Uprooted by Naomi Novik

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

My Review on Goodreads

This was my first book by Naomi Novik. And wow. It reads like a dark fairy tale with all the horrific violence and subject matter to be expected. But there's also a romance at its center. So much happens in this book, I was glad I listened to the audiobook, because it brought it to life for me. I feel like this book definitely skews towards a horror novel in many ways. Novik goes hard into the horror imagery, in my opinion. I have a fear of contagion and this book triggered me. Also, I've never been afraid of trees until this book.

I am a sucker for an underdog hero. I loved Agnieszka. She was very determined and quite fearless in the face of some really scary circumstances. I also loved the Dragon. I'm always drawn to a grumpy hero who falls hard. I appreciated the romance very much. He reminded me of an Anne Stuart hero. Iykyk. I also liked how Agnieszka has something to teach the Dragon as much as he has to teach her.

The narrator was really good. I loved their accent so much. It's been a minute since I read this, but I think want to re-listen even though it was scary and disturbing in parts. This would make a good animated film because I think it would be a bit too bloody in parts for me to comfortably watch a live action, and I wouldn't want it to be cut (those parts are important to the narrative). I think it'd love this as an animated movie.

I think this is a perfect read for lovers of dark fairy tales veering into horror with romance. But beware. Some of the imagery and scenes are pretty disturbing, and you will never look at trees the same way again.

*I wish I had written my review sooner, because I don't think it's doing this book justice.*

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Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

My Review on Goodreads

I like werewolf stories. But I have a confession. I watch very few werewolf movies because I don't like the gore. The great thing about this book is it satisfied my appreciation for werewolf fiction without too much flying blood, guts and body parts. Having said that, it doesn't skimp on the body horror. What do I mean? This book is about the fear of change, transformation, and a lack of control over one's body/the loss of autonomy. The metaphor of undergoing a change into a beast with uncontrollable urges, along with the consequences of living with that monster under your skin for all the other days of this month is the essence of this book. The body horror is an inescapable component of such a story.

Rory is used to living life her way and doing what she wants to do. She left her childhood behind and avoids dealing with it as much as possible, including limiting her trips to the town she grew up in. When her sister gets pregnant and asks her to come stay with her and help her, Rory returns home. Not only does she have to deal with a difficult relationship with her mother, she's survives a brutal attack by a creature. Her troubles aren't over as she begins to develop physical changes that make her convinced she is becoming a werewolf.

Rory's POV explores repressed childhood trauma, the uncertainty of adulthood and relationships as not only do people around you change, but you do as well, juxtaposed to the horror of her changing body and realization that she is no longer just a regular human being.

I liked that Rory isn't strictly speaking, all that sympathetic. While she is a caring person, she has cultivated a layer of selfishness (likely for her own survival). She taught herself not to become emotionally involved with others (her sister being, in my mind, her only exception). When the truths about what happened during her youth are revealed, it's understandable why she lives her life the way she does. As this novel progresses, she finds herself becoming vulnerable to those feelings she always ran away from.

I really enjoyed her budding relationship with Ian. I was frustrated at how she pushed him away more than she let him in, but I understood why. Ian is a very good guy and I feel like Rory had trouble believing that someone like him would love her selflessly because I think deep down, she is a lot more insecure than she acknowledged (with her past, it's understandable).

I do think Scarlett's character was under-developed. For her to be such an important part of Rory's life, I feel like she should have been more described. I think the author expected us to take her reasons for being separated from her long-term boyfriend on surface level, but I think this could have been more explored.

