Review: Snake-Eater by T Kingfisher
5 March 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Horror, Review, Snake-Eater, T Kingfisher
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Oddly Unique Yet Still Cosy
I think I can safely say that I never know what to expect from this author – other than, of course, it’s almost 99% certain that I will enjoy whatever she delivers.
In a nutshell the story begins with an introduction to Selena and her dog copper, arriving at Quartz Creek – where Selena’s aunt lived- only to find out that Selena’s aunt passed away a little time ago. Selena, is trying to escape an unhappy life in the city with a domineering partner. Her aunt’s cottage remains uninhabited, the desert not being a popular place to go to live apparently, and so, maybe she can stay for a little while, just to save up the money for the fare back home. In the meantime, the people of Quartz Creek take a real shine to Selena and take her under their collective wings. Unfortunately, something else seems to have taken a shine to Selena – something a little more creepy.
So, what did I love about this.
Well, Kingfisher excels at bringing her people to life. Selena is a great character, you really feel for her at the start, she’s so nervous and so scared of making mistakes. Her character really does undergo the most fabulous character arc. Grandma Billy is also a great character and of course the local priest, Father Aguirre. Both these characters will surprise you in the best way. On top of this Kingfisher is never afraid to introduce alternative characters such as Merv the Peacock and Copper the dog – they both play their roles perfectly. And, lets not forget the roadrunner. Yes, who would have thought that this particular character could be so, mmm, daunting! Enough said.
Quartz Creek is a great setting. I seriously loved it and the way of life. Wow, who wouldn’t love to find themselves in a place where the residents wrap you up and hold you close, feeding you, protecting you and fighting on your behalf. I could live here – although I could do without the strange things that stare in at the windows. Yes, there is also a side dose of horror with this one – just enough to give you the heebies mind, this isn’t some slasher type horror, it’s not blood soaked or terrifying. It’s just enough to be creepy. You might not be aware of cosy horror – I certainly wasn’t – but here you are, it’s arrived and I love it. I really do think that Kingfisher should take us back to Quartz Creek, I feel like there’s so much potential here. It’s one of those supernatural places with Gods, critters and myths and so much leeway for storytelling. Like Oliver, I would like more. Please.
I don’t think I can tell you too much more. Lovely writing, as always. Lovable characters and a little banger of a story. I have no hesitation in recommending this. Kingfisher fans will devour it and if this is your first time reading this author I have no doubt that this will make you want to take a look at the rest of her work. Happy reading. Beep beep.
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: The Magician’s Daughter by HG Parry
3 March 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, fiction, HG Parry, Review, The Magician's Daughter
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Quite Simply, This Was Brilliant
I loved The Magician’s Daughter and can’t believe that I let this beautiful story languish on my shelves for so long. HG Parry is still a fairly new to me author, I have read and really enjoyed The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door and A Far Better Thing and recommend them highly and I did wonder, just for a tiny moment, if this might not be quite as good (being an earlier work being my reasoning) but I’ve never been quite so happy to be wrong. I fell for this book with ease – and really, having read the aforementioned books it shouldn’t ever been a doubt that I harboured. This author is my catnip. I feel like she’s writing these stories just for me. I realise that might sound incredibly selfish but seriously, it’s like she knows exactly the sort of story I love. And the writing – it’s magical. I am undone.
In a nutshell, the Magician’s daughter is a coming of age tale about a young orphan woman called Biddy. The year is 1912, Biddy has lived her life on a remote island with her guardian Rowan and his familiar – a rabbit called Hutch. Biddy is very familiar with magic and the magical – even though this is a period in which magic is disappearing from the world. The island on which she lives is protected and remains unseen to ordinary folk which is just as well because Rowan and Hutch seem to be in hiding and although Biddy longs to see other people and places she is, for the time being, forbidden to leave. It’s even possible she could be in danger. And yet, many times, in the dead of night, she witnesses Rowan transform into a raven and depart the isle for who knows where. Unfortunately, on one such escapade Rowan falls foul of his enemies and Biddy is left in the tricky position of having to venture further abroad to stage a rescue. Of course, nothing about this rescue is going to be easy and in the process everything Biddy knows will be called into question.
What I loved about this.
Well, apart from everything! The writing is wonderful. I really enjoy the way this author writes. She’s a conjuror of beautiful prose and a fantastic storyteller. Everything you read here just falls into place with what seems like ease – but I’m sure cost blood, sweat and tears in the making. The descriptions bring the story to life and there’s a real sense of whimsy that took me back to stories when I was much younger, first picking up fantasy (and not even knowing that’s what it was called) and simply becoming hooked. Books like these reinforce my love of reading and falling down these fantastically hypnotic wormholes where I remain captive until the last page.
The characters were also easy to fall for. Biddy is very easy to like. Rowan can be a little bit frustrating but in spite of that I still really liked him and Hutch is such a unique familiar – I loved him. I literally nearly cried at one point during this story – which I will not elaborate upon further I mention it only to demonstrate how very caught up my emotions were with these characters.
