V. E. Schwab - Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil’

‘Bury my bones in the midnight soil, 

plant them shallow and water them deep, 

and in my place will grow a feral rose,

soft red petals hiding sharp white teeth.’

‘Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil’ by Victoria ‘V.E.’ Schwab, is no doubt one of the most anticipated literary releases this year, and with good reason. Her masterful writing will take you on a journey through time and across the globe, in a story about hunger, love and rage…

This is a story of three women. María (died: 1532). Charlotte (died: 1827). Alice (died: 2019). One hungers for freedom and makes a desperate choice, vowing to have no regrets, and to never be a pawn or a prize in the games played by men in power. One longs for love, but it begins to feel like even more of an impossible dream when she is sent to London to be stripped of her individuality to become a ‘good’ wife. One longs for a fresh start, but when a chance encounter seemingly rips this chance away, she dedicates herself to a hunt for revenge. Three stories, three women, three intertwined fates in a story about lives that end… and begin again.

As you may be able to tell from the over-excited introduction to this review, I have followed Victoria Schwab’s work for a few years now. One of my favourite aspects of her writing is her ability to create characters that feel real. In ‘Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil’, morally grey characters take centre stage, with each of the three protagonists - María, Charlotte and Alice - manipulating the spotlight to varying degrees as unreliable narrators. Their stories intertwine, so while at the start they may feel quite separated, as the novel progresses, the connections become increasingly obvious. This is what makes this format work - going into reading this book, I was concerned over the three stories feeling disjointed, but they flow seamlessly, capturing the reader’s undivided attention. 

In addition to well-crafted protagonists, side characters, no matter how small their role, feel as real as you and I - it’s easy to believe they exist for more than to serve this story, and their appearance here is only a window into their existence. This again feels like a trademark of Victoria Schwab’s writing at this point.

Another aspect I greatly enjoyed was how the vampire lore was re-invented for this book. We have the classic tropes like weakness in the sun, but there are others, more unique ones, which I won’t spoil so that you an discover them together with our protagonists. Additionally, the word ‘vampire’ is used very sparingly, with others, such as ‘rose’, ‘planted in the midnight soil’ taking its place. World-building touches like these make this otherwise fairly grounded in reality story feel fresh, which is a difficult feat to achieve with vampire lore - it can feel quite overdone due to the sheer number of trope-y stories out there. 

Finally, as alluded to before, the set-up with three interwoven stories does not impact the pacing negatively. The story builds slowly, as our protagonists grow, gain new experiences and explore their new selves. However, rushing this would be a disservice to the novel as a whole, and despite this, it remains engaging throughout. Additionally, this allows the reader to pay attention to the small details, as every verse in this story has a purpose. 

‘Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil’ is poetically dark. It will leave you speechless more than once, so go on - sink your teeth into this tale of three women and their hunger, love and rage. 

Final rating: 5/5

P.S. As a side note, hearing Victoria Schwab talk about this book during her tour was an amazing experience - hearing about the inspiration and the writing process had made reading this fantastic novel an even richer experience!

Alyssa Villaire - The Glittering Edge

Small town charm is often a lie - places that should fit this archetype perfectly never quite live up to the expectations. Alyssa Villaire’s ‘The Glittering Edge’ reconciles this fact with the truly endearing parts of living in a small town, with an added magical twist.

Decades-long blood feud between two families - De Lucas, rumoured to be witches, and wealthy Barrions has held the imagination of the small Idlewood for decades. It all started with a tragic love triangle, which ended in what the more spiritually-inclined believe to be a curse on the Barrion family. To fuel the rumour mill further, the Barrion family is struck by tragedy time and time again - anyone unlucky enough to fall in love with one of them is passes away in tragic, often violent circumstances. When this fate strucks Penny Emberly’s mother, she is determined to do everything in her power to break the curse, even if it means an alliance with both Alonso de Luca and Corey Barrion. The unlikely trio races against time to solve the mystery which haunted Idlewood for so long and make sure no more innocent lives are lost.

Alyssa Villaire has a knack for crafting realistic characters with flaws and motivations akin to real people. This is particularly true for the three main characters of this novel - Penny, Alonso and Corey. Penny in particular is a fantastically well-written character, with a realistic experience of anxiety. I also really liked reading about her internal conflict around whether leaving her small town could be the right choice, even if to avoid being left behind by everyone else.

