Genre: Fantasy

Review – The Teller of Small Fortunes

Posted February 4, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Teller of Small Fortunes

The Teller of Small Fortunes

by Julie Leong

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 336
Rating: five-stars
Synopsis:

Fleeing a troubled past, immigrant fortune teller Tao roams the dusty countryside with only her mule for company, telling small fortunes, for small prices. Big fortunes come with big consequences . . . which she knows from bitter experience.

It's a lonely life, until she encounters an ex-mercenary and a (semi) reformed thief, who recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child. Soon, they're joined by a baker with a knead for adventure, and - of course - a slightly magical cat.

Tao sets down a new path with companions as big-hearted as her fortunes are small. But as her friends break down her walls, the shadows of her past close in. Now, Tao must decide whether to risk everything to save the family she never thought she could have . . .

Julie Leong’s The Teller of Small Fortunes turned out to really hit the spot for me. It’s cosy-ish fantasy, with mostly personal stakes (I won’t say small stakes, because firstly one of the main characters faces a bunch of racism, secondly there’s a child in potential peril who has definitely been lost by her parents, and there’s other family stuff going on which is huge for the person in question). It’s a bit of a found-family/ragtag band type story, as well, because Tao collects a (former) thief, a former soldier, a young baker and a cat, along the road.

I love that Tao’s trying to tell “small” fortunes, as well, but it’s clear that those aren’t always small in impact: we’re shown this early on when she reads Mash’s fortune, and tells him that he’ll give his daughter a kitten. Sure, it’s a small moment, but not for Mash, who has lost his daughter and doesn’t know if he’ll ever see her again.

In the same way, Tao makes an outsize impact on her travelling companions, as they do on her. I don’t want to say too much about the journey, because I enjoyed discovering it myself — the small cosy moments, the moments of peril (because despite the overall cosiness of it, there are some of those), the camaraderie, and the bits of magic. There are some really touching moments, and they work even though I found them somewhat predictable.

I liked that it’s self-contained, as well. Tao and her friends will undoubtedly continue to have small adventures as they travel, but their story is as complete as any stories get.

Rating: 5/5

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Review – My Happy Marriage, vol 1

Posted January 21, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – My Happy Marriage, vol 1

My Happy Marriage

by Akumi Agitogi

Genres: Fantasy, Light Novels, Romance
Pages: 180
Series: My Happy Marriage #1
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

IS THIS MARRIAGE A BLESSING? OR A CURSE? Born talentless to a noble family famous for their supernatural abilities, Miyo Saimori is forced into an existence of servitude by her abusive stepmother. When Miyo finally comes of marriageable age, though, her hopes of being whisked away to a better life crumble after she discovers her fiancé’s identity: Kiyoka Kudou, a commander apparently so cold and cruel that his previous would-be brides all fled within three days of their engagements. With no home to return to, Miyo resigns herself to her fate-and soon finds that her pale and beautiful husband-to-be is anything but the monster she expected. As they slowly open their hearts to each other, both realize the other may be their chance at finding true love and happiness.

Akumi Agitogi’s My Happy Marriage basically begins as a Cinderella-type story: since her parents’ arranged marriage ended with her mother’s death, and her lack of magic powers was revealed, Miyo has become a servant in her own home, abused by her mother and sisters. It becomes convenient for her father to marry her off, so she’s sent to Kiyoka Kudou as a potential bride. Living with him, she slowly begins to wish she could stay, while knowing she’s not really a suitable bride.

Her shyness and anxiety is pretty well-done, as is Kiyoka’s slow realisation that he’s becoming fond of her — his coldness at first is revealed to be shyness, lack of understanding of how to handle other people (or at least women), and tiredness of being forced to play the marriage game. I think the pace is a little quick, but it’s lovely to see them both come out of their shells, and I did believe in Miyo’s quick attachment to one of the few people to ever treat her kindly.

The fantasy backdrop is interesting too, with gifts running in families which help to combat Grotesqueries, creatures made of human fears and superstitions. Kiyoka is a high-ranking soldier who handles Grotesqueries, and the hereditary nature of the powers provide some political/social motivation to Miyo’s family and other interested parties.

I’m interested to see where it goes, particularly as I think it’s being hinted that Miyo does have some kind of gift.

