Retelling – A Take from Two Cities

FRACTURED FABLES series by Alix E. Harrow

Hi readers, here’s a mini review round-up for you! Today we’re bringing you short and sweet reviews for this duology of fractured feminist fables relating to Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. And if these aren’t already on your radar, they should be! Or, at least, Hollis thinks so.

It’s Zinnia Gray’s twenty-first birthday, which is extra-special because it’s the last birthday she’ll ever have. When she was young, an industrial accident left Zinnia with a rare condition. Not much is known about her illness, just that no one has lived past twenty-one.

Her best friend Charm is intent on making Zinnia’s last birthday special with a full sleeping beauty experience, complete with a tower and a spinning wheel. But when Zinnia pricks her finger, something strange and unexpected happens, and she finds herself falling through worlds, with another sleeping beauty, just as desperate to escape her fate.

Title : A Spindle Splintered
Author : Alix E. Harrow
Series : Fractured Fables (book one)
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 128
Genre : fantasy / LGBTQIAP+
Publisher : Tordotcom
Release Date : October 5, 2021

Hollis’ 4 star review

Is Harrow lowkey turning into one of my favourite authors? Did this just sneak up on me without any warning and or intent? Because hi.. I really loved this.

What I never thought I needed in my life was an Into the Spider-Verse take on Sleeping Beauty. So it’s Into the Sleeping Beauty-Verse, basically. But also modernized. And feminist. And queer. And the iteration of Sleeping Beauty we’re following isn’t cursed but dying.

I’ve always resented people for trying to save me, but maybe this is how it works, maybe we save one another.

Truthfully there isn’t much I disliked about this. Even though part of me wanted more, I think it was the perfect length, with the perfect ending, and I don’t think I’d change a thing. Every deviation, every change, was a delight (even if it was sad or horrible). And oh, yeah, when I mentioned it’s queer? It is, but maybe not in the way you’ll expect it to be.

Initially when I wrote this review I mentioned how excited I was that there was more from this world, not realizing it was actually a connected series instead of companions, and how I would be diving right into the next one. But these are now batched so, like, obviously you know book two’s review is.. here. Right below. So, enjoy!

Zinnia Gray, professional fairy-tale fixer and lapsed Sleeping Beauty, is over rescuing snoring princesses. Once you’ve rescued a dozen damsels and burned fifty spindles, once you’ve gotten drunk with twenty good fairies and made out with one too many members of the royal family, you start to wish some of these girls would just get a grip and try solving their own narrative issues.

Just when Zinnia’s beginning to think she can’t handle one more princess, she glances into a mirror and sees another face looking back at her: the shockingly gorgeous face of evil, asking for her help. Because there’s more than one person trapped in a story they didn’t choose. Snow White’s Evil Queen has found out how her story ends, and she’s desperate for a better ending. She wants Zinnia to help her before it’s too late for everyone. Will Zinnia accept the Queen’s poisonous request and save them both from the hot-iron shoes that wait for them, or will she try another path?

Title : A Mirror Mended
Author : Alix E. Harrow
Series : Fractured Fables (book two)
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 130
Genre : fantasy / LGBTQIAP+
Publisher : Tordotcom
Release Date : June 14, 2022

Hollis’ 4 star review

Okay, so, yes, can confirm. Harrow might be on my favourites list now because book one was not a fluke. And she already has the honour of holding the spot of my one and only five-star read in 2023 (so far) for her other novella so, like.. yeah. Thank goodness there’s another book in her backlist to get me through until her 2023 release in the fall.

But okay, so, things get a little off-course in book two. We couldn’t have another book filled with even more rehashings of Sleeping Beauty, and funny enough even Zinnia was getting sick of them, too, after rescuing dozens of them. So lucky for her (I guess?) she winds up in a different fairytale; and this time there’s no heroine to lend a helping hand, it’s the Evil Queen asking for help. Naturally, resistance ensues. And shortly thereafter we find ourselves in one of the weirdest, and darkest, retellings of the fairytale. And a surprise cameo.

