When Among Crows

 When Among Crows by Veronica Roth, 166 pages.

In modern Chicago the Holy Order hunts monsters from Slavic folklore with swords made from there own souls. These monsters are mostly just normally communities of people, who happen to do things like eat fear and pain. Dymitir is seeking Baba Yaga, the oldest witch of all, and dragging Ala along for the journey. She is has a bloodline curse that will one day kill her, just like her mother, and Dymitir has the cure, if she's willing to help him on his mission. They have only one day before the cure fails, and their adventure will take them all over a fascinating supernatural city.

This was a really neat little novella. To be honest I picked this book up because the cover was gorgeous, but I would say I wasn't disappointed by the interesting little adventure story inside. Roth's version of Chicago was very interesting, and I learned a lot about a branch of folklore I don't know well. I also thought it had some interesting thoughts about the nature of guilt and duty. The characters were all good, and I enjoyed seeing them interact. Overall, this is a short, exciting book that's easy to tear through, and definitely worth the time. 

A Fatal Grace

 

A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny (2006), 320 pgs.

It's Christmas time in Three Pines, a quaint village in the forest of Quebec. Snow is falling on the picturesque countryside. The townsfolk are falling back into their traditions a little over a year after the murder of their dear friend. Everyone is preparing for a normal year of gift exchanges and communal meals, when a new member of the community is murdered at the annual parish curling match in a very peculiar manner. Chief Inspector Gamache returns to the town with his posse of Surete officers and attempts to unravel this befuddling case, learning that a frozen heart can be just as deadly as a winter freeze.

This is not my favorite Inspector Gamache mystery, largely due to the disrespectful way that Penny describes Crie, the daughter of the victim (I think she uses the term "grotesque" either more than once), but in this re-read, I found myself completely engrossed in the drama of the overarching mystery and side stories. The interwoven and complex motives driving each of the police officers are so intriguing and set the stage well for a larger story looming over the series. Penny fails to pick up where she left off with some character storylines from the first novel (mainly Peter and Clara's), opting instead to give an in-dept introduction to a set of new characters, but those characters are so interesting that I don't even mind. Overall, an interesting story with a lot of twists and turns but also some faults.

Long Live Evil

Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan, 464 pages

Three years into a battle with cancer, Rae has very few comforts in life, though her younger sister reading from their favorite fantasy book series while she's in the hospital is one of them. When an opportunity to join the fantasy world and cure herself with a magical flower presents itself, Rae jumps at the chance, not realizing that when she arrives, she's taken over as Rahela, the villainess of the series and foe of Rae's favorite character, the Emperor. It means a few adjustments, including getting comfy with her new seductive character, but Rae is determined to save herself with an evil plot... if she can keep the Emperor from executing her, that is.

While the beginning of this book is a bit confusing (Rae gets inserted into the fantasy world before the reader really knows anything about the world, other than that the Emperor exists), the rest of it is a lovely story of escapism, of being an antihero, of fighting hard battles, and of creating family out of outcasts and miscreants. And it's funny! Very much enjoyed it, and I look forward to the second book in the series.

Sword of the War God

Sword of the War God by Tim Hodkinson, 601 pages

When Hagan was in his first battle at just 15 years old, he witnessed the massacre of his people, the Burgundars, by a combined Roman and Hun army. Included in the death toll were his mother and the man that, until the eve of the battle, he believed was his father. Over the next 20 years, Hagan became a man without a home, traveling across Europe as parts of different armies and mercenary groups, before being sent by the Romans to Geneva, where the last Burgundars had gathered under a new king. While the new king was once Hagan's friend, something about the new position of power has corrupted him, and Hagan must do his best to stay on the king's good side, and thus stay alive.

This book was obviously well researched, and includes some really well-written battle scenes (some of which stretch on for 50+ pages). And it's nice to see historical fiction set in this largely ignored time period. However, there wasn't much depth to the characters, making it hard for me to fully care about them when their lives were on the line in the aforementioned battles. Read it if you want to read battle scenes, but find something else if you want something with a bit more meat.

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop

 Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum (trans. Shanna Tan), 312 pages

Yeongju is beyond burnt out by her high-pressure job and high-stress life, so she leaves it all behind to create the bookstore of her childhood dreams. Hyunam-Dong Bookshop isn't very flashy, just a simple neighborhood bookstore, with coffee and books to suit the owners tastes. But gradually, many other local residents come and start to find the same peace in the bookshop that Yeongju does.

This is the type of sort-of cozy book with no real plot to speak of. I occasionally found it a little slow and dry, but I also found it pretty relaxing. Virtually every character is dealing with a fairly similar burnout issue, which both allows the author to examine the problem from many angles, but also implies a broader social commentary on the work culture of South Korea. Ultimately this is a relaxed, thoughtful book about what makes up a life well-lived. I'm not sure I would recommend this book for everyone, but I'm sure there are many people who will enjoy it, especially going into the dark and reflective portion of the year.  