Rating: 3/5

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Review – The Apothecary Diaries (LN), vol 1

Posted January 17, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – The Apothecary Diaries (LN), vol 1

The Apothecary Diaries

by Natsu Hyuuga, Touko Shino, Kevin Steinbach (translator)

Genres: Light Novels, Fantasy
Pages: 272
Series: The Apothecary Diaries (LN) #1
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

In the East is a land ruled by an emperor, whose consorts and serving women live in a sprawling complex known as the hougong, the rear palace. Maomao, an unassuming girl raised in an unassuming town by her apothecary father, never imagined the rear palace would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service there.

Though she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and an extensive knowledge of medicine. That’s her secret, until she encounters a resident of the palace at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao’s façade and makes her a lady-in-waiting to none other than the Emperor’s favorite consort... so she can taste the lady’s food for poison!

At her lady’s side, Maomao starts to learn about everything that goes on in the rear palace—not all of it seemly. Can she ever lead a quiet life, or will her powers of deduction and insatiable curiosity bring her ever more adventures, and ever more dangers?

I got the first volume of the light novel version of Natsu Hyuuga’s The Apothecary Diaries after reading the first novel of the manga. It covers some of the same material, and then goes on much further — I think I read that it’s about volumes 1-4 of the manga. The series is historical, with a series of mini-mysteries throughout the first volume, though one of the characters would very much like it to be a romance as well…

I found that it was much easier to follow the sections of the plot that I’d also read in the manga, which is an experience I had with reading danmei: often it helps to get absorbed in the world and follow the various events if you read the same story as both manga/manhua, animation, and novel. I can’t put my finger on quite why that is, but probably a mixture of unfamiliar settings/attitudes and translation. The writing and translation certainly feels clear and easy to read, but I’ll read it and be like “okay, yeah, XYZ is happening, I understand, I understand… wait. What?!” (You could interpret this as me being an idiot, too; you may or may not believe me when I say I’m generally not, but either way, clearly something doesn’t quite click for me with a lot of light novels.)

Anyway, the big draw of this series for me is Maomao. I find her fascinating as a character: pragmatic, curious, self-absorbed in a way that isn’t intended to be offensive, perceptive and yet capable of turning a blind eye to things she wilfully doesn’t want to know… Her setup is a lot of fun as well, with her apothecary training and natural powers of observation fitting her excellently to work out the intricacies of the rear court’s life, while her laser-focused interests actually leave her completely out of step with others in other ways. (E.g. the way everyone thinks she’s been abused, but it’s all self-inflicted during experiments with poisons, etc.)

As for other characters, I find Jinshi’s thoughts and motivations actually perhaps a little less clear here than in the manga, which surprised me. I’d expected to get a bit more insight into what he’s thinking, and in a way you do see more of his reactions to Maomao, but still… I feel like I understood his situation less well from the light novel.

Overall, I had a good time, and I’m glad I have the next two volumes ready to read. I’m very curious how much of it is a “case of the week” episodic-type format, and how much of it starts to chain together into a larger plot.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – The River Has Roots

Posted January 13, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 4 Comments

Review – The River Has Roots

The River Has Roots

by Amal El-Mohtar

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 144
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family.

There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family’s latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees.

But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters’ bond but also their lives will be at risk…

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

For whatever reason, Amal El-Mohtar’s work with Max Gladestone (This Is How You Lose The Time War) left me rather cold, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from The River Has Roots. Still, a solo work is quite different to a joint one, and I was curious, so I snagged this one to give it a shot — and really liked it. Mohtar’s style works well in this fairytale retelling (which I ID’d fairly quickly), and the narrative works well with the fairytale style. There’s a touch of the Valente/McGuire-style commentary on fairytales (heck, even C.S. Lewis), which never dips into condescension. Just… storytelling, explaining the world, as fairytale narrators can do in a way which adds to the worldbuilding and tone of the story.

Fairytale retellings can sometimes fall down by sticking too close to their origins, but Mohtar is careful to flesh out the two sisters, Esther and Ysabel, and their needs and wants. It stops short of explaining too much (despite the helpful narrator): Rin remains a little bit of a mystery, as does Agnes Crow — but there’s more than enough to tantalise.