“Oh, Little Brier-Rose, you feel sorry for her. Poor Snow White, so pretty, so pure. You think this is her story. You know nothing.“

There are so many great layers to this story, about endings, about choice, but also the biggest take-away I think is that there really is no magical cure for everything. Happily ever afters? Well, they don’t really exist, either. There’s definitely a bittersweetness to the end of this one which I think works perfectly, both for Zinnia and The Evil Queen.

Even though in book one I was perfectly happy with the end of it, and moving on to something else, I’m only partially satisfied this time. Don’t get me wrong it’s a great ending, and I don’t really want more, because this did feel like an ending, but I already miss these characters. So, yeah, bittersweet is right.

If this at all seems like a series you might be into, I would highly recommend it. They aren’t long, and there’s only two (so far? forever? who knows!), and it made for a great way to pass a dull and dreary afternoon. And stay tuned for (hopefully!) more fangirling from me for future, and past, Harrow titles.

ONE FOR MY ENEMY by Olivie Blake – double review!

A thrilling story of rival witch families in New York City, from New York Times bestselling author and internet phenomenon Olivie Blake.

In modern-day Manhattan where we lay our scene, two rival witch families fight to maintain control of their respective criminal ventures.

On one side of the conflict are the Antonova sisters — each one beautiful, cunning, and ruthless — and their mother, the elusive supplier of premium intoxicants, known only as Baba Yaga. On the other side, the influential Fedorov brothers serve their father, the crime boss known as Koschei the Deathless, whose community extortion ventures dominate the shadows of magical Manhattan.

After twelve years of tenuous co-existence, a change in one family’s interests causes a rift in the existing stalemate. When bad blood brings both families to the precipice of disaster, fate intervenes with a chance encounter, and in the aftershocks of a resurrected conflict, everyone must choose a side. As each of the siblings struggles to stake their claim, fraying loyalties threaten to rot each side from the inside out.

If, that is, the enmity between empires doesn’t destroy them first.

Title : One For My Enemy
Author : Olivie Blake
Format : eARC / Physical
Page Count : 384
Genre : paranormal romance / retelling
Publisher : Tor Books
Release Date : April 4, 2023

Reviewer : Hollis / Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ .5 / ★ ★ ★ ★

Hollis’ 3.5 star review

One day I hope I can love one of Blake’s book without any complicated or mixed feelings about it. But we’ve yet to have that day, it seems.

Having said that though I think this is the closest I’ve gotten so far? Maybe? It’s certainly less pretentious and academic, with an ensemble I sometimes like but often times don’t, than The Atlas Six (and it’s sequel); and certainly less pretentious and strange than Alone With You in the Ether, and.. well, that sums it up.

One for my Enemy is a little more straight-forward and other than being a classic retelling there isn’t much pretension at all. Plus not only was it Shakespearean at it’s core but it also had the delightful bonus of Russian/Slavic folktales with the inclusion of the Baba Yaga and Koschei monikers. So that was fun. Oh, also? Witches. There’s a lot of good going on here. And we open with quite a bang.

But.. I’ll admit things did get a little too drawn out, too same-y (take a shot every time someone meets up with The Bridge for a deal.. wait don’t that happens every other page), and even though there was a bit of a wind-up for a big reveal at the end, this big grand master plan, I felt we’d lost too much momentum right before it all came clear. So it kind of pfft fell flat.

Admittedly, too, I only felt invested in two characters. Masha and Dima were everything. The antagonists were successfully antagonists and that’s good, sure, fine, but everyone else we were supposed to like or root for (mostly Sasha, Lev was okay) I just.. didn’t. Maybe because it was insta-lovey? And they were very dramatic. Which I guess ties into the whole R&J angle. And now that I think about it I wonder if Masha and Dima were Blake’s way of writing a better R&J story. Because it was. It was so much better.

So the set-up and all the references or homages? Good. The unique take so it didn’t feel like a direct retelling? Even better. The twisty familial ties and bonds? Fun because neither side were the “good” guys. And those aforementioned characters? Insert heart here. But it was definitely too long, or too drawn out, and there was too much death and too much not death (IYKYK).

