gets a true ending. Most people give up at the part of the story where things are the worst, when the situation feels hopeless, but that is where hope is needed the most. Only those who persevere can find their true ending.”

Two months after the Fates were released from a magical deck of cards, the lives of everyone in Valenda are at stake. Scarlett and Donatella Dragna must destroy the leader of the Fates, the Fallen Star, with the help of friends—and potential foes. In the process, they uncover unexpected truths that threaten to upend their lives.

Finale is the third and final book in Stephanie Garber’s young adult fantasy series Caraval. Unlike Caraval, which was told from Scarlett’s point-of-view, and Legendary, which was told from Tella’s, Finale is told form a dual point-of-view. We get both Scarlett’s and Tella’s reactions and viewpoints in the same book, although Tella’s point of view is more prominent. In this book, the stakes are higher: the Fates are threatening the lives of everyone, and the sisters have to come up with a way to destroy them.

Book Review: Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

Book title: Legendary
Author: Stephanie Garber
Genre: Young Adult fantasy
Published: May 29, 2018
451 pages
My rating: 4/5

"Your future can be whatever you wish. We all have the power to choose our own destiny."

Donatella Dragna has saved her sister Scarlett from an arranged marriage and escaped her father. But now she must pay her debt to a mysterious criminal and find out Legend’s true name. Her only chance of uncovering the secret is to join Caraval again and win the game – or else she might lose everything, including her life.

Legendary is the second book in Stephanie Garber’s young adult fantasy trilogy Caraval. I enjoyed Caraval, but I must admit it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. The same can be said about Legendary. My feelings are conflicted: on the one hand, Legendary was better than Caraval, but simultaneously and paradoxically I also found it more boring. I liked the plot and the expanded worldbuilding, but I just couldn’t bring myself to care about what was happening. I think that was because I didn’t connect with Tella even to the little extent that I did with Scarlett.

Book Review: Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Book title: Caraval
Author: Stephanie Garber
Genre: Young Adult fantasy
Published: September 29, 2016
407 pages
My rating: 4/5

“Remember it’s all a game. What happens beyond this gate may frighten or excite you, but don’t let any of it trick you.”

Scarlett Dragna’s life-long dream has been to see Caraval, a performance where the audience participates in the show and competes for a prize. A few weeks before her arranged marriage, she finally gets an invitation to Caraval for herself, her sister Tella, and her fiancé. With the help of a mysterious sailor Julian, Scarlett and Tella escape their cruel and abusive father and journey to a far-away island, but as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s organizer, Legend. Now Scarlett must find Tella before the game ends, or she risks losing her forever.

Caraval is the first book in Stephanie Garber’s young adult fantasy trilogy of the same name. I have heard a lot of people rave about this series as well as the Once Upon a Broken Heart series, so I was intrigued to read both trilogies, starting with Caraval.

Book Review: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

Book title: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (*Amazon affiliate link)
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Young Adult dystopian fiction
Published: May 19, 2020
517 pages
My rating: 4/5

“Coriolanus released a fistful of cabbage into the pot of boiling water and swore that one day it would never pass his lips again. He needed to eat a large bowl of the anemic stuff, and drink every drop of broth, to prevent his stomach from growling during the reaping ceremony.”

It is the year of the tenth Hunger Games, and eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is given a unique opportunity to win a scholarship to university – a much-needed money, as the once-great house of Snow has fallen into ruin. The problem: he must mentor a tribute from the lowest district, district 12, and a girl no less. But once he meets his tribute Lucy Gray Baird, a singer and a performer, he is certain he can win the audience to her (and his) side.

Book Review: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

Book title: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea (* Amazon affiliate link)
Author: Axie Oh
Genre: Young adult fantasy
Published: February 22, 2022
321 pages
My rating: 4/5

“The myths of my people say only a true bride of the Sea God can bring an end to his insatiable wrath. When the otherworldly storms rise from the East Sea, lightning breaking the sky and water ripping up the shore, a bride is chosen and given to the Sea God. Or sacrificed, depending on the measure of your faith.”

