Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica, Motherland by Julia Ioffe, & Luminous by Silvia Park

  

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released. 

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica, transl. Sarah Moses
Publication: March 4th, 2025
Scribner
Hardcover. 192 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The long-awaited new novel from the author of global sensation Tender Is the Flesh: a thrilling work of literary horror about a woman cloistered in a secretive, violent religious order, while outside the world has fallen into chaos.

From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find—discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe—cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe.

But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past—and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can’t she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened?

A searing, dystopian tale about climate crisis, ideological extremism, and the tidal pull of our most violent, exploitative instincts, this is another unforgettable novel from a master of feminist horror."

I still think Bazterrica's Tender is the Flesh is one of the most memorable books I've ever read, but I really didn't care for her short story collection Nineteen Claws and Blackbird. I feel like it's 50/50 whether I'll like this one, but I'm really excited about it nonetheless and am hopeful for another one I like as much as Tender is the Flesh. 

Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy by Julia Ioffe
Publication: March 4th, 2025/October 21st, 2025
Ecco
Hardcover. 320 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From the publisher:
"Award-winning journalist Julia Ioffe tells the story of modern Russia through the history of its women, from revolution to utopia to autocracy.

In 1990, seven-year-old Julia Ioffe and her family fled the Soviet Union. Nearly twenty years later, Ioffe returned to Moscow—only to discover just how much Russian society had changed while she had been living in America. The Soviet women she had known growing up—doctors, engineers, scientists—had seemingly been replaced with women desperate to marry rich and become stay-at-home moms. How had Russia gone from portraying itself as the vanguard of world feminism to the last bastion of conservative Christian values?

In Motherland, Ioffe turns modern Russian history on its head, telling it exclusively through the stories of its women. From her own physician great-grandmothers to Lenin’s lover, a feminist revolutionary; from the hundreds of thousands of Soviet girls who fought in World War II to the millions of single mothers who rebuilt and repopulated a devastated country; from the members of Pussy Riot to Yulia Navalnaya, wife of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, she chronicles one of the most audacious social experiments in history and how it failed the very women it was meant to liberate—and documents how that failure paved the way to the revanche of Vladimir Putin.

Part memoir, part journalistic exploration, part history, Motherland paints a portrait of modern Russia through the women who shaped it. With deep emotion, Ioffe shows what it means to live through the cataclysms of revolution, war, idealism, and heartbreak—and reveals how the story of Russia today is inextricably tied to the history of its women."

I've been really enjoying more nonfiction lately, so I'm very curious to learn more about Russia's history/culture through this perspective! Also, I actually think the publication date may have just been pushed back to October because when I planned this post it said March, but it now might be October? Just a head's up!

Luminous by Silvia Park

Publication: March 11th, 2025
Simon & Schuster

Hardcover. 400 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A highly anticipated, sweeping debut set in a unified Korea that tells the story of three estranged siblings—two human, one robot—as they collide against the backdrop of a murder investigation to settle old scores and make sense of their shattered childhood, perfect for fans of Klara and the Sun and We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves.

In a reunified Korea of the future, robots have been integrated into society as surrogates, servants, children, and even lovers. Though boundaries between bionic and organic frequently blur, these robots are decidedly second-class citizens. Jun and Morgan, two siblings estranged for many years, are haunted by the memory of their lost brother, Yoyo, who was warm, sensitive, and very nearly human.

Jun, a war veteran turned detective of the lowly Robot Crimes Unit in Seoul, becomes consumed by an investigation that reconnects him with his sister Morgan, now a prominent robot designer working for a top firm, who is, embarrassingly, dating one of her creations in secret.

On the other side of Seoul in a junkyard filled with abandoned robots, eleven-year-old Ruijie sifts through scraps looking for robotic parts that might support her failing body. When she discovers a robot boy named Yoyo among the piles of trash, an unlikely bond is formed since Yoyo is so lifelike, he’s unlike anything she’s seen before.

While Morgan prepares to launch the most advanced robot-boy of her career, Jun’s investigation sparks a journey through the underbelly of Seoul, unearthing deeper mysteries about the history of their country and their family. The three siblings must find their way back to each other to reckon with their pasts and the future ahead of them in this poignant and remarkable exploration of what it really means to be human."

