The Navigating Fox

 The Navigating Fox by Christopher Rowe, 160 pages.

Quintus Shu'al is the world's only knowledgeable fox, and he alone has the power to navigate people through the silver roads. But his reputation is in shambles after the total loss of his last expedition party, so when the chance to redeem himself is presented (and to get the answers about himself that he so desperately craves) he has to take it, even if it means navigating a party of knowledgeable beasts and humans to the literal gates of hell. 

This was a really cool little book. I especially liked the worldbuilding that sat comfortably between fantasy and an alternate history where Rome never fell. Unfortunately, I feel like this cool worldbuilding might have contributed a bit to the structural confusion of this book. The bones of The Navigating Fox feel like it wants to be a fable, especially with the talking animals on a quest. However, the novella isn't really structured like a fable (for example, a strong emphasis on setting and complex characters is good for a story, but not very important for a fable), and this conflict of identity feels like it held the story back a little. That being said, it was still very fun to read! It was exciting and engaging, and I'm definitely still glad I read it, even if the ending leaves something to be desired.

Tress of the Emerald Sea

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson, 369 pages

Tress lives on a rock in the middle of the Emerald Sea. Except that the rock is an island where nobody (except fancy noblemen) is allowed to leave, and the sea isn't water but green spores that burst into fast-growing vines when they come into contact with liquid. Tress is happy with her life there, but when her beloved Charlie (a duke's son who pretends to be the gardener) is kidnapped by the Sorceress while traversing the many spore seas, Tress decides that she must do everything in her power to rescue him. Much derring-do and piracy ensues.

In an afterword to the book, Sanderson notes that he set out to write something akin to The Princess Bride, if only Buttercup had gone out to rescue Wesley instead of assuming he was dead. As much as I love the classic book and movie, Sanderson is on to something, and his book is a fantastic reimagining of that idea. Tress is a level-headed woman who takes on challenges one step at a time, learning a lot about herself as she searches for her beloved. Really, I aspire to Tress's level of cool competency and bravery. An excellent novel, with a great mix of adventure and whimsy. My only regret is that I read the hardcover, which doesn't have the cool illustrations (or the cover shown here) that accompany the original paperback — I would have loved to see a portrait of Hoid (a man cursed with bad taste) in all his glory.

Under Wildwood

Under Wildwood by Colin Meloy, 560 pages

The second book of Meloy's Oregon-set, foresty hipster fantasy trilogy finds cyclist Prue traveling back into the Impassable Wilderness to help restore the natural order to the land, once again with the help of now-bandit Curtis. But this time, they're fighting off kitsune assassins and racing against nefarious industrial titans who scoff at child labor laws and have Curtis's sisters hard at work. It's the second book in a trilogy and as such has that weird nothing's starting, nothing's finished feel about it, though my daughter and I certainly enjoyed it. Our favorite part was when Prue and Curtis encountered a community of blind shouting moles and their elaborate Fortress of Fanggg, which made us giggle every time I read it aloud. On to Book 3!