Showing posts with label 2020 sff releases. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2020 sff releases. Show all posts

30 Mar 2023

We Can(ada) Read: HENCH by Natalie Zina Walschots

30 March 0 Comments

We Can(ada) Read is by Canadians for EVERYONE to learn more about some amazing Canadian authors!

HENCH

Author: Natalie Zina Walschots
Series: N/A
Source: Audiobook from Audible; eARC from publisher
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: September 22, 2020

Overall Rating:
Diversity Rating:
Representation: LGBT side character

Summary:
Anna does boring things for terrible people because even criminals need office help and she needs a job. Working for a monster lurking beneath the surface of the world isn’t glamorous. But is it really worse than working for an oil conglomerate or an insurance company? In this economy?

 As a temp, she’s just a cog in the machine. But when she finally gets a promising assignment, everything goes very wrong, and an encounter with the so-called “hero” leaves her badly injured.  And, to her horror, compared to the other bodies strewn about, she’s the lucky one.

So, of course, then she gets laid off.

With no money and no mobility, with only her anger and internet research acumen, she discovers her suffering at the hands of a hero is far from unique. When people start listening to the story that her data tells, she realizes she might not be as powerless as she thinks.

Because the key to everything is data: knowing how to collate it, how to manipulate it, and how to weaponize it. By tallying up the human cost these caped forces of nature wreak upon the world, she discovers that the line between good and evil is mostly marketing.  And with social media and viral videos, she can control that appearance.

It’s not too long before she’s employed once more, this time by one of the worst villains on earth. As she becomes an increasingly valuable lieutenant, she might just save the world.

A sharp, witty, modern debut, Hench explores the individual cost of justice through a fascinating mix of Millennial office politics, heroism measured through data science, body horror, and a profound misunderstanding of quantum mechanics. 
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

Content Warning: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Medical experimentation, Chronic illness & pain, Body horror, including eyeball trauma, Murder, Torture, Kidnapping.

I wanted this to be SO much better than it ended up being. It was missing something - and it could have been that it had such long chapters instead of breaking up the action a bit more. I loved this take on superheroes and villains but it just didn't quite connect with me the way I wanted it to.

This also just felt like it was missing the point the whole time - was it a sarcastic take or an introspective one? Was it to showcase that there are morally grey in every person or that the "bad guys" just have a bad reputation? It took the idea of The Boys and Vicious together but created something that was almost unreadable for me.

Not sure I recommend this one!

Are you going to pick this up?
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2 Dec 2022

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES by Alix E. Harrow

02 December 0 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

THE ONCE AND FUTURE WITCHES

Author: Alix E. Harrow
Series: N/A
Source: Audible
Publisher: Redhook
Publication Date: October 13, 2020

Summary:
In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.
But when the Eastwood sisters--James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna--join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote-and perhaps not even to live-the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.
Purchase:
Content Warning: Child abuse, both physical and psychological; parental death; arrest and imprisonment; mind control; pregnancy and childbirth, including forced hospitalization; abortion; racism; sexism; homophobia, both external and internalized; threat of sexual assault, averted; torture (mostly off-the-page, but alluded to); execution (attempted); child abandonment; major character death.

Like many reviews, I think this could have been shorter and that would have made it better. But I did really enjoy this! I loved the addition of the spells throughout and the topical conversations that we've been having for hundreds of years. This book beautifully merges magic and feminism - looking at the witch burnings and suffrage movement through a different lens, but one that still feels as though we've seen it before.

That aside, what a fantastic story! This is essentially a cross-cultural, queer, feminist reimagining of all things Grimm and fairytale, blending together multiple traditions in an alternate historical setting as three sisters battle the draconian patriarchy with witchcraft. I loved it, and I was delighted to see a trans character included too.

