Masquerade

Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi, 340 pages

Òdòdó has followed in her mother's footsteps, becoming a blacksmith in Timbuktu, despite the social shunning and poor living conditions that come with the vocation. After the city is conquered by the king of Yorùbáland, Òdòdó is kidnapped and only realizes when she arrives in the capital city that she's been picked to be the king's wife. Her rapid escalation from the bottom to the top of society is not a popular change among many (including the king's mother and many of his advisors), but Òdòdó is determined to make the most of it without losing track of her past.

Very loosely based on the myth of Persphone, Masquerade is a fascinating tale that brings to life western Africa before the transatlantic slave trade. As with all books that take place so far in the past, and in a culture with which I'm not particularly familiar, I wonder how much of this is based on actual traditions and events, but really, it doesn't detract from the story at all. It's an excellent book, and I highly recommend it. 

(Note: why this book was ever marketed as fantasy is beyond me. Is it just because it's non-Western and the names are hard to pronounce and spell for us? I hope not.)

A Sorceress Comes to Call

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher, 325 pages

Regan did an EXCELLENT job of summarizing this book, so I'm not going to try to rewrite it here. Instead, I'll just send you straight to her blog post. I'm a diehard T. Kingfisher fan, and this one did not disappoint. I'm always impressed by the way in which she creates intelligent, caring, no-nonsense protagonists, particularly when they're older (like Hester in this book). Loved this book, despite the many horrors it includes.

The Twilight Garden

The Twilight Garden by Sara Nisha Adams, 391 pages

In a small London neighborhood, two of those neighbors are at odds, as neighbors sometimes are. But these two also have the quirky complication of a shared garden, one that once used to be a cheerful gathering spot for the community but in the intervening years has become overgrown and neglected. Bouncing back and forth between the early days of the garden and the modern struggle, the book illustrates how a bit of dirt and hard work can create a community. It's a heartwarming story, and one that will certainly resonate with many readers.

Moon of the Turning Leaves

Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice, 305 pages

A dozen years after the breakdown of society caused them to flee to northern Ontario, the an Anishinaabe community has come to the conclusion that declining resources mean they must venture back south. They send a group of scouts in search of their ancestral land, a journey that is dangerous enough that no one has ever returned from it. As the six travelers make their way toward the Great Lakes, they encounter hauntingly empty cities, crazed gun-toting cultists, and even a handful of potential allies. But will they reach their destination? And if they do, will it be safe for the remainder of their community to join them?

A slow and thoughtful book, this post-apocalyptic tale will appeal to fans of Station Eleven and When the English Fall, both of which involve communities learning to cope with their new dystopian normal. This one, however, includes elements of the Anishinaabe tribal customs, which adds to the impact of the novel. This is a sequel (to Moon of the Crusted Snow) though I didn't realize that until after I read it — it easily stands alone.

A Haunting in the Arctic

A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke, 340 pages

A shipwreck on the northern coast of Iceland since a horrific incident in the 1970s, the Ormen is scheduled to be demolished soon. Travel Tiktoker Dominique has decided to make a midwinter trek to document the former whaling ship-turned-research vessel's history and last days. Not long after she arrives, three more influencers do too with the same idea, though none of them seem to be seeing or hearing any of the supernatural things Dominique does. Interspersed with Dominique's story is the tale of Nicky, the daughter of a whaling tycoon who wakes up aboard the Ormen in 1901, trapped on a boat full of men that only want one thing from her...

This book swings between horrific and eerie, depending on whose story is being told. It's chilling (literally — it's the Arctic, it's right there in the title — though there are definitely a few questionable elements as the twists at the end are revealed. Not a bad book to read, though I much prefer Cooke's The Lighthouse Witches.

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Like Mother, Like Daughter by Kimberly McCreight, 306 pages

Cleo's mom, Katrina, has been bugging her FOREVER to come home for dinner in the hopes of starting to repair their strained relationship. But when Cleo gets home and finds smears of blood instead of her mom, she starts learning more about her parents than she ever expected. Like the fact that they're getting divorced. And that her mom's boring "patent attorney" job is WAY more dangerous and complicated than Cleo ever expected. Oh, and there's something BAD in Katrina's past that has recently resurfaced.

