ARC Review: Evocation by S.T. Gibson

June 18, 2024 ~ VenusBloo ~ Leave a comment

**The links in this post are to the book’s StoryGraph page for reference. I do not receive compensation for clicking these links!**

Book: Evocation

Author: S.T. Gibson

Pages: 304

Source: Angry Robot, NetGalley

Publisher: Angry Robot

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+

Publication Date: May 28, 2024

The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov.

As a teen, David Aristarkhov was a psychic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his oppressive occultist father. Now, years after his father’s death and rapidly approaching his thirtieth birthday, he is content with the high-powered life he’s curated as a Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society.

But with power comes a price, and the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral deal. David’s days are numbered, and death looms at his door.

Reluctantly, he reaches out to the only person he’s ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend and secret Society rival Rhys, for help. However, the only way to get to Rhys is through his wife, Moira. Thrust into each other’s care, emotions once buried deep resurface, and the trio race to figure out their feelings for one another before the Devil steals David away for good…

My Review:

I was given a free advanced reader copy of Evocation by S.T. Gibson by Angry Robot via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Angry Robot!

David Aristarkhov is a man living with a foot in two worlds. On the one hand, he is a hotshot attorney, while on the other he is one of the most powerful psychics in Boston’s occult scene. His wealth and success come not only from his abilities but also as a result of being the latest heir in a family that used its occult powers for generations to ensure that wealth and success for themselves. David is also arrogant, cynical, and tactless.

No one could attest to this more than David’s old college boyfriend Rhys. Rhys would like nothing more than to keep as much distance between himself and David as possible. Unfortunately, they both belong to the same secret occult Society in Boston, so he’s forced to see David at their meetings. Both of them are highly ambitious with their magic, and both would love nothing more than to replace the retiring Head Priest of the Society.

Complicating David and Rhys’s tenuous tolerance for each other further is Rhys’s wife Moira. More specifically, the fight David caused between Rhys and Moira which nearly ruined their marriage. Neither Rhys nor Moira ever want to see David again, and David is grudgingly abiding by the boundaries Rhys has set for their further acquaintance. That is, until David begins to experience what he can only call spirit sickness.

David has blackouts, he can’t sleep, he can’t channel spirits, and worst of all, he needs Rhys and Moira’s help to find out why. Slowly, the three of them begin to patch things up between themselves while trying to find out what is slowly draining David’s spirit. The answers they find may be more than they bargained for.

First of all, this book is primarily focused on relationships – romantic, familial, and platonic. David was raised by an abusive father who only saw him as a tool, a psychic prodigy, that would further his father’s own standing within the Society and to secure business dealings. David was raised to be ambitious and seek success. His only friend growing up was his half-sister, who he maintains a relationship with through intermittent phone calls and lunch dates. David has never wanted for anything in his life save human connection.

Rhys, on the other hand, was raised in South Boston and has never known anything but want. He has clawed his way up into a day job he enjoys in academia, and he’s done the same in the Society. His primary goal is to become the next High Priest, and David is his biggest rival. He relies on his wife Moira to keep him steady, and she forces him to remember to eat and take care of their relationship.

Meanwhile, Moira has a secret of her own. She is a witch with a client list that allows her to have her own success. However, like David, she’s a psychic. She can see and channel spirits, but she’s ignored that part of her life for years because her family raised her to believe it was evil. Thus, in David she sees someone being successful in ways she doesn’t feel she can ever be. She also sees someone who has hurt Rhys and his relationship with her without seeming apologetic at all.

This is the dynamic at play as Rhys and Moira work to help David figure out what’s wrong with him, and watching them all learn to trust each other and help each other was a large part of the story. Which, to be honest, I did really enjoy watching their relationship develop and grow. I just wish a story about a centuries old deal with the devil had spent more time with the magical side of things.

The Society and magic and the occult could have easily been swapped out with regular social gatherings or groups, and the story would have largely remained the same. For a book that was supposed to be steeped in magic, there just wasn’t very much of it. To be fair, this is the first book in a planned series, so I’m hopeful there will be time to correct this issue with balancing the romance and the magic.

The story also touched on a few other issues, such as alcoholism and patriarchal societies, and I thought those were handled well, even if they weren’t the main message being related. Also, I can tell S.T. Gibson spent a lot of time crafting this story. Compared to other books by Gibson I’ve read, the writing in Evocation was definitely a step up. Not that the writing in previous books were bad, but I can tell there’s been a lot of growth with Gibson’s craft in this book. I’m definitely looking forward to more from this series.

My Rating:

I gave Evocation by S.T. Gibson four out of five stars. I was going back and forth between three and four stars for this book just because of the few issues I had with it, but in the end, I decided to round up to four stars. This book is magically inclined, but it’s mostly about relationships. The romance is definitely there as well, but you’ll have to wait until the end for the pay off!

Have you read any books by S.T. Gibson? Do you plan to read Evocation? Let me know in the comments!

ARC Review: Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco

May 28, 2024May 28, 2024 ~ VenusBloo ~ Leave a comment

**The links in this post are to the book’s StoryGraph page for reference. I do not receive compensation for clicking these links!**

Book: Court of Wanderers

Author: Rin Chupeco

Pages: 448

Source: Gallery/Saga Press, NetGalley

Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ+

Publication Date: April 2, 2024

Summary:

Remy Pendergast and his royal vampire companions return to face an enemy that is terrifyingly close to home in Rin Chupeco’s queer, bloody Gothic epic fantasy series for fans of Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree and the adult animated series Castlevania.

Remy Pendergast, the vampire hunter, and his unexpected companions, Lord Zidan Malekh and Lady Xiaodan Song, are on the road through the kingdom of Aluria again after a hard-won first battle against the formidable Night Empress, who threatens to undo a fragile peace between humans and vampires. Xiaodan, severely injured, has lost her powers to vanquish the enemy’s new super breed of vampire, but if the trio can make it to Fata Morgana, the seat of Malehk’s court—dubbed “the Court of Wanderers”—there is hope of nursing her and bringing them back.

En-route to the Third Court, Remy crosses paths with his father, the arrogant, oftentimes cruel Lord of Valenbonne. He also begins to suffer strange dreams of the Night Empress, whom he has long suspected to be Ligaya Pendergast, his own mother. As his family history unfolds during these episodes, which are too realistic to be coincidence, he realizes that she is no ordinary vampire—and that he may end up having to choose between the respective legacies of his parents.

