Every Thursday, I will post a new book review here. Check back for the latest reads.
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The Heart of the World (Book 2): A bit slow
Book 2 and finale in the Isles of the Gods duology.
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The Will of the Many (Hierarchy 1): A top read
Vis Telimus, a young man with a hidden past, is trying to save up for passage away from the empire that orphaned him. But then a senator uses the guise of adoption to force Vis into an elite academy for his own ends. Now Vis is suddenly mired in state secrets, and he must fight…
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The Death of Jane Lawrence: Strange and speculative
Jane proposes a marriage of convenience to the local surgeon, whose only rule is that she never join him at his manor. When fate forces her there, she learns the good doctor is hiding some dark secrets.
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She Started It: Mean girls and murder
Four women receive an invitation to a tropical bachelorette getaway. There’s just one problem: the hostess is Poppy Greer, an old schoolmate they bullied as teenagers.
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Babel: Long and didactic
Robin, a Chinese man raised in linguistics by a cold English professor, attends a prestigious language school that also specializes in a specific type of magic. While there, Robin must eventually confront cruel injustices and decide the role he wants to play in this world.
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The Tiger Came to the Mountains: Reflective and engaging
In war-torn Mexico, a young girl’s family goes to hide in the mountains. There, her resolve to protect her brother is tested.
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The Mirror Visitor: Full series review
Ophelia, a young woman who can travel through mirrors and see the past of objects through touch, is forced into an engagement and made to move to her fiancé’s homeland, where court politics and cruelty reign supreme. Ophelia is just a pawn in their game, and she must keep her wits about her if she’s…
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Godkiller (Book 1): A slower-paced quest story
Kissen, a god-killing mercenary, is saddled with a young noble girl who inexplicably has a small god tethered to her soul. Joined by a disillusioned former-knight-turned-baker, the unlikely group must travel to a ruined city where the last of the wild gods reside.
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Half a Soul: Delightful
After a faerie steals half her soul in her youth, Dora no longer feels emotions like fear or embarrassment, which can leave a young woman vulnerable to much accidental scandal in regency-era England. When the uncouth noble magician, Elias, discovers her condition, she is swept up in his magical affairs.
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Blood Over Bright Haven: Devastating
The city of Tiran’s first female highmage and her indigenous lab assistant discover a horrifying secret that could destroy their city, if it doesn’t destroy them first.
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Undercover: Goulish crime noir
A stranger comes to a gang-run town and takes on the most unwanted job: bodyguard to a ghoul.
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A Dark and Drowning Tide: Magical and immersive
Lorelai, a folklorist, has worked hard for a place on an expedition to find a magical spring, only for it to all go wrong when someone is murdered. Now Lorelai is in charge, and she must work with her academic rival to both complete the mission and solve the murder.
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The Lion Women of Tehran: Thought-provoking and compelling
This story follows the wealthy, high-born Ellie and her best friend from the slums, Homa, as they grow up in midcentury Tehran, facing both life and political oppression – sometimes from opposite sides.
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When the Moon Hatched (Book 1): A plotless mess
An assassin finds herself swept up with a king from another nation, unexpectedly plunging her into the unknown mysteries of her past.
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Love on the Brain: Basic, but fun
Neuroscientist Dr. Bee Königswasser is sent to NASA for a joint project, only to find out she’s co-leading with her grad school nemesis, Levi Ward.
