I read the whole Witch Boy series and enjoyed it a lot. So it felt natural to buy this and read it.
Morgan has a little secret, she is ready to leave her idyllic life. The island may be perfect, but she wants to run away from the sadness of her family after the divorce, her little brother that seems extremely needy and dramatic, or her friends demanding her attention and not understanding her. But wanting to leave her life isn’t the biggest secret she has, her biggest secret is that she wants to kiss a girl.
So when she is saved from drowning after slipping on a rock, by a cute mysterious girl named Kelpie, at first she finds her annoying and frustrating, but then they become friends and suddenly she’s enjoying her life a lot more, or at least life around Kelpie.
The story follows basically both girls keeping secrets and at the same time trying to slowly build a relationship that has to be a secret.
I admit I liked this one less than the Witch Boy series, I think partly because the story is trying to do way too many things at the same time and deal with way too many secrets that it kinda slowly unravels a little bit and I think that was felt through the story.
The art is still adorable, there are a bunch of tiny details put into the scenes and mini kudos to things, but it doesn’t save the chaos of too much trying to be covered by the story, which is why it is not a 5 fox read.
Overall, if you like graphic novels, sea life and other little things, and liked Witch Boy then this is worth reading, and it is a cute story.
Ownership: Somehow I ended with 3 copies of it because I preordered it twice and also had one from the publisher.
Apparently, if you say your book is about tea and magic, I might end up accidentally preordering it twice (Waterstones had a sprayed edges version that is absolutely stunning). In case anyone had doubts, I really wanted to read it. And I have no regrets.
A Magic Steeped in Poison follows the story of Ning, as she makes her way to the capital city so she can compete and maybe become the kingdom’s greatest shennong-shi—masters of the ancient and magical art of tea-making so she can earn a favour from the Princess and save the life of her sister.
I absolutely loved the magic system in the book, come on, it is all about tea and herbs but it is also about intent and connections and Ning is genuinely a country bumpkin who just wants to save her sister and accidentally ends up in the middle of a big political conflict plus a fierce competition. And obviously the rich people that are all fancy pansy do not want Ning, the peasant to win a competition and be the greatest, so she also has to survive that chaos of prejudice and people fighting dirty during the competition.
Alongside that, there is a lot about political scheming, Ning being used and having to play her cards close to her chest while battling the feelings in her heart and her main goal of saving her sister. She keeps accidentally being in the right place wrong time or right place right time and listening to things she should not or being involved accidentally and I loved it. Her character was refreshing and I enjoyed reading the whole story.
If you like tea, magic, meet cutes, conflict, competitions in the midst of political scheming, then this is totally the book for you.
Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing a Tales by Mail subscription, you can do it on their website. They have a new owner and I did not resubscribe because I am curious to see what happens.
Tales by Mail is a bi-monthly middle-grade book box that comes with two books, some activity pages you can collect, or copy or use in various ways, a pin and one or two items.
I think this is their last box and so let us unbox starting from the left and going towards the right:
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun promotional bookmark
Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun, which looks really awesome as a book and I am excited for it.
Underneath it there is a Tales by Mail patch
Powerful Me activity pages
Make Every Day Brilliant notepad, with little mood-boosting boxes to tick and fill, Cute idea and does help cheer up a bit or at least have a more positive spin on things.
The Unmorrow Curse, which looks intriguing and I am very curious about.
Promotional bookmark for The Unmorrow Curse
Promotional bookmark for Magicborn
The Light Thieves promotional postcard
and somehow missing form the picture, the collectible pin.
Overall, I think it was a lovely last box from their old way and I am loving the positivity and empowering look of this box.
Because we’re part of the blog tour, instead of a review, we’re doing a little excerpt to get a taste of the book and what it is like.
