Subscribe to get a little Fury in your inbox!

Join 2,981 other subscribers.

Paper Fury

book review

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett (Cosy Light Academia Fairy Tale Fantasy!)

by 8 Comments

Emily Wilde captured my entire heart in this beautiful story.

This is exactly my kind of book–steeped in fairy folklore where the fae are whimsical and clever and full of myths and wickedness and tricks and utterly unreal levels of magic. And I adored the set up of this! Emily Wilde is a human professor (an antisocial, introverted one at that) whose lifelong aim is to complete the first ever comprehensive encyclopaedia of faeries. She does plenty of field work, tons of studying, and she views faeries through a very scientific lens. It was honestly such a unique and compelling story and I loved the framework.

The book is also told in journal entries. I do like this style of format, and it allowed us to be very intrinsically swept up in Emily’s thought processes and made her a very deeply empathetic character despite her stand-offish presentation.

Emily travels to a remote village in Scandinavia called Hrafnsvik as she works to complete her encyclopaedia, and the setting is so wintery and chilled and frosted over with ice. You can feel it on the pages. There is also a cosy element to the story overall, with the aesthetics of the cosy cabin and bookish scenes. It was giving Light Academia too, tbh, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

“One doesn’t need magic if one knows enough stories.”

“The Folk were of another world, with its own rules and customs—and to a child who always felt ill-suited to her own world, the lure was irresistible.”

The story mainly features Emily and Wendell Bambleby, another professor from Cambridge who invites himself along on her expedition and who she is frustratedly annoyed at because she’s sure he’s trying to take credit for her work. They have a sort of frenemies-rivalry going on, except it’s mostly in Emily’s head (lmao). Wendell is just the most flamboyant eccentric academic idiot to grace a page and I absolutely loved him from the start. (Think Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle, basically, and you’ve got the vibe.) He is the sunshine to Emily’s grump. He is the extravagance to Emily’s frugal reservations. They are SUCH opposites, that they’re a total delight on page together.

I’ll also take a moment to say I suspect Emily was coded as autistic, and I’m unsure if that was intentional on the author’s part. As an autistic individual myself, I found the rep interesting, not bad, though not exactly landing true autism…so I wonder if Emily is just meant to be very introverted. Something to muse on, and I’d love to hear other readers’ opinions.

The overall plot is not face-paced, but I loved that. I loved the cosy village scenes, and the discovery of new fairies, and the pauses for Wendell shenanigans and the adventurous twist at the end. It’s infused with magic and told in such a lovely voice, and I throughly enjoyed every page.

Read it for:
♡ fairy tale vibes and folklore stories
♡ sunshine x grump (light) romance
♡ cosy dynamics and wintery setting
♡ stiff, grumpy characters learning to be loved
♡ light academia meets fairy tale magic
♡ journal entries format

Beautifully written, with characters you’ll grow so fond of, this is the whimsical yet cosy fantasy I have been craving and couldn’t love it enough!

Thank you to Orbit UK for the copy!

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party–or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.
So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.
But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones–the most elusive of all faeries–lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all–her own heart.

goodreads | blackwells | amazon | orbit uk

published January 10, 2023

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black (Wicked Fairytales To Adore!)

by 3 Comments

Being a huge fan of The Cruel Prince trilogy, my expectations were super high for The Stolen Heir.

And oh I am shouting, because this was so so so so good. I’m absolutely obsessed!! I adore Holly Black’s style of fairy tales and fairy worlds, and this was absolutely addictive, biting, wickedly magical, beautiful and powerful. I just felt so stuffed full of inspiration and excited magic when I was finished–I love this feeling!! I am absolutely pining for book 2, of course, and after the way this one ended–2024 is going to be a good year for books.

An important question is probably, “Can you read The Stolen Heir without reading The Cruel Prince series?” And yes! I think you can. It does have spoilers for TCP obviously because it’s set several years later. But this follows the POV of Wren, who was a minor character (and just a child) in TCP, and while her story is built off the events of TCP, she brings a brand new perspective and storyline.

Also let me just say I am OBSESSED with the dark fairy tale bent to this. How the folk were so vicious and monstrous and stunningly beautiful. How the games had that macabre bent. Wren has been through hell and considers herself a feral, guarded, sharp-toothed thing. She can’t possibly understand why anyone would like her, let alone help her, and distrusts Oak extremely. Gentleness under a feral exterior is one of my favourite types of characters to read about, so this just had me living.

“Stop waiting. Sink those pretty little teeth into something.”

“Perhaps it is Oak who is the fool, who caught a wolf and thought that by putting it in a gown and speaking to it as though it were a girl, it would become one.”

The story is full of the good old fairy tale tricks and twists too. I LOVED every single aspect of it, the schemes and “don’t trust anyone” vibes. There are new characters to adore and old ones to fall in love with all over again. Oak is such a complex character, you just keep finding out new layers to him as each scene progresses. Charmer with a dark side? YES.

Read it for:
♡ dark fairy tale vibes and folklore
♡ feral girl x charmer boy
♡ clever plots and twists
♡ beautiful prose
♡ mentions of old The Cruel Prince cast
♡ thoroughly addictive storyline

This story had me falling in love with dark fairy folktales all over again with it’s vivacious writing and stunningly layered characters and plot twists to explode your heart. Highly recommend!!

Thank you to Allen & Unwin for the review copy!

Return to the opulent world of Elfhame, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and dangerous desires, with this first book of a captivating new duology from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black.
Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.
Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, Lady Nore, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.
Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He’s on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren’s help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.

goodreads | dymocks | amazon | allen & unwin

published 03 Jan, 2023

Twin Crowns & Cursed Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber (lighthearted fantasy romp!)

by 1 Comment

If you’re looking for a lighthearted fantasy series, you want to try the Twin Crowns books!

