Month: January 2023

2023 Reading Plans & Goals

~ VenusBloo ~ Leave a comment

One thing I realized about myself over the course of 2022 is that I am not very good at sticking to specific reading plans.  So, for 2023 my plans will be more lenient and more like guidelines towards an ultimate goal.  I’m not too picky how I get there or what order they take.  I just want to work towards certain goals for 2023 for both my reading plans and plans for the blog.

1. Read 75 books in 2023

My book goal for 2022 was to read 100 books.  However, due to changing jobs in the middle of the year and hitting a major reading slump more than once, I only managed to read 69 books in 2022.  That is a still a lot of books!  With that in mind, though, I’m going to set a more reasonable goal of 75 books to read for 2023.  I got pretty close to that last year, and I’ve exceeded that in the past.  So, I think that’s a realistic goal for me.

2. Get caught up on my ARC’s

One of the reasons I write on my blog is it helps me get advanced reader copies of books.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to keep up with reading these in a timely manner over the past few years, and most of my TBR consists of ARC’s now.  So, I’m going to try to get caught up and read all the outstanding ARC’s I have been given since 2020.  Now that I’m not working in retail anymore, I think this is pretty achievable.  It also helps me meet my goal of reading 75 books, so it’s a win-win!

3. Catch up on several series

Like most readers, I have a ton of series I need to get caught up on.  There are a few that are more pressing than others because I have ARC’s for the newest release, but I’m not caught up on the older installments yet.  I plan to read and catch up on at least the following series:

There are other series I’m going to be reading since I have ARC’s for them, but these are the big ones I’d like to get to in 2023.  I’d also like to read more books in Mercedes Lackey’s Valdemar world, but there are so many series and trilogies that it will likely take more than 2023 for me to get to them all.  It’s looking like this will be the year of the series binge-read!

4. Limit my book acquisitions

I have entirely too many books.  I recently got a handheld scanner, and I catalogued all of my books into a website called Libib (I will be sharing the link for my catalogue soon).  In 2023 I’m going to limit my book acquiring to the following criteria:

  • I can still get ARC’s if I read them as soon as I get them.
  • I can still keep my Book of the Month subscription, but I have to skip months that don’t have books I want to read right away.
  • If I buy books, they need to be part of a series I plan to finish reading in 2023.

Hopefully setting up these rules for myself will limit the additions to my already mountainous TBR pile.

5. Participate in Project Backlist

Now, all of these goals are all well and good, but what about accountability?  How am I going to make sure I stick to these goals in 2023?  Well, that’s where my friend Kal at Reader Voracious comes in.  She started a challenge for 2023 called Project Backlist where participants commit to 2023 reading goals centered on reading their own personal backlists and backlogs of books.  She even has a Discord server where I make regular updates on my progress, and she’s created a Goodreads and StoryGraph challenge for those who find that easier to keep track of.  So, I have several people helping me keep these goals and who can encourage me when I feel overwhelmed.

6. Post on Tea Rex Reads at least once per week

The final goal I have for 2023 is to post on this blog more often!  Now that I have a regular work schedule and more free time, I feel I can commit to posting to Tea Rex Reads at least once per week.  The plan is to post every Tuesday and Thursday, and I want to eventually have a consistent schedule for posts.  However, I’m trying not to overwhelm myself, so I will at least post something on here once per week in 2023.

While these aren’t all the goals I have for 2023, I think these are the most important ones.  I’m trying not to let myself feel stressed by reading and writing this year.  I read for fun, and I started my blog just to be able to get my thoughts about what I’m reading out of my head.  If other people enjoy reading what I write, then that’s great too.  I’ll try to make at least one post halfway through the year detailing my progress with these goals as well for anyone who’s interested.  Here’s to a great reading year in 2023!

Do you have any reading plans for this year? What are your reading goals for 2023?  Share them with me in the comments!

ARC Review: Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans

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Book:  Empire of Exiles

Author:  Erin M. Evans

Pages:  432

Source:  Orbit

Publisher:  Orbit

Genre:  Fantasy, Mystery

Publication Date:  November 8, 2022

Goodreads Summary: 

Twenty-seven years ago, a Duke with a grudge led a ruthless coup against the empire of Semilla, killing thousands. He failed. The Duke was executed, a terrifyingly powerful sorcerer was imprisoned, and an unwilling princess disappeared. 

The empire moved on. 

Now, when Quill, an apprentice scribe, arrives in the capital city, he believes he’s on a simple errand for another pompous noble: fetch ancient artifacts from the magical Imperial Archives. He’s always found his apprenticeship to a lawman to be dull work. But these aren’t just any artifacts — these are the instruments of revolution, the banners under which the Duke lead his coup. 

Just as the artifacts are unearthed, the city is shaken by a brutal murder that seems to have been caused by a weapon not seen since the days of rebellion. With Quill being the main witness to the murder, and no one in power believing his story, he must join the Archivists — a young mage, a seasoned archivist, and a disillusioned detective — to solve the truth of the attack. And what they uncover will be the key to saving the empire – or destroying it again.