Posing as Malek and Xiaodan’s human familiar, Remy contends with Aluria’s intimidating vampire courts and a series of gruesome murders with their help—and more, as the three navigate their relationship. But those feelings and even their extraordinary collective strength will be put to the test as each of them unleashes new powers in combat at what may be proven to be the ultimate cost.

My Review:

I received a free advanced review copy of Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco courtesy of Gallery/Saga Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Gallery/Saga Press!

A quick warning – do not read this review if you haven’t read the first book! Events in Court of Wanderers follow directly after the ending of Silver Under Nightfall, and it’s just not possible to discuss book two without spoilers for book one! You have been warned…unless you like spoilers…stop reading!

If you need a quick refresher, read my review for Silver Under Nightfall here.

The end of Silver Under Nightfall was full of revelations for Remy, Xiadon, and Malekh. First, Remy found out that his own father is responsible for The Rot – the name for mutations that have infected some vampires turning them into grotesque monsters that are only truly killed by sunlight. Lord Pendergast has been using his own son’s blood to create the mutations and to control them. He believed it was the only way to get the upper hand against the Night Court vampires, and he uses it as a means to draw the Night Empress out. Which is when Remy figures out the Night Empress is his mother, and Lord Prendergast still holds quite a grudge against her for leaving him.

These are not the only shocking revelations for Remy, though. Apparently, the Night Empress has her own mutations now, and she uses them in battle against Lord Pendergast’s mutants right outside of Elouve. Luckily, the good guys win, but not without loss. Unfortunately, winning didn’t lead to any answers either, and now both humans and vampires have a much bigger problem to deal with than before.

Almost any vampire can be infected by The Rot, and the resulting mutations can cause a lot of death and destruction with few ways to stop them. So, all the leaders of the remaining vampire courts have decided to meet, form an alliance, and plan a way to stop both The Rot and the Night Empress and her court for good.

Now, Remy, Xiadon, and Malekh must travel to the Allpriory, a place of great importance and history for all vampires. Remy must hold his own in a group of the very creatures he used to kill, and they only know him as a Reaper. So, when there are mysterious deaths, he is the first to be blamed. However, when there is an attempt on Remy’s life, it becomes clear that more is at work in the Allpriory than first appeared. Remy, Xiadon, and Malekh must survive on multiple fronts while seeking answers to the problems of The Rot and the Night Empress, and it does not go the way they will expect at all.

First of all, my favorite thing about this book was the vampire lore. Rin Chupeco has crafted a really unique world with rich cultures and traditions. The vampires and their courts are no exception. In fact, they have more complex cultures than the humans do. Each court has it’s own rules and ways as dictated by its leader, but there are a lot of things the vampires hold in common. One such custom involves familiars. Anyone who reads a lot of vampire books will already have an idea of what a familiar is, but in The Reapers duology, being a familiar has a whole new connotation. It’s a role of subservience, and not all vampires treat their familiars as people. They’re more like pets. This is what Remy has to emulate while he’s with Xiadon and Malekh in the Allpriory.

Luckily, it’s not as difficult as Remy thought, since he has such a great relationship with Xiadon and Malekh at this point. This was another part of the book I really enjoyed. Just like in book one, the romance is mostly secondary, but Rin Chupeco does such an amazing job at using the romance to enhance characterization. It all felt real, and it all helped the reader understand each character in more depth. There’s is one scene about 3/4 of the way through the book where Malekh is discussing he and Xiadon’s relationship with Remy with Lord Pendergast that perfectly encapsulated Malekh’s character, and I could not get enough of it!

On top of that, I also enjoyed all the mysteries and subplots this book had. Parts of the story that take place at the Allpriory are almost like a locked room mystery, and it was done extremely well. Then, there’s the mystery of how Remy’s mother became the Night Empress, and what she is trying to tell him in his dreams. There’s also the mystery of whether or not all the vampire courts are actually capable of working together long enough to thwart all the threats they face. Finally, there’s also the question of whether or not the vampires and humans can forge a lasting alliance in the aftermath of all these events.

There are so many twists and turns in this book. I was able to guess quite a few of the twists in the first book, but I barely saw any of the twists in this book coming. The only negative thing about The Reapers is that there isn’t another book! I would at least like to have a short story or novella in the future regarding a certain engagement that happens in the book, but alas, this is a duology. I will just have to re-read them instead.

My Rating:

I gave Court of Wanderers by Rin Chupeco four out of five stars. It is a great sequel, and it managed to continue building the world introduced in the first book. I loved all the mysteries, character relationships, and additional lore introduced in the book. I wish there was a bit more to read, though. The ending felt a little rushed, and I don’t feel like the epilogue explained enough about what happened after the events of the book. This is the only reason I knocked one start off, and it was still an amazing read. Sometimes a short duology or stand-alone book is easier and less intimidating to keep up with, and if you’re looking for something like that definitely give The Reapers a go!

Do you plan to read The Reapers duology? What about other books by Rin Chupeco? Let me know in the comments!

Review: Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco

May 22, 2024 ~ VenusBloo ~ 1 Comment

**The links in this post are for the book’s StoryGraph page for reference. I do not receive any compensation for clicking these links!**

Book: Silver Under Nightfall

Author: Rin Chupeco

Pages: 512

Source: Owned

Publisher: Gallery/Saga Press

Genre: Fantasy, Horror, LGBTQ+

Publication Date: September 13, 2022

Summary:

Remy Pendergast is many things: the only son of the Duke of Valenbonne (though his father might wish otherwise), an elite bounty hunter of rogue vampires, and an outcast among his fellow Reapers. His mother was the subject of gossip even before she eloped with a vampire, giving rise to the rumors that Remy is half-vampire himself. Though the kingdom of Aluria barely tolerates him, Remy’s father has been shaping him into a weapon to fight for the kingdom at any cost.

When a terrifying new breed of vampire is sighted outside of the city, Remy prepares to investigate alone. But then he encounters the shockingly warmhearted vampire heiress Xiaodan Song and her infuriatingly arrogant fiancé, vampire lord Zidan Malekh, who may hold the key to defeating the creatures—though he knows associating with them won’t do his reputation any favors. When he’s offered a spot alongside them to find the truth about the mutating virus Rot that’s plaguing the kingdom, Remy faces a choice.

It’s one he’s certain he’ll regret.

