The October Man, Audio Version (2019) Ben Aaronovitch narrated by Sam Peter Jackson (Rivers of London) London isn’t the only city with magic. I ended up in the Abteilung KDA because I didn’t talk myself out of it fast enough, and because the Director has a vile sense of humour. I ended up learning magic […]
Within the Sanctuary of Wings: A Memoir by Lady Trent, Audio Version (2017) Marie Brennan narrated by Kate Reading The conclusion to Lady Trent’s story. I did not realize that this was only the edge of the great range, the chain geographers identify more precisely as the Dashavat Mountains. The Mrtyahaima proper lay behind, beyond […]
An Unseen Attraction (2017) KJ Charles (Sins of the Cities) Set in London in 1873 The first book in the Sins of the City series. they said the eyes were the windows to the soul, and Clem didn’t feel comfortable peering into people’s windows. “Most people,” Clem said carefully, “most people think that I shouldn’t […]
Come Unto These Yellow Sands (2011) Josh Lanyon Something about this book works perfectly to pull me out of my head. Part of it is that Swift is a reformed screw-up who knows how and why he messed up, but also how easy it could be for him to fall of the wagon. Physical violence […]
Homicide and Halo-Halo (2022) Mia P. Manansala (A Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery) Lila Macapagal is supposed to be getting ready for the opening of the cafe she is opening with her best friend. But instead she is guilted into judging the Miss Teen Shady Palms Beauty Pageant, which she won as a teenager. And, of […]
Women Warriors: An Unexpected History (2019) Pamela D. Toler One of the things about ebooks that is both good and bad, is that when I am reading them I have no idea how long they are. This means I can be surprised at an ending, since I generally have little idea how far along I […]
A Dangerous Madness (2014) Michelle Diener (Regency London) Set in England in 1819. Phoebe Hillier has always done everything she was supposed to, following all the rules. But when the man to whom she was betrothed (and her father’s insistence) breaks their engagement, she seemingly has little to lose any more. Impotent rage, her old […]
Emperor’s Conspiracy(2012) Michelle Diener (Regency London) I reread the second book, so then I had to go back and reread the first book. “Em.” Lord Durnham watched as his sister ushered her children out the door in front of her with disbelief. “I don’t understand . . .” He caught Charlotte’s eye as she waited […]
Banquet of Lies (2013) Michelle Diener (Regency London) I needed to reread this as well. For her, what people ate, and how they ate, was just as interesting as the stories they told. This one is also about food. Her voice was as bitter as burned coffee, and just as dark. But in addition to […]
The Remaking of Corbin Wale (2018) Roan Parrish Romance plus bakery The best bakeries had a cohesive vision. You didn’t want a counter selling bran muffins next to key lime tarts next to baklava next to polvorones. The menu needed to have range, but not feel chaotic— provide surprises, but not overwhelm. Even the bits […]
In a Treacherous Court (2011) Michelle Diener (Susanna Horenbout and John Parker) Set in England in 1525 Although this is fiction, it is based upon real historical characters. Few details are known about them, so aside from the bare details, this is fictional, although the time period is well-researched. Susanna Horenbout is sent by her […]
In the Labyrinth of Drakes: A Memoir by Lady Trent, Audio Book (2016) Marie Brennan narrated by Kate Reading Lady Trent continues her memoirs. Because this volume of my memoirs concerns itself with my research in Akhia, it will of necessity say more than a little about the mating habits of dragons and other creatures. […]
Shadow Rites (2016) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock) Now we’ve reached the place where the story starts to pick up steam and we only get partial resolutions at the end of each book, as things in New Orleans get worse and worse. The Witch Conclave is scheduled for New Orleans, and Leo […]
Lady Odelia’s Secret (2022) Jane Steen (Lady Helena Investigates) Set in England in 1882. I read the first book, Lady Helena Investigates, soon after it came out, and was disgruntled when there wasn’t a sequel. Until a couple weeks ago I stumbled across the second book in the series. HUZZAH! Lady Helena is a widow, […]
No Man’s Land: The Trailblazing Women Who Ran Britain’s Most Extraordinary Military Hospital During World War I (2020) Wendy Moore When the Great War broke out, two of the leading suffragettes, Louisa Garrett Anderson and Flora Murray, decide to open a hospital, in the own battle to prove women deserved the same rights as men. […]
In the Cards (2019) Celia Lake (Mysterious Charm) Set in England and Sicily in 1925 Yes, I still (badly) wants these books edited, but I am still reading. Explaining how they really were, that was more complicated. They’d made agreements, he and Galen, about when they’d share certain things, and when they wouldn’t. This is […]
