2021Reads – Page 2 – A Take from Two Cities

THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB by Richard Osman

Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves
A female cop with her first big case
A brutal murder
Welcome to…
The Thursday Murder Club

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves.

When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it’s too late?

Title : Thursday Murder Club
Author : Richard Osman
Series : Thursday Murder Club
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 382
Genre : crime / mystery
Publisher : Penguin
Release Date : September 3, 2020

Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Hollis’ 4 star review

Well this was as delightful as it sounds, really!

This is definitely (maybe? I think..) on the cozier side of murder mystery novels but doesn’t feel too silly, either. While it might be easy to just enjoy the antics of the seventy year olds poking their noses about and unearthing secrets and hatching plots to solve the case (well, cases), there’s also some very real observations and contemplations concerning their mortality and minds and how much time they, and those around them, have left. In a somewhat related way, too, there were tears shed. For a few different reasons. But they still have a good time, too. It was just.. I mean, I said it before, but : delightful.

“I’d welcome a burglar. It would be nice to have a visitor.”

I was absolutely enamoured by all of the characters; the Murder Club, the officers drawn into their orbit, even some characters who might have been suspects. It was all very gently compelling. Which makes the fact that I have the sequel, or the second in the series, all ready to go because I am not ready to leave these old crafts dears and their fellows.

This might not satisfy readers who are more into thrills, chills, and chases, but if you like a good mystery to unravel, and like to read about some unconventional leads, this is a must for you to read.

DEAR MRS BIRD by AJ Pearce 🎧

London, 1941. Emmeline Lake and her best friend Bunty are trying to stay cheerful despite the Luftwaffe making life thoroughly annoying for everyone. Emmy dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent and when she spots a job advertisement in the newspaper she seizes her chance – but after a rather unfortunate misunderstanding, she finds herself typing letters for the formidable Henrietta Bird, the renowned agony aunt of Woman’s Friend magazine.

Mrs Bird is very clear: letters containing any form of Unpleasantness must go straight into the bin. But as Emmy reads the desperate pleas from women who may have Gone Too Far with the wrong man, or can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she decides the only thing for it is to secretly write back . . .

Irresistibly funny and enormously moving, Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce is a love letter to the enduring power of friendship, the kindness of strangers and the courage of ordinary people in extraordinary times.

Title : Dear Mrs Bird
Author : AJ Pearce
Narrator : Anna Popplewell
Format : Audiobook
Length : 10 hours, 40 minutes
Genre : Women’s Fiction/Historical
Publisher : Macmillan Audio
Release Date : April 5, 2018

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Micky’s 3.5 – 4 star review

Headlines:
Funny
Down to earth view of war-time London
Female-centric

This was both a witty perspective of city life during WW2 but as you can imagine, it hit a point where it was tragic and sad too. That said, this is one of the easiest historical reads I’ve ever had and for that many points awarded. I often associate historical reads with being heavier but the funny narrative of Emmy, the protagonist, eased you into her world.

Emmy was a bit chaotic, she had a desire to make her subtle mark on society and she found herself wanting to empower women. What I liked about this story and narrative was that Emmy was all about the average woman, the problems those women faced in life, love and loss. There was so much in this witty bite of life for the reader.

I got caught up in the feels of tragedy when all was said and done and AJ Pearce has secured me for the next book because I have an intense desire to find out what’s next for Emmy (and Bunty).

The narration was superb and this actor (and voice actor) brought much to the emotional levity and temperature of the listening experience.

IF THIS GETS OUT by Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich – double review!

Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage. But privately, cracks are starting to form: their once-easy rapport is straining under the pressures of fame, and Ruben confides in Zach that he’s feeling smothered by management’s pressure to stay in the closet.

On a whirlwind tour through Europe, with both an unrelenting schedule and minimal supervision, Ruben and Zach come to rely on each other more and more, and their already close friendship evolves into a romance. But when they decide they’re ready to tell their fans and live freely, Zach and Ruben start to truly realize that they will never have the support of their management. How can they hold tight to each other when the whole world seems to want to come between them?