But as the three face dangerous hardships during their journey, Remy develops fond and complicated feelings for the couple. He begins to question what he holds true about vampires, as well as the story behind his own family legacy. As the Rot continues to spread across the kingdom, Remy must decide where his loyalties lie: with his father and the kingdom he’s been trained all his life to defend or the vampires who might just be the death of him.

My Review:

Silver Under Nightfall is the first book in the Reapers duology by Rin Chupeco. It primarily takes place in the fictional country of Aluria in a setting reminiscent of the 19th century Europe with Asian influences. Unlike the real Europe of that era, though, the humans of Aluria and the surrounding countries live in constant fear and vigilance. You see, in this world, vampires are not only very real, they are organized and powerful. The climate of Aluria, with its perpetually overcast state, creates the perfect place for vampires to thrive, but humans have their own ways of fighting back.

One of those ways is through the Reapers, hunters and killers of vampires specifically trained to be lethal to the undead. Remington Prendergast is not only one of the best Reapers in Aluria; he is also the son of one of the best Reapers in Aluria’s history. Unfortunately, his father and his family have fallen into disgrace due to Remy’s mother leaving his father for one of the very creatures he hunted for years. It doesn’t help Remy’s case that he was born just after his mother was killed by said vampires. Thus, while Remy is an excellent Reaper, he is rejected my most of his fellows and society in general.

His mother’s death also gives Remy a purpose, though. Through his father, Remy knows his mother was mixed up with the First Court vampires, and the emergence of the Night Empress has Remy chasing any lead he can to discover what really happened with his mother. Remy’s father uses this need to force Remy to secure information from other members of society. The choice of method is what I had an issue with, and it’s what made me absolutely loathe Remy’s father. Needless to say, Remy comes from a troubled family life that leaves him emotionally stunted, traumatized, and with an intense distrust bordering on hatred of all vampires.

So, when Remy first meets Xiadon Song, daughter of the Third Court’s leader, and Zidan Malekh, leader of the Fourth Court and Xiadon’s fiance, he is understandably less than trustful of them and their motives. He simply doesn’t believe they are really trying to forge a truce and peace between vampires and humans. Unfortunately, when a new nasty emerges that poses a threat to vampires and humans alike, Remy is grudgingly forced to work with Xiadon and Zidan to discover the source of these new mutations, known as the Rot, and for a way to stop them.

This forced proximity is what brings about one of my favorite parts of this story, the polyamorous romance. In my opinion, Silver Under Nightfall gets romance in a fantasy setting right. The story itself is the focus – the hunt for the Night Empress, Remy’s search for answers regarding his mother, and most of all, the search for a way to stop The Rot. Meanwhile, the romance is secondary, but it’s woven into the story in a believable and natural way. Plus, the emphasis on consent didn’t hurt at all, especially considering the ways in which Remy had been used in the past. It also served as a source of characterization in the story, which is another thing I enjoyed.

This book also had a unique take on vampires that I haven’t seen in other vampire books (and boy have I read a lot of vampire books). The vampires are organized into courts. Each court has a leader, and they each have their own characteristics. Just as the Third and Fourth Courts wish to have peace and coexist with humans, other courts such as the First Court and Second Court wanted only to subjugate and rule them. I enjoyed the demonstration that most vampires used to be human, and just like humans, they are all different and can’t be pigeon-holed into stereotypes so easily.

Finally, I loved how Silver Under Nightfall addressed and acknowledged trauma. Remy has had an extremely difficult upbringing, and he’s mostly shunned by society for the circumstances surrounding his birth. This is completely unfair because it’s not like Remy could control when and how he was born. Also, Remy’s own father forces him to sleep with women of powerful men in the hopes of gaining intelligence he is no longer privy to. Remy has so much trauma that his trauma has trauma, but the relationship he forges between two other characters couldn’t be more different. They constantly make sure he is alright and verbally consents to everything. It goes a long way in helping Remy with his trust issues and other hang-ups.

Obviously, I really enjoyed this book. It admittedly had a slower start, but once the momentum got going I had a hard time putting it down! The world is so unique, and the characters are so relatable. I truly cared about what happened to Remy, Xiodan, and Zidan. I felt like everything that happened in the story mattered. I also really enjoyed that everything that happened either served to move the plot forward and to build a character’s personality. The lack of that and info-dumping are the main reason I haven’t gotten into “romantasy” in general, but I don’t feel like this book fits that category anyway. I definitely see myself revisiting this book in the future.

My Rating:

I gave Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco five out of five stars. This was an action-filled romp through a beautifully crafted world filled with fleshed-out characters. Oh, and it also had vampires. The romance worked with the plot instead of overtaking it, and the story is filled with twists and turns that had me gasping. If you’re on the lookout for a new vampire book, then definitely read this book!

Have you read anything by Rin Chupeco before? What did you think? Let me know in the comments!

ARC Review: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming

May 13, 2024May 13, 2024 ~ VenusBloo ~ Leave a comment

**The links in this post are to the book’s StoryGraph page for reference. I do not receive any compensation for clicking these links!**

Book: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human

Author: Kimberly Lemming

Pages: 278

Source: Orbit, NetGalley

Publisher: Orbit

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Publication Date: March 5, 2024

Summary:

When a spirited young woman with a penchant for adventure finds herself locked away in a dragon’s tower, she realizes that fate has a peculiar sense of humor when it comes to her romantic prospects in this laugh-out-loud fantasy rom-com, perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes and The Dragon’s Bride.

All children are told fairytales. Some are epic adventures with high stakes and exciting twists but others were tales of pitiful princesses trapped in boring towers pining for their prince charmings to come and rescue them. But one young woman always hated those stories. Why didn’t they get up and rescue themselves? Little did she know that her own fate would take a similarly ironic turn. Because now, here she is. Stuck. In a tower. Turns out, when a dragon holds you hostage, he doesn’t just let you get up and leave.

Who knew?

And just when she thinks she sees hope on the horizon, that hope is smashed to bits by—you guessed it—another damn dragon.

My Review:

I received a free advanced reader copy of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming in exchange for an honest review from Orbit Books via NetGalley. Thank you, Orbit!

Before I get into the review for this book, I’d like to issue a few warnings. First of all, do not read this review if you haven’t read the first two books! One of the character’s very existence is a spoiler of sorts, so just don’t do it (unless you’re like me and enjoy reading spoilers for things)! Second, read the content warnings at the beginning of this book. It is definitely not for kids. There are explicit sex scenes, kidnapping, etc. Take care of yourself, and only read if you are in the place to do so.

