What an absolute delight! I will be sharing this cozy story of found family and new beginnings with many friends. Legends & Lattes is a single sitting read that is best paired with a steaming hot coffee and cinnamon pastry (trust me, you'll get it).
I don't know how to talk about Nettle & Bone without gushing. It's a hero's journey. It's a retold fairytale. It's dark and grim and terrible. It has a bone dog and cackling elders and so many clever lines. It perseveres and gives you hope, at its most improbable moments. It is somehow tender. And I just want more in this world because while Marra's particular tale is complete and perfect, the rest of the world is so expansive that I want more.
"The first nice thing I ever did to my body was tear it open."
Reading this book wasn't the first nice thing I've ever done for myself, but it may be among the best. Jarboe's writing is queer and unrepentant, gay and unashamed. These stories gnawed on me, and I came away feeling holy--or maybe just full of holes, hard to say.
I read this book over Thanksgiving and that is exactly what "Legends & Lattes" is about, being thankful for the people (or hobs, rattkins, succubi...) in your life.
Viv is a retired orc with a love of coffee, a magic stone and her life savings-enough, she hopes, to make a new life for herself. But new lives don't come easily without the help of others and it will take employees and neighbors, rivals and old friends to make Viv's dreams come true.
I'd seen how popular this series was online for years, and I'm so mad I didn't read it sooner! When I finally sat down to read it, I stayed up till 5am, and ended up reading 4+ years of content in a 48-hour period. Perfect for any Greek mythology fans, this series is a romantic retelling of Hades and Persephone. It has the most beautiful art, heart-wrenching twists, and the yearning is off the charts. I cried, laughed, squealed, and screamed. READ IT!!!
Content Warning from the author: Lore Olympus regularly deals with themes of physical and mental abuse, sexual trauma, and toxic relationships. Some of the interactions in this series may be distressing for some readers. Please exercise discretion, and seek out the support of others if you require it.
Our favorite unhinged medeians are back and better than ever. I can't say too much without spoiling it, so I'll leave you with an excerpt;
"Put a pin in this weird moment you're having, would you?" she said, addressing him disinterestedly over her shoulder. "And don't drink anymore, you're bound to get all morbid. And don't kill anyone," she added as an afterthought. "Or do. It's really none of my business."
"Have you ever been in love?" Callum asked her.
"Jesus Christ, never mind. Here," she said, shoving her glass of champagne into his hands. You're embarrassing all of us."
As a dark historical fantasy, Babel gives us a new look into the history of exploitation of the British empire. I enjoyed how this book shed light on the magical links between languages and how a single word can carry many meanings.
Nona broke my heart.
Like any fan of the Locked Tomb Series, my gaze was focused on Alecto, the anticipated final book of the trilogy with its shifting publication date and promise of answers to all our questions. I did not expect Nona with her enormous heart, her love of dogs (all shapes and sizes!) and her gang of school friends. Nona with her vaguely familiar features, extremely familiar “family,” disturbing dreams and shocking role to play in all this.
When I thought I could not care more about Gideon, Harrow and the others, I met Nona. And she broke my heart.
I've seen some criticism of this book that the characters are unlikeable, and I would argue that that is what makes this book so fun. Six hot-headed, arrogant, morally gray (and sometimes morally corrupt) candidates are invited to join a secret society of magical academicians, a place where the mega-wealthy and powerful congregate to acquire knowledge hidden to the rest of the world. It's sexy, funny, thought-provoking, and contains a number of gasp-out-loud moments that left me a super fan. Book 2 is out on October 25th, 2022!
