unique reads

Review: Bitter Is the Heart by Mina Hardy

~ megs14malloy ~ Leave a comment

Bitter Is the HeartBitter Is the Heart by Mina Hardy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

**4.5-stars rounded up**

Bitter is the Heart took me by surprise. This story grabbed hold of me from the first chapter and never let go.

It was shocking, upsetting, disgusting, disturbing, toe-curling and eye-opening all at once.

In this novel we follow Tamar Glass, a woman haunted by childhood trauma who suddenly finds herself stuck caring for her abusive elderly mother, Ruth.

Tamar as a main character had my heart from the start. When I say she is haunted by her childhood, I mean it. There’s so much to unpack as far as her past relationship with her mother, as well as her father’s death, and even her relationship with her sister, Lovey.

Tamar is also starting to feel the effects of menopause and she has been through a divorce and is now on her own for the first time as an adult. Then mother arrives.

Ruth, Tamar’s mother, is reintroduced to her life in a disturbing way. Tamar wakes one night to find her Mom looming in the dark of her bedroom.

Ruth had been living in an Assisted Living facility 15-miles away and she had never been to Tamar’s house. How the heck did she end up there?

That scene set the tone for the entire novel. Hardy built out this story so well. She built the drama continuously. It’s brutal at times, but I was with Tamar all the way. I think some interactions between Tamar and Ruth could be shocking to some, but I feel like they felt natural and made perfect sense to me.

I feel like this book could have hit especially hard for me because I am close to the same point in my life that Tamar is, and while I can’t say I’ve been through the family struggles that she has, I can relate to a lot of the other aspects of her experiences.

I love that after her divorce she had returned to her hometown after a long period of time away. This did allow her to reconnect with people from her past, including her high school boyfriend, Miguel, who plays an important role in this story.

Incidentally, I also had a hs-boyfriend named Miguel…

There were so many scenes in this that left me with absolute chills, jaw on the floor, completely disturbed and needing more information. Once Ruth gets kicked out of her Assisted Living facility and moves in with Tamar, there was no turning back. It was high speed ahead.

Additionally, I loved the religious elements of this. Tamara is Jewish, and the Jewish faith was incorporated into this story in a big way. I had never read anything where it was done to this extent, and with this many impactful conversations. I feel like this will stand out in my memory because of that representation.

The only negative I can think of was there was a scene involving a puppy that I had to skip through. You’ll see it coming, Readers sensitive to animal content beware. Besides that, I was completely enamored with this story.

I noticed the synopsis recommends this for fans of Cassandra Khaw and T. Kingfisher. The Khaw comp I don’t get at all. I do see Kingfisher, for sure. While Hardy doesn’t include as much dark humor as Kingfisher does, the Domestic Horror elements and Tamar’s dry delivery of her thoughts do line up with things such as A House with Good Bones, The Hollow Places and The Twisted Ones.

When I was reading this I kept thinking of Ainslie Hogarth’s Motherthing, which I really enjoyed a couple years ago. I ended up connecting with this one more though because I feel like this has a more cohesive and traditional narrative style, which was easier for me to follow.

I also saw my friend, Crystal, compare this to My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon and I completely agree with that. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that myself while reading it.

If you enjoyed any of the books or authors listed above, you need to check this out. If you enjoy Domestic Horror, or Horror that incorporates Religious elements, you need to pick this up. If you just love Horror and always enjoy diving into a fun, disturbing story, you need to pick this up.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media, for providing me with copies to read and review. The audiobook was so well done. I loved this and can’t wait for more from Mina Hardy!

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Review: The Nightingale’s Castle: A Novel of Erzsébet Báthory by Sonia Velton

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The Nightingale's Castle: A Novel of Erzsébet Báthory, the Blood CountessThe Nightingale’s Castle: A Novel of Erzsébet Báthory, the Blood Countess by Sonia Velton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Admittedly, I don’t read a lot of Historical Fiction. When I do, I prefer it to be of the Gothic variety, and luckily, that’s exactly what I found here.

I saw friends enjoying this, so of course, FOMO hit me like a ton of bricks and I wanted to read it ASAP. It wasn’t a hard sell considering I’ll read anything even remotely related to the legend of Erzsébet Báthory!

