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In the end, we all go west: Reviewing One’s Company by Ashley Hutson

Hey everyone! I’m back, and I have a great review for all of you! As you know now, I love surreal and experimental literature. More importantly, I love “messy girl literature.” I was overdue for some unhinged women’s literature. Let’s step into the surreal and strange world of One’s Company.

Content Warning: Violence, Some Graphic Imagery, Implied Sexual Content, Discussions of Sexual Assault, Attempted Self-Harm, Grief and Mourning, Discussions and Depictions of Severe Mental Illness and Psychosis

Bonnie Lincoln has lived a difficult life. As a child, she lost both of her parents to unexpected tragedies. As an adult, she is the victim of a violent robbery that leaves her reeling from loss and trauma. Bonnie finds solace in the hit 1970s sitcom Three’s Company. The only thing she wants is to be left alone with her quiet obsessions. When Bonnie wins the lottery, she decides to take her love of the show to the next level. With her winnings, she buys an isolated mountain retreat and transforms it into the world of Three’s Company. Bonnie’s groovy little paradise is soon disrupted by her former best friend, and she finds herself fighting against the trauma that threatens her illusion.

Full disclaimer before I begin this review: I know nothing about Three’s Company, so I cannot provide any insight or commentary on that aspect of the story. With that being said, One’s Company was dark, chaotic, and utterly unique. It’s a novel that examines the dangers of isolation and the pitfalls of nostalgia. Having Bonnie as the narrator allowed for a deeper exploration of the complications that come with grief. Ashley Hutson balances between Bonnie’s delusions and the reality of her situation. Hutson emphasizes the issues that come with avoiding dealing with trauma and how certain coping mechanisms can be dangerous, even bordering on self-harm. The narrative, though, isn’t unsympathetic towards Bonnie’s struggles. Despite the chaos that happens throughout the novel, we have a relatable protagonist who simply wants someone to care about her struggles. One’s Company was a wild ride that I didn’t want to put down for even a second. Needless to say, I think you might enjoy this one too.

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Love is a patient, exasperated emotion, and she knew it well: Reviewing Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

Hi everyone! Happy Fall! Well, it doesn’t feel like fall yet but that isn’t going to stop me from trying to participate in fall activities. I have my “spooky” book reviews coming soon and I know some of you are really looking forward to that. For now, I have some other things to talk about. This book will be my fifth review for a book by T. Kingfisher. I even have a sixth one ready to go. Feel free to check out my reviews of her other novels. Let’s talk about one of her latest: Swordheart.

Content Warning: Some Violence, Some Gore, Mild Sexual Content, Animal Death

Halla, a respectable widow, unexpectedly inherits her wealthy uncle’s estate. Unfortunately, she has to contend with her dead husband’s horrid family members who are determined to marry her off so they can have the estate. Halla decides the only sensible solution is to kill herself. The only tool she can find in her uncle’s estate that might do the trick is an ancient sword that was just laying around. When she unsheaths the sword, an immortal warrior named Sarkis appears and informs her that he is now her personal guard. Sarkis was not expecting his weilder to be a woman like Halla. He certainly wasn’t expecting to go on the run with her, fleeing from angry family members and murderous priests. As Sarkis and Hall grow closer, they must face dangers and figure out if there is a way to free him from the sword.

I’m going to be honest. I have often looked down upon “romantasy” as a genre because it always felt so formulaic and cliche. Leave it to T. Kingfisher to write a romantasy that I absolutely loved from beginning to end. The writing is earnest, humorous, and creative. I loved the world of this novel and the interesting fantasy elements. There were so many fun moments peppered throughout that made me smile. The romance, though, is the main feature of this novel and I loved every second of it. While there certainly were tropes, the novel didn’t rely on the tropes to make the romance happen. Sarkis and Halla had such great chemistry. I loved seeing them come closer together. I also loved that the relationship wasn’t perfect and they had to work through things to come together. They reminded me a lot of Wesley and Buttercup from The Princess Bride. The main reason why I liked this book is because it was very reminiscent of works like The Princess Bride. The romance was lovely, the humor was great, and I loved the world of this novel. Go read Swordheart immediately because there is going to be a sequel next year.

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There was a song in this forest, too, but it was a savage song, whispering of madness and tearing and rage: Reviewing Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I’m starting to transition into my “spooky” books for October, but I have a couple of others to finish before then. I’m not really going to ramble too much. Naomi Novik has been in my peripheral vision for a bit now, and this is my first experience with any of her novels. I also want to say thank you all so much for continuing to engage with my blog. It means more to me than you know. I hope you continue to read my posts whenever you’re feeling a little bored. With all of that being said, I’ll get to what you came to this post for. Let’s talk about Uprooted.

Content Warning: Violence and Gore, Disturbing Imagery, Sexual Content, Attempted Sexual Assault, Animal Death

Every ten years, a warlock who calls himself the Dragon comes to the village to pick a girl to take away. In exchange, he protects the village from the dangers that hide in the corrupted Wood. Agnieszka had never expected to be chosen by the Dragon. She and everyone expected Kasia to be chosen. The Dragon, however, chooses Agnieszka for reasons she cannot understand. Soon, she finds herself absorbed in the world of magic, court politics, and war. With no other choice, Agnieszka must fight against the evil Wood to save everyone she has ever loved.