Title : If This Gets Out
Author : Sophie Gonzales and Cale Dietrich
Format : eARC/Paperback ARC
Page Count : 416
Genre : YA romance
Publisher : Wednesday Books/Team BKMRK
Release Date : December 7, 2021

Reviewer : Hollis / Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ / ★ ★ ★

Hollis’ 2.75 (rounded up) star review

I think this would’ve resonated a lot more with me had I been a One Direction or BTS fan. It’s been a long time since I was into this kind of musical group, though I’m obviously not too old to understand the dynamics and the archetypes and the pressure; I’m not blind or deaf to social media. But it was hard to transport myself into this mindset because, well.. I was too young to pay that kind of attention when I was into these kinds of groups. Not to mention, I think the media and paparazzi — while they were probably no less toxic back in the day — well, the coverage was just different. Because the internet. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to deal with for those who were the subject of it all, of course, but how it was later consumed? The frenzy. The focus. The demand for more, for all? I feel that’s such a different animal now.

But anyway, that’s a long intro that isn’t saying much, so lets move on.

Overall I don’t have a lot of feelings about this. Or at least not strong ones. I didn’t love it, I didn’t hate it, and it was a quick consumption of entertainment. But don’t take that to mean this was light or fluffy or easy to process; there are real issues, some heavy subject matter, mixed in with the boyband and romance elements. But I felt the same way about the story as I do reading about the aforementioned real-life bands; my brain was processing the information, I would sympathize, but ultimately my investment was low.

That said, I think a lot of people will like this — I don’t think being into these bands is at all a prerequisite. I just, personally, think I would’ve liked it more if I was.

** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **

Micky’s 3 star review

Headlines:
Self discovery
Friendships to moreships
Band life

If This Gets Out was a read with plenty of drama that I think has particular appeal for teens who love bands, fandoms, band life and are questioning or closeted. I appreciated all those themes and how Zach and Reuben navigated life with their restrictions. I’m not a fan of some of the big bands out there and I think this might have affected my enjoyment somewhat.

The developing more-ship between Zach and Reuben was sweet and made for easy reading. The life of the band on tour was tough, exactly how I imagine in terms of control and restrictions and that was uncomfortable reading.

Self discovery, identity and the desire to come out felt well-handled in this book. One of my yuk factors in YA is crappy parents and parenting; be ready for those elements.

This was a roller coaster of a read with sweet elements and a relationship to buy into.

Thank to TeamBKMRK for the review copy.

LOVE STORIES: A NOVELLA COLLECTION by Samantha Young

A collection of contemporary romance novellas from New York Times Bestselling Author Samantha Young. This volume includes novellas previously only available exclusively to newsletter subscribers. They have now been collated into this romantic collection of modern love stories. Includes:

The Forbidden Christmas Gift:
It’s Christmas at Shaw’s Department store in Edinburgh! Reid Shaw should feel nothing but gratified by his success. But he’s not satisfied because the sexy Scot wants forbidden fruit for Christmas: Evan Munro. Reid’s Evan’s boss. He’s thirteen years older than her.
Oh … and she’s his best friend’s little sister.

New Year’s Eve:
After Ryan drunkenly kisses the object of her crush, Joe—her sister’s father-in-law— at his son’s birthday party, all she wants to do is avoid Joe for the rest of eternity. But when they find themselves stranded alone together on New Year’s Eve, Ryan discovers Joe most definitely doesn’t want to avoid Ryan…

Loving Valentine:
Micah Green has loved Valentine Fairchild for over ten years; ever since they were kids brought together by Micah’s difficult family life. Too many outside factors have gotten in their way, pushing them further apart over the years. But Micah, no matter how hard he tries, can’t forget her. When he finds a way to see her again, he realizes he’s wasted too much time loving Valentine from afar. Now he just has to convince her to let go of their past so they can move on with their future. Together.

