Thumbs up for A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson. Fantasy romance.
A widow tries to get her necromancer neighbor to bring her dead husband back to life (for very good reasons). This is—pun fully intended—a charming book, quick and enjoyable to read. It is also, alas, sometimes clumsy and obvious, in a way that screams “debut novel” like nothing else can.… >> Read more
Two thumbs up for The Mercy Makers by Tessa Gratton. Fantasy.
There is no way to synopsize this beautiful madness without huge spoilers, but here’s the setup: a crime lord’s daughter, who has a secret identity as a heretical magician, ends up the handmaiden of the emperor’s sister—convenient, because she’d like to bring down the empire. This was sold as a “fantasy romance,” which does it a horrible disservice, because if you’re looking for the standard genre tropes, you will not find them here.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett. Cozy fantasy.
In 1920’s Montreal, a widow who runs a cat shelter has to move into a new building, only to discover that the basement is inhabited by illegal magicians—including one who tried and failed to end the world. It’s not a deep book, but it delivers perfectly on its promises: lots of cats, some magic, a bit of romance.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity. Romantic fantasy.
A classic Gothic—plus real, actual demons. To be honest, I almost DNFed this a couple of times. I don’t want you to think it was bad—it wasn’t! The setting was well-done, and I liked the added perspective of the story being told by a character who was a refugee. But it took her and the male lead so long to start feeling anything other than loathing for each other; and it took so long for them to get to the house the book is named after.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for Stormcaught by Thea Hawthorne. Queer fantasy romance.
A rather unfriendly scholar saves a mysterious stranger who collapses in his doorway during a storm. This novella goes both places you would expect (a love story) and places you wouldn’t (spoilery magical things). I haven’t read this author before, but she was offering ARCs, and the cover caught me. And goodness, her writing is…for lack of a better word, magical.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi. Children’s book.
A gorgeously-illustrated, cozy collection of three short stories about Little Shrew, who works hard, enjoys life’s little pleasures, and dreams about seeing the world. My coworkers and I all adored this book, though opinions were split on how sad it was. You’ll have to read it and decide for yourself.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for The Josefina Stories by Valerie Tripp. Children’s historical fiction.
I was aging out of the American Girl books when these were published, so I never read them back in the day. They’re wonderful, though not as full of intense adventure as some of the other stories in the greater series.… >> Read more
Thumbs up for Throne in the Dark by A.K. Caggiano. Fantasy romance.
A cheerfully silly and delightful fantasy romcom about a Dark Lord who gets feelings for a sunshine-y thief. I laughed quite a bit, and I liked that Amma reacts in thoroughly normal ways to dangerous and arcane events. A lot of fun; I will keep reading this series.
… >> Read more“My life’s work,” said Damien, lips curling at the corners and thin, black brows narrowing.