Books

Announcements, Books

Moon Shouts: The Red Scholar’s Wake Cover Reveal

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The Red Scholar’s Wake by Aliette de Bodard

Coming out from Gollancz on November 24th, hardcover and ebook
Cover artist: Alyssa Winans 

‘So romantic I may simply perish’ Tasha Suri, award-winning author of THE JASMINE THRONE
‘LESBIAN SPACE PIRATES. Enough said.’  Katee Robert, NYT bestselling author of NEON GODS

Xích Si: bot maker, data analyst, mother, scavenger. But those days are over now-her ship has just been captured by the Red Banner pirate fleet, famous for their double-dealing and cruelty. Xích Si expects to be tortured to death-only for the pirates’ enigmatic leader, Rice Fish, to arrive with a different and shocking proposition: an arranged marriage between Xích Si and herself. 

Rice Fish: sentient ship, leader of the infamous Red Banner pirate fleet, wife of the Red Scholar. Or at least, she was the latter before her wife died under suspicious circumstances. Now isolated and alone, Rice Fish wants Xích Si’s help to find out who struck against them and why. Marrying Xích Si means Rice Fish can offer Xích Si protection, in exchange for Xích Si’s technical fluency: a business arrangement with nothing more to it. 

But as the investigation goes on, Rice Fish and Xích Si find themselves falling for each other. As the interstellar war against piracy intensifies and the five fleets start fighting each other, they will have to make a stand-and to decide what kind of future they have together…

An exciting space opera and a beautiful romance, from an exceptional SF author.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Diary of an Accidental Witch – Ghostly Getaway

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Diary of an Accidental Witch – Ghostly Getaway by Perdita & Honor Cargill. Illustrated by Katie Saunders

Read before: No

Series: Diary of an Accidental Witch

Ownership: Review copy provided by publisher because I requested it.

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

Now, if you are new to the blog, you may have missed my reviews for Diary of an Accidental Witch and then for Flying High. I have thoroughly enjoyed both, so when Little Tiger included Ghostly Getaway in the newsletter I obviously had to request it!

In this particular take of Bea’s diary entries, she is going back to school after some holidays (I do not understand British school holidays so I just know it is some time off and cannot remember if it is a half term, easter or whatnot. Could be summer for all I know). The thing is that she is really enjoying her magic school, and feeling more comfortable with everything in it, even if she still hasn’t developed a taste for some meals that are a little too magical for her tastes (I don’t blame her).

So when the school talks about sending them on their first school trip she is incredibly excited, but at the same time, she is concerned because she has realised that now that she is comfortable in her magical school and being a secret witch, her dad may actually decide to move them again once he completes his book and what would she do about that?

So our story follows the little school getaway that promises ghosts and spooky things and maybe, just maybe some teamwork because Bea’s school year is terrible at you know, getting along overall… But also lots of shenanigans because Bea is concerned about her dad and a potential move.

Overall, as usual, this was a hilariously fun read, with spooky fun and lots of magic. Do not miss this out and if you haven’t read any of them, please go read them all.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Rebel Skies

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Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin

Read before: No

Ownership: It came in a Book Box Club but it had caught my eye before.

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

One of the things that caught my eye about this book is that it was described as having Studio Ghibli vibes, and honestly that made me curious. I love Ghibli films and therefore it was inevitable that I would want to read it.

Our story follows Kurara who has very vague memories of her past and can’t seem to remember much beyond a certain point after a traumatic event. But she lives as a servant and her joy is to interact with her best friend. So when it appears her little party trick of producing origami creatures that come to life has caught the attention of people outside her small world, things turn interesting.

I loved the worldbuilding in this book, and I can confirm it has delightful Ghibli vibes though it was most certainly missing more food talk to fully make the Ghibli mark (joking, but I would not have complained if there was more food talk). The interesting magic of turning origami into live creatures that require some kind of soul and figuring how to control them while being aware of things was interesting, and even more to consider that people use it for battle and defense, or that big origami creatures can be terrifying and therefore destroy skyships.

The world being set into odd factions with different approaches to life, like living in a flying ship, or never leaving a palace or maybe being the Princess, was also interesting and I wanted to know more, plus there seems to be a lot more implied about Kurara and where she truly comes home that we only find out near the end of the book and that we still dont know much about.

It was a quick read and easy to get into, even if there is a lot to navigate wiht the world and as a Ghibli film does, this book assumes you are an onlooker that is in some way part of this world. It welcomes you and somewhat explains things if they appear to be too odd for the world, or the character but otherwise it just gets on witht he story which was nice to read.

Overall, recommended as a lovely book with cosy vibes, a fierce interesting magic and Ghibli influences.

Book Review

Moon Reads: The First Binding Blog Tour

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The First Binding by R. R. Virdi

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Ownership: Review copy provided by publisher but I have been excited to read it for ages.

