Snowspelled by Stephanie Burgis

 

Title: Snowspelled

Author: Stephanie Burgis
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Harwood Spellbook #1
E-book, 168 pages
Publication: September 4, 2017 by Five Fathoms Press
Source: Personal Library
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Four months ago, Cassandra Harwood was the first woman magician in Angland, and she was betrothed to the brilliant, intense love of her life.

Now Cassandra is trapped in a snowbound house party deep in the elven dales, surrounded by bickering gentleman magicians, manipulative lady politicians, her own interfering family members, and, worst of all, her infuriatingly stubborn ex-fiancé, who refuses to understand that she’s given him up for his own good.

But the greatest danger of all lies outside the manor in the falling snow, where a powerful and malevolent elf-lord lurks...and Cassandra lost all of her own magic four months ago.

To save herself, Cassandra will have to discover exactly what inner powers she still possesses – and risk everything to win a new kind of happiness.

A witty and sparkling romantic fantasy novella that opens a brand-new series for adults from the author of Kat, Incorrigible, Masks and Shadows and Congress of Secrets.

I love books that combine Victorian Regency setting and magic and Snowspelled had it all. It’s hard to find a book that does it well, having only read a handful in my lifetime. Especially in the vein of Austen which Snowspelled succeeded at. Burgis’s world was an imaginative alternate England, Angland, where magicians were men and they catered to all things magic while the women dealt with the politics and governing society. Our heroine, Cassandra Harwood disrupted these traditions when she became the first woman accepted to The Great Library, a university for magicians. But when a spell gone wrong took away her power, Cassandra withdrew into herself.

When the story begins, we see Cassandra months after the magic accident that took away her powers, withdrawn with a 10-foot wall built around her. At the behest of her sister-in-law, Cassandra reluctantly attends a party. Within minutes of arriving to her destination things turn from bad to worse when she disturbs the trolls and enters a bargain with an Elven Lord. The Elven Lord gave Cassandra a week to find the weather wizard that has been wreaking havoc on the land. If Cassandra fails, then she has to become a part of their court and his prisoner.

Snowspelled gave me all Austen feels. Some similarities to Austen I noted were the sexism and gender difficulties woman had to endure during the regency period, the hate/love chemistry between the leads, Cassandra and Wrexham, to the effortless light British humor and smart dialogue-banter. While I’m not a big novella fan, I’m really glad I read Snowspelled. Despite it being so short, Burgis built a unique world with fully fleshed out characters from the main characters to the tertiary characters such as Miss Banks and Miss Fennel. The plot also was well written and executed from beginning to end. Unlike most novellas I read, Snowspelled’s overall story didn’t feel rush; once the mystery was solved, I felt satisfied with the ending and appreciated there being no loose ends. But the ending did leave an opening for more opportunities and I can’t wait to see more of Cassandra, Wrexham and the future lady-magicians. Overall, Snowspelled was a solid and enjoyable beginning to a series.

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

Title: The Library of the Unwritten
Author: A.J. Hackwith
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Hell's Library #1
Trade Paperback, 375 pages
Publication: October 1, 2019 by Ace Books
Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.
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Many years ago, Claire was named Head Librarian of the Unwritten Wing-- a neutral space in Hell where all the stories unfinished by their authors reside. Her job consists mainly of repairing and organizing books, but also of keeping an eye on restless stories that risk materializing as characters and escaping the library. When a Hero escapes from his book and goes in search of his author, Claire must track and capture him with the help of former muse and current assistant Brevity and nervous demon courier Leto.

But what should have been a simple retrieval goes horrifyingly wrong when the terrifyingly angelic Ramiel attacks them, convinced that they hold the Devil's Bible. The text of the Devil's Bible is a powerful weapon in the power struggle between Heaven and Hell, so it falls to the librarians to find a book with the power to reshape the boundaries between Heaven, Hell....and Earth.