What a fascinating premise! This idea of a unified Korea in the future and everything else involved just sounds like it will be playing with a lot of interesting ideas and I can't wait to check it out. 

Review: Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3) by Heather Fawcett

 

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde #3) by Heather Fawcett

Del Rey

Publication Date: February 11th, 2024

Hardcover. 368 pages.

About Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (from the publisher):

"Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear."

Spoiler note: Although there will be no spoilers for this book in this review, there may be some inadvertent/minor spoilers for the previous two books in the series, so please be aware of that before reading this review if you've not read the previous two books! You can find my review for the previous book, Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands (#2), here!

The final book in the Emily Wilde series is finally here! I have really had a wonderful time with this series and I was so excited to dive into this final installment. If you've loved the first two books, you'll also love this one--it's more of the same, in the best way. 

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales picks up almost immediately after the events of the previous book. I actually didn't expect things to pick up immediately and as seamlessly as they did, and I'll admit that it took me a little while to get back into the story and remember everything that happened in the previous book since I read it about a year ago. I certainly could've benefited from a recap, but that's really more of a "me" issue with my memory than anything to do with the book.

Like most fans of this series, I've really loved watching Emily and Wendell's dynamic evolve and their relationship grow over the course of these books. They are fantastic foils to one another, yet they seem to share a core trait that I think makes them perfect for each other, and that is their sort of steadfast determination and ability to see what needs to be done in a situation and to do it. Both display this quality in different ways, which we can see in Wendell's more "lazy" exterior personality, but both do have this and I think it's what really works for them. I have found Wendell's personality, which is rather indulgent and animated, complements Emily's more serious, no-nonsense and non-frilly nature, which makes them a great time. I also loved getting to see Emily immerse herself in the faerie realm and really grapple with her feelings about staying there for a more long-term time. It's a big change for her, and I appreciated how Wendell tried to make it more comfortable for her and how they tried to work things out together. 

Despite how interesting the cast of characters in this book are--and we do get to meet a few new figures that bring a lot of interesting new developments with them--Shadow remains my favorite character of them all. He is simple one of the best book dogs. He plays a significant role in parts of this book, but I do wish he had had a bit more on-page time because I would always love more Shadow. 

One of my favorite aspects of this series, which remains a strong element in this book, is how Fawcett depicts the Fae and the Fae world. Fae are known for being quite cruel, brutal, and enigmatic, and also often treat mortals as little more than playthings, if they notice them at all. Fawcett captures this concept incredibly well, highlighting each of the unique Fae types and their personalities, as well as the myriad of endless dangers that lurk when interacting with them. This is how I like my Fae lore and I'm so pleased that Fawcett has captured it so well and has been so consistent across this series. 

I also always enjoy the scholarly aspect of this series and how Emily approaches with an academic mindset. I felt like I could really relate to her curiosity and how every new experience sparked a question rather than an emotional reaction, much as a true scholar does. She constantly analyzed her experiences and the faerie realm she is surrounded by, always considering the historical or folkloric significance of things. I especially loved how the folktales she studied played such a major role in this book's events, as well. No matter how dire a circumstance may be, Emily always had a researcher's perspective, and I appreciated that about her. In line with this, I also still do enjoy the journal format of this story, as I think it works well for Emily's personality. I'm still a fan of footnotes being included in fiction books, though since I read this as an eARC they are can be a bit tough to read since they tend to show up as endnotes rather than footnotes (and as we all know, footnotes are far superior to endnotes). 

With all those positives being said, there was something about this book that made it harder for me to get through. I worked my way through this book for nearly a month, which is far longer than I expected and longer than it usually would for a book like this that I like and was looking forward to. I don't have that many specific criticisms, which makes it hard for me to pinpoint why it was so hard for me to stay engaged, but my assumption is that it was due to the slower pacing of this book. It really did move rather slowly, especially in the first half to two-thirds of this book, and I also felt like there were a lot of overall repetitive elements and plot beats. It was a lot of something happening, Wendell and Emily having some sort of discussion about it, Emily going off to research, Wendell missing her, and repeat. There were, of course, many other things happening during all of this, but that's just one example of an area that felt a bit repetitive.

