Welcome back to another edition of the Reading Roundup, where I herd all of the books I read this month into a corral and rate them on things like attractiveness, form, substance, and generally just how fun they were to hang out with.
I don’t say mean things about books, so if read something I wouldn’t recommend, I don’t list it. For transparency’s sake, I will disclose the number of books I read that didn’t make it into the corral at the end of the post.
Hell’s Spells (Ordinary Magic book 6) by Devon Monk
I preface this review with the assertion that, if you haven’t read the series and are interested in reading this book, you will want to go back and start with book one, Death and Relaxation. There are series plot things you will want to have read the prior books for. I promise not say anything spoiler-y in this review.
The review is basically that this is another smashing addition to the series, continuing with Delaney and Ryder. Xtelle, queen of demons, is back, much to my delight and all the characters’ chagrin. If you’ve read the series, prepare for some of the same gut clenching feelings of heartbreak you felt at the end of book one. I cried like four times, clearly identifying with Delaney’s feelings a little overmuch. Then, as now, I advise you as a reader to hold firm and have faith, as obviously everything turns out fine.
Or, you know, as fine as as it ever does in a town full of rampaging gods and demons. Oh, and everyone’s favorite dragon pig is back. If you haven’t read the series, allow me to tell you that YOU GET A DRAGON PIG eventually. Do you really need any more enticement than that?
The Red Tree by Caitlin Kiernan
This was my Halloween read, which I obviously didn’t finish in October, but hey, it’s 2020 so no one can judge me, right? Right?! But I digress.
So this is not in my usual wheelhouse as far as genre goes, so if this is your usual read, I am not qualified to tell you how it compares to anything else. I can say that it is superbly written and engaging. If you like weird and a little creepy, give it a go.
It honestly reminded me of a mix between Danielewski’s House of Leaves in terms of style, and Vandermeer’s Annihilation in terms of overall story feel and imagery. At turns phantasmagorical and haunting, the imagery and atmosphere the novel evokes is truly stunning.
The Emperor’s Wolves by Michelle Sagara
The surprise Severn book! This is a prequel to Sagara’s Chronicles of Elantra and focuses on the secondary character in that series, Severn. I had no idea this book was coming out until a week before it released and I was SO EXCITED because I LOVE Severn. I have been pining for more Severn for fifteen books in the other series now and this completely lived up to my hopes, dreams, and expectations.
If you’ve read the Elantra books and love Severn, don’t even think about it, just go read this. If you’re considering reading Chronicles of Elantra but not sure if you want to dive into a series that long, this book is a great testing ground for you. It stays true to the style and feel of the other series so if you like this one, it’s a good bet you’ll like that series too.
Emperor’s Wolves does contain one spoiler piece of information for the first Elantra book, but I went back and reread the first book and I honestly don’t believe what it spoils will ruin the experience of reading that book. Basically, you will know why Kaylin is so hostilely antagonistic towards Severn for most of the first Elantra book. If you absolutely can’t stand spoilers then read Cast in Shadow first.
Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao
I don’t have words to express how much I wish I’d had a book like this when I was a teenager. I don’t ever recall there being a YA section for books when I was that age, just middle grade or adult, and I honestly don’t know if there was and I just didn’t see it, but basically I went straight from reading Tamora Pierce at around ten to reading adult high fantasy. Which suited me just fine, but didn’t leave a lot of characters my age to identify with.
Ali’s struggles throughout this book—dealing with racism, navigating a first boyfriend, living in an uncommunicative family—are heartfelt and real. Though my whiteness means I have never dealt with being the object of racism, for my end there was so much to learn from Ali’s struggles, so many things to stop and think about, to remind oneself to recognize one’s privilege, to not be negligently hurtful through either ignorance or self absorption.
There is also so much to identify with here for anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, which I would wager is most people at some point in their lives. At the core of the book is a story about making your own choices, about forging your own path, and about not letting others dictate what is best for you.
Number of books I read this month that didn’t make it into the corral: 0