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[thekatemarlowe]

To say July was a whirlwind would be a DRASTIC understatement! Between packing and moving AGAIN, flying off to Comic Conventions, getting everything ready for the upcoming school year (and getting a new job!) it was impossible to keep up with book reviews. But that didn't stop me from reading! This month is focused on Family (good or bad), Here are my top 3 favorite reads from July's Library (with an honorary 4 just cuz)

#3 "What My Bones Know" by Stephanie Foo. This was an eye-opening memoir about what prolonged treatment can do to a person. She goes into detail about Complex PTSD, I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with relationships (esp. family relationships!)

#2 Gallant by V.E. Schwab. From the same author as Addie Larue, this is her latest release and IT IS AMAZING!!! Stranger Things fans will LOOOOVE this sci-fi haunted tale about the desire to belong to a family

#1 Heartstoppers by Alice Oseman. This was an unexpected add on but I'm SO happy I finally picked up this series. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THESE BOOKS THIS STORY IS SO FLIPPIN GOOD!!!!! These kids have stolen my heart, 10/10 recommend these easy reads

(Honorary #4 is Lady From the Black Lagoon, a biography about Millicent Patrick who designed and created the famous 1954 Creature. The author, Mallory O'Meara, did an intense amount of research and does a fantastic job at introducing the world to one of the first female animators/special effects makeup designers. This was a re-read for me and I'll pick it up every year for the rest of my life, fantastic book!)

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: ANNE RICE’s The Reign of Osiris

Ramses the Great is back in Reign of Osiris and this time the god of the underworld has some questions. Ramses and his family of immortals are suddenly being targeted by Russian assassins and they gather to get answers and discover who is behind the attacks. Those thought long dead are resurrected and some that are immortal may not survive. I love the history of this series, spanning over many centuries like Rice’s Vampire Chronicles but with a much different view of the world. And with the relationships between these characters mostly developed, in this book we focus on giving the immortals vulnerability, leaving you with the knowledge that not even gods can live forever. This series is worth the read for any horror/monster fans and definitely a great addition to the Rice’s catalog!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: NATASHA NGAN’s Girls of Fate and Fury

We’re wrapping up our Paper Girls journey with Natasha Ngan’s Girls of Fate and Fury. This fantasy trilogy with a legendary queer romance comes to an epic finale as a battle ensues for final say in who will control the Hidden Palace. Wren won’t live in a world where her and Lei can not live freely together, so it is together that they take down the palace! I was ready for this to be an earth-shattering conclusion, and truly it was fantastic but the ending while fair, was somewhat anticlimactic. There was a moment of pure adrenaline at one point, and I expected it to go up from there but instead was met with a slow and safe glide down. Ngan writes beautiful characters and pays tribute to her Malaysian culture with details that make you feel as if you’ve traveled to different parts of Asia itself. I did the audiobook version and must commend the narrator, Allison Hiroto, as she really brought the entire story to life! For those who love reading fantasies filled with queer romance and majestic world building, this is a great one to pick up!!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: RAE MARIZ’s Weird Fishes

Rae Mariz takes us under the sea to discover the ocean’s view of our changing world in Weird Fishes. The ocean world is extremely complex, and Mariz does a great a job bringing in parallels like gender identity and racism to help us relate to all the creatures from the deep. This is important because the overall moral of our story is one of resilience. We are hurting our planet and since our oceans make up such a big part of that, it means life there has no choice but to deal with our detrimental choices. These creatures suffering from oppression of their own are further stripped of a decent way of life because of the greed of humanity. I loved Mariz’s vivid imagery in describing all the different characters and their way of life in a dreamlike world. If you are into any type of sea creature, you’ll love this book, but don’t come thinking Disney’s Ariel is going to swim around the corner!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: MOLLY RINGLE’s Lava Red Feather Blue

2 centuries ago, the human, Prince Larkin was forced to sacrifice himself for the good of his land and put into a deep sleep with the hopes of being awoken as soon as an alternative option was found. Today, Merrick, half human half fae, has stumbled through a portal into Larkin’s den where he has slumbered all this time. In Lava Red Feather Blue, Merrick is thrown into a whirlwind of adventure after he accidentally awakens the sleeping Prince Larkin. But, with Larkin’s rising, so too does Ula Kana, fae and the villain of our story who was put under the same spell as Larkin. The fate of Eidolonia will depend on Merrick and Larkin working together and making it through every fae realm, gathering as many witches, fae and human creatures as they can to come together and defeat evil once and for all.