The story itself is intriguing. It doesn’t particularly race through the plot but at the same time there were no lulls. I never knew what to expect and the wealth of imagination was breathtaking. We have this alternate England where we visit the tight streets of Whitechapel and it’s poverty stricken residents, an underground castle populated by magical people who are watching the decline of the world they knew and then the small island that our main characters have been squirrelled away on for the past years, keeping company with black rabbits, strange critters and mentions of an ancient people that are reminiscent of the fae.
As I said above. Many things that Biddy thought she knew will be called into question. Rowan’s actions will be scrutinised and pulled apart by those that are his enemies – and even some who are not. Biddy knows nothing of his past and hasn’t seen the extremes to which some people will go to retain magic.
I don’t really want to say too much more. I had an absolutely lovely time reading this. I was captivated and couldn’t put it down and on the strength of this and the previous two books I really have to go back and read everything that this author has ever written. I don’t know how much more gushing I can do right now so I’ll quit at this point. Read it is my advice.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 magical stars
Review: Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
26 February 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Between Two Fires, Book Review, Books, Christopher Buehlman, fiction, Horror, reading, Review
My Five Word TL:DR: A Bit Too Much Horror
I really do like this author, very much so. I like his style of writing. I absolutely loved The Blacktongue Thief and The Daughter’s War even moreso. In fact Between Two Fires has been on my wishlist for a while so I was excited to pick it up. And, to be perfectly honest, I really enjoyed this, but, I think this veered into perhaps a little too much horror for me personally. That being said, I still wolfed this down, the writing is good, the dialogue is excellent, its grim and gritty and I was positively intrigued.
The story gets off to an immediate start. We meet up with a band of brigands, really not very nice characters at all (serious understatement). They basically roam the countryside stealing and terrorising the people moving swiftly on before they can be caught. Unfortunately, they’re about to have a serious falling out. One of their band, Thomas, is about to disagree with their latest scheme and decide to save the young innocent girl they’ve just discovered (instead of following orders). This will be the first in what appears (to Thomas especially) a strange turnabout in character. He seems unable to say ‘no’ to this young girl and soon finds himself on a mission, accompanied by a priest.
The setting here is mediaeval, the period a particularly turbulent time when the plague was sweeping across Europe killing thousands in it’s wake. It seems like God has abandoned the people and hell and all it’s evil minions are running amok.
What I really liked about this.
Well, firstly I loved the writing. This is quite dark and bleak and the ending definitely descends into something of a blood bath – which isn’t really my thing, but I wanted to know how it was all going to end. For the record, this is not cosy, there is no romance, I would say it’s grimdark, meets horror, meets fiery apocalyptic end of world as we know it, with blood and lots of death. This author has a way with words where I find myself reading a story even when it becomes too much.
The characters. It’s a great group of characters. I was reading a discussion piece just recently about this very thing – good vs evil and morally grey characters. Here, we definitely fall into the ‘morally grey’ for at least two of the characters. The young girl is very innocent, although as the story develops it soon becomes clear that she is ‘different’. She knows things! Thomas is a disgraced knight and the priest has also suffered a fall from grace. I loved the dynamic between the three.
The majority of the story is in the style of overcoming trials and tribulations. The three are on a quest, travelling to a known destination, but without the knowledge of what they will need to do once they get there. The further they progress the more difficult their journey becomes and the more bizarre the trials that they endure.
What held this back a little for me.
First and foremost, it was just a bit too much horror for me, but that’s my personal preference and the last third, or maybe quarter, of the book, lost me a little. Now, I have been reflecting on what was taking place and so it has become clearer once I put the book down and had time to really think, but whilst I was reading I was definitely a bit perplexed and felt like I simply needed to push on to understand things, which turned out to be the case, because things did clear up. But, without doubt, for a spell there I was a bit, well, out of my depth – or at least that’s how it felt. Strange that even as I’m typing this review I’m having second thoughts because now I’m beginning to wonder if maybe the author intended for this to be all chaotic and confused. His characters were certainly a little lost after all. Mmm, food for thought. Seriously though – don’t you love a book that makes you think? I’m still going round in circles with my pondering which is exactly what I want from a book – I think this story will be in my head for a while making me go backwards and forwards, thinking I’ve pinned it down and then realising that I really haven’t.
Overall, I would have no hesitation in recommending this. The writing is excellent, I liked the characters, the setting was perfect – just be aware that it is very dark and quite horrific.
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: Boudicca’s Daughter by Elodie Harper
23 February 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, Boudicca's Daughter, Elodie Harper, fiction, historical-fiction, Review
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Great main character and setting
I absolutely loved the Wolf Den series by Elodie Harper and so I’m always excited to see anything new pop up, in fact I’m surprised at myself that I managed to wait so long before getting to this – but then deadlines sometimes dictate these things.