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

This is going to be probably the weirdest review first paragraph ever, so you have been warned. Have you ever grown tired of the usual fantasy tropes of clueless hero, lovely stunning lady, lots of worldbuilding, some info dump here and there, potential trigger topics used just for the plot or close to fridging? Well, fear not, because The First Binding somehow is refreshingly none of that!

Do I mean to say our hero, Ari, isn’t a bit clueless? Yes he is but not the usual fantasy trope way. And what about having stunning lady in the story? Yes we do, but she is her own mystery and worth checking out. She is not there just for plot points.

In all honesty, because I am not the wittiest review writer, the one thing I can highly the most about The First Binding is how refreshing it is. Ari is a completely different male hero/villain/grey character. He is incredibly fully fleshed and has so many shades of grey that you can’t help but want to see them all and hear all his stories. The mechanic of worldbuilding and plot deployment as stories told by Ari and sometimes nested storytelling is brilliant and it does not for once feel just as info dump or as odd chapters taken from a different book. You feel as if you are there when Ari is telling his stories, and as things happen in the present.

One of the things I noticed the most and really really appreciated was how Ari treats female characters and how R. R. Virdi writes them. There is respect in there and not just a dump of a character for the sake of needing padding in plot. All throughout the book Ari has a way of approaching things and morality that felt good to read about, to see him live by it and colour his choices, and you can see how he learns from his experiences as he goes through his stories. Eloine is surprised by his way of being, but honestly so was I and I loved it. It is probably one of my favourite things here, and trust me, the stories and adventures are also incredibly good.

I have read many good books this year, but The First Binding climbed incredibly quickly to the top and currently has wiped out every other amazing book I have read. I cannot wait to read the next book and know more.

Book Review

Moon Reads: Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Vol. 1

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Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Vol. 1 by Kagiji Kumanomata

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Read before: No

Ownership: Bought for me since it sounded fun

I can’t remember if this was a recommendation or if it was an accidental find while browsing for new manga to read, but what I do know is that I bought it, and forgot about it until I felt like reading manga again and decided that I really ought to read this first volume and check if I wanted to keep it or not.

Well, I have to say at first I went unsure how this could be a whole series given the premise of a princess that just wants to sleep and is being kept prisoner in a castle by a demon. I was so wrong and I am glad about it.

Our princess is an interesting character that doesn’t actually want to escape, all she wants is to be able to sleep well and you know, have a little bit of peace. So when she starts finding demons and items that might make her sleep better, well, she is a princess on a mission and nothing, not even death will stop her!

I laughed a lot as I read this one. It is a light read because the adventures of her finding a specific item/quest/idea are just small manga chapters and are all very enjoyable. They introduce new demons or characters that the princess focuses on and also new areas at times or new mechanics, and it is fun because you keep seeing what is happening outside the castle and then comparing it to what the princess is doing in the castle and you can’t help but enjoy the whole chaos of it.

I think if you like chaos, a humorous take on the princess kept captive by an evil enemy and what demons do, this is a delightful and funny read with easy breaks in the story and lots of potential and surprises that keep coming through it.

Books

Moon Reads: The Sinister Booksellers of Bath Cover Reveal

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Who doesn’t like a shiny cover reveal? Are you ready for one?

Because I am!

The Sinister Booksellers of Bath by Garth Nix is such a gorgeous shiny cover! And if you are curious about what the book will be about, here’s a little synopsis:

There is often trouble of a mythical sort in Bath. The booksellers who police the Old World keep a careful watch there, particularly on the entity who inhabits the ancient hot spring. Yet this time it is not from Sulis Minerva that trouble starts. It comes from the discovery of a sorcerous map, leading left-handed bookseller Merlin into great danger. A desperate rescue is attempted by his sister the right-handed bookseller Vivien and their friend, art student Susan Arkshaw, who is still struggling to deal with her own recently discovered magical heritage.

The map takes the trio to a place separated from this world, maintained by deadly sorcery performed by an Ancient Sovereign and guarded by monstrous living statues of Purbeck marble. But this is only the beginning, as the booksellers investigate centuries of disappearances and deaths and try to unravel the secrets of the murderous Lady of Stone, a serial killer of awesome powers.

If they do not stop her, she will soon kill again. And this time, her target is not an ordinary mortal.

A wintry return to the somewhat alternate 1980s England of The Left-Handed Booksellers of London.

Don’t forget to preorder it because it’ll be amazing!

Book Review

Moon Reads: Foxes in Love Vol. 1

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Foxes in Love Vol. 1 by Toivo Kaartinen

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Read before: Yes and no.

Ownership: Gifted by the awesome Justine for my birthday!

I love, love Foxes in Love as little comics, and when they first launched the book I wanted one but they didn’t ship it to the UK, so I waited, but now they do. And then I had it on my wishlist and Justine sent it as a surprise and I read it super quick and smiled a lot.