My Review:

I received an advanced reader copy of Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans courtesy of Orbit books in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you Orbit! 

Empire of Exiles takes place primarily in a city called Arlabecca in the Empire of Semillan Protectorates.  Semillan is only a small part of the continent, but it is where the ten peoples of this world have fled in the hopes of escaping the Changelings.  Semillan is a located on a peninsula, and it is protected from the Changlings by a giant salt wall running along the isthmus of the peninsula.  Changelings can’t come in contact with salt or iron, so the people of Semillan have been safe from them for centuries. 

Changelings in this book are more closely related to shapeshifters than changelings in fairy stories.  They can take on the shape, voice, and memories of anyone, and they have used this power to cause chaos and war across the continent.  Naturally, this can cause a lot of problems even without the threat of war since it’s difficult to trust anyone when you aren’t sure if they are really that person or a Changeling.  Thus, all ten peoples of the world are now refugees from their homelands in Semillan. 

In addition to the Changeling threat, the Empire of Semillan has recently dealt with conflict and war from within.  The Brother’s War between the Emperor and his brother caused a change of power after the Emperor and his family were assassinated.   Then, there was an attempted coup by the Usurper known as Rodolfo Kirazzi.  More than 20 years ago he attempted to overthrow the sitting Emperor and replace him with the resurrected daughter of the previous Emperor as the legitimate heir.  Luckily, this coup failed, and peace was brokered through political marriage between the Imperial family and the Kirazzi family.   

Now, the Kirazzi family are making requests from the Imperial Archives that house artifacts from all the nations living in Semillan.  The items requested are unusual in that they all belonged to the Usurper Rodolfo, and the archivists are nervous about releasing them from the archives.  Quill, a Paremi scribe, is left at the archives to ensure the requests are fulfilled.  The archives are vast, and the request takes some time.  When Quill leaves that evening to join his fellow scribe and their master, he witnesses a brutal assault and murder that leaves him devastated. 

As Quill seeks to unravel the mystery of the murder with the help of Archive Generalist Amadea and Vigilant Richa, he discovers this murder is similar to events in the past.  Things like this have happened before, during the attempted coup, and now Quill wonders if the request from the archives has anything to do with them.  Quill’s search for the truth will lead him on a dangerous journey through the past that has come back to haunt the Semillan Empire. 

As you can probably tell, Empire of Exiles manages to pack a lot into its 432 pages.  The book offers a rich and detailed world for its setting in Semillan, and the forced proximity of so many cultures creates a melting pot of fantasy themed beliefs and traditions.  There are ten different peoples in Semillan, and while all of them are humanoid, they are not all human.  Some of them have horns like the Orozhandi people while others have tentacles or feathers.  Amazingly, many people seem to get along and appreciate the cultures of others.  The core belief holding them all together is the salt wall holding back the Changeling horde.   

I will say this though.  All of this world-building and mix of cultures and characters and backgrounds made getting into the book a little tough for me.  It was almost like learning another language to understand the context behind what was going on in the story and why it mattered.  Once I got past the first 50 to 100 pages, though, I was able to feel more invested in the characters, and I was drawn in by the murder mystery enough to keep reading. 

Speaking of which, the mystery part of this book is fantastic.  It kept me guessing all the way until the end of the book.  Erin M. Evans does an amazing job of weaving all the details in the world into the importance of clues and the twists the story takes.  The ending feels satisfying, and it left me wanting more.  This is the first book in a planned trilogy, but this book didn’t end on a cliff hanger.  It just left me with exciting questions and made me want to learn more about the world as a whole. 

One of my favorite bits of world-building involves the magic system in this book.  It’s different from anything else I’ve read about, and while it’s complex in its own way, I would still consider it a soft magic system.  Basically, certain people regardless of origin can have affinities.  These affinities can be for various materials like bronze, gold, bones, and ink.  People with strong affinities are able to manipulate these materials, but it comes with a risk.  They can spiral, and their need for their materials can become so strong they transmute themselves into the material and die.   

In order to prevent this fate, people with strong affinities are often sent to the Imperial Archives to become specialists in their materials.  This is where people like Amadea come in.  Part of her job at the Archives is talking specialists down or sequestering them when they are in danger of a spiral.  It reminded me a bit of how a therapist may help their patients with mental illness, and I thought it was an interesting perspective for a magic system.   

In addition to the world and magic system, I truly loved the characters in this book – even the villains.  All of the characters are complex and realistic.  They may be in a fantasy setting, but it doesn’t stop them from having real issues, pasts, and motives.  All of the main characters were especially interesting, but I think my favorite was Yinii.  She is an Orozhandi specialist of ink, and she has more power than anyone realizes.  It was really nice to see her come into her own and break out of her shell a bit by the end of the book, and I really hope the next book expands on her experience. 

