A Touch of Chaos (Hades x Persephone Saga #4) by Scarlett St. Clair REVIEW

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair

3.76 out of 5 Stars

*May contain spoilers*

I forgot how long and hard I could go for these reviews... holy crap. 

Short version -- check it out here or just know that I really liked it! 

Three years after A Touch of Malice, the final book in the Hades x Persephone saga came out last spring and wrapped up this epic retelling of the classical Greek relationship where the characters are still alive and well in a modern day version of the world where New Athens is the seat of the gods and all the legends and creatures are real. I have been WAITING for this book for all three of those years (tragic, I know), but I honestly didn't pick it up until just now because it was so long ago that I read the previous one that I just wasn't itching to read this one. I also have only read one of the Hades books (Hades Saga), which apparently enriches the reading experience, but I thought I was fine without it and still really enjoyed myself. If someone has been reading the Hades Saga though, they would have only waited a year for this to come out because A Game of Gods came out only last year. 

As I'm outlining this review, I'm realizing there weren't as many *sparkling* moments between Hades and Sephy that are causing me to fangirl... not a great thing, but also not the worst. They were still amazing, and I don't think it really takes away from the book at all, but it wasn't like I was pining for more scenes with them. If anything, I felt that way about Ari and Dionysus (more on that later). 

While the majority of the series is romantasy with emphasis on the romance between Hades and Persephone, I would say this installment is actually more fantasy than romance. So for all those complaining about "the spark" between characters is different or there were fewer "spicy scenes," please take a second to remember that romantasy is derived from combining romance with fantasy. And we've clearly been building up to an epic plotline like this one over the course of the other books, so it shouldn't be a surprise that we get to see the characters in action more than in lovey situations in this book. Personally, I really appreciated that. It made the romance more grounded and provided a more realistic feel to the story because not everything can always be about a relationship. Life exists. Life is more than heart eyes. 

Plot

I thought this had a really great plot. It wasn't the most seamless in transitions between scenes, but it wrapped things up and kept moving. It brought satisfaction to the main cliffhangers and resolution to the important points of the story in a way that was excellent. Also, there were some great battle scenes in this book! There wasn't just one epic ending. There was a series of tasks and skirmishes and obstacles and I am so happy that there was so much going on and it was to a level of detail that every character had a critical role. There were also some really funny moments too which broke things up nicely. *Cough Dionysus delivering a baby Cough* 

I think one of the things this book struggled with on the whole though was balancing the multitude of things that were happening (and necessarily so) with keeping all those threads properly tangled or untangled as needed and then weaving them all together and tied up by the end of the book. There were so many subplots that I'm actually a little annoyed that a handful were left dangling because they were good and I wanted more. But at the same time, if I'm thinking critically, I can understand why more time wasn't afforded to those subplots because the book was already almost 600 pages long in paperback format. You're just going to get messy if you give breathing room to too many things when the book is already that large. I don't know what the editing decision would be in that situation -- what could have made that better. I wouldn't have wanted another book. I wouldn't have not wanted the subplots to exist. And there were elements to the subplots that were necessary to put characters into position for them to serve their purpose. So, because I can't think of a solution to this conundrum, I feel like I can't really hold it against the author. 

Maybe we can just get a bunch of bonus scenes or novellas for Christmas based on those subplots. :):):) 

Okay so, one of the bones I had to pick about the plot specifically was that I really wish there was some sort of resolution for Hera's soul. I get that she was an awful bitch and what Theseus did to her was a result of her own actions, but to have her broken like that and wandering forever? I can't. My heart hurts even just remembering that scene where Hades sees her and realizes her fate. Even though she was horrid, and its all fictional, it bothers me so much that she will never find rest. 

Lastly, I want to briefly touch on Theseus's death and atrocities toward Ari. Firstly, I'm okay with Theseus's death being somewhat pathetic because he is pathetic and deserves no epic way to die. There was also something I think very Greek about his downfall being a bit anti-climatic and directly tied to his flaw of hubris. Plus, it was a workaround to an oracle. Secondly, one of the things that I saw repeatedly be mentioned in other people's reviews is how the scenes between him and Ari played out. For me... I have mixed feelings about them. I'm glad they weren't brushed aside and dismissed like they meant nothing, but at the same time, I think maybe they were a tad overdone? I don't think we needed more than one because then you can just refer back to that one somehow... I don't know. I don't really want to dwell on it much further. I suppose I just wanted to touch on it because I don't think it was as poorly handled as I've seen some people describe it. 

Characters

Persephone -- I love this retelling of Persephone. I think her modernity contrasted against all the other gods and goddesses jadedness from years of divinity really makes her stand out. She's strategic and hardworking and in the final stages of discovering who she is as a person as well as a goddess, but there's something really unique about this Persephone being both modern and like a normal woman that I just really love. Plus, I love that she can be equally worried about getting Hades back and pissed that he's kept so much information from her.

Persephone by unsidhe (DeviantArt/creativecommons)

Hades -- From what I remember in the other books, Hades is a suave badass in this retelling. Grumpy and closed off, but he, like, makes deals with mortals at a nightclub. By no means would I think he could ever be described as dusty, but those attributes that are so attractive were a little flat in this book and could kind of hint at dustiness. Which is really unfortunate because I love a great Hades! And this is a great Hades! But it was like he didn't fully show up to the party. 

