Review: The Faithless Hawk

The Faithless Hawk by Margaret Owen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If I remember correctly, the first book in this series was a 3.5 for me that I rounded up to a four, and the second book is the same way. Though I'm somewhat disappointed that Owen went and did the duology route - I can never understand why that's such a trend these last few years, especially in YA fantasy - the intensive world-building and spine-tingling magic system, not to mention the series' increased relevance today with its heavy use of quarantines and plagues and a Kuvira-like villain willing to "roll the bones" on said plagues (I think that's an exact quote? Either that or a very close paraphrase) purely for social and political gain, all conspire to make The Merciful Crow and The Faithless Hawk mandatory reading in this year. To this series, though, I now must sadly bid ave atque vale.

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Review: The Relentless Moon

The Relentless Moon by Mary Robinette Kowal
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's been a couple of years since Mary Robinette Kowal put out a novel in this alternate history series of the Lady Astronaut, and a year or so since The Calculating Stars won that Hugo and got my attention onto this series but good. So now, I've finally bought and read a copy of the third book - one that's more of a sequel to Book 1 than Book 2, taking place roughly concurrently with The Fated Sky as promised, and following more early 60s progress on Earth and the Moon in the post-Meteor timeline. This time, our POV character isn't Elma York, but Nicole Wargin, Lady Astronaut and wife of the charismatic Governor of Kansas, who's looking to run for President in 1964. Of course, this being a dangerous post-apocalypse of a solar system, it throws every wrench it can in both their ways. Frequent disastrous mechanical failures of rockets to the Moon, Earth First terrorists stoking riots and trying to blame it on race, continued geological and climatic cataclysms on Earth, a polio outbreak on the Artemis lunar base provoking preventative measures that feel eerily prescient of COVID (which of course struck after Kowal finished writing this book), especially since this alternate timeline doesn't have a polio vaccine as Jonas Salk never finished his work on it. And, in Nicole's case, anorexia, which she's mostly got a handle on, but has caused her some serious long-term health complications that tend to loom large throughout the novel. While a bit on the long side, especially compared to its predecessors, The Relentless Moon is a more than worthy addition to Kowal's Lady Astronaut Universe, helping bridge the gap between the first two books and the upcoming fourth, The Derivative Base, pretty neatly, if I do say so myself.

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Review: Cemetery Boys

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Happy spooky season, friends, with this review of Aiden Thomas's recently National Book Award-nominated debut novel - and while it was supposed to have originally come out three months ago, I'm glad it instead came along on the verge of fall. Helpfully, reading this book now seems to have helped chase away a bit of the Bay Area's smoky skies and heat waves - for now anyway, because climate change and all that. But while Yadriel's brujo powers are more linked to the souls of the dead, I'd be willing to credit him with helping usher in some nicer weather as I read his misadventure about meeting a dead boy whose soul needs to cross over OR ELSE. 

Review: The Lost Book of the White

The Lost Book of the White by Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cassie Clare AND Wesley Chu collaborating?



About this guy?



And it's a trilogy?





(I think the above pre-review was written when this title was supposed to be for the first book and not swapped with The Red Scrolls of Magic, but the sentiment still stands.) 

The second book of Alec and Magnus's spinoff series was, sadly, spoiled for many when some damn fool leaked the entire manuscript somewhere. A demon pox on all their house for trying to tank Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu so shamelessly...but given that the book debuted at #1 on the NYT Bestseller List anyway, I'd like to say they failed and Clare and Chu succeeded. And boy, did they succeed. 

Review: The Shadow of Kyoshi

The Shadow of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

F.C. Yee seems to enjoy operating in duologies about kickass, enormously tall Asian girls - whether it's Genie Lo, or Avatar Kyoshi. The second half of Kyoshi's YA adventure picks up with her place as the Avatar assured after it was in doubt for so much of Book 1, but still, there are those who question her title and prowess - an easier question to pose when she's having greater and greater trouble negotiating with world leaders (and navigating the drama in their courts, particularly the royal court of the Fire Nation, where he who is officially the Fire Lord isn't exactly up to the task and everyone knows it) and connecting with her past lives like Kuruk, Yangchen, and Szeto. But at least she's still got her own Team Avatar to stand alongside her with immense loyalty - and love, especially in Rangi's case. Love to stan a bisexual queen, yes we do in this house!

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