Tag: book review

Book Review: A Trade of Blood, by Robert Jackson Bennett

Image belongs to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey.

Title: A Trade of Blood
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett  
Genre: Fantasy, mystery
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

In the canton of Sapirdad, two of the Empire’s most powerful families are moments away from going to war with each other, their hundreds of retainers gathered with swords drawn. If blood is spilt, the whole of the empire may be plunged into starvation and chaos.

To de-escalate matters, someone must do the impossible: prove that one family’s eldest son is innocent of a gruesome and unforgivable murder, despite the incontrovertible evidence against him.

It is with this undertaking that the great detective Ana Dolabra is tasked, her assistant Din at her side—and the two find themselves racing with great speed and little dignity to the scene.

As ever, the impossible proves little obstacle for the deadly combination of Ana’s intellect and Din’s keen eye, and mere hours after riding into the dusty town, Ana glimpses the greater pattern behind the crime. A deeper, subtler web of death is being woven in plain sight, by a mastermind with an ancient magical technology at his disposal.

But even Ana’s uncanny insight is of little use when each new suspect she uncovers ends up dead–with each new killing calculated to bring tensions between the two rival clans past the boiling point. And as Din pursues their adversary through the canton’s wild ranges, sprawling ranches, and reeking slaughterhouses, he finds his loyalties divided in unexpected ways.

The books in this series have the absolute weirdest setting I have ever read. Ever. And I’ve read a lot. But I find the two main characters—Ana and Din—to be fascinating. Each in their own right—not to mention their partnership. I felt like I had no idea what was going on the vast majority of the time, but I was eager to see what oddity revealed itself next. An excellent read—as long as you don’t mind the weird.

Robert Jackson Bennett is an award-winning author. A Trade of Blood is his newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #385

My life continues to be chaotic, so I only wrote one book review this week, Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore, by Emily Krempholtz. I’m tired and completely out of energy, so it’s unlikely any fiction writing will happen this weekend, either.

Happy writing!

Book Review: Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore, by Emily Krempholtz

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Title: Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore
Author: Emily Krempholtz             
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 4 out of 5 

She traded curses for carnations. But old magic dies hard…

Guy Shadowfade is dead, and Violet Thistlethwaite is out of a job. After a lifetime as the dark sorcerer’s right-hand witch, she’s ready to turn over a new leaf. And this time, she wants to sprout peonies instead of poison.

The quiet town of Dragon’s Rest seems like the perfect place to start over. Violet opens a flower shop, swears off dark magic, and does her best to be…good. Even if her reputation – and her mildly homicidal, sentient houseplant – make that tricky.

Her vibrant bouquets soon charm the locals, but nothing she does seems to impress the grumpy (and infuriatingly gorgeous) Nathaniel Marsh, the alchemist she’s forced to share a greenhouse with.

But when a strange blight begins to rot the roots of Dragon’s Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together – through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings – to save the town.

And as old secrets start to surface, Violet can’t help but does a former villain like her truly deserve a happily-ever-after?

This was a nice cozy fantasy read. Was it high stakes? No. Did I ever feel like the characters were truly in danger? No. And you know what…that was actually kind of nice. There’s enough high-stakes imagery in the real world. I don’t always need it in my fiction. I enjoyed all the fantasy creatures, the myths, the magic…and the flowers. Violet was a great character, and I loved watching her grow and thrive. Definitely a sweet, fun read.

Emily Krempholtz is a bestselling author. Violet Thistlewaite is Not a Villain Anymore is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Berkley Publishing Group | Ace in exchange for an honest review.)

   

Sundays are for Writing #384

Still not much reading time, so I only wrote one book review, The Mortal Enemy Murder Club, by Gloria Chao. Some fiction work was done. And naps were a priority when I had the opportunity. I’m really over the 100+ degree Texas heat. I’m ready for fall…

Happy writing!

Book Review: The Mortal Enemy Murder Club, by Gloria Chao

Image belongs to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row.

Title: The Mortal Enemy Murder Club
Author: Gloria Chao             
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5

Kathryn Hu is not getting into the business of solving murders. Yes, she and her friends Olivia and Elle figured out who killed their cheating ex-boyfriend. But now Kat can get back to her usual, murder-free existence.

Then she gets an unexpected plea for help. Mandy Thorne has ruined countless lives through her revenge podcast. She also did her best to frame the girls. Now, she claims, someone is trying to kill her. And the girls are the only ones who can save her.

But can the trio and Mandy put aside their mutual contempt long enough to prevent a murder and solve this case? Can they become…the Mortal Enemy Murder Club?

I don’t think I enjoyed this one quite as much as the first one, but I did like it. Kat is so funny to me—and I don’t know how she puts up with her mother. Her open-mouth-insert-foot antics also made me cringe with sympathy. I never figured out the killer, I honestly couldn’t keep all the suspects straight, but that was more of a me problem than a problem with the book. I kept getting interrupted and distracted.

