Welcome to the MOSL Book Challenge


Showing posts with label historical fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label historical fantasy. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

Silvered Serpents and Bronzed Beasts by Roshai Chokshi

 

Pages: 406

"Severin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost -- one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Severin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumored to grant its possessor the power of God. Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into the icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all. As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined. A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job."

Pages: 400
"In love they breathed. In destiny they believed. In the end, will divinity be their demise? After Séverin's seeming betrayal, the crew is fractured. Armed with only a handful of hints, Enrique, Laila, Hypnos and Zofia must find their way through the snarled, haunted waterways of Venice, Italy to locate Séverin. Meanwhile, Séverin must balance the deranged whims of the Patriarch of the Fallen House and discover the location of a temple beneath a plague island where the Divine Lyre can be played and all that he desires will come to pass. With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself...but at a price they may not be willing to pay."

Both amazing installments for this series. I really enjoyed Severin's arc even though I hated it in the moment and some of his choices. It was human and realistic and I wanted him to reach out to his friends the whole time. And I love Laila and how they wrapped up their story at the end. The pairings are great and the banter between them all is always a great piece of dialog. Combined with its unique magic setting and industrial revolutionary history makes this a wonderful and unique trilogy.

Monday, April 3, 2023

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

 

Pages: 388

"It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To hunt down the ancient artefact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.  Together, they will join Severin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history--but only if they can stay alive."

Historical heist plus a cool magic system?? Count me in! I loved the industrial vibes combined with the interesting magic system that reminded me of the small science from the Grisha universe. I have so many questions after finishing, not to mention a pile of tissues from the ending, I cannot wait to start the next one!

Friday, March 31, 2023

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

ARC, Publication Date: April 4 2023
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The You've Got Mail vibes, but with magic and war. djsklfajl
and the World War I vibes and the reporting and dsfk;lks
And now I have to wait a year for the next book. I'm fine. I'm not going to be obsessing over this book at all.
I love Roman. I love that we call him Kit. I love Iris. I just. I can't.
Rebecca Ross owns me, and she will continue to do so.
I know we're only in April, but this might be one of my favorite books of 2023.
368 Pages

TS Song: You Are in Love, Invisible String

Friday, March 10, 2023

Beastly Bones by William Ritter

We back with another episode of paranormal Sherlock Holmes, and this time it's fish-cats and dinosaurs. That's it.
Oh and Charlie. We stan.
Also...like the ending...
320 Pages

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty

It was an ARC but I finished it the day after it was published.
It's the first book in a trilogy, and it's got like...Arabian Nights vibes, except it's pirates.
The historical fantasy.
I still love that she includes all of her research references. We love it.
fd;jklsasfdsjklasfjkld
496 Pages

Monday, January 30, 2023

Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater

 

Pages: 304

"Ever since she was cursed by a faerie, Theodora Ettings has had no sense of fear or embarrassment - a condition which makes her prone to accidental scandal. Dora hopes to be a quiet, sensible wallflower during the London Season - but when the strange, handsome and utterly uncouth Lord Sorcier discovers her condition, she is instead drawn into dangerous and peculiar faerie affairs. 

If Dora's reputation can survive both her curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world. . . but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul."

One store describes this novel as Bridgerton meets Howl's Moving Castle and I cannot agree more. With such a short story, there was a lot packed in with dealings with cruel fae, a slow burn romance with scheming mothers, and a mysterious plague that is somehow connected with Dora's condition. Definitely recommend as a feel good romance.

Friday, December 30, 2022

Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

GUYS I FINISHED IT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
If anyone hurts my son John, I will literally throw hands.
I cackle because I can knit and Claire cannot.
Roger, internally singing Sound of Silence because it was released by then (in the 1970s).
1070 Pages

Tuesday, July 12, 2022

Shadowsong by S Jae-Jones

kgjdljfkljdflskja I'm screeching. I love it. 
The angst. My ship. I love my ship so much... It's just... great. 
Ok but the curse. Just. Chef's kiss. 
I love the Goblin King with his mismatched eyes...
I'm glad his name wasn't Rumpelstiltskin...cause like....I would do that. 
400 Pages

TS Song: Come Back... Be Here, Forever Winter, 

Friday, May 27, 2022

Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May

All the Gatsby vibes, but make it queer.
the backstories are my favorite.
432 Pages

TS Song: ...Ivy...and Treacherous... (and any song that has a Gatsby reference)

Friday, March 18, 2022

Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn

It's the French Revolution/The Terror, and there's saving people from losing their heads, and people losing their heads, and magic and automatons. 
My course on the French Revolution really coming in clutch for me. 
I feel like there's a Tale of Two Cities reference in there but I didn't catch it because I haven't read it yet. 
Whelp I was fooled and bamboozled. 
432 Pages