Also I feel like halfway through the story I had forgotten Baba Yaga’s whole motivation slash enterprise goal unless it was just general New York/world dominion. Which kind of ties into the whole what was known to the world vs not when it comes to magic and creatures. As much as it felt like there was a setting, though not really in the sense that I always knew this was happening in New York (often I would convince myself this was in Moscow because of all the names and fairytale references), I’m not sure I really grasped the world.

But of all the Blake titles referenced above? This might be the one I would recommend. It’s the one book I’ve left feeling more good than not about.. even if I rambled complaints and confusions for the last few paragraphs. For all that I wasn’t sold on all the bits, it still manages to pass the vibe check.

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

Micky’s 4 star review

Headline:
Sweeping characterisation
Polarising families
Irresistible connections

I’m sure most readers dipping into reviews know that this story is founded in Romeo and Juliet and honestly, Blake executed this vision of witches in New York with two competing families so well. What I expected, was to end up on the side of one family over another but the Antonovas and the Fedorovs were equally entracing as they were unpleasant. Each family had some characters I really loved and some I hated.

For me, it felt like there were four main characters in this book (who I loved equally) and then a set of really strong secondary characters with some others in the background. The idea of Baba Yaga and Koschei the Deathless were initally rather intimitdating with a mafia boss feel to their families, legacies and business dealings. The children of these families however had more grounding, practicality and loyalty to one another, I trusted most of these individuals more.

The story was incredibly surprising, the directions it went, the shocks and twists. I was kept glued to the page, sometimes a little heartbroken, sometimes doing a double take.

Could he really taste so sweet, being her enemy.

I know people have sometimes struggled with the density of Blake’s writing, its tendency towards a convoluted narrative but One For My Enemy was truly accessible, linear in the main and easy to read. I’m definitely a fan of this book.

Thank you to Tor Books and Black Crow PR for the review copy.

AMERICAN QUEEN by Sierra Simone

It starts with a stolen kiss under an English sky, and it ends with a walk down the aisle. It starts with the President sending his best friend to woo me on his behalf, and it ends with my heart split in two. It starts with buried secrets and dangerous desires…and ends with the three of us bound together with a hateful love sharper than any barbed wire.

My name is Greer Galloway, and I serve at the pleasure of the President of the United States.

This is the story of an American Queen.

Title : American Queen
Author : Sierra Simone
Series : New Camelot Trilogy (book one)
Format : eARC
Page Count 387
Genre : romance / LGBTQIAP+ / retelling
Publisher : Bloom Books
Release Date : April 13, 2023

Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ .5

Hollis’ 2.5 star review

I’m pretty sure everyone who wanted to read this book has already read it by now but when I saw it up for Read Now on NetGalley (likely a glitch because it disappeared, as it also did for the other two books before I could grab those too, moments after I downloaded) I thought.. why not. I’m pretty sure the whole series is actually buried on my kindle somewhere but that project is slow going and I didn’t have these on my 2023 list. So here was an excuse to knock another oldie off the TBR and see what all the hype and fuss was about all them years ago.

And honestly? I think my low expectations helped. Because this might not be a glowing review or high rating but.. I disliked a lot less than I expected to. But having said that, I skimmed too much of this to bump this any higher than it is.

I’ll be interested to see if I enjoy this more or less as the series goes on but I was definitely intrigued by the Arthurian-style premise, even though one of the characters is apparently an expert on the subject which feels a little too on the nose, and I’m always looking for more good polyamourous romance. Time will tell if this is one of them. Mostly because, so far, I only enjoy one side of the triad. Ash doesn’t really interest me as a character, made worse by the suspension of disbelief required around him being the bloody President, and Greer.. well. She’s just a reader insert. She doesn’t have much of a character and what she does is contradictory. How can someone purported to being so perceptive be so oblivious about Ash and Embry but also Abilene. Like, what the fuck. If shady had a colour, it would be her.

Also, I mean, speaking of suspension of disbelief, the circumstances around the romances themselves? The whole kiss thing and the pining and waiting? It just.. well, it begs some disbelief. The only thing that felt real(ish) was the backstory between Ash and Embry and I think we get more of that in book two as it looks to be Embry’s book. So I’m looking forward to seeing that unfold and the answer to some of the whys of how it all went down the way it did. Plus it might be a tad angsty. And maybe less Dom/sub’y so there could be winning all around. For me, at least.

