The Good Luck Girls by Charlotte Nicole Davis

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 352 

Publisher: Hot Key Books 

Released: 1st of October 2019

Aster. Violet. Tansy. Mallow. Clementine.

Sold as children. Branded by cursed markings. Trapped in a life they never would have chosen.

When Aster's sister Clementine accidentally murders a man, the girls risk a dangerous escape and harrowing journey to find freedom, justice, and revenge - in a country that wants them to have none of those things. Pursued by the land's most vicious and powerful forces - both living and dead - their only hope lies in a bedtime story passed from one girl to another, a story that only the youngest or most desperate would ever believe.

It's going to take more than luck for them all to survive.

What I Have to Say 

A great new fantasy book about girls fighting against their abusers and oppressors. The thing that really set this book apart for me was that though they showed the trauma of sexual abuse perfectly and in several different ways, the emphasis is on fighting back rather than the abuse and trauma itself.

The wild west inspired world that the Good Luck Girls was based in was a really well created picture of colonialism and slavery. The references to the taking and corrupting of native lands made a fantastic contrast to the glorified picture of cowboys and outlaws that are often shown in Westerns.

I loved these girls so much that it was sad to put the book down. I look forward to seeing what Charlotte Nicole Davis comes out with next.

My thanks go to Hot Key Books for providing me with this free copy for review. 

Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Pages: 384 

Publisher: Gollancz

Released: 8th of November 2018 

In a palace of illusions, nothing is what it seems.

Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace’s enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete—all except yōkai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. 

Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yōkai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari’s fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yōkai outcast.

Torn between duty and love, loyalty and betrayal, vengeance and forgiveness, the choices of Mari, Taro, and Akira will decide the fate of Honoku.

What I Have to Say 

This is definitely one of my new favourite books. Set in a world where yōkai live alongside humans, mistrusted and feared so much that they are enslaved, their powers bond by metal collars, it was so interesting to see the tensions between them and the ways that the different yōkai were fighting back against the system. 

I loved Mari. She was a beautiful character with so much strength in some ways and so much vulnerability in others. I loved that she struggled with her yōkai abilities and how she was so kind and different from the rest of the women in Tsuma. It was a really great take on the Crane Wife and showed the strength of women taking power back from the men who would enslave them. 

I loved it all. From the competition between the girls in the season rooms to the range of characters and their interactions in and out of the palace to the perfect ending, satisfying and compelling right to the last page. I loved the romance between Mari and Taro and was heartbroken by the way things changed over the course of the novel. 

There wasn't a character in this book that I didn't love (or love to hate) and I adored the little snips of stories about the gods throughout the book. This is definitely a book that any fantasy lover should pick up. 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Gollancz for providing me with this copy for review. 

Tempests and Slaughter by Tamora Pierce

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Pages: 432

Publisher: Harper Voyager 

Released: 20th of September 2018

Arram. Varice. Ozorne. In the first book in the Numair Chronicles, three student mages are bound by fate . . . fated for trouble.

Arram Draper is a boy on the path to becoming one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class at the Imperial University of Carthak, he has a Gift with unlimited potential for greatness–and for attracting danger. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a clever girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, these three friends forge a bond that will one day shape kingdoms. And as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram begins to realize that one day soon he will have to decide where his loyalties truly lie. 

In the Numair Chronicles, readers will be rewarded with the never-before-told story of how Numair Salmalín came to Tortall. Newcomers will discover an unforgettable fantasy adventure where a kingdom’s future rests on the shoulders of a talented young man with a knack for making vicious enemies.

What I Have to Say 

I've loved Tamora Pierce for years even while it was so so hard to find her books in the UK, so being approved for a proof of her latest book was such a dream come true for me and a massive privilege. It's so great to see her being brought back to this side of the pond again. This was amazing for readers of the other Tortall books and also would be a pretty good book for new readers. 

It was both intriguing and so, so sad to see the characters while knowing what happens in the future books. The word slaughter in the title didn't help either. I was constantly looking for signs of what was to come and the foreshadowing was there to be found. The fact is, I absolutely love these characters. The friendship between Ozorne, Varice and Arram is a beautiful thing and I can't bear to see something coming between them. And at the same time I'm excited to see the changes and how everything comes to pass. 

Pierce's characters and the relationships between them are always amazing and seeing the young mages interact with their tutors was great. The style of Pierce writes in, the formula of her books gives you a predictability that you can settle into, while also leaving enough room for surprises and twists to stop it from getting boring. And her animal companions are the best. Preet was without a doubt my favourite character in this book and I am unashamed to admit it. The way that she was so expressive and with such character without being able to talk was beautiful and if anything bad happens to her I will burn everything to the ground. 

If you haven't picked up any of Pierce books yet, then what are you waiting for? 

My thanks go to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with this copy for review. 

Passing for White by Tanya Landman

Synopsis (from Goodreads) 

Publisher: Barrington Stoke 

Released: 15th of May 2017 

1848. The Deep South. Rosa is a slave but her owner is also her father and her fair skin means that she can ‘pass for white’. With the aid of her husband, Rosa disguises herself as a young Southern gentleman, and her husband as her property. In this guise, the couple flee the South, explaining away their lack of literacy, avoiding anyone that they may have ever met and holding their nerve in the face of extreme stress and imminent danger, over a thousand miles to freedom. 

What I Have to Say 

One of the many things I liked about this was that it was a that it's based on a true story. Some of the names and events are changed but the basic story of two black people travelling across America in search of freedom is the same. It's inspiring and made even more awesome by the fact that there was no "white saviour" in the entire thing. The entire journey was all down to Rosa, a black slave, taking advantage of her light skin to disguise herself as a white gentleman. And that is just the most beautiful thing I've read lately. 

Rosa felt very real as well. Her fear as she traveled, always worrying that she would be caught out was infectious and it made me root for her so much, because I couldn't stand the thought that she wouldn't succeed. 

The language used in the book was mostly okay. The N-word was used once and Rosa's husband was addressed as "boy" a few times, but there was a note in the back explaining the authors decision to use these words and how she had tried to hold back as much as she could without being unrealistic. I think. Obviously being white I don't know what it would be like to be a black person reading this book, so I can't really comment more than to say I respect the author's decision and hope it doesn't offend anyone. 

My thanks go to Barrington Stoke and Nina Douglas for providing me with this copy for review.