The first two books of the Mead Mishaps series follow Cin and Brie, respectfully. They are best friends from Boohail that both end up finding their one true mates, one with a shadow dragon and the other with a werewolf.

In That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human, however, the story follows Cherry. Now, if you’ve read the first two books, you know that Cherry is Cin’s younger sister. Cin and Cherry were exploring the nearby swamp one day when a strange creature came up out of the water and dragged Cherry under. Thus, Cin and the rest of her family have believed Cherry to be dead for the past several years. Fortunately, it turns out Cherry isn’t dead at all. Unfortunately, the creature that dragged her under the water works for a water dragon, and she’s been his captive ever since.

Cherry has tried everything to escape and make her way back to Boohail, and her family. Nothing has worked, though, and now she understands why all those damsels in distress in fairy tales didn’t just save themselves. Luckily, the dragon Dante is an old friend of the water dragon holding Cherry captive, and he’s decided to pay his old friend a visit now that all the demons have been freed. Which is how he meets Cherry, catches her scent, discovers she is his one true mate, and promptly rescues her via kidnapping back to his own castle.

The rest of the story follows Cherry’s efforts to escape yet another dragon kidnapping while dealing with her new mate-bond to said dragon. Cherry just wants to get back home, and Dante is her only ticket to get there. Dante knows next to nothing about Cherry, though. So, he doesn’t realize he’s already met her sister and their best friend, and Cherry isn’t telling him. Much of the book revolves around this general miscommunication, which was equal parts frustrating and suspenseful.

To be fair, it’s understandable why Cherry would be reluctant to tell Dante who her family is. She doesn’t want to lead any trouble to her family. Dante isn’t exactly shy about displaying his wealth and power, and Cherry doesn’t want him using that power to hurt the people she loves. So, she keeps the information from him for as long as possible. I kept wanting to see Cherry finally reunite with Cin and Brie, but thanks to her (understandable) stubbornness I had to wait until the end of the book.

Other than that slightly annoying trope, the book was a ton of fun. Saved a Human introduces a ton of new dragon lore and information about the world. It also explores the very realistic negative reaction some people have had to the demons being set loose. Through this reaction, Lemming explores the topics of racism and discrimination with the demons as a stand in for people of color.

The story also reveals that demons are not necessarily the most scary creatures in this world. I won’t say much more, but kittens aren’t always what they appear in this book. Also, Alexis the magical sword makes a reappearance, and she is very much mixed up in the kitten situation! Alexis is one of my favorite characters in these stories. She is hilarious, brash, and dangerous – the perfect mix for an enchanted object.

I have really enjoyed all three of the books in the Mead Mishaps series, and this one did a good job of wrapping things up with a happy ending. At some point, I plan to read the few short stories Kimberly Lemming has also written in this world. She does an amazing job of building this rich, imaginative world in between the steamy scenes, which still makes me a bit uncomfortable to read, but it won’t stop me from seeking out more. I hope Lemming writes more of these stories (Usha and Ambrose story when?), and I’ll read every one of them!

My Rating:

I gave That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming four out of five stars. It is equal parts charming, steamy, and hilarious while still managing to tackle some weighty topics. I loved how much it expanded the world and new tidbits of dragon lore. I also liked that it had a happy ending for the entire series while still leaving some other characters open if Lemming wants to revisit the series. Anyone looking for a good time should read this book!

Have you read any of the Mead Mishaps? What was your favorite? Would you read more if they’re written? Let me know in the comments!

ARC Review: Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan

April 19, 2024 ~ VenusBloo ~ 3 Comments

**The links in this post are for the book’s StoryGraph page for reference. I do not receive any compensation for clicking links!**

Book: Fathomfolk

Author: Eliza Chan

Pages: 432

Source: Orbit

Publisher: Orbit

Genre: Fantasy

Publication Date: February 29, 2024

Summary:

Welcome to Tiankawi – shining pearl of human civilization and a safe haven for those fleeing civil unrest. Or at least, that’s how it first appears. But in the semi-flooded city, humans are, quite literally, on top: peering down from shining towers and aerial walkways on the fathomfolk – sirens, seawitches, kelpies and kappas – who live in the polluted waters below.

For half-siren Mira, promotion to captain of the border guard means an opportunity to help her downtrodden people. But if earning the trust and respect of her human colleagues wasn’t hard enough, everything Mira has worked towards is put in jeopardy when Nami, a know-it-all water dragon – fathomfolk royalty – is exiled to the city. When extremists sabotage the annual boat race, violence erupts, as does the clampdown on fathomfolk rights. Both Nami and Mira must decide if the cost of change is worth paying, or if Tiankawi should be left to drown.

My Review:

I received a free advanced reader’s copy of Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan from Orbit in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Orbit!

Fathomfolk takes place in a world that is mostly ocean populated by humans and myriad, mythical sea creatures known collectively as fathomfolk. Fathomfolk live in underwater cities. Humans live on islands scattered far apart, but in spite of this, it is humans who are in control. They have technology and industry that has helped them thrive. Unfortunately, it has also polluted the surrounding waters so badly that fathomfolk are forced to seek refuge within human cities. One such city is Tiankawi, and this is where the majority of the story takes place.

Mira has lived in Tiankawi all her life. A half-siren, Mira has seen first-hand how fathomfolk are treated by humans, and she seeks to make life better for her fellow folk in the city. She has managed to become the captain of the border guard of the city. While she knows she was only chosen as a token member, she hopes to enact real change with the little power she’s been given. Both she and her partner, Kai (the water dragon ambassador) do everything they can to improve the lives of fathomfolk in Tiankawi while working within the humans’ political system.

Not everyone agrees that the way forward should be peaceful, though. A rebel group, known as The Drawbacks, feel the only way forward is to fight fire with fire. So, when Kai’s rebellious sister Nami is exiled to Tiankawi for her latest transgressions, it’s natural she would be attracted to The Drawbacks. Now, Mira and Kai have to look out for Nami and find a way to stop The Drawbacks from causing the destruction of Tiankawi and the only way of life Mira has ever known.

The story of Fathomfolk manages to touch on several different themes that are relevant in the real world as well. These themes range from environmental destruction creating climate refugees to discrimination and racism to rebellion and exploitation of the poor. The story itself is well-written and addictive, but there is a lot going on in the background to unpack.

