Snarky witch and main protagonist Mika Moon has been taught by her guardian Primrose that, to be a witch, you must be alone. It is too dangerous for witches to gather. Mika and Primrose are among a few dozen witches in England, who do meet irregularly under the guise of a “book club” and always at remote locations where they will not be discovered. Mika also knows that witches are orphans, due to some long-forgotten curse that backfired. And she knows that she really would like the opportunity to find a sense of belonging–to tell close friends who and what she is. But alas no.
Mika flirts with danger by setting up an Instagram account where she does witchy spells that appear to be via the use of filters and other tricks. Obviously there are no “real” witches, right? But her account is viewed by the mysterious family living at Nowhere House, who are desperate for a witch to teach their three young witches how to be witchy. In the end, they do lure Mika into their home and into their bizarre circumstances. Three witches living together! Unheard of.
Will this witch save the day, and protect her witchy friends? Or will it all be a great big mistake?
The author of The Poppy War delivers yet another stunning fantasy novel about treachery, magic, and empire building. In Babel, we find ourselves in 1830s Oxford, specifically at the prestigious Royal Institute of Translation, a.k.a. Babel. The role of Babel is to provide translations services to the British Empire, but more important silver working. In this fantastical version of England, the county and its colonies is run on a magical process of manifesting the meaning of two words into something more powerful. Match pairs like the Chinese word “wúxíng” and the English word “invisible” can be uttered by a bilingual speaker to make themselves invisible. Pairing the word “speed” with its Latin root “spes” can magically enhance the speed of a vehicle.
The British Empire has great need for translators who can discover more and more match pairs to make looms run on their own, to keep carts on the road, to strengthen their battleships or hone in on their targets. To that end, young Robin Swift is plucked from his home in Canton by Professor Lovell and trained in Latin, Ancient Greek and Chinese, with the end goal being that he join Babel and serve the Empire.
Robin is not alone. His cohort includes Ramy from Pakistan, Victoire from Haiti, and Letty Price, a lovely British rose who is adept at languages but will never be the son her father wanted. The four are each wowed by their privilege but Robin soon discovers a darker side to Babel. He meets his half-brother Griffin who is part of an underground resistance movement. Robin is suddenly caught up in undermining Babel and his peers. He starts to see more clearly Britain’s exploitation of other cultures and the appropriation of their linguistic resources for its own gain. Will his classmates join him? Will he abandon the cause?
I can’t tell you too much without ruining various plot twists but I can say that the play of language throughout the book, the etymology of words, and the power of magic are all very enjoyable aspects of this book. The colonization, the prejudices, the disparities between those in power and those who must carry the burden are all too familiar elements of human history.
If you liked Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell then you’ll enjoy the power struggles in Babel. If you liked Poppy War, then you’ll like the heroics of this feisty group of young Babblers.
A Court of Thorns and Roses is a fantasy romance series that is wildly popular. I have resisted reading it until now. And although romance is not my favourite type of read, this was a fun escape into a terrifying magical world of warring faeries.
Feyre is the sole provider for her family. She hunts in the woods and sells what she can to feed her father and two sisters. One day in early Spring, she is faced with killing a wolf that is hunting the only wildlife she has seen in days. If she kills both the deer and the wolf then it will be a game-changing act for her family.
Turns out the wolf was a faerie in disguise, one sent by a high lord who turns up at Feyre’s and demands retribution. Feyre is dragged off to his lands, not as a slave, but as a guest. It’s all alarming to her (and perhaps obvious to the reader that she is going to fall in love with this guy).
I can totally see why fans are crazy for this series. I’m mildly interested in book 2 but get the sense that it will be full of angst and melancholy.
The author website has all the books, and info on her other series, so if you’re into a slightly spicy fantasy series then I’d start here.
This is a crazy book about a time when the Brits have discovered time travel and they are testing out whether they can bring people from the past into the present. They choose people who they know died in their original timeline so that if time travel does not work or they get sick from it and die then they would have died anyway. It’s a way, I suppose, to not alter history.