Mistlefoe: A Mead Realm Tale (2021) Kimberly Lemming This story is very silly. It’s also fun. Many family dinners throughout my childhood were filled with ramblings on taxes being too high or the current king spending too much money on mistresses and trebuchets. Ruby’s father snuck into a demon’s territory and stole some ore (because […]
Whirlwind (2021) A. M. Rose (Daydream, Colorado) This book finishes the arc started in the previous book. Felix is clairvoyant. He didn’t have some grand purpose, but he could help ease the suffering of both the living and the dead, and that was just as powerful. He goes to where he is pulled, never settling […]
Wards of the Roses (2019) Celia Lake (Mysterious Charm) Set in Wales & England in 1920 I still want these books to be edited. But the story and world building keep pulling me in. Kate Davies doesn’t want a return to war, but she would like the more interesting assignments she got while all the […]
Curse on the Land (2016) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam Nell Ingram is now officially a member of PsyLEDs Unit 18. She’s finished he training at Spook School and is officially a problem. This is the story with the underground working and the slime mold and things coming to a head with Paca and […]
An Agreement with the Soldier (2021) Sadie Bosque (Necessary Arrangements) Set in England in 1817. Miss Samantha Lewis twice had her coming seasons interrupted for periods of mourning. So she is quite old to be on the marriage mart despite her looks and her dowry. John Godfrey never expected to become the Baron of Ashbury. […]
A Sanctuary for Soulden (2021) J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry (The Lords of Bucknall Club) Set in an alternate England in the early 1800s. Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden is easily bored. But you wouldn’t guess that if you saw him out on the town, where he presents himself as a fop, concerned with little other […]
Bee Cave Magic (2020) Kelly Fox Micah is a dud. He’s 25 and never shifted, which means that he avoids his long-time crush, Rex, like the plague. I’m a non-shifter, and he knows as well as I do that shifters and non-shifters should never date or fall in love. Also, coming from a family of […]
Heartwood (2021) A.M. Rose (Daydream, Colorado) For months, Darian has been searching for the man his friend Mason has Glimpsed. Someone hurt, in danger, being chased. So he isn’t surprised when Tate shows up. Tate, however, had no idea that magical communities such as Daydream even existed. I’ve read several books and novellas in this […]
Magician’s Hoard (2019) Celia Lake (Mysterious Charm) Set in England in 1926. Pross has been a widow for six years, raising her daughter, running a small bookstore, and taking on the occasional research project. “What did you want from the Society, then? You seem to have most of it covered.” He looked up at her […]
The Voyage of the Basilisk: A Memoir by Lady Trent, Audio Edition (2015) Marie Brennan narrated by Kate Reading Six years after her return for Eriga, Lady Trent and her companions set out for a two year journey around the world, to study dragons. For my own part, I found my quarters at first shockingly […]
Dark Heir, Audio Edition (2015) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock) This is the point where story arcs begin to leak between books, with more being unresolved than is resolved. I don’t actually blame her for this, because the story has been building for almost a decade, so it is now heading towards […]
Celtic Myths series (2021) A. L. Lester These are stories based upon various Celtic myths, shifted, twisted, and retold. Surfacing Again (2021) Lin (Malinda) is now spending her Christmas alone, after a blow-up with the friend with whom she was supposed to be vacationing with. The subtext was that she’d turned up on Lin’s doorstep […]
A Case for Christmas (2021) J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry (The Lords of Bucknall Club) Set in an alternate England during the Napoleonic Era. The only thing that makes this a fantasy is this bit: In 1783, the Marriage Act Amendment was introduced in England to allow marriages between same-sex couples. This was done to […]
The Love Hypothesis (2021) Ali Hazelwood There are things I quite like about The Love Hypothesis–first and foremost all the science and academia bits. I’m a grad student living in Stanford, California. I make less than thirty thousand dollars a year. My rent takes up two-thirds of my salary. I’ve been wearing the same pair […]
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon (2021) Kimberly Lemming (Mead Mishaps) This is utterly ridiculous. My self-preserving habits made me a bit of an outlier with the other girls in town. “Who wouldn’t want to go off on a grand adventure with a bunch of hot heroes also chosen by the goddess?” […]
Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World (2017) Laura Spinney This one took me a bit to get through, but mostly because I completely stopped reading non-fiction for awhile last year. This is another story about the Spanish Influenza, this time focusing upon the changes the diseases wrought upon […]
Fearless (2016) Shira Glassman Lana Novak is okay being divorced, as she and her ex-husband were finally able to admit who they were to each other–and the world. Although neither of their parents are enthused, their kids are fine with it, so when Lana develops a crush on one of the high school conductors / […]
