-
Waiting on a Bright Moon
Warnings: Sex, Violence My Thoughts It is always amazing to me the amount of world-building that can occur in such a short story, and I was captivated by the world within Waiting on a Bright Moon in which humanity has been spread across space living in colonies. Humanity remains connected through the mysterious powers of the ansibles, a small enclave of special women whose “closeness” allows them to open portals through space through the power of song. Despite their incredible powers, they are looked down on as expendable parts and are cast out due to their proclivity toward other women. The starmages are equally incredible, and I was in awe…
-
The Witch of Duva
Warnings: Violence, Implied Sexual Abuse My Thoughts I had been meaning to get around to reading something by Leigh Bardugo due to her popularity in the YA community. Though I had already picked up the original Grishaverse trilogy, I found this companion story on the Tor website and decided to give it a try. I am so happy that I stumbled across this short because I was honestly blown away. “There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls.” The Witch of Duva is a dark fantasy about a harsh winter and the mysterious disappearances of young girls in a small village. The tone of the story is…
-
Beasts Made of Night
Warnings: Violence My Thoughts I feel like such an asshole for not liking this book. The premise for this novel is so good and I was excited to pick it up. The book follows Taj, a sin eater, ancient practitioners that devour the sin of another, taking on the burden of their guilt. This practice has been documented at several points in history and although its origins are unclear it is considered to be a form of magic. Add in a dash of Nigerian mythology and this book sounds like a dream that I honestly wanted to love. Taj has a very mercenary attitude, he looks out for himself and…
-
An Enchantment of Ravens
Warnings: Mild Violence My Thoughts I won’t lie, I’m a sucker for beautiful covers and the cover for this book is easily one of my all-time favorites. The world-building in this book is pretty great, filled to the brim with fantastic imagery and seasonal-based nature magic. I also really loved that this book was heavily focused on the magic of art, which had a power all its own. My favorite part of the book was the darker take on fairy folklore that I found to be both beautiful and haunting. I liked all of the fairy side characters, their flamboyant personalities bordered on being monstrous and I really enjoyed the…
