The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness, 561 pages

From the MARC: "Historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies."

Originally this series was a trilogy and thus ended with The Book of Life. If this were to be the end of the Bishop-Clairmont tale, it would have been a satisfying ending. I really enjoyed the way Harkness blended magic and science. The characters were written richly, weaving together in a tapestry worthy of Diana's own cords. Given the state of the world, it was also illuminating that the end of the major conflict of the book resulted in inclusion and togetherness.  Not the author's intention from 2014, but it struck me as an interesting parallel.  

 

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harknes

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness, 583 pages

The second book of the All Souls series covers Diana and Matthew's adventures timewalking in Elizabethan London searching for a witch to properly train Diana, and to find an intact Ashmole 782 manuscript. But soon it becomes evident that the longer they stay in the past, the more they risk the future and must fight to find a way back. 

 

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki (translated by Jesse Kirkwood)

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki (translated by Jesse Kirkwood), 228 pages

"The Full Moon Coffee Shop has no fixed location. 

It might appear in the middle of a familiar shopping arcade, by the station at the end of the railway line, or on a quiet riverbank. 

At the Full Moon Coffee Shop, we don't take your order; instead we bring you desserts, meals, and drinks--selected just for you. 

Who knows--maybe it's all a dream." (from the prologue)

This book thoroughly bewitched me. A riot of spiritual color, the story was a web of life and emotion seen through a magical, dreamy lens.  The theme of interconnectedness resonated deeply with them. The end result made me feel simultaneously lost and found. 

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, 579 pages

Diana Bishop is the last in a long line of powerful witches. Immersing herself in alchemical academia, Diana refuses to acknowledge her magic until one day she inadvertently accesses a magical text that had been lost for hundreds of years.  Before she knows it, Diana is plunged into the world of creatures--witches, vampires, and daemons--where she is pursued by all three. When Diana teams up with a dark and mysterious vampire named Matthew de Clairmont, she realizes too late her life is changed forever and she will have to not only accept her power but also how to wield her growing list of magic to defend those she loves. 

I read this book because a patron recommended it to me, and I'm so very glad that he did. Harkness' world feels magnificently authentic and her attention to all the little details gives an electric charge to not just her characters, but the world itself. Everything unfolded with a chaotic sort of purpose but in a way that rang true. 

 

A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley

A Demon's Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley -- 432 pages

Calladia Cunnington knows she's rough around the edges, despite being the heir to one of small-town Glimmer Falls' founding witch families. While her gym obsession is a great outlet for her anxieties and anger, her hot temper still gets the best of her and manifests in bar brawls. When Calladia saves someone from a demon attack one night, though, she's happy to put her magic and rage to good use . . . until she realizes the man she saved is none other than Astaroth, the ruthless demon who orchestrated a soul bargain on her best friend.

Astaroth is a legendary soul bargainer and one of the nine members of the demon high council--except he can't remember any of this. Suffering from amnesia after being banished to the mortal plane, Astaroth doesn't know why a demon named Moloch is after him, nor why the muscular, angry, hot-in-a-terrifying-way witch who saved him hates him so much.

Unable to leave anyone in such a vulnerable state--even the most despicable demon--Calladia grudgingly decides to help him. (Besides, punching an amnesiac would be in poor taste.) The two set out on an uneasy road trip to find the witch who might be able to restore Astaroth's memory so they can learn how to defeat Moloch. Calladia vows that once Astaroth is cured, she'll kick his ass, but the more time she spends with the snarky yet utterly charming demon, the more she realizes she likes this new, improved Astaroth . . . and maybe she doesn't want him to recover his memories, after all.

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley -- 367 pages

Mariel Spark is prophesied to be the most powerful witch seen in centuries of the famed Spark family, but to the displeasure of her mother, she prefers baking to brewing potions and gardening to casting hexes. When a spell to summon flour goes very wrong, Mariel finds herself staring down a demon—one she inadvertently summoned for a soul bargain.

Ozroth the Ruthless is a legend among demons. Powerful and merciless, he drives hard bargains to collect mortal souls. But his reputation has suffered ever since a bargain went awry—if he can strike a bargain with Mariel, he will earn back his deadly reputation. Ozroth can’t leave Mariel’s side until they complete a bargain, which she refuses to do (turns out some humans are attached to their souls).

But the witch is funny. And curvy. And disgustingly yet endearingly cheerful. Becoming awkward roommates quickly escalates when Mariel, terrified to confess the inadvertent summoning to her mother, blurts out that she’s dating Ozroth. As Ozroth and Mariel struggle with their opposing goals and maintaining a fake relationship, real attraction blooms between them. But Ozroth has a limited amount of time to strike the deal, and if Mariel gives up her soul, she’ll lose all her emotions—including love—which will only spell disaster for them both.