I’ve been reading Twin Crowns and the sequel, Cursed Crowns, this year and they’re such pretty books! The style of fantasy gives me both fairy tale and Disney vibes–you’ll get all the drama and romance and banter you could ask for, with some feelsy moments as a bonus. I appreciate that they’re written with a younger-YA feel, which is so needed, because a lot of YA fantasy seems pretty aged up these days. This would be perfect for ages 12+ teens.

Twin Crowns, book 1, introduces us to two sisters: Rose (queen) and Wren (witch). They’re twins, separated at birth, and while Rose is “ruling” under manipulative guidance, Wren has been training with her witch powers to someday steal back the throne and release the kingdom from its oppressive rule. Wren knows Rose exists…but Rose has been left in the dark to the fact she has a sister. The story is part court-politics and part adventure-fantasy-romp as Rose gets kidnapped by Wren’s witchy people and taken back to their town, while Wren impersonates Rose for the crown as part of her scheme.

The sisters are both very dynamic characters. Rose is toffy and posh, definitely your classic-style princess, while Wren is bitter and impulsive. She will dive into danger. She will swim in it. Cannot be stopped!!

The books are quite long and not fast-paced, so readers who enjoy books that take their time will love this style. And of course there’s plenty of magic, witchy machinations, and a little romance as Rose develops feelings for her unwilling kidnapper, Shen, (aka Wren’s BFF) and Wren starts getting heart-eyes for a guard.

Cursed Crowns takes off pretty much straight after book one finishes. Now that the girls have things “sorted” and are in the castle together, they’ve got a lot of clean up from everything that went down in the finale of the last book to figure out. They’re still learning how to mesh together as estranged sisters, since their personalities are like ice and fire. There’s also pain to deal with, allies and people they love now gone or taken, and there’s still unrest in their kingdom. Everyone has been taught to believe witches are evil and must be stamped out, so now it’s up to Wren and Rose to change public opinion considering they are both, well, witches. And trying to rule here.

The story ends up splitting up the sisters again for separate quests, and I do wish they’d stayed together so we could’ve seen how they grow and develop. But there was a lot of ground to cover in this one. I appreciated Shen got more of a plot line too (love Shen!) and Wren takes off to do a bit of necromancy and get thoroughly out of her depth in the enemy kingdom. The tone is still light though, with plenty of banter and quips. Lots of girlpower and sister bonds and it leaves everything wide open for book 3.

A fun series with all the well-known fantasy tropes and quips, perfect for those who love both adventure and queens and sisterly bonds in their fantasy books.

Thank you to HarperCollins Australia for the review copies!

Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…
Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.
Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

goodreads | dymocks | amazon | harpercollins

published may 3rd, 2023

the skull by jon klassen (the cosy gothic children’s book you need)

by 2 Comments

When I say I am obsessed with The Skull by Jon Klassen, I am. Can we say cosy gothic?! Because it is.

This is a beautifully illustrated, dark and yet cosy, folktale about a girl who runs away and finds a mysterious abandoned mansion inhabited only by a skull. There is just such spooky whimsy on the pages, and it delivers the store in such a factual and endearing way. It’s retold from the original Tyrolean tale (I had to look this up, and it’s Austrian!) and I love how, at the end, the author talked about how this is how folktales should be passed down: each time they’re told and shared and spoken, they change a little. Stories truly do have a life of their own and every time we speak them, they grow that little bit more.

The story is perfect for younger readers with large, easy-to-read font. It’s also a quick read and not at all intimidating. On the spookier side? A little. I would’ve lapped this up as a kid too, because please yes talk to me about skeletons and abandoned mansions and bottomless holes in the ground under the house. And I found it equally enjoyable as an adult.

Jon Klassen’s art style is also absolutely incredible and I adore it. Macabre whimsy and soft tones; you just want to live in amongst the pages.

Do you need this book? Absolutely. It will live rent free in my head and I would like infinite books with this aesthetic. Gothic, cosy, and memorable.

Thank you to Walker Books Australia for the review copy!

Caldecott Medalist and #1 New York Times best-selling author-illustrator Jon Klassen delivers a deliciously macabre treat for folktale fans.
In a big abandoned house, on a barren hill, lives a skull. A brave girl named Otilla has escaped from terrible danger and run away, and when she finds herself lost in the dark forest, the lonely house beckons. Her host, the skull, is afraid of something too, something that comes every night. Can brave Otilla save them both? Steeped in shadows and threaded with subtle wit – with rich, monochromatic artwork and an illuminating author’s note – The Skull is as empowering as it is mysterious and foreboding.

goodreads | dymocks | walkerbooks

published July 7th, 2023

Painting Flowers by Momo L. Washington — Cosy Flowershop Romance + Q&A With The Author

by Leave a Comment

Are you ready for the most cosy story imaginable?! Because Painting Flowers by Momo L. Washington delivers just that!! It’s like the “flower shop au” vibes that you see in fanfic, only this has original characters in a heartfelt, warm and sweet contemporary about the two owners of a flower shop falling for the two owners of a tattoo parlour across the street. It is gentle and low stakes and neurodiverse and queer affirming and so very character-driven. You will fit right into Mateo and Heather’s lives as they tentatively figure out it’s worth chasing after the people they love–they just have to find the bravery to do it.