First of all, just like today, humans and their unchecked industry have destroyed much of the environment. The reason the world is mostly flooded is due to climate change, but humans didn’t stop there. The polluted run-off from their cities has wreaked havoc on the oceans that the fathomfolk call home. This, along with in-fighting and civil war amongst the fathomfolk over what should be done about the humans, have forced many fathomfolk to flee to the very cities that rendered their homes unlivable.

This kind of irony is present throughout the book. In fact, one would think that being forced to do what it takes to survive would help the fathomfolk band together. In some cases this is true, like with The Drawbacks, but in most cases fathomfolk treat their fellows just as poorly as they are treated by humans. There is rampant discrimination and racism within Tiankawi. Humans discriminate against fathomfolk, and fathomfolk discriminate against interracial couples and families. I found myself wishing the fathomfolk would put aside their petty differences to work together once and for all.

Unfortunately, humans did a good job of essentially subjugating all fathomfolk within Tiankawi. One of the requirements for legal entry into the city is to be fitted with something called a pakalot. It’s a bracelet that not only limits fathomfolks’ ability to use their magic, called waterweaving, but it also causes pain to the wearer if they even think too negatively about a human. So, like many times in our real history, humans ruled the fathomfolk with fear and pain. There ends up being an even more nefarious reason for the pakalots, but you will have to read the book to find that out for yourself. Needless to say, it made me pretty angry.

Obviously, I really enjoyed this book! It used a fantasy story to really illustrate and discuss some touchy but important topics. The ending was especially unexpected, and I’m very excited to see what happens in the next book. I believe this is a planned trilogy, and I’m happy about that. The only annoying thing about the story was Nami’s character. While she does experience growth, she is incredibly naïve, and she refuses to recognize when the person she’s interested in shows his true colors. I felt she was too forgiving. Other than that little annoyance, I found the book to be enjoyable and challenging in equal measure.

My Rating:

I gave Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan five out of five stars. The story is beautifully written, and the characters have depth. I cared about what happened to all of them, even the ones trying to manipulate people in the background. I loved how Eliza Chan was able to build this world and create these characters while still touching on important topics like environmental change, refugees, and exploitation. If you’re looking for your next fantasy read, definitely give this a shot!

Have you heard of Fathomfolk? Is it on your TBR? Let me know in the comments!

ARC Review: City of Stardust by Georgia Summers

January 22, 2024 ~ VenusBloo ~ 3 Comments

**The links below are to the book’s StoryGraph page for reference. I do not receive any compensation for clicking links.**

Book: The City of Stardust

Author: Georgia Summers

Pages: 352

Source: Orbit

Publisher: Redhook

Genre: Fantasy, Magical Realism

Publication Date: January 30, 2024

Summary:

Curses are made to be broken.

For centuries, generations of Everlys have seen their brightest and best disappear, taken as punishment for a crime no one remembers, for a purpose no one understands. Their tormentor is a woman named Penelope, who never ages, never grows sick – and never forgives a debt.

Ten years ago, Violet Everly’s mother left, determined to break their curse, and never returned. Now Violet must find her mother, or she will be taken in her place.

To do so, she must descend into a seductive magical underworld of power-hungry scholars, fickle gods and monsters bent on revenge. She must also contend with Penelope’s quiet assistant, Aleksander, who she knows cannot be trusted – and yet to whom she finds herself undeniably drawn.

Tied to a very literal deadline, Violet will travel the edges of the world to find Marianne and the key to the city of stardust, where the Everly story began . . .

My Review:

I received a free advanced reader’s copy of The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers from Redhook via Orbit books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Redhook and Orbit!

Violet Everly has lived her entire life in the Everly house. She didn’t go to school or make friends, and she didn’t visit the park or the zoo. Her mother left years ago, and she’s only had her uncles to keep her company. They’ve done their best to raise her and educate her, but more than that, they’ve done their best to hide her.

You see, the Everly family has been cursed by an ageless woman named Penelope for generations. Each generation one of them must die, and now Violet is the last of the Everly’s. With her mother gone for the past ten years, Violet is the only one left to take her place. Her uncles’ plan seemed to be working, until one night Penelope figures out what they’re hiding. In an effort to buy themselves some time, Violet’s uncles bargain for ten more years. Ten years to find a way to break the curse. Ten years to find Violet’s mother, Marianne.

All this time Violet has believed the curse is just a family story, and like any other story, it isn’t real. That is, until she meets Aleksander. He introduces her to magic and describes a world that can’t possibly be real. A world where the stars are gods and magic is made of stardust. It is this world Violet suspects her mother may have disappeared into. The only problem is if magic is real, then so are curses. Violet’s time is running out. She now only has one year left to find her mother and break the curse. The question is, will that be enough?

So, you know those conspiracy theorists who believe everything is run by a secret society in the background? In The City of Stardust they’d be right. That other world Aleksander tells Violet about is Fidelis, and he lives in it. Aleksander is Penelope’s apprentice, and it is his life’s goal to become a Scholar. Scholars are like magicians with the Talent to manipulate star metal. They’re the magical engineers of Fidelis, and they can travel between worlds. This makes it quite lucrative for them to trade between the worlds. Thus, a society of Scholars rules many things in the background.

Above it all is Penelope. She scares even the Scholars, and she’s after Violet. The mystery of why Penelope cursed the Everly family is the core conflict of the entire book, but it’s far from the only mystery. Finding out who Penelope really is and what makes the Everly family so special are also mysteries that get unwound by the end of the story. I really enjoyed how interwoven the past was with the present and future in this book. I also enjoyed how the characters almost all affected the story in their own way.

I say almost all because the only thing I didn’t care for with this book was the introduction of a few characters that didn’t seem to be more than a convenient plot device. Normally this wouldn’t be a big deal, but the way the characters were written, it seemed like they were meant to be more important than they were. Instead, they just served to give Violet information along her journey to break the curse. It wasn’t information she could’ve have gotten a different way either, so it just bothered me a bit. It didn’t bother me while I was reading, though. It was only after sitting with what I had read for a while that this occurred to me, so it’s unlikely to distract anyone reading the story.

Another thing I will caution readers about is the violence and descriptions of that violence in the book. It’s a bit unexpected, so just be aware it exists in the book. If this type of thing bothers you, then you may not enjoy certain parts of the book.

Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Georgia Summers’ writing is almost like music. It just flows and has feeling. Everything is so descriptive and real. I truly cared about the characters, even when I wanted to strangle one of them for continuous betrayal (no spoilers!).