Practical Magic (Practical Magic, #1) by Alice Hoffman

 Practical Magic (Practical Magic, #1) by Alice Hoffman-317 pages

⭐⭐1/2

Sally and Gillian Owens become orphans at a very young age and move in with their eccentric old aunts. Their aunts are witches who practice magic and do spells to aid people hopelessly in love. When they get older, Gillian becomes a wanderer and Sally marries Michael, a local young man. Michael dies when he's struck by a vehicle and Sally takes it hard. A year later, Sally moves herself and her two girls, Antonia and Kylie, to New York away from the aunts. Sally wants a normal life for her family. Can Sally really be normal and can Antonia and Kylie? Or will they all be drawn back into magic and towards the aunts? I didn't like the book too much, mostly because of the meandering writing style. There are other factors, also. The movie is much better than the book in this rare instance. 

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L. Wang, 651 p.

"A mother struggling to repress her violent past,

A son struggling to grasp his violent future,

A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’

Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface." --Amazon blurb

 

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

"For generations, the Kalotay family has guarded a collection of ancient and rare books. Books that let a person walk through walls or manipulate the elements--books of magic that half-sisters Joanna and Esther have been raised to revere and protect.

All magic comes with a price, though, and for years the sisters have been separated. Esther has fled to a remote base in Antarctica to escape the fate that killed her own mother, and Joanna's isolated herself in their family home in Vermont, devoting her life to the study of these cherished volumes. But after their father dies suddenly while reading a book Joanna has never seen before, the sisters must reunite to preserve their family legacy. In the process, they'll uncover a world of magic far bigger and more dangerous than they ever imagined, and all the secrets their parents kept hidden; secrets that span centuries, continents, and even other libraries . . ." --Amazon blurb

House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas

 

House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3) by Sarah J. Maas, 816 p.

"The stunning third book in the sexy, action-packed Crescent City series, following the global bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath.

Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again. And that's no easy feat when she has no idea who to trust.

Hunt Athalar has found himself in some deep holes in his life, but this one might be the deepest of all. After a few brief months with everything he ever wanted, he's in the Asteri's dungeons again, stripped of his freedom and without a clue as to Bryce's fate. He's desperate to help her, but until he can escape the Asteri's leash, his hands are quite literally tied.

In this sexy, breathtaking sequel to the #1 bestsellers House of Earth and Blood and House of Sky and Breath, Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt's world is brought to the brink of collapse-with its future resting on their shoulders." --Amazon blurb

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas

House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2) by Sarah J. Maas

"Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.

The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent. " --Amazon blurb

Crescent City by Sarah J. Maas

Crescent City (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas, 803 p.

"Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She'll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss's enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he's offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City's underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they'd only let it." --Amazon blurb

The Untitled Books by C.J. Archer

 

The Untitled Books (The Glass Library #3) by C.J. Archer, 282 p.

"When a set of bound manuscripts written on magician-made paper is brought to the Glass Library, Sylvia and the professor send the owner away. After all, the library collects books about magic, not containing it.

But the murder of the bookbinder who bound them sees the books returned to the library, along with Gabe in his role as consultant for Scotland Yard. When his investigation uncovers a link to Sylvia’s past, they’re even more determined to find the murderer. But they’re not the only ones searching for answers. Someone has gone to great lengths to find the truth behind the binding of the books.

The hunt for the killer leads them to dark corners of London and unscrupulous players with much to gain by owning the collection. It also leads to the discovery of long-buried secrets, and staggering revelations that shed light on Sylvia’s past."--Amazon blurb

Great third installment in this series that I am continuing to love. I'm glad that there are more coming. Archer has a great writing style and this series has had a good character-driven plot. Several mysteries come into play, and the hunt for a killer (am I the only one that thinks this is maybe Jack the Ripper?) continues. Can't wait for the release of the 4th book!

The Medici Manuscript by C.J. Archer

The Medici Manuscript (The Glass Library #2) by C.J. Archer, 280 p.

"One book can change your life. Finding an old manuscript in the attic has always been a fantasy of Sylvia’s. She just never expected the fantasy to come true, or for it to lead her to answers about her mysterious family.

The silver clasps binding the pages contain rare magic – the same magic that might run through Sylvia’s veins. To discover a link to her ancestors means understanding the book itself, but it’s written in a code that proves difficult to crack. The only thing she knows for certain is that it was once owned by the Medicis, the powerful family that controlled Renaissance Florence.

With the help of Gabe and his friends, Sylvia investigates the book’s origins. But following the clues throws up more questions – questions they need help answering. Trusting others is not Sylvia’s strong suit, but with Gabe at her side, she becomes capable and confident. Until their trust is shattered when the book is stolen.