Another character whose characterisation deserves a mention would be the main antagonist (purposely keeping this vague to avoid spoilers) - this person wasn’t written off as evil for the sake of it, or only existing to pose an obstacle to the main characters. On the contrary, they had their own motivations, which could be interpreted as morally grey, even if their means to an end are not as contentious… 

My only criticism here is that I wish this extended to the side characters a bit more - as a lot of them, including Penny’s best friend Naomi, feel like an afterthought and could do with a bit more fleshing out. 

The relationships between the characters, be it romantic or familial were portrayed well, with the standout being the slowly building romantic relationship between Penny and one of the other leads (this built at a good pace and was not rushed at all), grudging friendship between the three main leads (I particularly loved the addition of the text threads!) and Penny’s familial relationships. One criticism I have here is the not so subtle set-up for a love triangle, which I hope will not be explored in the sequel. 

Another aspect of ‘The Glittering Edge’ I greatly enjoyed was the exploration of the ‘small town charm’ trope. The reality of such towns is captured well in the fictional Idlewood - the seemingly tight-knit community has a darker side, including neighbours prying in others’ affairs, racism and antagonism towards outsiders or anyone considered ‘different’ from what the ‘perfect’ inhabitant should be.

The pacing, while not fast until the ending of the novel, worked well for the setting - the three main leads slowly investigate the curse and uncover clues and leads along the way, which push the story forward, keeping the reader engaged. The addition of magic into the mix made this all the more exciting - not only this, while simple, the magic system was explained well and felt rather unique, especially given the ‘real world’ (as saying ‘urban’ feels off about Idlewood’!) setting. Lastly, I have to refer to the twist at the end which I loved… but to find out more, you’ll have to pick this book up for yourself! 

‘The Glittering Edge’ is heartfelt story which captures the reader with its well-written characters, sprinkle of magic and reminds us that even in the darkest times, joy may be found with your friends and loved ones. 

Final rating: 5/5 stars

Rebecca Schaeffer - City of Nightmares

City of Nightmares was on my 'to read' list for while, however it has gotten lost among the tens of books I seem to add to it every day (it's honestly becoming as much of a problem as my book shopping habits). I would probably miss out on this fun, camp adventure if it wasn't for a book subscription box, and it would be a real shame - let me tell you why!

Ness Near’s world revolves around avoiding dangerous situations, which is quite difficult, given she lives in Newham, a city riddled with crime. Oh, and did I mention every person may turn into their worst nightmare as soon as they fall asleep? The odds for survival clearly aren’t great, but Ness does her best to stay out of trouble. Trouble finds her despite that - in form of a simple job meant to preserve her safe haven in the not-cult Friends of the Restful Soul... which literally blows up in her face. Ness and the only other survivor of the catastrophe, Cy, soon find themselves in a race against time to uncover the truth about the sinister attack, while contending with their own past and secrets.

Ness Near, a member of the not-cult Friends of the Restful Soul, is a coward. She’s well aware of it, but given her history, and the fact she lives in a world where anyone might turn into their greatest fear as soon as they succumb to sleep (and crime is absolutely rampant) it’s hard to blame her. In fact, I found Ness to be a refreshing protagonist - her self-awareness is almost meta, and her growth over the course of the novel does not feel rushed or forced at all. Furthermore, her inner monologue had a very distinct voice compared to other characters, and also had me laughing out loud on many occasions.

There’s only a handful of characters that we get to know closely besides Ness, however, they all seem to have their own secrets and demons to contend with, with motivations that are truly grey, which is fantastic. I enjoyed reading about Cy’s internal dilemma, and the unlikely friendship Ness develops with him, as well as Priya’s insistent work towards achieving her goal of getting accepted into Nightmare Defense. As Priya is not present for a big portion of the novel, I hope we’ll get to see a lot more of her in the future. She is currently close to falling into the token best friend category, which would be a shame, given that she is clearly her own, interesting person.