Mateo and Heather are best friends who run a flower shop together, and when they meet Jamie and Parker it is NOT instant sparks-flying attraction. Well, for Mateo and Jamie there is a little something. But Parker and Heather clash hard 😂 I loved both couples. Also because they had such different romantic journeys! Love the gentle sweetness between Mateo and Jamie and the fire-and-ice collisons of Heather and Parker. It’s slowburn for all of them as they navigate their crushes blossoming into feelings. And I also loved the focus on friendship first!

It’s also beautiful to read books with positive and kind representation of neurodiverse characters. It was so amazing to see Mateo on page with social anxiety and selective mutism (ahhhh rep I needed so badly!). He communicates through spoken word sometimes, texting other times, and there is no healing arc or anyone looking down on him. He’s supported by his friends and this is really beautiful to read.

Other Things To Look Forward To This Book
🌸 achillean and sapphic main couples
🌺 super character driven
🌸 gentle vibes and low-stress story
🌺 characters in their early 20s
🌸 multiple POV
🌺 neurodiverse affirming

Hi Momo, so excited to have you here to chat about your lovely novel!! Can you tell us a bit about Painting Flowers’ publishing journey, from first idea to finished novel on our shelves?

Hi! Thank you for having me!! Painting Flowers started out as a simple exercise to get into writing again. During high school I mostly stopped writing stories and even after that, I was only writing some poems every now and then, but no stories anymore.

Then I stumbled across some fanfiction with the flower shop/tattoo studio trope and I loved it so much I just had to try it. It was meant to be a short story, just some exercise to get back into writing but I was quickly falling in love with the story and the word count went up and up. When I realised this could actually really become a novel, I started editing, made my friends read it and started looking for publishing options. I knew from the very beginning I didn’t want to try traditional publishing. This was a story I wanted to realise entirely on my own, so self-publishing was the way. This surely was the most work; figuring out layout, print sizes, font, multiple failed test prints… and all of that while working a full-time job. But it’s so worth it and I’ll absolutely do it again.

Tell us a bit about Heather and Mateo’s cosy little florist shop! What are their favourite flowers? (And what is your favourite flower!)

Oh, I love that question!! The flower shop is one of my favourite places. I imagine it to be really crowded with flowers and plants everywhere, filling up shelves and every free surface. There’s that wall where Mateo writes his poetry on and customers and friends can leave little notes and doodles. There’s a corner with pillows to sit on in front of a radiator. It’s supposed to feel like home, to be a place where you can come in and just breathe.

Heather’s favourite flowers are snapdragons! There’s always a vase in the shop with some of them that aren’t for sale but just for her. It’s one of the first flowers I remember my granny teaching me about and how they open and close if you squish them carefully. (little funfact! In German they’re called “Löwenmäulchen” which means “little lion’s mouth”)

Mateo’s favourite flower is whichever one looks like it needs the most love. He’s the kind of person to pick the tiniest and slightly damaged flower to put in a vase for his kitchen table. He takes every plant that looks a bit sick and looks after it until it’s healthy again.

My favourite flower…I should have seen that question coming and yet I am entirely unprepared! I love anything yellow, I think. Flowers that have many tiny blossoms instead of one big. But really, any flower will make me smile, especially if it is a gift.

I loved the way you wrote Mateo’s social anxiety — can you tell us your favourite thing about writing neurodiverse characters?

I’m so happy to hear that! It was probably one of the best and hardest things to write. A lot of what you read in Mateo’s point of view comes from personal experience, so it was easy for me to find inspiration but very difficult to have the confidence to write it down.

The funny thing is, back when I was writing this novel, I had no idea I’m neurodivergent myself. People were reading it and would tell me about the neurodivergent, mostly autistic, traits they saw in Mateo and Laurie and I remember thinking “Oh, that’s interesting, those things you mentioned are the ones inspired by my own behaviour!”

Well, past me. I have some news!

Having neurodiverse (again, especially autistic) characters in books and media has really helped me figure out my own identity around it, so I think that’s one of my favourite things about writing stories with neurodiverse and in general, disabled characters. Helping people feeling seen. Not only in stories about that neurotype or disability, but also stories where that’s not of any importance. Just having characters of all neurotypes and disabilities in all kinds of stories.

Another favourite thing about writing neurodiverse characters is figuring out how exactly to write this individual person with this specific neurotype.

With Mateo, I wanted the reader – neurodiverse or neurotypical – to really feel how Mateo’s heart starts beating faster in crowded rooms, how his thoughts stumble over one another, so his perspective has a lot of long paragraphs with almost no breaks, aside from some special moments (that I don’t want to spoiler here). It was also important to me that he doesn’t get ‘cured’ of his social anxiety and neurodiversity, doesn’t suddenly never go nonverbal again just because of ‘character development’. He’s still anxious in a crowd. He still can’t speak around strangers and when he’s overwhelmed. And that’s okay!

It is some of the best autistic and neurodiverse rep I’ve read!! 😍 Do you plot your novels or just write and see what happens?

With Painting Flowers, I just started out and kept adding to it. At the very beginning, I had nothing but the setting and the characters. One of the relationships wasn’t even supposed to be in it! Everything just kept developing on its own; I even wrote a lot of it on my phone during work (don’t tell my boss) when I had an idea for a new scene or a line I wanted to use.

With other stories too, I get the best ideas as I write and I’m not very good at planning to be honest. But sometimes I have no other choice but to plan, like with a murder mystery I’m working on, there needs to some sort of plan for the plot!

Can you tell us what you’re working on next?

Gladly! I’m working on way too many things (like most writers probably…)

There are some ideas for a Painting Flowers prequel sort of story that focuses more on Laurie and Austin who are only minor characters in Painting Flowers, but it’s really quite difficult to plot because I have to keep checking what I said in Painting Flowers…so it’s taking a veeery long time.