Uncovering the thief proves dangerous, particularly when someone is also trying to kidnap Gabe. With his own mysteries to unravel, Gabe’s private life becomes more complicated. Sylvia tries to keep her distance but staying away from someone as magnetic as Gabe is impossible. With so many distractions, can they find the thief before the book is lost forever? Or will the secrets contained within its pages remain unsolved and will Sylvia’s past continue to be a mystery?"--Amazon blurb

 The second in The Glass Library series did not disappoint. Another perfect example of a short, yet full novel. The magic system in this series is interesting, and the characters are fun and the mystery keeps you intrigued. Looking forward to the continued unveiling of Sylvia's past!

The Librarian of Crooked Lane by C.J. Archer

 

The Librarian of Crooked Lane (The Glass Library #1) by C.J. Archer, 279 p.

"Librarian Sylvia Ashe knows nothing about her past, having grown up without a father and a mother who refused to discuss him. When she stumbles upon a diary that suggests she’s descended from magicians, she’s skeptical. After all, magicians are special, and she’s just an ordinary girl who loves books. She seeks the truth from a member of the most prominent family of magicians, but she quickly learns that finding the truth won’t be easy, especially when he turns out to be as artless as her, and more compelling and dangerous than books.

War hero Gabe is gifted with wealth, a loving family, and an incredible amount of luck that saw him survive four harrowing years of a brutal war without injury. But not all injuries are visible. Burying himself in his work as a consultant for Scotland Yard, Gabe is going through the motions as he investigates the theft of a magician-made painting. But his life changes when he unwittingly gets Sylvia dismissed from her job and places her in danger.

After securing her new employment in a library housing the world’s greatest collection of books about magic, Gabe and Sylvia’s lives become intwined as they work together to find both the painting and the truth about Sylvia’s past before powerful people can stop them. But sometimes the past is better left buried…"--Amazon blurb

While this book is much shorter than what I normally read, I can't say no to books about books and libraries. This was my first Archer book and I enjoyed this immensely. There's something to be said for a well-written, shorter book. There was no fluff. There was no dragging anywhere. Well-written, engrossing story and I look forward to the next in the series. 

Murtagh (Inheritance Cycle, #5) by Christopher Paolini

Murtagh (Inheritance Cycle, #5) by Christopher Paolini-688 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐✩

This is set in the aftermath of the events of the first 4 books in the series, but with Murtagh as the main protagonist. He learns of a potential newly revealed threat to Alagaesia and sets out on a journey to learn the truth and confront this threat. Along the way, Murtagh struggles with his identity and his troubled past. He doesn't think he fits in anywhere or with anyone. He still cares for Nasuada, but he doesn't think she cares for him the same way. The journey changes Murtagh and Thorn (the dragon Murtagh is paired with/is Rider of) in unexpected ways. I enjoyed returning to Alagaesia and reading something from Murtagh's perspective. 

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness -- 561 pages

Bringing the magic and suspense of the All Souls Trilogy to a deeply satisfying conclusion, this highly anticipated finale went straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. In The Book of Life, Diana and Matthew time-travel back from Elizabethan London to make a dramatic return to the present—facing new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home, Sept-Tours, they reunite with the beloved cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency.

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness -- 584 pages

Picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night takes Diana and Matthew on a trip through time to Elizabethan London, where they are plunged into a world of spies, magic, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the School of Night. As the search for Ashmole 782 deepens and Diana seeks out a witch to tutor her in magic, the net of Matthew’s past tightens around them, and they embark on a very different—and vastly more dangerous—journey.

Silver Shadows (Bloodlines, #5) by Richelle Mead

Silver Shadows (Bloodlines, #5) by Richelle Mead-380 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sydney Sage has been kidnapped by the Alchemists and they will attempt to "Re-educate" her. Adrian is in a downward spiral without her and is visited by his mom fresh out of Moroi prison. She takes him back to Court with her. He spirals further for a while, but then snaps himself out of it. There are complications at Court, but finally Adrian gets a lead and works with es-Alchemist Marcus to spring Sydney from Alchemist "Re-education." Meanwhile, Sydney endures depravity and torture while in Alchemist captivity as they attempt to get her to see the "error" of her ways and turn back from them. Will Adrian and Sydney be reunited? If so, then at what cost? I continue to like reading this series and have already started the final book of it. 

The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, #4) by Richelle Mead

 The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, #4) by Richelle Mead-420 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sidney Sage now has more company in helping keep Jill Dragomir safe in Palm Springs. Her sister, Zoe, and another Dhampir, Neil, have joined her group. Now she must keep her friendships with the Moroi and Dhampirs, and her relationship with Adrian a secret from Zoe. Sydney also is intent on developing an ink to counteract the Alchemist compulsion tattoo. If she can, then she can help so many more. Can she keep her relationship with Adrian secret from her sister or will she be found out? What will happen if she is found out? I really enjoyed reading this book and continue to enjoy this series. I look forward to reading the penultimate book in this series and then finishing it.