Monday Minis
It’s Monday Minis time again! This one is a bit of a collab effort between me and Kat, as she’s graciously agreed to contribute this week – most things I’ve read recently need to get their own full length post. It’s been a good reading week, to be honest. As always, all opinions are our own.
Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes is a fun sci-fi romp through space, featuring psychic cats. The story is led by Captain Eva Innocente of La Sirena Negra, who has to compromise herself and her morals in order to save her estranged sister. It is an easy read, fast paced and rather compelling – although the aforementioned psychic cats, which are a major selling point of the book (they are mentioned on the cover!) really would need to play a bigger role in the story for my taste. They only pop up a few times and it is really Eva’s story and not theirs. And that is definitely a large part of why it has taken me so long to finish this – I’ve started it probably three times on kindle until a friend passing on a physical copy gave me the kick up the ass to finally finish it. I think I’m intrigued enough to read book two for the heck of it, just because it’s good space opera escapism, but they are not books I think I will be going around and hugely recommending to anyone as standout favourites.
If you’re looking to start an adult Paranormal Romance series, but are yearning for something a bit out of the ordinary, then Heart of Fire by Bec McMaster might be for you! Unlike traditional, urban PNR settings, the Legends of the Storm series takes place in 1880s Iceland, is steeped in Nordic culture and mythology, and has a heroic fantasy aesthetic. Layer on a hefty dollop of dragon (or dreki, as the case may be) lore and shifting, and you have the unique and unexpected spin on classic PNR tropes that makes Heart of Fire such an intriguing read. The characters, especially the couple featured in this book, are well-developed and balanced; although Rurik exudes the classic alpha-male vibes, the FMC is equally strong and driven, creating quite the power couple. There’s definitely insta-lust, and the couple is quick to act on it, but that’s somewhat expected as part of the fated mates trope. The romance is steamy, the plot is peppered with tension and action, and a solid foundation is laid for a PNR series with staying potential. Enjoy!
I was very excited for Jade Fire Gold by June C.L. Tan – I’ve been looking forward to this since it was first supposed to be released in 2019, but sadly, the ARC failed to live up to the potential in my head. This is the story of Ahn, a girl raised as a peasant, who finds out that she carries ancient magic, and Altan, a boy who was supposed to become Emperor but has lost his position. It is a xianxia novel, so set within existing traditions of Chinese storytelling, which is pretty cool. My favourite aspect of Jade Fire Gold was probably the world building, which was rich and epic, and carried through some of the other weaknesses – I did read through the whole story fairly quickly despite being disappointed with it as a whole. Apart from the setting, it read like a fairly typical YA fantasy novel, which is great if that’s what you’re looking for, but these days I feel like we’ve been spoiled with so many outstanding books that that isn’t enough for me to really enjoy a story. The pacing was quite inconsistent, with large stretches feeling like nothing much is happening and then a big chunk of the story being packed into the last twenty percent or so. Ahn and Altan are both very passive characters, and it feels like the story is happening to them, rather than that they are propelling their own fortunes forward. I also struggled to see the chemistry happening between them, which made their eventual relationship feel more like box ticking than a natural development. It is still a decent and entertaining read, but not one that I will go out of my way to reread.