The plot itself also felt a bit lacking at times. When interesting things happened, they were really interesting. But when there wasn't something immediately compelling happening, my interest waned. This stood out to me only because I tend to really like books that are "boring" and where "not much happens," so it was a bit of a surprise that I wasn't as hooked as I usually am.  I would also say that anytime an issue of any kind arose, the resolution often felt a bit too... easy? Solutions were a little too convenient, which therefore lowered the stakes and probably then lowers the compulsion to keep reading about find out what would happen. I don't think the stakes are meant to really be that high in this series, so I think that works for it, but I thought it was worth noting. This is one of those books where I actually want things to work out well for everyone, so I'm not mad about things working out overall. 

Overall, I've really enjoyed this series and think it's the perfect "cozy" Fae fantasy story to get lost in during the winter months. There is a perfect balance of warmth and some slightly more serious/darker elements at times given the Fae subject matter, and I think Fawcett excellently captures all of those elements. I know this if the final book in the series, but I do feel like there was a bit of a setup for more books if she wanted to continue, maybe even as a novella or something here or there--I certainly wouldn't say no! If you haven't started this series yet, then you probably shouldn't have read this entire review, but even if you did I'd still recommend checking it out. If you have started this series and have liked what you've read so far, then be sure to pick up this final installment that makes a wonderful conclusion to well-loved series. 

*I received a copy of Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Blog Tour + Review: Symbiote by Michael Nayak

Welcome to my stop on Angry Robot Books' blog tour for Symbiote by Michael Nayak! I'm excited to join my fellow book lovers in sharing some information about Symbiote, as well as my own review for this claustrophobic thriller set at the South Pole. Thank you to Angry Robot Books for inviting me to join this tour and providing me with a review copy of Symbiote. Above you can find the full blog tour schedule and where to find other creators who are participating, and below you'll find some info about the book and author, as well as my review. Happy reading!

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Title: SYMBIOTE
Author:  Michael Nayak
Pub. Date: February 11th, 2025
Publisher: Angry Robot Books
Pages: 400
Find it: Bookshop.org | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Angry Robot Books | Target | Goodreads

SYNOPSIS:

"'As World War III rages, the scientists in Antarctica are thankful for the isolation – until a group of Chinese scientists arrive at the American research base in search of help. In their truck is a horrifying sight, the first ever murder victim in Antarctica. The potential for a geopolitical firestorm is great, and, with no clear jurisdiction, the Americans don’t know what to do. But they soon realize the Chinese scientists have brought far more with them than the body…

Within seventy-two hours, thirteen more lie dead in the snow, murdered in acts of madness and superhuman strength.

An extremophile parasite from the truck, triggered by severe cold, is spreading by touch. It is learning from them. Evolving. It triggers violent tendencies in the winter crew, and, more insidiously, the beginnings of a strange symbiotic telepathy.

A small group of survivors try to resist the siren call of the growing hive mind and stay alive long enough to solve the mystery of the symbiotic microbe’s origins. But the symbiote is more than a disease – it could be the key to shifting the balance of power in a time of war.

The survivors cannot let anyone infected make it to the summer season, when planes will arrive to take them – and potentially the symbiote – back to civilization."

Review:

I've been fascinated by all things relating to Antarctica and the South Pole for a number of years, so I'm always excited to read a new book centered around that setting, whether it's fiction or nonfiction. Symbiote is a fictional thriller set in Antarctica, and I was most excited about it because the author himself, Michael Nayak, was actually stationed at the Amundsen-Scott Research Station and has therefore been able to draw from him own experiences (well, sans the horrifying contagion aspect, of course!) which adds so much credibility and intrigue to the story for me.

Symbiote has a pretty terrifying premise: World War III is underway and Americans working at an isolated Antarctic station are suddenly under threat of an unknown contagion that has begun sweeping through the station--and there's nowhere to hide.

I love an isolated, locked-room type of story, and Symbiote absolutely delivers on that front. Our story kicks off when a group of Chinese scientists show up unannounced at the American station with a dead body in tow and are unable to adequately explain what has happened. The South Pole's jurisdiction on these matters is unclear during this world war, which leaves everyone in a precarious situation--especially when not even days later more people begin dying at the hands of those who appear to have gone mad with no explanation. Symbiote novel excels in building a sense of isolation and anxiety with its slow, creeping dread that constantly increases the tension. This is a story that I would have expected to be (and maybe preferred) a quieter, slow build sort of story, but it's actually surprisingly action-packed and there are rarely any dull moments. This relentless feeling of action certainly mirrored what I'm sure many of the characters were feeling while these terrifying events were occurring.