Legend names Erzsébet Báthory, a Hungarian noblewoman, as the most prolific female serial killer of all time. Her likeness and story have been reimagined countless times in fictional media, seemingly getting more bloody and brutal with each retelling.

Sonia Velton put a much different spin on the story of the reputed Blood Countess. I’ve gotta say, I will never think of Báthory the same way again. This was so well done. Incredibly creative and if the Author’s Note is any tell, extremely well researched.

I feel like Velton took great care with this story. I loved how it was developed and all pieced together. The characters were fascinating and the bits at the end containing portions of the trial were uber-compelling.

When Erzsébet was charged with her alleged crimes, four of her servants were accused alongside her as accomplices. In this novel, we meet those people closest to Erzsébet, her inner circle, and find out what life may have been like for them inside the castle walls.

Our main focus is a young girl, Boróka, who is one of the most recent additions to the household. She quickly rises to be one of the Countess’s most trusted companions.

This story builds with us learning about all these key players, as well as the Countess herself. There are some nasty people there. It’s not surprising, once you get to know them, how this ultimately played out. It’s rife with deceit, backstabbing and lies.

Even though this is a bit out of my comfort zone, I did truly appreciate what the author did here. I’m so glad I made time for this story and would absolutely be interested in picking up more from Sonia Velton.

Thank you to the publisher, Harper Perennial, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I would definitely recommend this to Historical Fiction and Gothic Fiction Readers, as well as anyone interested in the legend of Erzsébet Báthory.

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Review: Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (The Ernest Cunningham Mysteries #3) by Benjamin Stevenson

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Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (The Ernest Cunningham Mysteries, #3)Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars rounded up**

🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄🎅🎄

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret is the 3rd-installment to the delightfully-meta Ernest Cunningham Mysteries series.

It’s also the perfect novella to kick off your holiday spirit!!

I binged the first 2-books in this series recently and was really excited for this holiday-focused mystery story. I definitely feel like Stevenson nailed the holiday vibes and I really enjoyed my time with it.

I rated it a little lower than the previous two stories merely because my enjoyment level wasn’t quite as high with this one as those other novels. I think it’s simply a case of there not being enough time to really feel fully immersed, or pulled, into this one.

It was still a fun mystery and I enjoyed the set-up involving Ernie’s ex. I also found the inclusion of the magician, and everyone one involved in his show, exciting and different.

As always, I loved the little nods to classic mystery stories; particularly those of Agatha Christie. My favorite part of this though was Ernie’s rules for Christmas Specials. That was so funny, and also, very true.

It sounds like there is another full-length novel in the works right now and I can’t wait for more information on it. No matter what it is about, I will be first in line.

I love this series so, so much, and definitely recommend the audiobooks for anyone looking to get into the series. The narration is perfect for this unique storytelling style.

Thank you to the publisher, Mariner Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

Overall, this is a cute, fun, quick Christmas Special following Ernie Cunningham doing what he does best:

solving murders!

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Review: Red in Tooth and Claw by Lish McBride

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Red in Tooth and ClawRed in Tooth and Claw by Lish McBride
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

**3.5-stars**

Red in Tooth and Claw is a very original and quite strange YA story. I loved the overall tone, but didn’t find it particularly compelling. Therefore, it’s a tough one to rate.

It took me what felt like forever to read, over 2-weeks for 400-pages is a long time, but I would still say I enjoyed it. I think maybe the pacing was a little off for me. That was my biggest issue with it, and that’s not bad.

This story follows Faolan Kelly after her beloved grandfather, her sole guardian and only remaining family member, passes away.

She’s now alone in the world, and essentially homeless, as the local powers that be don’t feel like a young person of 16 is mature enough to take over the family homestead.

They also think Faolan is a young man, which is how her grandfather wanted it. Life was too dangerous for girls then, and if they found out, she would be married off as soon as possible. Her life no longer her own.

After his death, Faolan continues on with the charade. She’s not ready to expose her true self. It would change everything, and her life is already in enough turmoil as it is. She can only take one step at a time.

