fantasy

The Fox Wife

THE FOX WIFE rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. The term “immersive” gets thrown around a lot, but I rarely get truly immersed in books. Yangsze Choo‘s fantasy novel THE FOX WIFE (Henry Holt/Macmillan, February 13, 2024) had me in its grip from page one. I was there in 1908 Manchuria. The novel is as stunning as […]

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Image of black oval cameo with white feminine hands holding a poppy with dog tags for a bracelet. Text says "The Warm Hands of Ghosts New York Times Bestselling Author of The Bear and The Nightingale Katherine Arden"

The Warm Hands of Ghosts

THE WARM HANDS OF GHOSTS rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. I’ve been waiting for-ev-er. Eons. Okay, five years. But that’s a long time to wait for Katherine Arden. The Winternight Trilogy is one of my favorite fantasy trilogies, hands down. THE WARM HANDS OF GHOSTS by Katherine Arden (Del Rey/Penguin Random House, February 13, 2024) ends

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Image of a red-haired woman in a black robe wearing a locket with a Nautilus shell who has skeleton hands around her throat. Text says "Projections a Novel S. E. Porter." Cover blurb says "'Sarah Porter is a genius. . . her books burn with the beautiful, ferocious intensity of a bonfire in the darkest night.'–Brittany Cavallaro"

Projections

PROJECTIONS by S. E. Porter rating: 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐. Once upon a time there was a rich boy who thought he owned a poor girl: this is the story of Gus and Catherine in the novel PROJECTIONS by S. E. Porter (Tor/Macmillan, February 13, 2024), Porter’s first adult novel. Gus obtains magical powers, which make

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Image of swirling green, blue, and gold with a masted sailing ship. Text says "New York Times Bestselling Author of Neon Gods KATEE ROBERT Hunt on Dark Waters."

Hawt Pirates

HUNT ON DARK WATERS rating: 3 stars ⭐⭐⭐. I love pirates, especially sexy ones. I’m not big on sex scenes. If a novel is well written, I am eager to get on with the plot and a blow-by-blow account (begging your pardon) in excruciating detail tends to make me skip ahead. In HUNT ON DARK

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Image shows a green female ogre holding a bun, carrying a sword and an an open book, a rat with a quill pen and a notebook, and a pet that looks like a dog with an owl head. They are all in a bookshop. Text reads: Bookshops & Bonedust Travis Baldree New York Times Bestselling Author." Cover blurb says: "'A warm hug of a book.'–T Kingfisher on Legends & Lattes."

Viv on How to Live

BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST rating: 4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐. Audiobook will bump it to 5. This honest, big-hearted orc knows what’s good. Wherever Viv is planted, she blooms. BOOKSHOPS & BONEDUST by Travis Baldree (Tor/Macmillan, November 7, 2023) is a prequel to LEGENDS & LATTES (Tor/Macmillan, November 8, 2022), which proved that the Tiktok kids are sometimes

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Cover image of a red house and tree houses in a forest. Subtitle says "A real boy and his heart. No strings attached.” Author tagline is “New York Times Bestselling author of The House in the Cerulean Sea.” Text says "In the Lives of Puppets TJ Klune."

In the Lives of Puppets

IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. We’re awash in cynicism. We’re drowning in snark. You know what is missing? Goodness. Pure, unadulterated goodness. When I think of literary goodness, I think of Bishop Myriel, even though I never got all the way through LES MISERABLES, being defeated at Waterloo. And I think

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Image has cover of starlings, keys, yellow flowers, and keys in a circular flurry. Text says "New York Times Bestselling Author Alix E. Harrow STARLING HOUSE." Text of cover blurb says "'Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent.'Olivie Blake, New York Times Bestselling Author of THE ATLAS SIX."

Starling House

STARLING HOUSE rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Like Alix E. Harrow‘s other heroines, orphan Opal is a savvy, strong-willed girl. She’s a Kentuckian, so she’s also willing to bend (or break) rules or face down any danger in order to fight for her kin. STARLING HOUSE (Tor/Macmillan, October 3, 2023) is a flipped fairy tale like

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