Despite the fact that I enjoyed myself for a majority of this novel, it wasn't without a few areas that didn't work for me. Some of my biggest frustrations, however, were with the characters themselves. As the story progressed, some characters made some truly absurd decisions, and while I understand that people panic in emergencies and aren't always able to think clearly, the sheer number of reckless choices felt excessive. There was also a surprisingly large cast of characters that we follow throughout and that made it difficult to become fully invested in anyone's survival, which for me did lessen some of the tension and emotional impact of what each one's fate would be. Some of their reactions to events of this book also felt a bit overdramatized at times, but I'll admit that it's hard to really know how anyone would behave in such an extreme situation, so this was more understandable.

Additionally, the way female characters were handled didn’t really work for me. There was a strong sexual overtone surrounding almost every woman in this book and it ended up feeling a bit overdone and left me a little disappointed. I'm not sure if this was done with the intention of critiquing the way women are often objectified under patriarchal setups and male-dominated areas, but if so I think could have been executed in a much  more effective way that felt a bit less awkward and out of place. It felt like so much of the focus of this book was on the relationships and who was sleeping with whom, and while I can see where relationships play into a tense situation like this, it just focused too much on that and not as much on other relationship dynamics that could have been more interesting.

Overall, this was a fast-paced, action-packed, and terrifying thriller that is sure to get you wondering about what might happen if a contagion such as the one in this book actually occurred in real life. It didn't end being as serious in tone as I'd expected, but I think it worked incredibly well as a page-turning thriller that will surely keep readers engaged .

If you’re looking for a high-energy thriller with a claustrophobic setting and plenty of action, then Symbiote should be next on your TBR!

*I received a copy of Symbiote from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating.*

ABOUT THE AUTHOR (from the publisher):

Mikey was born in Los Angeles and now lives in Washington D.C.; he has worked as a planetary scientist, pilot and skydiving instructor, and most recently as a Program Manager with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He has logged 1,000+ hours of flight time in 30+ aircraft including the F-16, T-38 and BE-76, is a US Air Force Test Pilot School graduate, and former NASA Space Shuttle engineer. (Author photo from Goodreads)

Find Michael Nayak online: Author Website | X | Goodreads

Mini-Review: The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore

The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore

Flatiron Books

Publication Date: February 11th, 2024

Hardcover. 320 pages.

About The Dollhouse Academy :

"Ivy Gordon is living a borrowed life on borrowed time. For the past eighteen years, she has been the most famous star at the Dollhouse Academy, the ultra-secretive, elite boarding school and talent incubator that every aspiring performer dreams of attending. But now, at age thirty-four, she is tired of pretending everything is fine. In secret diary entries, Ivy begins to reveal the sordid truth of her life at the strange medical exams, mysterious supplements, and something unspeakable that’s left Ivy terrified and feeling like a prisoner. As she forces herself to confront the most painful parts of her past, she begins to realize that something truly sinister might be powering the Dollhouse’s success.

Ramona Halloway and her best friend, Grace Ludlow, grew up idolizing Ivy. Now both twenty-two, neither has made much headway in showbiz, until a lucky break grants them entry to the Dollhouse. They’re enchanted by the picturesque campus and the chance to perform alongside their idols—though nothing prepares them for the fiercely competitive training bootcamp. When Ramona begins to receive anonymous, threatening messages, it’s easy to dismiss them as a prank from a rival. Her bigger concern is Grace’s skyrocketing success, while Ramona falls ever further behind. But the messages grow more unsettling, as does life at the Dollhouse. Can Ramona overcome her jealousy and resentment to figure out what’s really going on? And can Ivy finally find her voice, before another young performer follows her catastrophic path to stardom?

With dark academia twists and enormous heart, The Dollhouse Academy is a novel about the complexities of friendship, our desire to be seen and understood, and the true cost of making our dreams a reality."