There’s also a Greek mythology retelling I started to write! The story of Orpheus and Eurydice, just with siblings instead of lovers. It’s on the more mysterious and kind of horror side of writing and I’m very excited to experiment with that!

So excited for all these projects! And lastly…what have been some of your favourite author moments so far?

Oh, that’s difficult to pick! I don’t think I can just pick a single one, so I’ll list my top three 🙂

First of all: This interview! I can give interviews about my book now, what!?

I also always get ridiculously excited when people send me pictures of my book on their shelf, it’s so wonderful to see that it really is out there, that people are holding this story, that people are reading it and falling in love with it.

And lastly, there’s a question I asked every one of my test readers and that I absolutely love to hear about when other readers tell me: who is your favourite character?

My test readers got a little mad they had to pick one, but in the end they all had their own little darling. It’s so special to me to hear why they love this character best. Sometimes it’s because people saw themselves in this character, sometimes it’s because they loved how I wrote them. Any way, it’s just really beautiful and incredible to hear people talk about my story.

Ahhh it was a total honour to have you here for an interview. 💛 Congrats on your beautiful book!

Mateo and Heather are doing perfectly fine.
They have their flower shop, they have each other and they don’t need anything else, certainly not new people.
Until Mateo meets Jamie.
Jamie works in the new tattoo studio across the street and somehow talking to him doesn’t make Mateo panic.
Now if only Heather wasn’t so set on hating Jamie’s best friend, everything could be perfect. But neither of the two care to try to get along, which surely has nothing to do with the fact that said best friend is better at talking to Heather’s crush than she is.
Absolutely nothing.

goodreads | amazon aus | amazon usa

thanks to the author for sending me a copy of this ARC (cover not final)

love and autism by kay kerr – intimate and beautiful interviews with real autistic people

by Leave a Comment

Love & Autism by Kay Kerr is a phenomenal read. I’m already a huge fan of Kay’s contemporary YA (both featuring autistic teens), so I couldn’t wait to dive into her first non-fiction. And it was so good. This is the kind of book I would enthusiastically recommend to autistic and non-autistic readers alike. Sometimes books about autism can feel really geared toward a non-autistic audience with the focus solely on explaining autism to them–which is fine because those books are helpful and needful too–but it is so nice to read a book that gives this intimate, unfiltered and beautiful look at autism that feels FOR the autistic community as well. Love & Autism both educates and tells a story. Cannot emphasis enough how special that is to read.

This is a non-fiction book that follows the lives of 5 autistic people in a series of interviews, with thoughtful and personal anecdotes and cited sources interspersed from Kay throughout. Again, LOVED this. I loved getting to know Michael, Chloë, Noor, Jess, and Tim. There are also quotes and brief thoughts from autistic kids and other autistic authors making the book feel so community focused. I also have to mention how much I adored the diversity of experience within the stories. The autistic voices in here cover a range of support needs as well as include autistics who are queer or Muslim or nonspeaking. It’s beautiful to see this slice of how diverse and different autism can look.

When your experience of moving through the world is not the dominant one, you are told again and again, in countless ways, that your perceptions are wrong.

Kay’s voice is so easy to read, so comfortable and conversational, the writing just flows on the page. There’s also plenty of facts and information in here too. We are getting the life stories of five people, and also their insights into autism. What they wish people knew. What they feel needs to be heard. We are seeing multiple definitions of love–friendship, familial, romantic. We are seeing what love looks like when two neurodiverse people are in a relationship, how it works and how it can be different. What it is to be an autistic mother. What it is to be autistic in highschool. I just love love the range.

Last thing to add (to my gushing review lol) is that this is not a book that sugar coats the autism experience or solely focuses on the nice parts about neurodiversity. Being autistic in a neurotypical world almost always results in trauma. These five individuals share their traumas, their struggles, their dark times. It’s sometimes really really hard to be autistic–and that needs to be seen and known too.

This is an empowering, raw, personal, and thoughtful autistic book that I highly recommend to (literally) everyone. It’s the kind of story that will make autistics feel seen and understood, and it’s so easy to read and thank “wow that’s me too” and come away with that sense of community and belonging. A brief and beautiful view of autism.

Thank you to Macmillan Australia for the copy!

“Love has always intrigued me, in part because I have carried for a long time a feeling that I am doing love wrong.”
Michael made a name for himself on the hit show Love on the Spectrum. After his televised first dating experiences, will he complete his quest to find his queen?
Chloe was always good at maths, with feelings ‘too big’ to be contained. When she reconnects with her childhood boyfriend, it must be fate.
Noor has had a lot on her plate from a young age, especially at home. People-pleasing becomes her survival mode, but Noor can’t keep her struggles inside forever.
Jess has spent a lifetime being put into different boxes. Through her strong will and creativity, can she break out and build a life that is truly her own?
Tim is a non-speaking autistic man who has been underestimated all his life. But through willpower, technology and a mother’s love, he has a chance of finding a different kind of voice.
Through the intimate writing of critically-acclaimed autistic author Kay Kerr, Love & Autism presents an uplifting celebration of neurodivergent love, the search for it and a deeper look into the lives of autistic Australians.

goodreads | amazon aus | macmillan aus

published 28.03.2023

the resting place by camilla sten – dysfunctional family meet creepy old house.

by Leave a Comment

I’ve been intending to do reading updates and bite-sized reviews for years (similar to what I do on bookstagram), and you know what? I finally will. 😤 I love having a record of what I read and sharing random books with you that I just really love.