I didn’t go in with any real expectations for this novel, and Uprooted exceeded my nonexistent expectations. Naomi Novik is insanely imaginative and well-written. This novel went places I didn’t expect it to go, and that made it all the more enjoyable. The book is so atmospheric, with classic fairy tale elements and interesting lore. There was also plenty of action. I was not expecting this novel to have any intense battle scenes, but there were some really cool scenes involving monsters and warlocks. I am going to cut this review a little short because I want to stay away from any spoilers. I highly encourage you to experience Uprooted for yourself. I will definitely read more Naomi Novik novels in the future.

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Hell is other people: Reviewing Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

Hi everyone! I hope you are all doing well. I could not be more excited to talk about this book with you. I’m sure many of you have heard the buzz around Katabasis and I am more than happy to give my take on it. If you want, you can check my review of Babel, another novel by R.F. Kuang. Let’s get to the point and talk about Katabasis.

Content Warning: Disturbing Imagery, Some Violence, Some Gore, Some Sexual Content, Grooming, Suicidal Ideation, Strong Language

Alice Law has sacrificed everything to become one of the leading minds in the field of Magick. With the help of her talented mentor, Professor Grimes, Alice has become one of the emerging stars in Cambridge University. Everything was going according to plan until Professor Grimes is killed in a magical accident. Alice, though, can’t let the man who can open every door for her rot in Hell. The only solution is to bring him back. She is not the only Grimes student with this idea. Peter Murdoch, her academic rival, convinces Alice to let him join her journey. Armed with nothing by chalk and academic texts, Alice and Peter must face the unknowable horrors of the afterlife and survive, lest they lose the one person who can write them a good reccomendation.

As I said before, there has been a lot of discourse circling around Katabasis and if its overly complicated or too academic. Here’s my consensus: what acutally happens in the novel is not complicated but the way the events are talked about is complicated. As someone who’s read a fair few academic articles and gotten a test of grad school, I understood what Kuang was “going for,” so to say. With that out of the way, I personally enjoyed Katabasis. It was dark, imaginative, and a little cheeky. Kuang’s take on the afterlife is visceral and strangely relatable. There is a quote that goes something like “hell is what you make it” and I think that perfecly sums up what Katabasis is going for. It’s as a much an analogy as it is a fun, dark fantasy with vivid and disturbing imagery. The more “academic” aspects of the novel don’t pull away from the tension of this dark journey. I thought the pacing was just a bit off at times, but that is honestly a minor complaint. Kuang goes out of her way to really flesh out her characters and make them so perfectly flawed. Alice is her own unique person, but she also serves as a mirror to anyone who is a bit hard on themselves. The other characters all felt three dimensional, even if they weren’t human or only appeared briefly. I appreciate Kuang’s attention to detail in her prose and her unflinching commentary on different social and political issues. With all of that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed Katabasis and I think it is fully worth your time. (You might have to do some Googling while you’re reading but I think that’s the fun part).

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I’m in your blood and your are in mine: Reviewing Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna Van Veen

Hey everyone! It’s time to get a head start on spooky season! I was going to hold off on this book until October, but I got too excited. I’ll have plenty of other books to review if you aren’t interested in horror. If you want some thrills and chills, then stick around. It’s time to talk about Blood on Her Tongue.

Content Warning: Blood and Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Disturbing Imagery, Loss of a Child, Grief and Mourning, Mental Health Crises, Discussions and Depictions of Misogyny

Lucy is living a quiet life as a lady’s companion. Her peaceful existence is disrupted when she receives disturbing letters from her twin sister, Sarah. Soon after, she receives word that Sarah has fallen ill. In her delirious state, Sarah keeps rambling on about a strange old corpse that was found on her husband’s estate. Lucy must figure out how this discovery ties to Sara’s condition. Sarah, though, suddenly becomes violent. To protect her beloved twin, Lucy must work quickly to figure out what happened to her sister. In doing so, she will confront the darkness that lies in her sister and herself.

Blood on Her Tongue was absolutely not what I expected, and that is what I loved about this novel. I thought this was going to be a Gothic vampire novel. It is, indeed, a Gothic novel. Johanna Van Veen does a wonderful job creating a dark, tense atmosphere full of blood and secrets. It is, however, not a vampire novel, and that surprised me in the best way. I won’t spoil the “twist,” but I will say that I loved how this book steered away from being predictable or trope-laden. I loved the little bits of dark humor and all of the subversive scenes that are sprinkled throughout this novel. It does fall in the realm of “Good for her” horror, in the same way that Midsomar does. (If you know, you know.) I really don’t want to give away too much because this is a book that simply must be experienced. If you are going to choose any book to read for spooky season, I implore you to choose Blood on Her Tongue.