Have you ever wondered where unfinished manuscripts and stories dwell? It’s not tucked away as a binary code in the pits of your computer nor stashed in a folder somewhere in your filing cabinet. Stories are shelved away in the Unwritten Wing in Hell, locked down and overseen by a librarian. Because occasionally, a story gets restless and comes alive in search of its creator hoping to have their stories finished and written.

This is where head librarian of hell, Claire, comes in. She’s been the library caretaker for awhile now and haven’t had any issues, she knows every book like the back of her hand. Until one day a book goes unaccounted for, finding its way to earth. With the help of her muse assistant and a young, newbie demon; Claire sets out to retrieve the rouge book. But the situation goes south when her mission entangles with two archangels hunting for the Devil’s Bible. With time of the essence, Claire and her crew of misfits’ races to find the Devil’s Bible before Heaven gets its hand on it. 

I love the idea of unfinished stories having lives of their own. Even more interesting that these stories were being housed in Hell, of all places. Library of the Unwritten was narrated by a handful of characters; the librarian, a young demon, the muse and an angel; alternating from chapter to chapter. While I enjoyed most of the characters, in general I’m not a fan of multiple POVs or the overlapping, duplicate scene from another character’s POV. It was repetitive. And some character’s POV were less interesting than others, which made the story drag in parts.

The world building and magic system were well thought out and developed. Hackwith did an excellent job in incorporating various religious history with her own unique take on life after death. I enjoyed seeing the characters travel through different realms and portals and their modes of transportation, whether it be through candlelight or a raven’s wing. And no surprise that a library’s weapon of choice is those of words or pen and paper. The battle scene in Valhalla was fun.

All in all, Library of the Unwritten was an enjoyable read. It is first in a brand-new series and I can’t wait to see where Hackwith takes these characters/stories.

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

Title: Sapphire Flames
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Hidden Legacy #4
Mass Market Paperback, 393 pages
Publication: August 27, 2019 by Avon
Source: Personal, Audiobook
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In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

Sapphire Flames is the fourth novel in the Hidden Legacy Series and is centered around the middle child, Catalina Baylor. I’ll be honest, when IA announced that Nevada and Rogan’s story was wrapped up and the subsequent novels would be from another character, Catalina’s POV I was slightly disappointed. I, like many fans got attached to Nevada and didn’t want to see her story end. However, after reading Diamond Fire I was sold on Catalina!

Sapphire Flames takes place three years after the events of WildFire and Diamond Fire with Catalina now the head of house. The usual gang is all back this time around sans Nevada and Rogan whom are both travelling with Rogan’s mother for a funeral. A lot has changed in three years for the Baylor family and for Catalina. Catalina is no longer the quiet and reserved girl we met during the trials/Nevada’s wedding. Catalina is now twenty-one and unlike millennial her age, she splits her time running her new house and the family investigative business. While Catalina still has some insecurities and doubts (who doesn’t, right?) that she needs to work through; at the core she’s a kind, loving person. I loved that Catalina 2.0 is a lot more confident, brave and independent. Throughout Sapphire Flames we saw Catalina go out of her comfort zone and push the boundaries over and over; chasing down bad guys, dispatching a group of hired mercenaries on her own to keep her family safe to dealing with her Grandma Victoria.

Catalina wasn’t the only surprise. Alessandro, noble count, IG playboy was so much more than just a pretty face. I won’t spoil the book for anyone who hasn’t read the book/or series yet but man, Alessandro was a wonderful enigma. Alessandro, like Catalina is also a powerful prime with unique and rare abilities. I already had a lot of questions concerning Alessandro and his family throughout the book but by the time I got to the epilogue, I was left with even more questions! Why was he in the profession that he is? Who is he hunting? Why doesn’t he want to introduce Catalina to his family? See? So many questions!

Sapphire Flames hit all the usual high notes that one would come to expect of Team IA, rich world-building, multifaceted characters, snarky dialogue and an intriguing plot. I thought it was a great addition to the Hidden Legacy series and am looking forward to reading more about Catalina and co!