I did have some issues with the dialogue in this novel - it oscillates between funny (the bizarre kind of funny, that is) and almost juvenile. However, given the age of the characters, perhaps that could be excused - on the other hand, they have grown up in incredibly harsh conditions, which in theory would make them more mature faster. The prose also felt a bit off at times, but I wonder if this a stylistic choice, reminiscent of the tone of penny dreadfuls (which also make an appearance here in form of ‘penny novels’). Thankfully, the pacing feels right, without dragging on or trying to cram too much into just shy of 400 pages. The epilogue also piqued my interest on the direction this series is going in.

The worldbuilding in City of Nightmares is one of its best qualities - it kind of feels like Welcome to  Nightvale, just with a lot more serious crime and a more pronounced supernatural element. The setting also gives off a rather camp, fun vibe, with the hilarity amplified by the fact our strait laced protagonist who likes order is plunged further into chaos with each chapter.

City of Nightmares is a fun, camp novel with a lot of heart at its core. I would recommend it for anyone looking for an entertaining mystery with a dash of meta, willing to overlook some juvenile dialogue.

Margie Fuston - Cruel Illusions

I will be the first to admit I’m not great at keeping up with new releases - for this reason, it’s possible I wouldn’t pick up Cruel Illusions at all, which would be a shame! Thankfully, my book hoarding self finally joined a book subscription box and this novel arrived at my doorstep in December. It’s not the greatest piece of literature ever written, that’s for sure, but it was a rather entertaining read - I can honestly say I enjoyed it a lot!

Ava suffered a terrible loss as a child - her mother was murdered by a vampire when she was only a few years old. Since then, she bounced around foster homes with her brother, Parker. In the most recent one, Parker seems happy, but Ava feels out of place. She wants revenge - and when a stranger helps her discover her hidden powers, and the secret world of magic performers who hunt vampires, she joins his group with little hesitation. Soon, she realises her abilities will be first judged in a steep magical competition, with horrifying consequences for those who loose. Still, revenge is on her mind, and the target might be closer than she thought...

As we meet Ava, she is very keen to let us know she’s not like other girls. Tragic past comes with a fighting style she perfected while watching films, which, given how choreographed fight scenes always are, gave me a right chuckle. I am hoping this was the intended effect, because Ava’s illusions in regard to her capability are very quickly dispelled - and in time, she also becomes a more likeable character, albeit one that changes her mind about everything often. Nevertheless, she grows a lot, which is evident from her decision at the end of the book.

As for the other characters, I don’t have any strong feelings, positive or otherwise, towards any of them. This is rooted in the fact that crucial ones, such as Xander and Lucius, were not fleshed out enough. On the other hand, it would be a disservice to the writer’s work if I didn’t mention that she successfully created truly morally grey characters, despite the other issues with character development, which I loved. 

Unfortunately, as the characters are so ill defined, the relationships between them, friendly or otherwise, do not bring any strong feelings either. Ava is an outsider in her new circle, however, most characters are rather welcoming to her, perhaps overtly so, however, I do believe this was intended. As for the romantic subplot, I hated the fact there was a love triangle involved, but its resolution was surprisingly acceptable, so I don’t feel the need to critique it further, save for the instant attraction between the characters that made me cringe a bit.

I saw this book being compared to the Night Circus, and I disagree with that - with the latter being so unique, it does a disservice to Cruel Illusions - I kind of went into reading this with an expectation for the beautiful style of writing I’ve come to associate with Erin Morgenstern, and it was not the case. The only kind of similarity I can think of here are travelling performers, but the travelling itself is restricted to an early portion of the book. This is a good time to mention the pacing wasn’t quite right - it feels very up and down - I found myself struggling with some parts of the book, and devouring others.

Lastly, my favourite thing in the world - discussing magic systems! I loved how unique it felt with the ties to how successful the performances were, but the magic itself did not feel very defined, so that could have been improved. Still, it was really entertaining to read about - honestly, I wish we got more performance scenes.

Cruel Illusions is an entertaining read, albeit not without its flaws, particularly in fleshing out the characters properly and pacing. However, the unusual magic system and engaging plot balance out these negatives enough to allow me to recommend it with clear conscience, as long as you’re into magic (and vampires!).

