Servant of Earth

Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley | 451 pages | 2024

Kenna Heron is best known in her village for being a little wild—some say “half feral”—but she’ll need every ounce of that ferocity to survive captivity in the cruel Fae court.

Trapped as a servant in the faeries’ underground kingdom of Mistei, Kenna must help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials, one for each branch of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn’t, the punishment is death—for both mistress and servant.

With no ally but a sentient dagger of mysterious origins, Kenna must face monsters, magic, and grueling physical tests. But worse dangers wait underground, and soon Kenna gets caught up in a secret rebellion against the inventively sadistic faerie king. When her feelings for the rebellion’s leader turn passionate, Kenna must decide if she’s willing to risk her life for a better world and a chance at happiness.

Surviving the trials and overthrowing a tyrant king will take cunning, courage, and an iron will... but even that may not be enough.

(Synopsis taken from Goodreads)

I grabbed this book off the shelf because of its beautiful cover, and I ended up loving it! It's a new spin on some of the standard elements of Romantasy - dangerous trials, Fae, magic realms, nobles, politics. The magic dagger is a great twist though, and I much preferred this version of the "human trapped in faerie realm" trope to other similar stories. In this first installment the romance takes a bit of a backseat to the world building, but I can't wait to see where the relationships go next. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series!

The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare

The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare (576 Pages)

Summary: Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.

Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk she’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her. Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.
As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.

Opinion: This is the 2nd book in Clare's Chronicles of Castellane series and it is much better than the first. The first had a lot of world building which makes sense for a high fantasy, but that really gave the second book the opportunity to build plot and character relationships. Lin continues to be the best character, but it was really nice to see Antonetta receive proper character development in this book as well. The main conflict plot is really starting to take hold making me excited for the next book. 

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

 

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty, 483 pages, ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

But when she’s tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she’s offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade’s kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family’s future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God’s will.

Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there’s more to this job, and the girl’s disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there’s always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power…and the price might be your very soul.

This is the book I selected for April's Scifi/Fantasy book club and I adored this book! It was such a refreshing take from the beautiful chosen one princesses and rugged boy fantasy trope. Amina is a retired mother in her 40s(?), she has chronic pain, and she's an extremely capable main character. I also loved learning about Middle Eastern culture in a way I hadn't seen before. This book almost toes the line of cozy fantasy just due to the great chemistry she has with her old crewmates. This would have been a 5 star read for me, except that I found the beginning to be a bit slow. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Beyond by Mercedes Lackey

Beyond by Mercedes Lackey - 378 pages

Founding of Valdemar #1

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Within the Eastern Empire, Duke Kordas Valdemar rules a tiny, bucolic Duchy that focuses mostly on horse breeding. Anticipating the day when the Empire’s exploitative and militant leaders would not be content to leave them alone, Korda’s father set out to gather magicians in the hopes of one day finding a way to escape and protect the people of the Duchy from tyranny.

Kordas has lived his life looking over his shoulder. The signs in the Empire are increasingly dire. Under the direction of the Emperor, mages have begun to harness the power of dark magics, including blood magic, the powers of the Abyssal Planes, and the binding and "milking" of Elemental creatures.

But then one of the Duchy’s mages has a breakthrough. There is a way to place a Gate at a distance so far from the Empire that it is unlikely the Emperor can find or follow them as they evacuate everyone that is willing to leave.

But time is running out, and Kordas has been summoned to the Emperor's Court.

Can his reputation as a country bumpkin and his acting skills buy him and his people the time they need to flee? Or will the Emperor lose patience, invade to strip Valdemar of everything of worth, and send its conscripted people into the front lines of the Imperial wars?

Bastion by Mercedes Lackey

 

Bastion by Mercedes Lackey - 342 pages

Collegium Chronicles #5

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mags returns to the Collegium, but there are mixed feelings--his included--about him actually remaining there. No one doubts that he is and should be a Herald, but he is afraid that his mere presence is going to incite more danger right in the heart of Valdemar. The heads of the Collegia are afraid that coming back to his known haunt is going to give him less protection than if he went into hiding. Everyone decides that going elsewhere is the solution for now. So since he is going elsewhere--why not return to the place he was found in the first place and look for clues? And those who are closest to him, and might provide secondary targets, are going along. With Herald Jakyr, Bard Lita, and his friends Bear, Lena, and Amily, they head for the Bastion, the hidden spot in the hills that had once been the headquarters of a powerful band of raiders that had held him and his parents prisoner. But what they find is not what anyone expected.

