#bolt from the queue

[okiedokiedrjones]

Harrow the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir

This took me weeks to get through. It was a struggle until about halfway through. And I really wanted to like it. I wanted to be enraptured by it. Because I don’t see a lot of stories written in second person. (Previous was The Only Good Indians, and it was only partially written in second.) The writing was very different from Gideon. I think, overall, I did enjoy this one more than Gideon, even if it took me three times as long to finish it. I just feel so much about Harrow, man. I felt so much about Harrow in Gideon, too, but there’s just so much. I found the murder via soup to be my favorite part. There is so much that can be done with the powers they have and *that* was the most creative way I could imagine it. I liked the relationship with Teacher/God/John. I also really liked how Gideon showed up and just… that whole scene with Gideon and John. Absurd. Fantastic. The hype on this one was still a little higher than it deserved, but this one is much closer than I felt Gideon was.

[okiedokiedrjones]

A Sorceress Come to Call – T. Kingfisher

Not my favorite Kingfisher. It’s not that it was bad, per say. But, it didn’t bring me the same joy as I usually get from Kingfisher. I hated how much I related to the relationship between Cordelia and her mother. But, overall, I can’t really complain. It wraps up nicely. Hester was a lot of fun. If you are looking for a quick read to pass the time, this isn’t a terrible way to pass it.

[okiedokiedrjones]

Gideon the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir

Now. I am going to get in so much trouble with this one. It was okay. Not really great, but not terrible either. I enjoyed the time I spent with it. But, like with Camp Damascus, I think I spent too much time on Tumblr hearing about how great it is. I liked Harrow and Gideon bickering in places, but sometimes it was too much. I did really like the reveal of how to become a Lyctor. That was fucking cool. Dulcinea/Cytherea was also really neat and not something I saw coming. I’ll probably work on the rest of the series at some point but I am not riveted to finish it immediately.

[okiedokiedrjones]

Kill Creatures – Rory Power

I needed something lighter after finishing The Reformatory. This was definitely it. It’s pretty well paced. You get the knowledge that Nan killed the girls like… Chapter two or three? After that? It’s just a paranoid ride into madness. I loved it. I didn’t expect to. Luce is definitely a fun character once you get to the end. What an absolute trip.

[okiedokiedrjones]

Middlegame – Seanan McGuire

I love McGuire. What delightful style. I really enjoyed McGuire’s story in A People’s Future of America (Harmony) and when I saw this on the shelf, I was immediately interested. The premise is awesome. Roger and his words, and Dodger and her numbers. Like, they are fun characters. Reed is such a great villain. The premise is super fascinating. I like the idea of twins being two halves of the same whole. Alternate timelines, scifi elements, alchemy. This book is fantastic. I am excited for the rest of this series. McGuire might be my favorite new-to-me author.

[okiedokiedrjones]

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking – T. Kingfisher

Here we go. *This* is what I like about Kingfisher. This is the good stuff. Cute, fun, neat magic system. You find yourself cheering for Mona when she saves the day. Knackering Molly is who I want to be when I grow up. Just a batty lady who has a knack (hehehe) for bring dead things to life. Bob is fucking awesome. I will use the word cozy to describe Kingfisher’s writing until the end. I love it. Absolutely a glowing recommendation.

[okiedokiedrjones]

The Blacktongue Thief – Christopher Buehlman

I picked this up on a whim. What delight. It's a great take on a typical fantasy plot and setting. I thoroughly enjoyed the kind of meandering path it took because I love world building (which this has plenty of!) Kinch is so much fun. He's kind of an idiot but that's one of my favorite parts. There were parts where it dragged a little, but I really got into it. There's a scene on a ship that I really enjoyed the description of. It was very vivid and so, so good. I really liked this one. I think it's a Top 5 contender for the year.

[okiedokiedrjones]

What Moves the Dead – T. Kingfisher

Well. I reread this to read the next two books since the third was coming out. And I remembered why I liked it so much. I am a huge mushroom fan. I also really like the choice of pronouns. It was so creepy and atmospheric. I also like how the thing infesting Madeline wasn't exactly evil. Kingfisher proves again how cozy horror can be while still bringing great spooky parts. I can't wait to get to the next one!