Soooo, I sat down to write my month in review and realized the books I was most excited to talk about were the ARCs I’d reviewed that come out this month. So let’s look at all the amazing books that have come out recently or will be published soon!
These Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling
Read If You Like: weird psychedelic horror, BEES, cannibalism, lady knights
Originally gave this 4 stars, would bump it to 4.5 after sitting with it!
If you like weird horror, you've got to read The Starving Saints. This trippy, psychedelic horror takes place in a besieged castle as the occupants starve to death. The arrival of some mysterious but powerful strangers kicks of a baccanal of hedonistic ecstasy that reminded me of a Hieronymus Bosch painting.
The 3 leading women were all fascinating, unique characters with strong voices and motivations that both pulled them together and pitted them against each other. I loved the tension in the story as well as the explorations of hunger, desire, control, and oaths. Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Black Salt Queen by Samantha Bansil
Read If You Like: complex female characters, sapphic romance, doomed lovers, political intrigue
5 Stars
I often find Romeo and Juliet-style relationship set ups to be overwrought and overdone, but Black Salt Queen was *swimming* in delicious interpersonal tension that carried all the relationships - Laya and Luntok's included. I ended up loving all the characters in their complex glory. Very few of them could simply be reduced to likeable or unlikeable. Bansil did an amazing job crafting characters that felt real, steeped in their own motivations and understandings of their world.
I've been in a reading slump and this just got me out of it. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down! I finished it in about 2 days and I can't believe I'm going to have to wait for the sequel after that cliff hanger at the end. If you enjoy diverse fantasy, strong and complex female characters, multi-POV, political intrigue, queer fantasy, and family drama, you have to pick this one up! Thank you to Bindery and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Of Monsters and Mainframes by Barbara Truelove
Read If You Like: Murderbot, Gideon the Ninth, sentient ships, campy sci-fi, classic monsters
4.5 Stars
This really scratched my snarky-sentient-ship itch!! If you like Murderbot Diaries (for the sparky AI that will do anything to protect it's crew) or Gideon the Ninth (for the absurd space opera vibes), you have to check this one out.
I loved this so much, I couldn't put it down once I started it. This was a very fun read with a delightful cast of characters - and I liked that we got a handful of short story-like arcs that all came together in the end.
My only note is that I wanted more Frankenstein!! And I felt like we didn't fully wrap up their story at the end. But otherwise, no complaints - an absolute joy to read. Thank you to Bindery and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Crueler Mercies by Maren Chase
So, full disclosure, I’m actually behind on reading this (whoops). BUT, it’s another Bindery release, so I’m pretty confident I’ll enjoy it!!
Here’s the description: After nine years as the people’s beloved princess in the sun-soaked Kingdom of Carca, Vita witnesses the execution of her mother by her father’s hand. Forced into exile, Vita fades into obscurity with her only friends―the crows that visit her window.
Eleven years later, Vita is given a choice: marry an enemy general, granting him legitimacy to take the throne, or die as the forgotten princess. With time running out, Vita meets Soline, an intriguing lady-in-waiting who introduces her to the powerful-but-unstable magic of alchemy.
If Vita and Soline can learn to control it―and the undeniable spark between them―they could burn the world of men to the ground.
The God and the Gwisin by Sophie Kim
Read If You Like: K-drama romances, Korean mythology, slightly campy romance, trickster gods
5 Stars
[SPOILERS FOR BOOK 2!]
I picked up the sequel as soon as I finished book 1 - and then proceeded to cry through half the book. I knew there would be parts of The God and the Gwisin that absolutely broke my heart: Kisa being Hani's reincarnation, Seokga's continued loneliness, Kisa being a ghost...I love Kisa/Hani and Seokga so much and this book definitely made my heart ache for them. While I missed Hani, I definitely came to love and appreciate Kisa as her own character, as well.
Seokga's character arc over the two books is particularly satisfying. I'm a sucker for the cold-hearted, dark trickster character and his growth was really enjoyable (while not losing his true trickster nature).
I really enjoyed the way this wrapped up some open threads from book 1 as well as introduced some new characters and locations. I'm REALLY hoping the open-ended ending means we might get book 3 (please, Sophie Kim? please, Del Ray??). Honestly, I'm just not ready to say goodbye to them yet. I would also accept a K-Drama adaptation, tbh. Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Volatile Memory by Seth Haddon
TBP July 22nd
Read If You Like: Meg Smitherman, This is How You Lose the Time War, Murderbot
4.5 stars
I'm *living* for the weird and queer sci-fi novellas lately. I've followed Haddon for a while but hadn't actually picked up any of his books until now. I'm glad I started with Volatile Memory!
This was a fascinating queer space adventure, filled with sapphic longing and rage and questions of identity and self. The world-building was quite unique - I really enjoyed the animalistic masks that Haddon created for this story. Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Are there any recent releases you’ve really enjoyed lately?
XOXO,
Rae