The Resting Place is one I kept seeing float around when I was looking up haunted house books, though I have to say, while the cover does give big horror vibes, this is solidly a thriller/suspense novel. It was a totally captivating and twisty read and like by the end I just felt satisfied. You know when you half guess the twists and don’t quite get it but then the reveals fit SO well? That was this. So well set out. The characters also totally grew on me. It’s the kind of book that presents you with people who seem pretty easy to judge at first glance–and then it peels back their layer and makes you rethink everything.

Our main character, Eleanor, has face-blindness (technical term is prosopagnosia) and I’ve only read that in two other books, so it’s nice I liked seeing it get more rep. Eleanor’s face-blindness is also pivotal to the plot considering she is a literal witness to her grandmother’s murder–but she can’t identify the killer due to not being able to remember/discern their face. I found the disability rep well told, not gimmicky or insensitivity, and the anxiety it brought Eleanor was present throughout the book.

And the setting? Loved it. Not the creepiest house ever — it’s more like this immaculate but forgotten Swedish mansion by a lake — but unsettling vibes everywhere. And the history of the place is gnarly once it starts getting unwrapped. Also it’s a wintery/snowy setting and that plays into the remoteness of the house. It definitely kept up the suspense perfectly (though overall it’s not as dark as I thought it would be).

I bought an audiobook of this and so glad I did. Well worth the read and I’m still thinking about it.

A spine-chilling, propulsive psychological suspense from international sensation Camilla Sten.
The medical term is prosopagnosia. The average person calls it face blindness—the inability to recognize a familiar person’s face, even the faces of those closest to you.
When Eleanor walked in on the scene of her capriciously cruel grandmother, Vivianne’s, murder, she came face to face with the killer—a maddening expression that means nothing to someone like her. With each passing day, her anxiety mounts. The dark feelings of having brushed by a killer, yet not know who could do this—or if they’d be back—overtakes both her dreams and her waking moments, thwarting her perception of reality.
Then a lawyer calls. Vivianne has left her a house—a looming estate tucked away in the Swedish woods. The place her grandfather died, suddenly. A place that has housed a dark past for over fifty years.
Eleanor. Her steadfast boyfriend, Sebastian. Her reckless aunt, Veronika. The lawyer. All will go to this house of secrets, looking for answers. But as they get closer to bringing the truth to light, they’ll wish they had never come to disturb what rests there.
A heart-thumping, relentless thriller that will shake you to your core, The Resting Place is an unforgettable novel of horror and suspense.

goodreads | book depository

MTMC Blog Tour – Blood Mercy by Vela Roth (Lush Epic Fantasy With Vampires)

by Leave a Comment

Welcome to my MTMC Tours stop for Blood Mercy by Vela Roth!

Helloooo fantasy fans, it is time to add a new (and gorgeous!) book to your TBR piles. Blood Mercy is not only a thick and meaty tome, it’s the start of a stunning, sprawling fantasy series, so if you love really getting lost in a world: this is the perfect series to get invested into. I also will absolutely confess to a bit of cover judging going on here. 😭 It’s prettyyyyy.

Diving into this book is falling headfirst into a rich and layered fantasy world that goes all out for the world-building. I couldn’t help but appreciate the depth here — from the court politics and magic system, to this brand new fresh take on vampires with their own lore and histories. I also have a soft spot for tales when the “monsters” (aka vampires) are actually kinder and more gracious than the humans. (Like wait till you meet Cassia’s father, talk about a foul king.) There’s also a handy glossary in the back which I found myself flipping to a few times, which was so helpful. I am in awe of authors who crafts detailed and meticulous worlds because — let’s be real here — it’s no easy feat!!

Along with the politics and court intrigue, this book of course features a slowburn romance between Cassia (the king’s bastards daughter) and Lio (vampire diplomat). Their relationship is definitely forbidden love with high stakes. Even from the first chapters they can’t even risk being seen talking to each other. I also do love a slowburn, I must admit, I love seeing a relationship develop and reading two people find a light in the other that draws them irrevocably in. Cassia is very calculating and quiet and careful, result of her vicious and neglected upbringing in the king’s court, and any chance to see her let her guard down around Lio was indeed beautiful. Lio is super sweet!! He’s so worshipful and considerate to Cassia, but also just to nature and animals. Get you a guy who needs blood to survive but is so polite about it. 😩🙌🏻

It is a story packed with detailed narration and lush world-building, plenty of plot focus and also it takes time for character development and plenty of romance. 

Read This Series If You Like…

  • vampires but with new lore and magic
  • complex, layered world building that feels lush and interesting
  • forbidden love and complicated romance
  • entwined fates
  • looming wars on the horizon
  • heart stopping twists
  • beautiful and detailed writing

Vast world-building with plenty of action and characters to root for, perfect for fans of YA fantasy.

Thanks to MTMC Tours & visit my instagram for the INTL Giveaway!

Title: Blood Mercy (Blood Grace #1)
Author: Vela Roth
Publication Date: January 26th, 2022
Genres: Fantasy Romance
Purchase a copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Blackwell’s
Add on Goodreads!
One human. One immortal. Will their alliance save the kingdom, or will their forbidden love be a death sentence?
When Cassia seeks out a Hesperine, he could end her mortal life in a heartbeat. But she has no fear of his magic or his fangs. She knows the real monster is the human king, her father. If he finds out she’s bargaining with his enemy, he’ll send her to the executioner.
As a Hesperine diplomat, Lio must negotiate with mortals who hate him. Cassia is different, but politics aren’t why she captivates the gentle immortal. He wants more than her blood, and if he can’t resist the temptation, he’ll provoke the war he’s trying to prevent.
Blood and Ash fans will love this slow-burn, steamy romance with classic fantasy worldbuilding. Follow fated mates Cassia and Lio through their epic love story for a guaranteed series HEA.
New edition featuring a fantasy world map, glossary of lore and characters, enhanced opening chapter, and all-new cover artwork