Obviously by the length of this review, I really loved this book.  It’s filled with mystery and intrigue, and the twists and turns the plot takes are nothing I expected.  It has action and beautiful characters that I can’t wait to read more about.  I may have explained a lot of the context and background of the setting, but I didn’t even scratch the surface.  After all, the entire story takes place in a country barely one tenth the size of the entire continent that hasn’t been shown to readers yet.  I have definitely added this series to my list of books to watch out for in the coming years! 

My Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I gave Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans five out of five stars.  It has all of the elements and makings of a great story.  Plus, it’s a wonderful beginning to a series.  The rich and detailed world with a melting pot of fantasy themed cultures, interesting magic systems, and complex characters that feel like real people are some of the best I’ve ever read about.  How I felt by the end of the book and my excitement for coming installments cancelled out any apprehension I had during the beginning of the book.  If you’re looking for an exciting murder mystery in a fantasy setting, then this is the book for you! 

Have you read this book yet? Do you want to? Let me know in the comments!

Top Ten Books of 2022

~ VenusBloo ~ Leave a comment

Rather than do a typical reading wrap up for 2022, I decided I’d share a few stats and talk about my top ten books I read last year.  I read a total of 69 books last year and 24,343 pages.  Out of those 69 books, I sorted all the books I gave a five star rating.  Then, I excluded anything that was a re-read or part of a large series I was trying to get caught up on.  The result is the list below.  The list is not in order of preference or ranked.  It’s just in the order I read them last year.  All the book covers and links are to the respective book’s Goodreads page in case you want to add any to your “To Read” list for this year!

1. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine

I finished this book early in the year, and I really enjoyed it.  This book explores deep themes like imperialism, immortality, and the dangers of technology and religious zealotry all while weaving an image of a beautiful sci-fi world with complex characters.  I loved the main character and the relationships they build.  I hope to see more of both in the sequel, A Desolation Called Peace.  I am planning to re-read this and read the sequel for the first time when I get my gorgeous special editions from The Broken Binding.  I also hear the author, Arkady Martine, has a new book coming out soon, and if it’s as well written as this one, I’ll definitely be picking it up at some point.

2. The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Tor books via NetGalley. So, I have a confession to make about this one.  I read this book twice in 2022.  That’s how much I loved it!  This book is somewhat different from the others on this list.  For the most part, it’s not meant to be serious.  It’s meant to be a fun romp through a parallel world filled with, you guessed it, Kaiju.  Jamie Gray is so sarcastic and fun, and even though the events leading to his new job were obviously plotted intentionally, the rest of the story is just plain fun.  This book is so quotable as well.  I can definitely see this being a perennial re-read for me.  Check out my full review here.

3. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

I took entirely too long to read this book.  I checked it out from the library two separate times before I sat down to read it (I am a notorious mood reader).  I’ve been moving away from YA fiction over the past several years, but this is one YA book that will leave you begging for more.  So, it’s good the sequel has been announced!  This book takes place in a world inspired by ancient China with giant mecha, called Chrysalises, piloted by a man and a woman.  This concept is used to explore many complex themes such as traditional gender roles and class societies.  Zetian is full of anger and revenge and power, and she is such a wonderful, flawed person to read about.  Check out my full review here.

4. How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

This book blew me away in the best and worst way.  I wasn’t sure how I felt about it at first because the first several chapters read like unrelated short stories about people who don’t seem to have any connection with one another.  When those connections start to make sense, though, oh man are you in for a wild ride.  I will say some readers may find some of the content difficult and disturbing, so look up some trigger warnings before reading it.  Sequoia Nagamatsu is definitely an author on my radar now.

5. Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree

If you haven’t heard of this book, then have you been living under a rock?! Just kidding! But seriously, this book has been everywhere, and it’s been especially prominently featured on platforms like TikTok.  It was such a huge indie hit, in fact, that Tor bought and republished the book with an extra short story as a bonus.  I was lucky enough to find a copy of it at my local Barnes & Noble, and I read it all in one sitting.  It is such a cozy fantasy story with beautiful characters, and reading it just left me feeling all warm and happy inside.  I still need to read my republished copy (I gifted my indie copy to my sister-in-law), and I’m excited to hear more about the planned sequel.

6. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

This book was a highly anticipated release for me for 2022.  I loved the first book, A Psalm for the Wild-Built, and you can check out my review for that here.  I love the characters in this book, especially Mosscap!  Where Legends & Lattes is a cozy fantasy, A Prayer for the Crown-Shy is what I would call a cozy sci-fi.  It takes place on another world in a Utopia-like setting.  However, that doesn’t mean the people don’t have problems, and that is something Becky Chambers manages to explore through her writing.  Solving problems of necessity doesn’t always lead to self-satisfaction.  I can’t wait to read more in this series even though I don’t think a third installment has been announced yet.  Read my full review here.

7. His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik

My sisters have been begging me to start reading the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik for years, and I finally did in 2022.  This is the first book in the series, and it explores how Captain William Laurence goes from being a Navy Captain to an Aerial Corps Captain when he finds a dragon egg.  The whole story takes place during the Napoleonic Wars between Great Britain and France, and it is such an interesting setting for a fantasy novel.  I have plans to finish the series for sure, but it may take a few years to do so since there are eight more books in the series!  Read my full review here.

8. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from Tor Nightfire via NetGalley.  This book is T. Kingfisher’s retelling of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher.  As such, know that this is a horror book with some body horror elements, so consider that before reading it.  The slow burn element of this story was my favorite part, though.  It’s like a creeping chill moving slowly up your back while reading.  I knew while reading it what was likely to happen, but all the little twists and turns the story took were still fun to read about.  This book has some lgbtq rep as well with the main character and narrator being non-binary.  This was my first read by T. Kingfisher, but it won’t be my last.  Read my full review here.

9. Notorious Sorcerer by Davinia Evans

I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by Orbit books.  This is such an underrated fantasy novel to be honest.  I’ve seen it advertised a lot, but I haven’t seen very many people talking about it.  Not only does this world have a very interesting magic system, but the characters have depth and seem believable.  The ending is bittersweet, but since it’s the first book in a series, I have hopes that the relationships built during this book will be explored more in future installments.  Read my full review here.

10. I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

This is another book that I have seen talked about everywhere, so I decided to see what all the fuss was about.  To be honest, I never watched iCarly.  I’m too old to be in the target audience, but I do enjoy reading the occasional memoir.  This book was equal parts fascinating and deeply saddening.  I feel so badly for Jennette McCurdy while also feeling proud of the progress she’s made in healing the trauma from her childhood.  I know I don’t really know her, but I still feel those things about her experience.  I’m glad she was able to share it with the world.

Have you read any of these books? What were your top books of 2022? Let me know in the comments below!

Review: Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

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Book: Rosemary and Rue

Author: Seanan McGuire

Pages: 346

Source: Owned, TBR

Publisher: DAW

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Mystery, Fae

Publication Date: September 1, 2009

Goodreads Summary:

October “Toby” Daye, a changeling who is half human and half fae, has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the Faerie world, retreating to a “normal” life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world has other ideas…

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening’s dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. As she steps back into fae society, dealing with a cast of characters not entirely good or evil, she realizes that more than her own life will be forfeited if she cannot find Evening’s killer.

My Review:

Regular readers of my blog will already know this, but I am a huge fan of Seanan McGuire.  I’ve decided that 2023 is the year I’m diving into her backlist, and I started with a re-read of the first book in her October Daye series, Rosemary and Rue.

Rosemary and Rue takes place in San Francisco, California in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.  The book follows events in the life of a changeling – part fae, part human – named October Daye, and it is told from her perspective.  October, or Toby as she is called by friends and family, is a private investigator, but being a changeling means she doesn’t just take on mundane human jobs.  In fact, October is a knight in one of the fairy courts, and most of her jobs involve investigating fae matters and problems. 

Naturally, when the wife and daughter of her liege go missing, Toby is called upon to investigate the disappearance.  Toby follows her suspects into the Golden Gate Park only to realize too late she’s in over her head.  The result is she gets transformed and stuck in the park, away from her boyfriend and daughter and everyone else she knows, for the next fourteen years.

When Toby finally manages to break the spell cast on her, she emerges into a world totally different from the one she left.  Her daughter and boyfriend want nothing to do with her.  They are human and didn’t know she was fae, so they think she disappeared and abandoned them for no reason.  This is a blow to Toby, and she decides to lead as human a life as possible and ignores anything to do with the fae.

Then, the fae woman that helped her integrate back into society after Toby’s disappearance is murdered.  Not only that, the fae woman cast a curse on Toby forcing her to investigate the murder.  This fae was hiding something.  Something powerful enough to drive those seeking it to murder.  Now, if Toby wants to survive, she has to find out who the murderer is, and she has to dodge assassins sent by the murderer along the way.  For all Toby tried to stay out of the fae world, the fae world just dragged her right back in.

I really enjoyed this book both times I read it.  The book being written from Toby’s perspective really helps the reader understand how she thinks and feels and what motivates her.  Being a changeling isn’t easy.  Every changeling has to make a choice to be part of the human or the fae world.  When this choice occurs is different for every changeling depending on how powerful their fae blood becomes.  If the changeling chooses the fae world, they are sent to be raised in the Summerlands.  Leaving isn’t easy, but Toby managed it anyway.

Even choosing to live in the human world isn’t a solution, though.  Being a changeling is like being from two different worlds but not belonging fully to either one no matter how hard she tries.  Toby belongs more to the fae world than the human world, though, in the end.  Her pretending to be human and having a child by a human (something the fae call playing at being a “Faerie Bride”) ended up hurting her, and she wound up back in the fae world anyway. 

Speaking of the fae world, this book manages to give the reader enough information to navigate the fae world as Toby needs it.  We learn about fae affairs and culture as they are encountered, and I thought the pace of the world building was just right.  I can definitely appreciate how the information about the fae in this book sets up a world that can be used for a long-running series such as this one.  I enjoyed reading about the different types of fae, what powers they have, and how interbreeding between different kinds of fae and between fae and humans can cause problems or interesting combinations of those powers.  It definitely piqued my interest enough to want to read more about it.

