Tag: historical fantasy

Lone Women by Victor Lavalle 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!!

This is a mesmerizing, dark, and unsettling story. Adelaide Henry leaves home in a rush. She may not be carrying much, but she is carrying a great amount of weight. The steamer trunk is literally very heavy, but what is even heavier are her secrets.

This story takes place mainly in Montana before it was completely settled. Adelaide travels to this huge, wide and open, freezing cold state as a homesteader. She makes it all the way there, leaving behind some secrets but still towing one with her, and faces this land on her own. Soon enough though, the steamer trunk is opened and what comes out reveals the horror of this tale.

But is this monstrous thing the true horror? Or, is true horror what lies behind a prettier, more perfect seeming facade?

I loved this! This gave me historical fiction, horror, supernatural, and thriller all at once. Not to mention the amazing attention to the lone women of that time. I loved every single thing about this book and highly recommend it!

Out March 28, 2023!

Weyward by Emilia Hart 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!!

Wow. The connection between these 3 women, the connection to nature especially giving a mother nature vibe, and the girl power!! Yes!

This is something I think many people could relate to. It highlights some very real struggles, including sexual assault and domestic violence, but only to show the enormous amount of strength it takes for a person to live through that and get out of the situation.

This story follows three women over the course of five centuries. Each chapter had a different one of these women as a main character throughout this book. I loved that. I loved seeing the connection between them blossom as I continued to read. Especially how they all came to and used their powers as Weywards.

I definitely recommend this one!

Out March 7, 2023!

Immortality: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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A perfect sequel! I love historical fiction/fantasy, and this was a great addition to the genre. A little slow at parts, but the writing had such a great flow that it was a pleasure to read from front to back.

Hazel is going through it! After the ending of book one, this sequel begins with hazel getting into a really tough spot. However, she finds herself rescued and set to serve as a physician for Princess Charlotte. Many things happen at Pall Mall, but of utmost importance is (finally) Jack’s return.

This was a great read, and I loved how nicely the strings were tied up at the end, leaving me feeling very fulfilled.

Out February 28, 2023!

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!

There are always different perspectives to a story, different ways for it to be told. In some cases, Perseus is held up as a hero. However, this story of Perseus is told from different women’s points of view and is a different story altogether.

Danae’s father, a king of Argos, learned of a prophecy that his daughter’s son would be his death. So, of course, he locks his daughter away so she will never become pregnant. Yet there is a hole in the ceiling that is the perfect size for a handsome young man to climb through. Danae falls in love and a bit later, after many visits, she becomes pregnant. When her father finds out, he tosses her in a boat covered in boards nailed on like a lid and pushes her out to sea for the gods to decide her fate. (All of this is very normal in Greek mythology)

Fast forward, and Danae has her son on a distant island, doing everything she can to raise him with love and gentleness. Now, this story can be taken as Perseus was born evil, and that’s that. But by the end of the book, after hearing the tales and seeing through the eyes of Danae, Medusa, and Andromeda, I realized that it’s not so simple. Every aspect of Perseus’s life, including himself, created the man he became. It was no one’s fault at all. It’s just the story of how evil becomes so evil. And, the answer is usually by a thousand different things.

I really enjoyed this. I thought the story was told really well from the different perspectives. I think the author did a brilliant job sculpting Pereus’s character, and I definitely recommend this to fans of mythology.

Out February 21, 2023!

Content warnings for sexual assault, murder, and some gore.

The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore 🌟 Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!

I loved this beautiful historical fiction fantasy that revolved around Baba Yaga and the infamous Ivan the Terrible of Russia.

I love reading anything that gives me a real taste of history from any part of the world and I especially loved this incredible folklore surrounding a very dark time. It’s a bit slow in parts but that’s not something that bothered me because the writing was so beautiful. I loved seeing the old gods of Russia in this story along with Baba Yaga. Also, I love how this author conveyed the importance of the mortal pieces that make up these immortal gods and half-gods creating a very human side to some of them.

A beautiful story that I definitely recommend to fans of Russian folklore!

Out September 20, 2022!

Babel by R.F. Kuang 🌟Arc Review 🌟

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Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for this Arc!!

This is one of those books that while reading I become fascinated and inspired by the genius of a mind that is behind this writing. I want to be in this story just as this story is in me now and always will be. And as a student, I want more knowledge. Like I said, inspiring. The magic of language.

Robin Swift was born in Canton, China. He lived there long enough to know the language easily and then, when he was about to die from a sickness, he was moved to England by a man promising him the world. He learned Greek and Latin while studying his own language, Chinese. In doing all this, he became prepared for a life at Oxford at the school for translation. Where language is not just studied, but used to change the world.

This is the best Dark Academia I have ever witnessed. Along with a dangerous secret society and a world on the cusp of revolution. I loved this book and I cannot recommend this enough!

Out August 23, 2022!

🌟 Arc Book 🌟 The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley

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Thank you Netgalley for this arc!!

Iris is an African tightrope dancer in a circus and the setting of Victorian London (which is so cool!). And, Iris has a secret she holds very close… she cannot die! However, she has absolutely no memory of who she is exactly and this search for her past becomes a big part of the plot. But when she meets Adam Temple everything begins to get more complicated and she is pulled into a tournament with many other characters that have really cool powers and abilities.

This book was so interesting and I’m curious to know where the next book will take me. However, I did not love the characters and the way they interacted. I feel like they just weren’t as complete feeling to me so I didn’t feel a strong connection and that made the dialog feel slightly forced at times.

I loved this world, especially at the time period, and do recommend this as a unique look at dark historical fantasy that is heaped in magic!

I’d like to add a trigger warning for racism that is taking place in the Victorian London setting, definitely part of this time period but I want anyone reading this to be aware of it.

Look for this coming out on Sept. 1st!