Boudicca’s Daughter was a very interesting read. As the story begins we meet Catia, famous warrior, married to a druid and mother to two daughters, otherwise known as Boudicca. I really liked the initial set up, the rivalry between the two sisters and the different dynamic between them and their parents. The author really pulls you into their story and you can feel the tension rising. The Briton’s and their Roman oppressors have a very tentative peace that seems balanced on a knife edge. The death of the Iceni king is about to tip the balance and insight rebellion.
I’m not going to dwell too much on the story. We focus on one of Boudicca’s daughters – called Solina. She’s an interesting and easy to like character. She’s intelligent and uses her brain as much as her strength. After the rebellion fails, Solina is taken captive and taken to Rome. Of course, this is a very short version of events.
What I really liked about this.
Well, Harper excels at setting a scene. I find it so easy to sink into her stories. I will say that if I was to be pushed, I preferred the time we actually spent in Rome because the author seems to really love these elements herself, or at least that’s how it feels to me. The Briton’s, the rebellion and even Boudicca, paled a little by comparison. Once Solina was taken to Rome with her captor Paulinus, the tension and constant fear really took hold. Which isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the earlier parts of the story, just that they weren’t quite as gripping.
Paulinus is another fascinating character and this imagined partnership really served to highlight the differences between the two races. The strange thing is, even though the Briton’s suffered at the hands of their oppressors I think the Romans were actually meaner to each other – if that’s possible. Their constant scheming and manipulations, not to mention that Nero was an absolute horror of a ruler. Oh yes, things definitely became interesting once Paulinus was called home.
The relationship between Solina and Paulinus was really well written. As I mentioned Solina has strong survival instincts but is also a sympathetic character often stepping in to help others and ultimately putting herself at risk. I expected to find their relationship unbelievable but the way this is written is just so easy and enjoyable that you find yourself being easily caught up in their dilemmas. In fact, as the story progresses, and the madness and hysteria in Rome escalates, the two really need to stay strong together just to survive – funny that I felt Solina was more under threat at this point than during the battles in her own country.
I would mention that there are some incidents here that may be triggering for some readers although I would say that the events that take place are off page and are not sensationalised at all, they serve more to highlight how Solina is affected.
I don’t really have any criticisms for this, it was a really good read, the only thing that perhaps brought this down a little was the haste with which the rebellion was brushed over, I don’t know why, especially given the title, but I think I was expecting a little more from that side.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. If you loved the Wolf Den then I have no hesitation in recommending, they’re distinctly different stories but the author’s great story telling really shines through, and if you haven’t read the Wolf Den series I strongly recommend it. I also thought the audio version was really good. I can’t wait to see what Harper comes up with next.
I bought the audio version.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Review: Green and Deadly Things by Jenn Lyons
19 February 2026
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, Books, Fantasy, Green and Deadly Things, Jenn Lyons, Review, Romance
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Fantasy Standalone with some Romance
Green and Deadly Things is a fantasy story that manages to include romance without overtaking the plot and is a standalone – almost a mythical beast in this world where fantasy books usually come in threes.
I wouldn’t say I loved this but at the same time I was never tempted to set it aside. In a nutshell this felt a little YA to me, which isn’t a bad thing at all, but I was expecting a little more depth. As it is I think this would work really well for readers who are new to fantasy. It has action and adventure and concludes perfectly.
The story revolves around a character known as Math. Math is a novitiate in a knight-style order but unfortunately, and in spite of years of training, he has not yet been able to manifest a weapon – which means he will ultimately not become a knight. In spite of this Math loves the Order, he is kind and also clever, but he has secrets that, if known to the other knights, would certainly result in his expulsion, if not worse.
The story got off to a really good start and made a great first impression, setting the scene with ease and throwing us into an immediate situation of conflict. Math manages to solve a riddle and at the same time open a long hidden maze awakening what is believed to be a grimlord in the process. From there Math finds himself magically linked to the woman he has awoken and everything he believes is about to be upturned, not to mention he will find himself on the run from the Order he loves and wants to spend his life serving.
So, what I enjoyed about this. Well, there is a romance brewing between Math and the woman he has awoken, but it’s not the central part of the plot and doesn’t monopolise the story. I really enjoyed the story of the Three Queens and in fact would have liked more from that element. I also particularly love that this is a standalone, it just feels so rare these days. The writing is easy to get along with, it felt a little over descriptive in places but as I mentioned earlier I had no issues completing this.
What I didn’t get along so well with. I think, perhaps because this is a standalone, it doesn’t have the time to really expand, to let you grow to know the characters, the world or the magic. There’s almost a hyper type of feel, we rush from one situation to the next, run away, hide, fight, repeat. But, it lost tension because of this. The characters were a little flat and although there seemed to be betrayals and revelations they didn’t quite deliver the shock or impact that you would expect. And there was also some signalling, or perhaps I just anticipated certain things before they happened. Some of the revelations felt a little obvious.
Overall, this has some really good ideas, it gets off to a great start and also concludes really well. I felt the middle lost me a little in it’s repetitiveness and, it felt a little younger to me than I was expecting or hoping for. That being said I have no doubt this will find its audience and I think it would be good starting point for readers new to fantasy.
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
Books and travelling with Lynn 