There are several civil servants who are assigned to be a “bridge” for the “expats”. Their job is to live with the expats and help them integrate into modern society. Imagine that. If you are Commander Graham Gore (1847), Royal navy commander, and part of the Franklin expedition that disappeared, what do you think about finding yourself in modern-day London? Well that’s exactly what happens. His bridge, our narrator, is an expat from Cambodia and falls in love with Gore. The story line is charming and funny, as Gore is shocked to be living with an unmarried woman, but towards the end things become very complicated. Gore becomes unsure of his purpose in the experiment and who to trust.
Gore’s expats are Captain Arthur Reginald-Smyth (1916), extracted from the Battle of the Somme, WWI, gay or bisexual (modern London is welcoming and he is good friends with Gore); Margaret Kemble (1665), extracted from the Great Plague of London (friends with Gore and Arthur); Lieutenant Thomas Cardingham (1645), Battle of Naseby (suspicious, untrustworthy); and Anne Spencer (1793), woman extracted from the French Revolution (she is not picked up by scanners and is deemed a problem).
The Ministry of Time is a great lark but also clearly about how perspective changes meaning. How do those from the past view the present? How do the modern characters view the lives and values of the expats? How do the expats look back on their lives and actions with a lens of today’s values? How does the Ministry view the expats? Their bridges? How is the Ministry viewed by both. Overall it’s an unforgettable tale with a bunch of hidden lessons.
If you liked The House in the Cerulean Sea then give this a read. It has the same bonkers look at bureaucracy and odd-ball characters.
Gregor the Overlander was originally published in 2003 and it was completely off my radar until my son’s grade 6 class started reading it in school. This is an epic fantasy series. Suzanne Collins’ writing is as strong as it is in Hunger Games, which was published in 2008, but the story is for a slightly younger audience
I’d say Gregor is for age 9-12 and it is scarier than Dragon Masters but not as scary or mature as Harry Potter or as terrifying as Hunger Games. Gregor the Overlander is on par with Impossible Creatures but more sophisticated in the layers of storytelling.
Gregor is caring for his younger sister when they fall through a grate in their apartment’s laundry room. Gregor and “Boots,” his sister, land in the Underland, where big cockroaches rescue them by taking them to Regalia. Regalia is inhabited by humans with translucent skin and violet eyes. They are warriors who fly around on bats and they are on the verge of war with the rats. Giant, talking rats. Gregor soon learns of a prophecy that foretells of a warrior who will save Regalia, and in the riddle of the prophecy he believes that joining the adventure might lead him to his father, who mysteriously disappeared and may be employed/enslaved by the rats.
This is a fast-paced novel with excellent drama, villains who are friends, and twists of fortune. I enjoyed it so much that I also read the next book in the series, Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane.
If you like world-building fantasy that is full of adventure then read this endearing story of struggle and bravery.
Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell was the YA novel for the 2024 holiday season. Every store was promoting it as “an instant classic.” I don’t know. I was willing to love it, but actually it was only ok. It did not capture me the way Harry Potter, Percy Jackson or even The Chronicles of Narnia did. But lots of people who read similar things that I like, did love it.
Impossible Creatures is magical adventure that sweeps young Christopher into a landscape of mythical creatures that he must help save with his new friend Mal. Along the way they meet useful adults, dragons, and other creatures who help them understand what is happening to the glimourie (the magical substance that supports life in this land) and how to save not just the magical world but also Christopher’s world.
The writing is functional. You are not struck with too much detail nor too little. But each character serves to advance the plot. It’s very linear, which is ok but definitely not the making of an instant classic. It’s no Philip Pullman. I’d recommend this for young readers (5-8) who are able to deal with older reader (8-12) storylines that involve a bit of suspense, death of a character and some violence but nothing close to Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. If you like the Dragon Masters series then this is a good next read.