Hermes -- WE LOVE HERMES AND DIONYSUS!!! Hermes especially though is a favorite of mine. He's so goofy and so loyal and I love when there's a sincere character like that where they, just by being themselves, break up the heaviness of a scene or a story. Apollo served that role a little too, but sadly, we had to say goodbye. Although, thinking about Apollo, if he had had more page time, I think I would have been more upset about his death. As it is, if Hermes had died I would have been crying. But with Apollo, I was just plain said. 

Hecate -- I love Hecate so freaking much. She such a great motherly figure to both Hades and Persephone and I love that she will soundly scold anybody. I'm really glad that she had a good story in this book. It was nothing huge or dramatic, but she remained vital and loved, which makes me really happy. 

Dionysus x Ari -- I don't remember them existing before this book!! Did they exist before this book??? I don't think so?!?!! I really really fell hard for this little ship that is really just a subplot. But I fell for it SO bad that I'm slightly upset. Even if I wasn't obsessed though, I still would have wanted more of the Ari x Dionysus arc especially at the end when Ari emerges with the baby wrapped around her because there is so much there. She had suffered through so much and that I think needs some sort of resolution to that and I think Dionysus is a part of that resolution.

Theseus -- Vomit. Just absolute vomit-inducing filth. Literally one of the worst characters I've ever read. Developmentally, he was alright. I think there were a few times when his character was almost overblown and exaggerated as if St. Clair was really trying to make sure we all understood that this is  a character with no redeemable soul, and it didn't need to be. 

Not specific to any character development, but ummmm... Thanatos and Lexa?? More please???? We get a whole conversation between Lexa and Sephy where Lexa is upset because she kissed Thanatos and then he said it was a mistake and CLEARLY it's just Thanatos being stupid about his job and what he thinks is right versus wrong when it comes to caring for the souls but she doesn't know that and thinks she instead that she did something wrong! Not okay! I need to see Persephone kick Thanatos's ass in line and get him to wake up and realize that he's hurt Lexa and he doesn't need to! Ulghhhh, I need this.... not as badly as I need an Ari x Dionysus spin-off... but I still need this.... 

Writing

I wouldn't say there's anything uniquely spectacular about the writing of this, other than it flows so damn easily. It would feel like I'd blink and 30 minutes had gone by while reading. One of the best things about this book, and really all of Scarlett St. Clair's books, is that it's just so fun and distracting in the best way possible. It is true entertainment where you can turn your brain off, fall into the story, and just live somewhere else for awhile. It's ability to do that is not the most common thing, so whenever a book is able to do that, it gets huge props from me. The simple task of having a story effortlessly draw you in is not so simple of a task at all, and I think it is incredibly underappreciated. Huge, huge props to St. Clair for being one of the authors who can do this. 

It's weird to think that this series is over... I tore through this book within a couple of days and it is so strange that a series that has been on my mind for years is now finished. I think especially for this series it's weird because there was such a large break between this book and the others, but it's such a good retelling of Hades and Persephone. There are so many out there now, and this is one of the ones that I think I'll always recommend to people because it doesn't feel tired or overused to me. I'm going to be sad that there are no more. Also, I will forever believe that this series has some of the best book covers I've ever seen. 

Random note though before the end of this review in case the author ever somehow stumbles across it... I would LOVE a Dionysus spin-off. Anyone else??? I think there is so much there, and the way he is handled as a character? Fabulous. Absolutely stunning. Can we manifest this for 2025? Send happy creative vibes to the author? Lol, let's be real, I love Scarlett St. Clair so I'm sending those vibes anyway. 

Thanks for reading!
Xo

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair SPOILER FREE REVIEW

A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair

3.76 out of 5 Stars

*Spoiler Free Review*

If you would like the full review, with spoilers, details, and fangirling, follow this link to the full review!

Three years after A Touch of Malice, the final book in the Hades x Persephone saga came out last spring and wrapped up this epic retelling of the classical Greek relationship where the characters are still alive and well in a modern day version of the world where New Athens is the seat of the gods and all the legends and creatures are real. I have been WAITING for this book for all three of those years (tragic, I know), but I honestly didn't pick it up until just now because it was so long ago that I read the previous one that I just wasn't itching to read this one. I also have only read one of the Hades books (Hades Saga), which apparently enriches the reading experience, but I thought I was fine without it and still really enjoyed myself. If someone has been reading the Hades Saga though, they would have only waited a year for this to come out because A Game of Gods came out only last year. 

While the majority of the series is romantasy with emphasis on the romance between Hades and Persephone, I would say this installment is actually more fantasy than romance. So for all those complaining about "the spark" between characters is different or there were fewer "spicy scenes," please take a second to remember that romantasy is derived from combining romance with fantasy. And we've clearly been building up to an epic plotline like this one over the course of the other books, so it shouldn't be a surprise that we get to see the characters in action more than in lovey situations in this book. Personally, I really appreciated that. It made the romance more grounded and provided a more realistic feel to the story because not everything can always be about a relationship. Life exists. Life is more than heart eyes. 

I think one of the things this book struggled with on the whole was balancing the multitude of things that were happening (and necessarily so) with keeping all those threads properly tangled or untangled as needed and then weaving them all together and tied up by the end of the book. There were so many subplots that I'm actually a little annoyed that a handful were left dangling because they were good and I wanted more. But at the same time, if I'm thinking critically, I can understand why more time wasn't afforded to those subplots because the book was already almost 600 pages long in paperback format. You're just going to get messy if you give breathing room to too many things when the book is already that large. I don't know what the editing decision would be in that situation -- what could have made that better. I wouldn't have wanted another book. I wouldn't have not wanted the subplots to exist. And there were elements to the subplots that were necessary to put characters into position for them to serve their purpose. So, because I can't think of a solution to this conundrum, I feel like I can't really hold it against the author. 