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vela Roth manifested unstable writing powers at a young age, and many of her early experiments had unintended results. As she grew, a curriculum of fantasy novels with kickass heroines helped her learn to control and wield her abilities. Eventually she dared pursue the knowledge inside the most forbidden tomes: romance novels. She’s been practicing the dark arts of fantasy romance ever since, but she strives to use her novels only for good. She lives in a solar-powered writer’s garret at the foot of the mountains. Her familiar is a rescue cat with a missing fang and a huge heart. When not typing furiously at her manuscript, she can usually be found gaming on her home-built PC or trying to grow roses in the desert. Vela loves hearing from readers and hopes you’ll get in touch. Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

MTMC TOURS Schedule

March 27
@paperfury – Bookstagram & BookTok
@bookbondage – Bookstagram

March 28
@madies.library – Bookstagram & BookTok
@bookish_harpist – Bookstagram & BookReel

March 29
@thereaderandthechef – Bookstagram & BookTok
@bookishqueenreads – Bookstagram & Book Blog

March 30
@rozanne_visagie – Bookstagram & BookTok
@everything.erynreads – Bookstagram & BookTok

March 31
@itbeganwiththestars – Bookstagram & BookTok
@wickedbeebooks – Bookstagram & BookReel

April 1
@charliesbookrecs – Bookstagram & BookTok
@ania_gemma_reads – Bookstagram & BookReel

April 2
@tinabyer – Bookstagram & BookTok
@sunreads1 – Bookstagram

April 3
@linathebookaddict – Bookstagram & BookTok
@evisbookishcorner – Bookstagram

April 4
@fannislibrary – Bookstagram & BookTok
@calmdust – Bookstagram & BookReel

April 5
@sophiesreadingcorner – Bookstagram & BookTok
@jlreadstoperpetuity – Bookstagram

[Blog Tour] These gilded Bones May Bloom by C.G. Honer – Magical Author Q&A + Review!

by 1 Comment

Welcome to my MTMC Tours stop for These Gilded Bones May Bloom by C.G. Honer!

This is a collection of enemies and lovers, sprawling cities and hungry seas, stretching from the hidden magic of our own world to the far reaches of your wildest dreams and nightmares. These Gilded Bones May Bloom is a Fantasy Anthology and it will be published on January 29, 2023.

Diving into this anthology was like falling into a fairytale. I absolutely loved the format: short stories that ranged from magical to lovely to dark to sad to sweet to romantic to cosy. It literally has something for everyone and the writing style will sweep you off your feet. It’s the kind of book that just made me feel all inspired while reading it. ❤️ Total fairytale vibes. If you like Leigh Bardugo’s Language of Thorns, you’ll enjoy this one for sure. The stories are also set across three worlds, so some are more modern, and it’s easy to enjoy the vareity!

I’m going to pick out a few of my favourite stories to talk about!

ABCs of Thievery – This one was really fun, about three thieves (their names are Adair, Blair and Claire, respectively) and how Adair’s eye is caught by someone well out of her class. I just loved the trio’s dynamics and then Oswin’s softness for Adair at the end.

Life Cycle of Forests – Oh this one was SO my thing. Magic gone wrong and warped and twisted in forests and all-consuming sacrifice for loved ones and dead boys grown into trees. It just was [chefs kiss] perfect in every way. Would eat this up if it was a full length book as well, the aesthetics were everything.

The Way Cities Breathe – This was by the POV of a city and honestly loved that for it?! Especially just how the city was sentient and watched over its citizens, both the good and the corrupt, and how time changed the streets and its future and purpose.

To Brave The Sea – I absolutely love sea aesthetics so this one caught me immediately, and it has such sensory writing and really drew me in. Esme is terrified of the ocean and after a brutal attempt to conquer her fear, she’s saved by a strange boy who appears out of nowhere and doesn’t care about her family name. He just cares about her.

Definitely check this short story collection out if you love whimsical bite-sized stories that will spark your imagination! Full of pretty prose and clever tales, it’s a lovely read.

Thank you to MTMC Tours & the author for the eARC!

Hi C.G., thanks for chatting with me about your gorgeous book! Can you tell us a little about your author journey? How These Gilded Bones May Bloom went from seed of an idea to finished novel in your hands?

Thanks for having me! And I love talking about the book, so I’m excited to dig into its evolution! These Gilded Bones May Bloom exists primarily because I thought it’d be cool to publish something on my 29th/golden birthday. In March of this year, that idea morphed into a short story anthology consisting of 29 stories across three different worlds–each of which stemmed from existing novels I’m planning/drafting. Originally, in my head, the anthology was going to act as a jumping off point, or a prequel of sorts. But once I actually started writing—met new characters, learned their stories, saw vague glimpses of their possible futures—the anthology became its own entity, a demanding one at that. It wanted interior character/world art and fancy chapter headers and so many little details that required so much patience. It has been a long journey from idea to finished novel, but despite the frustrations, I’m so proud of the end result.

You should be so proud!! It’s an absolutely beautiful book. Favourite thing about writing fantasy?

I think one of the best parts about fantasy is making up the rules of a world, uncovering the history and lore. I am very much a pantser, I discover the world as I go along, so it’s a super fun part of the process. The first two sections are set in a fantasy and contemporary world respectively and were pretty fleshed out already. But the third section was new, giving me lots of room to play and explore what made this world unique. Spoilers: it’s sirens and fallible gods.