The one thing I was left thinking is how cheated Violet was of her life from the family curse. She’s essentially lost her mother, never knew her father, and lived cloistered for years. Then, when she finally feels free, she finds out she has a year to break the curse or die. It really made me think, what would I do if I knew I had a year to live? Would I exhaust every option to keep living, as Violet did, or would I do something else? If I knew magic and other worlds were out there, I might just follow in Violet’s footsteps after all.

My Rating:

I gave The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers five out of five stars. It was certainly the best book to start 2024 with, and I’ll definitely be re-reading it at some point. This book is written with lyrical prose and beautiful descriptions. The main characters have depth, and I cared what happened to them. The ending is bittersweet, but that’s just life in general. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for their next read in fantasy and magical realism.

Do you plan to read City of Stardust? What other books have you read so far this year? Let me know in the comments!

ARC Review: Deep Freeze by Michael C. Grumley

January 19, 2024 ~ VenusBloo ~ 2 Comments

**All links are to the book’s StoryGraph page for reference. I do not receive any compensation for clicking links.**

Book: Deep Freeze

Author: Michael C. Grumley

Pages: 336

Source: Forge

Publisher: Forge Books

Genre: Thriller, Sci-fi

Publication Date: January 9, 2024

Summary:

From the bestselling author of the Breakthrough series: In his next near-future thriller, Michael C. Grumley explores humanity’s thirst for immortality—at any cost…

“A fast-paced juggernaut of a story, where revelations pile upon revelations, building to a stunning conclusion that will leave readers clamoring for more.” —James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sigma Force series

The accident came quickly. With no warning. In the dead of night, a precipitous plunge into a freezing river trapped everyone inside the bus. It was then that Army veteran John Reiff’s life came to an end. Extinguished in the sudden rush of frigid water.

There was no expectation of survival. None. Let alone waking up beneath blinding hospital lights. Struggling to move, or see, or even breathe. But the doctors assure him that everything is normal. That things will improve. And yet, he has this nagging feeling that there’s something they’re not telling him.

As Reiff’s mind and body gradually recover, he becomes certain that the doctors are lying to him. One-by-one, puzzle pieces are slowly falling into place, and he soon realizes that things are not at all what they seem. Critical information is being kept from him. Secrets. Supposedly for his own good. But Who is doing this? Why? And the most important question: can he keep himself alive long enough to uncover the truth?

My Review:

I received a free advanced review copy of Deep Freeze by Michael C. Grumley from Forge Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Forge!

Deep Freeze takes place in a near-future America where secret labs are very real, and those running them have their own agendas. John Reiff ends up in such a lab after he is seemingly killed rescuing people from a bus accident. The bus he is on careens off a bridge into an icy river, and everyone makes it off except John. He is understandably surprised when he wakes up, who knows how many days later, in a hospital barely able to move or talk.

Now, all of this sounds like a very interesting set up for a thriller, right? In fact, some of the marketing I’ve seen for the book compares it to books by Blake Crouch. I loved Pines by Blake Crouch, and Upgrade was a fun time (even if the last few pages seemed to negate the protagonist’s entire argument). So, I went into this book with expectations for a thriller with sci-fi elements about a man on the run searching for answers. That, it turns out, is not quite what I got.

I did not in fact even finish this book. It’s been a very long time since I have DNF’ed a book, actually, and it takes quite a bit to make me do so. I did give this book a chance. I read over 100 pages of the book, but when the most exciting thing to happen in the course of the first 100 pages of a thriller is the bus crash in the first 10 pages, then there’s a problem.

Following the accident, very little of interest happens other than a little background information being trickled out about the lab and the people running it. I know the author was trying to be mysterious, but the whole cloak and dagger government conspiracy was obvious even with frustratingly few details being revealed. I didn’t really care about the characters or what was happening to them because by the 100 page mark I still didn’t know anything about them!

Speaking of characters, the main turn off for me with this book was that John Reiff is obviously a rip-off of Jack Reacher. They’re both Army vets with no home, no middle name, and a roaming nature. They’re both tough and prefer to solve problems with their fists. John Reiff even says something almost exactly the way Jack Reacher said it. When asked why he wanders around, Reiff responds with how he wants to see more of the country he has spent his life defending on his own terms. It was all a bit too on the nose and became very distracting for me, since I’m a huge fan of Jack Reacher.

Don’t get me wrong. This could have been done in a very interesting way because taking a character like Jack Reacher and dropping him into a sci-fi thriller is certainly an intriguing prospect. This book, unfortunately, did not do that. Instead, John Reiff is a washed out copy of Jack Reacher, and he’s stuck in a lab for the first third of the book. It just wasn’t executed very well for such an interesting concept.

A few other more minor things that bothered me about this book were the treatment of the main female character and the author’s obsession with explaining every scientific detail about process and machines used in the lab. It almost read as if he just learned all of this cool science stuff and had to share it with the world. It honestly came off a bit patronizing.

Which brings me to how he treated the main female character. Other characters in the book almost constantly mention how brilliant she is and how talented she is as a scientist. But in the same breath they will mention how naïve she is and how weak it makes her seem. It’s like she wasn’t allowed to be brilliant without a caveat while the men were allowed to have few, if any, flaws in their character. Consequently, male characters often seemed to talk down to the female character, and it was incredibly off-putting to read once I noticed it.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy or even finish this book. While the concept was what drew me to the book in the first place, its poor execution and other flaws were distracting enough that I didn’t want to go back to it after putting it down. Plus, I am fine when authors want to take an archetype and spin it into something new. However, when it becomes obvious that rather than using an archetype, they just ripped off a character from another book, I don’t agree with that. Maybe other people will still find the story enjoyable, but it just wasn’t for me.

My Rating:

I gave Deep Freeze by Michael C. Grumley one out of five stars. This book unfortunately had too many flaws that were too distracting to keep me interested in reading. I really wanted to like this book, since the ideas behind it were so interesting. The only thing that even tempted me to keep reading was unraveling the mystery in the background, but it wasn’t enough for me to pick it back up in the end.

Have you tried reading Deep Freeze? Did you like it or not, and why? Let me know in the comments!

WWW Wednesday 1/10/2024

January 10, 2024 ~ VenusBloo ~ Leave a comment

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Taking on a World of Words in which bloggers answer three simple questions about their reading every Wednesday. Since I’m trying to be better about letting everyone know what I’m reading and hold myself accountable to my planned TBR’s, I decided this would be a quick and easy way to accomplish both tasks.