The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake is the highly anticipated final installment of The Atlas Six series, featuring six powerful young magicians who have given up everything to come study with Atlas Blake and have access to the archive. In the last book, part of the initiation ceremony was killing one of their cohort, which they did not do. They are each out in the world, and basically on the run from a rival organization called the Forum. At the same time, they are looking to reconvene and see if their theories on the nature of time and the metaverse are accurate.
This book is a tangled web of alliances, betrayals, friendships and sacrifices. The dark forces at play are sometimes from within their group and sometimes from outside it. They all have ambition but their loyalties are always shifting. They have paired up in unexpected ways in this novel.
The Atlas Six series is a great work of speculative fiction. It’s layered with complex characters, interesting moral questions, and promises a final showdown that demonstrates the power these six wield. It wasn’t my favourite of the three book but it was worth the read.
If you loved the morally complex world of The Magicians or the intricate power plays of the first two books in the Atlas Six series, then you’ll enjoy this one too. The finale rewards fans with closure but leaves enough of the door open for you to imagine alternative endings or a continuation.
Prior to embarking on my Dune audiobook journey, I had little knowledge of this epic tale or its film adaptations. I have to say Frank Herbert’s masterpiece is worth the read. Dune is an intricate saga of struggle, legacy, resource management, and greed. At its core are Paul Atreides and his mother, Lady Jessica, who are deeply trained in the Bene Gesserit ways of reading people’s intentions and, for Paul, seeing possible visions of the future.
The story unfolds with the assassination of Paul’s father, Duke Leto, who knowingly walks into a deadly trap laid out by the treacherous Baron Harkonnen and the Emperor. The trap draws the Atreides family from their lush home world of Caladan to the arid desert planet of Arrakis, a land rife with giant sandworms and deadly storms. This harsh new environment is the sole source of the universe’s most valuable substance: the spice drug melange. Leto knows he’s being played but believes that the natives of Arrakis, the Fremen, are a worthwhile ally and that they can work together to solve the planet’s problems and form a better relationship with the Emperor. But, plots within plots and deep mistrust define the relationships between the various factions vying for control over the spice trade.
After the assassination of Leto, Baron Harkonnen puts his nephew in charge of Arrakis and is grooming another nephew to take over his place. Paul, the rightful ruler, narrowly escapes death and hides out in the desert with his mother Jessica. Paul and Jessica’s story aligns with a Bene Gesserit legend and the Fremen hiding them believe they are the ones spoken of in the legend. Paul may be destined to be the planet’s saviour, but as the narrative progresses, the line between hero and potential tyrant blurs.
The story is mostly told from Paul’s perspective but there are several passages recited by Princess Irulan, the eldest daughter of the Emperor. The excerpts from her journals and published works offer insight into the world of Dune, the Bene Gesserti way, and the legend of Paul, or Muad’Dib — the name adopted by Paul after he was accepted by the Fremen as one of their own.
In many ways the Bene Gesserti teachings act as a religion or yogic practice.
“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
This mantra, recited by Paul, encapsulates the essence of his training and the mental fortitude required for him to survive and thrive on Arrakis.
Yet Paul and Jessica’s abilities to perceive and influence the future also raise fascinating philosophical questions about destiny and free will. I find myself thinking about elements of this book more than I thought I would.
I love reading, but listening to Dune was excellent. The narration and sound effects expertly draw you into the world and add depth and dimension to the story. It’s also not surprising that the themes of Dune are as relevant today as they were when the book was first published in 1965. The struggle for resources, the dynamics of power, and the complexities of leadership and legacy resonate with the political struggles we see today. This is a story about colonialism, Imperialism, violence, and ecology.
The political intrigue and the multilayered conspiracies make for complex world-building equal to that of StarWars and Lord of the Rings. Herbert’s detailed descriptions paint a vivid picture of a desert planet and its original inhabitants and the tensions with its colonizers. The presence of the formidable sandworms and the harsh, stormy environment of Arrakis add to the sense of awe and danger that permeates the story.