The mystery at the heart of the story also served as a framework for world building.  As Toby navigates the different fae locations and encounters people from her past, the reader is introduced to these people and places as well.  It helps build both Toby’s character and the characters of those she meets.  I particularly want to read more about the Court of Cats.  However, the resolution to the mystery was a bit predictable, and the number of times Toby is attacked and saved from the brink of death during the course of her investigations became a little repetitive. 

Overall, this was a great start to an urban fantasy series.  The book managed to introduce a main character with depth and strength, and the fae world is interesting enough to make me want to read more.  The details in the story also managed to emphasize how much had changed for Toby in the years she was enchanted without making the details feel dated.  The mystery and investigation were a bit lacking, but as a framework for introducing the world and characters, I think it served its purpose.  I just hope Toby manages to hold her own against her foes in future installments.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire four out of five stars.  If you like urban fantasy, but you’re tired of reading about vampires and werewolves, this may be the series for you.  The fae world is complex and detailed, and October Daye is a flawed heroine that manages to be believable.  I’m definitely going to continue this series.  I may even get caught up by the end of the year!

Have you read any of the October Daye series? What about Seanan McGuire’s other books? Let me know in the comments!

Weekly Reading Update

~ VenusBloo ~ 1 Comment

I’m a little late for this week’s update, but it’s mainly because I’ve been spinning my wheels reading-wise. I did finish three books last week. Ok, technically I finished four books, but I don’t know if I’m going to talk about it because it was probably the worst piece of writing I’ve ever read in my life. Plus, it was only 50 pages. I didn’t manage to start Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow yet, either, but it’s still on my TBR for the month. Anyway, first up are the three books I managed to finish last week. As usual, all the links are for the respective books’ Goodreads pages.

In the Shadow Garden and The Keeper’s Six

I’m putting these two books together because I wrote reviews for them. Read my review for In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker here. It was the first five star read of 2023 for me, and just as amazing as I hoped it would be. You can also read my review for The Keeper’s Six by Kate Elliott here. Just like her other work I’ve read; this novella just made me want more! Plus, the cover is beautiful, and it makes a lot more sense once you read the story. Both of these books were definitely worth the read.

Crave

Yes, I know. It’s a vampire book that is obviously inspired by Twilight. Yes, this book is also campy and occasionally cringe, but sometimes I just need a candy bar. This was a re-read because I am trying to read this entire series this year, and I probably won’t be reviewing them. I will be including them in my Weekly Reading Updates, and I may even include some of my favorite quotes or random ramblings about the story. It’s not great literature, but it is a fun read.

So, if you’ve been reading my blog at all, you know I have a hard time sticking to reading plans. I also apparently can’t read one book at a time either. I started three books this week. That’s right. Three books. I am also still reading a book I started last week. I probably won’t finish all of these this week, but we will see because I have a three-day weekend coming up. Here’s what I’m reading right now.

1. Crush by Tracy Wolff

This is book two in the Crave saga by Tracy Wolff. Book one ended on a doozy of a cliffhanger, so I started reading this one on my lunch break earlier in the week. I probably won’t read too much more of it this week. The other three books I’m reading will likely take precedent. I am enjoying the whole mystery around Grace’s origins, and I like the building mythology around all the paranormal creatures in these books. It may have been inspired by Twilight, but the ending for book one took a sharp left for sure.

2. Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

I am a huge fan of everything I’ve read by Seanan McGuire so far. I love her Wayward Children series, and I’ve been wanting to branch out into her backlist more. This will be a re-read for Rosemary and Rue because I want to get caught up on the October Daye series this year. I also have plans to read and catch up on the InCryptids series by McGuire. Both series have very different tones, but they are both urban fantasies, which I love. I’ll probably sit down and finish this book one evening soon since I’m already a third of the way into it.

3. The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish

I was given a complimentary copy of this book by Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review. I’ve been meaning to read it for a few months now, and I finally started it on Monday. I’m not even going to lie. One of the main reasons I wanted to read this book is because the synopsis reminds me of the video game Dishonored. Only it’s about a prince whose kingdom is invaded, his parents beheaded in front of him, and he’s imprisoned for years until he breaks out and gets trained as an assassin to seek his revenge. So, it’s more like Dishonored than it’s not, right?

4. Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans

I’m still only about 50 pages into this book. I have found reading it to be a bit of a struggle. I’m mainly having issues with how much information about the world the author is trying to cram into the beginning of the book. It feels a little overwhelming to read right now. I do feel like once I push past the 100-page mark I will feel more comfortable in the setting and with the people to enjoy the story more. I’m going to try to finish this over the long weekend.

So, that’s everything I’ve been reading the past week and a half since I posted previously. I hope to make plenty of progress with these. The crazy weather here has been making me sleepy and tired, so I haven’t gotten as much reading done as I may like. Now, I just have to keep myself from starting another book before I finish one of these!

Have you been making any reading progress so far in 2023? Do any of these books have a spot on your TBR? Let me know in the comments!