Maybe we can just get a bunch of bonus scenes or novellas for Christmas based on those subplots. :):):)

One of the best things about this book though, and really all of Scarlett St. Clair's books, is that it's just so fun and distracting in the best way possible. It is true entertainment where you can turn your brain off, fall into the story, and just live somewhere else for awhile. It's ability to do that is not the most common thing, so whenever a book is able to do that, it gets huge props from me. The simple task of having a story effortlessly draw you in is not so simple of a task at all, and I think it is incredibly underappreciated. Huge, huge props to St. Clair for being one of the authors who can do this. 

It's weird to think that this series is over... I tore through this book within a couple of days and it is so strange that a series that has been on my mind for years is now finished. I think especially for this series it's weird because there was such a large break between this book and the others, but it's such a good retelling of Hades and Persephone. There are so many out there now, and this is one of the ones that I think I'll always recommend to people because it doesn't feel tired or overused to me. I'm going to be sad that there are no more. Also, I will forever believe that this series has some of the best book covers I've ever seen. 

Random note though before the end of this review in case the author ever somehow stumbles across it... I would LOVE a Dionysus spin-off. Anyone else??? I think there is so much there, and the way he is handled as a character? Fabulous. Absolutely stunning. Can we manifest this for 2025? Send happy creative vibes to the author? Lol, let's be real, I love Scarlett St. Clair so I'm sending those vibes anyway. 

Thanks for reading!

Xo

Reading the 2024 Goodreads Romantasy Choice Awards (and my own rankings of them)

Reading the 2024 Goodreads Romantasy Choice Awards 

(and my own rankings of them)

This may be absolutely bonkers of me considering how many reading goals I've set for myself going into the end of the year and into early next year (for reference, I started a second blog about traveling via books), but as of writing this, the Goodreads Choice Awards Nominees of 2024 have been released and it has been ages since I feel like I've done a deep-dive into what is out there in terms of romantasy. And I've been reading romantasy since before it was called that! (To the younger readers and newer readers of the genre -- yes, "romantasy" is a relatively newer term.) 

I also always just love a list of titles for awards because I find it can be easier to read than looking at blocks of book covers, so I wanted to make this list putting them all in one spot. 

Here's to me reading all the romantasy nominations "so you don't have to" (said with saccharine sarcasm). And then I'm going to do a subsequent post, which will likely be finished early next year, where I do my own rankings of these books. I'm going to update that list of rankings though as I go along so that it is as complete as possible. Cheers!

** In the below list of titles, I've noted when the nominee is not the first book in the series. If there is a note only about that, that means I'm up to speed on the series and will be reading the nominee. If I'm not up to speed, I'm only going to read the first book because if I don't like that one, I'm not going to continue with the rest of the series. **

The 2024 Goodreads Choice Award Nominees for the Category of Romantasy

1. Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
2. A Touch of Chaos by Scarlett St. Clair (Not book 1) 
   
3. A Promise of Peridot by Kate Golden (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading A Dawn of Onyx)
4. Zodiac Academy: Restless Stars by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading The Awakening) 
   
5. Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading Trial of the Sun Queen)
6. Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading Assistant to the Villain) 
7. Quicksilver by Callie Hart
8. Gold by Raven Kennedy (Not book 1 -- I'll be reading Gild)
9. The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
10. The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen
11. Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
12. 
    Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas
13. Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Not book 1) 
14. Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields 
15. House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas (<-- This one's going to win. Calling it now. Not book 1)
16. A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
17. The Veiled Kingdom by Holly Renee
18. A Crown this Cold and Heavy by Stacia Stark
19. When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker
20. A Fate Inked in Blood by Danielle L. Jensen

My Hesitations & Concerns:

Lots of other reading goals

I already referred to this in the beginning paragraph, but I started a second blog where I plan on reading books that can mentally take me to places I want to travel to, but can't afford to. I'm really looking forward to that blog as much as I love this blog! Starting up a new blog though, while also returning to writing in this one, is honestly very intimidating. I've kept up reading, so I'm not ~very~ worried about that... but it's the writing these blog posts that can take quite a bit of time and I don't want to skimp on these posts because then that's shit quality and I don't want to be that person. 

     Some of these titles I already know I don't love

Oof... I don't know if people are going to come at me because of this but... I already tried to read the Zodiac Academy once and I just struggled with the first half of it so bad that I put it down and didn't return. But there's a HUGE fan base for it so there must be something there. Maybe at the time I was reading I was just really distracted or simply not in a good place? If a book couldn't hold me through a time like that though, especially a romantasy book, I still hold some reservations about it. 1000% still willing to give it another shot though!

Scared some are just riding the coattails of successful trends, which annoys me

Over the years, this has REALLY become one of my biggest pet peeves -- books where you can tell they're really just trying to benefit off the success of other titles or the tropes in them. And then they're half-baked or over-marketed and heralded as "the next Sarah J. Maas" or "the next Jennifer L. Armentrout." I really, really get annoyed by this and I'm incredibly worried that with the reductive readership of online popularity that there will be titles in this list that I simply will get frustrated with because of a lack of true originality.

On the whole, I'm looking forward to this! I can't wait to see how this turns out! 

Thanks for reading!!

Xo

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater QUICK REVIEW

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

4.36 out of 5 Stars

 

This is like a lite Bridgerton mixed in with some faeries -- in other words, absolutely cute as can be. It was perfectly sweet and charming, without being ridiculous and I LOVED the characters. They were a bit simple, but it's not like I was expecting Rhysand of the Night Court from a >300 page book. No, these characters were distinct and, while simple, developed just enough to make the story indulgent in the whimsical romance that it is.  