Molly Ringle is an author/editor living in the Seattle area with her family and staying busy thinking up unique romances set in fantastical worlds. She digs topics like Greek mythology, ghost stories, fairy tales and old-fashioned drama so she incorporates these into her stories. Her character’s traits and personal obstacles are so unique and imaginative, it is impossible to not fall in love with every one of them. From our main characters to the tiny fae creatures who contribute their part, each one you become attached to in the same way.

Lava Red Feather Blue is a Queer fantasy romance with racial undertones. We have Humans, Fae and Witches cohabiting a massive island and its people are weary of each other’s abilities. The Humans have been placed in charge and control how magic is used throughout the land, so you can imagine the parallels this created between our real-life world and their fantasy realm. At around 350 pages with easy broken-down chapters, you’ll fly through, devouring each part as you go. This story quickly added itself to my top 10 books read in my lifetime. For fans of Queer Fantasy that love the genre but want an original story (that is also a standalone book, not a series, which we could all use every once in a while!), THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: NATALIE C. PARKER’s Stormbreak

Back out on the high seas, our pirate crew and their fearless captain, Caldonia, have returned for the final installment of our Seafire trilogy in Stormbreak. The race for Bullet Sea is coming to a climatic end as all the past events culminate to this final battle. Gaining some interesting allies and learning the true nature of her brother’s loyalty, Caldonia has a hard ship to sail as she faces a time even more challenging than when her family was ripped apart so many years ago. I think what Natalie C. Parker does well is give us plenty of refresher information in the first few chapters while also giving new story. With a fantasy series like this, it is helpful to the reader to be caught up without realizing it and Parker flourishes in this aspect in that it isn’t just a prologue chapter titled “last time on…”. Each of the characters get a great send off as well, leaving you feeling satisfied, like being lulled to sleep in your ship’s inner quarters by the small waves in the open ocean. A fantastic Queer Pirate Fantasy as an action-packed romance with well-rounded representation, definitely worth the read!!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: ANNE RICE’s The Vampire Armand

We continue Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles with our main character named Armand who was introduced in the initial book Interview with a Vampire. Now with his own novella, The Vampire Armand gives us a glimpse into the young boy vampire’s life filled with the wisdom of one of the longest standing lines of vampires in history. In his story we get to see his perspective of the events of Interview which is enlightening and gives more depth into the Lestat character we already know so well (or at least think we do!). Anne Rice truly never disappoints so I had a great time getting more of this world. However, Armand is not one of my favorite characters, so this felt like a filler read if anything. We get a little bit more meat to add to the series, but my favorite is the building relationships that develop between all these side characters. On to the next!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: JAMES ST. JAMES’ Party Monster

Being a child of the 90’s, I didn’t know about the club kid scene until it had already died out so finding out about these major players was a surprise to say the least. In Party Monster (originally published as Disco Bloodbath), stolen money, missing drugs and a gruesome murder highlight our story. With themed parties and petty competition peppered throughout, we get a colorful retelling of a decade full of K-holes and self-discovery. James St. James is our star and author, giving us a short history of the time, his rise and fall and the moment that changed everything for the 90’s New York party scene. Michael Alig, a staple in James’ life and another star in the Club Kid community, along with a drug dealer friend, commit a murder and then cover it up by throwing the body in a river and subsequently telling everyone they knew about it…you know, for clout. Delusions of Grandeur seem to be the name of the game and unfortunately the story goes on far too long because of the prejudice against these kids with too much time and money on their hands. I enjoyed every minute and while I don’t condone that much drug use, I certainly felt like I went on a K-hole of my own. 100% worth the read!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: HAFSAH FAIZEL’s We Hunt the Flame

