I have complicated feelings about The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker. On the one hand, it's an unnecessary sequel to a very powerful (previously) standalone novel that tells an unstructured, hard-to-follow story. On the other hand, it is a piece of poetic beauty that does a wonderful job exploring life in New York in the…
Tag: Historic Fantasy
A Marvellous Light – Shines Brightly
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske is utterly delightful and one of the best books I’ve read in 2021. I am blinded by the joy this book brought me, and I can’t help but feel warm and fuzzy all over. I know it’s cliche but Marske’s story is truly magical and conjures all the right…
The Peculiarities – Odd, Innit?
I rarely seek out historical fantasy because I like my books to be far removed from the world I know. However, there is one thing that will get me every time: stories set in London. So here I go, off into the strange London depicted in The Peculiarities by David Liss. Thomas Thresher is the…
By Force Alone – Just Yank It Out
I have to tell you, kind reader, I am kinda over Arthurian retellings - or at least those that don’t have anything new to offer. There is an absolute butt-load (technical term) of books that tell the story of Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Personally, when it comes to classic iterations of…