 

Quick little blurb for a quick little read. Definitely worth it! 

 

Thanks for reading!

The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell REVIEW

 

The Dark King by Gina L. Maxwell

3.78 out of 5 Stars

 

The Dark King is described on the cover as being, "Neon Gods meets Fifty Shades . . . Deliciously dark and sexy!" -- #1 NYT Bestselling Author Helen Hardt. Bryn Meara is sent a promotional offer to stay at the most high-end hotel and casino in Vegas which is owned by Caiden Verran, who is also the king of the Dark Fae. None of the early events that led Bryn to Vegas, or to her and Caiden's marriage, have been purely organic, and as Bryn and Caiden grow closer, they also realized that they have been thrown together by someone with ill intent toward the Dark Fae and Court. 

 

I really liked this book! It was a bit on the simple side, but sometimes, that's not too bad when the character development is really good, which is the case for this book. It's a little edgy, a little sexy, and a little sweet. For anyone looking for a romance book like this, which, I can definitely see the similarities to the romance books compared to in the blurb, definitely check out the full description on the back of the book or online to see if it sounds like something you'd be interested in. If so, I'd say go for it! The Dark King is the perfect romance novel escapism for a handful of hours.

Plot:

Beyond the scope of the romantic development between Bryn and Caiden, there is a legitimate plot about the politics of the fae world with actual stakes that are in addition to the longevity and health of the romantic relationship. We love to see it, but we really only started to see it until the middle of the book. The first half of the book, suspicious things took place, but the were more just oddities and didn't raise any suspense like the developments in the second half of the book. For the overall development of this story-line, I think I would have liked those earlier moments to be more ominous or sinister in tone instead of just curious so that this story-line had more room to grow and breathe properly. 

The romantic plot was spot on perfect. The development was gradual, with each character reaching their own mental internal progress about the relationship by reasonable increments, and together, they meshed really well without one overpowering the other at all times. 

Characters: 

I really liked all the characters, but, the dialogue was waaaaayyyyyy too cheesy at times, mostly in the beginning of the book, and damn near entirely with Bryn's dialogue. Everything else about the characters was fabulous, but why why why could the dialogue have not been solid at all times? It feels like cherry picking for flaws, because it really is, but the cheesiness was off the charts to where it took away from the book for me.

Writing:

This is definitely a book about the characters, and the author does an excellent job writing them. On the whole, I think the writing was nice and smooth, which is great, but nothing really about it stood out (excepting the dialogue moments mentioned above). The character development is great though, including for a handful of key minor characters. So if you love reading for the characters, this is definitely one of those books you'd enjoy. 

A nice little new romance! I think I came across this title from the online marketing, which looking back on it, may be a little exaggerated in tone compared to the actual book, but hey, I still found a copy of this book to read, so marketing did their job right. Definitely worth checking out if you are looking for a romance with this description!

Thanks for reading!

The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick REVIEW

The North Wind by Alexandria Warwick

3.88 out of 5 Stars

 

***Thank you to Andromeda Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review***

 

From Goodreads: Lush. Dark. Romantic. Introducing a newly reimagined tale written in the vein of Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone. 

 

Honestly, that description is accurate. (Although, I think "written in the vein of" is a syntax sin -- "along the lines of" would be more accurate.) The North Wind is a the kind of story you want to be reading when the weather first starts to turn or snow is right about to fall. The atmosphere of this book is insanely strong: dark, cold, brisk. Because of that, it may not be everyone's cup of tea, but hey, to each there own and personally, I love an atmosphere like this. Besides the atmosphere, I think the mash-up description of Beauty and the Beast and Hades and Persephone is a dead on description that was followed through well. 

 

The biggest advice I would give anyone reading this or to anyone considering reading this is that it is not a smut book. So if that's what you're looking for, walk away. There are some new adult scenes mixed in, but this is not high up on the graphic scale of romance books if that makes any sense. I think I'm just throwing that out there because I have seen reviews about the lack of romance or that this is a boring book, and I worry that those people went into this book with the wrong expectations and therefore have given it a bad review. And I just don't think that's fair, because it is a fantasy romance book, and I think it's a pretty damn good one at that.

Plot:

I would say that there were two primary plots in this book: the love story and the issues with the Shade. To the first plot, I don't really have any issues with it. It moves at a pace as needed given the characters, which admittedly is a bit slow. However, I think the root cause is more related to the irritations I have with the characters rather than the development of that plot line. Before the love plotline can be sped up a bit, the characters had to be different or developed faster. So because of that, I actually think the progression of the love plotline is fine. 

 

The plotline with the Shade is only fine. This is where the real interest of the story laid for me because it was the point that made this book unique to any other retellings of Beauty and the Beast/Hades and Persephone. But I think proportionally this plotline not only didn't progress fast enough, but that we didn't see as much of it. I would have loved to have dug into the history of the Shade more, maybe hear some odds and ends tragedies or adventures that the Shade has as its legacy, but the plotline was borderline only a tool to progress the love story plotline, and I just wish it had more opportunity to shine because I thought it was good and I wanted more of it.

Characters:

Wren -- I'm all for an unenjoyable main character, but this was just a step too far for just a bit too long. Her hypocrisy in calling out Boreas for being narrow-minded, and yet never herself trying to understand his motives and accept truths contrary to her beliefs, drove me up the wall. Maybe this is just some sort of pet peeve of mine so it was extra grating, but I really didn't like that. The alcoholism lasted for a bit too long I think, but ultimately, it was addressed and corrected. Likewise, her bullheadedness was also grown out of later on in the book, but I just wish these things happened a little sooner.

