The Book Eaters is a fantastic fantasy debut and my favorite read this year. It tackles themes such as tradition, motherhood, trauma, and found family while staying grounded and whimsical. I loved the contemporary yet quirky background of the Families, and I adored Devon and Cai.
The six Families are backward, conservative, and traditional. Everything they do is for the greater good of the book eater line. However, when Devon's son is born with a proboscis tongue, she knows they'll never let him live. He is a mind eater and must be taken care of.
The novel weaves the past with the present in a way that solidifies the horrors of the Families and the traditions they uphold. I recommend this to anyone who appreciates a grounded fantasy, family dynamics, and novels that upend and question tradition.
Flowers for the Sea reminded me of the Binti series in many ways. The prose had a similar tone, the protagonist was "chosen", and each tale took place on a ship.
Though I enjoyed this short book, it felt like an introduction and left me wanting more. I also would have preferred a longer book, to flesh out the characters and world a bit more. Nevertheless, it was a decent debut and I intend to read future books in the series.
*I received a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*
Awakening: Book One of the Berserker Chronicles centers around Leif, a Berserker who must go on a quest to save the nine realms of Yggorasil. After reading the blurb, I was intrigued. I don't read many books about Norse mythology, so I was excited to dive into something I didn't know much about.
What Worked
- Miller's world-building is great. I could visualize the scenery and other realms without much effort, and I enjoyed how the descriptions weren't overwhelming.
- Backstory and myth are offered through dialogue, research, and dreams. Instead of falling prey to the dreaded info dump, Miller offers the reader vital information in an organic manner.
- The character/monster descriptions are written well.
What Didn't
- The fight scenes were too long. I would have preferred if they were either shorter or happened less frequently.
- The use of pronouns is minimal. The protagonist's name (Leif) is used multiple times per paragraph, hindering the flow of the passage.
- Many of the scenes could have been condensed. Though the structure of each scene was strong, some of the fat needed to be trimmed.
Overall, I believe Miller did a decent job with this novel. Sure, there were areas that needed revision or could have used trimming, but a good story lies beneath those fixable things. Leif was a fun character to follow, and the world-building was on point; I just hoped for something more polished.
The Scarring of the Roshanra by Kara SB Brown is a phenomenal fantasy debut. Though the writing and story is great, I would like to preface this review with a trigger warning; the book deals with rape, torture, and PTSD and might prove too much for some readers with traumas of their own.
The story follows Kala, Daniel, and James — three linked individuals with gritty pasts. Much of the novel focuses on their “scarring,” hence the title of the book. The fantasy elements are executed well and I look forward to seeing more of the worlds in the books that follow.
The characters are at the forefront of the book, and there’s nothing I love more than a character-driven plot. The world-building is also effective without being overwhelming; you’re given enough detail to paint an image but there’s still a great deal of mystery to evoke intrigue and suspense.
If you enjoy character-driven plots, fantasy, or adventure novels, I recommend picking this one up.
