Review: The Geomagican by Jennifer Mandula
30 March 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, fiction, Jennifer Mandula, reading, Review, The Geomagician
My Five Word TL:DR Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book
I loved this book and devoured it in two days, I could hardly put it down. It was an absolute delight to read and took me completely by surprise in the best way possible.
What’s especially interesting is that this story includes a real life fossil hunter who discovered some remarkable finds along the coast of Lyme Regis – Mary Anning is renowned for her contribution to science and her story is already intriguing to read but set in an alternate world where magic is very real and relics are used to store it her discoveries become even more important.
As the story begins Mary is in dire straits. She’s running her own little shop down near the beach front selling items that she discovers on the beach, unfortunately she’s short on cash and time, the rent is due and she’s out of options, her only solution is to sell some of her own magic – a deeply shameful act that occurs across the country for vast swathes of poverty stricken individuals. As it happens Mary is going to have a last minute reprieve when she learns of a landslide and rushes to the site in the hopes of discovering something. And, indeed Mary does discover something remarkable, and alive, a discovery that is about to change her life and put her in danger.
What I loved about this.
First and foremost I really enjoyed reading about Mary. This is such a great imagining and she’s so easy to read about. She’s warm and intelligent, very forthright. She’s had a difficult life in many respects but with the odd smattering of good luck that has brought her to the attention of some important geomagicians. She longs for recognition and her latest discovery will definitely raise her profile. She’s ambitious and sometimes ruthless, life has taught her hard lessons and she can stand her ground. She is also surrounded by some other interesting folks who have, over the years, conspired to look out for her.
The setting really feeds well into the story. This is an age of creation, steam powered engines and other machinery, it’s a time of conflict between the church and scientists and not all the latest discoveries sit well with religion, particularly the findings of the Geomagical Society of London and Mary in particular. It’s not too long since the last witch trials were held and Inquisitors are still used in the detection of sorcery. Mary’s latest discovery will undoubtedly put her in the way of such suspicions.
The story itself revolves primarily around Mary’s desire to be admitted into the Geomagical Society, at the same time there is a romantic element when a former love interest re-enters the scene, although at first Mary is none too pleased to see him again given their history. And, of course, I cannot finish this review without mentioning Mary’s latest discovery – a pterodactyl called Ajax, a live specimen! I will say, I wouldn’t mind a little Ajax, he’s really quite a cutie – which I didn’t expect to ever be saying.
Now, I’m probably making this all sound very dry – but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The writing is easy to get on with. The dialogue, friendships and intrigue are all really well written. There’s plenty going on and deception where I least expected to find it. Plus the ending, I really wondered how things would wrap up but it’s really satisfying – and I believe this is a duology which is great news. Bring on No.2.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars
Review: Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher
19 March 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, fiction, Horror, Review, T Kingfisher, Wolf Worm
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Absolutely, Without Doubt, My Favourite
Oh my giddy aunt I loved this book. Saying this is my favourite book by this author to date is a big statement because I’m loving her books but this was brilliant. Now, having said that I feel I must point out that this doesn’t fall into her romance bracket. This is gothic horror and it will certainly make you squirm. I’m not really a horror fan and combined with insects I tend to choose those sort of stories very carefully, fortunately, I didn’t read the description for this one but simply picked it up on the strength of the author’s previous books and I’m so glad I did. I would have been gutted to have missed this (well, strictly speaking I wouldn’t know that I was missing such a gem but even so).
Following the death of her father Sonia Wilson’s hopes and dreams are shattered. She eventually, having sold everything she can, takes up a job in a school until she’s offered an illustrating position with Dr Halder, painting insects to sit alongside his findings in a book that he hopes will be his scientific tour de force. Sonia takes the position and travels to North Carolina with everything that she owns in a little suitcase and the last of her money in her pocket. She eventually arrives at the Dr’s estate and this is when the story really takes shape.
What did I love about this – everything to be honest – but let’s break it down.
First and foremost the writing. This is a historical style novel. Set in 1899 with the usual social restrictions that this holds. The story is so good to read. I really enjoyed the set up and the gradual increase in tension but the writing is just perfect. This doesn’t have the over stuffiness of certain period pieces but at the same time it doesn’t have Sonia talking in a modern way. It’s a perfect blend of easy, enjoyable and on point.