 

Boreas -- Very similar to Wren, the traits about him that I didn't like and the development of his character just all needed to be addressed a bit earlier in my opinion. I like the stoicism that he presents. It is a solid characteristic that not only was easy to grasp onto, but heightened the atmosphere of the book. But after awhile, that stoicism led to, not distance, but detachment, which I don't think is ever desired for a book character. Once we dipped into the second half of the book, that's where we got to see more of his background, see more of what he does, and learn about his emotional reactions to things. It just took so long to get there.

 

There are several other sides characters that tended to be a bit predictable, but overall served their purposes and were well written. Nobody else really stood out though. I think there's room for growth, certainly, which will be exciting to see in the second book (**cough clearly Zephyrus given book 2's name cough**) but for the most part, the story centered on Wren and Boreas, which I think is okay for this story.

Writing: 

My biggest complaint of this book is that the first half of it seemed to drag on for far too long, when then as you can tell affects everything. Everything from plotline progression to character development to world building really started to pick up steam only in the second half of the book. Timing seemed to be the biggest flaw when thinking about the book as a whole. Despite the pacing being off, the writing was good. Different character expressions and emotions were well-captured. The description of the world and the matching tonal quality of the writing was very good. And when there was a critical scene, my attention was grabbed for the duration of that scene.

Final word of the day is that I would recommend this book to friends. I feel like I just ragged on it for the entirety of this review, but I don't want people to take away that it is a bad book. On the contrary; it's got some interesting designs to it, is good for a nice break from reality without having to mentally work hard, and is a sweet little fix for anyone craving a Beauty and the Beast/Hades and Persephone hit. Maybe just don't read this in the summer, given how chilly the atmosphere is, but overall, The North Wind was good and I want to read the second book. 

Thanks for reading!

A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe REVIEW

 A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe

3.40 out of 5 Stars

***Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!***

 

Honestly, this review is going to be a little hard to write, just because there's a giant boulder of something I didn't like sitting in the middle of a beautiful setting full of everything this book did wonderfully, and I'm not sure how to handle it. As a whole, A Golden Fury was an excellently written, original take on a concept that I personally haven't come across since my baby Harry Potter days. With a backdrop of late eighteenth century revolution, we follow Thea as she studies alchemy and the creation of the Philosopher's Stone. The story starts in France but quickly moves to mostly take place in England after Thea's mother goes mad from the Stone's curse.

 

I loved the writing. I was fine with the historical backdrop really just being a backdrop and nothing more. I really enjoyed the alchemy and the development of the Stone. My biggest, biggest issue was with Thea herself, which is unfortunate. She was, for lack of a better description, a weak character. And not in development, but truly in her character. And without getting into too much detail so I don't spoil anything at this point, it was doubly frustrating because there is a great opportunity for contrast between strong-as-in-independent and strong-as-in-arrogant-and-overbearing, but the opportunity was missed. 

 

SPOILERS

PLOT

As far as fantasies go, I really really loved this plot! At first, I was a little hesitant with the whole "Philosopher's Stone" thing, but it ended up being really refreshing. I think my main concern was that the story would be a typical quest for eternal life, but it really was about intellectual achievement, which made the story all the more refreshing. Even better was the twisted turn the story took with how the madness was a result of the Stone feeding off the minds of the other alchemists. It was so cool in a sort of creepy way how the Stone was a sentient being, parasitical in nature. It was so interesting, I wish he had more depth of that portion of the plot. Very quickly, we move from Thea finding out the Stone is consuming the minds of Dominic and her mother (along with all the others) to Thea willing to drown and die so that the Stone is killed as well. I would've loved to see more of that, not just because I think it would have drawn out the ending more, but because it was just so, so interesting.

CHARACTERS

So, A Golden Fury was... good. But here's the thing, I pretty much only had issues with the main character, and while that might seem like a pretty good position for a review, books in this situation are the most frustrating and borderline-infuriating thing ever. Like, it's so close to being excellent. It's just the main character of the story is maddening and that's kind of a big ******* deal. And while Thea was only slightly annoying in the beginning (her pining after Will did not make sense to me), she was distractedly annoying by the end of the book. As I thought about it -- because I typically try to give a lot of leeway to allow characters to grow over the course of their book -- I realized I was so annoyed because Thea is just as unhealthily dependent on outside emotional attachment at the end of the book as she is in the beginning. Let's delve into this a bit deeper:

I'm not saying she should be like her mother because let's be real, her mother is wack. A great character, but her disdain for any compassion, sympathy, empathy... emotion in general... is bad for any person. But while Thea shouldn't be like her mother, I thought she was trying to cling too tightly to the idea of acceptance by someone else as opposed to accepting herself by herself. Thea is a brilliant alchemist, achieves the greatest scientific feat of all time, etc., but so often, she is so passive, reaching for approval or support from the men around her. It does make sense to some degree. Growing up, she was surrounded, really, by only her robotic mother, which means she's probably starved for attention and affection. However, I don't believe becoming the stark opposite of her mother is the solution, but this is the development portrayed in the book. I would have rather seen Thea learn to find a balance between learning how to have relationships with the people around her and knowing her own value and worth herself outside of what other people can give her. Even at the end, the only plan we see her form is to follow her father back to Oxford. And it's him that's spitballing potential studies for her while she just sort of sits there and agrees with him. *sigh*

Outside of Thea, I thought the characters were pretty good. They weren't extraordinary, but they weren't completely flat either. There was just enough depth to each of them to balance the story on the edge between basic simple storytelling and heart-gripping engagement. Could they have been deeper and more complex? Yes. Did they have to be to improve the story? Eh? I don't really think so.