The last sound I ever heard wasn’t what I expected. If I’d been on one of those stupid game shows risking a million pounds on the final question, I’d probably have guessed it would be the cry of gulls. Those monsters haunted the skies above the island like pale ghosts, swooping down to steal fish from the trawlers coming home to the harbour before the teams could unload. Dive-bombing in unison, they tore at the nets bulging with fresh-caught herring, snatching the silverfish and swallowing them whole as they wheeled back into the sky for the next attack. They kept circling right up until the last crates had been loaded into the packing sheds. Then, once their bellies were full and their wings were straining to stay airborne, that’s when they started to laugh. I could still remember that noise clearly. It was a deep throaty sound that echoed across the scrublands of Pykeman Fell all the way up the slopes of Scarpa Brae. At night I used to hear the gulls circling our clifftop house before turning inland to hunt the burns and rain-swelled backwaters for smaller prey. They were always hungry, always calling out for food with their raw, mocking cry. So if I’d had to guess the last thing I’d ever hear, the cry ofgulls would be the sound I’d have picked to answer the million pound question. But I wasn’t on a game show when it happened. I was on my dad’s fishing boat. It was just a training run to try out the new deckhand who’d arrived from the Scottish mainland. No way would Dad ever let me out on a real deep-sea trawl till I was old enough to help haul in the net during a storm or steer the boat through a fog whiteout if the sat-nav failed. Too dangerous, he said. The Atlantic waters were too cold and deep, and when sudden squalls rose up, the heavy boat was tossed about like a leaf on a windy day. I was a good head taller than the other boys my age on the island, but still Dad shook his head and said I was too young to be a deckhand. Back then he had hopes of bigger and better things for my future. That day the Bay was calm, the wind whispering round the masthead like it had a secret to share. Maybe it was trying to warn me what was coming. I wished now I’d listened. The gulls were quiet for once, watching us lazily from the rocks that gaped from the entrance of the Bay like jagged teeth in the mouth of a stone giant. I turned away from the scarred cliffs, shading my eyes against the summer sun and gazing out across the open sea. Dad was leaning over the winch drum, pointing out the controls to the new guy as the trawler net disappeared below the waves. That was when it happened. There was a sharp crack, then a harsh whooshing noise, and the winch line suddenly went crazy. One minute it was uncoiling steadily from the drum, the next it was snaking across the deck at a million miles per hour as the heavy net was sent into freefall. Next came the high-pitched shriek of the warning siren, and the rumble of dying machinery as Angus cut the power in the engine room. Uncle Stuart came tearing down from the bridge just in time to see the broken winch cable whip across the deck, snatching at everything in its path and dragging a water pump, a twenty-litre storage barrel, and a spare net over the side with it. The last thing the cable wrapped itself around before it disappeared below the waves was my leg. And that was when I heard it. It wasn’t the gulls or the waves or the trawler’s dying engine. The last sound I ever heard was my dad screaming my name.
War of the wind by victoria williamson
That last line of the excerpt gets me everytime.
If that has made you want to read more and find out what happens next, you can order the book at any of these retailers (none are affiliate links, so don’t worry).
Ownership: Review copy provided by the publisher so I could be part of the blog tour.
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.
Rating:
I like wolves. I like stories about werewolves though I am very picky about them because I am not huge on the whole Alpha Beta Omega dynamics and how it is used. But hell yeah for urban fantasy type of things, which to me this is very much one of those urban fantasy werewolf stories I like.
Ox has had a hard life and his dad leaves telling him he’ll get shit all the time, etc. But thankfully, in the small town, people are looking out for him and are fond of him, so he quickly finds a job to help pad the income his mum can bring in, even as an kid. But then the Bennetts move in and things get interesting, because they are quickly almost taking him and his mum as part of their family.
And well, there are a bunch of secrets and Ox accidentally finds them out and becomes part of them.
This book was an experience to read. First because as I read it, the mannerisms, and some of the phrases Ox says and uses reminded me of someone I love very much. But at times Ox also reminded me of myself. And the story is very tender and emotional, and very intense. There is a lot going on, and again, because it tugged at my heartstrings already, I couldn’t put it down and it just dug deep into my heart.
It was also really nice that the parental figures here are for the most part involved, or as much as a parent in real life normally is. This is not one of those stories where the parents and parental figures just kinda are nowhere to be seen. Here they are part of it throughout all of the story.