The Dollhouse Academy is a twisty, emotional, and at times dark look into a world that focuses heavily on appearance and success--to the detriment of almost everything else. In The Dollhouse Academy, we follow Romance, Grace, and Ivy as each one tells their story and experiences the realities of being invited to and surviving in the Dollhouse Academy.

What I liked:  I really enjoyed getting to know Ramona and Ivy and exploring the glamorous, secretive, and dark world of the Dollhouse Academy alongside them. This was a book that skillfully balanced so many different elements, from Romana's inner struggles with her identity and figuring out who she is to her conflicts with a toxic environment and toxic people, all while slowly unfolding the mystery of what's really happening behind the scenes at the Dollhouse Academy. I thought the author did a really great job telling this twisty story, particular with how it interwove the present day experiences of Romana and Grace with some of Ivy's epistolary-style chapters about her own experiences in the Dollhouse Academy. I'd also like to note that I listened to the audiobook version and thought the narrators did an excellent job of capturing the voice and emotions of the characters within. 

What I didn't like: It hard to describe what exactly didn't work for me without giving spoilers, but I'll do my best to describe it. As the story progresses, there are some rather... disturbing ideas that being to come to light, which I thought added a lot of intrigue and certainly grabbed my attention. However, as the story dove deeper into some of these ideas, there was an element of it that didn't feel like it quite made sense and veered ever so slightly into some slightly absurd aspects that took away some of the believability for me. That being said, I think the story still managed to convey some deep meaning in regards to the pressure placed on young stars in the entertainment industry and how much they are forced through in order to always appear perfect and at their best, and the elements I've vaguely referred to do that really well. I think that as much as this book did, it still felt like certain elements were a little lackluster in the end, as well. 

Overall, The Dollhouse Academy is a compelling read and perfect fans of complex relationship dynamics, mysteries or thrillers, or anyone who is interested in the entertainment industry. 

*I received a copy of The Dollhouse Academy in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, Guatemalan Rhpasody by Jared Lemus, & Let Only Red Flowers Bloom by Emily Feng

 

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released. 

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
Publication: March 18th, 2025
Saga Press
Hardcover. 448 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.

A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits. This is an American Indian revenge story written by one of the new masters of horror, Stephen Graham Jones."

Stephen Graham Jones is one of my favorite authors for a number of reasons (and The Only Good Indians is the top reason because it's one of my favorites, haha), but especially because of how he incorporates the indigenous experience into his horror. This has a premise that sounds absolutely riveting and I cannot wait to have a chance to check it out. I also think that cover is fantastic.

Guatemalan Rhapsody: Stories by Jared Lemus
Publication: March 4th, 2025
Ecco
Hardcover. 240 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A vibrant debut story collection—poignant, unflinching, and immersive—masterfully moving between sharp wit and profound tenderness, Guatemalan Rhapsody offers a kaleidoscopic portrait of an ever-changing country, the people who claim it as home, and those who no longer do

Ranging from a custodian at an underfunded college to a medicine man living in a temple dedicated to San Simon, the patron saint of alcohol and cigarettes, the characters in these stories find themselves at defining moments in their lives, where sacrifices may be required of them, by them, or for them.

In “Saint Dismas,” four orphaned brothers pose as part of a construction crew, stopping cars along the highway and robbing anyone foolish enough to hit the brakes. In “Heart Sleeves,” two wannabe tattoo artists take part in a contest, where one of them hopes to win not only first place but also the heart of his best friend’s girlfriend. And, in “Fight Sounds,” a character who fancies himself a Don Juan is swept up in the commotion of an American film crew shooting a movie in his tiny town, until the economic and sexual politics of the place are turned on their head.

Across this collection, Lemus’s characters test their loyalty to family, community, and country, illuminating the ties that both connect us and constrain us. Guatemalan Rhapsody explores how we journey from the circumstances that we are forged by, and whether the ability to change our fortunes lies in our own hands or in those of another. Revealing the places where beauty, desperation, love, violence, and hope exist simultaneously, Jared Lemus’s debut establishes him as a major new voice in the form."

I'm always up for a new collection of stories from an emerging author, and I'm honestly not sure I've ever read much about/from a Guatemalan voice, so I'm excited about that as well. 