As to that comment about skimming, well, I was tuned out for all the Dom/sub moments. I think I got through the first and then remembered I rarely can get through those scenes feeling any sort of way other than “nope” (not yucking anyone’s yum here! it’s just rare these dynamics work for me) and so spent the rest of the story skipping around them. Honestly, I’m not going to push on with this series for the steamies though it is, yes, steamy. I’m interested in the three of them, how they make it work, what more political machinations are going to ensue, and what other juicy Arthurian bits we are going to have woven into the series. We’ve seen most of the original cast by now and I want more of that. It’s one of the original messy soap operas and I love it.

So, yeah, this is a weird one to review — and I’m definitely not here to convince you any which way about it — but it was nice to have a reason to finally get into this series. No idea when I’ll get to the next but I’m sure it won’t be long now.

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

ARCH-CONSPIRATOR by Veronica Roth

A brand-new novella from the New York Times bestseller of Divergent

A thrilling, profoundly moving science fiction retelling of the Greek tragedy Antigone filled with inevitable doom, heart-break and one final act of courage.

Outside the last city on Earth, the planet is a wasteland. Without the Archive, where the genes of the dead are stored, humanity will end.

Passing into the Archive should be cause for celebration, but Antigone’s parents were murdered, leaving her father’s throne vacant. As her militant uncle Kreon rises to claim it, all Antigone feels is rage. When he welcomes her and her siblings into his mansion, Antigone sees it for what it really is: a gilded cage, where she is a captive as well as a guest.

But her uncle will soon learn that no cage is unbreakable. And neither is he.

Title : Arch-Conspirator
Author : Veronica Roth
Format : eARC
Page Count : 128
Genre : Dystopian Retelling
Publisher : Titan Books
Release Date : February 22, 2023

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★.5

Micky’s 4.5 star review

Headlines:
Greek tragedy retelling
Dytopian patriarchy
Female power

I ate this novella up in an evening and my thoughts are still on it afterwards. This was a completely full and satisfying story for its 128 pages. I really enjoyed the way Roth told this story in a pass-the-parcel POV keeping a totally coherent narrative voice and perspective of the story. Antigone was the central character, but those around her, good and bad were utterly compelling.

The story of Antigone, her siblings and her parents’ legacy was told in a dystopian earth, an earth that had many shades of familiarity but with a patriarchal dictator at its head. Females were precious for their uterus and therefore disempowered. There was a lot to unpack ethically interwoven into the fast pace of the story.

These characters were mostly shades of grey but with one much darker than the others. I liked seeing Antigone trembling with a sense of anarchy. Some characters really surprised me and the plot was tightly constructed.

I couldn’t put this novella down and I can see the tale staying with me; it’s memorable. I love a shorter story that packs all the punches.

“Sometimes I just stare into the future and don’t like anything I see.”

Thank you to Titan Books for the review copy.

TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT by Chloe Liese

Opposites become allies to fool their matchmaking friends in this swoony reimagining of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, Much Ado About Nothing.

Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot have nothing in common except a meet-disaster and the mutual understanding that they couldn’t be more wrong for each other. But when the people closest to them play Cupid and trick them into going on a date, Jamie and Bea realize they have something else in common after all—an undeniable need for revenge.

Soon their plan is in place: Fake date obnoxiously and convince the meddlers they’re madly in love. Then, break up spectacularly and dash their hopes, putting an end to the matchmaking madness once and for all.

To convince everyone that they’ve fallen for each other, Jamie and Bea will have to nail the performance of their lives. But as their final act nears and playing lovers becomes easier than not, they begin to wonder, what if Cupid’s arrow wasn’t so off the mark? And what if two wrongs do make a right?

Title : Two Wrongs Make a Right
Author : Chloe Liese
Series : The Wilmot Sisters (book one)
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 326
Genre : contemporary romance / retelling
Publisher : Berkley
Release Date : November 22, 2022

Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★

Hollis’ 2 star review

I wish I could say that most of the fault with this one lies with me for literally having read a banger of a contemporary romance right before this one. But also.. this just wasn’t all that great. Now, again, that could be me as I’ve had a rocky road with Liese’s other series, lots of twos with only a few three stars as stand outs, but this one felt really rough — particularly in the case of the writing, especially in the beginning, but said roughness wasn’t limited to just the writing, nope. It also really stretched the concept of a Much Ado About Nothing retelling. I guess that’s why it’s called a reimagining?