Ember in the Heart:
When Ember Bonet overhears her sister’s fiancé’s best friend uttering rude remarks about the Bonet sisters at the engagement party, she instantly dismisses him as a pretentious man-child. Then said man-child, Foster Darwin, moves into the house next door along with his five-year-old daughter, making him hard to ignore.
Foster can’t believe his best friend, Colt, omitted to tell him the spinsterish Bonet sisters live in the house next door to his new home. Problem is, Ember Bonet is anything but spinsterish. From the moment they met, Foster has fought an overwhelming attraction to her. An attraction he has no time for. Not only is he determined to prioritize his daughter Georgie, he can’t fail his own father again. And Edward Darwin has made it clear that Foster must settle down with the right woman. Unfortunately, his family’s idea of ‘right’ isn’t the sexy massage therapist next door who’s eleven years his senior.
Determined to keep her distance from Foster, Ember fails when it becomes clear he and Georgie need support in their new life together. But proximity to one another is too great a temptation, and physical chemistry soon turns into so much more. If only Ember could get over their age difference and Foster his family pride…

Title : Love Stories: A Novella Collection
Author : Samantha Young
Format : eARC
Page Count : 315
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Self
Release Date : December 6, 2021

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Micky’s 4 star review

This book of four delicious bites just fitted my mood. Each story was rich despite the brevity of the pages; I definitely had some favourites. Christmas touched at least three of the stories but they weren’t overtly Christmassy which works just fine for me. Each couple knew one another at least a bit already but no one could describe these couples as friends at the start. We also got a couple of age-difference stories.

Each book had a slice of steam and more. If that’s your bag, you can’t go wrong here. I’m putting my seperate ratings below for each novella, with a few individual thoughts.

The Forbidden Christmas Gift – 4 stars. Probably my favourite and this one had a strong office romance vibe.

New Year’s Eve – 4 stars. Joe was a babe and I loved this one too. Snowy cabin vibes were rolling alongside an older man.

Loving Valentine – 3.5 stars. This was a lesson in love-patience and these teens to adults were sweet and then adult-ish, if you get my vibe!

Ember In The Heart – 3 stars. I struggled a bit with the tool that was Foster in this story, redemption occured but he wound me up. That said, major props for the older woman trope here.

Thank you to the author for the early review copy.

THE ARCTIC CURRY CLUB by Dani Redd

‘For my whole life I had been looking for home. But why would that be in a place that I’d left? Perhaps I had to keep moving forward in order to find it…’

Soon after upending her life to accompany her boyfriend Ryan to the Arctic, Maya realises it’s not all Northern Lights and husky sleigh rides. Instead, she’s facing sub-zero temperatures, 24-hour darkness, crippling anxiety – and a distant boyfriend as a result.

In her loneliest moment, Maya opens her late mother’s recipe book and cooks Indian food for the first time. Through this, her confidence unexpectedly grows – she makes friends, secures a job as a chef, and life in the Arctic no longer freezes her with fear.

But there’s a cost: the aromatic cuisine rekindles memories of her enigmatic mother and her childhood in Bangalore. Can Maya face the past and forge a future for herself in this new town? After all, there’s now high demand for a Curry Club in the Arctic, and just one person with the know-how to run it…

A tender and uplifting story about family, community, and finding where you truly belong – guaranteed to warm your heart despite the icy setting!

Title : The Arctic Curry Club
Author : Dani Redd
Narrator : Zoha Rahman
Format : eALC
Length : 10 hours 6 minutes
Genre : Contemporary Fiction
Publisher : Harper Collins UK Audio
Release Date : December 9, 2021

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Micky’s 4 star review

Headlines:
Deep themes
Authentic anxiety rep
From Svalbard to Bangalore

This book was a bit of a travel feast with polar (there’s a pun there) opposite countries and a chef learning to cook the fayre of the places. I came into this book expecting a super light Christmassy romance, but what I got was so much more and better than that. The Arctic Curry Club was an empowering read of previous family trauma, mental illness represented well and woman finding her own feet to stand on.