ARC Review: The Keeper’s Six by Kate Elliott

~ VenusBloo ~ 3 Comments

Book: The Keeper’s Six

Author: Kate Elliott

Pages: 208

Source: NetGalley

Publisher: Tordotcom

Genre: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Dragons, Magic, Parallel Worlds

Publication Date: January 17, 2023

Goodreads Summary:

Kate Elliott’s action-packed The Keeper’s Six features a world-hopping, bad-ass, spell-slinging mother who sets out to rescue her kidnapped son from a dragon lord with everything to lose.

There are terrors that dwell in the space between worlds.

It’s been a year since Esther set foot in the Beyond, the alien landscape stretching between worlds, crossing boundaries of space and time. She and her magical travelling party, her Hex, haven’t spoken since the Concilium banned them from the Beyond. But when she wakes in the middle of the night to her son’s cry for help, the members of her Hex are the only ones she can trust to help her bring him back from wherever he has been taken.

Esther will have to risk everything to find him. Undercover and hidden from the Concilium, she and her Hex will be tested by dragon lords, a darkness so dense it can suffocate, and the bones of an old crime come back to haunt her.

My Review:

I received an advanced reader’s copy of The Keeper’s Six by Kate Elliott from Tordotcom via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you, Tor!

In The Keeper’s Six, Earth isn’t the only Realm.  There are many Realms, and they are all magically connected by a dangerous between area known as the Beyond.  A group of six magic users can form what’s known as a Hex to traverse the Beyond between Realms and facilitate trade between them.  Each Realm also has facilities known as Keeps.  These are locations that are partly in a Realm and partly in the Beyond, and they provide a place to cross between the two.  Each Keep is powered and run by a magic user known as a Keeper.

Esther’s son, Daniel, is the Keeper of her Hex’s home Keep in Hawaii.  He is married and has children with Kai, a dragon trapped in human form.  One night, Esther receives a cryptic phone call from Daniel.  When she travels to his Keep, she discovers Kai and the children in an enchanted sleep and Daniel has been kidnapped.  A year ago Esther’s Hex had been suspended from travel through the Beyond, but she calls on them anyway.  She needs help finding Daniel and bringing him home.  If there’s one thing Daniel’s kidnappers didn’t plan for, it’s how much Esther can accomplish when she’s angry.

One of my favorite things about this story was the magic system.  Not everyone can use magic, but those that can usually have a particular talent.  For example, Esther is a Lantern.  She can cast light and use it as a defensive shield when necessary.  Each member of a Hex has a special magical talent, and using them all together is what makes traversing the Beyond possible. 

Another part of the magic system I found intriguing was the idea that a certain number of things is important.  The number six seemed to be particularly important.  Hex means six, and each Hex has six members.  Six Keeps in a hexagonal configuration creates a stable environment within the Beyond where people can live and trade.  It was a very interesting idea.

I also liked the take on parallel universes being connected magically.  Unlike in a sci-fi world where universes use technology to travel, everything in the Realms and the Beyond is magical.  Specifically, it seems to be controlled with dragon magic – which is important to the story.  Dragons control the Concilium which is a kind of governing body that dictates trade laws in the Realms.  The Concilium also assigns rankings to Realms depending on how aware the citizenry is of magic.  Earth is a fourth rank Realm because the populace at large doesn’t know about magic, Realms, or the Beyond.

While I really enjoyed the setting, the world, and the characters, I do feel most of the characters could have used more development.  The entire story is told in 3rd person from Esther’s perspective, so we don’t really learn more than surface-level facts about the other members of the Hex, Daniel, or Kai.  Honestly, out of all the characters, I would have loved to learn more about Kai’s past.  Also, there’s a character included in most of the story that just leaves about 75% through it.  The entire side story about him and where he came from just felt out of place if it wasn’t going to be explored more thoroughly.

I feel some of this is what contributed to the slight pacing issues the story had.  Most of the book seemed to drag by with Esther and her Hex moving from one place to another following clues.  Then, everything was resolved so quickly within the last 15% of the book.  That being said, the mystery and how everything ended up being tied together was very well done.  I suspected some of it, but the rest was a complete surprise, which is always nice in a story as long as it’s realistic for the world.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I gave The Keeper’s Six by Kate Elliott four out of five stars.  Overall, I really enjoyed this novella.  Like the other Kate Elliott novella I’ve read, Servant Mage, I wish there was more! The setting, world, and magic system are so interesting, and I wanted to learn more about the characters in that context.  I feel like the pacing issue was a product of the length of the story.  If it had been fleshed out by even another hundred pages, I feel the ending wouldn’t have seemed so rushed.  If you like inventive fantasy with some mystery thrown in, then definitely read anything Kate Elliott writes!

Have you read any books by Kate Elliott? Do you plan to read this one? Let me know in the comments below!

ARC Review: In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker

~ VenusBloo ~ 1 Comment

Book: In the Shadow Garden

Author: Liz Parker

Pages: 336

Source: Orbit

Publisher: Forever

Genre: Fantasy, Witches, Romance, Magical Realism

Publication Date: September 13, 2022

Goodreads Summary:

Three generations of witches must discover where their magic went wrong as secrets resurface that could solve a twenty-year-old mystery in this riveting debut, perfect for fans of Practical Magic and Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe.