But, as a warning, if you expect a modernization of the play? Or even something that looks like Ten Things I Hate About You? Don’t. This homage is a sprinkle instead of a full shower. And truthfully I’m not even sure why the author bothered (except to lean into a whole Shakespeare-retelling themed series, I guess) because it really just reads like a forced hate-to-fake-dating-for-reasons-which-leads-to-love between a quirky colourful female lead and the starchy stiff-upper-lipped giant of a man who is actually Perfection Personified, including his giant donkey kong dong, neither of whom had much personality outside of their tropes and some various representation (autism and anxiety, respectively) and the bit of emotional baggage from past relationships they either have to work through, confess to, or use as window dressing.

Please note I’m not downplaying the existence of the toxic and abusive relationships that are depicted. I actually thought the one playing out in the background was one of the few things that felt authentic; except I wish the villain of the piece, the supposed Claudio, was less.. one-dimensional? I feel like the author tried to be subtle in the beginning, despite Beatrice not feeling all that warm and fuzzy about him and the relationship, and then we veered right into evil villain monologuing after only one awkward slash concerning scene. Which, hey, speaking of which, I wish Jamie, aka Benedick, had actually done something with the information he had, the behaviour he had witnessed, because I kept waiting for that shoe to drop and it never did. And I’m honestly still shocked by it.

Additionally, I was pretty annoyed by Beatrice’s hypocrisy. Sure, she was right about one half of the couple being shady but judging the quickness of someone else’s relationship only to later on accept, without blinking, the bee thing (IYKYK)? After a month? How is that any better?

I realize I’m being a little harsh but honestly I’m left feeling extra (extra) annoyed by how the conflict was resolved at the end and that could be colouring some of the tone of this review. Because so much of it was just stupid and or bonkers or both. Ahem.

I will say, there was something included in the sex scenes that I don’t see enough of on page and that was cool. No, I’m not spoiling.

But anyway, I couldn’t recommend this. If you want tension with the fake dating, you won’t get much. If you want the dynamics that existed in the “source material”, you won’t find them. Witty clever banter? Missing! Have some lame chess puns instead. But if you want a fake dating romance between opposites with some mental health/neurodivergent rep, I mean.. this is an option. And maybe it was cute in the middle. I don’t know, I will admit nothing. Will I read on? Probably. Because that’s just how I am.

THE OTHER BELLE by Whitney G

The ‘tale as old as time’ has always been a lie…

There was no such thing as a “beautiful girl who stumbles into an enchanted castle and falls for a beast.”
My older sister is a liar, and she’s always been far more calculated than that.

I don’t blame you for buying into her compelling fairytale, though.
She’s always been an incredible storyteller.

Truth is, deep in The Whispering Woods, far past the Seven Sinful Kingdoms, several secrets remain untold.
They’ve lain dormant for centuries, protecting the true hero of this story, a dominant “villain” destined for Hell…

Until now, until me.
The other Belle…

Title : The Other Belle
Author : Whitney G
Format : eARC
Page Count : 195
Genre : Fantasy Romance
Publisher : Self published
Release Date : November 4, 2022

Reviewer : Micky
Rating : ★ ★ ★

Micky’s 3 star review

Headlines:
Irreverant retelling
Cameos from many fairytales

The Other Belle starts with a semi-familiar stance on Beauty and the Beast but with some differences. As this story rolled out, it combined and included a number of other fairytales, brief glances of characters outside of this known world. Belle was an abused member of her family but she was also a snarky character with a valid chip on her shoulder.

Gaston was very hot and cold in his behaviour, sometimes noble and caring but often ignorant and dismissive. He and Belle were a strange but sometimes worthy pairing.

I had problems with the pacing and flow of this story. The chapters were short, which is a win, but they sometimes ended abruptly and the next chapter didn’t always seem logically placed to me. That interrupted my investment in the storyline and the characters.