I really love the foxes, the comics are online so you can find them on twitter and Instagram that’s where I usually read them. But as I read through this one I realised I had missed quite a few even if several where also very familiar.

Mostly the book is about two foxes, Green and Blue who are in love and are having little adventures or declarations of love, and you just get to see their personalities, their relationship and a lot fo it made me smile either reminding of friends or situations or things I wish for, so very relatable, plus they are foxes which is always a big bonus in my books as you may know.

Overall, if you have seen the ones online, I recommend having this little book and collecting them. I want volume 2 too!

Book Review, Gaming

Moon Reads: The Official Horizon Zero Dawn Colouring Book

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The Official Horizon Zero Dawn Colouring Book

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

I streamed last Thursday as I coloured on this book, so if you are interested, you may see the Video on Demand for it here. I spend ages colouring hair and going through the book and also showing off the Art of Book because I own that one. Overall it was a bit of chatting, colouring and fun followed by some gameplay of the Frozen Wilds part.

The book gets a 4.5 because it has one of my pet peeves, that the two-page spread pictures do not consider a bleed margin for the inside where the book is glued together and therefore you lose some of the artwork to that bend in the book as you cant flatten it completely. Otherwise, mostly the art is based on the comics rather than the game which is something we did discuss more at length during the stream.

It includes scenes from both of the comics, however not all of them are spoilers and if you don’t know the story then they may just seem like pretty pieces of artwork of the characters. I do recommend also checking out both comic volumes as they are amazing and good fun. You can find the first here, and the second here reviewed by yours truly!

Obviously I couldn’t resist showing off some of the HZD merch and hopefully you agree that the book is gorgeous and if you like the game and colouring, this is a wonderful choice!

Book Review

Moon Reads: Paranorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse

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Paranorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse by Stephanie Cooke and art by Mari Costa

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px Grey

Read before: No

Ownership: Bought it for myself.

Chaos bunnies? Did someone say chaos and bunnies? That was basically what sold me this book. And that it is a graphic novel. If that hasn’t sold it to you yet, let me try a bit more.

We start with our main heroine, Abby, who is helping her mum at a cafe and serving the magical community but then her sister gets bullied and portal is opened to this chaos bunny land. Abyy is sweet but her magic is a bit odd and she wants desperately to help fix everything a nd help everyone. Obviously having chaos bunnies come through a portal creates chaos so that’s basically the story, how to stop the chaos bunnies from causing the end of the world and all that chaos.

But one of the things I really liked about it is how it integrates diversity into a magical world. The concept of ghosts here was beautiful and I like that it had a hijabi character. Then each of Abbys friends has a specific background, issues and approaches and despite some clashes, they are friends and help each other out and want the best for each other and again that was super cute to read and very encouraging and uplifting.

I recommend this book because it is a cute cosy chaotic read and I even sold it to the booksellers from the publisher, because it is so good and fun. If you want a more chaotic Mooncakes vibes with less romance and more middle grade or lower vibes this is it!

Book Review

Moon Reads: August Kitko and the Mechas from Space

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August Kitko and the Mechas from Space by Alex White

Rating: MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px MoonKestrel Logo2 20px

Read before: No

Ownership: Review copy provided by the publisher

Disclaimer: Receiving a review copy from the publisher does not affect my opinion of the book. If you think I review it highly it is due to me knowing my taste well and therefore not requesting books I won’t enjoy. And I am not obligated to review the book if I do not like it, so you may not see bad reviews due to me preferring not to hype down a particular book. I only do reviews of books I disagreed with if I think it is worth bringing a topic or warning to light.

If you like mechas, epic battles, music and music theory, chaos and the end of the world, then this is the book for you! The best way I can summarise it is if you took Evangelion, tossed it with music and music theory, a pinch of today’s world and then fast-forwarded it a 1000 years, you might get this book.

August is having a mini pity party at the end of the world because mechas are coming to destroy humanity and he messed up his big plans for the end of the world. So when he starts hearing the mechas battle it out and it sounds like music to him so he plays a Magnus opus kinda piece, he is playing for himself not to save the world, and yet that is kinda what he does!

OK that is super summarised, but this is a story about how being the hero doesn’t always involve glamour, and there’s a LOT going on with the mechas, the world, August and his plans and music. For me, the music twist was one of my absolute favourite things to add to the idea of mechas and end-of-the-world epic battles, it made me look forward more to the battles than in other books of this style. I do admit I like music and it was just fascinating to have August’s process described and how he would communicate with the mechas and be a “pilot”. Very different to Evangelion but still cool and with in a way similar vibes.

Oh and there is a romance going on, a slight heist, a lot of government officials being themselves, and a lot more about music and people. Honestly, it was a fun chaotic read.