Browsed by
Category: Fantasy

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

Comments 0 comment

I came across The Book of Doors while browsing my local Indigo bookstore. The inside book flap says that this novel is for readers of The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, which almost made me pass it over, but then it said that this novel is also for readers of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab, which is a book that I really enjoyed reading, so I decided to give The Book of Doors a chance. I like it better than The Midnight Library, but it does not hold a candle to The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. The Book of Doors is an interesting idea, but I really do not care much for certain aspects of the novel.

…

Read More Read More

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Comments 0 comment

I was initially put off by Starling House because of the “Reese’s Book Club” decal on the cover1. However, I kept seeing this book on different websites with good reviews, and it is described as a gothic novel – a genre that is like catnip to me – so I knew I had to read it. Although this book did not turn out to be as creepily gothic as I hoped, I found Starling House to be an entertaining read.

…

Read More Read More

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore

Comments 0 comment

The Witch and the Tsar has all the makings of a novel that I would like: historical fiction, magical realism, an interesting back story featuring a mythology I am not familiar with, and a strong female protagonist; however, I just was not that into it. I did not think about not finishing The Witch and the Tsar, but I was not excited to get back to reading it every night before bedtime.

…

Read More Read More

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Comments 0 comment

Gods of Jade and Shadow is Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s second novel following her debut novel, Signal to Noise, and itself followed by Mexican Gothic, Velvet was the Night and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. I find that I prefer Moreno-Garcia’s earlier works more than her more recent novels, because I enjoyed Gods of Jade and Shadow, a fairy tale based on Mayan folklore, as much as I enjoyed Signal to Noise.

…

Read More Read More

Bookworm by Robin Yeatman

Bookworm by Robin Yeatman

Comments 0 comment

I regret spending my money on this book. I thought, I hoped, I would find Bookworm to be funny as this book is described as “comic noir”. But there is nothing comic about this book, and the bookworm protagonist is insufferable. As a bookworm, I find this book to be insulting. I finished this book because I do not like to leave a book unfinished, but I feel sorry for the trees that died to make the paper this book was printed on.

…

Read More Read More

Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare

Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare

Comments 0 comment

Chain of Thorns is the fifteenth Shadowhunters novel by Cassandra Clare and the final novel of The Last Hours series, and I think it is time for me to say farewell to the Shadowhunters while I still have fond memories of them. I have reviewed all the previous Shadowhunters novels here, and my comments on the series from that review still stand. But my biggest complaint about Chain of Thorns is how bloody thick the book is (it is the second longest Shadowhunters novel at 778 pages). It is cumbersome to hold, and cumbersome to read. I cannot believe I am writing this, but there are too many main characters and too many subplots. And the problem with the subplots is that they are all very similar. There is just too much relationship drama in The Last Hours series, and I am too old for this shit now.

WARNING: There be spoilers ahead if you have not read the first two The Last Hours novels.

…

Read More Read More

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

Comments 0 comment

I re-read Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo just before reading its sequel, Hell Bent. I still love it, and you can read my review of it here. I have been waiting over two years to read Hell Bent; unfortunately, I am on the fence over whether it was worth the wait. I did enjoy reading it, but certain elements have been introduced into the series (the way that Hell Bent ends, I am sure Bardugo is turning it into a series) that I could do without.

WARNING: There be spoilers ahead if you have not read Ninth House.

…

Read More Read More

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

Comments 0 comment

I was a little worried that this one would end up being a dud, but I am pleased to report that The Book Eaters is a good novel. I think bibliophiles like me will really like this one. It is a bit on the nose with respect to its themes, but it’s characters and world-building are interesting enough to make you overlook the obviousness of the novel.

…

Read More Read More

Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children Series by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children Series by Ransom Riggs

Comments 0 comment

Miss Peregrine’s Peculiar Children is a YA series consisting of six novels based on an intriguing concept: a fantasy story designed around vintage photographs. Ransom Riggs uses 19th and early 20th century photographs that he collected to bring his characters to life and to create evocative settings. The first three novels in the series, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Hollow City and Library of Souls, were quite fascinating to read. The photographs that appear throughout the novels are eerie and some are just downright creepy; they compliment the story very well.

…

Read More Read More