Let Only Red Flowers Bloom: Identity and Belonging in Xi Jinpeng's China by Emily Feng
Publication: March 18th, 2025
Crown
Hardcover. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"A deeply reported investigation into the battle over identity in China, chronicling the state oppression of those who fail to conform to Xi Jinping's definition of who is "Chinese," from an award-winning NPR correspondent.

In the hot summer months of 2021, China celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party. Authorities held propaganda and education campaigns across the country defining the ideal Chinese ethnically Han Chinese, Mandarin speaking, solidly atheist, and devoted to the socialist project of strengthening China against western powers.

No one can understand modern China—including its response to the pandemic—without understanding who actually lives there, and the ways that the Chinese State tries to control its people. Let Only Red Flowers Bloom collects the stories of more than two dozen people who together represent a more holistic picture of Chinese identity. The Uyghurs who have seen millions of their fellow citizens detained in camps; mainland human rights lawyer Ren Quanniu, who lost his law license in a bureaucratic dispute after representing a Hong Kong activist; a teacher from Inner Mongolia, forced to escape persecution because of his support of his mother tongue. These are just a few narratives that journalist Emily Feng reports on, revealing human stories about resistance against a hegemonic state and introducing readers to the people who know about Chinese identity the best.

Illuminating a country that has for too long been secretive of the real lives its citizens are living, Feng reveals what it’s really like to be anything other than party-supporting Han Chinese in China, and the myriad ways they’re trying to survive in the face of an oppressive regime."

This sounds really fascinating and is a topic that I'd really love to learn more about. I know bits and pieces of information from different sources, but this sounds like a great overarching informative work about modern day China.

Review: Grave Empire (The Great Silence, #1) by Richard Swan

Grave Empire (The Great Silence, #1) by Richard Swan

Orbit

Publication Date: February 4th, 2024

Paperback. 529 pages.

About Grave Empire (from the publisher):

"Blood once turned the wheels of empire. Now it is money.

A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and the Empire of the Wolf stands to take its place as the foremost power in the known world. Glory and riches await. But dark days are coming. A mysterious plague has broken out in the pagan kingdoms to the north, while in the south, the Empire's proxy war in the lands of the wolfmen is weeks away from total collapse.

Worse still is the message brought to the Empress by two heretic monks, who claim to have lost contact with the spirits of the afterlife. The monks believe this is the start of an ancient prophecy heralding the end of days-the Great Silence.

It falls to Renata Rainer, a low-ranking ambassador to an enigmatic and vicious race of mermen, to seek answers from those who still practice the arcane arts. But with the road south beset by war and the Empire on the brink of supernatural catastrophe, soon there may not be a world left to save . . .

Grave Empire is the first novel in an unmissable new epic fantasy series from Sunday Times bestseling author Rich Swan, packed full of action, intrigue and adventure"

Grave Empire is probably one of the fantasy genre's most anticipated winter 2025 releases and I'm here to tell you that it has absolutely lived up to its hype. Grave Empire marks the beginning of a brand new series from Richard Swan that takes place in the same world as his previous trilogy, Empire of the Wolf, but taking place about 200 years after the events of that trilogy–and I'd say things start off quite a bit darker than the previous trilogy! I don't think you need to have read the Empire of the Wolf trilogy to follow Grave Empire, but I think it could definitely be a benefit to have some familiarity with the world and its history and particulars, and of course you'll find little easter eggs here and there. 

In Grave Empire, we follow Renata Rainer, a Sovan ambassador to the Stygion, a race of mermen who are still largely mysterious to those on land and with whom the Sovan have many long-standing tensions and clashes with. After following and loving Helena as the protagonist in the previous trilogy, I was delighted to follow another intelligent, resourceful woman and I quickly found myself captivated by her sharp mind and motivations. Renata is confident in her abilities, but also refreshingly self-aware of her limits and level of experience in various matters, especially with regard to her ambassadorial duties. Renata's story in Grave Empire kicks off when two heretical monks arrive in Sova claiming that they believe the "Great Silence"- an ancient prophecy that marks when contact with the plane of the afterlife is lost, which essentially heralds the end of days--has begun. The mermen may play a vital role in accessing a way to stop this catastrophe, and thus Renata is drawn into this developing crisis.

