A modern dark academia urban fantasy story with mysterious hauntings evoked by unsettling moments of déjà vu, Kamilah Cole’s An Arcane Inheritance is a high-concept book that pulls an impressive sleight of hand with its ambitious ideas. A perfect example of a slow burn mystery that is as twisty as it is intelligent, this is a fascinating fantasy book that reads and feels quite different from what its listed genres would suggest. Creative, immersive, and beautifully written, the purposely slow pacing isn’t for everyone nor is its sometimes directionless narrative, but the payoff for those that stick with Cole’s strong storytelling are in for a unique experience and one whose ending suggests a quick re-read on details and clues easily missed. An Arcane Inheritance is a tricky book to talk about and review due to how crucial its major plot twist developments near the end of the story are, requiring the reader to almost fall into its intended sense of familiarity. In a sense, about three quarters of the book is that of its main character Ellory Morgan’s on-campus collegiate school life mixed with mysterious and foreboding paranormal-like occurrences involving familiarity, unknown visions, or conversations that may or may not…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Wednesday Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press. A necromancer priestess in foreign territory, a mysterious corpse that isn’t as dead as they should be, and the quest for qi energy across a tense Kingdom under authoritarian control, Deathly Fates has a lot of strong narrative elements in a story inspired by Chinese Taoist mythology. Featuring strong themes such as familial responsibilities, grief/loss, and the corruption of power, Tesia Tsai’s debut novel is a fast-paced and accessible YA fantasy story that has a good mix of adventure, action, age-appropriate spooks and mild horrors involving the dead carried by a very compelling premise. Well-plotted and generally appealing, I personally found this book to be an underwhelming and juvenile in its execution, but is a book with lots of good ideas that is well-suited for young pre-teen readers. The story follows Kang Siying, a young but skilled ganshi priestess who uses talismans to reanimate the dead to return their corpses to their loved ones or to release their spirits from this world. Given the book’s likely intended YA and younger readership, the book follows its summarized blurb and throws the…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Harper Voyager. In a tense and snow-covered world where academic studies are punishable by death, Max Francis’s Honor & Heresy follows a pair of scholars tasked with discovering the identity and motivations of a mysterious invading force threatening the city of Northgard. Accustomed to a life of persecution and suffering by political leaders that detest scholarly pursuits, Roy Dawnseve is recruited by the Governor to explore the mysterious and vast archive of the Orphic Basilica in the company of the standoffish and opposing philosophical scholar Percival Atherton. A highly atmospheric and immersive dark academia tale featuring a rivals-to-lovers M/M romance, this book is a slow burn story that’s haunting and a very promising debut novel despite a somewhat weak ending. Marketed as a story set around the concept of scholastic inquiry and a mysterious library, Honor & Heresy mostly delivers on its promise of a dark academia tale crossed with M/M romantic interests. Dark academia is a very popular genre buzzword that can relate to a variety of narrative topics and styles depending on who you ask, this book’s take on it is one of literary interest and analysis…

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Saga Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. An intriguing blend of fantasy and science fiction elements, Naomi Ishiguro’s The Rainshadow Orphans is a unique crossover novel full of Japanese cultural and folklore inspirations. Mixing a variety of concepts across the SFF genre umbrella, this book is an appealing and accessible read that feels like a throwback to YA fantasy novels of the mid 2000’s modernized for current tastes. The start of a planned high fantasy trilogy, though the Rainshadow Orphans is quite lengthy and occasionally drags in places, it’s an appealing start to a series full of great potential. Set in a fictional island archipelago and primarily taking place in the affluent Rainshadow City and the impoverished Keeper’s Crescent, the Rainshadow Orphans tells the story of young adult characters (plus Haru) caught amid the Royal Emperor Asayo’s revisioning of the island and the illegal gang activities of the Lucky Crows. Presented through multiple POV’s, the story is one that is part fantasy magical object and creature-based, and part futuristic technology-based with light hints of dystopian turmoil. The book covers the events of 48 hours that put the futures…