I left the book wondering about Paul. He begins as a sympathetic character, yet his journey raises questions about the corrupting influence of power. Herbert leaves it unclear if Paul remains a hero or if he has succumbed to the very forces he sought to overcome. This ambiguity appeals to me, and it gives the novel a depth that’s missing from the binary good-evil of the StarWars series. I think there’s more to reflect on here about the nature of leadership and morality.
If you enjoyed the intricate political maneuvering and epic scale of Star Wars or the fantastical world-building and complex characters in the Wings of Fire series, then Dune is a must-read. Its blend of science fiction, adventure, and profound thematic exploration makes it a timeless classic.
Dune is available on Audible and through Libby, or from any one of Canada’s lovely independent bookstores (oh, yes and Amazon).
And if you’re interested in a deeper look into politics, ecology and what was happening in the 60s when this book was published, give this essay a read.
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake is a BookTok fav that I heard about in a BookNet Canada webinar. Olivie Blake totally delivers! I can see why early fans were so enthusiastic and why Tor picked up this self-published novel and re-issued it.
The six are a group of medeians (magicians) handpicked by Atlas Blakely for initiation into the Alexandrian Society, a secret society that protects the assumed-destroyed works of the Alexandrian Library.
TV show Survivor meets Harry Potter? Atlas is the reality show host?
Six are chosen to spend a year at the library in a sort of fellowship. But only five can be initiated into the society and continue on with their studies. Atlas (also a telepath), and his colleague Dalton (animator), act as the program director and esteemed professor.
The six are chosen for their outstanding abilities. Libby Rhodes and Nico Ferrer de Varona are physicists, or rather they can manipulate physical space. They are highly competitive and their love/hate relationship is clear from the beginning. Reina Mori is a Gaia (Mother Earth) figure. She can breathe life into plants, but she’s reluctant to use her powers because it’s draining. Tristan Caine can see quanta. Basically magic is visible to him. Callum Nova is an empath, a manipulative one. He can sense people’s emotions and make them feel things, which in turn makes them act according to his wishes. Parisa is an incredibly beautiful telepath. She uses her powers to seduce people into doing her will. So three with physical powers, two with mental powers, and one who can see power.
The novel is full of secrets, betrayals and seduction. Everyone is seeking power in different ways, so perhaps it’s also about greed. I loved how the story unfolds like a puzzle. Each of the characters can only take out certain books from the library. In many ways as readers we are limited in our access of understanding too.
Absolutely intriguing story.
The Atlas Six is perfect for readers who like the mystery of secret societies, the drama of relationships that unfold in intense situations, and the magic of physics, space, and time.
El is in her penultimate year at the Scholomance. The Scholomance is a bewitched school that educates young sorcerers on the fine art of surviving mals (incredibly hungry monsters that hunt magical beings).
El is not well liked. She sounds like the goth girl in high school that was rude to everybody. She’s the kind of girl who wants friends, yet can’t get passed being betrayed too often by people close to her. The problem is that the only way to really survive mal attacks is to work together. Sorcerers who graduate (aka survive) the school tend to live in enclaves (closed communities who protect each other).
Well turns out Galadriel (El) is an all-powerful wizard who is trying to hide her powers because they are mostly the evil-doing, super dangerous kind. Some kids at the school are really good at making things, others are good at forming protective spells. El is good at bringing down reins of terror. Her grandmother’s prophecy says that El is a burdened soul and will bring death and destruction to all the enclaves in the world if she isn’t stopped. Oops. Well good thing she’s the daughter of a well-loved healer. El is working hard to fight against the prophecy. She’s does things by the book in order to not turn evil. She fights against her powers by thinking through every little spell (her powers are a bit like asking a genie for a wish in that she’s going to get the evil outcome of a spell vs. the benign one her classmates might get).
El is used to doing things on her own. But damn it all if Orion Lake won’t stop running around the school saving everyone from mals, including her.
If El is the goth girl then Orion is the football hero. Of course they are destined to be friends. But that path is full of painful laughs.
Sweet Valley High or Archie meets Harry Potter and the X-Men?