We do love some sirens and fallible gods 👀👌🏻 Which was the easiest vs hardest of the stories to write?

The easiest story was probably The Way Cities Breathe. It’s short, and inspired by a chapter from Adrienne Young’s novel Spells for Forgetting, where the POV is a place rather than a person. The reality is some stories don’t need an author to figure out plot twists or foreshadowing, they just need someone to transcribe them, and for me that was The Way Cities Breathe. The hardest story to write was probably the very last one that I wrote, A Rose By Any Other Name. At that point I was dealing with burnout after drafting so many stories in such a short time span. There were lots of false starts and repetitive ideas, but eventually I found my way and now it’s actually one of my favorites.

I really enjoyed the Way Cities Breathe and just that perspective. Did any of the stories turn out differently to how you expected?

Yes! More than one, because characters have a will of their own, but the first that comes to mind is To Brave the Sea. It had a few early iterations that were more romance focused, the typical girl meets boy, boy owes dangerous (and hotter) boy money, and ensuing violence is followed by girl and hotter boy having a Moment™. Delightful as that was, it just wasn’t as strong as the other stories. The final version focused more on the main character’s internal struggles and the pressures of familial expectations. But also there’s a cute boy.

When do you usually write and what is your writing space like?

I’m a night owl, so most of my writing takes place after midnight and ends somewhere around three or four in the morning. Basically, I have a really terrible sleep schedule and I’m sure that’s gonna come back to bite me at some point, but for now it works. My writing space is pretty undefined currently–usually just the couch. My ideal writing space is one where I’m surrounded by books, bookish art, and aesthetically pleasing lighting.

Oh same 🤣 What is a sleep schedule anyway. Can we beg for a hint about what you’re working on next? 👀👀👀

Yesssss! Writing twenty-nine short stories introduced me to a lot of fun characters, and some of them have very loud ideas about future adventures they’d like to go on. Because of that I’m kinda working on a few things. The project I’m drafting is a new adult fantasy novel, with enemies-to-lovers, assassins, royal politics, and elemental powers. The novel I’m plotting (and occasionally writing scenes for) is probably going to fall under the romantasy genre. Also new adult, also enemies-to-lovers (I like what I like), and takes place primarily at sea.

It already sounds amazing and knowing how beautiful your writing is…I can’t wait! One last question! What have been some of your favourite author moments so far?

There have been a lot of amazing moments: seeing the cover art for the first time, getting early feedback from readers, connecting with talented artists, holding the physical book in my hands, finding a solution to a formatting issue that I was really worried about, and watching my Grandma (who the book is dedicated to) open a finished edition at Christmas. It’s very surreal to me that These Gilded Bones May Bloom is coming out this month, but I’m so excited for people to read it and fall for these characters the same way I have.

Wishing you the very happiest release on January 29th!! And thank you for the amazing answers and all these insights about your epic book. ✨💛

Enter the Rafflecopter below where one reader will win a physical copy of These Gilded Bones May Bloom and the preorder incentives (3 phone wallpapers, 2 art prints, 1 sticker, 1 bookmark)! Ends on January 14th, 2022. Winner will be announced in the Rafflecopter & contacted via email.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Preorder Incentives:

There are epic preorder incentives available for US and international orders of These Gilded Bones May Bloom!
– US physical copies receive: 3 phone wallpapers, 2 art prints, 1 sticker, and 1 bookmark.
– International/Ebook copies receive: 3 phone wall papers, 1 digital art print, and 1 Digital annotated short story.

Submission window is open now—January 28th, and all submission forms can be found here.

Title: These Gilded Bones May Bloom
Author: C.G. Honer
Publication Date: January 29th, 2023
Genres: Anthology, Fantasy, Magic Realism
Purchase a copy: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble
Add on Goodreads!
29 short stories. Three unique worlds.
One navigates battlefields of countryside and cobblestone.
Another ensnares lost souls and sweethearts.
And the last is tormented by deities better left forgotten.
Welcome to These Gilded Bones May Bloom, a collection of enemies and lovers, sprawling cities and hungry seas, stretching from the hidden magic of our own world to the far reaches of your wildest dreams and nightmares. Journey through the Ash Woods, a dangerous forest guarding the body of a long-dead soldier. Follow a thief as he steals into an extravagant garden party. Study the siren of Berkshire University, and the student hell-bent on setting her free.
Brought to life through sweeping prose and lush illustrations, lose yourself in tales where morally gray is king, fate doesn’t play fair, and “The End” isn’t always what it seems.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caitlan “C.G.” Honer resides in the evergreen, ever cloudy PNW. When she isn’t dreaming up trauma for the characters in her head, she enjoys reading, walks with her dog, the occasional existential crisis, and spending way too much time on Netflix.
Her short story anthology, These Gilded Bones May Bloom, releases January 29, 2023.
For any and all updates, subscribe to the monthly newsletter, follow her on social media, or watch the night skies for carrier dragons. Website | Instagram

MTMC TOURS Schedule

January 2
The Reader and the Chef – Book Blog
@thetalesofabooklover – Bookstagram

January 3
Books With a Chance of Traveling – Book Blog
Enchanted Elfie – Book Blog

January 4
Paper Fury – Book Blog
Luxe Literature – Book Blog

January 5
Willow’s Corner – Book Blog
@bookishsof – Bookstagram

January 6
Book-Keeping – Book Blog
@clauiiixbooks – Bookstagram

January 7
June Is Reading – Book Blog
Bookish Adventures of P – Book Blog

January 8
CaroLibrary – Book Blog
@moyashi_girl – Bookstagram

[Book Tour] A Blossom At Midnight by A.L. Knorr – Etheral Floral Fae Fantasy

by Leave a Comment

Welcome to my MTMC Tours stop for A Blossom At Midnight by A.L. Knorr!