We have this gothic setting. The house is set deep in the middle of the forest (completely understandable given the Dr’s area of expertise – so many insects set in the murky depths). A rambling mansion with most of the rooms shut up, their furniture wrapped in dust sheets. There are few inhabitants. The housekeeper and her handyman husband plus one maid. Obviously the doctor and one other man who helps with his experiments, an unsettling character called Phelps. The place is rambling and creepy. Sonia is given a beautiful studio bedroom with plenty of natural light to aid in her illustrating – but the room looks as though someone has just stepped out for a moment. Clothes and possessions lying abandoned. It’s very puzzling and Sonia is nothing if not curious.
The MC Sonia is such a fantastic character. She loves her painting but, and good for her, she prefers to illustrate plants and flowers rather than grubs and caterpillars – but insects is the job and it is what it is. I loved her inner thoughts and in fact her sense of humour makes this story much more palatable than it otherwise would have been. There are definite situations here that are gruesome and although she wants to fall to pieces she constantly gives herself a ticking off and manages to keep things together. This is definitely one of Kingfisher’s major strengths. She writes normal people. Sonia isn’t beautiful. She isn’t extraordinary in some fantastic way, even her illustrations are not always stand out although she is clearly talented she’s someone you can relate to. It’s an extraordinary gift to be able to create people who feel real and relatable and Kingfisher has nailed it. The other characters are also really well drawn, it’s a great balance when you can hold back just enough to prevent your characters from becoming machiavellian or overblown but enough that they support the plot so well.
The story itself is really intriguing. It builds up gradually with Sonia squeezing out little tidbits of information from a supporting cast that are reluctant to share. She starts to form huge doubts about what’s really going on but the analytical side of her and her upbringing give her something of an ability to look at things more calmly and without hysteria. That being said, she also has her moments where she wants to run away screaming or do that freaky dance that you do when an insect lands in your hair! And, believe me when I say that this really strays into the area of horror. This is not cosy. There is no romance but there is without doubt moments of squeam inducing ick. And then there’s the twist – there are breadcrumbs in the story but I really hadn’t followed them and was blindsided in such a startlingly good way.
I’ll stop here. That’s quite enough gushing for one day. This is a perfect blend of wonderful storytelling, fantastic goings on and a great MC who you can really enjoy reading about.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 darkly gothic stars
Review: The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
16 March 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, fiction, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, Review, The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru
My Five Word TL:DR Review: A gothic, haunted murder mystery
TFToRD has a lot going for it. A gothic novel, set in 1920’s Paris that revolves around a Russian tea shop that sells tea and baked goods during the day and deals with seances and readings at night.
Zina and her grandmother Baba Valya run the Samovar tea room. As the story begins things are going smoothly but Zina is a little restless and so when she’s approached by two characters seeking her abilities to try and find out what happened to their father she is drawn in by their stories and decides to help them. Against the wishes of her grandmother and her warnings about the dark arts.
So we have two different timelines. We get to take a look back at Baba Valya as a younger woman, her romance and the birth of her daughter Svetlana. Svetlana was unfortunately murdered at a young age and her daughter Zina was raised by Valya. The mystery of what took place during those earlier days is what we gradually uncover as the story progresses. In the current timeline we follow Zina as she is sucked into the mystery of the missing Duke, her mother’ and grandmothers involvement and a police investigation that has been reinstated following questions about two possible murders.
What I enjoyed about this. I really liked the tearoom and all the little mention of different teas, herbs and cakes and pastries. Russian delicacies that these women make and bake for their customers. At night Baba Valya undertakes seances – these are not real though, Valya fears attracting dark or restless spirits. This isn’t to say that Valya and Zina are actually fakes, they are both adept at readings, Zina reads auras and Valya reads coffee cups.
I really enjoyed the friends that surround Valya and Zina, even the found friends that are eventually roped into their problems trying to oust a dark spirit. Then we have a persistent police officer who turns up at the tea room consistently looking for answers. This element of the story has a little romance going on but it isn’t any sort of insta-love and it certainly doesn’t take over the rest of the story but instead serves to heighten the suspicion and mistrust. I also like Valya, she’s a wily old woman, fierce and devoted to her family and protecting their livelihood.
