The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
A young woman’s family is threatened by forces both real and fantastical in this debut novel inspired by Russian fairy tales.
In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, a stranger with piercing blue eyes presents a new father with a gift - a precious jewel on a delicate chain, intended for his young daughter. Uncertain of its meaning, Pytor hides the gift away and Vasya grows up a wild, willful girl, to the chagrin of her family. But when mysterious forces threaten the happiness of their village, Vasya discovers that, armed only with the necklace, she may be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay.
Bad Boy by Elliot Wake -- dark story about a trans MC who works with a secret vigilante group, Black Iris. I've only read the first Black Iris book, but this sound dark and necessary. Eliot Wake explores masculinity and culture in an unflinching, honest way
Spindle by E.K. Johnston -- the second book in series after Johnston took on retelling the 10001 Nights with A Thousand Nights last year. I am not sure how much more life this particular story can extend to, but I am interested to see.
The Semper Sonnets by Seth Margolis --poems, mysteries from the past, and Queen Elizabeth I. I am 100% here for all of that.
The Book Jumper by Mechthild Glaser
Amy Lennox doesn't know quite what to expect when she and her mother pick up and leave Germany for Scotland, heading to her mother's childhood home of Lennox House on the island of Stormsay.
Amy's grandmother, Lady Mairead, insists that Amy must read while she resides at Lennox House—but not in the usual way. It turns out that Amy is a book jumper, able to leap into a story and interact with the world inside. As thrilling as Amy's new power is, it also brings danger—someone is stealing from the books she visits, and that person may be after her life. Teaming up with fellow book jumper Will, Amy vows to get to the bottom of the thefts—at whatever the cost.
That cover is perfect and the synopsis makes me hopeful. Pleasebegoodpleasebegoodpleasebegooood.
Looking forward to reading your thoughts on The Bear and the Nightingale! Sure sounds lovely. And I hope to get to Bad Boy this month too. I have high hopes. :)
ReplyDeleteohhh it was so so good! Lovely and dark and callbacks to Russian mythology. I will have a review up in Jan for it :)
Delete