When the land and the people are closely tied, political instability leads to literal instability; earthquakes, crop failures, fire, and storm. Mirasol’s job as Chalice is to support the Master of the estate, called Willowlands, in keeping the land peaceful and prosperous. However, the previous Master and Chalice left Willowlands in a disastrous state; the…
“I liked being ridden, and offered the chance to pretty much every guy in Video II” With those words, S.C. Meagle introduces us to a spirited, smart heroine – wannabe director Maeve. While she is instantly memorable, the structure of the novel makes her story come off as a bit wooden and artificial, and it…
In this delightful but slightly flawed sequel to her When Dimple Met Rishi, Sandhya Menon takes us into the love life of Rishi’s basketball-playing hotshot brother, Ashish and his new girlfriend, the determined Sweetie. Self-proclaimed player Ashish Patel is grumpy about love. That’s understandable, because since the conclusion of When Dimple Met Rishi, he and…
Sometimes a fine YA novel will take you right back to your own awkward early years and make you groan at your younger self. Brief Chronicle of Another Stupid Heartbreak is a novel that will do just that – for better or for worse. It’s the last summer before college, and New York native Lucinda…
Love from A to Z is a great modern character study wrapped in a fresh romance, wrapped in a coming of age tale. I did have some mild problems with it, but overall it’s a very absorbing, moving story of two people who have experienced loss and prejudice coming together to find love and understanding…
If I think back to my teenage years, it’s almost a guarantee that the lovely soundtrack for Les Misérables will be the backdrop for my memories. I never got around to reading the book, but I adored everything about the musical. So it should come as absolutely no surprise that I was thrilled to bursting…
If you’ve been missing the TV series Firefly or are waiting with bated breath for Guardians of the Galaxy 3, I have some good news. Aurora Rising, the latest collaboration from authors Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, is the answer to your prayers. Tyler (Ty) Jones, Squad Leader, First Class, 98th percentile of all cadets…
Take magic and romance, mix in the tumult of Paris on the eve of revolution, and you’ll get the historical fiction delight that is Enchantée. Gita Trelease’s début young adult novel is an enchanting romp through the streets of Paris in 1789 in which magic literally winds through the city and through the story. When…
I’ve always been intrigued by the phoenix, that mythical bird that rises from the ashes of its own funeral pyre again and again, so when I learned that Nicki Pau Preto had written a book in which phoenixes play an enormous role, I knew I had to read it. Crown of Feathers turned out to…
While I tend to gravitate to some subgenres more than others, I read across quite a few romance subgenres, and cross over into other genres of fiction as well. I’d gotten a copy of Forbidden by Syrie James and Ryan M. James at RWA, so that 2012 release became my read for the month. I…