In terms of Zina, I didn’t dislike her but at the same time I found her a little irritating occasionally and to be fair I can’t really pin down why that is. There were occasions where I felt the dialogue she used was a little too modern and it jolted me a little. Then we also have Princess Olga and Prince Alec – both felt a little over the top somehow.
But, I think the real issue I had here was the story felt a little over long and went round in circles a bit losing me in the middle. Plus, I eventually had joined the dots and figured out what was really going on, which isn’t a problem so much but I felt the story could have been a little more punchy and that would probably had kept me in the dark for longer.
As it is, there’s a lot going for this. I really enjoyed the setting, the Russian emigre community and the fortune telling. I did feel it was a little overlong and I did have the odd little niggle here and there but I have no doubt this is going to find it’s audience.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 3.5 of 5 stars
Review: Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Grim, Dark, Bloody and Twisted
I’m always excited to pick up a new Mark Lawrence book and not only did Daughter of Crows sound very intriguing it also looked amazing. I know, just saying. Anyway, I think having read this author since his first book, Prince of Thorns, I have a good deal of trust in his ability to weave a tale. Not only is he a superb wordsmith, his books are always clever and they all require a degree of patience because the big picture is always of paramount importance. There are light bulb moments where everything suddenly clicks into place – and I must say it’s a cunning element of his storytelling because it makes you feel like you’ve uncovered something, and I can’t speak for anyone else but you have this little moment of triumph because you think you’ve cracked the secret – invariably things will change and you’ll realise that no, you haven’t in fact cracked it at all but for that little moment you feel like a mastermind.
To be fair I don’t really think, or want, to share too much with you about the story. In a nutshell this is about one woman seeking retribution for the seemingly mindless destruction of her peaceful life. What makes this more unique than it first appears is that the woman in question, a former assassin of the Academy of Kindness, is now retired and enjoying her dotage in a quiet village, where she’s even managed to make friends.
What I really enjoyed about this.
Firstly, the writing. Lawrence has some writing chops and I think he could probably make a set of instructions about how to build a wardrobe seem compelling. I thoroughly enjoy reading his books because his words, more to the point the way he arranges them, makes me happy to be a reader.
Secondly, as I already mentioned there’s always a bigger picture with any of his stories. It’s like you have to pan out, and then pan out some more, so that you can eventually see all the links – and then he throws in some more surprises and you’re back to panning out some more.
Thirdly, three timelines. I always enjoy books with multiple povs and this is no exception. Of course there’s always the risk that you will enjoy one of those threads more than the rest and feel frustrated when you’re dragged away from your favourite. But, I really enjoy the scope this allows the author. You can see so many more angles with this style even if it can take a little longer to develop connections to the characters. We have three main characters, Rue, the retired assassin who is now on a mission to find the person responsible for attacking the village she called home for a few years. Mollandra is a student at the Academy. And then we have Eldest, introduced a little later in the story and at first a bit puzzling – and yet, of the three I found this one a real hook. It has an incredibly dark, and menacing feel to it that adds a note of horror.
This is grimdark without a shadow of doubt. If that isn’t your cup of tea then walk away now. Bad things happen. People die in quite horrible ways. There is plenty of blood and battered bodies. I mean, it isn’t gratuitous, that’s not what I’m saying at all, but this is a harsh world. Life is cheap and there’s always somebody plotting and sending mercenaries out to do a bit of killing and plundering.
In terms of the plot and pacing. Well, I’m kind of veering away from saying too much as I want to avoid spoilers. I did find it took me a little while to become attached to the characters. We do have other characters in the earlier chapters and as I already mentioned there is a lot of death – what with the village and it’s inhabitants having just been massacred and the Academy admitting 100 girls every year that will eventually be whittled down to three – so, at first, there’s a kind of hesitancy to become too attached as people don’t always stick around long enough – well, apart from Rue. I liked Rue, her storyline had moments of very dry humour, particularly as she’s quite often not quite as formidable as she thinks (in the earlier chapters in particular) and she’s persistent and difficult to kill, plus, she has a constant companion in the form of a crow – I love a good critter and so I really enjoyed that element to the story.
