Oh my. This book is luminously beautiful. The storytelling, the mood-setting, the heartbreak, and the romance—it is simply perfect. I’m wandering around in a dreamy bubble after reading it nearly in one sitting.
The Moorings of Mackerel Sky by MZ, (List Price: $24.99, Disney Publishing Group, 9781368097260, February 2024)
Reviewed by Elisa Forshey, Givens Books & Little Dickens in Lynchburg, Virginia
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To me, Little Red Riding Hood has always been the forbearer of modern children’s stories. The warnings of: listen to your adults, not to stray from the path dictated, and not talk to strangers emanate from every version of this story. In this tale, these messages are still here, but are challenged. In the end, our hero is rescued and the evil defeated, themes of misunderstanding being our main take-away.
The Little Red Wolf by Amélie Fléchais, (List Price: $9.99, Oni Press, 9781637152430, October 2023)
Reviewed by Jamie Kovacs, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
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Genevieve Gornichec is ready to become the historical fantasy queen. This book was everything I wanted and more. Fantasy elements that were easy to follow and that felt so authentic to the story. Romance that made me giddy with relationships that broke my heart. A tale of sisterhood and how our fate can intertwine with others in unexpecting ways made for a fantastic read.
The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec, (List Price: 27, Ace, 9780593438244, July 2023)
Reviewed by Alsace Walentine, Tombolo Books in St Petersburg, Florida
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Creeeeeepy…. A slow, torturous plot unfolding at a pace that will have you reading faster and faster to see what happens next! Dark and with a dreamy haze over it– excellent for dark and stormy night reading.
The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi, (List Price: $30, William Morrow, 9780063206502, February 2023)
Reviewed by Elisa Forshey, Givens Books & Little Dickens in Lynchburg, Virginia
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I love nothing more than a place-driven, character-driven novel, so this book was right up my alley. Fiona McFarlane explores colonial Australia through the eyes of many of the inhabitants of a small farm town on the edge of the desert as they react to the disappearance of a young boy. McFarlane does not shy away from exploring the brutal history of European colonialism and the effects it had on this country. Her prose is captivating and her characters are multifaceted. I’m sure Cissy, the headstrong older sister of the missing boy, will be a favorite of many readers. Fans of Michele de Kretser and Maggie Shipstead will enjoy this book.
The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane, (List Price: $28, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 9780374606237, February 2023)
Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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Garner writes in a classic style passed down through the ages in British fantasy, it feels like a comforting balm in today’s fictional landscape. The boy at the center of Treacle Walker, Joe, goes through quite a mind-bending journey featuring swamp spirits, mystical treasures, and comic book characters coming to life. Give into the world and Treacle Walker will whisk you away.
Treacle Walker by Alan Garner, (List Price: $22, Scribner, 9781668025512, November 2023)
Reviewed by James Harrod, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe in Asheville, North Carolina
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This book is such an unexpected delight! It’s told in an epistolary style- journal entries, with you, the reader, being an outside observer to events that have already happened. However, Heather Fawcett’s style of writing is such that it seamlessly blends with the narrative and you forget entirely that you’re reading a journal! It’s cozy, heart-warming, absolutely page-turning, and will leave you both satisfied and wanting more. It’s unique, enchanting, and one of my favorite reads of this year, perfect for anyone who loves fantasy and especially the fae!
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett, (List Price: $28, Del Rey, 9780593500132, January 2023)
Reviewed by Preet Singh, Eagle Eye Book Shop in Decatur, Georgia
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This gorgeous and captivating graphic novel is a new take on the Korean legend of the nine-tailed fox. It’s also a story of what it meant to be a woman during the time of the Joseon dynasty, but with plenty of relevance for today’s readers. Robin Ha has created something truly special in this book.
The Fox Maidens by Robin Ha, (List Price: $18.99, Balzer + Bray, 9780062685124, February 2024)
Reviewed by Kate Storhoff, Bookmarks in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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The powerful combination of otherworldly magic with this world’s grit gets me every time, in every Wayward Children novella. This one’s for anyone who’s ever experienced loss as a kid, been a lost kid, or lost their innocence—for all of us in one way or another. For Antsy, it’s the loss of her father and all the loss that occurs in its wake, and then Antsy finds the Shop Where the Lost Things Go and a vast series of doors to incredible and unusual places—but it’s easy to lose track of yourself when you’re busy finding new things, new people, and new worlds…
Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire, (List Price: $21.99, Tordotcom, 9781250213631, January 2023)
Reviewed by Megan Bell, Underground Books in Carrollton, Georgia
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Bad Cree is the perfect mix of mystery, horror, and suspense. Johns uses the importance of dreams in Cree culture to cover several issues involving corporate greed, trauma, and familial grief. Also, her use of symbolism throughout the book makes for an ethereal experience for the reader and she highlights the strength that can come from the female bonds of sisterhood/motherhood throughout the plot. This is an incredibly enjoyable debut that is as creative as it is moving.