The mayor, appointing himself as the decider of Faolan’s fate, decides to have them shipped off to the Settlement; a remote outpost, home to many societal outcasts. The place is mysterious, and Faolan has no idea what to expect.

She goes though, because honestly, she’s out of options. Paired up with a gunslinger, to ensure her safe passage, Faolan decides to just keep her head down and bide her time until she can hopefully get her Grandfather’s property back.

Once she’s there, the mysteries of the Settlement only expand. The people she meets, the rules, their leader, it’s all so strange. What is the point of this whole thing? Why all the rules, and what’s lurking around at night?

While this wasn’t a touchdown for me, there were definitely many aspects of this story that I felt the author did really well and that I thoroughly appreciated.

First and foremost would be the atmosphere and overall vibe of the Settlement itself. I loved the slow build of the world and was fascinated with the idea of the Settlement. It’s clear it was meant to have a sort of quasi-religious component, and I felt like the author portrayed that really well.

It felt cultish. I feared for Faolan’s safety from the moment she got there. The unsettling feelings were only enhanced when Faolan begins hearing crazy noises at night.

It’s not all bad and scary though. Faolan does make some allies at the Settlement, including the fabulous Ms. Moon, and young loves, Jesse and Dai Lo.

With these new friends, as well as a few others, a lovely found family element is eventually established, which I always love to see.

There is a bit of a mystery too, as some people end up dead under very mysterious circumstance and Faolon investigates what was the cause of those deaths. Trust me when I say, I never could have predicted the direction this eventually took.

It was so bizarre, but I still really enjoyed it. I loved the Western feel and concepts. It was very different, unlike anything I’ve ever read and I walk away impressed with this author’s creativity and vivid imagination.

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This won’t be the last I read from Lish McBride!

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Review: We Kept Her In the Cellar by W.R. Gorman

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We Kept Her In the CellarWe Kept Her In the Cellar by W.R. Gorman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

**4.5-stars**

We Kept Her In the Cellar is a wildly-imaginative and uber-dark Cinderella reimagining. As it turns out, it’s also the Dark Fairy Tale of my slightly-disturbed dreams.

This story follows Eunice, who at the beginning of our tale is just 11-years old and her mother is about to be married to a man who has a daughter, Cinderella.

The blending of the families is rife with unsettling occurrences from the very start.

Eunice learns the rules for dealing with Cinderella, but it’s not an easy life. She basically takes on the role of caregiver, even when she herself is a child.

Cinderella has dark and terrifying powers. It’s almost impossible for her interact with the rest of the world. She needs to be handled at all times. Hence why the family keeps her mostly imprisoned in their cellar.

After Eunice, now 18, befriends charming Prince Credence, she begins to see the possibilities outside of their home. Why should she be shackled within like Cinderella? She’s done nothing wrong and wants a life.

Eunice even receives an invitation to the Prince’s Ball and is determined to go. This could be her chance to break free.

However, on the night she’s set to go, it’s actually Cinderella who breaks free with disastrous consequences. Using her vast eldritch powers, Cinderella ends up attending the Ball and enrapturing the Prince with her beauty and grace.

At midnight, she leaves behind a trail of destruction and a single green glass slipper. I think you know a bit of what happens from there, or do you?

I read the synopsis of this so long ago, that by the time I got around to picking it up, I had actually forgotten it was a Cinderella reimagining.

I was expecting Horror and I certainly got that, but I also got enough of my Dark Fairy Tale fix to last me a good long while. This one is going to stick in my brain, that’s for sure.

By 5% in, W.R. Gorman had my jaw on the floor. This story waits no time to take off. It’s 0-to-60 with this one.

I loved Eunice as a character and loved learning all about Cinderella along with her. To think, Eunice had a fairly normal life until her mother needed to remarry. That’s the choice that changed her life forever.

Eunice’s younger sister Hortense was only 5-years old when Cinderella arrived. Cinderella’s needs required a lot of Eunice’s time and I felt bad for poor Hortense, who didn’t really understand why her beloved older sister, Eunice, no longer had the time to play with her.

It really did a number on this family. I liked Cinderella’s father. I felt for him. It seemed like he was also doing the best he could, and he did really seem to care for Eunice, Hortense and their mother.