Gloria Chao is a bestselling author. The Mortal Enemy Murder Club is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing | Park Row in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #383

I wrote zero book reviews this week, mainly because I DNFed several books. I also have very little reading time, so I gotta get my schedule sorted out somehow to fix that. It’s Texas. It’s over 100 degrees outside. I’m hot, tired, and super busy. Reading just isn’t happening much. Neither is writing. :/

Happy writing!

Book Review: Fishbone Cinderella, by Elizabeth Lim

Image belongs to Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey.

Title: Fishbone Cinderella
Author: Elizabeth Lim           
Genre: Fantasy, historical fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 

Guangdong, 1940. When Ha Yut Ying narrowly escapes Japanese soldiers by turning invisible, she knows her new-found magic must be kept a secret. But her mother, whose dreams foretell the future, suspects her daughter has changed, and warns her of a curse upon their family. For her protection, she gives her a gold bracelet whose links are shaped like fishbones.​

After the war, Ha Yut Ying is sent to live with her father and his second wife, who have become wealthy factory owners in Hong Kong. Her stepmother, jealous of her beauty, forces her to work in the family’s shoe factory.

But when Yut Ying collides with a boy on a bicycle on her way to work, she loses her bracelet. The boy is Tommy Yeung, scion of a local soymilk tycoon. And their encounter will change both of their destinies forever…

I did enjoy this read, although I found it a bit depressing. Sometimes a lot depressing. Helen’s stepmother is absolutely horrible. I liked reading about the culture of Hong Kong, and I liked the past timeline, but the present-day one was kind of…sad.

Elizabeth Lim is a bestselling author. Fishbone Cinderella is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey in exchange for an honest review.)

The Best Books I Read in July (2026)

I continue to be woefully behind on my reading. I only read 12 books in July! And I only DNFed four others. 🙂

Of those 12, several were really good.

Where the Lost Wander, by Amy Harmon. I listened to the audio book, and was engrossed from the beginning—and westerns really aren’t my thing. But this was a great read, if sad at times.

Where the Sea Lavendar Grows, by Kitty Johnson. Yes, I do love a good WWII historical fiction—but I don’t love all of them. This one was great! I enjoyed the present-day timeline and characters just as much as I enjoyed the ones from the past. Except that one lady…

Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better, by Brant Hansen. Yep. This was a heck of a read, and one I wish more people would put into action.

Sundays are for Writing #382

This was a pretty good writing week! I wrote two book review, Hell to Pay, by Lora Beth Johnson and Fishbone Cinderella, by Elizabeth Lim. I also wrote my July reading post and the best books I read in July. And I did some fiction work.

Happy writing!

What I Read in July (2026)

Books Read in July: 12
Books Read for the Year: 96/225

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Where the Lost Wander, by Amy Harmon (audio): I enjoyed this so much!
The Gilded Blade, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (TBR): I ended up finishing this on audio, and I really enjoyed it!
Where the Sea Lavender Grows, by Kitty Johnson (TBR): I really liked this dual-timeline historical fiction.
Unoffendable, by Brant Hansen (spiritual): Great read!
Good Boundaries and Goodbyes, by Lysa TerKeurst (spiritual): This is a hard book.
I Want to Trust You, But I Don’t, by Lysa TerKeurst (spiritual): Very…helpful.
The Girl in the Lake, by Lauren Oliver (TBR): Kinda meh, honestly. Especially the MC.
A Bitter Cut, by Anna Lee Huber (TBR): Love this series.

For Review:

The Moonsingers, by Robyn J. Pritzker. This was a nice read. I loved the historical fiction/fantasy combo (a “cozy” Fairy tale), it’s definitely a genre I’d like to read more of.

Destination Funeral, by Paige Harbison. I was on the fence at first, but I ended up enjoying this a lot.

The Story Keeper, by Kelly Rimmer. I loved the story-within-a-story trope, although one was not so much a story…

Hell to Pay, by Lora Beth Johnson. I almost DNFed this. I enjoyed the heist aspect, but I kinda felt like there was too much going on with the culture/mythology.

Left Unfinished:
The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance, by Chiara Bullen. I made it to 10% and nothing happened, except the MC complaining and being judgey. No, thank you.
The Broken Edge of the World, by Alena Bruzas. This was erratic and didn’t even make sense, jumping around from one cool thing the author thought of to another, without any of it going together.
To Drown a Witch, by Lindsey Olsson. I just wasn’t interested in reading the MC. Didn’t catch my attention at all.
Dominion, by Jean Kwok. Too much going on here made this a jumbled mess. And WHY spell it “tyger”? This got on my very last nerve.