There's a trend in fantasy right now to set it around the turn of the 19th century (Victorian era), and this book is one of that trend. This story is There's a trend in fantasy right now to set it around the turn of the 19th century (Victorian era), and this book is one of that trend. This story is very well done - I really liked it, and look forward to more of this series. The characters, setting, and mystery were all very satisfying.
The premise is that the family of a of a clergyman receives a message that he has inherited Wormwood Abby, because of the unexpected death of both his brother and nephew during a hunting accident. He, his young adult daughter from his first marriage Edith, his 2nd wife, and his 12 year old son go to meet the 3 surviving nieces at the Abby and try to figure out what to do about the inheritance.
There's a lot of mystery in the Abby - the eldest niece not being forthcoming, a suspicious neighbor, and odd baby lizard found in a fireplace and taken as a pet, and a very rude lawyer. Edith is a mystery writer herself, though, and so she sets out to solve the mysteries of the Abby....more
This is not your typical fantasy book - it makes fun of typical YA fantasy and subverts it. It's mostly set in that kind of pseudo-gothic world you ofThis is not your typical fantasy book - it makes fun of typical YA fantasy and subverts it. It's mostly set in that kind of pseudo-gothic world you often find in YA fantasy. But it's linked to our real world, a la Narnia. There's a quest that can save the heroine's otherwise doomed life (IRL, she has cancer), but she has to accomplish it as the villain of the book and she arrives the day before she's to be executed. She finds someone else who has been living life as a character for longer than she has and teams up (he already missed his chance - he's dead IRL.) Together, they massively change the story. By the end, it's a whole new adventure and you can't really tell what will happen next. ...more
Karen Chance's world building can be challenging to follow, because it involves time travel. Usually, I understand where in the timeline each of the sKaren Chance's world building can be challenging to follow, because it involves time travel. Usually, I understand where in the timeline each of the stories falls and why, but this one confounded me. I don't recall what set up this story (which happens almost entirely 4oo years ago) in the modern timeline, and so I feel like I'm missing a few elements to understand the book in context. Don't get me wrong, it's still very good. I just can't explain why this story took place. It's backstory for Dorina and Kit, and involved a disembodied witch's spirit. It also involves modern day Rhea, in charge while the Pythia is off saving the world. So maybe I just answered my own question - it's what happened while Cassie was away and left her heir in charge.
Merged review:
Karen Chance's world building can be challenging to follow, because it involves time travel. Usually, I understand where in the timeline each of the stories falls and why, but this one confounded me. I don't recall what set up this story (which happens almost entirely 4oo years ago) in the modern timeline, and so I feel like I'm missing a few elements to understand the book in context. Don't get me wrong, it's still very good. I just can't explain why this story took place. It's backstory for Dorina and Kit, and involved a disembodied witch's spirit. It also involves modern day Rhea, in charge while the Pythia is off saving the world. So maybe I just answered my own question - it's what happened while Cassie was away and left her heir in charge....more
This feels like the conclusion of this story line about two men falling in love in an earlier era - approximately when the great white hunter was a thThis feels like the conclusion of this story line about two men falling in love in an earlier era - approximately when the great white hunter was a thing and the Europeans were exploiting everything they could get their hands on. Early industrial. In this one, the leads fight American pirates and supernatural stinky killer creatures in the Brazilian rain forest. They also officially fall in love, finally....more
