Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim

 "I was not born a monster."

Two sisters:  Channari and Vanna.

Channi, the oldest, was cursed by the demon witch, Angma, with the face of a snake when she was just a child. Her blood carries the killing poison of the Serpent King. Her younger sister, Vanna, on the other hand, is so beautiful foreign kings are vying for her hand. Her heart emits a magical radiance that Angma covets. 

Channi is determined to protect her sister from Angma, their greedy father, and all her suitors, especially the cruel King Meguh, not just because she loves her sister, but because she made a promise to their dying mother to keep Vanna safe. Even if it costs her her own life. 

"One sister must fall for the other to rise."

My thoughts:  This novel is a prequel to Elizabeth Lim's Six Crimson Cranes, but Channi's story stands on its own. And it's quite the adventure, with demons, talking snakes, and a nine-eyed witch. Channi is determined, impulsive, and strong-willed, a fighter who never gives up; she also longs to be loved. She's carried a lot of hurt and shame over the way others have treated her because of her monstrous face. I had a lot of sympathy for her. 

She meets an unexpected ally in Hokzuh, half-dragon, half-demon, who has his own reasons for going up against Angma. He's sarcastic and harsh, but he can also be kind, and he sees something of himself in Channi. I liked him. The other thing I really liked about this book is Lim's vivid descriptions and all the magic in it. It's an entertaining fantasy, but also sad. Though having read Six Crimson Cranes, I knew going in that Channi's story wasn't necessarily a happy one. 

Still I'm glad Melody and I chose this as our first buddy read of 2024. Be sure to check out her review of this one.

Happy Reading!

Sherlock Holmes & The Christmas Demon

 

From the blurb:

"It is 1890, and in the days before Christmas Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson are visited at Baker Street by a new client. Eve Allerthorpe - eldest daughter of a grand but somewhat eccentric Yorkshire-based dynasty - is greatly distressed, as she believes she is being haunted by a demonic Christmas spirit.

"Eve stands to inherit a fortune if she is sound in mind, but it seems that something - or someone - is threatening her sanity. Holmes and Watson travel to the Allerthorpe family seat at Fellscar Keep to investigate, but soon discover that there is more to the case than at first appeared. There is another spirit haunting the family, and when a member of the household is found dead, the companions realise that no one is beyond suspicion."

My thoughts:  James Lovegrove does an excellent job of capturing the tone and spirit of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in this novel. I loved the Gothic atmosphere of Fellscar Keep, the forbidding and isolated castle where the Allerthorpe family lives, as well as the dark and sinister legend of Black Thurrick. And watching Holmes and Watson work their investigatory magic was as fun as always. Lovegrove really brings these beloved characters come to life. Plus, it takes place at Christmas time, which makes it extra festive. All in all, a very enjoyable and entertaining mystery. 

Happy Reading!

The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim

 "A promise is a promise. Not a kiss in the wind, to be thrown about without care. It is a piece of yourself that is given away and will not return until your pledge is fulfilled."

 

Plot summary:  Princess Shiori promised her stepmother that she would return a cursed dragon pearl to its owner. That promise takes her first to Ai'long, the underwater court of the sea dragons. But they want the pearl for themselves. As do the demons threatening Kiata, Shiori's homeland. So Shiori, her six brothers, and her betrothed, Takkan, must journey even farther from home to return the pearl and to find a way to defeat the demons. It's a journey that will take all of Shiori's forbidden magic, and might even cost her her life. 

My thoughts:  I read the first book in this young adult fantasy duology, Six Crimson Cranes, back in March with Melody (@ Melody's Reading Corner). And we've both been looking forward to reading this sequel ever since. Shiori's such a fun character: stubborn and determined, fiesty and fearless. And she never gives up on her quest. 

In The Dragon's Promise, Shiori has to conquer many different enemies, including the scary demon king Bandur, and survive many dangers, including attempts by people in her own homeland to kill her. Which means that this novel has a LOT of action in it. At times it felt like the author was trying to combine too many different threads in one book. All those different threats and dangers got a little convoluted, especially at the end. Poor Shiori never had time to even catch her breath. But I was rooting for her and Takkan all the way. I really love the two of them together; they're my favorite part of this novel. There's a fairy tale quality to this book that I also liked. All the magic, and the curious legends from the sea dragons and their promises, to the magical red thread that connects Shiori to Takkan, to Shiori being a bloodsake whose magic can loose the trapped demons, to the Lady of the Moon herself, added to the fun. Despite its flaws, this turned out to be a magical and entertaining adventure. And I'm very glad that I got to read it with Melody. Be sure to check out her review.

Happy Reading!

Melody's questions to me...and my answers:

Q. Among all the characters, who do you wish the author should explore more and why?

A. I'd love to get to know more about Shiori's brothers, especially her youngest brother who ends this story with one of his arms still a crane's wing; and I hope Lim writes a abook about Elang because I'd love to see him be able to resolve his half-dragon/half-human dilemma and get a happy ending. 

Q. What do you think is the strength and weakness of this story?

A. For me, the strength is in Shiori's relationships...with her friend, Seryu; with her six brothers; and with Takkan, the man she loves. Those are my favorite moments in this book. The weakness in this story is that the author tried to do too much...between the conflict with the dragons, and then the demons, and everything else going on around Shiori it's just too much for one book. 

A Supernatural Mystery...

Title & Author:  Friend of the Devil by Stephen Lloyd

Setting:  Danforth Putnam, an elite boarding school located on a private island off the coast of New England.

