Rose in Chains by Julie Soto 3.75 stars
Well. Of my somewhat impromptu comparison of three books advertised as bad wizard fanfic turned original novel, this was the second. It was a delight coming off Alchemised, which was not only not my thing but inseparable from its source material(s) and horrifically overlong. Rose In Chains managed to be entertaining despite its sillier moments and if not untraceable at least understandable on a character motivation level separately from its bad wizard fanfic origins. In fact I'd argue it was hurt by the comparison.
The Adventure of the Demonic Ox by Lois McMaster Bujold 5 stars
I love these losers
The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigette Knightley 3.75 stars
The third of the bad wizard book fanfic adaptations. Rollicking good time. Very funny. Not very deep. Absolutely stands on its own. Once again hurt by the fanfic marketing.
Damia by Anne McCaffrey 4 stars
Though I have been accused of playing favorites in the past with authors (I would argue all reviews are subjective anyway so really we're all playing favorites), specifically in regards to Anne McCaffrey's interaction with the sexual politics and mores of when she's writing. I would argue that one must take everything in context even if one acknowledges how things have changed in understanding or fact.
All of this to say I eternally have a complicated relationship with some of McCaffrey's books, most of which I still enjoy despite some truly bonkers romances. I think Damia's outfit is still the platonic ideal of fabulous space fashion though.
The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst 4 stars
Surprisingly shallow for a Sarah Beth Durst novel. It's not bad, obviously, but not quite up to the emotional depths of her other work in my experience.
The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic 3.5 stars
No sorry @discountalien-pancake I'm still trying to deal with the south carolina thing. It was fine. I don't really like any of these assholes yet but we'll see I guess. More ladies please.
Caught in the Woods by Coral Alejandra Moore 2 stars
I try to meet books on the level at which they are presented to me. I also got this for free. I was expecting a monsterfucker smutty short story. I got a pretty bland two sex scene work that made very clear the author doesn't know what barbs are and made significantly LESS clear that there was a knot involved. I'm still kind of assuming with the knot, that's how unclear it was. Anyway it was so unobjectionable I found myself contrarily objecting.
Queen James by Gareth Russell 5 stars
I like Gareth Russell's approach, both here and in Young and Damned and Fair. If you are one of those people convinced that historians are for some reason hiding the queers, you should probably read this.
Rex: the Seven Kings of Rome by Drs Peta Greenfield and Fiona Radner 4 stars
While Drs Greenfield and Radford aren't my favorite writers, Rex: the Seven Kings of Rome was really interesting in its discussion of how myth (especially founding myths) has to be taken seriously in academic research bc the people you're researching believed it or at least used it, but you still kind of have to look at whether or not these things actually provably happened too. They're a little too self-consciously funny for my taste, but your mileage will undoubtedly vary.
