October Reviews

Hi I officially moved and live in a place with seasons now, so be prepared for all of my book pictures to take place outside. I did walk a little ways to take this picture, but then spent an hour basically rolling around in the pretty yellow leaves so. Worthwhile trip. Anyways, let's get into this thing!

From A Certain Point Of View: Empire Strikes Back Anthology

So remember last month when I read the A New Hope version of this and said I was going to track down the rest? Well I did that at The Last Bookstore in LA, and then proceeded to read it through my move to Denver. So this book has crossed state lines with me, and I'm so, so glad it could be my companion during the beginning of this transition.

From A Certain Point of View, if you don't remember from the previous review, is an anthology written by a collection of authors telling the story of Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back but from the perspective of other characters. In this edition, that included a tauntaun on Hoth, a variety of rebels and empire officers, as well as a droid or two and the collective of the Millennium Falcon. It's got stories that are funny, some that end in tragedy, and some that are just further insights into the wild creativity that is Star Wars.

Now, ESB is my favorite original trilogy movie, so this book was delightful both for storytelling reasons, but also because it let me play in the world of my favorite og movie for a while. I recognized some of the writers, which was like a bonus easter egg for me, but even the writers I was unfamiliar with created a great story. It's always fun when authors work together on a project with as much flexibility and wild worldbuilding as Star Wars, because it lets them be as creative as they want to be, while also following a storyline they're already familiar with.

I'll probably keep this short, like I do my other anthology reviews, since, again, it's hard to review something that has so many different and unique pieces, but as a whole I had so much fun with this book.

Keep an eye out for From A Certain Point of View: Return of the Jedi, because I'll be hitting that one up as soon as it physically exists. Also, again, @Disney, what's a girl gotta do to write for one of these things??

Similar to: From A Certain Point of View: A New Hope

Dark Rise by C. S. Pacat

This isn't the first Pacat book I've read, and with how it ended it certainly won't be the last.

Will is running. Ever since his mother died he's been hiding, looking for answers. But in finding them, he's thrust into a world of long gone magic, a history of dark kings and raging lions intertwined with his mother’s bloodline. The heroes of the light train to fight the rise of the Dark King, and Will finds himself caught up in their fight, along with a dark mage named James, reborn to serve the King. The fight is coming, and Will must be ready for what that meaans for him and the light.

I think I've mentioned it before, but I tend to only read fantasy books if they're queer, and maybe there's a metaphor in that, but this probably isn't the place for it. Pacat's previous queer fantasy series is dark and violent, and while this one is a bit more YA than adult (at least so far) it's no different with it's violence and dark insinuations.

The worldbuilding was very interesting; 1800s London with a secret hall for ancient magic? Unicorns and lions? Reincarnation and bloodlines? I love a fantasy set in a different time, and industrial England was such a wonderful breeding ground for contrast and fascinating events. I loved the grittiness of London and the wild magic of the Hall of Stewards, and going back and forth was as fascinating as it was jarring. Hearing about the fall of magic and the previous fight against the Dark King was also really interesting, made more so by the shadows that rose along the way.

The characters were also very good. That's something Pacat does really well: complex characters that are clever as they are ruthless, kind as they are intriguing, and this book was no different. Will is a brilliant main character, and as his story, history, and truth unfolded I was riveted by the reveals and choices he made. Similarly, James and Violet straddled the line of dark and light, and for most of the book I was never really sure where they stood. But they made their choices and I can't wait to see where else they go in the rest of the series.

Also? There was a twist at the end that nearly killed me dead. I should've seen the signs, but instead I got to be blown away, absolutely incredible.

RIP waiting for the next book to drop.

Similar to Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The Dead and The Dark by Courtney Gould

I'm not super big on scary books, but I love queer characters and magic in a contemporary setting, so I'm willing to make some exceptions.

Logan Ortiz-Woodley has never been to Snakebite, Oregon, but the moment she sets foot in town, she knows something is wrong. The daughter of paranormal investigators, Logan's dads have brought her to the town they grew up in, where teenagers are being murdered and something dark is on the horizon. Ashley Barton's boyfriend was the first to disappear, and as she turns to Logan for help solving his case, the two discover there's way more to Snakebite (and their growing feelings for one another) than they had ever imagined.

Holy shit. I stayed up way too late to read this book and then hid under a ton of blankets. Gould's descriptors and setting are creepy and disturbing, whether it's describing the town's increasing sense of violence and homophobia or the literal darkness gathering at the edge of the town. It's very small town drama but seeped in dark history and magic. It all lends to showing how desperate some of the characters get, keeping a death grip on the throat of the town.

Logan and Ashley are both girls looking for answers but terrified of the truths they might find. They're opposite in a lot of ways; Ashley's spent her whole life never wanting to leave home, while Logan's desperate to get on the road and find her own. And when they collide it's snarky and explosive. But they fit together, searching for different things and finding one another. Both of them were really interesting narrators, trying their best and messing up and wracked with guilt over things they can't control.

And the mystery, my god the mystery that unfolds just drags you in and holds you down. I didn't want to put the book down, it was so enthralling. I had suspects, but there were so many twists and unexpected moments that built up to the reveal that I was both right and wrong. Which was fabulous, because magic is so hard to take into account, but it was built in so wonderfully and creepily into the story.

I won't prattle on too much, but this was a really good story and a really good time.

Similar to The Good Girls by Claire Elizabeth Bartlett and Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

And that's it folks! I didn't read too much this month what with all the packing my life into boxes and driving across the country thing. And with next month being NaNoWriMo, we'll see how much reading I get done next month too.

Until then, keep writing, friends!

Sam

Literary recommendation: Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

Media recommendation: I binged the entirety of Only Murders in the Building (2021) in two days and LOVED it