Cinderella was like nothing I had ever read before. She never ceased to surprise and amaze me with her powers and actions. When I say this, read it as, she’s terrifying.

This story was so engaging. It sucked me in. I loved the choices Gorman made as far the connections with the original Cinderella story and how twisted they are here. It’s incredibly clever and inspired.

The Body Horror is fantastic and there’s a lot of it, which we love to see. I’m talking super cringe, toe-curling moments on the regular. Also, I did listen to the audiobook which was fabulous. It is narrated by EJ Lavery, whose voice work definitely added to the dark whimsy of this tale.

My only complaint is I felt it was resolved a little too easily. After this gloriously-grotesque and dark build-up, I was a wee surprised at how quickly it wrapped up.

I did like the delightful little tid-bit we learned at the end though, regarding the aftermath, or lingering result of it all. In a way though, you could just look at this as a compliment. It just means I wanted more.

Honestly, I could read another entire volume following this cast of characters and set within this world. C’mon, Gorman, how about a sequel!?

Thank you so much to the publishers, Crooked Lane Books and HighBridge Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

I would absolutely recommend this story to Horror Readers, and Dark Fairy Tale Readers, particularly if you love a lot of Body Horror. I can’t wait for more from this author!

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Review: Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano

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Dead ElevenDead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A super unique and thought-provoking story, with a wonderfully-produced audiobook to boot. I’m so glad I finally made time for Dead Eleven.

I’ll admit, it took me a minute to adjust to the flow of this one, and by a minute, I mean about 15%, but once I did, OMG, I couldn’t stop. I needed answers.

This is such a fascinating set-up. I really don’t want to say too much about the plot, as I feel like it would be best enjoyed if you go in knowing as little as possible.

We do mainly follow three distinct POVs. Willow, her brother, Harper, and a teenage girl, Lily. As I met these characters at the beginning of the story, each one was more interesting than the last. It was hard to be introduced to them and not walk away with a million questions.

My mind was spinning in such a fun way. As you are told in the synopsis, the meat of this story is set on Clifford Island, and the questions revolve around the island itself.

It’s an odd place, with the residents seemingly stuck on one day in 1994. Lily has grown up there, but both Willow and Harper travel there from away.

Their observations are a large part of how you, the Reader, learn about the traditions and practices on this island. Lily though, seems fed up with the way things are; like she’s willing to make a change. Will these three individuals be the actors that finally cause a change on Clifford?

While the ultimate trope, or ideas used to explain what is going on, aren’t my favorite, this is probably the best I’ve seen it done. I was really impressed with this.

I loved the unsettling vibes that Juliano successfully carried throughout this detailed narrative. This is such a fantastic debut. I’ll be on the end of my seat until I know what this author plans to release next. If it is half as good as this, we’re in for a treat.

If you are a Horror Reader who craves a creepy atmosphere, full of mysterious dangers and lots of captivating characters, you absolutely need to give this one a shot. It’s perfect for this time of year!

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Review: Devils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton

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Devils Kill DevilsDevils Kill Devils by Johnny Compton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After a promising beginning, Devils Kill Devils took a nosedive off a cliff, Thelma and Louise-style, for me.

I respect this author for their creativity, but I think someone should have reined this in and given it more focused perspectives. It was extremely difficult to follow.

I was excited for more from Johnny Compton after really enjoying The Spite House last year. This one sounded different content-wise, but I was looking forward to returning to Compton’s captivating storytelling.

While I can say I still enjoyed the quality of Compton’s writing: his word choices, the rhythm of his sentences, his descriptions in the Horror bits, the complex fantastical elements in this were not for me.

I won’t attempt to summarize what this story contains, because honestly, I only truly understood one perspective, Sarita, and by the end, even she’d lost me.

Admittedly, Horror Fantasy isn’t my fave subgenre, but this was strange, even for me, and I like some weird stuff.

I kept pushing on though, even once I stopped enjoying it, because I was waiting for the other shoe to drop; for the light-bulb moment where it would suddenly make sense.

Unfortunately, that never happened, and the further I got, the more disheartened I felt about the whole experience. Before you call me names, or trash me in the comments, I did read this with a friend and we both struggled to make sense of it, so I’m confident it’s not just me.