Dearest Milton James (2021) N.R. Walker Malachi Keogh’s father is giving him one last chance to stick with a job. What Malachi isn’t expecting is to end up at what used to be known as the Dead Letter Office. (T)his is the Mail Redirection Centre. It used to be called The Dead Letter Office, but […]
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (2021) India Holton (Dangerous Damsels) Set in an alternate Victorian England. Cecilia Bassingwaite is a proper Victorian young lady, and she is also a member of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, and she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Ned Lightbourne goes […]
An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook’s Battle for Domination (2021) Sheera Frenkel, Cecilia Kang This book sets out to tell you how things are, and pulls no punches, right from the start. For years, Facebook had exercised a merciless “buy-or-bury” strategy to kill off competitors. The result was the creation of a powerful monopoly that wreaked […]
Life’s Too Short (2021) Abby Jimenez (The Friend Zone) After her sister’s death and the realization she had no idea how long she herself had to live, Vanessa Price quit her job and decided to follow her dream of traveling the world. “I never save anything,” I said, grabbing the bottle opener on the counter. […]
And Everything Nice (2016) Ada Maria Soto This is another hug I treated myself to. This one is funny and silly. “He might not be gay, and he’s probably already got a boyfriend.” “Prescouted. Single, new in town, currently into Elder Scrolls online, and has a pride flag bumper sticker, so out and proud.” “Why […]
The Missing Page (2022) Cat Sebastian (Page & Sommers) Set in England in 1948. It has only been a few months since James and Leo met during a murder case, but Leo is now claiming James “spare room” as his landing place when he is home from whatever missions he is sent out on. But […]
Murder Under Her Skin (2021) Stephen Spotswood (Pentecost and Parker) Set in NYC and rural VA in 1946. Will has been working for Ms. Pentecost for more than a year now, and is enjoying becoming a private investigator. But when Will gets a telegram from her old boss–Big Bob Halloway–asking to look into the death […]
Broken Soul (2014) Faith Hunter narrated by Khristine Hvam (Jane Yellowrock) Here is where the story starts to steamroll, with major arcs remaining open at the end of each book. Not cliffhangers, mind you, but major story arcs, like the plotting and machinations of the European Vamps, and why they’re coming to the US. The […]
Witch Hat Atelier 1 (2017/2019) Kamome Shirahama This is a gorgeous comic / manga. Sadly, it is not my jam. Publisher: Kodansha Comics Rating: NR
Moonstruck Volume 1: Magic to Brew (2018) Grace Ellis, Shae Beagle, Kate Leth I’d forgotten this was middle grade to YA, so it was way younger than I was in the mood for. Publisher: Image Comics
In the Winter Woods (2020) Isabelle Adler Declan has escaped to his family’s summer cabin–in December–in the hopes it will let him write the book he desperately needs to get to his editor. And it looks like he can’t just churn out another mystery with his hero–he needs something new, and doesn’t know where to […]
Two Feet Under (2018) Charlie Cochrane (Lindenshaw Mysteries) Adam Matthews and Robin Bright are settling into their new jobs: Adam is deputy headmaster at a new school and Robin is Chief Inspector at Abbotston (the nick that had all the issues in the last book). When Robin is called out to a body found at […]
An Irregular Arrangement A. L. Lester (Border Magic) Set in England in 1920. This is a short story set in the Border Magic world. Tim and Flora are best friends who chose to get married to make things safer for Tim and his lover, Rupert. Val is finally twenty one and ready to leave their […]
The Postscript Murders (2021) Elly Griffiths (Harbinder Kaur) Apparently I don’t love mysteries written in the present tense. Primarily because sentences like this are jarring. There’s another man called either Brodie or Brady, Harbinder never does discover which it is. Can she see into the future that she will never learn his name? Which was […]
Christmas Wish List (2021) N.R. Walker (Hartbridge Christmas) Last year I read Tic-Tac-Mistletoe which was cute and sweet, so I was pretty sure I was getting cute and sweet here. Cass inherited an old manor and has spent the last two years turning it into a modern B&B. He just needs a chef to help […]
A Marriage of Equals (2021) Elizabeth Rolls Set in England in 1804 TWs: Discussion of attempted rape, parental death, slavery, violence against women. Psyché Winthrop-Abeni may be the bastard daughter of a slave, but her father eventually sought to do right by her, bringing her to England and her freedom, where she eventually came to […]
Valor: Wands (2018) Isabelle Melançon, Megan Lavey-Heaton Editors “The Prince’s New Clothes” by Isabelle Melançon and Megan Lavey-Heaton “Mom Knight and The Centipede” by Sara Goetter “The Magnificent Daji” by Alex Singer and Diana Huh “Maleen” by Nicole Chartland “Marie and The Nutcracker” by Emily Hann “The Laughing Queen” by Gisele Weaver “The Princess with […]