All links below are to the respective book’s StoryGraph page. I do not receive compensation for clicking these links.

1. What are you currently reading?

Right now, I’m 24% into an ARC of The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (releasing February 6, 2024), and I am loving it. It seems to take inspiration from several things that work far better than expected. So far, I feel like it’s inspired by Sherlock Holmes, Ancient Rome, and sea monsters. Also, all technology (if you can call it that in this book) seems to be accomplished with genetic modification of plants. At its heart, though, this books is a murder mystery turned political intrigue. It takes place in such an interesting setting that this tried and true story trope is anything but boring. I’ll probably finish this before the end of the week, and I can’t wait until it releases so I can talk to others about it!

2. What did you recently finish reading?

Last week I finished ARC’s of The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers (releases January 30, 2024) and What Feasts at Night by T. Kingfisher (releases February 13, 2024). The City of Stardust was so good I could not put it down! I finished it within three or four days, and I read half of it in one evening. What Feasts at Night is the second book in the Sworn Soldier series, and it takes place several months after the first book, What Moves the Dead. I enjoyed it as well. It was a quick one-day read, since it’s a novella. Keep an eye out here on my blog for reviews for both books during their respective release weeks!

3. What are you reading next?

Aside from trying to read my backlog of ARC’s, I’ve also been trying to alternate reading novels and novellas. It makes me feel more accomplished to read something quick after reading something long. Since The Tainted Cup is a more serious political intrigue type book, I decided to read something fun (and spicy) next. So, I plan to read my ARC of That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming. It’s the second novella in the Mead Mishaps series, and if it’s anything like the first it will have me cackling and rooting for the heroine in no time!

What are your WWW Wednesday answers? Let me know in the comments below!

ARC Review: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

January 1, 2024 ~ VenusBloo ~ 6 Comments

Book: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

Author: Kimberly Lemming

Pages: 336

Source: NetGalley

Publisher: Orbit Books

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Publication Date: January 2, 2024

Summary:

Spice trader Cinnamon’s quiet life is turned upside down when she ends up on a quest with a fiery demon in this irreverently quirky rom-com fantasy that is sweet, steamy, and funny as hell–perfect for fans of Legends & Lattes and The Dragon’s Bride.

All she wanted to do was live her life in peace–maybe get a cat, expand the family spice farm. Really, anything that didn’t involve going on an adventure where an orc might rip her face off. But they say the Goddess has favorite, and if so, Cin is clearly not one of them…

After saving the demon Fallon in a wine-drunk stupor, all Fallon wants to do is kill an evil witch enslaving his people. And, who can blame him? But he’s dragging Cinnamon along for the ride. On the bright side, at least he keeps burning off his shirt.

My Review:

I received a free advanced readers copy of That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming from Orbit Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Orbit!

Cinnamon Hotpepper is a spice trader working on her portion of her family’s farm in a small town called Boohail. One evening she joins her fellow townsfolk in celebrating the newest batch of chosen champions who will fight in the name of the goddess Myva to protect the southern continent of Mytheglin from the demon hordes to the north. Centuries ago Myva created the Volsog gate and banished all of demon-kind into the icy lands beyond, but every 15 years the demons break through. Thus, a new set of champions are chosen to drive back the demons and protect the world.

Cinnamon is more interested in a mug full of ale and fistful of cheese. She’d rather get drunk and use the champion-choosing as an excuse to get there. After achieving her goal, she stumbles through the woods towards home where she sees a rockslide. Even in her drunken state she can hear the moaning of someone caught beneath it. Cin quickly rescues the trapped person only to discover he’s not a person. He’s a demon, and he ends up changing the way Cin sees the world in more ways than one. Cin ends up being the only person who can save the demon and his kind as well as the rest of the world, which is the last thing she had in mind for her life thank you very much.

The first thing I’ll say about this book is please read the content warning at the beginning. This book definitely has sex scenes as well as mentions of sexual assault (though none occurs in the book) and depictions of slavery. Take care of yourself if anything in the content warnings could be triggering for you.

That being said, I had a lot of fun reading this book. I don’t normally read a lot of romance, but this book was just the right mix of romance and cozy fantasy. The scenes depicting Cin and her family were very homey, and they reminded me of my own family. The idea of sharing a farm with my family is also appealing, and it was a cozy idea to have in the book. Cin has a strong sense of loyalty to her family, and the sibling playful squabbling made me miss my own siblings a bit.

I also really enjoyed the setting of this book. It’s a medieval setting in the fictional world of Mytheglin, and Cin’s hometown of Boohail is located in Kinnamo, a country in the most southernly part of the world. Kinnamo is clearly inspired by Louisiana as there are mentions of swamps, bayous, and trees festooned with hanging mosses. There are also scenes in which Cin catches and cooks both crawfish and an alligator, so it’s pretty clear where the inspiration for the area came from.

There’s also plenty of humor throughout the story to break up some of the more serious and somewhat gory scenes. For example, Cin’s family are spice traders and farmers, and each of the children are named after spices, which I thought was hilarious. Cinnamon herself is also really funny. She’s sarcastic and quick to voice her opinion. I liked how no-nonsense she was even when she was scared or had to do something she didn’t really like.

Finally, I will mention the spice factor in the story. It’s pretty obvious from the first chapter of the book that Cinnamon and the demon will end up together. They are extremely attracted to one another, and the demon seems to enjoy making Cin squirm. It does take a bit for it to happen, but there are some sex scenes throughout the book. Anyone looking for a cozy fantasy with spice will enjoy reading this book I’m sure. I’m still pretty new to reading romance, so it occasionally made me uncomfortable. The rest of the story was a fun time, though, for sure.

My Rating:

I gave That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming four out of five stars. The story features an interesting and hilarious heroine (against her wishes, but she still kicks butt), and it was a nice mix of cozy fantasy and romance. I really enjoyed the relationship buildup, the setting, and Cin’s sarcasm especially. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the Mead Mishaps series!

Have you heard of the Mead Mishaps? Do you plan to read them? Let me know in the comments below!

ARC Review: These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs

December 6, 2023 ~ VenusBloo ~ Leave a comment

Book: These Burning Stars

Author: Bethany Jacobs

Pages: 517

Source: Orbit

Publisher: Orbit

Genre: Sci-fi, Space Opera

Publication Date: October 17, 2023

Goodreads Summary:

A dangerous cat-and-mouse quest for revenge. An empire that spans star systems, built on the bones of a genocide. A carefully hidden secret that could collapse worlds, hunted by three women with secrets of their own. All collide in this twisty, explosive space opera debut, perfect for readers of Arkady Martine and Kameron Hurley.