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

Rhythm of War (The Stormlight Archive #4) by Brandon Sanderson, 1,232 p.

"After forming a coalition of human resistance against the enemy invasion, Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant have spent a year fighting a protracted, brutal war. Neither side has gained an advantage, and the threat of a betrayal by Dalinar's crafty ally Taravangian looms over every strategic move.

Now, as new technological discoveries by Navani Kholin's scholars begin to change the face of the war, the enemy prepares a bold and dangerous operation. The arms race that follows will challenge the very core of the Radiant ideals, and potentially reveal the secrets of the ancient tower that was once the heart of their strength.

At the same time that Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with his changing role within the Knights Radiant, his Windrunners face their own problem: As more and more deadly enemy Fused awaken to wage war, no more honorspren are willing to bond with humans to increase the number of Radiants. Adolin and Shallan must lead the coalition’s envoy to the honorspren stronghold of Lasting Integrity and either convince the spren to join the cause against the evil god Odium, or personally face the storm of failure. "--Goodreads blurb

While still great, this was perhaps the slowest of the series so far. While I love the surprising mental health advocacy throughout this series, I'm not a fan of Khaladin's storyline taking him away from Bridge Four, nor am I a fan of how his father's character has developed. I really enjoyed more in-depth development for the listeners, and finally some coming together of the two factions (human and Listener). I'm finally in the same boat as everyone that's a Stormlight fan...I have to wait until the next book is released with bated breath. And I will be!

 

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Oathbringer (The Stormlight Archive #3) by Brandon Sanderson, 1,248 p.

"In Oathbringer, the third volume of the New York Times bestselling Stormlight Archive, humanity faces a new Desolation with the return of the Voidbringers, a foe with numbers as great as their thirst for vengeance.

Dalinar Kholin's Alethi armies won a fleeting victory at a terrible cost: The enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, which now sweeps the world with destruction, and in its passing awakens the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the horror of their millennia-long enslavement by humans. While on a desperate flight to warn his family of the threat, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that the newly kindled anger of the parshmen may be wholly justified.

Nestled in the mountains high above the storms, in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar investigates the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant and unearths dark secrets lurking in its depths. And Dalinar realizes that his holy mission to unite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow in scope. Unless all the nations of Roshar can put aside Dalinar's blood-soaked past and stand together--and unless Dalinar himself can confront that past--even the restoration of the Knights Radiant will not prevent the end of civilization."--Goodreads blurb

The third volume in the series is maybe my favorite so far. That's saying a lot for a long-running series, as slumps certainly happen. Dalinar plays the lead role more than anyone in this book, but there are plenty other character developments. Shallan's personalities are becoming somewhat alarming, and Jasnah!  
 

Words of Radiance by Brandon Sanderson

Words of Radiance (The Stormlight Archive #2) by Brandon Sanderson, 1,087 p.

"Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "darkeyes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl.

The Assassin, Szeth, is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin's master has much deeper motives.

Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined.

Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable.--Goodreads blurb

The second installment of the series is just as strong as the first. Deeper dive into characters, new characters and settings, and just great storytelling. Full of revelations, action, and character development, this book was a great read. Picking up the third in the series now!

 

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

The Way of Kings (The Stormlight Archive, #1) by Brandon Sanderson, 1007 p.

"Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soil-less ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter.
It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them.
One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable.
Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity.
Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar's niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan's motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war.
The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making."--Goodreads blurb

Being an avid fantasy reader, this is a series that has been on my TBR for years. It's on every "Best of Fantasy Series" list out there.  Starting out slow, once you get a handle on the various characters in the story and their storylines, this becomes un-put-downable. What is happening to Kaladin? Will Shallan go through with it? Is Dalinar losing it? Can Sadeas really be trusted? Am I supposed to feel sorry for Szeth? Didn't skip a beat picking up the second in this series once I finished this one.

 

Hinterkind, by Ian Edginton, ill by Francesco Trifogli

  Hinterkind, by Ian Edginton, ill by Francesco Trifogli, 144 pages
Okay, so this was built up to me as the next "big thing" for comics, and it has potential.  In the post-apocalyptic Earth of the future, humans are an endangered species, and animals and fantastical creatures like trolls, goblins, fauns, etc, are at the top of the food chain.  So in classic comic tradition, one of the colonies of humans must set out on a quest, and adventure and danger abound.  It reads kind of like a Walking Dead meets Fables, for fans of those series.  I am not totally sold on it being the next big thing (my money's on Saga), but it's definitely a series to keep your eye on.