Featuring a genius title that fits the story both literally and metaphorically, Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka is a wholesome and cute contemporary romance novel with trace elements of magical realism and speculative fiction elements. While clearly intended to be an opposites-attract romance story haunted by the literal ghosts of their exes, Seeing Other People is also a heartwarming story about grief and unexpected friendships that’s simple, easy to read, and tackles an emotional premise without being depressing or difficult for sensitive readers to get through. Though this book didn’t have the strongest introspective and reflective writing chops I was hoping for, it’s still a cute book that has a lot of mass appeal, perfectly suited for light-hearted romance readers looking for something with a bit more weight than their usual. “Maybe no one ever really leaves. They just…change. From souls to soil, shattered pieces to loving completion, dreams to dust to memory. They live on, the ghosts of past lives made new forever.” As a reader that loves ghost stories, I was intrigued by Seeing Other People’s premise that’s genius on paper. Presented in a dual-perspective presentation, the book follows landscape and gardening enthusiast Morgan…

Steeped in Irish folklore and narratively inspired by Ireland’s oppression by England, Dave Rudden’s Sister Wake is an expansive high fantasy epic full of thematic and cultural content. The start of a planned trilogy, Sister Wake follows three individuals of different backgrounds and affiliations during a period of rising political conflict following the reappearance of monstrous gods causing unpredictable carnage across contested land. Ambitiously written and creatively inspired, Sister Wake is a novel full of big ideas that sometimes feels like it’s struggling with fitting together its individually strong pieces and balancing its complex plot. Usually, I try to avoid directly recapping what a book is about in my reviews but for Sister Wake, this book blurb is particularly vague; even with a 1st edition copy in hand, I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. Set on the fictional island of Croí and the neighboring continental peninsula controlled by the Answering, Sister Wake is a high fantasy adventure of colonial rebellion and political conflict. Previously taken over from across the strait, the Answering has ruled over the distant and wild Croí by instituting their hierarchy of leaders, schooling, culture, and hanging all those favoring traditional Croí culture and…

Set on the eve of a large-scale rebellion against the Citadel in power, Adrienne Young’s Fallen City is a story of political power, control, and a slow burn in every form and meaning. Part one of a planned historical fiction x fantasy duology set in the Greco-Roman stylized walled city of Isara, Fallen City is a series about rebellion, choices, and their consequences in a land blessed or cursed by the gods. Although its slow pacing and dual POV plus dual timeline presentation is not for everyone, Young’s ambition, plotting, and writing rewards patient and intellectual readers with a story that constantly builds up on itself before reaching a dramatic to-be-continued ending. (On Goodreads, a 4.5-star rating rounded up) Not sure if it’s just me, but when I think of Greco-Roman stories, the famous Roman tragedies are the first to come to mind. While Fallen City is not a tragedy per se, it features many narrative elements of the genre crossed with light fantasy elements. The book is shown from the dual perspectives of Maris and Luca, two young adults who cannot live without the other yet are cast into roles and positions of power as adversaries. The daughter and…

An abstract exploration around perception and traditional gender roles of young women, Xenobe Purvis’s debut novel the Hounding is an atmospheric story that feels like a grounded and historical fairy tale expanded into a full length book. Featuring a free-flowing 3rd person multiple POV presentation and effective use of unreliable narration, the Hounding is an interesting read conducive to bookclub/literary discussions due to its clever plotting and open-ended nature. While I felt the book’s overall trajectory could’ve been developed further and its abruptly occurring just when it felt like it was hitting its stride, this book is nonetheless an interesting read that matches the unsettling feel and tone of its cover well. “Girls—normal human girls—people could contend with; they were weak and small. And dogs too could be trained. But girls who became dogs, or who let the world believe they were dogs, were either powerful or mad: both monstrous possibilities.” Set in the fictional rural village of Little Nettlebed in an unspecified but clearly historic age, the Hounding follows various residents, their impressions, and thoughts about five sisters referred to as the Mansfield girls. Having lost both parents and living with their ailing grandfather who is going blind, the…