Also, last random note on characters- I loved Valentin. I know he's like, "one of the bad guys," but is he really? He was one of the most interesting and in-depth characters of the entire book I thought. I was so curious about his background, his morals, his actions and motivations. At one point, I was lowkey rooting for him and Thea to be a thing, but there wasn't really much romance in the book at all besides Thea's pining for Will.

WRITING

The writing was also really impressive. Even though the book was over 300 pages, I completely flew through it. It was captivating and just descriptive enough to give me a full picture of the world of the story without stopping the pacing or slowing it down. With that, if you're looking for a fully engrossing fantasy, this would not be the book for you. If you're looking for a quick dip into a fantastical, magical realism world, this book is spot on.

A Golden Fury: a good first book. For me, one of the best things about reading this was that while I was annoyed with Thea, I really enjoyed the novelty of the plot and the way the author writes, so I'm looking forward to her futures works because I think as her complexity and skills as a writer grow, her characters and depth will grow as well. And the writing style is already there, so huge win on that front!

Thanks for reading!

 

Review of Fable by Adrienne Young

Fable by Adrienne Young

4.67 out of 5 Stars

 ***Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

Fable was a such a sweet little surprise joy this week. I hadn't planned on reading it quite yet, but I am so glad I picked it up! I had a high suspicion that I would really like this book because I really liked Adrienne Young's other book, A Sky in the Deep, but wow! I really had a great time reading this book and I borderline love it! This is the start of a fantasy duology involving: pirates, ocean exploration, lots of gems, and some power struggles. I know that doesn't seem like actually too many pieces in play, but just hold up for a second, I'll talk about that later.

Fable was left on an island by her father to fend for herself when she was thirteen years old. He told her that if and when she made her way back to him, he would give her what she was due. Very vague, very cryptic, but it's all that Fable has to hold on to while on the island because everyone is out for their own survival. Four years later is when the book starts and Fable finds a way (barely) off the island and constantly is facing new secrets about the people around her, trying to figure out where she can call home, and struggling to remember that the only person she can rely on is herself.

For me, I think I really enjoyed this book because it is such a fascinating environment and, consequently, character study. It isn't a basic 'no one can trust each other' setup. Truly, every character keeps everything to themselves. No one reveals what or who they care about. The only information spread around is the bare minimum needed to achieve an end goal. And the second any sort of personal or valuable information is known by an adverse party, it is exploited. So all the secrecy and isolation is validated because the communal environment really is that hostile. For the characters then, especially Fable having been abandoned, it means they can never actually have an intimate relationship. No romance. No family. No close friends. Nothing. And we get to see Fable grapple with that because all she wants is to work for her father. Not even have him recognize her as his daughter -- 'cause she knows that's never going to happen -- but just work for him. To have a job where she sees him from a distance. She wants that intimacy with someone. She wants a home, but this isn't the kind of world where you can have one.

SPOILERS BELOW

PLOT:
The way I see it, there are two main plots in this book, one right after the other. The first plot is when Fable is making her way back to her dad. This bleeds into the second plot of dredging the Lark and becoming a part of the Marigold's crew. And they're split like, 60/40 respectively, and I liked that balance.

In the first half of the book, my favorite scene is when the Marigold hits the horrible storm on its way to Ceros. Maybe that's a weird moment to pick, but I could just see it all so clearly. The waves were huge, the crew were literally clinging onto the ship and getting tossed off it. Paj has a fantastic rescue of Auster. And we get a wonderful, striking image from Fable's perspective of holding onto the mast of the ship, and suddenly it has tilted so much she is dangling over pitch black water. Part of the reason why I like this scene is because Fable begins to become part of the crew and works with them to secure the ship as much as possible. Another little plus is that there is a teeny tiny West/Fable interaction where West forces Fable to go down into the hull of the ship. I could be reading too much into that moment, but to me, it is a West/Fable ship one. :)

The entire second half of the book, I was waiting for some sort of shoe to drop. Things didn't go the way Fable wanted with her father, but she lived. She found a crew. They got the gems from the Lark. And this whole time, I was just waiting for the big oh sh-- where we knew what would happen in the next book. Because there needed to be one. The one that we got with Zola at the end was good, I'm definitely hooked, but I don't think the tension of the book was released the way it needed to be. That big oh sh-- moment could have been bigger. I wanted high drama to finish us off, not just in physical events, but emotional, larger picture, detailed connection to Isolde drama. And it would have been fine too because that's the end of the book. It's a cliffhanger anyway so a small concrete nugget of dramatic background info would have wrapped it all up perfectly.

What's the overarching plot into the second book? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. The second book has definitely been set up. I mean, that cliffhanger with Fable's kidnapping. . . **cries a tear internally**. . . that was a rough ending. But we know where we'll be picking up in Namesake. What I can't pin down right now though is what the larger issue will be. I have small hunches based on things that weren't really explained: (1) why did Isolde have to leave Bastian; (2) are the gem sages the only zing of magic in this fantasy; (3) what exactly happened between Zola and Isolde; (4) are we going to see Bastian take control of the Narrows; and (5) what the $&*# did Saint mean when he warned Fable she was making the same mistake as Isolde?