Fire Becomes Her by Rosiee Thor

It's got like...the Jazz Age, prohibition/bootleg vibes--absynthe and moonshine-y but it's magic not alcohol, and there's politics.
I loved the characters. 
There's lots of queer rep. 
368 Pages

Friday, February 25, 2022

Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz

It's the girl saying she wants to be a surgeon in a man's world in the 1800s for me. Oh and the grave robbing. And the grave robber. 
There's the Stalking Jack the Ripper and Audrey Rose vibes
Jack is great. I love him. ....I apparently have a thing for characters named Jack...
When the author says there might be a sequel, I say tell me more. 
352 Pages

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Winter of the Witch by Katherine Arden

It's Morozko for me. I love him. We have always known this. 
The relationship growth.  Excellent. 
The magic system. Excellent. 
I loved that the story did revolve around real characters and real events (even if they were tweaked, and simplified).
I cried, but I am, surprisingly, ok. 
402 Pages

Friday, December 31, 2021

The Damned by Renee Ahdieh

Corgi puppy!
Aha. Me remembering things
I can't believe I didn't put it together that Bastian is giving me some Cardan vibes....I mean totally different personality, but like..
I now understand why this series is four books instead of three...also like...the world building.... excellent.  Also my ship. I love them. 
464 Pages

Thursday, December 23, 2021

The King of Crows by Libba Bray

Evie just pick one so I can mourn who you didn't pick.
I got that "Somebody's gonna die" feeling, and I don't like it one bit.
*finishes book: finds out that the fandom is essentially non-existent. This is fine. It's not like I wanted to obsess over it or anything. 
Ok but it's the ace representation for me. 
Part of me...like...wants to see how the characters handle what happens in the 30s and 40s....

560 Pages



Tuesday, December 21, 2021

The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh

Ok so I've been to the Ursuline convent that's mentioned in the story... It's a museum now...which makes me sad. Did I know more about the stained glass windows and the statues than the tour guide...yes.
I love Bastian. Like. I just love him. So much. 
480 Pages

Friday, December 17, 2021

Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong

The whole vaccine plot-line just really...That doesn't poke at my 2020/2021 flashbacks at allll...I'm fine
"Father I crave violence"

Did it take me a while to figure out what the cover was...yes.
Me throughout the book (not necessarily in order):

The fluff. Like... So necessary. I just wanna go look at fanart now. And read some fanfic. 
An out of context: 

Epilogues. Epilogues. Epilogues. I have a very specific scene I want to reference from a hero movie, but it would literally spoil the whole thing if I did it.
I'm just...going to go cry...because I have emotions...
AND THERE'S ANOTHER SERIES IN THE SAME WORLD COMING. Chloe Gong owns me. 
Read the series and then ask me about it. Because I have THOUGHTS that I could make into an essay. Chloe Gong likes Taylor Swift and the clue level and foreshadowing: it's Swift level. And yes. I am going full-Swiftie on this.

512 Pages









These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

Marshall and Benedickt are just iconic and honestly. Perfection. Marshall is so extra and I stan that. Like. He quotable
The Romeo and Juliet tropes, and the moments when there's homages to the writing
"The human equivalent of stale bread" ...I'm going to write that in my insult journal to save for later....
I've been remembering the story (the original), so I feel like I'm connecting dots and

464 Pages



Friday, November 19, 2021

Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

"A Jew, two negroes, a half-Chinese half-Irish girl, and a couple of Catholics" Am I here for the mentioning of how Catholics were also seen as outsiders in America. Yes. Also. what a squad. 
....I am concerned. Mabel. 
Cough. Captain America. 
Anytime any of the bad guys has a single thought or starts talking about being "Unamerican" or anything to do with eugenics:

Oh. My. God. I was not expecting ace-rep and there is ace-rep and honestly I am here for it.
Hey so there was a second where almost everyone was having a good time and just being teenagers...and then that moment ended. 
I'm just gonna go walk into the ocean. Because yeah. I'm in pain. Cause I got a feeling that someone's gonna die and I'm not gonna like it. 
I just....just let my babies be happy, and don't let this be like Crooked Kingdom for that one character that is kind of like that one character. 
560 Pages



Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

I just want more Jericho content.
Also can we...can we not do love triangles...plz....It's bad for my mental health. 
Can we just let the children be happy. Please. Just let them not be dead. Is that too much to ask?
Look at all the racism and eugenics. (I mean it was the 1920s in New York, so like...)
I just love that we're pulling in all of the historical elements, and that we're also pulling in like the....the conspiracies and folklore of what the US government did when no one was looking.
592 Pages