Saga, volume 3(13-18), by Brian K Vaughan, ill by Fiona Staples, 144 pages

 Saga, volume 3(13-18), by Brian K Vaughan, ill by Fiona Staples, 144 pages

I have a feeling that this is one of those series where as soon as you get attached to or interested in a character, they will probably die.  Sheesh.  In this installment, Marko, Alana, baby Hazel and family are settling into a lighthouse on the planet Quietus- but their suitors are close behind.  There are some major action scenes, some new journalist characters, and a possible relationship in the works between Gwen and The Will?  That is, if The Will survives.  Whaaaaa?  You've just got to read it.  A good series for fans of space soap operas. 

Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin

Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin- 761 pages.

This was the second book in Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series.  It continues the story of the battles for the Iron Throne between the four or five people thinking the throne belongs to them.  It ties in nicely with the second season of HBO's Game of Thrones series.  Some of the people in the book were not in the show and they added a lot to the book.  It was a great book.

The Dark Heroine: Dinner With A Vampire by Abigail Gibbs

The Dark Heroine: Dinner With a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs, 534 pages
(book one of The Dark  Heroine series)

Romeo & Juliet meets Twilight sums up what this book is about. Seventeen year old Violet Lee's life is changed forever when she witnesses a mass murder before her eyes and is taken prisoner by the murderers. Everything she thought she knew about her world is false. There are monsters in the world and they aren't just evil men. They are vampires. Caught in a web of lies and betrayal, Violet Lee's life is threatened on a daily basis. Yet she finds herself drawn to her captor, Kaspar, at the same time as loathing him. As their attraction for each other grows, truths come out that will shatter everything they hold dear.
I was done with this book in one day. It's pretty easy to figure out the plot line, but it doesn't stop the book from being enjoyable.

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice & Fire #3), by George RR Martin

A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice & Fire #3), by George RR Martin, 1177 pages

In this installment, all of the self-named kings are still at war, but treachery is afoot! And it means an end to some beloved characters... or DOES IT??  Jon Snow learns about love, loss, and honor; Arya takes up with some strange traveling companions; Daenerys is on a little mission to end slavery (and totally winning!); and Tyrion is in some serious trouble.  Oh, and Joffrey totally gets what's coming to him. The author has created such a rich collection of characters- some of whom you hate, and then grow to love.  It is authorial manipulation at its best!

Also, I found this, which is what I desperately wish would happen with the Jaime and Brienne storyline.  (Pardon the commercial in the beginning) To dream!
    http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/901957/game-of-thrones-as-a-rom-com-trailer.jhtml#id=1706066

Ironskin by Tina Connolly

Ironskin by Tina Connolly, 304 pages

It is hard to "retell" a great story like "Jane Eyre", but Tina Connolly gives it a valiant try in "Ironskin".  You have your plain looking governess, your dark Mr. Rochester, the beautiful little girl and the crazy mom. However, the author also weaves fey and fey curses into the tale. The plot moves along very slowly and sluggishly. It might have been better had I never read Jane Eyre before, but I couldn't help but compare "Ironskin" to it. There was no mystery. No suspense. No heart stopping moments. It was just a book. A book about a governess falling in love with her brooding master and his little girl albeit with a steampunk twist. Jane is fey-cursed and hides her scars behind an iron mask. Her sister has found love and so Jane must find work to provide for herself - which is difficult since the "ironskins" are feared and considered the trash of society. She heads to the dark manor in the employment of Mr. Rochart to be governess to his daughter Dorie as he believes Jane is the only one who can truly understand and help his little girl.  Dorie, is also fey cursed but in a different way. Her mother was inhabited/possessed by a fey when she was pregnant and the fey qualities transfered over to little Dorie. It is five years after the Great War between the fey and humans. Humans are trying to get back to "normal" without fey technology. Yet, the fey aren't truly defeated and there will be one more final battle that Jane has to fight to protect the people she loves and save humanity from the threat of the fey. How will this book end? Well, if you've read Jane Eyre, you'll know, but hopefully it will still be an enjoyable read to you.