In addition to Renata, we follow two other POV characters: Peter Kleist, a lieutenant in the Sovan army dispatched to a dangerous, far-off region of the empire; and Count Lamprecht von Oldenburg, a senator who spends much of his time dabbling in arcane magic. The best part of having these additional perspectives is how distinct they are from one another, from their personalities to their experiences in the story.  Peter's chapters were exceptionally nail-biting at times and felt the most classically chilling, with some rather creepy occurrences that made me consistently eager to return to his chapters. His time at Fort Ingomar is filled with eerie, unsettling occurrences—unknown screams piercing the night, gruesome events leaving soldiers on edge—and his struggle to balance his responsibilities as a new leader in this place with his own fears made him a particularly compelling character.

In contrast, von Oldenburg begins as an intriguing figure who I thought might be more of grey counter to our other characters, but he quickly morphed into something much more sinister and became a more reprehensible figure. He struck me as an example of the phrase "they were so preoccupied with whether they could, they never stopped to think if they should." He very much seems to masquerade his desire for power and wealth with a pursuit of scientific inquiry, which made both interesting and deeply unsettling.

In most multi-perspective novels, the characters either already interact or at some point their storylines eventually intersect, and the ways in which Swan lay the groundwork for this eventual happening felt masterful. Our three POV characters start out in such vastly different situations that it really made me wonder how and at what point they would come together, and by the end of the book I was in awe of how seamlessly the pieces of the puzzle were coming together.

If you've read the Empire of the Wolf trilogy, then you'll already be familiar with the intricate world-building of this world, but if you haven't then you're likely to be dazzled by how deftly it has been crafted and how much imagination is a part of it, from the basics of the world to the more mystical aspects of the world. I especially loved exploring new corners of this world, particularly through Renata’s POV, which gives us a glimpse into the mesmerizing underwater world of the Stygion, and I only hope we get to see even more of it in future books. Swan's strength continues to be his ability to not only craft incredible world-building in the regular mortal world, but also in somehow crafting layers upon layers of more world-building with other dimensions as well, such as the afterlife and through dreams. I really can't wait to hopefully learn more about the Stygion in future books.

I've always felt that Swan really manages to straddle that line of fantasy the merges into horror more and more with each book releases, and Grave Empire was really no exception. A lot of what happens in this book is quite dark and easily veers into the horrific, but this still remains wholly fantasy in overall execution. This is one that demands concentration of the reader, but it ultimately pays off as events progress and we begin to learn more and more about current events that are unfolding. 

Overall, I've given Grave Empire five stars! I cannot wait to continue this new series. 

*I received a copy of Grave Empire in exchange for an honest review. This has no affect on my opinions.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Month in Review: January 2025

 

Well, we finally made it through the entire year that was January. Honestly, I think we can all agree January was a lot for so many different reasons and most of them were not good. Here in LA we had some truly horrific fires that left so much tragedy it's still difficult to fully process. Fortunately, my husband and I remained a couple miles out from any evacuation zones, but there were some scary moments in there and it's been heartbreaking to see what those affected are going through. Maybe this is a good time for all of us to take a minute and appreciate that we've made it through January and that we are ready to take on the rest of the year, no matter what has happened (or at least keep repeating that like a mantra and pretend it's true?). 

But rather than dwelling on what's going with the state of the world, let's talk about books! I actually ended up reading more than I expected to in January (somehow, despite having next to no concentration multiple times in January?) and I read some really fantastic books as well. One highlight was Richard Swan's latest upcoming release Grave Empire, which was every bit as dark and wonderful as I'd hoped. I also couldn't wait so I went ahead and read my eARC of A Drop of Corruption, the much-anticipated sequel to The Tainted Cup, and had a great time with that as well. I also re-read one of my favorite story collections, How High We Go in the Dark, and felt just as sad and melancholy as I did the first time I read it–and also just as in love with it. All in all, it was a very solid reading month and I'm excited to get into February's reading!

I also posted my best books of 2024 in January, so be sure to have a look at part I and part II of those lists if you haven't and let me know what your favorite books were from 2024. :)

How was your January and what books have you been reading?  Let me know how your month was below and what you've been reading!

   

# books read: 

Grave Empire by Richard Swan ★★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: Grave Empire is the start of Richard Swan's new companion-esque trilogy following his Empire of the Wolf trilogy and it kicked off with a bang! I loved this one and cannot wait for more. My review will be up this week!

