Happy debut day to Let The Mountains Be My Grave by Francesca Tacchi! I had the pleasure of reading an early copy of this Nazi-killing historical fantasy novella where the partisans get by with a little help from Etruscan gods.
Join me in celebrating this release with an interview with the author, where xe discusses the inspiration behind the novella, the kinds of research xe did, the fun xe had writing it, and what Tacchi is working on next.
Happy UK debut day to Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings! A fun space heist that leads to the trappings of two ships in a time rift. There’s a Miguel-and-Tulio dynamic between the captains of the Jonah, plus compelling history fanning from the cast of the Gallion. It’s a fun space opera about people trying their best to preserve the future and then some.
Join me in welcoming this book with Ren Hutchings. She talks about bringing the Jonah and the Gallion together, fabricating a galaxy-sized collective mythos, the evolutions this story has taken, and what she’s working on next.
Happy YA debut day to The Many Half-Lived Lives of Sam Sylvester by Maya MacGregor. This book requires major tissues, as we watch the titular character move into a new school around people who get them all while haunted by personal trauma and the ghost of a teen murdered thirty years prior.
Join me in welcoming this book with an interview with the author. Like Sam, Maya MacGregor is non-binary and autistic, and they took the time to share with me the inspiration for the story and the back stories found within, a sneak peek at their next project, and what’s on their TBR.
Read an eARC from NetGalley Content warning: hate crime, homophobia, misgendering (challenged), racism, stalking, murder, anaphylaxis, death of a child, PTSD, anxiety
Autistic, non-binary Sam Sylvester left Montana with their single dad, Junius, after nearly escaping a hate crime with their life. They move into the former home of Billy Clement, a teen who died of an allergic reaction thirty years prior. Sam collects half-lived lives, stories about teens who didn’t live to nineteen. They take the opportunity for not only a fresh start but also to solve the murder with their group of queer friends. But when they get closer to the truth, someone works really hard not to ensure they don’t reach it.
With an excellent, multi-dimensional cast and incredible exploration of chosen family, this mystery will tug at the heartstrings and frazzle the nerves until its very deserved happy-for-now ending.
I am so excited to have the author on my blog on May 3rd, release date.
Listened to the audiobook Content warnings: gaslighting, missing person, rape (mentioned, not depicted), murder, gun shots
I dragged my feet a bit on listening to this one. I’m having a hard time with fiction, but something that’s a mystery with a structure that has to deliver on certain beats could fix some of it. Wow, was I correct.
In this sequel, there’s another mystery to solve and Pippa tries to have nothing to do with it. But when the police are true-to-life useless, it’s up to her and her podcast to come to the rescue.
Predictable in a masterful way that the author lays out everything that’s coming, really fun to listen to on audiobook, especially give the full cast performance in multi-format.
Genre: Fantasy Mystery Seinen Year Release in English: 2021 Buy Link: BOOK☆WALKER
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Read a NetGalley eARC Content warnings: Blood, murder, nudity, disembodied head
In 19th Century France, vampires are allowed to live alongside humans. Detectives are called in but little does anyone expect, it’s the disembodied head who’s also a demon.
This manga opens up with a dead vampire, a family member suspected, and a kooky trio consisting of a maid, a himbo, and a disembodied head in a cage. It is wonderfully strange and not very deep. It ends on a cliff-hanger, and I’m eager to see what the cage user has hidden behind his kind lack of sense.
The art style is really neat, though at times, the background work gets in the way of comprehending the words on the page. I’m unfamiliar with the differences between ARC manga and finished copies, so perhaps it is cleared up, and I hope so. I had a ton of fun during this read.
If you’re looking for something with cheek, thought-out world-building, and engaging action, definitely give this a shot.
Read an ARC from NetGalley Trigger warning: sexual assault, rape culture, predatory teacher, murder, suicide, substance abuse, guns
This twisty read follows the investigation for four girls. Three of them perhaps have something to do with the fourth’s murder. Secrets come out, and to protect each other and their truths, they have to stand up to a police department which doesn’t believe them and a school administration actively working against them.
Complex, evenly paced with compelling, complicated characters who are neither “good” nor “bad,” The Good Girls is a layered read that delivers a satisfying mystery and catharsis.
Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: Young adult mystery
Year Release: 2018
Source: Library audiobook
Listened to the audiobook
Pippa Fitz-Amobi uses her senior year capstone project as a pretense to solve a murder. Andie Bell had gone missing five years prior and all signs pointed to Sal Singh as the culprit of her disappearance and murder. Pippa wants to find the answers herself, despite the case already being closed.
I really enjoyed the way Jackson uses several formats to bring the research to life. Between audio interviews, research logs, and traditional story telling, we really see every aspect of how Pippa solves this murder. No stone is left unturned as Pippa conducts interviews, visits locations both seedy and deceptively friendly, and learns secrets about people she had grown up with. The voice is clever, and I never got the sense that Pippa had everything handed to her. No moment felt too coincidental. Once again, it was nice to read a young adult where parents are involved and concerned about their children. The depth and breadth of all the character interactions were complex and memorable. However, the various twists and turns in the final quarter of the book, though effective, could have been cut down a bit.
If you were a fan of Sadie for how Summers incorporated the podcast element, you will enjoy this small town mystery.
Jo Writes Fantasy 