Highly recommend if you have time and don't mind a long story.
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Have you read this series? What was your favourite part?
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4 Nov 2022

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: DRAGON UNLEASHED by Grace Draven

04 November 1 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

DRAGON UNLEASHED

Author: Grace Draven
Series: Fallen Empire #2
Source: ARC from Publisher
Publisher: Ace
Publication Date: June 9, 2020

Summary:
Magic is outlawed in the Krael Empire and punishable by death. Born with the gift of earth magic, the free trader Halani keeps her dangerous secret closely guarded. When her uncle buys a mysterious artifact, a piece of bone belonging to a long-dead draga, Halani knows it's far more than what it seems.

Dragas haven't been seen for more than a century, and most believe them extinct. They're wrong. Dragas still walk among the denizens of the Empire, disguised as humans. Malachus is a draga living on borrowed time. The magic that has protected him will soon turn on him--unless he finds a key part of his heritage. He has tracked it to a group of free traders, among them a grave-robbing earth witch who fascinates him as much as she frustrates him with her many secrets.

Unbeknownst to both, the Empire's twisted empress searches for a draga of her own, to capture and kill as a trophy. As Malachus the hunter becomes the hunted, Halani must risk herself and all she loves to save him from the Empire's machinations and his own lethal birthright.

Purchase:

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

I appreciated how this book continues on with the story for the first one, but focuses so heavily on a new character and love interest. I would have liked a bit more of a focus on that overarching plot that seems to be brewing behind the scenes.

This book can feel a bit slow in pace, though. There is a lot (and I mean A LOT) of build-up for this with the majority of the action in the last 15%. While I loved the relationship, it did feel a bit like a drag to go through everything for not a lot of payoff with that overarching plot.

While I'm enjoying this world and lore, DRAGON UNLEASHED follows the same meandering pace that book 1 had, where the middle section dragged for quite some time without an actual progression in plot. I'm all about character interactions and development, but that seemed a bit stagnant as well. And while I love every page immersed in this world, I couldn't help but feel my attention slip in the middle. Other than that, I enjoyed the rest of the book mightily and thought it was a solid sequel. Book 1 was definitely a bit more impactful for me, but DRAGON UNLEASHED was on the quieter and calmer side, and still as lovely and wonderful.

Both characters, and the excellent expansion of the setting, made this book a great fantasy romance read. The villainess was fiercely evil (albeit a bit one-dimensional), and several secondary characters added to the fun in the story. I really recommend this series for fans of fantasies that lean more heavily towards romances, and if you're a fan of the author's previous works. It's a quieter romance, for sure, but the slow-burn will also pull at your heartstrings as Malachus and Halani work together to find themselves and help defeat evil in a kingdom with more magic than it seems.

I can't wait to read book 3!

Have you read this book? What was your favourite part?
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23 Sept 2022

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: A DEAL WITH THE ELF KING by Elise Kova

23 September 0 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

A DEAL WITH THE ELF KING

Author: Elise Kova
Series: Married to Magic #1
Source: Audiobook via Audible
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Publication Date: November 6, 2020

Summary:
The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.

Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella's village to be their Human Queen.

To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she's dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town's only healer.

That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives... for her.

Everything Luella had thought she'd known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.

The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another... but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.

A Deal with the Elf King is a complete, stand-alone novel, inspired by the tales of Hades and Persephone, as well as Beauty and the Beast, with a "happily ever after" ending. It's perfect for fantasy romance fans looking for just the right amount of steam and their next slow-burn and swoon-worthy couple.

Purchase:
Trigger Warnings: drug use

This is less of a Hades & Persephone retelling and more of an "inspired by" with Beauty & the Beast elements as well. It was very reminiscent of ACOTAR (which I only got two or three chapters into), which was fine but didn't keep me hooked. The romance was just okay to me and I would have preferred this to be a bit longer to give us some more nuanced understanding of the characters, their motivation, and then truly root and care for them as they continued in their journey.

I didn't really see a retelling of Beauty and the Beast or Hades & Persephone, although I did get elements from both stories out of this. I did like those elements and the way they worked together but I will admit to hoping for a bit more of an actual retelling instead of an inspiration. That's not to say there's anything wrong, I did enjoy the book overall but I will admit to that slight disappointment.

