The Awakening (The Dragon Heart Legacy #1) by Nora Roberts
This is my first Nora Roberts book. I know. I couldn’t believe I have never read anything else by her either. And I really enjoyed this first book of her new fantasy series.
The Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves #2) by Roshani Chokshi
CW: dismemberment, torture, blood Forging, off-screen killings, emotional abuse, alcohol, (possible) panic attacks, antisemitism, racism, suicide of a very minor character, bombing, manipulation
I love the tagline, “They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.” Upon finishing, I realized just how true it is.
“We debase ourselves for the ones we love.”
Laila
The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus by Alanna McFall
Chelsea Shu died a tragic death on NYC Subway tracks and never got to attend her brother Osric’s wedding. After discovering an afterlife as a ghost, she befriended Carmen, a fellow spirit, and Cyndricka, a homeless mime-performing human. The three of them, incidentally the Triple Cs, set out on foot for a cross-country trip to attend Osric’s postponed wedding in San Francisco. They understood it would be a difficult journey, but little did they know what was actually in store for them throughout the months-long walk.
The Gilded Wolves (The Gilded Wolves #1) by Roshani Chokshi
The overall atmosphere Chokshi had created was gloomy, haunting, and breathtaking. She stated that the idea for this trilogy stemmed from hearing about the “human zoo” displaying Filipinos in 1904 World’s Fair. Then she came across another “human zoo” featuring “Negro Village” in 1889 Exposition Universelle. The Gilded Wolves series was never meant to be a cheery story. Set in the 19th century, Chokshi wanted to show the “beauty and horror” of La Belle Époque, The Beautiful Era. In her words, “When we revise the horror and sanitize the grotesque, we risk erasing the paths that led us here.” And I love how she managed to achieve telling an honest story with a magical twist in this first installment.
Silver Ravens by Jane Fletcher
Lori has just lost her job as a video game engineer along with her girlfriend. Desperately in need of a new job, she comes across a series of magazine puzzles. The final solution leads her to Dorstanley and supplies her with odd instructions. Maybe it is a recruitment.
Surprisingly, it is, but not anything close to what she has imagined. In fact, she thinks the recruiters are out of their minds for believing in a mythical world. But as Tamsin, one of the recruiters Lori finds especially attractive, leads her deeper into the world of fays, Lori no longer knows who is right and who is wrong.