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You must become king. Of Everything: Reviewing Words of Radiance (Book 2 of the Stormlight Archives) by Brandon Sanderson

Hi everyone! I’m back! I have had a bit of a busy month but I am not going to neglect this blog. I still have some other special reviews coming up and then I will finally get into the spooky stuff. Before you read thsi review, go ahead and check out my review for The Way of Kings. Anyways, let’s talk about Words of Radiance.

Content Warning: Intense Battle Scenes, Violence and Gore, Scenes of Domestic Abuse, Some Disturbing Imagery

War is just on the horizon. Kaladin, formerly a slave, is now a captain in charge of protecting the king and Dalinar. The Assassin in White threatens both of these men and Kaladin is faced with a difficult choice. Meanwhile, Shallan has finally made her way to the Shattered Plains where she must find a way to stop the Voidbringers and face her own dark past. The Parshendi, however, are leading an effort against the Alethi with their leader Eshonai. The world will change as they all know it and their destinies will be irrevocably tied together.

It has been a while since I have been this invested in a series but The Stormlight Archives has me in a chokehold. Words of Radiance is a worthy sequel to its predecessor. I am kind of obsessed with these characters and love how Sanderson balances plot and character development. This book was also much funnier than I had anticipated, which made it all the more enjoyable to read. Every detail of this book (and the first one) is so carefully thought out. Even quotes at the beginning of the chapters are relevant to the movement of the plot. I can’t get enough of this series. I bought the third book before I even finished this one. Go and read The Stormlight Archives immediately.

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Even God can’t take this Heaven of you away from me: Reviewing Angels & Man by Rafael Nicolas

Hey everyone! Happy fall to all of you! I am so ready for the cozy and cool weather. I am also prepared to read some horror books for October. I still have other ones to work through, so I will be posting about those sooner than later. Before you read this review, though, check out my review for the first book in this trilogy, Angels Before Man. It’s time to talk about the sequel, Angels and Man.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Disturbing Imagery, Strong Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Traumatic Childbirth, Miscarriage, Animal Death, Sexual Assault, Religious Trauma, Domestic Abuse, War, Depictions of Misogyny and Sexism, Depictions of Homophobia

Heaven hasn’t been the same since the war. The remaining angels are suspicious of each other and have started lashing out. Azazel is lonely and miserable, having been labeled a sinner by his brothers. Samyaza, however, is perfectly fine with how Heaven has changed. He does, however, believe that the humans can be forgiven. Samyaza, Azazel, and the Watcher angels are sent to Earth to teach humans about God’s love. Soon, they find themselves fascinated with human life and become entangled with the tribes. There is a greater threat against the humans. Satan and his demons begin to destroy the local villages. War soon erupts and the Watcher angels must choose between their brothers or their new lives.

Angels and Man was much more intense and fast-paced than its predecessor. While the first book was a re-telling of Lucifer’s fall, this book is a re-telling of The Great Flood. You don’t have to be overly familiar with Biblical lore to appreciate what Rafael Nicolas accomplishes with this book. It was far more gritty and disturbing, with plenty of stomach-churning scenes of violence. I like how Nicolas challenges the preconceived notions of angels and demons as they are depicted in the Bible. They don’t hold back on the gruesome details, but there is sympathy through the characters throughout the narrative. It is a complicated re-telling, but that is done so intentionally. I especially love the prose in this book. Rafael Nicolas has plenty of gorgeous lines peppered throughout the novel. Overall, Angels and Man is a worthy follow-up to Angels Before Man and I will definitely keep my eye out for the third book in the trilogy.

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Love does that. It changes you in ways that cannot be undone: Reviewing The Mermaid by Christina Henry

Hi everyone! I am back much sooner than I anticipated. This is not the first book I have read by Christina Henry. Feel free to check out my review of Horseman, which I loved. I wanted to delve back into the world of “fairy tales for adults,” so to say. I also don’t see enough books about mermaids for adults so I grabbed this one immediately. I think mermaids are an underrated subject for fiction. I am definitely interested in reading more so leave any reccomendations in the comments below. Now, we can talk about The Mermaid.

Content Warning: Violence, Animal Abuse, Mild Sexual Content

Amelia was a mermaid who was curious about life on land. When she came to the land, she met a man named Jack and fell in love. Years later, Jack passed away and Amelia was left with nothing but her isolated cottage by the sea. One day, she recieved an offer from the famous P.T. Barnum to perform at his museum. With no other options, Amelia decided to take his offer. Thrown headfirst into the chaotic world of humanity, Amelia must find the courage to take control of her life before someone takes control for her.

The Mermaid is a nice mixture of romance and fantasy with just a hint of realism. Christina Henry weaves in conversations about autonomy, consent, and persepective into this romantic tale of a woman trying to find her place in a strange world. I liked how Henry crafted Amelia’s perspective, particularly in regards to the culture of “sideshows” that were popular during the 1800s. The romance was well-written and I liked how it became the focal point without taking away from the meaninful themes that are explored throughout the book. Overall, The Mermaid was a thoughtful and gripping novel with plenty of fantasy and romance to keep you from putting the book down.