I believed the chemistry between Gaston and Belle but when it came to the heat, it didn’t work for me sadly.

Thank you to the author for the gifted eARC.

THE WEIGHT OF BLOOD by Tiffany D. Jackson

Author Tiffany D. Jackson ramps up the horror and tackles America’s history and legacy of racism in this YA novel following a biracial teenager as her Georgia high school hosts its first integrated prom.

When Springville residents—at least the ones still alive—are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation… Maddy did it.

An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she’s dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept secret: Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington.

After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High’s racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their image: host the school’s first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it’s possible to have a normal life.

But some of her classmates aren’t done with her just yet. And what they don’t know is that Maddy still has another secret… one that will cost them all their lives.

Title : The Weight of Blood
Author : Tiffany D. Jackson
Format : ARC
Page Count : 416
Genre : YA horror / retellings
Publisher : Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date : September 6, 2022

Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ ★ .5

Hollis’ 3.5 star review

This might be one of the first instance where the inclusion of the podcast-about-the-event shtick hasn’t been a win for me. I enjoyed the interviews, the snippets, but the podcast itself? Not really. I would’ve liked more story instead, actually, as I felt the interruptions broke too much of the tension instead of adding to it.

But so much of this was good. Fun to read about? Of course not. But there were so many varied discussions about racism, colourism, segregation, and what it means to be “Black enough”, and each time it actually had meaningful relevance to the story and characters, without feeling awkwardly shoehorned in — like many stories often do. This was also one of the few YA stories, at least that I’ve read recently, where the villains weren’t caricatures. They had nuance, they acted appropriately in ways that befit their beliefs and feelings, and — in one particular case — were committed to that right to the bitter end. IYKYK.

Speaking of characters though I’ll admit that I don’t think I liked Maddy, our main character, or the love interest all that much. I could feel for them, absolutely, and want the best for them, but oddly I think my favourite character might’ve been Wendy. And no, I won’t be taking questions at this time. But on the whole? I couldn’t put this down.

A lot of this story is going to be familiar as this is an homage to Carrie but I still think there will be a few things to surprise you along the way. And, again, I really enjoyed how Jackson added to the narrative and fleshed it out in a new way while still keeping true to the essence of it all.

If this is on your radar, definitely give it a go.

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

ANGELIKA FRANKENSTEIN MAKES HER MATCH by Sally Thorne – double review!

From USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game Sally Thorne comes something a little unexpected… a historical rom-com that imagines Victor Frankenstein’s sheltered younger sister, and her attempts to create the perfect man.

For generations, every Frankenstein has found their true love and equal, unlocking lifetimes of blissful wedded adventure. Clever, pretty (and odd) Angelika Frankenstein has run out of suitors and fears she may become the exception to this family rule. When assisting in her brother Victor’s ground-breaking experiment to bring a reassembled man back to life, she realizes that having an agreeable gentleman convalescing in the guest suite might be a chance to let a man get to know the real her. For the first time, Angelika embarks upon a project that is all her own.

When her handsome scientific miracle sits up on the lab table, her hopes for an instant romantic connection are thrown into disarray. Her resurrected beau (named Will for the moment) has total amnesia and is solely focused on uncovering his true identity. Trying to ignore their heart-pounding chemistry, Angelika reluctantly joins the investigation into his past, hoping it will bring them closer. But when a second suitor emerges to aid their quest, Angelika wonders if she was too hasty inventing a solution. Perhaps fate is not something that can be influenced in a laboratory? Or is Will (or whatever his name is!) her dream man, tailored for her in every way? And can he survive what was done to him in the name of science, and love?

Filled with carriages, candlesticks, and corpses, Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match is the spooky-season reimagining of the well-known classic that reminds us to never judge a man by his cadaver!

Title : Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match
Author : Sally Thorne
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 384
Genre : historical romance / gothic / retelling
Publisher : Avon Books
Release Date : September 6 2022

Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : unrated/****

Hollis’ unrated review

I don’t quite know what to do with this one.

