The Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson
My love affair with The Stormlight Archive continues and my feelings grow more ardent with each passing book. I love the way that Sanderson creates space for his heroes to grow in ways that are new and unexpected (i.e. everything about Kaladin’s arc in this book), while also giving characters who have traditionally been sidelined their time in the sun (hello Navani Kholin) and still managing to find time to add new characters who give us fresh perspectives and add further depth to an already rich and complex plot (I don’t think I’ll ever be over Raboniel). The other thing that’s mad about these books is just how vast they are. I mean, this one is over 1200 pages long so you would kind of expect a lot of action but even for a book of this size it feels like so much is happening it would honestly be more efficient for you to just read the series than for me to attempt to summarise it for you in a way that avoids spoilers. I also cannot let this review end without at least alluding to the moment in the book that made me the most emotional (and that is saying something because once again I was lying in bed audibly gasping every five minutes once I got to the last 200 or so pages. My husband was initially concerned and then wrote it off as Sanderson-induced mania). Adolin and Maya. What is more beautiful than the relationship between a man and the spirit of his dead super sword that he does morning stretches with? And if you think that sentence is crazy, then you need to read the book. Please read the book. Please.
So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne
Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC. Although I did have to be dragged kicking and screaming out of my latest streak of fantasy books, I can confirm that So Thrilled For You was just as compelling and thrilling as any tale of magic and warfare. One of the things I love about Bourne as an author is how sharp her pen can be. She is spectacular at dissecting social relationships and phenomena and turning them into incredibly compelling and unputdownable reads and So Thrilled For You is no exception. The novel centres around four friends who broadly embody the various models of thirties womanhood that we see in the media. Lauren is a new mother who is struggling more than any of her friends realise, Steffi is an ambitious career woman who is proudly child-free but convinced everyone is secretly judging her for it, Charlotte is desperate for motherhood and is channelling all of her OTT type A energy into throwing the ultimate Pinterest-worthy baby shower for Nicki, who is excited to have her baby but has half an eye looking to the past and the life she gave up to become a mother. This book had me crawling out of my skin with how toe-curlingly and casually cruel that these women could be to each other. The changing perspectives were superbly executed. Every interaction seemed perfectly innocent from the perspective of the person narrating it and was taken achingly personally by the friend who then perceived dozens of implicit slights. As much as each character was fantastically realised, Lauren takes home the prize for most unflinching depiction of motherhood and the postpartum experience that I have read in some time. The scenes from the hospital after she gave birth were so harrowing that I made my husband read them and promise that if we had children that he would never let this happen to me. Overall an excellent, highly readable novel that will keep you guessing and also really has something to say about female friendship and the way that society treats women of childbearing age. Highly recommend for fans of Big Little Lies or book clubs looking for a juicy discussion.
Daughter of Chaos by A.S. Webb
Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Random House for this ARC. There are very few things that get me going like Greek mythology-influenced fantasy and so I was delighted to get my hands on Daughter of Chaos. It centres around Danae, an ordinary young woman living simple life on the island of Naxos whose life is turned upside down when her sister is raped by a god. Confronted with the careless cruelty of the immortal beings who rule her life and plagued by strange visions, Danae is driven from her home to seek answers from the Oracle of Delphi. There she learns that there is one who is destined to end the tyranny of the Olympians and set mankind free from their endless demands for sacrifice but she’s as shocked as the rest of us to find out that it’s her. Accompanied by some of my favourite ancient heroes (and also least favourite, fuck you Jason), Danae sets out on a quest for the truth that lies at the heart of her world. This take on Greek mythology is very original and I really enjoyed the first third or so of the book. Webb has a real talent for driving forward the story in a compelling way and introducing creative but consistent twists to the original stories. However, my brain is a little bit broken by four years of studying Classics at university so once Heracles, Atalanta and Hylas were introduced I found it a bit easier to see those twists coming which I think ruined a little bit of the magic for me. However, I’m excited to see where this trilogy goes, especially given the ending – after all, what is a hero’s journey without a good old fashioned katabasis? Perfect for Greek mythology nerds, fantasy nerds and absolutely ideal for those who are lucky enough to be both.
I knew I had to read this book after the extremely enthusiastic woman who worked in my local bookstore basically shoved it into my bag while telling me it was the best book she read last year. I was not disappointed. Headshot is a short but punchy (see what I did there?) novel which takes place at America’s amateur women’s under-18 boxing championship, the Daughter’s of America Cup. Following each of the eight quarter finalists, each chapter tells the story of the startling physical and psychological competition that takes place between two of the girls. Some girls are more talented that others, some are hungrier for victory but all have something that has driven them to a level of athletic excellence that most people can only dream of. Watching these different young women fight against each other was so compelling, I devoured this book over the course of an afternoon. Visceral, vicious and vibrant, this book is a fabulous short read for anyone who is looking to be jolted bodily out of a reading slump.
Kindled Spirits 