Overall, Luella was an alright main character. I liked that she started looking for a way to end the cycle and questioning what had been done. Although I didn't like the way she started with the "I have to leave to know it's real". It felt like that thought process came out of nowhere and I spent a lot of the last 80ish pages rolling my eyes at her (I was also rolling them at Eldas but we're not talking about him yet). I did like the way Luella wanted to help out at the castle and how she befriended Willow and Rinni and even seems to have started something with Harrow. 

Like Luella, overall Eldas was intriguing. I did find myself feeling sorry for him and the fact that he'd been so isolated because of being the heir and everything that had happened with his mother (do not like her and her attitude BTW). I loved when he took her to the cottage and the way he talked about doing it because it was something he'd thought she'd like (granted it was also because of the rejuvenating stuff but he still thought about something she'd like).

I did wish there'd been a little more about his relationship with Alice; it felt like things were building to something between them, even if it was just friendship but then there was nothing. There was talk of how he'd kind of found a refuge with her and he talked about her favorite tea but it felt like that line was just randomly dropped for some reason. While I think Rinni talking about things helped, I kind of found myself wishing that there'd been a conversation in the similar vein between Eldas and Luella. Similar to Luella, I found myself kind of rolling my eyes at him at the end, although it wasn't as much as I was eye-rolling Luella. He was closing himself off because that was all he knew to do, even if it was because he was scared of feeling something real.

Their romance felt forced - and I think part of that is because I'm so used to Kova's writing and romances being over the course of many books, the ups and downs felt a bit like whiplash in this book. I almost wish this was a full series instead of a standalone so that we could get more from each of the pairings.

For a Hades & Persephone "retelling," and the fact that this is more New Adult than Young Adult, I was hoping for a little bit more from this one. A bit more grittiness, a bit more romance, and a bit more worldbuilding. However, if you're looking for a good standalone that won't take too much time to finish, this is the book for you!

Have you read this book? What was your favourite part?
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21 Jan 2022

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: BLACK SUN by Rebecca Roanhorse

21 January 1 Comments

    

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

BLACK SUN

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse
Series: Between Earth and Sky #1
Source: Audiobook from Audible
Publisher: Saga Press
Publication Date: October 13, 2020
Summary:

The first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy, inspired by the civilizations of the Pre-Columbian Americas and woven into a tale of celestial prophecies, political intrigue, and forbidden magic.

A god will return
When the earth and sky converge
Under the black sun

In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial event proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world.

Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger. Described as harmless, the passenger, Serapio, is a young man, blind, scarred, and cloaked in destiny. As Xiala well knows, when a man is described as harmless, he usually ends up being a villain.
Purchase:
From the synopsis, I knew it was going to be epic, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer brilliance of BLACK SUN. I feel like any words I use will minimize what I feel about this book. It's like standing before the Grand Canyon and trying to take a selfie with it. It's impossible. No photo will do it justice just as my review will never be good enough.

With an eye-widening first chapter, Roahhorse pulls you into indigenous myths inspired by pre-Columbian Americas. The setting is visually stunning in its world-building, and the magic systems and political intrigue accompany you into a world of Sun Priests, giant crows, and mermaids.

This is a multiple POV book. We have a blind young man, a magical captain, a Sun Priest, and a beast rider. All on their own paths that converge with a thunderous roar at the book's conclusion. I loved the different POV's personally, but I know some people have a hard time with them especially with high fantasy such as this one. I connected with each character on a personal level. The author excels in placing humanity in her characters so well that you learn to empathize and cheer for them. The pacing of this book is fast, packed full of action and heart. Everything was superb.

This is definitely one you want to listen to because the audio narrators totally make you BELEIVE the story in a way just reading it doesn't. I thought that it was so well emulated, so well articulated, and the emotions and story got that much deeper in my soul because of that.

There is a HUGE cliffhanger at the end of this one, so be prepared for that! At least the sequel will be releasing fairly soon so you can pre-order it (like I did) so that you can read it right away!