In Hafsah Faizel’s We Hunt the Flame, we find Zafira, disguised as a huntsman to feed her family. Through a series of events, she embarks on a journey to retrieve an artifact that could restore magic to her land and keep an army at bay. Zafira meets Nasir and others along the way, trying her best to conceal her identity alongside some who would sooner have her dead. While reading, I felt the formula was basic, but the world building was beautiful. I like the characters enough to look forward to the end of the story but am still waiting for that special moment to wow me, so we’ll see what the 2nd part of the duology has in store!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: TJ KLUNE’s Flash Fire

Flash Fire begins the 2nd part of the Extraordinaries Saga, with Nick and Seth navigating their new relationship while also discovering there is more to the superhero life than they bargained for. Love is allowed to flourish, and families are vigilant in their support of Team Pyro Storm but can secrets tear everyone apart or will they learn to fight together? TJ Klune has this uncanny ability to write characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. We were introduced to the gang in the first book but get a deep dive into their development phase in this book as they allow themselves to become the people they want to be. Every family has their faults and our Extraordinaries’ families are no exception, but they never waver in their love and are so great at admitting fault and coming to an understanding that you can’t help but attach yourself to them. We all dream of having friends and family like the ones Klune writes. The great part about this book is that the story doesn’t end here! We get a GREAT cliffhanger and I’m waiting with bated breath for the finale of this trilogy. How will the Team Pyro Storm get through life after high school!?!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: KACEN CALLENDER’s Felix Ever After

Kacen Callender brings us an endearing story of self-discovery and young love in Felix Ever After. Felix knows he isn’t a She, but does he KNOW he is HE? And how is it that Felix has a name like Felix Love, but has never actually been in LOVE? High School is already a perplexing time but add in the confusion of wanting to be seen and loved by someone for something you haven’t even seen in yourself can push anyone over the edge. Felix has been relentlessly bullied for his transition and has decided to take matters into his own hands by seeking revenge for the one person he KNOWS is the head bully. But through the course of the book Felix discovers how wrong he truly is and in turn, starts to fall for the one person he thought he hated the most. While navigating the many definitions of gender, he also finds that those closest have seen him for who he is for much longer than he has seen himself and we see that Felix Love was very much in Love this entire time. I appreciate Callender for taking us on this journey of growth with Felix and I would encourage ANYONE AND EVERYONE to pick up this book, it might even teach YOU something about yourself you didn’t know.

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: SHELLEY PARKER-CHAN’s She Who Became the Sun

Shelley Parker-Chan’s debut historical fantasy She Who Became the Sun pulls from Chinese mythology but is told like a beautifully tragic, Greek allegory. A Mulan retelling about a girl born for more than the nothingness she’s been told her whole life, our story follows a girl who stows away to become a monk and then a warrior, achieving the greatness abandoned by her elder brother’s death. Parker-Chan focuses on the inner turmoil a born girl can have within an oppressive family environment and how fate is chosen for you, but it is what you do with that fate that can change history. I’m very interested to see where our main character Zhu heads in the next installment of the Radiant Emperor series!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: MELISSA BASHARDOUST’s Girl, Serpent, Thorn

Princess Soraya has been cursed with a poisonous touch leaving her in solitude and feared like a monster under the bed. As her brother’s wedding day approaches, Soraya takes a chance and steps out of the shadows, discovering new allies and enemies as well as the truth behind her curse. She is faced with harrowing choices as she navigates this world she’s never experienced, will she become the Princess she’s always wanted to be or stay the monster she was born as? Melissa Bashardoust’s Girl, Serpent, Thorn had me hooked from the first page, excited to see how our fierce Princess was going to find peace within herself and for her kingdom. However, I quickly discovered the one trope I can’t stand to see and that is miscommunication for selfish reasons. Someone in her life holds a secret to her past and withholds this information simply because she was feared at not being liked if the truth came out. An entire city of people suffered including the ones you loved the most all because you didn’t want one person to be mad at you? Maybe if your life was threatened or you were worried THEIR life was going to be threatened but simply because you were afraid of what they would think? That doesn’t hold up for me. I ended up finishing the story because our author writes incredible characters with some great world building behind them, but I couldn’t be pulled to care for how everything ended once I learned that it all could have been avoided very easily.

