Month: January 2023

The Art of the Dragon: The Definitive Collection of Contemporary Dragon Paintings Edited by Patrick Wilshire, J. David Spurlock & Julie Bell

I love dragons. I love the way they look, I love the lore behind them, I love that almost every culture has a dragon myth of some kind, and I love the myriad ways they’ve been represented throughout the history of fantasy books. This beautiful book was given to me for my birthday by my youngest son (he also gave me a stuffed dragon because he is convinced that I don’t have enough stuffed animals and it’s been his mission to fix that serious problem).

The Art of the Dragon is different than some of my other dragon books (I have quite a few). It doesn’t discuss the “anatomy” of the dragon, or what breath weapon each color dragon has (because only having fire is so passé). Instead, it has paintings of dragons from some of the preeminent dragon artists as well as explanations from them regarding their inspiration and process.

Credit: Lars Grant-West

And, good gravy, this book features an amazing group of artists! From John Howe to Michael Whelan, Clyde “Make it Sexy” Caldwell (yes, my husband and I have given him a nickname) to Julie Bell, The Art of the Dragon includes a broad range of styles and several years’ worth of contributions to the fantasy genre. I was especially pleased to see Larry Elmore, since his art is synonymous with the series that made me a lifelong fantasy lover.

Credit: Larry Elmore

The thoughts each artist gave about their art and the reasons why they paint them the way they do is what pushed this book over the edge from beautiful to epic for me. Little explanations, like how one artist thinks about the “behavior” of each dragon he is painting, to Elmore’s thoughts on how his contemporaries paint their dragons (“I painted my dragons one way, and Keith [Parkinson] painted his pretty similar to me, and Clyde [Caldwell] did his more serpentine and Jeff [Easley] did his more as a pit bull”), each feature made me understand and appreciate each artist even more.

Something else that makes The Art of the Dragon stand out is the sheer number of paintings in the book. Some dragon art books only have a few paintings or only feature paintings that are incredibly popular and have already been added to many books. While there are some of those ubiquitous pieces in here, there are several that I haven’t seen before or haven’t seen in years. That’s quite the feat, what with how many dragon books I own.

The Art of the Dragon is a gorgeous book, perfect for anyone who loves dragons or appreciates fantasy art.

Credit: Michael Whelan

The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie- A Mom/Son review

This year I’m participating in a reading challenge with my teenage son. We’re taking part in Read Christie 2023, which is a year-long Agatha Christie challenge. Each month features a different theme and a book list to choose from. January’s theme is jealousy and my son and I chose The Murder on the Links.

We will be sharing our thoughts below and the format will be a little different than usual. I really really love discussing books with my son!

My son: “Recently, I read The Murder on the Links and I really enjoyed it! Here are my thoughts on it. The first half of my review will be spoiler-free, and the second half will have ALL the spoilers! Let’s begin!”

Me: “Sounds fair. Here we go!”

My son: “I’m just going to come right out and say it: I think Captain Hastings is my favorite character in The Murder on the Links. He had some stiff competition too! Hercule Poirot is a classic, sure, but there’s just something about Captain Hastings that’s just fun to read!”

Me: “I thought Hastings was a blast too, but I still have to stick with Poirot as my favorite. As you said, he’s a classic. I like how particular he is and it’s interesting to see his thought process (although it’s often hard to parse out what he’s thinking in the moment).

My son: “As for the other characters (i.e. the suspects), I think that most of them were somewhat simple background types who I found easily forgettable. All except one who I mention in the second half of the review. I won’t name any names but I thought she was a fun character if a bit less important/prominent as Hercule Poirot and some of the other, more involved characters.”

Me: “That’s an interesting point. I can see where you’re coming from: the background characters aren’t as fleshed out say, say, the zany characters from the movie Clue. I think they’re meant to be more archetypes than anything. I do agree that there is one character who is definitely more memorable than the others! I’ll avoid mentioning her name too since you’d like to save that for later on.”

My son: “Next up is the pacing! I thought that the book had a good steady pace overall. It did get a bit faster toward the end, which was simultaneously exciting and easy to get confused by, as the story moved very quickly and changed direction suddenly towards the end. At least, in my opinion.”

Me: “I’m right there with you! The pace definitely ramped up toward the end with a lot being thrown at the reader very quickly. I have read a fair bit of Christie so I saw that uptick in pacing coming but it can be hard to follow. I can’t read it when I’m tired or it will go right over my head!”

My son: And about the location, I’m afraid that once again I found it to be somewhat unimportant when it wasn’t being actively investigated. If you’re looking for an Agatha Christie book with an exciting location [refers now to the review readers], I’d recommend either Murder on the Orient Express (if you’re looking for more Hercule Poirot) or And Then There Were None. The latter is my mom’s favorite Christie book, but I found the ending disagreed with me slightly.”

Me: “I still can’t believe And Then There Were None didn’t just blow you away! I abhor your reaction, my friend (but I love you anyway)! Joking aside, I think that the setting was okay here, but nothing to write home about.”

My son: “Switching topics a bit here, I also really enjoyed the mystery itself. I can’t go into too much detail here in the first half (because so much of what made it interesting are spoilers) but I can assure you, I am a big fan of this one! The twists are very twisty, the crime is very criminal, and so on and so forth.”

Me: “The twists are very twisty! I thought some of them were a bit over the top. I like mysteries where I can go back afterward and pick up the threads of clues that I wasn’t smart enough to catch the first time around and I’m not sure they are there in this case. Maybe they are and I’m just not observant enough. As Sherlock says, “You see but you do not observe” (I’m mixing my detectives now). That quote describes me pretty well.”

—From here on out, there will be spoilers! Tread with caution!—

My son: “All right, time to get down to business. Here are my real opinions on The Murder on the Links. Spoilers ahoy!”

Me: “Ooh, time for the nitty gritty!”

My son: “First off, I really enjoyed how Agatha Christie carefully laid clues out that we (the readers) could follow, then added in new information to completely change everything. The second Cinderella “fainted” in the shed near the weapon and the weapon was discovered missing, I was immediately suspicious of her. I think I might’ve suspected even earlier than that, even! A few chapters later, I found out my suspicions were simultaneously valid and incorrect. It was really exciting having my theories confirmed then almost instantly tossed out the window with the discovery of new information. Which, funnily enough, was heavily reliant on a window to present itself. I guess you could say that the information chose a very fortunate window of opportunity. Ha ha! Oh man, that wasn’t really that funny…”

Me: “Hey, I thought it was funny! The faint was very suspicious indeed. Remind me later and I’ll tell you about the time I fainted (well, your dad says I did. But I really didn’t. I just decided to accidentally tilt dramatically). I love having suspicions confirmed! I was so busy being suspicious of everything (I’m sure there was even a shifty squirrel in there somewhere) that I didn’t settle on her over anyone else. Well done!”

Me: “So, any thoughts on the theme of jealousy?”

My son: “I really didn’t notice, to be honest.”

Me: “Fair enough.”

My son: “Anyway…I personally think that Agatha Christie did a fantastic job writing an interesting and compelling mystery, which I really enjoyed! Of course, writing good mysteries is nothing new to Miss Christie. I personally think that overall, The Murder on the Links might be one of my favorite Hercule Poirot mysteries (Murder on the Orient Express is some pretty tough competition, though)!”

Me: “Wow, that high praise! I didn’t love this one as much as you did, but I’m still glad I read it. Not least because I get to talk about it with you! I can’t wait for next month’s book! Thanks for doing this challenge with me!”

The Write Reads on Tour Book Spotlight: Unanmity by Alexandra Almeida

I’m excited to join the Write Reads on tour today to shine a spotlight on Unanimity by Alexandra Alemida. Check it out!

What is Unanimity about?

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

Shadow is a reluctant god with a broken mind and a death wish. He used to be Thomas Astley-Byron, an affluent young screenwriter whose creativity and idealism saved a world from the brink of collapse. Together with Henry Nowak, an AI expert, Tom created heaven on earth by inventing a Jungian simulated reality that helps humans confront their dark sides. The benevolent manipulation platform turned the two unelected leaders into beloved gods, but now everything is failing. The worlds suffer as a sentimental Tom descends into his own personal hell, becoming the embodiment of everything he despises and a shadow of his former self.

His journey from an optimistic, joyful Tom to a gloomy Shadow is paved with heartache and sinister interference from emerging technology. Humans and bots fight for his heart, but their aims differ: some want to own it, some to dissect it, and others to end its foolish beat. Still, the biggest threat comes from within—none of the sticky stories that steer Tom’s life end well.

Who’s pulling on Shadow’s heartstrings? Are their intentions malign or benign? It’s all a matter of perspective, and Shadow has none left.

Now, a young goddess—Estelle Ngoie—has been appointed to replace him, and unlike Shadow, Stella takes no prisoners, and her heart bleeds for no one.

Genre: Science Fiction

Length: 570 Pages

Publishing: 18th October 2022

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B1TGN5FM/  
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/62835573

About the author:

Alexandra Almeida has over 25 years of experience in technology, strategy, and innovation. In her role as Chief Transformation Officer, she acts as a senior advisor to enterprise executives. Alexandra is an experienced speaker at events such as SXSW, and the Women in Tech Series.

For the time being, and to protect her creative freedoms, Alexandra prefers to write using a number of pen names.

​Her debut fantasy novel, released under another pen name, has received the following awards and recognition:

  • Reader’s Favorite Awards – Gold Medal Winner – Young Adult – Fantasy – Epic
  • Reader Views Awards – 1st Place – Fantasy
  • CIPA EVVY Book Awards – 2nd Place – Fiction – Mythology
  • B.R.A.G. Medallion Recipient
  • Eric Hoffer’s Da Vinci Eye Awards Finalist for Best Cover Artwork
  • The Wishing Shelf Book Awards Finalist – Books for Adults
  • Awesome Indies Approved


Following the self-publishing path by choice to retain full control of her IP, Alexandra invests in the best editors available in the business to match publishing quality standards.

The Flaws of Gravity by Stephanie Caye

Faeries lie.
That’s what the Consilium told Jude when they recruited her into a supernatural cold war against the Court. It’s what her friend Aubrie said too, convincing her to search for illicit magic under their noses.
But he’s half-Faerie like her. And since honesty’s never exactly been Jude’s strong suit either, she probably should have listened. Might have saved her the pain of his betrayal, not to mention a trip to the ICU.
When a shady group of Faeries co-opts her to help them stop Aubrie from taking control of both the human and Faerie worlds, Jude’s tentatively game. Ruining the man who double-crossed her sounds good in theory. Problem is, joining up with these alleged otherworldly allies could condemn humanity to life under a curly-toed boot instead.
Everybody wants to rule the world. Jude just wants some premium tequila shots on a warm, sandy beach in the vicinity of “The Hell Away from This Mess.”
That’s a lie—she’d settle for the cheap stuff. (Taken from Amazon)

Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The Flaws of Gravity is available now.

At the beginning of the book, Jude is stabbed in the back by one of her few friends. She already has trust issues, and things like that probably justify her paranoia a little bit. Despite her desire to drop off the grid and stay injury-free for a while, she finds herself joining a group of fairies in an attempt to stop her ex-friend from taking over the Faerie world (and the human one). Of course, now she has a new problem: are her new allies any more trustworthy?

The Flaws of Gravity starts off with a shocking (and rather violent) rush and keeps a fast pace all the way through. Far from giving a slower build-up, there is never more than a pause for breath before Jude finds herself in the next action-packed situation. A start like this is definitely attention-grabbing.

I was a little confused at times, especially toward the beginning, simply because information was doled out sparingly. While I loved the lack of the dreaded info dump, the world seemed so intriguing that I wanted to learn a little more about it early on. I also feel that Aubrie’s betrayal would have been even more emotionally impactful if there had been more background information (or possibly a flashback). That being said, I quickly became invested in the book and was able to infer what wasn’t explained.

The characters were interesting, each of them serving a different purpose and driving the plot forward in new and unexpected ways. Jude was fantastic; a little bit prickly and a large bit snarky. She was also morally ambiguous, a tough balancing act that I love to see written well. Author Stephanie Caye nailed it, making Jude a blast to read. She has quickly become one of my favorite main characters in urban fantasy.

The way the faeries’ powers were written was incredibly creative. I loved Jude’s ability to crawl on walls and ceilings, something I’ve never seen in a book involving fae. It was so cool to read about new and creative faerie abilities. It added to the fun and allowed for some seriously awesome situations.

This book is a blast. The Flaws of Gravity is a must-read for anyone looking for an action-packed adventure.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party—or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, muddle Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones—the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all—her own heart. (Taken from Amazon)

Thank you to Del Rey for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is available now.

This book is absolutely delightful! If the premise wasn’t enough to interest me (it was), the many glowing reviews I’ve come across would have done the trick. I find myself in the difficult position of trying to find new ways to describe the wonder of Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. I don’t know how well I’ll do, but let me crack my knuckles and give it a go.

Emily is a headstrong, socially awkward introvert who is single-mindedly focused on her encyclopaedia. Hers is a little different from the usual book of knowledge: it focuses on faeries. She travels to the small close-knit town of Hrafnsvik in an effort to find information on the Hidden Ones, the last bit of her book. Unfortunately, her lack of people skills leaves her somewhat at odds with the villagers and she struggles to get the information she will need for her study. Equally unfortunately (or maybe fortunately, but she’d never admit it), Emily’s frustrating colleague Wendell Bambleby pops up to irritate- and possibly help- Emily. Soon, Emily’s scholarly distance from all things fae fails her, and she finds herself caught up in faerie mischief, Wendell joining in. Faerie mischief often turns dangerous and such is the case here. The ensuing adventure is enthralling.

Emily is my favorite kind of character! Her flaws are believable and understandable. Her stubbornness comes from a lifetime spent alone and the necessity of being self-sufficient. She isn’t used to friendship or even friendly acquaintances which shows in her awkward and uncomfortable interactions with the villagers. She truly wants to win their trust but it’s a struggle for her. As an introvert myself, I completely understood her tendency to come across as prickly or standoffish. This unintentional defense mechanism was also balanced by something that can happen with introverts: she is fiercely loyal and protective of those who let her in despite her social awkwardness.

Wendell is a different story. He’s lazy yet ridiculously charismatic. He can talk people into all kinds of nonsense, although Emily has become immune (close proximity can do that, I suppose). He is the only one she feels at ease with since they have been colleagues for so long and they happily bicker. This relationship is what elevated the book from fun and unique to fantastic. As much as I love a good adventure, it’s the character dynamics that sell me on a story. Their relationship is never stagnant; instead, it shifts as they spend more time together and understand each other a little better.

The story itself is fantastic, of course. I’m always intrigued by books that contain faeries (I blame the artist Brian Froud for my fascination) and they are written incredibly well here. I would happily stand in line for the encyclopaedia that Emily works on throughout the book. Changelings, brownies, a faery high court, even the trees drip with magic and that lovely combination of real-life legend and fantasy book creation.

The danger of being drawn into a glittering faery world isn’t confined to the characters in the book. I was also sucked in. Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries trapped me with otherworldly ease, leaving me desperate to see what happens next. This book is magic.

Two reviewers who made me rush to pick up the book:

The Irresponsible Reader

Tessa Talks Books

Cover Reveal: Mystic Reborn by Jeffrey Speight

I am thrilled to take part in a cover reveal for Mystic Reborn, book 2 in the Archives of Eveilum series, by Jeffrey Speight. I loved the first book, Paladin Unbound (review here) and Mystic Reborn looks equally amazing. Not only that, the cover is absolutely astounding!

Mystic Reborn is the continuation of Paladin Unbound, the award-winning start of the Archives of Evelium. After embracing his destiny as the last of the Paladins, Umhra the Peacebreaker is granted ancient powers by the gods. When he returns to the ruins of Antiikin to fulfill a promise, he embarks on a journey that will push the limits of his abilities. As the Grey Queen’s arrival heralds the fulfillment of a prophecy that could mean the end of humanity, the kingdom of Eveilum desperately needs a hero. Can Umhra once more rise to the challenge and save mankind from annihilation?

Check out this gorgeous cover!

Credit for this epic cover goes to Omer Burak Onal. I have been waiting impatiently to travel back into Evelium, and this cover has me almost salivating. Don’t forget to add Mystic Reborn to your “to be read” list and pick up Paladin Unbound if you haven’t already.

Jeffrey Speight’s love of fantasy goes back to an early childhood viewing of the cartoon version of The Hobbit, when he first met an unsuspecting halfling that would change Middle Earth forever. Finding his own adventuring party in middle school, Jeff became an avid Dungeons & Dragons player and found a passion for worldbuilding and character creation. While he went on to a successful career as an investor, stories grew in his mind until he could no longer keep them inside. So began his passion for writing. Today, he lives in Connecticut with his wife, three boys (his current adventuring party), three dogs, and a bearded dragon. He has a firmly held belief that elves are cool, but half-orcs are cooler. While he once preferred rangers, he nearly always plays a paladin at the gaming table.

Website: https://www.jeffreyspeight.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffspeight

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffsp8/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffreyspeightauthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21486809.Jeffrey_Speight

Where to find Paladin Unbound:

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58022890-paladin-unbound

Literary Wanderlust: https://www.literarywanderlust.com/product-page/paladin-unbound

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1942856768

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/paladin-unbound-jeffrey-speight/1139410896

The Giant’s Echo (The Barclan series #2) by C.M. Kerley

Starvation has gripped the kingdom. The King is nowhere to be found. War has come to Barclan, and death is coming from the mountains. Using sword and sorcery, murder and the machine of war the King must find a way to fight back the evil that has infected his kingdom.
In Kraner, An’eris the druid queen must rule over a land already in ruins, forcing her people to survive the horrors of war before so much as a battle cry splits the quiet morning.
Brennan and Cotta are searching for answers, lying and cheating their way past everyone who would see them fail, looking for answers to questions hidden in dark corners.
And across the kingdom, to save the kingdom, Calem must face the truth of his magic and decide, for the fate of everyone, is he man or is he monster. (Taken from Amazon)

Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The Giant’s Echo is available now.

Reminiscent of “old school” fantasy, yet also treading into unfamiliar territory, The Giant’s Echo is a master class in storytelling. I was blown away by the creation myth in The Hummingbird’s Tear (book 1); the fantastic mythology and epic worldbuilding continue here as the stakes become higher.

In The Giant’s Echo, we have a small group trying to stem a darkness that is not only coming- it has already arrived on their doorstep. This book sees our characters fracture even more, with Brennan and Cotta looking for answers they don’t have. Their quest, for lack of a better word, shows their characters in a closer light and allows the reader to understand the desperation behind each decision. In fact, desperation and the things it can lead a person to do are overarching themes, lending an air of believability to everything. I love the way fantasy allows a skilled author to explore all facets of personality, and C.M. Kerly is an incredibly skilled author.

Calem, meanwhile, is on a different sort of quest: that of self-discovery. He needs to come to grips with who or what he is. Holy crow, his character development is amazing! I loved him so, so much. I’m zipping my lips so as not to give spoilers, but I could rave about him and his story arc pretty much all day.

New characters are added and others get extra attention, expanding an already well-developed world even more. While I wouldn’t call The Giant’s Echo grimdark, it does take on a darker tone as things become direr. Having an extra sense of urgency and danger made the characters and their inability to give up stand out all the more. I also enjoyed seeing morally complicated characters take center stage. I’m a big fan of murky morality in books, so I was thrilled.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy books with excellent mythologies and engrossing characters. I was happily sucked into The Giant’s Echo.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Enter a school of magic unlike any you have ever encountered.

There are no teachers, no holidays, friendships are purely strategic, and the odds of survival are never equal. Once you’re inside, there are only two ways out: you graduate or you die.

El Higgins is uniquely prepared for the school’s many dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out untold millions – never mind easily destroy the countless monsters that prowl the school.

Except, she might accidentally kill all the other students, too. So El is trying her hardest not to use it . . . that is, unless she has no other choice. (Taken from Amazon)

A Deadly Education is one of those books that’s been on my radar for ages, but I just hadn’t gotten around to it. I kept hearing great things about it, but I was a little burned out on the whole magic school thing. Well, I finally picked it up and am now a bit confused (although I got three and a half hours of sleep last night, so that’s just my state of being at the moment).

El Higgins goes to a strange school. There are no adults anywhere. The students learn from the school itself (I promise, it makes sense) while trying to live long enough to graduate. The magic of the school seems to actively hate them, with all sorts of magical ickiness constantly trying to kill them. The graduation rate is low: most students don’t survive. It’s in this hostile environment that we meet El and Co.

El isn’t popular; far from it. She is seen as odd, antisocial, and powerless. Only two of those things are true. She’s incredibly powerful, but her power isn’t the kind that people trust or want to be around. Because of this, she lets people think she has nothing to offer. Her few friends think the same thing but like her anyway.

Meanwhile, there’s Orion. He’s your stereotypical hero, with a penchant for saving people. He’s well-liked (aka “worshipped”), capable, and gives off major boyscout vibes. He bursts into El’s room to save her and that’s when their odd relationship is born. They end up needing to work together to make an already deadly situation a little bit more manageable.

This is what happens when I muse on a book for a while before writing a review: the “but’s” come out. I enjoyed A Deadly Education immensely. El is a fun character who made me laugh. Her complete cluelessness when it came to Orion’s crush on her was hilarious (and relatable. I could never pick up on the signs either). I liked that her power is so destructive. She wants a cleaning spell but somehow learns to conjure walls of flame instead. This is a common occurrence for her and there’s really no harmless or positive way to spin it. Her power is flat-out violent. I loved it.

Orion is a bit of a meathead but in an endearing way. I kept expecting him to say, “Aw, shucks”. I was kind of disappointed that he never did. His power is flashy and he has no problem throwing it around, he’s just not great at the whole strategy thing. The two of them together were loads of fun and the situations the author threw her characters into were creative and interesting.

So, what are my “but’s”? Well, I couldn’t get past the fact that no parent in their right mind would just chuck their kid into a teacherless school, especially if that school is actively trying to maim, kill, or eat their offspring. It was just strange. Also, in order to explain how things work, the main character would often go off on narrative tangents. It kept me from being lost but it also interrupted the flow of the book a little.

That being said, it wasn’t enough of an issue to keep me from having a great time reading A Deadly Education, especially since the next two books probably won’t have pockets of info dumping. The way the magic works has now been explained enough that the reader can just infer from here on out.

I’m curious to see where things go in the series and am definitely planning to continue it if only to see El and Orion continue to be entertainingly awkward around each other. I love socially awkward characters, and Naomi Novik more than delivered on that front. This is a fun, quick read.

Murder and Quality Time: I’m doing a Reading Challenge!

I never do reading challenges. I have an unfortunate tendency to take on more than I can handle and end up stressing out about it as it is. I’ve been fortunate over the last two years to participate in both BBNYA (Book Blogger’s Novel of the Year Award) and SPFBO (Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off), which are both huge commitments. As a result, I haven’t joined any reading challenges. But that’s about to change!

My oldest, who is not a teenager, has recently discovered Agatha Christie. We’ll be participating in Read Christie 2023 together, and I am so excited to have this opportunity to enjoy and discuss these books together! As much as I enjoy Agatha Christie, there are several books that I haven’t yet read so it will be fun to see which of us is the better sleuth and can solve the mystery before the end of the book.

The year-long focus of Read Christie 2023 is “methods and motive”. Each month has a theme that is vague enough to not give spoilers. January’s theme is jealousy. There are several books to choose from for this theme and my son and I have picked The Murder on the Links. There will be a discussion at the end of the month plus audio clips, facts, etc. The homeschool mom in me is so happy about this! Each book is marked off on a postcard that can be printed from the Agatha Christie website.

Is anyone else joining in? There is still time if this sounds like something you’d enjoy. You can find the information as well as links to the postcard at this link: Read Christie 2023. If you have read any Agatha Christie books, which is your favorite? I’m partial to And Then There Were None, but I can’t wait to find new favorites.

Happy reading!

The Scarlet Circus by Jane Yolen

A rakish fairy meets the real Juliet behind Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. A jewelry artist travels to the past to meet a successful silver-smith. The addled crew of a ship at sea discovers a mysterious merman. More than one ignored princess finds her match in the most unlikely men.

From ecstasy to tragedy, with love blossoming shyly, love at first sight, and even love borne of practical necessity―beloved fantasist Jane Yolen’s newest collection celebrates romance in all its glory. (Taken from Amazon)

Thank you to Tachyon Publications for providing me this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The Scarlet Circus will be available on February 14th.

Jane Yolen is a name that most readers know. Not only has she written an extensive list of fantasy books, but children’s books, historical fiction, and poetry are among the genres of books she has penned. I have loved many of her books and was thrilled to have the opportunity to read an early copy of The Scarlet Circus.

The Scarlet Circus is the third in Jane Yolen’s “Circus” series, but you don’t need to read the others to read this one. This particular short story collection is all about love in its many forms. Now, this might seem like an odd read for me seeing as, when it comes to books, I have the romantic sensibilities of a chewed-up piece of gum. That being said, I am a big fan of stories with fairy tale vibes (whether the more lighthearted kind or the darker ones) and I knew that’s what this collection would bring.

Smart, heartwarming, funny, and at times a little dark, The Scarlet Circus has a wide variety of tales. There are no descriptions of sex, which I vastly appreciate (sex scenes are not my thing). Instead, these take on the cadence of stories told around a fire to an appreciative audience. While they all feature love in some shape or form, each story is unique and adds something new to the collection.

I loved the entire book, but a couple stories stood out to me for various reasons. I’m a sucker for Arthurian tales so of course The Sword in the Stone was a favorite. It’s an alternate idea of how that pesky sword was originally yanked out of the stone and by whom. I loved the cleverness of it and how just a few tweaks turned that whole legend on its head. Merlinnus was delightful, a cunning wise man who played the long game, but could still be taken by surprise (his reaction to the word “cushion” made me laugh).

Dragonfield follows Tansy, a misfit who is in the wrong place at the right time (or the right place at the wrong time) and finds herself embroiled in a battle to defeat a dragon. Unfortunately, the hero who is supposed to slay the dragon isn’t quite a hero. He’s something better: a roguish coward with more muscles than scruples. I absolutely adored the characters in this story, and the amount of growth they did in so few words just goes to show what a great writer Yolen is. I did feel a bit sorry for the dragon, though.

Oddly enough, what really elevated this collection from great to amazing to me were the story notes and poems found at the back of the book. They shone a spotlight on the creativity and brilliance of The Scarlet Circus while adding extra details and revelations about the author herself. The poems often had a darker slant which I loved, especially compared to the happily ever beginnings found in several of the stories. The Girl Speaks to the Mage had me laughing out loud and cheering a little. An Old Story About the Mer was chilling with its sudden gruesome ending staying with me.

The Scarlet Circus is another fantastic collection by a master storyteller, one that should be added to every fantasy lover’s library. Turning the pages gave the sense of wonder and adventure that first drew me to fairytales as a child, making this a book to treasure.