So I'm very confused as to what could be in the next book, and not necessarily in a good way. I'd be okay with not knowing for certain what could happen in the sequel, but these questions that I have were all such small fragments that I don't have anything I can build a theory on. Not a reliable one at least. The crackpot theory currently spinning in my head is that Isolde was the daughter of some Bastian merchant or political figure and she ran away. This would make Fable then hella important to the Bastian people and somehow Zola knows she's a gem sage and wants to use her for her abilities. I don't know.

What I do know is that I would love to see Saint help rescue her. Yes, it would be super romantic for West to do it and for West to confront Saint about how he treated Fable, but really, I want to see Saint put everything on the line for his daughter and pull it off with style. That'd be great.

CHARACTERS:
Fable:
Fable to me is easily the most interesting character of the book, and not just because she was the main character. Like I mentioned in the non-spoilery part above, this is a harsh and hostile world where no one can have any sort of relationship with another living person. But Fable had love from her mom, Isolde. She knew what it was like to be loved and be able to express her love in return. And then in one fell swoop, her mother dies and she is dropped off on a random scraggly island by her father. So it isn't just that Fable is looking for human connection, she is filling in an ache because she has felt it before. And there are times that we see that tug, not just in direction of her father, but in the direction of West and the Marigold crew. All she wants is a home, and that is literally the one thing that is the most dangerous to have. And this is all just her development and personality, not including her role in the trader world as Saint's daughter or the unknown connection to Bastian as Isolde's daughter. So yeah, super interesting character.

West:
Dudes, West killed me. I had a super small inkling that he would be the romantic interest in the first meeting of him, but holy cow I could not have guessed how intense he would be. I absolutely loved how he stuck to his guns of being the helmsman of the ship and keeping his crew safe and making the side profits. That was great. What was even better about his character was learning about the knife's edge he was walking on with working for Saint and taking on Fable at the same time. And then there's the romance. Holy moley, this quote killed me (from th
e ARC, may be different in published version):

"And I think I've loved you since the first time we anchored in Jeval. . . . I have thought about you every single day since that day. Maybe every hour. I've counted down the days to go back to the island, and I pushed us into storms I shouldn't have because I didn't want to not be there when you woke up. I didn't want you to wait for me. Ever. Or to think I wasn't coming back."

Willa (and crew):
I'm pulling Willa out to represent the whole Marigold crew. She's important because of her familial ties, and she's one of the stronger connections Fable has on the ship (imo), but she really embodies how the crew operates. They don' know nearly everything about each other or even what they're doing, but there's such a strong bond of trust between them. And I know the whole area is crap and untrustworthy, but seeing how small this crew is and how much they care for each other, there is a small hope in my chest that they are different from other crews and they can grow to be closer to each other and more trusting of each other.

Saint:
I don't hate Saint, but I don't like him either. After seeing how awful this environment, I get his actions, but only to an extent. If he had kept a child on his crew, there would be a s**t ton of questions that would make Fable extremely vulnerable and threatened. I can buy that it really was the safest thing for Fable for him to leave her on the island to fend for herself. But at some point during the four years Fable was on the island, Saint became the most powerful trader of the Narrows. And in the back of my head, I can't help but think, really? The most powerful trader of the Narrows couldn't find a creative way to get his daughter off Jeval? And I know Saint was the one to send West and essentially pay Fable, but still. Get her off the island. And now, after Fable has found him, how far is he willing to go to keep her safe? When he finds out Zola has her, he better go after her in some way, shape, or form.

Zola:
Zola was a sleezeball I didn't really fully know the sleeziness of until he goes to set the Marigold on fire. But because he is such an awful character, I want to know more about his background because it would be strange for Adrienne to include a flat, greed-based-only character among all these other complex characters. There's definitely something there with how Zola was able to recognize Fable as Isolde's daughter, but I want to know what. I don't think we'll get any sort of sympathy for him, and I'm 100% fine with that, but I want a more complex yuck factor for him.

WRITING:
I originally gave this a higher rating, but as I went along, I lowered it because I have too much to say on the plot and the pacing to give it something higher. I think what really swayed me closer to the five star rating in this book though were the descriptions. Oh my God it was beautiful, so beautiful. I think I could smell the salt and brine while I was reading. I could see the wavy shadows of the sunlight on the ocean floor. Every action moment was perfectly described where I knew movement at the pace of the movement. It was really phenomenal descriptive work. 

But while there was so much descriptive work, I wish there was a stronger thread of plot between this book and the next one. Fable was very sequential, but there wasn't much else getting laid as groundwork for where the characters are moving toward as a whole. The stakes could be high, but they came in quick and were resolved quick. The greater tension still hasn't really settled on one distinct focal point and that makes it hard to be urged to read the next book. If it weren't for my emotional investment in Fable's well-being, I don't know how strongly I'd be inclined to read the next one. There are a couple of other small things that make me very interested in the next book, but I can't say the plot is one of them because there is no path in front of us to be excited about entering.

There's a good chance I have a bias toward this book as well because I love the whole pirate/ship life, swimming through the ocean, living off the sea thing. Honest to God, on my bucket list, I want to take a voyage (for lack of a better word) on an old ship with no electricity or battery/gas operated equipment. It was so much fun finding images for this review and getting to imagine living at open sea and diving down to the bottom of the floor.

I want a map. I feel like I say this whenever there's any sort of fantasy novel without a map in place, but I want a map because I want to be able to chart the paths of the ships along with West and Fable. How much fun would that be??? To see the actual path the Marigold was charted for. I would love that. Maybe I'll even do that on my own just for the fun of it! I also want to know more about the relationship between the Narrows and Bastian because it was hinted at in this book that the political tensions are shifting and will be important in Namesake.