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett ★★★★.25

Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: For some reason, it took me a long time to get through this one and I'm not entirely sure why. I loved the first book--it was one of my favorite reads last year--and I still really liked this one, but it just moved much more slowly until the end. My review will be up closer to its publication in April.

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu ★★★★★ (re-read)

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was a reread because apparently I felt like being really sad, and I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. I previously wrote a review for it here with more of my thoughts. 

The Witchstone by Henry H. Neff ★★★★

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: This was really fun! I sort of picked this up on a whim after seeing it pop up while browsing on  Libby and it ended being a really fun read. I actually read a middle grade novel from Neff years and years ago that I enjoyed, so now I'm thinking I may need to check out some more of Neff's work. 

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods ★★★★

Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC
Thoughts: I though Kell Woods' After the Forest was a compelling take on a Hansel and Gretel retelling so I was eager to check out her latest release, which mashes up some elements from Cinderella and The Little Mermaid. There was a bit more romance than I expected (which was perhaps my own fault for not realizing, haha), but I had a great time with this one. My review will be up closer to its publication laster this month. 

Daughter of Chaos (The Dark Pantheon #1) by A.S. Webb ★★★★

Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: I'm always up for a Greek myth-inspired book, and this was a really interesting one. I loved having Herakles be a character, as I don't actually see him a lot in Greek myth inspired fiction, which is surprising. 

Lightfall (The Everlands Trilogy #1) by Ed Crocker ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC
Thoughts: This was a really interesting new take on vampires and I thought it had a lot of promise! I will definitely be curious to see where the author takes this one. My review is already up here. 

Symbiote by Michael Nayak ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: This ended up being even more intense than I expected and it was jam-packed with action. This was definitely a wild ride.

I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee, Transl. Anton Her ★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Paperback
Thoughts: I thought this had some great insight and discussion around a multitude of mental health topics and what's it like to struggle with depression and other mental health issues. I didn't necessarily agree with everything in here and some stuff didn't work for me, but I liked the conversational format and think it's still a read that will inspire some thinking and discussion.

All Better Now by Neal Shusterman ★★★★

Source: Publisher | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: I just posted my review for this one last week. This is Shusterman's  latest release and it was a really fascinating one!

Kaiju: Battlefield Surgeon by Matt Dinniman ★★★.75

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook
Thoughts: Since I've been enjoying Dinniman Dungeon Crawler Carl series so much, I though I'd give one of his previous works a read. This is very much a similar litRPG-style book so if you like that aspect, you'll love it in this as well. It didn't grab me as much as the DCC series, but it's still a really interesting concept. It's dark and quite violent, so be warned!

Sleight by Jennifer Sommersby ★★★.5

Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover
Thoughts: I sort of stumbled into this book and read it without knowing anything about except that the protagonist and her mother were aerialists in a circus and that was pretty much all I needed. This ended up being a really good exploration of grief, connection, and there were some interesting fantasy elements I didn't expect.

DNF/To-Be-Finished:

None!

 

The Way Up Is Death by Dan Hanks
Lightfall by Ed Crocker
Why Taiwan Matters: A Short History of a Small Island That Will Dictate Our Future by Kerry Brown
All Better Now by Neal Shusterman

 Posts:

Month in Review: December 2024
Best Books of 2024, Pt. I: 2024 Releases
Best Books 2024, Pt. II: Backlist Titles & Honorable Mentions
2024 Reading Stats!
Anticipated February 2025 Releases!

Blog Memes:

Can't-Wait Wednesday:
1/8: The Garden by Nick Newman, Grave Empire by Richard Swan, Waiting for the Long Night Moon by Amanda Peters, & Boy by Nicole Galland
1/15: The Black Orb by Ewhan Kim, Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods, & The Poorly Made and Other Things by Sam Rebelein
1/22: Whiteout by R.S. Burnett, The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton, & Black Woods, Blue Sky by Eowyn Ivey
1/29: Hungerstone by Kat Dunn, Gliff by Ali Smith, & Daughter of Daring by Mallory O'Meara, & After the North Pole by Erling Kagge

Friday Face-Off:
Current Read #34