I don’t really want to spoil the plot because I enjoyed it very much and what happens was just a thing that if you talk much about it, it doesn’t have the same impact, but what I can say is that it is slightly spicier than I expected it to be, that it is very urban fantasy like. It also requires several content warnings, including various types of abuse and bodily parts and harm, violence, threats, and a few other things which I can’t remember off the top of my head.
If you enjoyed TJ Klune’s previous works, this is a lot spicier than his previous works. There is more confrontation and tugs and pulls than in other works and it is a lot less of a gentle cosy book, even if it is still an easy read and for me it was still a cosy read, but compared to The House in the Cerulean Sea, for example, it is a lot less. I still recommend it loads and I cannot wait for the next book.
Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing an Illumicrate subscription, you can do it on their website.
Illumicrate is a book subscription box, it usually features fantasy and sci-fi but not exclusively young adult, sometimes it features adult too. It usually contains a new release, a pin and several bookish goodies.
Nevermind the fact that I accidentally scheduled April before March, because what is time? Instead let us look at what was inside the box, because with that colour scheme matching so well, you have to just go for it. Starting at the top left and going clockwise:
Theme leaflet, as usual, details the contents and makers.
Cushion cover, which honestly, the artwork is very pretty, but I genuinely do not like cushion covers like this one or actually 99 of the ones included in book boxes as cushion covers. They tend to be dark or have a quote on side or both sides, or just do not appeal to me. I don’t want cushion covers with faces of people. I want cute animals, nice patterns or maybe good quotes I relate to, but not the usual fandoms. And I mean this one is gorgeous, but damn, I do wish for less of these or a different approach to their design. Something I would actually display in my living room.
The main book, Gallant, which I read and reviewed a while back.
A notepad list type thing. I love these and usually magnetise them so they can go on my fridge for all the chaotic lists. Win 100
Gideon the Ninth mug, gorgeous, gorgeous.
A camera case? Not sure why this item since I haven’t used a camera that would fit here in almost a decade and it is such an odd size that you cant really fit anything else but I do like the case as a design choice just sad it is utterly useless.
Howl’s Moving Castle keyring. An odd choice of design but ok.
Overall, the theme was on point and I loved how cohesive it looks. I sadly didn’t like half of the items or found them useless which was a little frustrating. But points for the theme and content looking amazing.
Ownership: Copy provided by the publisher upon request
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.
The Monsters We Defy has it all as a book. Part magic, part heist, part finding your identity and your place in the world, part critique about life in the 1920s as a black person, what it is as a whole is an enthralling read.
Clara is doing her best to just live her life quietly and safely. She has her job, her annoying Trick and Zelda as a temporary roommate to contend with and that is more than enough. The problem is that this puts her as a spirit medium and people know she helps folks, which at some point was a gift, but nowadays to her feels like a curse.
But then she starts noticing people disappearing and some odd spirit world things happening, and she just can’t let it go, so she gets involved and suddenly there’s a heist to pull, trying to steal a powerful magical ring that may give her the freedom she craves from her Trick.
Honestly, the way the combination of Charm and Trick works is a delight to read and I found it fascinating once each character covers their back story and you suddenly understand why they wanted the Charm and thought they could cope with the Trick attached to it and make a deal with a spirit.
The whole cast is fascinating and Clara is a strong well developed main character. Zelda is a hoot and I love her dearly. Overall this book had me at the edge of my seat and at the same time laughing and worried. The heist itself is good, the historical setting wasn’t too much nor too far away from the truth of how things were back then the right balance, and there’s a lot going on and many characters to keep you entertained.
Overall really recommend it as there’s very little I can compare it to, but if you like stories of magic, identity, cahoots, and heists and historical background, this is an absolute blast to read.
Ownership: Subscribed on their 6 boxes option. If you are interested in purchasing a Tales by Mail subscription, you can do it on their website. They have a new owner and I did not resubscribe because I am curious to see what happens
Tales by Mail is a bi-monthly middle-grade book box that comes with two books, some activity pages you can collect, or copy or use in various ways, a pin and one or two items.
As usual the box was small so let us start at the top and go clockwise:
A set of postcards for Adventure Awaits.