The Swallows by Lisa Lutz

 

Title: The Swallows
Author: Lisa Lutz
Genre: Fiction, Contemporary
Series: N/A
Hardcover, 399 pages
Publication: August 13, 2019 by Ballantine Books
Source: Personal, Audiobook
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It starts with this simple writing prompt from Alex Witt, Stonebridge Academy's new creative writing teacher. When the students' answers raise disturbing questions of their own, Ms. Witt knows there's more going on the school than the faculty wants to see. She soon learns about The Ten--the students at the top of the school's social hierarchy--as well as their connection to something called The Darkroom.

Ms. Witt can't remain a passive observer. She finds the few girls who've started to question the school's "boys will be boys" attitude and incites a resistance that quickly becomes a movement. But just as it gains momentum, she also attracts the attention of an unknown enemy who knows a little too much about her--including what brought her to Stonebridge in the first place.

Meanwhile, Gemma, a defiant senior, has been plotting her attack for years, waiting for the right moment. Shy loner Norman hates his role in the Darkroom, but can't find the courage to fight back until he makes an unlikely alliance. And then there's Finn Ford, an English teacher with a shady reputation who keeps one eye on his literary ambitions and one on Ms. Witt.

As the school's secrets begin to trickle out, a boys-versus-girls skirmish turns into an all-out war, with deeply personal--and potentially fatal--consequences for everyone involved. Lisa Lutz's blistering, timely tale shows us what can happen when silence wins out over decency for too long--and why the scariest threat of all might be the idea that sooner or later, girls will be girls.

I’ve been a longtime fan and lover of Lutz’s work. I was first introduced to her writing with The Spellman Files back in 2009 and have gone on to read more within the same series. Lutz has written many standalone novels since and while I own all of them, I sadly haven’t gotten around to reading any of it. I was determined to remedy that this year (I know, we’re at the end of the year) and picked up her latest novel, The Swallows. I was intrigued and am a sucker for stories that takes place at private/boarding schools.

The Swallows is a departure from Lutz previous work, The Spellmans Files. The Spellmans Files is what I’d called hilarious light-hearted mystery while the Swallows still a mystery at its core; is darker, cutthroat, and holds nothing back. I was absolutely riveted. With little time for reading these days, I opted for the audiobook version and was delighted to find out the book had multiple narrators. Which was perfect considering there were many POVs in the novel from faculties to students. Without going too much into spoiler territory, The Swallows follows Alex Witt, a new teacher at a New England Prep School. She’s one of those cool, doesn’t take shit kind-of-teachers. She’s straightforward and doesn’t tolerate bullying/injustice which is how she discovered that the prep school is more sinister than it looks.

What was discover was that behind the prestigious façade and crisp uniforms, a few male students were behind what is called the ‘dark web’, an online portal housing everyone’s dirty secrets and among other things that shouldn’t be going on, let alone in the dark. Witt's presence gave the female students the push to delve deeper into the 'dark web', so much so, that the girls were out for a change, a reckoning that eventually changed the foundation and hierarchy of the entire school and all those that reside there.

I enjoyed The Swallows much more than I anticipated. Thanks to the vague synopsis and no reviews read, I was able to go into the novel completely unaware of what it was about. I wasn’t expecting a war amongst the female and male students. Lutz tackled school taboos that most are too afraid of touching such as sexism amongst faculties and students those among their superiors and peers, school ethics, and teacher-student relationships.

I loved the change of power dynamics and seeing those deemed as victims take their power back. It's very current and mirrors our own reality with the whole METOO movement. The writing/storytelling was impeccable as always. But the ending. Just when I thought I saw all the twists and turns, Lutz hits readers with another double whammy! The ending literally had me clasping my mouth in utter shocked. I love those kinds of unexpected shocks.

All in all, The Swallows was another satisfying novel from Lutz. With this novel, Lutz has shown me she can write anything from comedy, suspense and everything in-between. If you haven't checked out her work yet, I highly recommend it!