Back to the horror, this is not going to be super scary for more seasoned horror readers (and movie fans). I didn't find it overly scary, but there were some very thrilling moments, and I think the descriptions of Rory's transformations were very well done. The climactic scene was a make or break moment and it made the read for me. I came to some conclusions before we got to that moment, but the reveal was still satisfying. I will say that if you want a big body count, this book isn't for you. For myself, I liked that about the book. For me, horror doesn't have to be about gruesome deaths, but it's just as much about the fear of the unknown, the loss of control, and the loss of identity. This book hits on a specific type of horror. Menstruation (the monthly cycle and shedding of flesh and blood) and pregnancy (the loss of control of one's body and the body being transformed into something different). As Rory finds her body changing into a werewolf, her sister Scarlett is in the last stage of her pregnancy and all the discomfort that comes along with it. Also the fear of the unknown that they both share. For Rory, it's the realization that she's a werewolf and everything that comes along with that. For Scarlett, it's the responsibility of having a new life.

Change is scary. That's what this book is about.

Overall rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

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 Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

My Review on Goodreads

This was a bit of a slow starter, but I ending up loving it overall. One of Briggs' few books (that I've read) from a male perspective. At first, I struggled to find what I normally gravitate about her writing in this book, but it's an earlier book. However, It became clear as I stuck with it. Briggs has a way of writing pathos that is so distinctive and shall I say, impactful. Also, Ward fits in with her characters who are perceived as "flawed" by society. In this case, Ward has played the idiot to survive his cruel father. It's hard work pretending to be someone you are not, yet Ward has gotten exceptionally good at it. So much that when it's time to drop the act, it's much harder to allow his true personality to shine through.

I loved Ward as the main character. It's so refreshing to have a main character who would typically be considered the "muscle" or "brawn" foil to the "brains" character. And yet, he's a bit of both. I'm not saying he's brilliant, but he's very observant and is what you call a student of human nature. He is quite intelligent and excellent at strategy (playing the long game). Like children of abuse, he has learned very well to watch and learn and he employs those tool very well. He's a protector and manages to manipulate others who believe that have an advantage of him because they are unable to see his depths.

Briggs's books are always on the shorter side, but she packs a lot of story in that short page count. In this book, we get the intrigue (devious plotting, plans and machinations) that you'd see in a thicker epic fantasy like Game of Thrones. For sure, there's some of that kind of treachery and playing games with people's lives in this book. There's some really good action scenes (although not drawn out in gruesomeness). I was not expecting twists and turns in the story. And I will say that you have to be patient if you want the Dragon angle to pay off, but I loved what she did with it. I loved Auric's character as well. Auric has a tortured mien and an inner well of power that is a delightful juxtaposition. The slow development of their friendship and reliance on each other is intrinsic to this novel.


Joe Manganiello was the narrator for this audiobook. I will say that this was so quiet, I couldn't listen to it on a long drive out of state, but I enjoyed his soothing voice on short jaunts to and from work everyday. I appreciate that he used different accents and intonations for the different characters, so even though some of the names confused me at first, I was able to recognize and tell the characters apart based on their voices.

I am so in love with the Mercy Thompson and Alpha and Omega books, and I don't feel that same intensity towards this book. But by the end, I was very involved with the story and I loved the characterization (which is a strength of Patricia Briggs). That's why I gave it four stars despite the shortcomings. I feel like the short length of this book did leave me wanting more. The magic is more on the subtler side, although intriguing. Also, I wanted to explore Ward's relationships with his siblings to a greater degree. I'd definitely like more dragon focused scenes. I think this is a duology, so I'll be picking up the next book soon, and I imagine more of those elements will be in the second book. Having said all that I have, I would recommend this to fantasy readers who want a shorter book that focuses on characters, although with some good, albeit subtle fantasy elements.

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 The Spirit Hauntings: Freddy McFright's Chilling Nights by Avery Spooks and Illustrated by Mariano Epelbaum

My Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars.

My Review on Goodreads

Short and funny, with great illustrations, but a little too short to really make an impact on me. I love the idea of seeing what's normal everyday for a ghoulish family at the beginning. I had to reread the ending because it went past my head at first. Great premise, but it needs a little more meat on its bones.

Advance Review Copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of North Star Editions.

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