Like, on the one hand, we open with these characters basically shopping for parts so they can reanimate a man that fits Angelika’s specifications for what she hopes will be her husband because she’s given up on, and has been given up on by, the living. And when, of course, he is brought back to life, you have to kind of side-eye the whole “was dead and now mostly alive-ish” element being sold to you as sexy and romantic when it’s really not. But.. vampires are corpses too, you know? It’s just the fundamentals of it make it extra icky. So you suspend some disbelief. You lean into the camp and outrageousness of it all and you have a good time.

But unlike vampires, where the power imbalance is age gap between a hundred+ year old dude and a highschooler (predominantly!), this time the power imbalance — wealthy spoiled woman, undead nobody with no memory, heavily reliant on said wealthy woman — is also layered with consent issues because he literally had no say with a) coming back to life and b) the parts of his body she kept or replaced. Plus his body continues to betray him in ways he doesn’t understand.

But if you suspend some disbelief and lean into the camp.. yeah, I don’t know. See aforementioned mixed feelings.

Some of this was so good. Spoiler alert, I cried twice near the end. We get some good character development out of said wealthy spoiled woman. There’s a mystery at the heart of who Will, the man Angelika has brought back to life, is. And there’s a good sibling dynamic that is complex and does evolve.

Except there are things near the end I did not love, and won’t mention due to spoilers, but are tied up in both what the Frankenstein’s believe to be part of their foundation and, as it turns out, Will’s, and how that all comes together.. I don’t know, felt a little strange. But then again the whole book is strange. I’ll also admit that Will was occasionally a struggle when it came to his behaviour towards Angelika and not always in the way he should’ve been. It’s hard to explain but him being hot and cold was fine, I just thought there were some inconsistencies mixed in, too.

However, I think you do have to let this book just be what it is and not think too hard about the weird bits that don’t quite work. But I didn’t get on that until too late in the game, even though I tried to go in with an open mind knowing it had been not very well received with many mixed reviews. But instead I’m just adding to them.

All that to say! Well, nothing really. You’ll either read this book, or you’ve already read it, or you won’t.

I’m definitely glad I gave it a chance because I do think Thorne has shown she can do more than just contemporary, and she can be weird, poke around into different spaces, and that’s all good. This either works for you or it doesn’t or, like me, you’re somewhere in the middle. But this is not remotely the nail in the coffin that I expected it to be (everything post-The Hating Game has been unpredictable) and I look forward to seeing what she does, and where she goes, next.

Micky’s 4 star review

Headlines:
A pleasant surprise
Historical-fantasy-retelling mash-up
Leave reality at the door

I like Sally Thorne’s writing but I wasn’t sure about this romantic take on Frankenstein themes from the blurb, but you know, you’ve got to give it a go. I’m really glad I did because this really worked for me.

This brother and sister duo in Angelika and Victor were utterly irreverant to the sensibilities of the era. The people in the surrounding areas were suspicious of them supposedly but in actuality, everyone who came across them seemed to be won over (as was I). Angelika was a funny in both ways, haha and odd but this story was safely in rom-com territory, encouraging the reader to not take things too seriously.

The plot was strange and yet hugely interesting, I read this book pretty quickly, always looking forward to getting back to it. The love interest Will was fascinating as he adjusted to his new life. At first, I had worries about consent related to Will and yes, you could definitely say he didn’t consent to revival but my other worries regarding potential consent weren’t realised. This was actually a bit of a slow-burn story with a building chemistry and romance.

One of my favourite elements was the set of side characters, all endearing in their own way. Those side characters became found family and I warmed to them all.

As I said in my headlines, if you want a plot that replicates historical life in this era, you will struggle but if you leave your preconceptions at the door and fun with this, it might end up surprising you in a good way, like it did for me.

Thank you to Piatkus for the review copy.

EVERY MOVE by Ellie Marney

Rachel Watts is suffering from recurring nightmares about her near-death experience in London. She just wants to forget the whole ordeal, but her boyfriend, James Mycroft, is obsessed with piecing the puzzle together and anticipating the next move of the mysterious Mr Wild – his own personal Moriarty.