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for a century. People believe that they are cursed by the Sea God, their former protector, and to appease his wrath, they sacrifice a young maiden to him every year. To save her brother’s beloved Shim Cheong from being sacrificed, Mina throws herself in the sea and ends up in the spirit realm. She meets the Sea God, who is sleeping an enchanted sleep, and a mysterious young man Shin, who promises to help her break the curse. But her time is running out, as a human cannot live long in the land of the spirits.

Book Review: Oh Dear, Maria! by Abigail Ted

Oh Dear, Maria! by Abigail Ted

Book title: Oh Dear, Maria! (* Amazon affiliate link)
Author: Abigail Ted
Genre: Historical fiction
Published: November 1, 2022
288 pages
My rating: 4/5

“For Maria Harrington, there was no greater satisfaction than that which could be found in her own misery. It had always been the way, and there was no explaining it, at least not by the lady herself; misery was her oldest, most-beloved friend, and she was forever in search of this companion.”

Maria Harrington is a stubborn, self-centered, and melodramatic daughter of a power-hungry merchant father and a mentally ill and absent mother. Her father forces her into a marriage with a debt-ridden Member of Parliament, Honourable Mr. Jackson—a man she used to love but now despises. At first, she is sure to make everyone know how miserable she is, and it doesn’t take long for her new husband to realize Maria is more than just a ticket to financial independence. She is also an emotional time bomb whose explosions range from comical to terrifying.

Oh Dear, Maria! is a debut novel by indie author Abigail Ted. The book is a humorous Regency pastiche, following the footsteps of classic satire such as William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fair. That alone made me eager to read this book, as Vanity Fair is one of my favorite classics. I must admit I was slightly disappointed, but that’s probably because I was setting my expectations too high. This book does what it promises, although it does not quite reach the level of the masters it takes inspiration from.

Book Review: Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James

Tilly and the Bookwanderers by Anna James

Book Title: Tilly and the Bookwanderers (*affiliate link)
Author: Anna James
Genre: Middle grade fantasy
Published: September 18, 2018
400 pages
My rating: 4/5

“Our stories are how we will be remembered – so we’ve got to make sure they are worth telling.”

Eleven-year-old Matilda “Tilly” Pages lives upstairs the little bookshop kept by her grandparents. One day, she meets the main characters from her two favorite books – Alice in Wonderland and Anne of Green Cables – and learns that she can travel into books. Together with her friend Oskar they begin an adventure into the world of books and try to solve the mystery of what happened to Tilly’s mother.

Tilly and the Bookwanderers is a middle-grade fantasy for anyone who has wanted to travel into books or meet their favorite characters. Books about books, libraries, and bookstores as well as the idea that you can travel into books is something that I love. One of my favorite books last year (and also this year when I reread it) was WildWood Revisited by Cinasee Pollett. So when I spotted Tilly and the Bookwanderers in my local library, I knew I wanted to read it – even more so since one of my goals this year is to read a middle-grade book.

Book review: Much Ado about Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin

Much Ado about Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin

Book Title: Much Ado about Nada (*affiliate link)
Author: Uzma Jalaluddin
Genre: Contemporary romance
Published: June 13, 2023
313 pages
My rating: 4/5

“Nada had tried forgetting. She had buried her secrets and regrets in a small bundle she kept hidden in a floral hatbox inside her closet. It hadn’t helped; even years later, they kept bubbling to the surface, magma that threatened to erupt in a dramatic volcanic explosion, obscuring her emotional atmosphere and making progress impossible.”

Twenty-nine-year-old Nada Syed is stuck: unmarried, living with her parents, and mourning the failure of her start-up company. Her best friend Haleema is determined to bring her out of her shell once more and forces her to attend a giant Muslim convention at the heart of Toronto. And Haleema knows the perfect man for Nada to spend her time with: her fiancé’s brother, Baz. What Haleema doesn’t know is that Nada and Baz have a very long and very secret history.