Okay, I feel like I could keep going, but I'm going to stop because I think I've hit all my main points and this review is already HUGE. In the end, I would definitely recommend this to a friend and I think I may even buy a copy for one. Personally, I want to see some of the cold barriers break down between the characters, especially between West/Fable and Saint/Fable. And I want more tension building! There's so much potential there for Isolde's history and the political tensions between Bastian and the Narrows, and I really hope those things get played up in the next one. I'm definitely going to be reading Namesake, that's for sure! 

Thanks for reading!

Review of Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles: Blog Tour

Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles

3.76 out of 5 Stars

**Thank you to Wednesday Books for an ARC and for welcoming me to be a part of the blog tour for this release!**

 

Where Dreams Descend is the first book in a new YA fantasy duology and is the author's debut novel. It follows Kallia, a magician with extraordinary magical abilities and even more extraordinary dedication and ambition. To earn her place as a magician, especially considering she's a female magician, she enters into the Spectaculore, a competition to find a new headliner for the Conquering Circus. Magic is both awe-inspiring and fear-inducing however, and with good reason. Performers in the competition are disappearing and an unknown shadowed force is sinking its grip into the city and magicians.

The beginning starts off with such a bang. Like, holey moley, this rollercoaster starts with a breakneck speed and I loved that. Right away, we get rich tones for every character, an enthralling atmosphere that sets the tone, and so many questions about the world and the magic system. And we move too. The pace dies off a little bit once Kallia actually gets to the city where the Spectaculore is, but it was still moving at a good clip. It was such an amazing beginning though. That may seem like an odd thing to highlight, but I really truly loved this beginning.

Lowkey, I was a little worried when I saw that this book was going to be about magicians and be centered around a magic show, but I had nothing to worry about at all! I guess my main concern was that it would either be too caricatured or too over the top. But while the performances certainly had a showiness to them, the rest of the story was a fantasy, and thank God for it. The world was actually much more grim than I was expecting too. I saw a comparison for this book to The Prestige (which, great movie, highly recommend), and I 100% agree with that not just because it is about magicians, but also because of the grit and the greyness of the city.

I feel like I'm come far in the review without any spoilers, so I'm just gonna finish it with no spoilers and see how that goes. :)

PLOT
Like I briefly mentioned above, I was a little worried about what the plot of this magician-circus-showy story would be like. But what I found while I was reading it was not the super dramatic, almost middle-grade, big top that I was worried about, but instead there were complexities that I really appreciated. Honestly, I think it could have been even darker and even more intense, but it was still a good story line that was fun to read.

One of the things I wish we got to see more of however was the building dark magic. I think I would have loved to see that take center stage as opposed to the Spectaculore because it was just more interesting to me. The performances were cool and interesting, but the behind the scenes disappearances were just so much more interesting to me. The Spectaculore was a very clean, clear-cut structure for us to follow along with, but I found myself always reading for the next dark magic moment, not the next performance.

CHARACTERS
Kallia, Jack, and Demarco are our three "main" characters. For the most part, it's Kallia and Demarco, but I have to mention Jack because he and Kallia had such. good. chemistry. Like, off the charts, I loved every conversation they had, it toes the line between rivalry and attraction, what's the next interaction going to be, kind of chemistry. And I think Kallia as a character, was most consistent when she was with Jack. At other times, I found her development to be a bit rocky. I'm glad she grew and developed as a character because given her background and her motivations, I would be extremely disappointed if she didn't change at all throughout this book. But that development was jumpy at times. There would be strings of dialogue when the internal tone I had for her was completely off, and it was an effort to understand how she came to be saying the things that she was.

Wow. That last sentence was so abstract. I think the simpler way for me to say it is-- Kallia's development was best when it was through her actions, not her words. Whenever there was a developmental moment for her character through what she was saying, it came across a little clunky for me. It didn't throw me out of the story, but it did throw me off the pacing.

I feel like Demarco's character had a little bit of the same issue developmentally. His best moments of growth where through his actions, not his words. His development wasn't as jolting as Kallia's could be though. If there were clunky developmental dialogue pieces, they were minor. And now, what I'm about to say may be controversial... but I didn't think he and Kallia had nearly the same amount of chemistry that Jack and Kallia had.  We'll see what happens. Who knows how things will turn out. My heart isn't set for any ships yet in this series, so I'm down for whichever.

WORLD
I want to see more of this world! And I say that, not in a snub to this book, but as a plus for the groundwork that has been laid out in this first book. I know it's only a duology, but I really hope we get to more deeply explore what this world is like and how the different governing bodies, city to city, magic to non-magic, interact with each other. I also want to return to that break neck pacing of the beginning, because clearly I'm obsessed with it. :) Hopefully, the second book just plunges us right into the thick of things and I would definitely be down with reading along that super fast pace for the entirety of the story.

It's magical, it's a little cheeky, it's both grey and colorful, and it's almost perfectly balanced. I think given the way the atmosphere is slightly mellowed out and how the characters are a little less complex, it is a younger YA fantasy. However, let us all remember that those are some of the best and I think we need those young YA books so that teens aren't intimidated by books, especially fantasies. If I were a high school teacher, I would be recommending this to my freshmen and sophomores. :) For a debut especially, I am excited to see where the second book takes us and how the story gets finished up!

Also, I was able to ask Janella some questions about the book! If you want to check it out, the link is here and it will take you to a quick Q&A I had with the author!


Thanks for reading!
(p.s. i just realized i put three smileys into this review, and i kind of want to smack myself in the head for that.)