So when Rachel’s brother, Mike, suggests a trip back to their old home in Five Mile, Rachel can’t wait to get away. Unfortunately it’s not the quiet weekend she was hoping for with the unexpected company of Mike’s old school buddy, the wildly unreliable Harris Derwent.

Things get worse for Rachel when Harris returns to Melbourne with them – but could Harris be the only person who can help her move forward? Then a series of murders suggests that Mr Wild is still hot on their tails and that Mycroft has something Wild wants – something Wild is prepared to kill for.

Can Watts and Mycroft stay one step ahead of the smartest of all criminal masterminds? The stage is set for a showdown of legendary proportions…

Title : Every Move
Author : Ellie Marney
Series : Every (book three)
Format : eBook
Page Count : 340
Genre : YA mystery / retellings
Publisher : Allen & Unwin
Release Date : March 1, 2015

Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Hollis’ 4 star review

While I’m awarding this the same as the rest of the series, I’ll admit it’s not my favourite of the series. Maybe because it’s new content for me, maybe I need to stew on it a little longer, but.. I also think it’s kind of typical. The big finales, when they come with confrontations with the Big Bad, don’t always live up. And I think there’s a little bit of that here, too.

On the whole, though? Marney once again does not pull punches. There were some twisted bits that Watts and Mycroft had to endure. There were moments of utter heartbreak. Detailed spirals of trauma. And some romance angst. Just a little. But with a few exceptions — Mycroft’s breakdown scene, Watts’ nightmares — I did feel a little removed from it all.

Maybe I just didn’t feel the connection of the whole why behind everything. Maybe I read this too fast. Maybe I need to reread it to appreciate all the pieces of the puzzle. I just don’t know.

But the characters themselves, even the secondary ones — and a new one, or two — were so great. For me, they’ve carried this series all along and they’ve never disappointed.

So, yeah, I realize this is probably coming across as a bit of a downer review, especially for a four star, but I did really enjoy it. And now I see where the fourth book comes into play, and why, and I’m curious to see where that goes. Onwards!

EVERY WORD by Ellie Marney

Sparks fly when Watts follows Mycroft to London in this second steamy thriller about the teen crime-fighting duo.

James Mycroft has just left for London to investigate a car accident similar to the one that killed his parents without saying good-bye to his partner in crime, Rachel Watts.

Rachel is furious and worried about his strange behavior—not that Mycroft’s ever exactly normal, but London is the scene of so many of his nightmares. Unable to resist, Rachel jumps on a plane to follow him and lands straight in a whole storm of trouble.

The theft of a copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio, the possible murder of a rare books conservator and the deaths of Mycroft’s parents…Can Watts help Mycroft make sense of the three events—or will she lose him forever?

Title : Every Word
Author : Ellie Marney
Series : Every (book two)
Format : eBook (overdrive)
Page Count : 340
Genre : YA mystery / contemporary / retellings
Publisher : Allen & Unwin
Release Date : June 1, 2014

Reviewer : Hollis
Rating : ★ ★ ★ ★

Hollis’ 4 star review

As much as I had loved these characters in book one, book two is where Wattscroft took it upon themselves to m u r d e r me. Also, yes, I’m going to thief from my original review a bit, which I didn’t do for the first instalment, because it pretty much sums up my feels to this day.

Every Word is everything that Every Breath was but turned up to eleven. The stakes, the action, the mystery, the scorching heat, the violence, the heartbreak.. everything.

Swoony hearts in eyes expression aside, this book definitely went a bit dark and my stomach fell to my feet multiple times. Not just because of Rachel and Mycroft but because Marney does not pull any punches. The vividness of the autopsy scene, the startling savagery of torture, the isolation; it was just as awful and as real as when our two heroes are stumbling along to understand each other, navigating both their relationship and the horror of Mycroft’s past. And how Marney handled this was just.. fantastic. There were so many things I think I appreciated more this second time around with how she unravelled Mycroft and his processing — or lack thereof. That turning point, once we finally get it, was just (chefs kiss). And the strangeness of how Rachel feels, knowing he has something new, and scarier, to fixate is just.. yeah, really well done.

Knowing what extremes and dangers these two faced, and that not having been the ultimate confrontation, I can only imagine what’s to come next.