Fiona Grey Writes

Writer of Fantasy. Wielder of Red Pens.

Tag: book review

Book Review: Crow Moon

December 14, 2022 /

It’s been a while since I did a book review, but I had extra, unexpected airport-and-plane reading time this week. So let’s start with Cedar Sanderson‘s recent release, Crow Moon: A Collection of Fantastic Tales.

First off, how cool is that cover? Not only do I want to read about her, I kind of want to be that badass striding through the water. I’ll let you decide which one I mean.

As for the tales themselves, this truly is a collection of fantastic tales. A few I’ve read before, in other collections, and were well worth rereading to revisit old friends.

Cedar Sanderson is an exceptional creative in multiple fields, from art sketches and book covers design and chainmail dragons, to posting photographs of food that makes me drool from several states away, to tearing emotion unwilling out of a reader.

Let’s dig into that, because this is no popcorn read you’ll forget about tomorrow.

These tales present choices – real choices, that come with heartache and aftershocks, but in the fantastic worlds as promised. The endings aren’t always happy, and sometimes aren’t resolved. The characters are real people, who have made decisions with courage and a willingness to brave the consequences in order to do what’s right. They are reluctant heroes answering difficult questions, making the best of unenviable situations, and standing up for justice.

In short, these fantastic tales are about honor – not in a way that is moralistic or preaching, oh, no. This book makes me want to go have adventures, uphold the code of chivalry, defend the helpless, and defeat the bad guy.

What more could you ask for? Go read it for yourself!

East Witch Book Review

March 5, 2021 /

Book reviews are back! And since this is only number two in the book reviews I’ve been meaning to get posted, let’s jump right in.

Cedar Sanderson’s latest novel, The East Witch, pulls in Slavic tales and new characters connected to the Pixie for Hire world (Pixie Noir, Trickster Noir, and Dragon Noir). Since this is the series where I first discovered Sanderson’s work, there was no chance I was passing it up.

And that cover! It’s perfection for the book, and also done by Sanderson.

The East Witch by [Cedar Sanderson]

The East Witch starts off with girl rescuing boy. Anna is a guide in Alaska, who finds a wood elf trapped and rescues him. For her troubles and sympathy, she is pulled into another world with no way out. To top it off, her poor dog gets left behind.

Caught Underhill, she must rely on her wits and memory of childhood fairy tales to survive. It’s a good thing she’s resourceful and determined, and even better that she has a good memory.

Baba Yaga, as it turns out, holds people to their word even when it’s out of their control to fulfill. And that’s just the first of Anna’s endeavors in a world she barely understands. I like her moxie, because she never gives up and keeps fighting in creative ways.

Ivan has his own struggles, fighting both to maintain his honor and prove he’s an adult. As the two are separated, he comes into his own and shines as a character. Ivan is a delight in the same way as a young man finding his purpose. He knew what his goals were already, but he grows up while struggling through maintaining duty to clan and promises.

The two characters develop as war and politics threaten Underhill, and each grows into their own. This is a tale where the character development leaves you fully satisfied.

I loved this story, and hope it develops into more eventually! For readers new to this universe, I personally was glad I’d read the Pixie series first (which has its own delights and is highly recommended), but The East Witch stands strong on its own.

And don’t forget to check out her blog at Cedar Writes!

Badass Book Review

February 20, 2021 /

Lately, I’ve been binge-reading neural fluff and mind candy, thanks to Kindle Unlimited’s vast supply of urban fantasy. Most recently, I blitzed through Michael Anderle’s How to be a Badass Witch series, followed by the just-released How to be a Badass Vigilante that kicks off what is presumably the next trilogy.

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The books are promising. Kera discovers a book by the same name as the title, in part to get her mother off her back about wasting her education and life as a bartender. It’s not long before she discovers that the powers described are real. While she’s determining how her new skills can help people, she starts eating quite a bit as there’s an energy cost to her actions. She also brings down the wrath of local gangs.

The gang warfare is a touch that adds unexpected complexity to the series, especially as there are multiple competing gangs with different perspectives and styles. However, Kera’s predominant cost to her actions is a ridiculous appetite. It’s seldom that a reader feels she’s ever really in danger from her vigilante actions, because she’s able to to fend off increasing amounts of bad guys. Although she also takes up martial arts again and combines her fighting skills with magic, the tension is perhaps not quite as strong as it could be.

That said, the knowledge the good guys will win and the main character won’t get seriously hurt makes this a fun popcorn read. Not by physical violence, anyway, not really. Kera increasingly feels the threat of the group who put out the book – a group of mages who are looking for the perfect recruits, and wipe out powers upon signs of individuality or resistance. That’s sufficiently terrifying tension for me! The short-term solution here that gets the mage group to leave Kera alone feels a little convenient, but it’s well done and (more importantly) works.

I do think Kera’s personal choices about mind-wiping others with a forgetfulness spell should make her feel more personable, but don’t. It comes off as power-tripping rather than prone to human judgment. I’m not convinced she’s as regretful or repentant as she should be. Perhaps that’s my own personal abhorrence at the idea coming into play – and that means the author is doing his job by evoking emotion – but her love interest has less repulsion than anticipated as well. The last book also has some humbling of the mage group, which is comes just in time.

Overall, I enjoyed the Badass Witch trilogy, easily titled Books 1, 2, and 3. The Vigilante book felt like a transition, but ended on a sufficiently exciting note that I’m looking forward to the next two books.

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