Rating: 6/10

Travis Baldree - Legends and Lattes

Legends and Lattes is one of those novels where you’re not really sure what to expect - surely a story about opening a café, even in a high fantasy world, cannot be too interesting? However, I was pleasantly surprised from the first page - it’s a cozy, wholesome read with skilful writing that keeps the reader turning page after page.

Viv, an accomplished mercenary, is getting tired of the head chopping business. A chance encounter with a drink she’s never heard of before - coffee - allows her to dream for something more. Settling down in the city of Thune, where no one heard of the drink either, she works hard to make this dream a reality, making new and unlikely friends along the way. When someone from her past - not quite friend and not quite foe - returns to threaten this dream, Viv finds out just how valuable the life she built for herself is.

I think I need to start by saying I love Viv - while the idea of a mercenary retiring to open a quaint café is a bit ridiculous at surface, it works well, especially as she’s a fleshed out character, with doubts, fears and dreams. She’s resilient, and hardworking, however, finds it difficult to trust some of her new friends at first, and believes there is little else for her besides work. A lot of growth happens for her over the course of the novel and feels natural - in fact, I would say this is the primary focus of Legends and Lattes.

While relatively short, Legends and Lattes does w good job of developing the other characters as well. The friendships I alluded to above were fantastic to experience as a reader. As for the only romantic relationship here, it was rather sweet - honestly, I would love to see more of those two together, but the feelings developed by the characters in question are undoubtedly not rushed and thus feel grounded and real. 

The pacing worried me most going into this novel, however, it is very well done. Whether it’s waiting for Viv to make decor choices for the cafe, or the possibility of losing the place she and her friends built, I was equally invested. However, the added peril and danger introduce action and definitely up the stakes in what is otherwise a wholesome, cozy read.

With a gripping plot that proves low stakes stories do not have to be boring, Legends and Lattes is a fantastic read, worth every bit of praise it received. Highly recommend, even for readers who aren’t too fond of fantasy!

Rating: 10/10

Charlie N. Holmberg - The Paper Magician

With the popularity of all manner of fantasy sub-genres, picking up a compelling book should statistically be pretty easy, however finding a unique magic system proves to be a bit more challenging. That’s why I was excited to pick up all three novels from The Paper Magician trilogy by Charlie N. Holmberg. Unfortunately, the books have proven to be a disappointment, with a surprisingly sexist undertone becoming more apparent as the series progressed...

Ceony Twill, a top graduate of the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, believes her dreams are crushed - rather than become bonded to metal, as is her dream, she is forced to become an apprentice of Emery Thane - one of the last remaining Folders (magicians bonded to paper). Her reserve wears off quite quickly, as Emery shows her the intricate ways of paper magic. His personal charm helps, too, so it only takes her a short while to warm up to her new path. However, trouble looms on the horizon, with Emery’s life - and quite literally his heart - in grave danger. Ceony takes it into her own hands to rescue her teacher (or perhaps, something more), from succumbing to his wounds and demons, and continue her adventure in the magical alternative to Victorian London.

Ceony as a protagonist only incited neutral feelings in my as I read The Paper Magician, but as the series continued, I became increasingly annoyed with her. In all three novels, she essentially follows the same pattern of making risky choices to feel important. Her entire personality comes down to this, no matter the consequences, although she does feel some remorse after the fact This would be fine if it wasn’t this much of a pattern - we all make mistakes, but if those mistakes are repeated twice, the leniency of benefit of the doubt wears off. I have no sympathy for Ceony, or her antiquated views, which we will get to later.

I have to say dislike the student-teacher dynamic the author chose for Ceony and Emery, simply because it made rooting for their relationship impossible. The power dynamic is completely off-balance, but it becomes a fleeting obstacle before their relationship develops. Furthermore, they are very much isolated from other characters, so much so that I cannot really say much about character portrayal and development for secondary characters, save for the fact they are token representations of friends, enemies or old flames.