Tangled Up in You

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren (2024) 309 pages

Ren is 22 years old and has been homeschooled all her life, self-taught while helping take care of her family's farm in Idaho. They are off the grid, with no telephone and no internet. Her parents, who tend to be closed-mouthed, have finally ok'd her going to college in Spokane after she secretly applied and was accepted to Corona College on a full-paid scholarship, including room and board. The catch is that she can't go off campus and she must come home every weekend to catch up on her farm chores. No boys, no booze, no restaurants, no makeup, etc., etc.

On campus, Ren is totally mesmerized, and in spite of her inexperience at modern life, she's doing well. A guy she's met, Fitz, has a requirement to be at the top of each of his classes, but now, in his last semester, Fitz's future is threatened by Ren's top grades in a science class they share. Each member of the class has submitted their DNA as part of the curriculum, and the results have Ren confused. In an improbable moment, she foists herself into Fitz's road trip plans and they take off across the country. If you can accept that the driving times don't match up with reality, and also accept a few other highly unlikely occurrences, then look for a fun-filled story, with a backstory that takes its time to be revealed.

The Murders in Great Diddling

The Murders in Great Diddling by Katarina Bivald (2024) 392 pages

Berit Gardner is a writer with 10 books to her name, but she has been suffering from a lingering case of writer's block. She recently moved from London to the village of Great Diddling, hopeful that being among the quirky residents will help get her writing again.

During a tea party in the village, at the Tawny Hall estate, an explosion kills a man that no one likes, a man who had informed several shopkeepers that they will be evicted. Detective Chief Inspector Ian Ahmed and his team determine that the death was not an accident. Suspects include several of the tea party guests. Berit, the author, and DCI Ahmed share a number of conversations about possible suspects and motives. Berit looks at the murder as if it were a novel, trying to figure out the characters and the plot, how the pieces fit together, and what information is still missing.

The eccentric characters and their interactions are compelling. For many of them, there are tantalizing unknowns in their backstories to keep the reader guessing about their possible guilt. When the villagers decide to host a book and murder festival while the murder investigation is still underway, it is a bit crazy, especially on short notice. Fun story!

Hunted

Hunted by Abir Mukherjee, 382 pages

With just a week to go before a hotly contested presidential election, the whole country is on edge. A suicide bomber at a mall in Los Angeles, specifically a Middle Eastern young woman, makes everything even more precarious, with the ranting right wing candidate spouting more "close the border" and "ban Muslims" talks at his final rallies before election day. FBI agent Shreya Mistry is convinced that more attacks are coming, and is determined to do anything she can to track down the cell responsible for the bombing, even if it means ignoring everything her superiors tell her to do.

There's something very reminiscent of 24 about this book, with a tight timeline, escalating terrorist plots, and conspiracies galore. I appreciated that the points of view managed to encompass people on all sides, including the radicalized young women and men of the cell, the FBI agents, and the parents of the radicalized young adults who are just trying to find their children before it's too late. Were there some things that were completely unbelievable? Absolutely. Was it tough to read right after our own tight presidential election? Definitely. Was it better than I expected anyway? You bet.

The Sky on Fire

The Sky on Fire by Jenn Lyons, 433 pages

Seventeen years ago, Anahrod was the daughter of the mayor, a potential dragonrider, and had a bright future ahead of her. But then she did something that caused the elder dragons to call for her immediate execution, which her parents didn't hesitate to grant. Miraculously, however, she survived, and those same elder dragons are now calling for her head again. Meanwhile, she's being tracked by a motley crew of kidnappers who have their own reasons for wanting to track her down, and Anahrod's main goal is to survive the kidnappers and the dragons to get back to the life she's been living in exile.

The world created in this book is excellent, and I think there's a lot to explore in the relationships between the dragons and their people. However, I also think the author tried to shove too many plot devices into a single book, which made me feel like I was being dragged around the setting by a feral creature. Really, this could've been two books, if not more. (But props are due to the artist for this amazing cover. Well done!)

Death in the Spires

Death in the Spires by KJ Charles, 272 pages

Almost a decade ago, the murder of gregarious Toby Feynsham tore apart a close-knit group of friends at Oxford. Why? Because one of them did it, but nobody ever was prosecuted for the crime. So when identical notes claiming each surviving friend a murderer arrive at their places of business, one of them, Jem Kite, loses his job due to the notoriety and decides to spend his suddenly free time tracking down not only the letter-writer, but also the murderer.

Told both in "present day" 1905 and flashbacks to the friends' time at Oxford in the 1890s, this historical mystery is complex and compelling, and a look at how privilege plays out in school, life, and even murder investigations. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this one.