One of my goals this year is to keep up on my reviews, which many times will mean posting these mini reviews of the books I read. All of these books were published last year and were ones I really wanted to read then, but it just wasn’t meant to be. I usually spend the first couple of month of the year catching up on the previous year’s books, so I am used to this. I enjoyed all of these and look forward to reading more in the series or by their authors.
Dark Water Daughter by H.M. Long
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
This book had a very immersive atmosphere and the world building was amazing. I felt just as cold as the characters at times as they sailed across a frozen sea. I loved that we got both the perspectives of the pirates and those that are hunting them. It made for a very tantalizing cat and mouse chase at times with lots of betrayals and swashbuckling scenes.
The story is told from two perspectives, Mary Firth and Samuel Rosser. Mary is a Stormsinger, someone who controls storms and the weather through song. Samuel is a sooth, which means many things, but mostly he can track people wherever they hide. Both characters are well fleshed out with backstories that are tragic. There is a budding romance between the two, which hopefully blooms in the next book.
It is the writing that really sells this story though. I loved the immersive feel to it and the pacing for the most part was fast and furious. The plot was nicely done as was the world building. This is a fascinating world full of magical beings, some of who are enslaved, and a rich mythology that supports the story without overwhelming it.
Overall I really enjoyed this first book in this series. I am looking forward to the next book which comes out this summer, and I might even check out some of the backlist books of this author.
Shadow Baron by Davinia Evans
Publication Date: November 14, 2023
This is the second book in the Burnished City series by Davinia Evans. This is woefully underappreciated series that needs some more love. I read the first book Notorious Sorcerer back in 2022 and just loved it. I loved the characters and the world and the plot was quite riveting. This second book, was lacking a little in the pacing, but was still a really good read.
The big selling point of this story though is the huge growth in all of the characters, especially Anahid. She really stretches herself and realizes that there is more to life than what she has or thought she wanted. Siyon is also coming into his own, learning how to wield his powers, but he is struggling with his grief and his belief that he is really a fraud and has no clue what he is doing. Zagiri is also showing some nice growth into a fine young woman who wants to make a difference to those who need help. There are a lot of new additions to this story and some old friends show up as well.
The plot is quite fascinating and for the most part fast paced. It does get a little bogged down in the politics of the city, but these scenes were important to plot of the story and to the character’s overall development. The world building is continued in this book as we learn more of the history of the culture and how the city came to be and what is sleeping beneath it. There is a revolution in the air as well, but I love how everyone pulls together whenever disaster strikes, no matter what side you are on.
If you like fantasy adventures with some great characters, wonderful writing and world building than do yourself a favor and give this series a try. You won’t be disappointed.
Upon a Frosted Star by M. A. Kuzniar
Publication Date: September 28, 2023
This beautifully written book is a reimagining of the Swan Lake Ballet with some glimmers of the Great Gatsby thrown in. I loved the author’s descriptive writing, especially of the clothes, settings and the wonderful foods that everyone was eating. Like the ballet, this is a tragic love story, but I kept hoping that things would turn out better for these two artists.
Forster is the character who tells most of the story and I really liked him from the start. He has an artist’s sole and struggles to find his way with his paintings until he meets Odette. He instantly becomes obsessed with her and her tragic story, and she starts to creep into his artwork. We do get Odette’s tragic story from her point of view as well, in chapters scattered throughout the book. These were also lovely and tragic at the same time. I felt her yearning to be the best dancer and not to give that up when she realizes that her situation is not the best. I loved their shared scenes, even though they could only meet when it snowed, as that was when she became human.
The only thing I perhaps didn’t like about the book was the quickness of the ending. There also seemed to be a lot of unresolved storylines or ones that perhaps could have been explored a bit more. Especially the evil magician who placed the curse on Odette. I would have liked more explanation of his magic and how it worked.
Just like the ballet, this does not have a happy ending. In fact I think this is a bit more tragic than the ballet’s end. I was hoping for a better outcome, but this one does fit the overall tone of the book, so I am good with that.
I hope you enjoyed my slightly shorter reviews for these three books. I highly recommend all three of them as they were very good. I am looking forward to the next books in the first two series. And even though I am not a fan of the Nutcracker, I think I will check out Kuzniar’s first ballet book based on that story, as I really did enjoy her writing.
Until next time…
Confessions of a Serial Reader 