Monthly Archives: January 2022

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Book Review: Love & Curse Making, by Kelly St. Clare

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Yesterday, I was scrolling Instagram and randomly ended up watching a video of Emma Hamm (whose books I very much enjoy) opening a Kelly St. Clare book box for Love & Curse Making. About an hour later, I glanced over and saw I that had that same book on my side table. It had come in my most recent Supernatural Book Crate. And I figured, “Well, I guess the universe is telling me what I should read next. ”

love and curse making
What do jazz pixies, siren celebrities, and three hundred disastrous dates with supernatural men have in common?

Me.

I’m Cerys. And at twenty-two years old, running a paranormal dating agency with my bestie and living in the magical society of Nepos is an amazing life.

Not gonna lie though, it’d be better with a little action. Kissing, maybe? A one-armed hug? Heck, after three years, I’ll take a man touching my bedsheets. Or would if this curse didn’t 100 percent block me from romance.

When my ‘extinct’ brand of magic explodes in the presence of true love, the off-the-charts sexy but infuriatingly bored Detective Devereaux gets involved. And let me tell you, ladies, there are m-u-s-c-l-e-s under his long coat!

So I’m cursed and dodging the law and trying to put more love in the world each day. And now some creep is digging up heart elemental bodies.

Seriously. How is it only Monday?

my review
This was my first Kelly St. Clare book and I enjoyed it a lot. It walked the line between appreciably silly and roll your eyes ridiculous, and occasionally it did trip across the border. But mostly I giggled a lot. I liked the characters, world, and writing.

I wish we were able to get to know Dev better. He pretty much stayed a ‘tall, dark, and brooding’ cardboard cutout. Some depth and color would have helped a lot in that department. And the book is a cliffie. Very little of anything really feels complete by the end. So, I can’t call it a 100% win. But I look forward to getting to read book two in the future. So, I’d call this more win than not.

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Book Review: Behind the Throne, by K.B. Wagers

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I purchased an e-copy of K.B. Wagers‘ Behind the Throne from the dreaded ‘Zon.

Meet Hail: Captain. Gunrunner. Fugitive.

Quick, sarcastic, and lethal, Hailimi Bristol doesn’t suffer fools gladly. She has made a name for herself in the galaxy for everything except what she was born to do: rule the Indranan Empire. That is, until two Trackers drag her back to her home planet to take her rightful place as the only remaining heir.

But trading her ship for a palace has more dangers than Hail could have anticipated. Caught in a web of plots and assassination attempts, Hail can’t do the one thing she did twenty years ago: run away. She’ll have to figure out who murdered her sisters if she wants to survive.

my review
I’ll say up front that this book didn’t turn out to be what I expected. The cover led me to expect a woman of action, out effecting change in the world(s). What I got was a woman who spends a lot of time changing from one fancy dress or sari to other fancy suits, drinking a lot of chai, and effecting change by dent of surviving, mostly thanks to the efforts of the men around her (who she allows to make most of her decisions and looks to for plans and instruction almost constantly).

And I’m not saying I didn’t enjoy the book. I actually did. I liked all the characters. I liked that it had both male and female characters of note, but no romance. I loved that Hail was almost 40.  I liked the writing, the humor, and the world. But the book wasn’t what I was hoping for.

What’s more, it kind of failed in some of what it was. It tried really hard to subvert gender norms by giving the reader a matriarchy where men are largely and systematically disenfranchisement (as woman have been in the past). But it was just lip service. As others have pointed out, if you made Hail male and the guards female, this book wouldn’t work. It’s simply too firmly entrenched in expected gender norms, which means it’s not actually as transgressive as it’s clearly trying to be.

But again, none of that would really matter if I hadn’t gone into the book expecting more than I was given. All in all, I’ll likely finish the series. I did like the book. It just wasn’t the book I’d hoped it would be.

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Other Reviews:

 

Book Review: Behind the Throne, by K.B. Wagers

Book Review: Behind the Throne, by K.B. Wagers

BEHIND THE THRONE by K.B. Wagers – Review

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Book Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess, by Sue Lynn Tan

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I accepted a copy of Sue Lynn Tan‘s Daughter of the Moon Goddess for review, through Turn the Page Tours. Find further author information and the schedule for the rest of the tour here.
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Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

my review First off, look at that cover! I chose to read this book 100% based on the beautiful cover. I’m just sayin’ it’s gorgeous.

I enjoyed the story a lot too. I liked the mythos, the characters, and the emotional turmoil as people tried to do the right thing in difficult situations. I thought the writing lyrical and the descriptions arresting.

I did think Xingyin suffered a little bit from ‘special girl’ syndrome. She was strong, loyal, honorable, and willing to fight for herself and her own betterment. I liked her a lot. But so did almost every powerful male of comparable age. At least that’s what it felt like. With almost no resources she managed to get herself into circles of power and then, once there, attract the most powerful men. I also thought the book longer than need be.

But, all in all, I’d call this one a winner. I look forward to getting to read more of the series.

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Other Reviews:

Review: Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

Book Review | Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan