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Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Black Heart Loa in Books

Sep 8, 2017

Black Heart Loa

Adrian Phoenix | 2011 | Science Fiction/Fantasy

8.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

A rolicking fun ride through Louisiana

Black Heart Loa is actually the second in Phoenix’s Hoodoo series, the first being Black Dust Mambo. Even without reading the first one, Black Heart Loa is easy to follow, and the events of Black Dust Mambo are easily understood, without really having them rehashed to the reader. Part of that, I expect, is because Black Heart Loa is dealing with the fallout of the events of Black Dust Mambo, so things get explained in a natural progression in the book.

BHL was a rolicking fun ride through the swamps of Louisiana. I can’t speak for the accuracy of how the hoodoo belief system is represented, but most religious beliefs in urban fantasy get a vigorous twisting from the author, as miracles and magic become real in the fictional world. So I’m not terribly worried about the accuracy, as long as they’re not portrayed solely in a good or bad light. And in BHL there are both good and bad practitioners of hoodoo, illustrating the point that it’s not the religion that is inherently good or bad, but the person practicing it. So that moral quandary aside, I really, REALLY enjoyed this book. Kallie is a fun, ass-kicking, smart-talking protagonist, though I found myself wanting to know more about her best friend, a mambo-in-training.

I especially want to know more about a character who was introduced late in the book, but the ending of the book implies more books to come, and more focus on the character I’m intrigued by, so I’ll have to see if I can dig up more of this series. Amazon says this book is 2 of 2 in the series, but it was published in 2011 and I don't see any more in the series, which is sad. Goodreads mentions a third book, Black Moon Mojo, but I can't find any news about a release date.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com

Kudos

Cat Goddess Freyja (16 KP) rated The Bear and the Nightingale in Books

Dec 5, 2018

The Bear and the Nightingale

Katherine Arden | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry, Science Fiction/Fantasy

9.4

(17 Ratings)

Book Rating

Writing Style, Story Progression, Literary Choices (0 more)

Nothing! It does, however, follow a straight fantasy story line. (0 more)

Fantastic Read

Contains spoilers, click to show

I loved reading this book. Since reading it, a few weeks ago, it has become the first book that I recommend to someone looking for a good read. The author has brought her characters alive in a beautiful and alluring way. The story is based in Russia with a country noble's family being the main focus. The story itself, is a mixture of a coming of age story- in which the young main character, Vasya, discovers her place in the world- a fairy tale- a mythical snow demon who can only be calmed by a 'sacrificial' woman, who in turn fights with the snow demon against his evil brother- and a religious historical fiction- there is a strong opposition between Vasya, who believes strongly in the magic and old ways of her village, and a christian priest who comes to 'correct' their pagan beliefs and steer them towards God. There is a touch of romance, but it is not overwhelming and is charming in its own way. The characters come across as natural human beings/ mythical beings, and their choices in the story are logical and works well with whatever conflict they face. My absolute favorite thing that the author, Katherine Arden, did, however was her word choice. Karherine studied Russian in school, and knows quite a bit about its culture and language. A brilliant choice on her part, was recognizing that many of her readers may not be as familiar with the Russian language and culture as she is. So, to keep the feel of Russia alive in her book, she took the time to teach her characters beliefs to the reader, and come up with words that sound close to their Russian counterparts but are easy to pronoun for readers who don't know Russian. This is a very thoughtful fiction book and one I recommend for anyone who wants their imagination to shine.

Kudos

Marylegs (44 KP) rated Dark Aemilia (UK Edition) in Books

Aug 14, 2019

So I received Dark Aemilia from a Goodreads give away. All I can say is how lucky I was to receive such a good book, that otherwise I likely would not have taken a second glance at. This is a beautifully written piece of historical fiction. Which at its core, is a love story, between Aemilia Bassano and William Shakespeare. How their love blossomed and through many external factors was pulled apart. The book is laid out in acts and scenes like a play and tells the story from Aemilia point of view. I enjoyed being submerged in the Tudor London at the end of Elizabeth I reign. This book completely grabbed me from the start and had I had more free time I am sure I would have read this book in a day or two.

Unfortunately as I havent ever read historical fiction before I dont really have any point of reference for comparison. But what I will say is that I thoroughly enjoyed how realistic this book felt, but still was able to bring in completely fictitious elements of magic and witchcraft. Sam OReilly has managed to bring in these elements, which appealed to my love of fantasy, without being over the top. I particularly enjoyed the time when London was under the grips of the plague and thought it was just so well written and explained. At no point did I feel lost in descriptions, I was there, with Aemilia and that poor woman just couldnt catch a break.

There is mature content it is an adult story of love, so yes there is sex. I personally have no issue with this and believe it to be an integral addition to this story. It is done well and doesnt feel forced or overdone. I am struggling to put into words how much I enjoyed this book, I will read it again and I would recommend it. I will now even consider reading other historical fiction that I had not thought I would enjoy.