I was a bit worried about the pacing given my progress through the book, but all made sense when I realised the review copy also came with a teaser for an upcoming book of short stories. The River Has Roots was the perfect length, I think, with the ending leaving enough questions to leave the reader some work to do with the imagination.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – A Man and His God

Posted January 8, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – A Man and His God

A Man and His God

by Janet Morris

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 39
Rating: one-star
Synopsis:

An immortalized cavalry commander joins forces with the high-priest of the god of war.... Where myth meets legend, two men kiss and Tempus' world changes forever. Meet and mourn the Slaughter Priest in "A Man and His God." In this canonical short novel, the Sacred Band begins when Abarsis, Slaughter Priest, brings his Sacred Band to Tempus and dies in his arms.

In this pivotal story, the Sacred Band is formed from love and death....

"Tempus put an arm under Abarsis' head and gathered him up, pulling the wounded priest across his lap. “Hush, now.”

“Soon, soon,” said the paling lips. “I did well for you. Tell me so… that you are content. O Riddler, so well do I love you, I go to my god singing your praises. When I meet my father, I will tell him… I… fought beside you.”

“Go with more than that, Stepson,” whispered Tempus, who leaned forward and kissed him gently on the mouth; and Abarsis breathed out his soul while their lips yet touched."

This landmark short novel contains what may be the first male/male kiss in modern fantasy, and was widely reprinted, after appearing in somewhat different form in Thieves' World, in the Science Fiction Book Club, two Issac Asimov collections, and the Baen Book "Tempus" by Janet Morris.

It’s hard to know how to rate or talk about Janet E. Morris’ A Man and His God. As I understand it, it’s part of a larger world, and though it’s listed as being only 39 pages, I’d swear it was at least twice that. Maybe it was printed with the tiniest font imaginable.

Anyway, it has a semi-mythic register, and follows Tempus, a warrior who is currently on the outs with his god. It seems from the narrative that he’s cursed because he slept with his sister, and his sister is cursed because she manipulated him into it. Tempus’ feelings and intentions are often unclear, and I think that isn’t helped by the fact that this is actually cut out from a larger narrative.

The story is full of a general contempt for life and specifically for people different than oneself and for women. There is a kiss between Tempus and another man, Abarsis, as he dies, and there’s the Sacred Band who are all paired warriors, but… I can’t say that it felt particularly queer-positive in any way. There’s lots of violence, gratuitous levels of it, and torture.

Maybe it all fits together better if you read the whole original collection rather than these cut-out-and-revised fragments. That said, this part was published alone both in the past and now, so it should stand alone.

I think there’s an angle from which I can see that this is cleverly done, but the general contempt for everything that oozed off Tempus didn’t endear him to me, and it isn’t clear to me what level this is coming from: the character, the setting, the narrative, or the author. It’s not my thing either way, but one could admire it more if one was sure that the author doesn’t think they’re portraying a true hero.

Rating: 1/5

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Review – Camp Spirit

Posted January 5, 2025 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review – Camp Spirit

Camp Spirit

by Axelle Lenoir

Genres: Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Romance
Pages: 208
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

Summer camp is supposed to be about finding nirvana in a rock garden... But Elodie prefers Nirvana and Soundgarden. Can she confront rambunctious kids, confusing feelings, and supernatural horrors all at once?

Summer 1994: with just two months left before college, Elodie is forced by her mother to take a job as a camp counselor. She doesn't know the first thing about nature, or sports, of kids for that matter, and isn't especially interested in learning... but now she's responsible for a foul-mouthed horde of red-headed girls who just might win her over, whether she likes it or not. Just as Elodie starts getting used to her new environment, though -- and close to one of the other counselors -- a dark mystery lurking around the camp begins to haunt her dreams.

Axelle Lenoir’s Camp Spirit felt a bit like there were two halves, not equally split, that it kept jumping between: a summer love story between two camp counselors, Elodie and Catherine… and a spooky/supernatural story that involved the camp leader, and only later connected at all with what was going on with Elodie and Catherine.

The romance is cute enough, but it feels like it might actually have been stronger if it’d stuck to the summer of self-discovery between Elodie and Catherine or the supernatural plot. As it was, the supernatural plot felt side-lined compared to the teenage woes of those two.

It is, of course, also a very teenage book, given that a large part of what’s going on involves Elodie and Catherine developing feelings for each other.