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In the end, you either fight or lie down to be trampled: Reviewing Velvet was the Night by Silvia Moreno – Garcia

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. This is the sixth book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia that I have reviewed. You are more than welcome to check out my past reviews of her books. Needless to say, she is one of my favorite authors now. Let’s just dive into this review of Velvet was the Night.

Content Warning: Strong Language, Violence, Sexual Content

The 1970s is a time of great political unrest for Mexico. Maite is a lonely young woman who lives vicariously through the romance novels she reads. Elvis, a thug with a love for music and words, is sent by his boss to investigate a missing girl named Leonora. Leonora just so happens to be Maite’s neighbor and left her with an odd message that implies she is in danger. Maite and Elvis both set out to find what happened and find themselves in entangled in political espionage. Their lives are on the line as they navigate the dangerous world of political espionage.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia proves time and time again to be a strong writer who does a great job creating interesting characters and intriguing plots. Velvet was the Night is the first non-fantasy book I have read by her and I liked the Neo-noir feel of the novel. The characters are unique but have relatable qualities. There is plenty of tension and mystery throughout the novel. It moves at a pretty fast pace too. With all of that being said, it was not necessarily my favorite novel by Moreno-Garcia. I liked it better than The Beautiful Ones but less than Silver Nitrate. My favorite Moreno-Garcia novel as it stands is Gods of Jade and Shadow. If you aren’t big into fantasy but love thrillers, then I will still recommend Velvet was the Night.

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We suffer, heal, and proceed: Reviewing Death in Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh

Hey everyone! I hope you are all doing well! This is the third book by Ottessa Moshfegh I have reviewed. If you want, you can check my reviews for her other books, Lapvona and My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Needless to say, I am a bit of a fan now. I promise I have more “weird girl literature” to read by the end of the year. I’m planning on getting into my horror books so I will be prepared for spooky season. I think that’s enough rambling for now. Let’s talk about Death in Her Hands.

Content Warning: Grief and Mourning, Harm Towards Animals, Discussions of Death

Since her husband’s death, Vesta Ghul has spent her days hiking with her beloved dog. One day, she finds a note in the woods. It reads: “Her name was Magda. Nobody will ever know who killed her. It wasn’t me. Here is her dead body.” There is no dead body, though. Vesta becomes obsessed with this note, imagining who Magda might be and who could have killed her. Her morbid fantasies begin to bleed into her everyday life, and Vesta can no longer tell what is read or what she made up. During her search for the truth, Vesta must face the issues she has been hiding from since her husband’s death.

While this novel wasn’t as bizarre or gross as her other books, Ottessa Moshfegh still brings introspection and dark humor in Death in Her Hands. This book is written in a “stream of consciousness” style, which might not be for everyone. It does, however, benefit the reader as we get a better insight into Vesta’s situation as an elderly widow in an isolated town. I found myself drawn into Vesta’s imagination because, as someone with a vivid imagination that gets out of hand, I understood where she was coming from. It is a complicated and unreliable narrative, which I always enjoy. I like how Mosghfegh creates unreliable narrators because it adds a level of realism to the novel. Overall, Death in Her Hands was an interesting book and I am going to give it a soft recommendation.

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We are a curse of the shadows; we are a secret. We are eternal: Reviewing The Vampire Armand by Anne Rice

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well! We are returning to form with another vampire novel. I am currently rewatching the Interview with the Vampire TV show and foaming at the mouth for the next season. Until then, I am going to dabble in Anne Rice novels. Before you read this one, feel free to check out my review for Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat. Let’s talk about The Vampire Armand.

Content Warning: Child Abuse, Slavery, Explicit Sexual Content, Sexual Assault, Religious Trauma, Violence and Gore, Disturbing Imagery

The vampire Armand was not always the powerful and ruthless leader of the Children of Darkness. He began his life as Andrei, a young man from Kiev Rus who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He is taken to Vienna and taken under the care of Marius, an ancient and powerful vampire. Andrei becomes Amadeo under his master’s tutelage, which involves exploring the darkest parts of the dazzling Vienna. When Armand is given the dark gift, he finds himself a target of a cult of vampires who worship Satan. Alone and unfamiliar with the vampiric world, Armand must fight to save his immortal soul.

The Vampire Armand is a dark and disturbing look at one of Anne Rice’s most iconic characters. Anne Rice does such an incredible job creating these unique character voices and being able to alter her writing depending on which point of view she is writing about. Armand is a fascinating character who is a throwback to the classic Byronic heroes. The book deals heavily with religion and philosophy, which can be intriguing but is sometimes a bit long-winded. This particular book dealt a bit more with mysticism and magic, which I liked as an element of world-building. I honestly wished I saved his book for October because it would have been far more appropriate for the Halloween season, but I am glad I read it now. I can see why this is one of Anne Rice’s most iconic novels and I am going to recommend it with the addendum to heed my content warnings.

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