Maya arrived in Svalbard (I enjoyed looking at photos of the place after reading the book) with her partner and her reaction to this extreme environment felt realistic. Finding your foot and purpose in a place like this was always going to be difficult. Relationships and friendships were key to this story but alongside this was a narrative of Maya’s family, her childhood in Bangalore and a trip back there. I really enjoyed the contrast of these two places.

Food, cooking, polar bears, illness and arctic foxes made for an entertaining read. The themes while deep, weren’t heavy and there was a lighter balance kept through the narrative to offset any emotional elements.

I listenend on audio and thoroughly enjoyed the narration (single pov).

Thank you to Avon Books UK for the review copy.

SEA OF RUIN by Pam Godwin

Bennett Sharp is on the run.
Wanted for piracy, she fears neither God nor death nor man. Except Priest Farrell.

The unfaithful, stormy-eyed libertine hunts her with terrifying possessiveness. Nothing will stop him from coming for her. Not his unforgivable betrayal. Not when she’s captured by the ice-cold pirate hunter, Lord Ashley Cutler. She must escape Ashley’s prison and Priest’s deceit. But can she walk away from their twisted desires?

Two gorgeous captains stand on opposite sides of the law. When they collide in a battle to protect her, the lines blur between enemies and lovers. Passion heats, secrets unravel, and hearts entangle until they break.

Can love prevail in the sea of ruin?

Title : Sea of Ruin
Author : Pam Godwin
Series : Sea of Ruin (book one)
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 482
Genre : dark historical romance
Publisher : Heartbound Media, Inc.
Release Date : April 28, 2020

Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Hollis’ 4 star review

You know how we don’t call books guilty pleasures anymore? Or try not to, at least? If we still did, I think this would be one of them. There are so many reasons to feel guilty about enjoying Sea of Ruin. Starting with the ship-full of triggers and dubious content within the pages.

However.

This somehow still managed to be a lot of fun? Compelling as fuck? Delicious? Whilst also constantly making me question myself because of aforementioned dubiousness. Truly. At one point this skirts (if not outright crossed into) torture porn because Bennett, the protagonist, goes through pretty much every kind of awful and pain imaginable. The entire spectrum of bad. And once or twice it even happens with a love interest. Sometimes bits are glossed over in a way that.. well, doesn’t make you forget what’s happening but is less of a play by play. Other times not so much. So, you know, when they say dark romance.. (jazz hands) they mean it.

The vibe here is basically Pirates of the Caribbean minus the campy fun meets all the grittiness of Black Sails. Dark bites aside, I didn’t expect to enjoy a pirate book this much as I’ve been pretty meh about every one I’ve read thus far (not many). But maybe that’s because they were YA. This isn’t remotely in that category. Insert big flashing sign saying tHisS iS aDuLt here, please.

I can’t say I was surprised about some of the unraveling of plot but to be honest I don’t think we’re supposed to be. And when I say plot, I mean that in the vaguest sense of the definition of the word. This is mostly a lot of adult content (both sexy and side eye-y) wrapped around a few pivotal scenes that have information related to backstories and motivations but otherwise.. yeah, not a lot of actual plot. But to be honest I didn’t even really notice until after I’d finished it and realized it was more character driven and, also, character-tossed -about-in-and-out-of-harm-or-sexy-times.

And still.. it worked.

For readers of dark romance I don’t know how this measures up to other reads as I don’t tend to dip into this subgenre so I don’t know if this is technically tame or just par for the course; but, regardless of your tastes, if you are worried about triggers, I definitely encourage you read other reviews and especially any content warnings to see if you’re up to braving these turbulent seas. It’s not hard to find the specifics.

I think it very likely I’ll read this author again — I’m sure I have a few of her books on my kindle from various sales over the years — because if she can make me like a book this much despite all the dodgy bits? What can’t she do.

If you want something gritty, sexy, historical, piratey, dark, romantic, and more, Sea of Ruin might just fit the bill. Also, it’s recommended you read the prequel after this book to avoid any spoilery bits that are revealed within the main book. Just a heads up. I’m off to read that now.