It almost felt like it was trying to do too much without an easily understandable structure. It was all over the place.

Jarring jumps between POVs, staying for long periods of time within character’s thoughts, which became boring, and huge info dumps regarding the world/concepts, are just a few of my complaints.

The later bits dragged for me as well and by the end, I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

With all this being said, this isn’t the end of the road for my relationship with Compton. Even though this one didn’t work for me, I will be picking up his next book.

I am hoping it goes back more to The Spite House territory than this, but only time will tell.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

The audiobook narration from Imani Jade Powers was excellent and I do recommend that format if you are going to pick this one up.

Finally, a little reminder, just because this didn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. If the synopsis sounds intriguing, give it a go. You’ve got nothing to lose and you could just find a new favorite!

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Review: Under the Surface by Diana Urban

~ megs14malloy

Under the SurfaceUnder the Surface by Diana Urban
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Under the Surface is the latest Thriller from one of my go-to YA authors, Diana Urban. I have been soooooo freaking excited about this one. I love Urban’s stories and synopsis for this sounded hella fun.

Teens trapped in the Paris Catacombs, yes, please!

This story follows Ruby and Sean, two teens enjoying Paris on a class trip. Ruby and Sean are good friends, but lately their feelings for each other have started to lean in a more romantic direction.

They’re both excited to escape from their regular lives for a bit and experience the City of Light together. It doesn’t get any more romantic than that.

Their romantic aspirations are derailed, however, when Ruby’s best friend, Val, sneaks away on the first night to meet up with a French boy she had met earlier in the day.

Not wanting Val to get in trouble, Ruby goes after her, hoping to bring her back before getting caught. In an unfortunate set of events, Ruby ends up reining other classmates, Selena and Olivia, into her endeavor.

When they find Val, she’s with the mystery boy and he has an enticing offer; the chance to attend an exclusive party underground in the infamous catacombs of Paris.

This intricate maze of galleries and tunnels were once used by the city as a way to house their dead, due to serious health concerns regarding overflowing cemeteries. It’s believed that over 6-million bodies were stored there.

As you can imagine, these catacombs are fascinating to many people. The girls weren’t immune. They were dying to explore this underground tunnel system.

Unable to find the party and feeling like they are being watched, and worse, possibly chased, the crew of teens end up hopelessly lost under the surface.

Up above, Sean is the first to suspect that something may be seriously wrong. It’s not like Ruby to disappear without telling anyone. Certainly not overnight. He won’t rest until the adults start to him seriously and begin a search.

And if they won’t, he’ll find her himself.

This book sucked me in pretty quickly. I loved the idea of these teens being in Paris on a Senior Trip and then having the ultimate misadventure. I had no idea how stressful it would become though.

Originally, I rated this 3.5-stars and rounded up to 4, mainly because it did slow down a bit for me in the 2nd-half; that being my only critique, that it’s a tiny bit too long.

With this being said, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, so decided a straight 4-star rating was more true to my experience.

I feel like Urban did a sensational job building the tension in this story. The level of claustrophobia and panic I started to feel, it was real.

Even considering being in the place of Ruby, Val, Olivia, or Selena, OMG, I can’t even imagine how horrifying it would be. Sometimes when I was reading, I had to get up and walk around, to stretch and take a break. It got that stressful, all whilst remaining entertaining.

The interpersonal drama is very YA, but it is a book for Teens, so what else would we expect. It fits the target audience. Also, that never bothers me. If it did, I wouldn’t gravitate towards YA books so often.

I do feel Urban did a great job making these characters relatable as well. They’re all going through different struggles common to the Teen experience. If anything, that should only help to connect Readers more with this story and the nail-biting events contained herein.

The things that happened in the catacombs, it got wild. Urban took it in a direction I wasn’t expecting. For me, I wouldn’t say I disliked the direction it took, but once certain things were revealed, I was slightly disappointed.

In saying this, I am not really critiquing the book, it’s not my story to tell and it’s 100% personal taste, but I just wish it hadn’t gone down certain paths, if you will.

