March Reading Recap
Book 11 | A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
So I thought this was a heist novel. And it is. And then I realized it was actually a cozy heist novel. And it is. But it’s also so much more. Arthie and Jin Casimir have lied, cheated, and stolen to prop up Spindrift, a tea house serving the aristocracy of White Roaring by day, and a blood house serving the vampire class by night. (My full buy-in was secured based on that premise alone.) We follow Arthie and Jin as they hatch a plan with other less-than-savory characters to break into a seemingly impenetrable fortress to steal something that seemingly cannot be stolen. But underneath the heist plot is a heartfelt, and raw portrait of grief and loss that so clearly fuels each character’s motivations: their search for family, for vengeance, for love, for safety and security in a city where those things are in short supply. I was not anticipating the level to which the story would touch things like political corruption and mass conspiracy and colonization, nor did I expect those conversations to feel so modern. This read was a delight and, given that it’s book one in a forthcoming series, I’ll be first in line for the Royal Rouge at the new Spindrift.
Book 12 | The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden
Given the dumpster fire that is our current reality I ingest reading material that includes suffering based on real-world events in small doses to manage my anxiety. So I had some concerns going into this novel knowing that it’s set during WWI, depicts scenes of brutality and carnage, and features main characters suffering from PTSD and incredible loss. But I loved Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale series and was so intrigued by the premise of this book that I had to give it a shot. I’m glad I did, because it is INCREDIBLE. There are so many layers sandwiched underneath and on top of an otherwise simple storyline — a Canadian combat nurse who was injured and sent back to home returns to the Belgian front to find out what really happened to her enlisted brother who is missing and presumed dead under mysterious circumstances. Arden’s characters are survivors. But their will to survive is wavering as each fear is realized, as the enemy keeps advancing, as they spend their days not living but simply trying to avoid or delay death. When a chance to escape from a harsh reality presents itself, our characters must decide if living with the horrors of war is worth the possibility of having a life beyond it. I forgot I was reading this book. I was standing in the charred house on Veith Street. I was with Freddie and Winter in the pillbox. I was with Pim and Laura at the hospital. I was lured by Fahland and his violin back to the dilapidated hotel. I can’t praise this work highly enough!
Books 13/14 | All Systems Red & Artificial Condition by Martha Wells
Despite all evidence to the contrary (just take a look at the cover), following the space adventures of a murdering robot is somehow… charming? While the stakes are high, what we have here is a socially anxious killing machine who hacked their governor module and used their freedom to download an endless supply of trash TV. As unexpected dangers and other interplanetary hijinks bring Murderbot closer to their human and humanoid crew, they are forced to confront all the cringey human emotions they’ve been trying to avoid. I quickly moved on to the second book and I am certain that I’ll make my way through this Hugo-award winning series quickly.
Book 15 | Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
My longstanding desire to dive into the Brandon Sanderson universe is one of the main reasons I chose to make 2024 ‘the year of the series.’ I’m starting with the Mistborn saga, generally considered to be the ideal entry point into Sanderson’s Cosmere universe.
The scale and stakes of this plot don’t get much more grandiose — with the help of a mysteriously powerful young girl, Kelsier and his thieving crew aim to pit the city of Luthadel’s most powerful houses against each other, overthrow the Lord Ruler, and establish an entirely new system of government — one that doesn’t rely on enslavement and oppression. And Sanderson tells the entire story in just over 500 pages. (For reference, there’s a similar arc in Sarah J. Maas’s Crescent City series and it takes 2,500 pages to reach its end.)
Having grown accustomed to the flash and sizzle of more recent fantasy writing (Mistborn was released in 2006), the genius of a thorough story scaffolding began to surface beyond the first 200 pages. This story is not hurried. Each detail and description is intentional, serving a distinct purpose that results in a meaningful moment of resolution. Wrapped in clean and simple writing, reading this book felt like watching a film and changed my understanding of the fantasy genre.
In terms of characters, Kelsier’s arc was masterful. Vin’s motivations were believable and her abilities so well described that I didn’t question how a scrap of a girl could take on the most powerful figures in the city and live to tell the story. I loved the secondary characters, especially Sazed. And Elend Venture is the Disney prince I wanted and never had — an heir to one of Luthadel’s great houses who would rather pore over dusty tomes than dance at the noblemens’ ball. Incredibly, I get the sense that this book was merely a prologue to the main event. *squeals* The saga continues with The Well of Ascension in April!
Book 16 | The Dishonest Miss Take by Faye Murphy
This was my first ever advanced reader copy from NetGalley and I feel so lucky to be on a journey where I’m starting to gain access to new works of fiction before they’re released to the public. I wanted to love this book so much. But with so many elements crammed in, there wasn’t time to delve into any of them:
a school of assassins whose identities remain a secret working with a corrupt government/monarchy + an enemies-to-lovers queer romance between an assassin and her target
ordinary people with special powers who walk the streets and fight crime in Victorian England — though some heroes have turned villain and we don’t know which ones
a magical dirt monster terrorizing the city and a brave young girl clever enough stop it
I’m intrigued by any and all of these premises but any author would struggle to weave them all together into a single, satisfying, cohesive arc. You can read my full review on GoodReads here.
Book 17 | The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka
Though infused with the paranormal and accented with magical realism, our March book club pick was outside my comfort zone…and it exceeded all of my expectations! Photographer Maali Almeida wakes up to realize he’s dead and has seven moons to remember how he died, guide the people he left behind to secure his legacy, and decide how to spend his afterlife. Set amid the violent height of the Sri Lankan civil war in the 1990s, Maali grapples with untangling the complex morality of all the different factions fighting for control of his country and reflects on his relationships with friends and family. With sharp wit and macabre humor, we follow Maali on his quest for answers and share in his confusion, frustration, and, ultimately, acceptance that the afterlife is just as cryptic real life. This story was beautifully and ambitiously written and I’m so glad I read it.