There’s something magical about Yarrow, Kentucky. The three empathic witches of the Haywood family are known for their shadow garden—from strawberries that taste like chocolate to cherry tomatoes with hints of basil and oregano. Their magic can cure any heartache, and the fruits of their garden bring a special quality to the local bourbon distillery. On one day every year, a shot of Bonner bourbon will make your worst memory disappear.

But twenty years ago, the town gave up more than one memory for the year; they forgot an entire summer. One person died. One person disappeared. And no one has any idea why.

As secrets from that fateful summer start to come to light, there must be a reckoning between the rival Haywood and Bonner families. But the only clue Irene Haywood has is in her tea leaves: a stranger’s arrival will bring either love or betrayal…

My Review:

I was given a review copy of In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker by Orbit books in partnership with Forever publishing.  Thank you Orbit and Forever!

In the Shadow Garden takes place in Kentucky bourbon country in a town called Yarrow.  Yarrow has been a bourbon town for many years, but it wasn’t until a few decades ago that Bonner bourbon became truly special.  One sip of Bonner’s, and you can forget your worst memories.  The Bonner family has worked hard to cultivate their brew, but it was a gift from the Haywood’s shadow garden that made it all possible. 

The Haywoods are a family of empathic witches.  Rather than taking memories, though, they help the people of Yarrow by healing their emotions.  The Haywood women siphon off enough anger, sadness, and grief to make what’s left bearable.  Then, they feed those emotions to the shadow garden.  The shadow garden thrives on this emotional food, and in return, it grows special fruits and vegetables with magical properties.

Twenty seven years ago, the Haywoods gave the Bonners some of the shadow garden’s dark corn, and the mash made from this corn is what gives Bonner bourbon its magical properties.  A few years after that, the entire town chose to give up their memories of the entire summer.  Someone died, and someone else was forgotten by everyone.  Now, the shadow garden is dying, and members of the rival Bonner and Haywood families will have to work together to remember what they forgot if there’s any hope of saving it. 

One of the things I liked the most about this story was how interconnected literally everything turned out to be.  The main members of the Haywood family are three women, each from a different generation.  Maura is the mother of Irene and the grandmother of Addison.  She is the one who brokered the deal with the Bonners for the dark corn.  Irene is the owner of a tea shop where she helps customers heal, both with magic and through special tea blends.  Addison helps her mother as much as she can at the tea shop, but Addison’s magic doesn’t work the way Haywood magic should. 

The mystery of Addison’s magic is tied up in the lost memories of that summer twenty years ago.  That’s also the summer the Haywoods vowed to hate the Bonners forever.  It’s the summer Addison was conceived, and Irene doesn’t even remember who her father is.  It’s the summer that Nolan, Irene’s brother, died, but she doesn’t remember how it happened.  Quinn, Addison’s cousin, is immune to Haywood magic, but she has nightmares about her father’s death when no one else remembers the event. 

All of these mysteries are unraveled as the story progresses, and the key to the mysteries lies in the person everyone forgot.  Kaden is the oldest Bonner son, and he was meant to be the heir to the Bonner bourbon distillery.  Instead, he hates his family, and he hasn’t been back to Yarrow in twenty years.  When his father dies, he doesn’t expect to go back home, but something strange happens to him.  Something he didn’t think was possible, and he decides to go home for answers.  This kicks off the beginning of the end for the hidden events of that summer he left.

Literally every character and every story matters in this book.  Every action taken leads to a consequence or a revelation, and even though I had a feeling I knew where it was going, I still didn’t expect it to take quite that turn towards the end.  Women especially have power in this story, and it’s women who make things happen.  It was nice reading about strong women who still seem human even when surrounded by magic.

Speaking of magic, I loved how practical (pun intended) the magic was in this book.  It definitely felt like I was reading something out of the same world as Practical Magic.  Everyone in Yarrow knows the Haywoods have magic.  They accept it and use it as part of their lives.  Everyone also knows Bonner bourbon can take their memories away, and it’s all just commonplace.  I really enjoy stories that incorporate magic into the real world like this.

Finally, I appreciated how all the romantic relationships were woven into the story.  They all felt natural, and everyone seemed to have just the right person for them.  That’s not to say they didn’t have problems.  Several characters had issues between them that had to be resolved before they could be together, but I liked that aspect.  It made the relationships seem more real because no one is perfect.  Everyone makes mistakes, and it showed that even if couples fight or have a falling out they can choose to be better and be together.

My Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

I gave In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker five out of five stars.  It is a beautifully written story filled with magic, love, heartbreak, and strength.  All of the characters developed realistically, and the magical elements are woven throughout the story in a believable way.  Anyone who enjoys Practical Magic or the writing of Sarah Addison Allen should definitely give this a read!

Have you read this book? What about anything else by Liz Parker? Let me know in the comments!