Pitched as an enemies-to-lovers, cursed prince story with a dark academia flavor, on paper Seven Deadly Thorns has a lot going for it. Capitalizing on many popular romantasy tropes and hooks, the story has all the right elements in addition to having some pretty snappy action and great ambiance at times. However, the execution leaves much to be desired and by trying to cram so many different storylines into the book, the result is that nothing is done particularly well. Great ideas brought down by whiplash storytelling and nonsensical plotting, unfortunately this one was a bit of a mess for me, though at least it is a mildly entertaining mess. (On Goodreads 1.5 star rating rounded down) When I started reading Seven Deadly Thorns, I wasn’t entirely sure if it was Harry Potter-esque Dramione fanfic that was reworked to be an original story or coincidentally ended up this way given the similarity of its setting, characters, and general feel. Whether it was an intentional choice or not, the book’s best feature for me was its setting, atmosphere, and mysterious intrigue (in the first half of the book only). Starting in a commons courtyard, dark academia classes, prefects, and iconic castles,…

An intense African inspired fantasy story, Marvellous Michael Anson’s Firstborn of the Sun is an impressive and commanding traditionally published debut novel. An imaginative and complex power struggle story of magic and action, this book has an expertly crafted plot that’s twisty, full of turmoil, and honors its cultural influences while also being very accessible and compelling. With confident storytelling and distinctively fresh fantasy elements, Firstborn of the Sun is a well-rounded and excellent start to Anson’s planned epic fantasy trilogy. I will be the first to admit that having zero familiarity with Yuruban culture, I had no idea what to expect from this book having received it as part of Goldsboro’s GSFF subscription. However, I am glad to have been exposed to this book as it’s a really solid one! Set in the fictional Continent and Kingdom of Oru that’s governed by a monarchy and Holy Order, Firstborn of the Sun’s strong African roots and inspirations are one of the book’s biggest highlights. A good number of popular high fantasy books tend to be loosely based around European fantasy material that can often feel stale or uninspired, but this book is distinctively different and conceptually very refreshing. As to…

An immersive and ambitious historical fiction story set during the early days of World War II, Maggie Stiefvater’s the Listeners explores the effects the war has on individuals providing hospitality support at the esteemed and legendary hotel Avallon. A complex and nuanced character piece, this book is centered around the temporary housing of Axis-affiliated diplomats in the US. Well-researched, beautifully written, thoughtfully constructed, Stiefvater’s adult novel debut is an impressive and rewarding read, albeit one that is not for everyone given its relatively sparse plot and measured pacing. Unlike others, I somehow missed out on reading Stiefvater’s previous YA series during my extended hiatus from reading, so the Listeners was my blind introduction to her work. From what I have gathered based on what I’ve heard, I think it’s helpful to note that for those a fan of her past books, this one likely reads very differently. Serving as her adult novel debut, this book is a true novel written for adults using more advanced phrasing, subtle character writing, and has themes that require the reader to read between the lines. This is not the type of adult novel popularized by booktok or bookstagram where it’s essentially YA fantasy book simply flavored by added…

Swapping the streets of New Sinsi in the 90’s for a luxury cruise upon a crimson river in the underworld, the God and the Gwisin is part two of Sophie Kim’s Fate’s Thread duology. Serving as both the continuation and conclusion following the God and the Gumiho’s dramatic ending, like its reincarnated main character, this book is both similar yet notably different from its predecessor. Having prior knowledge that this book has a different focus and approach compared to the first book which I really enjoyed, this one unfortunately wasn’t quite my cup of tea despite having many positive highlights. Leaning heavier towards its fantasy romance elements, this book is a great followup for those who wanted more romance from the previous book albeit at the cost of its crossover appeal and blending of different genres. Note: As this is a review of a sequel book in a duology series, this review assumes prior reading or knowledge of the first book the God and the Gumiho. This review is only spoiler free for the God and the Gwisin, if you haven’t read the first book yet, please refer to my past review of it first. After the decisive and largely…