AS GOOD AS DEAD by Holly Jackson

The highly-anticipated finale to the A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series, the instant bestsellers that read like your favorite true crime podcast or show. By the end of this mystery series, you’ll never think of good girls the same way again…

Pip is about to head to college, but she is still haunted by the way her last investigation ended. She’s used to online death threats in the wake of her viral true-crime podcast, but she can’t help noticing an anonymous person who keeps asking her: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

Soon the threats escalate and Pip realizes that someone is following her in real life. When she starts to find connections between her stalker and a local serial killer caught six years ago, she wonders if maybe the wrong man is behind bars.

Police refuse to act, so Pip has only one choice: find the suspect herself—or be the next victim. As the deadly game plays out, Pip discovers that everything in her small town is coming full circle . . .and if she doesn’t find the answers, this time she will be the one who disappears. . .

Title : As Good As Dead
Author : Holly Jackson
Series : A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder (book three)
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 464
Genre : YA mystery
Publisher : Delacorte Press
Release Date : September 28, 2021

Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ ★

Hollis’ 3 star review

If not for the fact that I feel obligated to review this, as the first two books are on the blog, I would probably take the coward’s way out and just not review; because I have no idea how to process my feelings about this. Or, rather, I am still processing them.

In hindsight all the extremes we visit in this finale do make sense. The argument could definitely be made that it was all building to this. But I wish we could’ve had the same result via a different means. I wish we hadn’t needed to see those extremes. It added a whole other thriller-y layer to this series, that’s for sure, but it’s hard to settle with.

It does prove that age old adage true, though. I won’t tell you which one, though; it would be a spoiler.

I’m going to slap this with a three because I think the craft and calculation behind this series, and this finale, is well done. And I would definitely read this author again. Especially if she writes in this genre. But the way this one fell out is just a little too.. well. Too something.

However, if you’re looking for a YA thriller/mystery series that definitely gets darker as the series goes on, with mixed media elements, with strong will-go-to-hell-and-back friendships aka found family presence, I would actually recommend.

CROSSED by Eliza Crewe

War is here.

Full-scale war has erupted between the Crusaders and demons and even Chi has to admit isn’t going well. Like any sensible rat, Meda’s eager to abandon the sinking ship but, unfortunately, her friends aren’t nearly as pragmatic. Instead, Meda’s forced to try to keep them all alive until the dust settles.

As the Crusaders take more and more drastic measures, the tables turn and Meda suddenly finds herself in the role of voice of sanity. No one is more horrified than she is. When old enemies reappear as new allies and old friends become new enemies Meda has to decide—again—whose side she’s really on.

And then the Crusaders decide that Meda should go to Hell. Literally.

Can’t a monster ever catch a break?

Title : Crossed
Author : Eliza Crewe
Series : Soul Eaters (book three)
Format : eBook
Page Count : 346
Genre : YA paranormal fantasy
Publisher : Strange Chemistry
Release Date : August 13, 2015

Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Hollis’ 4 star review

I definitely expected this ending to be unexpected but the fact that it was also delightful and delicious? So good.

I have seen too much good in my enemies, too much evil in my allies.

Obviously there’s even less I can say about this finale than the books that came before because I in no way want to spoil the surprises that await you. But just know.. they await. Patiently.

It’s this, my own depravity, that makes me unable to condemn others for theirs, that makes me want to believe that no matter what mistakes I make, that there is forgiveness. There is hope.

This series has a snarky hilarious narrative built around our not-at-all innocent soul eater, a half demon, Meda. It has strong female friendships that are complicated by differences and realness but endure nonetheless. It has an interesting and complex romantic element that constantly surprised me. It has darkness and violence but also hope and light. And so much more.

Just as the Crusaders are plagued with hate, demons are afflicted with hope. The equal opposite nature of the cosmic game board means no one is above reproach, and no one is below it.

If you’re looking to beef up your backlist reading, you love YA, and you enjoy a twist on the usual formula; if you love to revel in some excellent dialogue around good and evil, the truths we avoid and the lies we tell ourselves, no matter what side we’re on, this would be a high recommend from me.