I barely finished this one. I tried it because I've read a short story set after this series that I enjoyed, but this story was not appealing. On the I barely finished this one. I tried it because I've read a short story set after this series that I enjoyed, but this story was not appealing. On the plus side, it showcases excellent values of forgiveness and tolerance and acceptance. On the negative, I found it rather dull and there was a lot of death when the heroine's city was invaded. The magic has to do with manipulating sand in a dessert. ...more
I absolutely adore everything this author has written. It's all been in the same world, and this is a spin-off series from the House Witch initial serI absolutely adore everything this author has written. It's all been in the same world, and this is a spin-off series from the House Witch initial series. This is the second book in the story of Lady Katarina Ashowan, who is serving a year abroad as chief handmaiden to her BFF, the newly married queen of Troivack, Alina. Alina's prince brother Eric is also there, and there's been a lot of tension between Kat and Eric that blossoms into love in this book (though in some seriously funny ways). But that's not the majority of the book. Most of the book is about Kat training to be a knight and about trying to untangle the treacherous web of some of the nobles of Troivack, and worrying about the return of the Devil Sam. ...more
This book was free on Kindle Unlimited, including the audiobook version, so I listened to it. It's a word where gods walk the earth with people, and tThis book was free on Kindle Unlimited, including the audiobook version, so I listened to it. It's a word where gods walk the earth with people, and there's an ancient covenant between the leaders of a land and the dragon god to send him a consort of their bloodline every 100 years. This specific princess consort has a lot of magic herself, and has been sent to the dragon god to kill him or die of a curse. Her lover is her handmaiden, and the princess is completely willing to seduce, but the marriage ceremony shares her emotions with the dragon, and he refused to bed someone who fears him (even though it's not HIM she fears, it's failure). The court of the gods is very free-spirited and sexually adventurous. By chapter 21 of 44, there's been a great many creative sexual escapades discussed, though very few acted out - maybe later in the book. The dragon has been ordained to find a perfect mate among the consorts, and he suspects she may be the one.
I've stopped listening for the most part about 2/3s through the book. It's gotten quite sexy by this point....more
I'm not giving this a rating because I wasn't really in the mood for this book when I tried to read it. I only got a little ways in (the newspaper manI'm not giving this a rating because I wasn't really in the mood for this book when I tried to read it. I only got a little ways in (the newspaper man had only just come to visit Inspector Hobbes at his home.) If I gave it more time, maybe it would grow on me. I generally love funny fantasy. ...more
Amazing book from a very talented writer who I think all fantasy fans should read - Delemhach is excellent! The stories are very interesting and the cAmazing book from a very talented writer who I think all fantasy fans should read - Delemhach is excellent! The stories are very interesting and the charcters will charm you.
Fast forward 20 years from Finlay Ashowan's trilogy - The House Witch. It's time for the princess Allna to marry. Only her mom passed away a few years ago, her father (the King) is still a shadow of himself in grief, and her brother is off doing something mysterious that no one will talk about. But it's time. So suitors show up, including the king of Troivack - the one who was crowned as a child after his dad died trying to invade Allna's country. Finley's children Katarina and Tamlin play interesting parts in the book (Katarina especially), and Kraken the cat familiar is back. ...more
It takes a very good story to get me over historical tone in the writing. I am not a fan of old-fashioned voice in literature. So it was actually a biIt takes a very good story to get me over historical tone in the writing. I am not a fan of old-fashioned voice in literature. So it was actually a big surprise to me that I enjoyed this book a great deal. It's about approximately 1800s England during the craze of upper class gentlemen going to exotic places and discovering species (often by killing them and bringing them back stuffed), in an alternate Earth that includes dragons. This is the early part of Lady Trent's memoirs - her childhood, marriage, and first expedition, which is fraught with danger and discovery.
