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Heart of Mist
My Thoughts The plot has a lot of familiar fantasy elements: a heroine with unknown powers, a medieval high fantasy setting with kings and knights, political rivalries, forbidden magic, class tension, corrupt royalty, and rampant abuse towards women. As the story unfolds Heart of Mist adds some refreshing twists to the classic hero’s journey. The thing that made this book really stand out to me was how the plot tackles various social issues. Bleak copes with her magical powers by drowning herself in alcohol and her struggle with drinking opens up a conversation about alcoholism in young adults, a topic not often brought up in YA novels. Bleak is a…
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The Terracotta Bride
My Thoughts The Terracotta Bride was a surprising little novella, it had a lot going for it for such a small package and can easily be read in one sitting. It was imaginative and gave me a lot to think about, I’ve never read anything like it and I honestly wish that it could have been a little longer. Due to the length of this story, I was disappointed to find that the eternal life conspiracy mentioned in the synopsis was pretty lacking. There is a brief explanation of the theory and what it could do but it was both confusing and did not feel like it was developed enough.…
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I Wish I Weren’t a Djinni
My Thoughts I Wish I Weren’t a Djinni is a run-of-the-mill genie story with a touch of romance. A young man finds a lamp, he gets three wishes, and the djinni wishes to be free. It’s a pretty standard genie story that is very predictable but still manages to be sweet. There is a little humor as the genie tries to figure out 21st-century life. After a while, though, it got a little tiring. “What happens to you once I make my third wish?” For a young adult story with mild hints of romance, there was no instalove and I found that to be refreshing. The connection between James and…
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In the Dark Corner, I Stood Alone
My Thoughts I was pretty excited to read this collection after reading the synopsis and all the praise for this book on Goodreads, I’m always on the lookout for indie gems and absolutely love short stories. While this book was certainly a quick read, I don’t feel like I particularly liked any of the stories included, and that’s pretty rare as I’m usually able to find something I like in an anthology. The primary issue that I had with this book is the way that strength of character for women is portrayed. The book celebrates what to me came off as extreme selfishness, and being ‘wronged’ in some way is…