KINGDOM OF GODS by N.K. Jemisin

For two thousand years the Arameri family has ruled the world by enslaving the very gods that created mortalkind. Now the gods are free, and the Arameris’ ruthless grip is slipping. Yet they are all that stands between peace and world-spanning, unending war.

Title : Kingdom of Gods
Author : N.K. Jemisin
Series : Inheritance Trilogy (book three)
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 613
Genre : fantasy
Publisher : Orbit
Release Date : October 11, 2011

Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ ★

Hollis’ 3 star review

I’m trying not to be bummed because three stars is still a good rating (and I think I’m an outlier, on a brief scan of ratings on GR) but this just didn’t satisfy me the way books one and two did.

I’ve mentioned in my other review that the way book two fit into book one was different but still connected. Well that trend continues with book three but this one steps even further away from the major themes that connected those earlier instalments. This one also shifts gears in the particular perspective we follow.

Regardless of my liking of it, though, it’s impossible to argue against the fact that Jemisin did really interesting things with this. We really delved into the meat of her world, her characters, and the division between her mortals and her gods and all from the perspective of a character we’ve grown to love up until this point. But while I appreciated some new facets to him, and again a better understanding of the way it all worked, I think the problem was I just wasn’t as compelled by him; or the new characters we met along the way.

But again, it was all interesting.

It can’t be said Jemisin isn’t creative as hell and what she does with her concepts, the narratives and explorations, not to mention her late stage reveals, are just brilliant. And while I dragged my feet a bit, and didn’t love the (long) journey of this one every step of the way, I did actually like the ending. It’s such a change from where we started and I love that.

And it’s not over! I actually have two novellas still to complete but I don’t think I’ll do much reviewing of them unless they blow me away. So thus concludes the last series on my latest Five On Our TBRs list. Super glad I gave myself the push to get through this and don’t regret a single moment of it. If you’ve read to read Jemisin, if you’ve yet to read this debut series of hers, don’t delay. I highly recommend.

SKIN OF THE SEA by Natasha Bowen

An unforgettable fantasy debut inspired by West African mythology, this is Children of Blood and Bone meets The Little Mermaid, in which a mermaid takes on the gods themselves.

A way to survive.
A way to serve.
A way to save.

Simi prayed to the gods, once. Now she serves them as Mami Wata–a mermaid–collecting the souls of those who die at sea and blessing their journeys back home.

But when a living boy is thrown overboard, Simi does the unthinkable–she saves his life, going against an ancient decree. And punishment awaits those who dare to defy it.

To protect the other Mami Wata, Simi must journey to the Supreme Creator to make amends. But something is amiss. There’s the boy she rescued, who knows more than he should. And something is shadowing Simi, something that would rather see her fail. . . .

Danger lurks at every turn, and as Simi draws closer, she must brave vengeful gods, treacherous lands, and legendary creatures. Because if she doesn’t, then she risks not only the fate of all Mami Wata, but also the world as she knows it.

Title : Skin of the Sea
Author : Natasha Bowen
Format : Physical ARC
Page Count : 323
Genre : YA Fantasy
Publisher : Penguin
Release Date : November 4, 2021

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★

Micky’s 3 star review

Headlines:
West African fantasy wow
Slavery and fighting back
Lush cover

I’m blown away by the cover on this book, it is stunning and provides such a fantastic visual for Simi the main character. I really bought into this story initially, Simi being a mermaid-esque being but able to transform to human on land. Her job was to collect the souls of those dying at sea, particularly slaves killed on the boats taking them away from their native shores.

I really loved the early elements of the folk lore& gods but it did get more complicated and a bit harder to follow at times. It wasn’t a long book but the second half felt a little longer than it should have to me. Kola, the human alongside Simi had a joint quest to fulfill with Simi and that premise for the story was interesting but again with a rather complex set of gods and magical elements to follow.

I liked this book but sadly I didn’t love it like I thought I might. I’d definitely read this author again however and I really appreciated the slavery perspective and generally the African fantasy context.

Please check out some black reviewers on this book. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through netgalley.