Welcome to the continent of Ivryndi, where flora and fauna magic reign, and an unseelie prince with a mysterious power threatens it all. A Blossom at Midnight is the first book in the The Scented Court fantasy series & it’s available now in digital/paperback + soon in a stunning hardcover edition with a special design under the dust jacket (release date TBA).

Lush and ethereal with both cosy and elegant aesthetics, this is truly a beautiful fantasy world to fall into. It’s an almost slice-of-life fantasy (with added fae court political intrigue) and I really loved the whimsy of it, the gardening and dreamy floral fae, the foodie descriptions and the family secrets. It also takes its time with the world building instead of jumping into any action, so if you want a book that gives cottagecore/floral vibes, this will definitely satisfy that craving. Also fae making things grow and flowers bursting from empty soil and rich gardens in full bloom — absolutely my thing. 😌👌🏻

The story starts off by introducing us to Jess who lives alone with her oftentimes surly mother who has many secrets and is very protective and strict with Jess, while Jess is here yearning for more. She wants to know if she’s fae, if she has powers, why she has too familiars, if she has a chance to be one of the gorgeous floral fae Calyx who serve in the courts. Her village is so lovely (kind of gave me Hobbiton blended with Lothlórien vibes) and when we get to the fae courts, more of the plot begins. Two more narrators also join the story: Laec and Cifta. And the world expands massively as we learn about the different kingdoms and a suspicious death and the fact maybe there is a darker thread unravelling in this ethereal world. I was also really keen to know about Jess’s family’s secrets…and hoping there’s more on that in the sequel too.

An elegant and ethereal fantasy set in a sprawling world of fae and magical gardens and court politics and winsome magic.

Also check out my instagram for the giveaway!! Thanks to MTMC Tours & the author for the copy.

 

@cgdrews Book Tour | thanks to @MTMC Tours & @authoralknorr for the gorgeous copy! Out now in paperback/ebook and this hardcover edition is coming soon so follow the author for updates 🌸🌺 Also a full review on my IG and blog. ❤️ #ablossomatmidnight #mtmctours #books #booklover #booktok #bookwormsoftiktok #reader #reading ♬ original sound – Chester and Humans

Title: A Blossom At Midnight (The Scented Court #1)
Author: A.L. Knorr
Publication Date: January 2022
Genres: Young Adult, Epic Fantasy
Purchase a copy: Amazon | Book Depository | Indiebound | Blackwell’s
Add on Goodreads!
One earns a coveted place among royalty. Another is imprisoned by her betrothed, while the third is exiled until he can prove his worth. Can these three fae prevent a war?
Dreaming of escaping her simple country life and tired of keeping her winged familiars a secret, half-fae Jessica finds herself swept into a breathtaking world of an elite retinue of fae performers known as the Calyx. As she learns to master her abilities, Jess is expected to entertain at glittering balls in the richest kingdom in Ivryndi, alongside far more experienced and beautiful flora fae. She is sworn to secrecy as she discovers the source of their wealth–the perfumes that royals travel from far-flung and exotic kingdoms to possess. As her exciting new life—and magic—blossoms, Jess learns that her mother has been keeping a secret of her own, one that changes everything.
Rejection has left fae courtier Laec wallowing in wine and disdainful of what he sees in the mirror. When Queen Elphame offers him a foreign commission, he jumps at the chance for a fresh start, but when he meets a beautiful and mysterious stranger on the road, he soon learns that healing his heart may inflame the very trouble his queen sent him to prevent.
Beautiful and eligible Çifta believes in the importance of duty. Wishing to please her father, she agrees to marry a powerful unseelie prince. But when she discovers his cold heart and attempts to break the engagement, she suddenly finds herself in chains. Alone and trapped in a damp fortress, she cannot see a way out.
When a visit to another realm sparks a dark turn of events, it sets these three fae on a collision course. Will they wilt under pressure or become a thorny threat to evil?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

USA Today Bestselling Author, A.L. Knorr is an award-winning Canadian fantasy writer. Readers love her vivid characters and mesmerizing stories of elemental transformation, adventure, friendship, and love. The bestselling Elemental Origins Series can be read out of order, but if you want to read in the order they were written, they are listed below chronologically.
Dive into the new YA noblebright fantasy series; The Scented Court. If you love earth magic, insect and animal characters, slow-burn romance, and fables steeped in the beauty of nature, you’ll love A Blossom at Midnight.
Known for strong female protagonists, realistic magic, adventure and intrigue, sweet romance, and well-crafted plots that keep you turning pages late into the night, A.L. Knorr is a masterful storyteller.
Website | Instagram | TikTok

MTMC TOURS Schedule

January 2
@paperfury – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@courtysbookclub – Bookstagram
January 3
@thecaffeinatedbooksisters – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@hiddenbookshelf_ – Bookstagram
January 4
@thereaderandthechef – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@complicaitreads – Bookstagram
January 5
@bookdreamr – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@everything.erynreads – Bookstagram & Booktok
January 6
@gwendalyn_books_ – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@bibliotherapy_session – Bookstagram
January 7
@bookspired – Bookstagram & Booktok
@bethlovebooks – Bookstagram
January 8
@pavlinamich – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@rebireads – Bookstagram & Booktok
January 9
@shanayahreads – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@bookworm_panda – Bookstagram
January 10
@booksandbasilisks – Bookstagram
@emreadz – Bookstagram
January 11
@shaked_reads – Bookstagram & Book Blog
@yourbookishfriendcom – Bookstagram & Book Blog