This started out as a compelling thriller, but as it went on, it got a bit too crazy, with SO MANY different plots coming together and an ending that kinda came out of nowhere. Not horrible, but definitely not the best thriller I've read recently by any means.

Spitting Gold

Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis, 290 pages

Now that she's safely married to a baron, Sylvie believes that she has fully escaped the life she left behind, one in which she and her sister, Charlotte, conned grieving families by posing as spirit mediums. But when Charlotte comes calling asking for help with one more con that could help pay the medical bills for their dying father, Sylvie can't say no. However, once they start the con, Sylvie quickly realizes that not everything is as it seems. Either Charlotte's pulling something on her own, or there actually is a spirit in the house.

Set in Paris in the 1860s, this gothic story is full of atmosphere and nods to the French Revolution (as that's when the spirit they're supposed to be reaching died). It's also full of intriguing twists and a bit of commentary about the constraints placed on women at the time. A good gothic read, one in which I hesitate to mention anything else for fear of spoiling it.

The Spellshop

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst, 376 pages

Librarian Kiela has always been an introvert, to the point that her sole friend is a sentient spider plant named Caz. So when a revolution in the capital city finally extends to the library of spellbooks where Kiela works (and lives, actually), she takes as many of the books as she can, packs up Caz, and leaves on the nearest boat to flee to her long-ago island home. Once she's there, she realizes that the magic that had once been maintained by imperial magicians has deteriorated, and with her stash of stolen spellbooks, she has the chance to help. But in order to do so, she's going to have to figure out a way to hide the magic from the nosy (let's face it, they're just friendly) neighbors.

Full of jam and fresh-baked muffins and merhorses and flying cats, this fantasy is the coziest of all cozy fantasies, and it's perfect for a cold winter day. Perfect for fans of Travis Baldree and Rebecca Thorne, or anyone hoping for a gentle escape.

The Puzzle Box

The Puzzle Box by Danielle Trussoni, 324 pages

Since an accident in his teens rewired his brain, Mike Brink has been nearly unstoppable at solving puzzles of all kinds. So when he is invited by the Japanese emperor to attempt solving the legendary Dragon Box (a possibly mythical puzzle box that has, legend has it, killed all previous potential solvers, and even those who have simply touched it), he can't back down from the challenge, no matter how potentially deadly it is. However, as complex as the puzzle box is, there are even more complications involved, as a rival group is doing everything it can to stop Brink's effort and steal the box.

It's been a long time since I've read a good puzzle-centric thriller, and this one definitely is a propulsive page-turner. Is it 100% believable? Not at all. But it's a fun read, one I'd recommend to anyone that misses the puzzly bits of The Da Vinci Code. This is the second book in the series (The Puzzle Master is book 1), and I enjoyed it even though I hadn't read the first one. I will definitely be going back to do that though.

The Cruelest Month

The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny (2007), 320 pgs.

It is Easter in Three Pines, and the townspeople are having a seance. Inspector Gamache returns to this place and group of people he has come to know and care deeply for--this time to investigate the mysterious death of one of the seance attendees. While he is able to get away from the bustling city life, searching for answers in this idyllic village, he realizes that he cannot escape the past which rushes toward him, emanating destruction like a wintry storm in spring.

The questions that Penny raises in this novel about psychology and betrayal and kindness are at the heart of why this story works so well. Particularly the idea of the "near enemy" (compassion/pity, love/attachment, equanimity/indifference) changed my perspective on life. The Surete subplot with its devastatingly real connections to recent, real-life Canadian (and US) history steals the show and leaves a lasting impact on both the reader and the series. The narrative does have its faults, namely the final explanation sequence which feels a little clunky and out of place. Despite this issue, I would definitely recommend this book as a solid mystery which leaves you with some interesting ideas to ponder.