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The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik (2022)
This review is going to contain some spoilers for the ending of The Last Graduate. But to summarise, yes, buy this book, buy the whole series and consume them. That said, on with the review.
So this book once again picks up right where the last one left off, with El being shoved through the gates at graduation by Orion as he turns to face off against the maw mouth Patience. From literally the first sentence I was hooked. Unfortunately I agreed with a friend that I’d hold off on reading it until he’d gotten his copy so, after reading a chapter and a half, I forced myself to lock it in a drawer. And I needed that lock between me and the book as well because after just that chapter and a half I had a compulsive need to keep reading.
I was interested in seeing how this could be Lesson Three of the Scholomance seeing as the last book ended with it being cheerfully yeeted off into the void. And I wasn’t disappointed. Not only does The Golden Enclaves build upon that ending it builds upon the whole series. It brought to the surface threads that I hadn’t noticed running through all the books and it did it in such a natural ways. I’m going to have to go back and reread the other books, again, because this one will change how I view them.
And the twist in this book! I love the twist. I’m obviously not going to spoil what it is but when I worked it out I messaged my friend and expressed my admiration for it with a whole lot of swearing. That’s how you know it’s a good twist.
I read a lot of books and the majority of them are good. But even compared to them this one is special. This is a series that I won’t just read, appreciate and forget but one that I will go back to and probably reread at least once a year. Because in the field of publishing as a whole, this really does stand out as a beacon of good writing, good plotting and an interesting world.
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The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik (2021)
Gosh, what a special book this is.
I got this when it came out and a year on I still find myself picking it up, flipping to one of my favourite sections and getting lost in it all over again. It’s a book that just sucks you in and the number of times I’ve found myself accidentally reading it to the end again is startlingly high.
Like the previous book this focuses on Galadriel (she didn’t pick her name), who all the prophecies state will turn into a dark, malevolent sorceress, whether she want to or not. Despite surviving the fiasco at the graduating ceremony the previous year she is still stuck in the boarding school from hell, where monsters and nightmares regularly try to eat the students. And she’s got only one year left until she’ll be forced to wade through a sea of said monsters to escape.
This book picks up right where the last one ends, literally seconds after. Which is nice because the last one ended on a nice dramatic moment. In a lot of ways this book is an interesting mirror to the last one, with Galadriel’s star rising to prominence as she settles into her alliance with her new friends.
The world is nice and compelling and I love the way the story is told. It’s a stream of consciousness from El’s perspective, which does well to flesh out the world and really make you feel immersed. I found it riveting, though a friend of mine hated that form of storytelling so be warned. However that’s the only reason I could think of why someone wouldn’t like this book.
If you’re wondering if you should pick it up then I have to say that now is the perfect time. Because the sequel is finally out and you don’t have to suffer through the amazing cliff-hanger in the same way that I did.
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A Fracture in the Qwisdeep by Travis M. Riddle (2022)
I really liked the first book in this series, On Lavender Tides, as an earnest homage to the Pokémon franchise. It had it all. From routes to caves filled with the local equivalent of Zubats to the jackass rival, that book had everything you could want. This was all nestled in a vibrant and well realised world.
As much as I loved it though it definitely owed a lot of it’s DNA to the games. The plot itself was a little basic and the characters, though fine, weren’t all that complex. While I liked what I read, on reflection I’m not sure how many more books like that I’d have enjoyed in the series.
So it’s good then that A Fracture in the Quisdeep takes that foundation and build well upon it.
What really shines through in the new instalment is the characters. As I said previously they were fine before, just not particularly deep. So I’m really pleased to say that they develop nicely, reaching an interesting arc by the end of the novel. I’m now really looking forward to the next book because I’m honestly not sure what’ll happen next with them and I’m looking forward to finding out.
Aside from that everything I liked about the previous book is still present. The author has dialled back a little on all the different Pokémon references, preferring to let the world speak for itself, though the odd one is still there. And the world is delightful, with new wonders and horrors around every corner. I really like the different Jekua (Pokémon) that they encounter. They’re inventive and different enough to always keep you entertained. I can’t wait to see what’ll come next.
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Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir (2020)
I read this for the first time almost a year ago and I still pick it up and flick through it in passing. This book is just so good. It’s got great swordfights, interesting and real characters, a nicely scientific system of magic and, most importantly, Epic Moments. Those moments where you read it and just feel the adrenaline flow through you as you whoop and holler. Reading this book is a blast and I loved every moment of it. I can’t recommend it enough.
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A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (2020)
I’ve read this book twice since it came out in September. The first time was because I love Naomi Novik’s books and this sounded great. The second time was because it was great and I just couldn’t get it out of my head.
It’s everything dark about Harry Potter and that was just what I was looking for. A bunch of kids are locked up in a school for their own protection while monsters squirm in through the cracks and try and eat them. The main character is destined to be an evil sorceress and trying very hard not to be one.
It is a little slow to start, focusing a lot on world and character building and less on an overarching plot, and I’ve a friend who gave up on it because it wasn’t answering his questions (annoyingly enough they were answered like three pages later.) I personally like the build up but your milage may vary. And I found that, when things did start happening, the book got a lot faster paced and it was very satisfying.
If you’re a fan of magical school stories and were looking for something a bit dark then this is definitely for you.
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Thorn by Intisar Khanani (2020)
I found this while I was on a kick of reading retellings of Cinderella. Though it’s actually a retelling of The Goose Girl but I only found that out when writing this review. The first thing to talk about with this book is that it is a fairy tale in the best of traditions. It’s gritty and the world is unfair but with careful planning and thought behind your actions, and a little bit of magic, you can survive and prosper.