Bad Cree by Jessica Johns (List Price: $28, Doubleday, 9780385548694, January 2023)
Reviewed by Stuart McCommon, Novel. in Memphis, Tennessee
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The Wolf Suit is an absolutely charming picture book about anxiety through the eyes of a sheep in wolf’s clothing.
The Wolf Suit by Sid Sharp, (List Price: $19.99, Annick Press, 9781773217208, October 2022)
Reviewed by Michelle Cavalier, Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs, Louisiana
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“You don’t need to be a hero to take a stand against evil and fight for good in this world, that is how you become one.” This quote from the graphic novel embodies this story to perfection. The story is gripping and the art work is drawn to perfection. This graphic novel is perfect for any Japanese Manga or Anime fan. When the world began the gods sent down then heavenly spear to create the world. After the land was created, the gods separated the spear into parts. Three belonged to the earth: the trees, the flowers, and the stone. The fourth part is the spirit of the spear, the essence of life itself, stayed in the air. When a great mountain ogre, the Oni, accidentally discovers one of the three earthly pieces of the spear, he becomes obsessed to gain the power of the spear, and release the world of the dead. The only hope for the world is the spirit of the spear. To save the world and stop the Oni, he comes to earth to a lonely couple beseeching the gods for a son. The only challenge is that he is no bigger than your thumb. How can someone so small defeat a powerful Oni? It will take courage, training, and friends.
Issunboshi by Ryan Lang, (List Price: $34.99, Oni Press, 9781637150818, October 2022)
Reviewed by Gretchen Shuler, Fiction Addiction in Greenville, South Carolina
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Ithaca takes place in a time while Odysseus is away, and is narrated by Hera, the goddess of women. Many suitors have arrived to try and take the hand of a could-be widow. It’s up to Penelope and her band of women to hold things together, not just for her, but for the sake of the entire kingdom. From unexpected visitors, suspenseful skirmishes, and a lust for power, this is the story of the not so quickly told, unsung protectors of Ithaca. What an amazing, gorgeous take on what was going on while Odysseus has been gone. Spoken from the viewpoint of Hera, this captivating story brings up many people that are usually left by the wayside as far as Greek mythology is concerned. There were a lot of characters, and at first it was a bit difficult to remember which person was which. For the most part, North solves this by giving insight into what each one of them is doing whenever mentioned. From traitors of the kingdom, to a coming of manhood for my personal favorite character, Telemachus, the suspense and build up never failed. The marathon of the middle was exactly that for me, but that is North’s beautiful attention to detail, pulp, and background building that I love from her writing. The ending was a shot out of nowhere. Wondering who would come out on top at the end was something I questioned during the entire read. All I know is, like with almost all of her books, the last five or six chapters tie everything together and are somehow always better than the rest of the book, if that’s even possible. All of my questions, answered. All loose ends, tied.Six stars out of five; I suggest everyone grab this book when it comes out if you are a fan of Greek Mythology, fiction, suspense, and all around good writing. This is the setup of a series, and it was extremely captivating the way North went out of her way to have all the geography, gods, and goddesses of ancient Greece historically accurate. She definitely showed the conflict between them and how some, if not all, are more “humanly” than I had considered when I went through school learning about Greece. It was really nice to have a change of pace from North’s usual writing, but this had her style all over it. Will be grabbing a physical copy in September, to add to my collection of Claire North books and I cannot wait to see what happens next in the story of Penelope.
Ithaca by Claire North, (List Price: $28, Redhook, 9780316422963, September 2022)
Reviewed by Doloris Vest, Book No Further in Roanoke, Virginia
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“I’ve never (yet!) set fire to a large Scottish mansion as Devon does, nor numbered my body count in the dozens as Devon has. (Though hope springs eternal, as they say.) But I did grow up reading fairy tales and believing in false happy endings, as she did, and my life has been irrevocably altered by parenting, single or otherwise, as hers was.
Out of personal apocalypse and a total collapse of hope, good things eventually came about—for me, and for Devon.
The Book Eaters is both a love letter to fairy tales, and a critical examination of their flaws. Above all, it is a story about family love in the midst of ruination: how we define it and defend it, how we find it and fight for it.” –Sunyi Dean, Letter to readers
What booksellers are saying about The Book Eaters
About Sunyi Dean
Sunyi Dean is an autistic SFF writer, and mother of two. Originally born in the States and raised in Hong Kong, she now lives in Yorkshire. When not reading, running, falling over in yoga, or rolling d20s, she sometimes escapes the city to wildswim in lonely dales. The Book Eaters is her debut, and you can find her online @Blind_Nycteris.
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These animal stories are masterpieces of skill in the narratorial voice, shining jewel-like displays of how much characterization can be snuck in the smallest choices in diction. Lispector is like Thurber and Saint-Exupery in that she can write a story as enthralling for children as adults.
The Woman Who Killed the Fish by Clarice Lispector, (List Price: $17.95, New Directions, 9780811229609, September 2022)
Reviewed by Conor Hultman, Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi
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