Because of this, the first half was stronger for me than the second, however, I do think overall this is still an exciting YA Thriller, toeing the line into Horror. It succeeded in making me feel claustrophobic almost the whole way through!

Thank you to the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for YR, for providing me with a copy to read and review.

I feel like this is Urban’s most adventurous work to date. I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next!!

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Review: World War Z by Max Brooks

~ megs14malloy

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie WarWorld War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War has been sitting on my shelves for close to a decade. It’s survived many book unhauls in that time period, mainly because of how much I love this fiery orange cover.

Also, it features a zombie plague sweeping the world, so why wouldn’t I read that? Who doesn’t want to be petrified by the possibility of that?

Over the years, I have heard incredible things about the audio production for this book, so in spite of having a hard copy, I did decide to go with the audio format.

I’m delighted with that choice. It’s full cast and includes music and sound effects. As an Oral History, it also makes sense that having it told in a variety of accents and tones from the various voice artists would add a certain level of authenticity to it you may not feel otherwise.

The narrative style is a bit unconventional, which may not work for some Readers, but I ended up enjoying that aspect. It truly is a world story; a story of humanity.

The overall story is told through a series of vignettes from characters living all across the globe. The different perspectives run in timeline order so that we are led through the start of, middle and end of this zombie infestation.

I did watch the World War Z movie years ago, but would like to go back and watch it again to see how much it was actually inspired by this book.

I would recommend this to anyone who would enjoy more of a Literary Zombie story, as opposed to a more Horror-based story; although heavy Horror Readers could enjoy this as well, particularly the audiobook.

It’s terrifying to imagine something like this becoming reality, but I feel like Brooks did a great job examining what the overall world reaction would be. Well done!

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Review: Tidal Creatures (Alchemical Journeys #3) by Seanan McGuire

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Tidal Creatures (Alchemical Journeys, #3)Tidal Creatures by Seanan McGuire
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tidal Creatures is the 3rd-installment to Seanan McGuire’s epic Adult SFF-series that has not just created a whole new world unto itself, but a whole new cosmology.

Middlegame took the world by storm when it was released in 2019. I wasn’t immune. When I read it, I fell in love. I always knew McGuire was a talented writer with a plethora of unique ideas, but this thing is off the charts.

The sequel Seasonal Fears didn’t get quite the same level of fanfare upon its release in 2022, but I loved it nevertheless. I wouldn’t say I loved it as much as Middlegame, but it was a brilliant continuation of the story.

Tidal Creatures is a monster in the way it continued to build out this complex and enticing world. I loved meeting new characters like Kelpie, Judy and Isabella. The cast of characters felt broader in this one than the previous novels and it was interesting to learn about them.

Additionally, their interactions were deep and their banter, funny. Most of the new information we learned was accomplished through character conversations. Because of this, it never felt info-dumpy.

This story felt different too, in that it is a murder mystery of sorts. Someone is killing moon goddesses, and it’s up to our cast to figure out why and then stop them.

I thought that was an intriguing way to advance this overall story arc. The way it tied into the lore of the Impossible City and the concepts that we had starting building in the previous books was very well done.

I will say, I think if I read this again, I would probably enjoy it even more. There is a lot going on here and the way that the various perspectives are initially introduced, not coming together until a little way in, it was a lot to follow.

A part of me wants to say, I am done reading these as they’re released for the rest of the series. I want to wait until they are all out so I can binge them all at once.

Before Seasonal Fears released, I did reread Middlegame directly before I picked it up and I do think I enjoyed it that much more because of that.

But now, we’re so deep. I don’t know if I have time to reread them all prior to every other subsequent release…

This is easy for me to say now. I’m sure as the next book releases I am going to flock to it like a Publisher’s dream. All past hesitation blown out of the water by the overwhelming FOMO that I’m gonna feel.

Either way, no matter how it happens, I love this series with my whole heart and will happily see it to the end.

I would recommend continuing on with the series to anyone who read and enjoyed Middlegame. I also highly recommend the companion series, The Up-and-Under by A. Deborah Baker, for more insight into the background of this world.

Thank you to the publisher, Tor and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

This series is an absolute tour de force in the SFF space and I cannot wait for more!

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