The Victorian era the author chose to emulate had so much potential as well - as we know from history books, we have the Victorians to thank for many of our modern inventions, including indoor plumbing and moving medicine away from superstition toward science. The era however, like every other one before and after it, was not without its issues. Class differences, overworked employees in workhouses, dismal human rights and lack of equal rights for women. However, as an aesthetic inspiration for a novel, it should serve as a climatic background... if done correctly. I found myself forgetting about this setting, as it was not emulated in the clothing, or food descriptions (which were numerous). It was, however, emulated in the antiquated views of characters regarding the role of women within society. Even our main character remarks that a single man must get married soon as he is not capable of keeping house. Ceony also starts cleaning and cooking as soon as she is set up in her teacher’s house, even though it is not her duty (granted, the former is a passion of hers, so it's not a problem, but gives her a bit more character).

The one positive I can bring up in this review is the magic system, as it is unlike anything I have ever read. The idea to tweak typical elemental magic such that it only includes controlling man-made substances, with possibility of expansion in line with science discoveries is amazingly creative, and it’s such a shame it served its use in such a mediocre, at best, series. I am not familiar with the other work of this author, but perhaps her creativity will shine in a future novel.

The Paper Magician trilogy is a disappointing piece of fantasy that had the potential of becoming something great, but falling into stereotypes and not making the most of the aesthetics of the chosen setting. For anyone interested in the series, I would recommend reading the first book for the magic system, as it is enjoyable enough, and pretending it’s a standalone.

Rating: 3/10

Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor - It Devours!

 It Devours!? Oh yeah, I’ve read that book. 

I also listened to the Welcome to Night Vale podcast, as it is one of my favourite forms of entertainment. While I also adore listening to music while running errands or doing chores, podcasts tend to win. However, I never ventured past the true crime bubble, until I found Welcome to Night Vale about a year ago. As luck would have it, I watched The Kirlian Frequency, and was gutted to see Netflix wasn’t expected to host the next season. In my search for a similar show, I found the podcast, and the rest is history. The delightfully odd humour has captured my heart enough to look into the accompanying novels, so here we are.

Nilanjana is an outsider in Night Vale, or, as the locals would call her, an ‘interloper’. As a scientist, she had plenty of good reasons to move to this little dessert town, despite the isolating atmosphere. Still, she seems happy there. That is, until her peace is disturbed by her boss, Carlos, who asks for help in investigating the house that doesn’t exist. With an unlikely ally in Darryl, devout practitioner of the Joyous Congregation of the Smiling God, Nilanjana will risk her life, question her beliefs and science in what becomes a race against time to save Night Vale.

Nilanjana is a rational scientist who loves her work, and despite feeling a little lonely, is convinced her life is not missing anything. Her narration is incredibly entertaining to read, and Fink and Cranor do a great job of showing off her analytical disposition from a humorous angle. Darryl is another important character, a loyal and active member of the Joyous Congregation of the Smiling God. He’s positive and optimistic, determined to repay his faith for the kindness he was shown asa child in need. Nevertheless, as he helps Nilanjana investigate, his normally unwavering beliefs begin to unravel. I enjoyed this storyline immensely, as weird as the belief system outlined is (and how much it feels like a cult!), as I always like reading about characters who reckon with what they believe in through challenging circumstances. In this sense, Nilanjana and Darryl are two sides of the same coin - her, a skeptic, and him, a believer, both go through extensive character development, with a surprisingly honest look at the woes of adulthood.

As expected from Night Vale inhabitants, the secondary cast is full of quite the characters, some familiar to podcast listeners, and others not as much. Most tend to be there for a joke, so there is not much to say here, except that representation is very clear from the main protagonist, to the side characters.

The pacing of It Devours! is very slow initially, with an ending that feels very rushed, which is a definite flaw, that even the delightfully weird world building cannot save. This leads me to my next point - while keeping the weirdness front and centre, Fink and Cranor ensure everything is grounded or explained enough such that even a reader completely unfamiliar with Night Vale would be able to read it with no confusion. Personally, I feel like being introduced into this universe through the novel would increase the reader’s enjoyment, as for me, the preferred way to get my dose of Night Vale through delightfully quirky radio host Cecil Palmer.

An entertaining enough companion novel to the Welcome to Night Vale podcast, It Devours! offers delightfully weird take on fiction, with a dash sobering look at adulthood. I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a spooky read in October that won’t leave you sleeping with the lights on, but smiling!

Rating: 6/10