whimsydearest

Th e Floating World  by Axie Oh weaves a spellbinding silkpunk fantasy that’s inspired by Korean legend and  Final Fantasy . I’m happy to say, this one did not disappoint. In her latest novel, Oh crafts a compelling cast of characters who tugged on my heartstrings. There’s Ren, an orphan who lives with a performance troupe while trying to conceal her powers. Then, on the other hand, there’s Sunho: an ex-soldier turned sword-for-hire who remembers little of his past. Their two paths collide when he’s tasked with tracking down a mysterious girl who lit up the sky. The world itself is equally as interesting. Beneath a floating city in the sky lies the Under World, a city that’s plunged in darkness. To light their city, they mine a toxic ore, which creates devastatingly unintended consequences. However, this book wasn’t completely without flaws. I think my biggest issue was the pacing. The fight scenes were a cool mix of martial arts and unique weapons (like there’s a really fun t...

Grave Empire by Richard Swan brings an exciting new flintlock fantasy filled with mad science, muskets, and vicious mer-men. This series takes place a few hundred years after the events of Empire of the Wolf . However, I feel like it’s still accessible to newcomers and could be read as a standalone series. I’ve got to say, hands down, my favorite storyline had to be Peter’s. He’s a disgraced officer who is assigned to a remote military outpost where he hears strange weeping at night and a mysterious entity is picking off the men one by one. His sections felt wonderfully atmospheric and gothic and almost reminded me of The Island of Doctor Moreau . The worldbuilding itself is well-fleshed out and fascinating. The Sovan Empire is on the cusp of industrial revolution. Magick has largely been prohibited (save for the Corps of Engineers who are allowed to practice thaumaturgy). The author even goes through the pains of creating in-world languages, so when culturally specific words from our...

When thirteen strangers are teleported to a mysterious tower, they must work together in order to navigate deadly traps and puzzles. The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks delivers a propulsive, genre-bending thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I’ve got to say, this is a multi-facetted read. On one hand, it’s an entertaining book that pokes fun at influencers and modern culture. On the other hand, there’s a definite horror undercurrent as well. I absolutely loved the unsettling, every-changing architecture of the tower that seemed to respond to the characters, forcing them to face their inner demons. In a way, this reminded a bit of Silent Hill or the movie Escape Room (2019)—where the environment is a reflection and manifestation of its visitor’s mind, which allows for a deeper psychological look into its characters. Overall, I feel like if you’re a fan of video games, complicated group dynamics, and cosmic horror with heart, you’ll have a good time with this one. Thank you, Net...

We Are the Beasts  by Gigi Griffis introduces a new historical horror inspired by the Beast of Gévaudan. As a total history nerd, the premise sounded intriguing. I was all on board to love this book. However, it’s spoiled by a bizarrely modern narrative voice and shoddy technical writing. For starters, the story is supposed to take place during the mid-1700s, and yet the writing is choppy and feels like it belongs more to a contemporary comedy. It’s filled with modern phrases like “not today, Satan. I’m not sure if the author was trying to appeal to a younger audience, but it felt so tonally off and completely took me out of the story. The author also continually begins sentences with “And.” While this is grammatically incorrect, I’m fine with authors occasionally splitting conjunctive clauses to create emphasis and for artistic effect. However, the author abuses this technique to the point that it loses its impact and disrupts the flow of the writing. Overall, I appreciate that th...

After angels raze the once-dazzling city of Azril to the ground, the demon Vitrine tries to rebuild her city as an exiled angel seeks her forgiveness. The City in Glass  by Nghi Vo is a beautiful gem of a novel—written with evocative, vivid prose that brings the city of Azril and its inhabitants to life. It’s a richly imaginative and heartfelt story about immortality, grief, and forbidden love. The demons in this world are grounded and sentimental, and you can’t help but feel for Vitrine. This is a sweeping tale that covers the course of centuries. Due to this nature, the pacing can be slow at times. It’s the true definition of a slowburn. However, if you’re in the mood for a quieter, more contemplative fantasy, this one will hit the spot. Thank you, NetGalley and Tortotdom, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

  The premise itself for  Metal from Heaven  by August Clarke is barrel of rip-roaring fun. It’s a gun-slinging, industrial revolution-inspired book that explores worker exploitation—albeit with a magical twist. However, all these stellar concepts unfortunately get watered down by shoddy execution. On a technical level, the writing quality was terribly inconsistent for me. The action sequences are awkward and clunky at times and riddled with comma splices. For instance, take a look at the following passage: "A man scrambled from his booth and threw himself across the gap, but the train lurched, his ankle twisted, he slipped and was caught just before gravity stole him by a second enforcer, who tossed him down in the second car, strode across him as she advanced on the bandits, but she’d lowered her weapon to catch him and had no time to ready it again." For a fast-paced action sequence, there is no artistic reason for this section to contain so many conjunctive clauses or...