It’s also beautifully written. The world is engaging and well described, with a nice depth and complexity. The characters are well developed and two dimensional, getting in their own way a lot of the time. The plot had a good pace and lovely imagery. And, at least if you’re reading the Kindle version, there’s another bonus story at the end.
All told, reading this was a great experience and I can’t wait to read more by this writer.
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Bluebird by Ciel Pierlot (2022)
Bluebird is what you get when you feed all the things I look for in a novel into a blender. There’s space outlaws, gunslingers, cool tech, assassins, spies and librarians, set on a backdrop of a deep and interesting universe.
The world is interesting. There’s three galactic, primarily human, nations, Ascetic, Ossuary and Pyrite. Each have their own separate aesthetic, Pyrite are the tech guys, and each believe that the galaxy should be theirs to rule alone. And then in the middle there’s everyone else, caught in the grinder between the three of them and trying to make their way as best they can. It’s an interesting set up that’s used to good effect.
The characters embody this. On some level they’ve all been hurt by the different factions, to greater or lesser extent. Rig’s is the obvious example of this, as the book starts with her burning down her old lab and going on the run. But I really appreciate the work the author goes to to show that, no matter what their aesthetic is, none of the factions are better than any of the others.
Not that I want to give the wrong impression and make you think this is a dour book. It’s actually a fun romp across the galaxy, with lots of exciting action pieces and interesting vistas. There was never a part of the book where I wasn’t entertained.
What I really love about this book though is the relationships. Rig starts this book with a long-term girlfriend and they have a serious, committed, long distance relationship. Considering how many books have to have the relationship develop on the page or have pre-existing relationships thrown away for new ones, it really nice to see a novel that tackles this with style and maturity. I was really worried that there’d be some sort of spark between her and Ginka but no, it’s unorthodox friendship all the way. And I love it.
All in all I got everything from this book that the blurb promised and I loved it all. I would heartily recommend that you pick this up.
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A Binding of Blood by Azalea Ellis (2021)
The sequel to A Conjuring of Ravens, A Binding of Blood continues right where the last book left off. Which was good because I thought the last book ended far too abruptly. We’re right back into the swing of things with Siobhan desperately trying to keep her identity secret and still pay off both her debt and study hard enough to pass all her classes.
The series describes itself as hard fantasy and it is. There’s lots of in depth discussions and lessons at the University about the nature of magic and the world. It might be a little stodgy for some but I really enjoyed it. It’s the kind of detail and world building that I like to lose myself in.
What I really loved in this book though was the sheer level of ridiculous misunderstandings that go on. Damien has entirely the wrong idea about Sebastien, of course, but it’s entertaining just how far he takes it. The mythos of the Raven Queen is spreading and the hysteria around her is reaching untold heights. Meanwhile Siobhan is wandering through all this completely oblivious to the actual effect she’s having. She wasn’t even aware that she was officially Lacer’s apprentice until an amazingly long way through this book. The phrase ‘a comedy of errors’ has never seemed so apt.
Apart from that the book gives you everything you loved about the first one. Sebastien and Damien have a closer relationship, whether Sebastien wants it or not, Oliver is still scheming in entertaining ways and things are just carrying on. It’s a fun read.
Unfortunately one of my main complaint of the previous novel also applies here. It still ends way too abruptly. It just stops. After a suitably dramatic moment but I was still caught by surprise and left a little unsettled.
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Bondsfungi by Sarah Lin (2022)
I’ve liked all the books up until this point but the end of the last book definitely felt like the plot of the series was beginning to roll. Vistgil was revealed to the rest of the party, Senka was awesome and Nauda had her Soulhome wrecked.
It’s always nice to see people growing stronger but one of the more interesting things in stories is seeing someone knocked down and having to pick themselves up.
This isn’t new to the series, of course. That’s Theo’s back story and raison d’etre. But now Nauda, having had her Soulhome wrecked accidentally in the last book, has to work to fix it. And it’s hard and we still don’t know all that much about her backstory and motivations and that’s what makes it great. There’s beauty in her struggle. She’s rebuilding her Soulhome and herself at the same time and I love it.
At the same time we are once again able to see more of the interesting worlds that are in this series. Honestly, the care and craftmanship that goes into these worlds is great to see. They’re all so unique and interesting and detailed. It adds so much to it.
In short this is a book filed with interesting locales and great character moments. I loved reading it.
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Chasmfall by Sarah Lin (2022)
It might be the fourth book but this really felt like the end of the beginning. Everything up until this book was nice but kind of slow. Theo was trying to keep out of sight of an enemy that didn’t know he was back but at the same time he also didn’t know where they were or what they were up to. Fiyu was just tagging along waiting for her relative to turn up and Nauda was also there. By the end of this book things have definitely moved forward in dramatic ways. And it all comes together in the mythical Chasm of Lamentations.
Also there’s romance in this book and I love it. I’m a sucker for a sweet, quiet love story but give me misunderstandings and mistakes and I will glory in it. I’m not saying any more but I’m really happy it’s there.
If I had one thing to complain about it’s that this is the fourth book in a row where a hard deadline has been set, where the characters have to get stronger before a set event. I mean it’s fine and deadlines are decent motivation. But it would be nice if there was something else pushing them.
All in all this was another strong, enjoyable novel and I look forward to the next one.
Library of Alexander 