Did I have any issues? Well, it did take me a little while to connect to the characters. I think at the beginning there was so much death that I almost became immune to it all and felt wary of liking anybody too much. And, I wouldn’t say that this is a book to rush through. It’s not a lightweight read, it needs time to find its feet, which is a simple observation, not a criticism.
Anyway, I think I’ll draw this review to a close. There’s necromancy plus plenty of mythology such as the underworld and lots of references to threes, the triple goddesses of vengeance (the Furies), three timelines, three friends remaining at the Academy, etc. There’s lot of raging anger. A number of twists. Some sorrow, Some smiles. And a feeling of found family that I think will definitely develop even more over the series. On top of that the story concludes with a definite hook for book 2, it’s going to feel like a long wait! No pressure there then.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Review: How to Get Away with Murder by Rebecca Philipson
9 March 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, fiction, How To Get Away With Murder, Mystery, Rebecca Philipson, Review
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Bit Unrealistic but Ultimately Entertaining
I enjoyed How to Get Away with Murder – with a few provisos. This is an entertaining book that kept me turning the pages wanting to find the answers.
The story revolves around Detective Inspector Samantha Hansen who has been on long term sick leave for the past six months. Her godfather and therapist are trying to encourage her into a gentle return to work without much success but when the body of a local young girl is discovered in the park Sam decides she has a compelling need to return and find the killer and also uncover the person behind a book called “How to Get Away with Murder” that was placed at the scene of the crime.
What I liked about this.
The story is told both by Sam as she undertakes her investigations and Denver Brady (pen name?) of the author. I really liked the whole book within a book idea. Both storylines have a worrying thread of unreliability to them which adds an extra layer of entertainment to the story. As mentioned above Sam has been absent from work, this was following a sexual assault incident that was hastily and unsatisfactorily dealt with and resulted in a breakdown. On top of this she is displaying the symptoms of PTSD (possibly because of the aforementioned or also as a result of too many brutal cases). So, does she overestimate her own ability to jump into a high profile murder hunt – of course she does. But, although this involves a little bit of ego, being one of the Yard’s most successful homicide detectives, you can forgive her for rushing in because she genuinely cares. Denver Brady on the other hand is the author of How to Get Away with Murder, the reading of this part of the story is definitely disturbing as the author seems to take great pleasure in talking about his kills and clearly has a huge ego, the bragging becoming worse as the story unfolds – but, can we believe everything that Brady says or does he have an underlying motive.
This is without doubt entertaining. It relies on certain tropes that can be irritating – for example, the ‘I need to tell you something very important but keep getting interrupted’ scenario. Was this a little bit frustrating? Yes. Did it spoil the read? No. What I would say is that if you come to this story expecting a hard nosed police procedure being followed to the letter then you might be a little bit disappointed. If you leave your suspension at the door when you enter then you’ll have an entertaining read, quite often injected with a dose of dry humour and various twists along the way that you may or may not guess – for the record – I didn’t.
Without a doubt I liked Sam and worried for her almost in equal measure (which, let’s be honest, I wouldn’t worry if I didn’t care for the character). She’s not always had a pleasant past herself. Her mother and father have both died, her godfather has undoubtedly let her down and her best, only, friend is a stray dog that has attached itself to her. She’s clever too, I won’t say that I always followed her train of thought but I still like where she took us. In fact the relationships and dialogue in the book was well done.
Brady, is a real piece of work. I don’t want to give too much away, but he’s a boastful egomaniac, sly, self indulgent – I’m sure you get the picture, insert whichever unpleasant descriptors that you can think of and you’ll probably hit the nail on the head.
Anyway, I’m not going to overdo this review because I’m aware of spoilers and don’t want to be the one to give them away. At the end of the day I enjoyed this and it definitely kept me guessing. I think you definitely need to come to this expecting a story that takes liberties, both in terms of procedures and believability, it definitely strays into irritating territory with certain aspects – like the lack of communication mentioned above, but, at the same time, I understand this ploy as it makes you doubt people and think they have underlying motives. I would definitely read more from this author and would love to see more of Sam although this reads as a standalone. There is a serial killer within these pages – you simply need to discover who it is.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating a strong 3.5 of 5 (rounded to 4)
Books and travelling with Lynn 