The Boy int he Post by Holly Rivers, which looks like an interesting adventure.
The theme activity pages.
A pencil for notes and writing
Collectible pin
Page holder also theme based
Ajay and the Mumbai Sun, more adventures to come.
Promotional bookmark
This was a cute one, even if I didn’t know the books, which usually makes them a bit of an odd box, since it surprises me and the theme wasn’t as exciting as others but I liked it still.
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.
I did an art stream recently, and I have been talking about my art a lot to friends, so I felt like talking a little about my journey and my art.
Today I will talk about this particular piece, the yin yang fox and wolf in botanicals.
“Dance with me, in the joy of creation, as we craft a spell, weave a prayer, place a blessing and soothe our hearts.”
My original concept was to try to make a slight play on my fox logo, the sleeping fox, to include a wolf also sleeping, but both of them curled up together in a reminiscence of yin yang but also as my own concept. Then once I had nailed the idea for the sketch and how they should exist, because figuring out how well they should look, where the fails and snouts and bodies and everything should be and be satisfied with it took several sketches and doodles and a lot of tries to make sure the wolf and fox looked slightly different and it did not feel just like I had duplicated the fox and turned it grey; another idea came, you know how animals nest in the grass, that the long grass just surrounds them and I thought to do that for them so that they would have a background, because I am trying to add more to my art and not just leave it there.
Now, because the concept of this came to me due to conversations with a friend, once I was making it digital, a new idea made lodged in my head. Grass is boring, so why not find flowers, and even better, use floriography or the language of flowers to add more meaning? I then spent a long time pouring over books and cards about flowers and their meanings, and botanical books to get the way the flowers truly look or the colours they have.
I won’t specify all the flowers I added, because they are personal, but I can easily say that the marigold on top of the wolf tail represents my Mexican identity alongside the regular meanings: Comforts the heart; sacred affection, caress, sorrow, despair and grief. If you know me, then you would understand why this was such a crucial choice. But as I drew the flowers, I also knew I needed to add other little easter eggs, hidden meaning about things I cherish, that I find important (some of them are just gaming stuff like a Pokeball) and this suddenly grew into a labour of love.
Also, this was an odd process, out of my usual. I first drew the fox and wolf, then digitalized and coloured. I am not very big on colouring but I thought it would be nice to do it since my original concept was “simple” so it would not be very challenging. Then had the idea of the botanicals and many layers of meaning, and because I don’t feel comfortable sketching directly on digital, I printed the coloured one, drew around it and then digitalized that.
After that, came the longest part, slowly colouring each flower, plant and element. And given how much meaning it already had, I needed to make it count, to make it worth it. Hours and hours and hours poured. Every little spare time I had I would colour some part of it, erase it, and colour again until it was done.
And I was satisfied, for a bit. Until I decided to learn how to animate overnight a few weeks back, and had this crazy idea to animate the botanicals (I have also toyed with the idea of making them breathe but that is at the moment a bit too difficult for my skill, maybe one day).
Once again, I have poured countless hours into animating this piece. Spent more hours cleaning around each layer of the animation to ensure that no stray pixels existed, which no one would have noticed (a lesson I learned early on is to work at a huge resolution so that when you save and make it into a smaller resolution it doesn’t lose quality, so my canvas tends to be minimum 300 dpi and usually 1200 dpi), but I couldn’t ignore how important this piece was to me and therefore it deserved all that detail.
I remember years ago, not understanding why artists would talk about hours of work when I wasn’t spending all that time in a single piece. Or why they talked about how much of art was erasing parts and “cleaning”, and I kept thinking that was crazy, too dedicated or just not my style. But now I understand it, and I feel proud that I have reached the point where the time spent in a piece does not deter me from completing it. I am going for quality over quantity.
I have rambled a lot about this, but I hope it gives you insight into my thoughts.
Most of my art is incredibly personal, and is a way for me to process my feelings or to try to clear my head. Sometimes it is a way of expressing those feelings when I have no words or another way to express them. The time, the attention to detail, all of it counts.
And if you know the inspiration behind this, trust me, I have no regrets. I’d do this piece again in a heartbeat.