Jun Ironway—hacker, con artist, and occasional thief—has gotten her hands on a piece of contraband that could set her up for proof that implicates the powerful Nightfoot family in a planet-wide genocide seventy-five years ago. The Nightfoots control the precious sevite that fuels interplanetary travel through three star systems. And someone is sure to pay handsomely for anything that could break their hold.

Of course, anything valuable is also dangerous. The Kindom, the ruling power of the star systems, is inextricably tied up in the Nightfoots’ monopoly—and they can’t afford to let Jun expose the truth. They task two of their most brutal clerics with hunting her preternaturally stoic Chono, and brilliant hothead Esek, who also happens to be the heir to the Nightfoot empire.

But Chono and Esek are haunted in turn by a figure from their shared past, known only as Six. What Six truly wants is anyone’s guess. And the closer they get to finding Jun, the surer Chono is that Six is manipulating them all.

It’s a game that could destroy their lives and devastate the stars. And they have no choice but to see it through to the end.

My Review:

I received a free advanced readers copy of These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs from Orbit books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Orbit!

These Burning Stars takes place across three star systems collectively known as the Treble. They are many light years away from our solar system. In fact, Earth is never even mentioned. The people in this story only make vague references to their ancestors coming before them to colonize the system via jump gates after discovering a rare mineral, called jevite, to fuel them. Naturally, mining jevite is a lucrative business, and where there is money to be had there is conflict.

The overarching conflict throughout the story is multifaceted, but understanding this conflict, at least broadly, is key to understanding the motivations and decisions of the main characters in the story. The key players are the government, known at the Kindom, and the leading merchant families in the Treble system. The government of the Treble is an authoritarian theocracy consisting of three branches, known as Hands of the Kindom. Each Hand is in charge of overseeing a different aspect of life in the Treble, and every governing decision is made based on religious beliefs and traditions.

The Righteous Hand consists of clerics in charge of the religious aspect of the Kindom and its citizens. There are six gods and goddesses worshiped in varying degrees and with their own patron planets and peoples. Ruling above all of them is the Godfire, and each Hand is expected to adhere to the principles of the Godfire as they are recorded in the Godtexts.

The other two Hands consist of The Brutal Hand and The Clever Hand, which are made up of the cloaks and the secretaries respectively. The cloaks make up something similar to a police or military branch. They enforce the law, brutally if necessary. Meanwhile, the secretaries are much more bureaucratic and mainly concern themselves with record keeping, economy, and law. Naturally, there are political squabbles between the three branches of government, but the government as a whole tend to act towards similar goals.

The final facet of conflict lies with the wealthy merchant families that control trade mostly within the bounds of the law. The most powerful of these families is the Nightfoot family. After the in-fighting between merchant families over jevite resulted in its near depletion, the Nightfoots managed to fill the void with a manufactured mineral, called sevite, as a suitable replacement. Under the leadership of their matriarch, Alisiana, the Nightfoot family has amassed enough wealth and power to rival that of the government.

It is this ruthless and brutal environment of political power struggles that spawned someone like Esek Nightfoot. She is nominally a cleric, but she is most well-known for her eccentricity, brutality, and ability to train unrivaled cloaksaan. It’s this penchant for only taking on novitiates who intend to become cloaksaan that leads Esek to a local kinschool. One of the kinschool teachers wants Esek to look over his latest crop of students.

During the inspection, Esek meets Six. All kinschool students are given numbers instead of names. Names and gender choices must be earned in this society, and while Six is the best student of its year, it has not yet earned those distinctions. Esek uses this excellence to goad Six after watching a demonstration of fighting skills. Thus begins a decades long conflict between Esek and Six in which both use their political surroundings to try to pin down the other and emerge victorious.

Ultimately, These Burning Stars is a revenge story. All the other events in the books can be traced back to this one incident and this one conflict. I found it amazing how Bethany Jacobs was able to illustrate the far-reaching consequences one person’s decisions and actions can have while fleshing out a rich world. The conflict between Esek and Six is like a gravity well drawing all the other characters into their orbit, and it colors all the decisions the characters make leading them down paths they may never have trod if the conflict didn’t exist. Don’t get me wrong. The Esek-Six Feud isn’t the only conflict in the story worth exploring, but it is central to the plot of the book.

The other conflict worth mentioning involves the people known as the Jeveni. It was their moon, Jeve, that gave the mineral jevite its name. The Jeveni and their moon are also the source of a lot of conflict within the Kindom, and they have been ever since a rogue agent took the genocidal act of bombing Jeve into rubble resulted in the remainder of their population being homeless. The Jeveni are the outcasts of the Kindom. They are simultaneously subjugated and ostracized by the Kindom as a result of their differing political and religious beliefs. Their story will surely resonate with readers from various backgrounds, and I enjoyed the weft they added to the warp of the story.

A few other things I really enjoyed about this book were the mindful use of flashback chapters and the vibrant descriptions. The entire story is told in alternating chapters that each take place on a different point in the timeline, but both move forward in time. For some readers this may be confusing, but after the first few chapters I was able to follow it easily. This narrative structure coupled with Jacobs’ ability to describe everything in rich detail really made the story come alive and revealed the massive scope this book encompasses. Jacobs managed to do this all while telling the story from tight third person perspectives, and I think that is truly impressive in a debut novel.

Needless to say, I absolutely loved this book. Everything from the political scheming to the far-reaching consequences of seemingly innocuous actions kept me interested all the way to the very end. Not to mention the big twist in this book really made an impact. I probably should have seen it coming, but I absolutely did not. After it happened, I immediately went to Twitter to ask Bethany Jacobs how she could do this to me, and she just laughed like the diabolical genius that she is. Let’s just say this political revenge story is worth every minute of your time.

My Rating:

I gave These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs five out five stars. This book has tight plotting in an interesting political atmosphere with a huge scope. The consequences of action over time is a huge theme in this book, and I loved reading about how all the pieces fit together. The characters were also fleshed out with various personalities. I can’t wait to read more in this planned trilogy, and anyone looking for a good space opera should definitely pick this book up!

Have you heard of These Burning Stars before? Are you interested in reading it? What about other space operas on your radar? Let me know in the comments below!