Weekly Reading Update

~ VenusBloo ~ Leave a comment

It’s been a while since I’ve done a Weekly Reading Update, and I want to get better about posting these in 2023. I’ve already finished a book this year! The way things are going, I should finish at least two more books this week. There are also several things I have planned for the blog that I’ll be revealing in future posts over the next few weeks. Without further ado, here are the books I’ve been reading this week so far and which books I plan to read. Each image links to the book’s Goodreads page if you want to check them out and add them to your To Read list!

In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker

This book was amazing. I finished it in the wee hours of the morning on New Year’s Day because I could not put it down! Definitely my first five star read of the year, and I’ll be getting a review up for it in the next few days. I got a copy of this from Orbit in exchange for a review.

In the Shadow Garden explores the lives of two families living in the fictional town of Yarrow, Kentucky: The Haywoods and the Bonners. The Haywoods are empathic witches who help the people of Yarrow heal their emotions. They skim off enough heartache, sorrow, and grief to help the person along until it’s not needed anymore. Then, the Haywoods feed these emotions to their shadow garden. The garden thrives on this, and in return, it grows beautiful fruits and vegetables with magical properties.

Unlike the Haywoods, the Bonners don’t heal. They take. The bourbon they brew can take the memories away at the drinker’s wish. Years ago, the Haywoods made a deal with the Bonners, and it’s the dark corn of the shadow garden that gives the bourbon its magical properties. However, not everyone is happy with this deal, and thanks to some personal issues in the past, the Haywoods have vowed the hate to Bonners forever.

Now, the shadow garden is dying, and it will take members of both families to save it and to save Yarrow from ruin. If you like Practical Magic and the writing of Sarah Addison Allen, then this is a must read.

The Keeper’s Six by Kate Elliott

My first experience with Kate Elliott’s writing was reading Servant Mage. I loved that novella, and the only reason it didn’t get five stars was because I thought it should be an entire book! So, I make sure I keep an eye on what she’s writing via her newsletter, and I requested The Keeper’s Six on NetGalley the minute I saw it. I’m about halfway through this novella, and it’s great so far.

In The Keeper’s Six, Earth is not the only Realm. There are many Realms, and they are magically connected by the Beyond. Magic users can form a group made up of six people, known as a Hex, to traverse the Beyond and foster trade between the Realms. But, the Beyond is a dangerous, deadly place. People can get lost in there, and it’s the Keeper’s and their Keeps that forge a beacon for navigation.

Esther’s son Daniel is the Keeper of her Hex’s local Keep. One night she wakes to a phone call from him, and when she goes to investigate, she discovers he’s been kidnapped. Now, she must break her Hex’s suspension to travel into the Beyond and rescue him. If she can’t find him and bring him back to his Keep, then none of them will be able to get back to Earth. No one can stand in her way, though.

Much like Servant Mage, this is a novella under 200 pages, so I’m sure I will finish it tomorrow. This book comes out on January 17, 2023. Look for a review by the end of the week!

Empire of Exiles by Erin M. Evans

I started reading Empire of Exiles about a week or so ago. I was given a copy for review by Orbit, and I don’t know much about it except that it’s kind of a fantasy murder mystery. It takes place in a world where most people live behind a great wall of salt the size of mountains. This salt wall protects them from something called Changelings. There are also several different species of humanoid in the story. Some have horns, and some have strange skin.

However, in the country the story takes place in, there was a famous attempted coup 27 years before the story begins. The magical objects and weapons used during this coup are stored in the Archives, where they are protected and catalogued. Archivists have magical affinities with different substances, which seems to be important to the story so far. One day, a request is made to “check out” a few of the artifacts, and some of them were used in the attempted coup.

Quill is the apprentice scribe tasked by his master to acquire these artifacts from the Archives. Unfortunately, someone is murdered around the time he has the artifacts. The murder bears a striking resemblance to similar occurrences during the attempted coup. Now, Quill and some of the Archivists must solve the crime before all of the country breaks down into chaos once again.

I’m only about 35 pages into this story, but it’s definitely holding my interest so far. I’m at that part of a fantasy story where it feels like I’m reading a different language, but once I get the hang of it the rest of the book should fly by. I plan to finish this by this weekend, and I’ll likely have a review up next week!

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

One of my favorite Discord servers, Books-n-Tea, is hosting a January read-a-long, and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is the chosen book. I’ve been intrigued by this book ever since I heard about it. I also managed to get the hardcover half off in a recent Barnes & Noble sale, so I have no excuse to put off reading it now. The most I know about it is that it’s about game development, so I’m just going to leave the summary I pulled off of Edelweiss+ below. I plan to start reading it this weekend.

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom.

These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.

So, that’s everything I’m reading this week! I also plan to get my 2022 Reading Wrap-up, Top Ten Books of 2022, and my 2023 Reading Plans posted this week and next week. I have a lot of plans for this year, and I’m going to be reading a ton of books.

Have you read any of these? Do you plan to read them? What’s your current read? Let me know in the comments below!