I listened to this as an audiobook and the narration was particularly good. ...more
This was a super-quick audiobook read by the author, who put a lot of effort into pronouncing the Welsh names correctly. It's a story about King ArthuThis was a super-quick audiobook read by the author, who put a lot of effort into pronouncing the Welsh names correctly. It's a story about King Arthur's court, but from the perspective of Sir Percival (which means "spear".) Only Percival is trans (or perhaps lesbian and cross dressing) as well as 3/4 fae, and the only niece/nephew of Merlin. All the characters of this story are more real than legendary - there's not much aggrandizement. Merlin's a power hungry jerk. Lots of people are very free loving. Arthur is paranoid in the extreme....more
I seem to have uncovered more than a historical fantasies recently. Not my favorite sub-genre, but no matter the genre, there are always standouts thaI seem to have uncovered more than a historical fantasies recently. Not my favorite sub-genre, but no matter the genre, there are always standouts that find atypical fans. This is one of them. Set in the late 1800s perhaps (a guess - and I'm not that good guessing dates) somewhere in Scandinavia, in a version of our world where Faeries have been proven real, but are difficult to find, Professor Emily Wilde is dedicated to their study. She traveled to this tiny snowy town to find the fair folk, or at least document stories of them. She's a gruff sort, and immediately alienates the town leader. Then her sometimes collaborator sometimes competitor Wendell Bambleby shows up and turns her world upside down (but not in a romance-y way - in a "Who IS this guy, really?" sort of way.) ...more
This is historical fantasy where there are talking dragons during the Napoleonic wars. It's the story of an English Navy captain who becomes the captaThis is historical fantasy where there are talking dragons during the Napoleonic wars. It's the story of an English Navy captain who becomes the captain of a very rare kind of dragon, and fights in the war. The details about how the dragons are raised and trained are entertaining, but I don't like swashbuckler historic stories, and fundamentally, this is a historic novel. So not really for me. The audiobook narration was well done. ...more
I know via Goodreads that I read and loved the Goblin King, though I remember absolutely nothing about that book. This is a book in the same world, anI know via Goodreads that I read and loved the Goblin King, though I remember absolutely nothing about that book. This is a book in the same world, and I struggled with the naming conventions and olden-times grammar enough that it put me off listening to this as an audiobook. The story and characters are very good, it's just dense as an audiobook. It might be easier to get through in print because you can skim over the ridiculous names and titles. The story is about a medium (who is part of a non-celibate religious order, and happens to be gay) investigating the murder of an opera singer....more
I am so glad to have found this kindle unlimited series. The premise is that an FBI agent named Jamie is magically transported to another world that aI am so glad to have found this kindle unlimited series. The premise is that an FBI agent named Jamie is magically transported to another world that also happens to have humans in it, with the addition of magic, elves, were-creatures, etc. This world is about at the 1900 level of technology - Model-T type cars are just starting, electricity is beginning to spread, but there are still mostly horses on the roads and fewer modern conveniences. Jamie was brought over by an insane most-wanted witch, who she kills while escaping, becoming a hero. About six months later, she joins the police force. A few months in, she's partnered with the magical examiner Henri Davenforth (a brilliant gentleman who loves food, and lives near Jamie) to work on a case involving the breaking of magical wards and theft....more
I like the writing, but in audiobook form, it took too long to get to something I find compelling. I gave up 3 1/2 hours into a nearly 19 hour audioboI like the writing, but in audiobook form, it took too long to get to something I find compelling. I gave up 3 1/2 hours into a nearly 19 hour audiobook. I can tell you it has dark themes, including death magic and slavery. ...more
This is historical fantasy. It seems like a cozy, but somehow is also a bit dark. I'm not a fan of historical, so I gave up on it fairly early on.This is historical fantasy. It seems like a cozy, but somehow is also a bit dark. I'm not a fan of historical, so I gave up on it fairly early on....more
This is a historical fantasy gay romance set on some other world that has magic. Not a ton of magic, not commonplace, but normal. The lead character iThis is a historical fantasy gay romance set on some other world that has magic. Not a ton of magic, not commonplace, but normal. The lead character is the 3rd son in an aristocratic family in a very conservative country. He suffers a sexual assault at the hands of his former lover and is suddenly in an arranged marriage with a prince in a neighboring land that has been at war with his. That place is much more progressive, and it should be freeing to the hero to go there, but he's emotionally broken by the assault and fearful of the arranged marriage. He has a valet who is mute and a great body guard, and in this new land, it seems someone is trying to either scare him off or kill him. Most of the book is him and his husband getting to know one another, healing his emotional scars, and unraveling the mystery of the attacks. As an audiobook, this was very well done....more
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