Main characters:  Sam, an insurance investigator and former marine who's tough, perceptive, sarcastic, haunted, and funny; and Harriet, a teen reporter with epilepsy who's determined, smart, and spunky, Sam's looking into the theft of a rare book, and Harriet's investigating an incident of bullying when their paths intersect. Dark and strange things at Danforth Putnam surprise them both.

My thoughts:  This book is a fun combination of mystery, detective fiction and supernatural horror. There's good suspense and lots of humorous moments, and it reads fast. I loved Sam's snarkiness and Harriet's stubborn fearlessness. And there's a very explosive demonic twist at the end that I was NOT expecting. But I thought it was a good one. I ended up really liking this book. It's an entertaining summer read. 

Happy Reading!

 

Urban Fantasy Fun!

5 Reasons to read Booke of the Hidden by Jeri Westerson: 

• It's set in Moody Bog, Maine. (How great is that?) And it's full of magic...and it's funny, too!
• The Booke of the Hidden.  Found bricked up in a wall, "It was at least twelve inches wide by eighteen inches tall. The cover was of ancient leather, worn at the edges. An ornate metal latch sealed the book ... I lifted the cover and opened the Booke. Tawny sheets of parchment crackled under my fingertips. It smelled musty, of old attics and forgotten memories. Eagerly, I turned the first few pages to discover its buried secrets. But no matter what page I turned to in this gigantic, ancient tome, I couldn't find a single word written in it...anywhere."
• Kylie Strange.  She moved to Maine to open an herb and tea shop. What she found instead was the Booke of the Hidden. And what she loosed when she opened it....well, now it's up to her to hunt the evil down and put it back. At least she has a cool weapon to do it with:  a magical Cthonic Crossbow. (It came with the book...sort of.) Too bad she doesn't know how to use it. Yet.
• Erasmus Dark.  The tall, dark, handsome demon with an English accent who's tied to the Booke and who's there to help Kylie with her task. At least, that's what he says. But can she trust him? He is a demon, after all.
• Doc Boone, Nick, Seraphina, and Jolene. Moody Bog's own amateur Wiccan coven. They're game to help Kylie any way they can. Too bad they've never actually done any real magic. (Jolene, who's a computer savvy teenager, especially made me laugh.)
  

(The one minor flaw for me:  Kylie's excessive attraction to Erasmus, and his to her, and how fast it got physical between them. Especially when she was still supposedly suspicious of him and his motives. I could have done without this bit of romance so early in the series. But at least it didn't overwhelm the plot.)

 My rating:  3.5/5 stars.

Happy Reading!

Similar reads:
Lost Soul by Adam Wright
Wickedly Dangerous by Deborah Blake
It Happened One Doomsday by Laurence MacNaughton

Urban Fantasy Fun...

3 Reasons this one's worth reading:

• Irresistible title:  It happened One Doomsday
• Fun first line:  Dru Jasper had no idea that the world was prophesied to come to a fiery end in six days.
• It's got magic, mayhem and some very engaging characters:  Dru uses her magical powers and the crystals she sells to help people with supernatural problems, which is good because Greyson Carter has a big one. He recently purchased a possessed black muscle car at an auction and because of it he's now turning into a demon. And not just any demon; he's turning into one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. And unless Dru and her sorceress friend, Rane, can figure out how to reverse the curse it just might mean the end of the world. And the end of Greyson, who's handsome and nice and who can amplify Dru's magic in ways she never expected. (Plus, he kisses great.)

Need more?

With scary demons and some awesome crystal-powered magic, memorable (and likeable!) characters and good writing, Laurence MacNaughton has created a magical roller coaster ride of a fantasy novel; it's humorous, entertaining, and a lot of fun. I can't wait to get to the library and check out the sequel, A Kiss Before Doomsday, to find out what happens to Dru next. This fun urban fantasy certainly cast a bookish spell on me.

Happy Reading!

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman

How it begins:

"In the sun-warmed quiet of her uncle's library, Lady Helen Wrexhall spread the skirt of her muslin morning gown and sank into the deep curtsy required for Royal presentation:  back held straight, head slightly bowed, left knee bent so low, it nearly touched the floor. And, of course, face set into a serene Court smile."

But 18-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall is not your typical debutante. She has hidden gifts and intuitive powers that other young ladies don't have.  Gifts she inherited from her mother...who died in disgrace ten years ago. 

"...reading expressions was her one true accomplishment. When she concentrated properly on a face, her accuracy was startling and a little disturbing. It certainly made her aunt and uncle uneasy, and they had forbidden her to voice her observations about anyone...Girls were meant to paint screens and play pianoforte, not see through the masks of polite society."

Then there's Lord Carlston, who knew her mother and who seems to know more about Helen than he should. And Helen doesn't know if she can trust him.  Her brother certainly doesn't.

"Lord Carlston was handsome, Helen conceded...and the brown of his eyes was so dark that it merged with the black pupil, making their expression impenetrable. It was very disconcerting and gave him a flat look of soullessness .... Helen dipped into her curtsy but did not lower her eyes as modesty decreed, instead, studying Lord Carlston as he bowed. He was studying her just as closely, his gaze far too penetrating for politeness."

Lord Carlston shows Helen abilities she never knew she possessed. And he tells her why she has them. That it has to do with demons and darkness and saving the world.  That Helen is a Reclaimer. It's an inheritance Helen isn't sure she wants. And the story continues from there--an entertaining and fun (although rather long) supernatural adventure set in the Regency era. (And this story is followed by two more books; The Dark Days Club is book one of a trilogy!)

 Happy Reading!