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: ALISON WEIR’s Queens of the Conquest

Alison Weir brings us the first in a series that will highlight Queens throughout history. We begin with 4 of England’s Queens in the century after the Norman Conquest. These are England’s first rulers and the women who ruled beside and sometimes for them. The history of England’s Queens is not a pretty one and the romance of medieval time is stripped away as you see every Queen make one perilous mistake after another, leaving England distrustful of women ruling for hundreds of years until Queen Elizabeth I begins her reign. Weir has a talent for telling incredibly accurate tales of history but in a way that reads like a dramatic fiction novel. I look forward to the rest of the series!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: HANNAH DANIELLE’s Born of Flame and Fury

Elea has been living in Celvaria for the past decade, completely in the dark about who she is or where she came from. All she knows is that she woke up in a forest one day with a mysterious ability to wield fire. In this land, all Fae magic has been forbidden, so Elea is living peacefully with her friend Fabien out of sight until a trip into town up-ends all that she is familiar with. With the help from some rogue Fae, Elea makes a narrow escape from the palace guards, taking her far away from the home she’s come to love and into a new place called Safe Haven where she must learn to control her emotions as well as her fire power abilities. This new life throws her into a battle-ready world and forces her to face her past once and for all.

Hannah Danielle is a debut author with a story most of us are all too familiar with. A life headed in one direction only to be knocked off course by a global pandemic, forcing an unexpected change that turns into a true calling! Graduating with a master’s degree right as the pandemic hit, Hannah spent her newfound time creating and publishing the stories she always wanted to read growing up.

This is an adult fantasy book with an 18+ content warning for themes of sexual assault, violence, and sexuality. There are some moments that I wish I could read with my eyes closed; however, every moment adds an incredible element to help further character development or the story itself, nothing feels unnecessary. There’s action, magic, romance (frenemies-to-lovers fans will melt for this love story), and surprises around every corner. My favorite thing the author does is tension building but gracefully following it up with a coming together of the characters, giving you full *cough* satisfaction. I can’t stand when we get so many “almost” moments and finally get to the big reveal but it’s a fade to black. It is so hard not to completely gush about the story as I don’t want to spoil too much, but when I say I was exhilarated by every moment, I do not exaggerate, you will not be disappointed! Well, I should say you might be a little disappointed because the hook at the end will have you screaming at the author to release the next book ASAP!

It is very hard to choose a favorite character but I will say, the female empowerment theme is always one I’m on board with! Each character (I should specify each GOOD character) revered the female species in this book, every race giving worship to Goddesses in turn. This book also represents the LGBTQ+ community very well as sexuality was not a barrier (again I should reiterate, for the GOOD characters).

I highly recommend reading this if you’re a fan of creature fantasy but want more adult elements. Fans of The Dark Crystal or books like the Darkfever series, ACOTAR and The War of Two Queens will love the Shattered Source Series so get the first book now! (you can get it along with the side novel Moon Beams that comes free with the author’s newsletter!)

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: SUE LYNN TAN’s Daughter of the Moon Goddess

Sue Lynn Tan brings us a beautifully vivid world with magical characters based on Chinese Mythology in her debut novel Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Released early this year, this is the first book to be set in a duology and we begin our tale with Xingyin who has grown up living alone with her mother on the Moon. When Xingyin begins to show signs of magical abilities, secrets from their mother’s past begin to reveal themselves and she is forced to flee, leaving her mother behind. She is alone and afraid, making her way to the Celestial Kingdom where she happens upon the emperor’s son, disguising herself to work alongside him with the hopes that she can regain the power to free her mother from exile on the Moon. Filled with enchantment, mystery and all the perfect elements for a fantasy (there are dragons!), Daughter of the Moon Goddess keeps you baited with anticipation and on the edge of your seat the entire time! I loved this book from start to finish and can’t wait to see how the story will unfold in the 2nd part set to be released later this year in November!

[thekatemarlowe]

Thoughts: TORQUEMADA’s Cain’s Jawbone

Can I say I’ve read this? Yes, multiple times in fact. Do I understand what is going on? Not at all. I intend to revisit this book multiple times in my life to see if I’ll ever be able to figure it out, but for now, I can at least say I’ve read it! This is a literary puzzle like no other. Published out of order, you must first arrange the story in the correct order and then based on clues figure out who was murdered and who were the murderers. This book is not for the feint of heart, be warned if you are a lover of puzzle books.