2025 book 150

 Premee Mohammed’s The Siege of Burning Grass

I like the stuff I’ve read by Mohammed and have been meaning to get to this one for a while, but it just won the Aurora so I bumped it up the list. It’s about a guy in a fantasy world who’s in jail for basically being a conscientious objector during a war, but now his people want him to be part of some plot against the enemy that will finally end the war. This book is kind of slow (or maybe it’s just that I’m having an exhausting week at work and didn’t have the energy) but still a compelling story about wartime and resistance. Great ending too. A/A-.

2025 book 149

 Natania Barron's Netherford Hall

I am always wishing for more queer Jane-Austen-but-with-magic type books, so this was pretty much up my alley. Our heroines are: a witch whose family has basically been wiped out in a fire, so she and her two remaining relatives have returned to their long-abandoned country house, and now she's the magical head of the family/town despite being very unprepared; and a tenant on said country property, an irrepressible young woman with a mysterious past and a secret love of the big country house. The romance here was occasionally annoying (contrived complications), and I think sometimes there were pacing issues with the romance vs the rest of the plot (there's a lot of other plot! Vampires, relatives with their own subplots, other relatives trying to steal the property, magical monsters and magical experiments, nefarious plots, etc). It all takes a little too long to come together. I liked this enough at the beginning to go ahead and buy the sequel, but I don’t think I’ll read it. B.

2025 book 148

 Mona Awad's We Love You, Bunny

Bunny is back! This is sort of a prequel, sort of a sequel, sort of its own thing--I barely remember the first one and that didn't matter at all. Anyway, the main character of Bunny has published a novel, and now her former cohort has kidnapped her to tell their side of the story. Also, there is an ax. It’s weird and hilarious and full of pretentious art people. Some sections are more compelling than others and some drag a bit, but the ending is amazing. A/A-.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in September.

2024 book 147

 Jo Walton’s Half a Crown

I really did nothing this evening except read the second two books in this trilogy! This third one finds Carmichael the reluctant head of the British version of the Gestapo, using his position to rescue Jews and get them out of the country. And the other POV character is his ward, now an 18 year old debutante planning to go to Oxford, who gets embroiled in political shenanigans. Very tense but a solid ending. Fuck fascism!

2025 book 146

 Jo Walton’s Ha’Penny

The second book in the Small Change trilogy raises the stakes a little as an actress (from a family definitely inspired by the Mitfords) gets involved in a plot to kill Hitler, while the detective from the first book is investigating the bombing death of one of her actress colleagues. Lots of shady political plots and heartbreaking moments. I don’t actually remember how this series wraps up but I hope it invokes defeating fascism bc I could use some of that right now.

2025 book 145

 Jo Walton’s Farthing

We were chatting about Jo Walton in one of my discords and I was seized with the urge to reread this series—maybe my recent reimmersion into the Mitfords? (I feel like the Mitfords, or characters based on them, pop up in this series.) Anyway, this is an alternate history/murder mystery set in a world where England declared peace with Hitler, and there’s been a murder at a fancy country house, and everyone is blaming the main character’s Jewish husband bc they’re all antisemitic jerks. (The other POV character is the detective investigating the death.) I think the antisemitism is mildly less jarring on a reread, though still upsetting. And I forgot how stressful the ending of this one is! But still riveting somehow.

2025 book 144

 Seanan McGuire's Silver and Lead

Nothing I was reading was holding my attention, which meant I had to bring out the big guns--the 19th Toby Daye book! Things are still all weird after the events of the last two books, and it turns out a bunch of powerful magical artifacts are missing, and Toby has to track them down--even though she is VERY pregnant. Of course there's lots of action and danger and feelings involved! (Also, this really leans in on the blood stuff/body horror--not pregnancy related!) I love this series and am totally along for the ride. The novella at the end is a sweet one involving Simon and his Underseas throuple. A/A-.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in September. 

2025 book 143

 Barbara Truelove’s Of Monsters and Mainframes

I’m not sure I’ve ever described a book as a “romp” before, but this book is SUCH a sci-fi romp! It involves a sentient spaceship (my fave!!!!) who starts having issues after Dracula kills all her passengers. And then other classic monsters start coming into the story. I think the pacing in the first part was a little off, or else it just stressed me out, but once we started getting more POV characters (particularly the medical AI on board), I was way more into it. Very fun. A-/B+.

2025 book 142

 Naomi Novik’s The Summer War

I was home sick and feeling puny today, and this was the perfect book to read—a really sweet novella with major fairy tale vibes and a very satisfying ending. I especially loved all the sibling relationships. I do wish this had been a full-length novel—I think there could have been a lot more going on—but this is a delightful story. A/A-.

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A review copy was provided by the publisher. This book will be released in September. 

2025 book 141

 Kate Ross’ Whom the Gods Love

The third Julian Kestrel mystery involves Julian being asked to investigate the death of a popular young gentleman who died during a party he was hosting—meaning there are loads of suspects. (One of the suspects is a Jewish businessman and some of the characters do express period-appropriate antisemitism, but the author treads fairly lightly.) Some great reveals here, and I admire how Ross maintains a light tone even while dealing with absolutely disgusting people. This series is very good. A-. 

2025 book 140

 Kate Ross’ A Broken Vessel 

The second Julian Kestrel mystery is a complicated one, involving a mysterious letter, an organization that reforms prostitutes, and Dipper’s sister (also a prostitute). Not to mention three suspects! Really fun and lively, despite some dark spots (check content warnings). I am really enjoying this series. A-.

2025 book 139

 Kate Ross’ Cut to the Quick

Rereading this first book in the Julian Kestrel series (about a Regency dandy!), because I finally got hold of copies of the other three and wanted to refresh my memory. This one involves Julian being asked to be the best man of a guy he’s only met once, which is intriguing, so he goes. And then he finds a dead body in his bed! I remembered bits and pieces of this and so it was still fun trying to puzzle it out. The grumpy doctor was a fave and I hope we’ll see him again.