Tag Archives: fantasy

Book Review of The Lodestar of Ys, by Amy Rae Durreson

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The Lodestar of YsI picked up The Lodestar of Ys, by Amy Rae Durreson, at Amazon. At the time of posting it was still free.

Description from Goodreads:

Sjurd is convinced that Celyn of Ys is the most irritating man alive. It’s a good thing that Celyn is engaged to Sjurd’s brother, not him, because Sjurd loathes the brat, and it’s quite mutual. When an elopement and the threat of invasion force the two princes together, however, they have no choice but to marry and fake true love to keep their countries safe. Can warrior Sjurd and diplomat Celyn find any common ground?

Review:
I found this really quite marvelous. I adored all of the characters, from start to finish. However, I also found it quite spare, with large chunks of time skipped over. I felt cheated out of what happened in those years. Similarly, I would have liked some resolution on the I & H issue. But for the most part, I just enjoyed my time I spent with this novel.

There also happens to be a free side story called Emry’s Smile. It’s from the same world, but with different characters, and I thought it was absolutely lovely. Durreson has made my watch list.

The Second Mango

Book Review of The Second Mango (Mangoverse #1), by Shira Glassman

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The Second MangoI borrowed Shira Glassman‘s The Second Mango from my local library.

Description from Goodreads:
Queen Shulamit never expected to inherit the throne of the tropical land of Perach so young. At twenty, grief-stricken and fatherless, she’s also coping with being the only lesbian she knows after her sweetheart ran off for an unknown reason. Not to mention, she’s the victim of severe digestive problems that everybody think she’s faking. When she meets Rivka, an athletic and assertive warrior from the north who wears a mask and pretends to be a man, she finds the source of strength she needs so desperately.

Unfortunately for her, Rivka is straight, but that’s okay — Shulamit needs a surrogate big sister just as much as she needs a girlfriend. Especially if the warrior’s willing to take her around the kingdom on the back of her dragon in search of other women who might be open to same-sex romance. The real world outside the palace is full of adventure, however, and the search for a royal girlfriend quickly turns into a rescue mission when they discover a temple full of women turned to stone by an evil sorcerer.

Review:
Do I rate a book on my opinion of the story the author sought to tell or the one actually written? There are so many of aspects of this that I appreciate. It’s a story of genuine friendship between women, with no romantic underpinnings. Unusually, the world appears to be based on Judaism, instead of Christianity. There is a character with a significant dietary limitation. The main character is a queen, not a princess, therefore inhabiting a position of power and authority. There is diversity in both the gender and sexuality arenas. The women save the day. In fact, there are hardly any significant men in the book at all; all things you rarely find in fiction.

But, but, but…if not for the sex, I would call this Middle Grade Fiction. The writing is that simplistic and childish. The solutions are come to that simply. The happy endings (for everyone) come about that predictably and everyone talks and acts with that level of maturity and deep thinking. The book feels like it’s written for and by a child, a child with a firm grasp of grammar granted, but a child all the same. And if I thought it really was Middle Grade Fiction I could hardly fault it for that. But I don’t think it is, so in the end, I’m just left with a kiddie book for adults.

Indigo Springs

Book Review of Indigo Springs (Astrid Lethewood #1), by A.M. Dellamonica

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Indigo SpringsI borrowed Indigo Springs (by A. M. Dellamonica) from my local library.

Description from Goodreads:
Indigo Springs is a sleepy town where things seem pretty normal . . . until Astrid’s father dies and she moves into his house. She discovers that for many years her father had been accessing the magic that flowed, literally, in a blue stream beneath the earth, leaking into his house. When she starts to use the liquid “vitagua” to enchant everyday items, the results seem innocent enough: a “‘chanted” watch becomes a charm that means you’re always in the right place at the right time; a “‘chanted” pendant enables the wearer to convince anyone of anything . . .

But as events in Indigo Springs unfold and the true potential of vitagua is revealed, Astrid and her friends unwittingly embark on a journey fraught with power, change, and a future too devastating to contemplate. Friends become enemies and enemies become friends as Astrid discovers secrets from her shrouded childhood that will lead her to a destiny stranger than she could have imagined . . .

Review:
I really wanted to love this book. It’s got a beautiful cover and a truly interesting premise. On paper the characters are interesting too. The main character is bisexual, another is trans (though I was never certain if that was their natural inclination or the result of magics) and another is notably narcissistic. I should love this book. Instead, I liked it but was perfectly happy to reach the end of it.

The problem I had was that the characters never jumped out and grabbed me. They’re flat, Jacks especially. The first person POV is a character who is basically outside the primary plot, the rest is third person from Astrid’s (the main character’s) POV. I connected to neither of them. What’s more, I could never quire wrap my head around the fact that the weak, simpering woman of 95% of the novel is the same as the strong, in control woman at the end. Yeah, there’s supposed to have been some time for her to adjust, but from the readers perspective it’s a big change in personality almost instantly.

All in all, it was an ok book. I’d read another of Dellamonica’s works but I didn’t love it.