whimsydearest

When Galina and Sera were children, their mother grafted the power of a god into their bones and raised them to one day overthrow the tyrannical nobles. Now adults, Galina concocts a plan to infiltrate the palace and dismantle the government from within. However, when she falls for the isolated princess Vasilisa, she finds herself caught between torn loyalties. To Cage a God  by Elizabeth May weaves a Slavic godpunk fantasy inspired by the Russian revolution. At first glance, the basic premise of caging dragon gods and harnessing their powers sounded really interesting and had so much potential, but unfortunately, the execution of the story itself fell flat. Now, I’m a sucker for a good fantasy romance, but the romance here felt more at odds with the plot than an enhancement of it—undermining any sense of stakes or urgency. For instance, in one of the opening scenes, readers are repeatedly told that Galina’s life is somehow on the line, yet all consideration for her sister’s life goes

When Riko, a struggling high school dropout, stumbles across a mysterious boy on the run, she decides to take him under her wing. However, she discovers that there’s more to this boy than meets the eye. He can manipulate plants from his body and, even worse, the military is after him! Now must unravel the mystery behind his strange powers while trying to protect him from snipers. A-Do, Vol. 1  by Amano Jaku introduces a fast-paced sc-fi manga that doesn’t feel too far off in the future. The world itself paints an interesting backdrop where people’s credit scores are attached to their IDs and affect everything they can buy and a wave of anti-immigration sentiment has hit Japan. While the storyline itself isn’t the most original so far, it’s got mystery, action, heart, and a cool retro manga aesthetic, and, all and all, it’s an intriguing start to the series. I’m curious to see where the story goes from here because this first volume ends on a major cliffhanger! Thank you, NetGalley and

Following her estranged father's death, Wyatt returns home to her family farm in rural Maine. There, to her horror, she finds her childhood best friend, Peter, chained up in her basement. She learns that he is semi-immortal and that her bloodline has been ritualistically killing him and harvesting his bones to stave off the dark forces within the woods. However, the blood moon is approaching and the woods are so very hungry--leaving Wyatt with the difficult decision of either sacrificing her friend or letting the darkness consume her town. Your Blood, My Bones by Kelly Andrew paints a haunting New England gothic filled with compelling characters and achingly beautiful prose. Oh, man. If you loved the lyricism, unbreakable bonds, and angst of The Raven Boys, buckle up because you’re going to love this one as well. It’s wonderfully atmospheric and wistfully nostalgic. It’s got creepy woods, folk horror (or should I say cottagegore?), and a dash of heartbreaking, star-crossed love. A

Two eccentric bachelors, Gregor (a botanist) and Simon (a taxidermist), live together in unusual harmony. However, when Gregor comes across a species of fungi who he believes might be sentient, he decides to test his theory further. He decides to plant the fungi into a freshly dead human corpse to grow in and control. Simon reluctantly agrees to help him, but, as their experiment grows, so, too, does the rift between them. A Botanical Daughter  by Noah Medlock is a wonderfully bizarre gothic novel teeming with mad science, body horror, and creeping dread. This book takes after its Frankensteinian roots well—exploring the philosophy of selfhood and personhood (albeit through botany). For instance, at what point is a plant or fungi merely reacting to stimuli and at what point is it considered to have a consciousness? Is their experiment their creation, their daughter, or something more? All in all, it’s a beautifully grotesque, captivating read that I think will delight fans of eco horro

Leslie Bruin is a trans nurse assigned to work at Spar Creek, a small Appalachian mining town. However, when he arrives, the townsfolk are closed off and secretive, and he can't help but feel a strange presence watching him from the woods. The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo paints an unsettling historical horror that explores queerness, religious trauma, and survival. First off, this is a wonderfully atmospheric read. You can practically feel the mugginess of a late Kentucky summer and really get a sense of the late 20s time period. However, there were several aspects I didn’t enjoy as much. For starters, this book is a slow burn. For about 40% of the novella, Leslie isn’t receiving tasks from the townsfolk and instead spends his time passively waiting and listening to town gossip. I wish he could have tried to assist with helping around (and get turned away) or investigate the town’s mystery or at least something! Moreover, we’re told hints that the land Spar Creek sits on is str

When the Lord of the Underworld, Erlik Khan, possesses Zerryn’s childhood friend, the two strike a bargain. If she can win a series of trials and Erlik’s hand in marriage, he’ll release her friend or else her friend will die before winter. The Bride of Death by F.M. Aden weaves a flawed but enthralling tale inspired by Turkish folklore. Let's start with what I liked about the book. I think this is actually the first fantasy book I’ve read that includes Turkish folklore and mythological creatures, so it was a refreshing departure from all the Nordic and Greek-inspired fantasies that are so prolific. The romance itself is deliciously swoonworthy. That part was great! I mean, the main love interest has extra arms ... for hugging, and I’m sure it’ll delight fans of Death and the Maiden trope, I-offer-the-world-at-your-feet dynamics. However, there were certain rushed plot developments towards the end that I felt undid so many of the themes the story had built up, and, for me to dive i

After spending years as a cleric of Vermicula, Korinna believes she is a failure with no natural aptitude for Redsight. However, during a test simulation, she catches the eye of a political advisor and gets assigned as a navigator to an important imperial warship. There pirates seize her ship and her whole world is turned upside down, forcing her to decide where her loyalties lie. Redsight  by Meredith Mooring weaves a queer, Bene Gesserit-inspired space opera that unfortunately fell flat on its execution. Coming into this one, I wanted to love it so badly (I mean, come on. Gay nuns in space sounds amazing), but so much of the plot and worldbuilding didn't make sense to me. For instance, in one passage we're told: "Over the centuries, the cellular differences between Redseers had been eliminated until every descendant had the same proteins, the same flesh, the same blood." If Redseers are all genetically the same though, how is it that there are varying power levels b