A slight novel that shows us another side of the infamous Anne Boleyn who had a turn at Queen of England and wife to Henry VIII. Anne's ladies in waiting are sisters in more than their devotion to their queen. They are also powerful witches in a coven with Anne as their leader. When Anne becomes inconvenient and is beheaded the hunt is on to find out who in their inner circle betrayed her. A more truthful look at fierce women at the mercy of powerful men who use fear of witchcraft as a tool to remove them. A wonderful bridge between historical fiction and female driven fantasy that will appeal to readers of UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED by Sarah Galley. 4 stars
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Off the Northern California coast a small community is decimated by something sinister that leaves the town quarantined and fighting for survival from something called "the deading". People begin to drift into a fugue state convulsing every few hours and the natural world is affected as well. The community is split between those that are accepting and those who are fighting it. Much of the book is spent on birdwatching with one young man sketching the birds he logs seemingly lost while his brother and mother are afflicted. While interesting I wasn't sure how it connected to the eco-horror going on around him and his family. The writing style is intense and reminds me of Stephen Graham Jones with a dose of Stephen King and scary science of Michael Crichton. 3 stars
Two boys go missing in the West Virginia forest only to reappear unharmed months later. Years go by and the boys are men. One is a struggling artist and the other finds missing girls and together they will help a woman find the sister who went missing in the same area as a child. A dark thriller with a monster hiding in the woods? NO! Instead this is a magical ode to all the cherished childhood classics a secret land where a gentle knight saves the princess while secretly being in love with the prince and where a benevolent queen happily rules a land where adults don't belong. Once again, Meg Shaffer brings us back to our favorite childhood hideaways - Narnia, Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, Dorothy and her little dog finding their way in OZ. She cleverly uses whimsey and a bit of fairy dust to shake off the adult and bring out the hopeful child. This is the perfect book to find a hammock or treehouse and get lost in.
4 1/2 stars Feels more like historical fiction than fantasy - this is an Italian Renaissance inspired tale of warring families led by greed and a lust for power. It is a story of one son who has been groomed to inherit a banking empire if he can survive. Through assassins, allies and backroom deals with enemies Davico learns how to be master of his empire if he can learn who to trust. An odd artifact of his father's, a dragon's eye, will unleash a powerful ally if Davico can learn to control it. This is a vibrant world the author has created that will appeal to GAME OF THRONES and MEDICI fans. The ending leaves us to believe there will be more to come. 4 stars A very unique way to play the "what if" game. Marsh is middle-aged and her life is coming apart at the seams so she jumps at the chance to be the contestant on a reality game show that lets you choose your best life while the world watches your every move. Peng Shepherd chose the perfect format for this novel putting the reader in the driver's seat letting them decide what path Marsh should follow. For those less adventurous you can also read it straight through with just as much enjoyment. If having your entire life dissected on global tv isn't creepy enough Marsh begins to feel something is off. This puzzle within a puzzle is something the author handles very well and readers of Matt Haig, Blake Crouch and time travel plus stories of second chances will be very happy in any timeline. 4 stars
A young woman faced with abuse that began with her father and will continue to her future husband does the unthinkable - she joins the army posing as a man. This is a clever retelling of Mulan but the similarities to the Disney princess end there. Instead Meilin is a fierce warrior who is guided by a dragon spirit and is caught between the love of two warring princes and her desire to give into her power. With the kingdoms at war her position vacillates between political pawn or powerful warrior, honor or death if her secret is revealed and submission or freedom to be who she was meant to be.
A classic Asian story with a shot of magic and politics, this is a series that will appeal to Asian fantasy and GAME OF THRONES readers. 4 stars Orabella is a mixed race orphan whose Uncle sells off to settle gambling debts. Not having any suitors she accepts this marriage to the handsome and mysterious stranger and he whisks her away to his country estate. What she finds is not what was expected - a handful of day servants who go home at night, an eccentric family, a crumbling mansion and a life of being hand fed, escorted everywhere around the house and locked in at night. And then come the fever dreams. This book has all the elements of a classic Victorian gothic horror story in the vein of Jane Austen meets ROSEMARY'S BABY meets a dark Grimm's fairy tale. Is she a pawn of powerful men tucked away in their cursed existence soon to end up a madwoman like her sister-in-law or the sacrificial bride? 4 stars Helevir has a gift that is also a curse. She can raise the dead but it costs her a bit of her soul each time.
When the local princess is assassinated Hellevir is brought to the castle to not only revive her but is now at Princess Sullivain's side 24/7 in case of another attempt. Helevir is attracted to Sullivan and will do anything to keep her alive as evil and war looms near. This debut brings classic "white knight rescues of damsels" along with misguided love and political upheaval. The book is well written and well paced and I enjoyed Hellevir's narrative but couldn't connect with Sullivain . The ending seems to suggest future books in the series. 3 1/2 stars Josh Malerman has once again scared us silly with every parent's greatest nightmare - their child under attack of possession. Bela is a quiet eight year old and while talking to "Other Mommy" at night helped (especially when her parents were fighting) the tables have turned. "Other Mommy" is now popping up during the day everywhere asking Bela to let her into her heart. Her parents are unaware until strange incidents begin happening around the house. While friends and neighbors watch the family fall apart under the strain, Bela's parents and grandmother take steps to get rid of "Other Mommy" for good. A true horror story and reminder that kids are super sponges and take note of everything around them including stressful marriages, eccentric parental behavior and uncertainty. Narrated by Bela this one keeps you guessing till the end. Fans of Malerman's other books, Christopher Golden and THE EXORCIST will get happy shivers. 4 stars
Four young space nerds accidentally steal a spaceship that ate the previous crew and sent them into the oblivion. Their only hope for surviving is to depend on a hologram that the previous crew's Captain made. Cleo and Captain Billie don't hit it off right away but opposites attract even in space and in their mutual need there is a lot of tension. Everyone knows that a relationship between a human and a computer generated hologram has some big hurdles to overcome. Cleo and the others try to solve the mystery of what and where "the other place" is plus how to get everyone back to Earth somehow and in the right dimension. There is a lot of complex physics and space science that went way over my head but the sapphic romcom, friend misadventure and witty dialogue kept me engaged and entertained. This is complex enough to satisfy true sci-fi fans( who understood FOUNDATION) as well as a romcom that takes place in a very unusual setting to satisfy those wanting a light read. 4 stars
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