I quite liked the art, and overall, I did have fun reading it, but it felt strangely slow — especially the first half or so.

Rating: 3/5

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Review – What Feasts at Night

Posted December 21, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – What Feasts at Night

What Feasts At Night

by T. Kingfisher

Genres: Fantasy, Horror
Pages: 151
Series: Sworn Soldier #2
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

Alex Easton, retired soldier, returns in this novella-length sequel to the bestselling What Moves The Dead.

When Easton travels to Gallacia as a favor to Miss Potter, they find their home empty, the caretaker dead, and the grounds troubled by a strange, uncanny silence.

The locals whisper of a strange breath-stealing being from Gallacian folklore that has taken up residence in Easton’s home . . . and in their dreams.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

T. Kingfisher’s What Feasts At Night is a follow-up to her retelling of ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’, this one as far as I can tell an original story (though based on folklore, it’s not as strongly tied to a specific story). It was nice to see more of Alex Easton, and to explore ka’s experience as a soldier, along with the fallout of the events of What Moves The Dead (unsurprisingly, Easton is not even slightly a fan of fungi).

The book actually takes us to Gallacia, to the hunting lodge that Easton briefly mentioned in the previous book, in order for Miss Potter (also returning, hurrah!) to stay there and do some exploration for fungi. But when ka arrives, there’s a curious heavy atmosphere, the man he used to pay to keep the place up is gone, and the villagers don’t want to explain what happened.

I found it interesting that Easton points out at one stage that the events in What Moves The Dead are in fact all natural, not supernatural: freaky as heck, but it’s driven by fungi, growing and surviving. In What Feasts at Night, the threat is definitely supernatural. Which probably explains why I found it rather less unsettling than What Moves The Dead: infection and contagion frighten me for legitimate reasons, while ghosts and spirits and “other families” are more solidly in the realm of fiction. I’m not immune to getting creeped out at random, of course, but this book just didn’t play on my fears as well. I just enjoyed Alex’s character, the world-building of the Ruritanian romance stuff, and the typically witty narration of a T. Kingfisher book.

In a way, I enjoyed it more than the first book, and certainly read it faster. I don’t think that makes it better — I think What Moves The Dead is quite possibly the better book.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation, vol 1

Posted December 19, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation, vol 1

A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation

by Misaki, Momochi, Sando

Genres: Fantasy, Manga
Pages: 208
Series: A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation #1
Rating: four-stars
Synopsis:

When Lizel mysteriously finds himself in a city that bears odd similarities to his own but clearly isn't, he quickly comes to terms with the unlikely truth: this is an entirely different world. Even so, laid-back Lizel isn't the type to panic. He immediately sets out to learn more about this strange place, and to help him do so, hires a seasoned adventurer named Gil as his tour guide and protector.

Until he's able to find a way home, Lizel figures this is a perfect opportunity to explore a new way of life adventuring as part of a guild. After all, he's sure he'll go home eventually... might as well enjoy the otherworldly vacation for now!

I’m very intrigued by the first volume of A Gentle Noble’s Vacation Recommendation (based on a light novel by Misaki, adapted/illustrated by Momochi). It leaves us with a lot of questions about Lizel: why’s he there, what’s his role in his own world, what are his aims, what’s he thinking?

At the same time we get a certain amount of introduction to the world, thanks to Gil giving Lizel the tour and getting him signed up as an adventurer. Not everything is perfectly clear — what’s going on with the labyrinths? Are we supposed to just take those on board as being random loot dungeons, or is there a bigger plot around them? How big is the adventurer system?

As you can see from all my questions, we get enough to be tantalising. And Lizel’s relationship with Gil is fascinating too. I can see that it gets a bit tense between people as to whether they’re intended to be a romance or not, but it’s hard not to read it in there sometimes when Lizel refers to Gil as a thing that belongs to him and gets so defensive over him!

Overall, I’m very curious about the world and story, and I like the art a lot. Nice clean lines, easy to follow, and nice character designs.

Rating: 4/5

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Review – The Wood at Midwinter

Posted December 10, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Review – The Wood at Midwinter

The Wood at Midwinter

by Susanna Clarke

Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 64
Rating: two-stars
Synopsis:

‘A church is a sort of wood. A wood is a sort of church. They’re the same thing really.’

Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scot is an unusual girl. She can talk to animals and trees—and she is only ever happy when she is walking in the woods.

One snowy afternoon, out with her dogs and Apple the pig, Merowdis encounters a blackbird and a fox. As darkness falls, a strange figure enters in their midst—and the path of her life is changed forever.

Featuring gorgeous illustrations truly worthy of the magic of this story and an afterword by Susanna Clarke explaining how she came to write it, this is a mesmerizing, must-have addition to any fantasy reader's bookshelf.

In the afterword to The Wood at Midwinter, Susanna Clarke mentions that she sees this as part of the world of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and I agree that it probably would have made a fun footnote there. And as a physical volume it’s quite attractive, with a pretty cover, lovely illustrations, etc.

However, there’s basically nothing here but heavily Christian vibes and some pretty descriptions of the wood in winter. The main character, Merowdis, is a saint (because we’re told that everybody says so), and in this story she gets granted a vision of her future, which is to raise a bear-cub as her own. She’s positioned as a sort of Virgin Mary type figure, but to redeem the relationship between humans and animals, and… mostly it just comes across as very churchy, and mostly just vibes.

It’s still an attractive little volume, but I wasn’t in love with the story (inasfar as there was any). I found the afterword, in which she discusses her writing process and some of her influences, almost more interesting than the story!

Rating: 2/5

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Review – Wormwood Abbey

Posted December 5, 2024 by Nicky in Reviews / 4 Comments

Review – Wormwood Abbey

Wormwood Abbey

by Christina Baehr

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction
Pages: 200
Series: The Secrets of Ormdale #1
Rating: three-stars
Synopsis:

As a Victorian clergyman's daughter, Edith Worms has seen everything -- until a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap. When a letter arrives from estranged relatives, Edith is swept away to a crumbling gothic Abbey in the wilds of Yorkshire. Wormwood Abbey isn't just full of curious beasts and ancient family secrets: there's also a tall, dark, and entirely too handsome neighbour who is strangely reluctant for her to leave. An unexpected bond with her prickly cousin Gwendolyn gives Edith a reason to stay in this strange world -- especially when it turns out that Edith herself may have a role in guarding her family's legacy. But not all of the mysteries of Ormdale are small enough to fit in her lap...and some of them have teeth.

Christina Baehr’s Wormwood Abbey is a short historical fantasy that kicks off a series of five books (with the final book releasing in November, so it’s out now as this review goes up on my blog). It’s a pretty quick read, following Edith as she and her immediate family (her father, step-mother and half brother) arrive at the titular Wormwood Abbey to sort out the family affairs, now that all the male heirs except her father (originally disowned) are gone. There she meets her cousins Gwendolyn, Violet and Una, and… honestly doesn’t make much headway with them at first.

Oh, and there are dragons. Okay, that isn’t immediately obvious, but the cover makes it pretty clear, if you weren’t tipped off right away by names like “Wormwood” and “Ormdale”. Edith takes a while to get with the programme, even when she’s raising a baby salamander.

It’s a little slow to start, I think, but as things progress there’s a bit of adventure and tension (and some indication that there’s more to come) and perhaps a hint of romance, though Edith’s not really interested at this stage. I’m not sure how I feel about the romance yet; it feels a bit inevitable narrative-wise, but the characters don’t seem to have a lot of interest in one another.

As for Edith herself, she doesn’t quite match up to Isabella Trent (of Marie Brennan’s series), but she’s fairly practical, curious about things, and has a certain amount of courage. She’s also a writer of detective novels, which made me smile. I’m hoping her character will develop further.

Overall, I enjoyed it quite a bit, and decided to pick up the next two books in the series to follow it at least a little further — I’m definitely curious about the revelation near the end of Edith’s abilities, and where the whole thing is going other than “the Worms family protect dragons and try to prevent them impacting on local people”. I imagine the world is going to intrude rather more, as you’d expect in that era when linkages between places became more common and travel more likely.

It is worth noting that Edith’s father is a clergyman, and there’s a good amount of discussion of Christianity. I hadn’t thought about that very much myself, given the time period it’s set in, but I noticed another review that was pretty uncomfortable about it, and it’s true that there’s a fair amount of it, along with some period-typical antisemitism as well that comes up due to Edith’s birth mother being Jewish. So that’s useful to know.

Rating: 3/5

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