The author set out to write epic fantasy and she hit the mark a million times over. I would compare BLACK SUN to books such as THE FIFTH SEASON, THE BONE SHARD DAUGHTER, and KUSHIEL'S DART to name a few. With a YA comparison to THE SEVENTH SUN and SOULSWIFT.

Have you read this one? What was your favourite part?
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23 Oct 2020

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: THE INVISBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab

23 October 56 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!

THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE

Author: V.E. Schwab
Series: N/A
Source: Purchased from Audible; eARC from Publisher
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: October 6, 2020
Summary:

A Life No One Will Remember. A Story You Will Never Forget.

France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.
Purchase:

I have never been so blown away by a story before, where I wanted to savour every moment and make sure I was truly listening and understanding every word on the page. I loved that this was a flash between history and the present, the touches of magic, and the way that everything intertwined. I had some issues with the pacing and some of the choices even though they made "sense" in the end but overall, I highly recommend this one.

I loved Addie's story and Addie herself. I liked how seemlessly both of our main characters being bisexual was put into the story - making it a complete non-issue. I thought Addie was a really strong character and I liked seeing how she went from innocence to doing what she must to survive. She was the perfect character to follow through this story and I loved seeing how she was able to leave her mark, something I think we all fear not being able to do.

While this is definitely a slower paced novel, there are so many beautiful moments that it seems to just fly by. I think the audiobook is over 17 hours and it felt like I read it in 5 because it was so lyrical and magical. While there is the typical "flowery" prose in parts of this, I didn't mind it for the most part. There were some times that it caused a bit of a break in the reality of the world for me, which meant I had to relisten to some parts or just try to figure it out from some context.

I also just didn't like Henry as a whole. I thought he was not the most interesting person that Addie was with, or wanted to be with. And I understand why he was involved but it felt like Addie made poor choices because of him and that felt out of character. But his choices were worse and I thought he was kind of boring overall. I didn't like his sections nearly as much and wished I could have skipped over them tbh.

But truly everything else was wonderful. You could really tell that this was the book of Victoria's heart and that she had been holding onto this for years. I think this may be my favourite read of hers (yet) and I can't wait to recommend it to more people. An easy way to get into fantasy with its mix of historical fiction and contemporary issues, this is the perfect book for everyone.

TLDR: Gosh Victoria writes such beautiful stories and I'm so glad Addie was one of them. I did have a few issues with characterizations and pacing, but overall I truly enjoyed this one. I especially like that this is a standalone and had a bit of an open ending to allow us to create the rest of the world. I liked the vignettes interlaced throughout and the magic that was weaved around all of this while still making it mostly historical and contemporary fiction.

Have you read this one? What was your favourite part?
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9 Oct 2020

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays: Books to Read on a Long Weekend

09 October 3 Comments

Science Fiction and Fantasy Fridays

introduces readers who are unfamiliar with the Adult SF/F genre to books, authors, and discussions all about the vast expanse of the world of Adult SF/F!
It's a long weekend here in Canada, so here are my recommended SFF reads while you curl up and celebrate having three days off!

THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE by Samantha Shannon 

A world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens...
Purchase:


LADY HOTSPUR by Tessa Gratton

Inspired by Shakespeare's Henry IV, Lady Hotspur continues the saga of Innis Lear, centuries later, as revolution, love, and a betrayal corrupt the descendants of two warring kingdoms.
Purchase:


THE SEEP by Chana Porter

A blend of searing social commentary and speculative fiction, Chana Porter’s fresh, pointed debut is perfect for fans of Jeff VanderMeer and Carmen Maria Machado.
Purchase:


RED SISTER by Mark Lawrence

I was born for killing – the gods made me to ruin. Beneath a dying sun that shines upon a crumbling empire, Nona Grey must come to terms with her demons and learn to become a deadly assassin if she is to survive…
Purchase:
Amazon | Chapters | TBD 


A BEGINNING AT THE END by Mike Chen

How do you start over after the end of the world? Because sometimes having one person is enough to keep the world going...
Purchase:


What are your favourite long weekend reads?
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