Fantasy – Page 4 – World of Bai

Book Review: “Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia Of Faeries” By Heather Fawcett

This was my book clubs book pick for August and it turned out to be one of the best books we have read so far! All the ratings we have received so far from those who have finished the book have all been five stars, which is phenomenal! I can’t wait to share my thoughts with you so lets dive in!

“I knew you wouldn’t believe it. Just because you have a heart filled with the dust of a thousand library stacks does not mean everybody does.”
Heather Fawcett, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries

About The Book

Author: Heather Fawcett

Publisher: Del Rey

Published Date: January 10th, 2023

Page Count: 325 Pages

Main Genres: Fantasy, Romance

GoodReads Rating: 4.10

Format: Physical Book

“The Folk were of another world, with its own rules and customs—and to a child who always felt ill-suited to her own world, the lure was irresistible.”
Heather Fawcett, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Synopsis

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party–or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones–the most elusive of all faeries–lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all–her own heart.

Synopsis From Goodreads

Rating

Review

This book was the perfect cozy fantasy read! I really needed this book in my life in this exact moment so I am so happy we were able to read this for my Book Club this month.

I am not a huge fantasy reader so I was honestly super worried to pick it up but I was hooked within the first few chapters. I truly did not want this book to end. I really ended up falling in love with all the characters in this book especially Bambleby. He seems like an unlikeable character at the beginning but he really grows on you throughout the story.

I really loved the connection all the characters ended up building with each other over the course of the book. Many friendships blossomed between the towns folk, the fae and our main character even had a sweet romance plot that didn’t feel forced and was honestly so subtle. It was the perfect mix to make a perfect book.

Learning about the different kinds of Fae that live in this small town was just so much fun! I really loved the world building and how easy it was to follow which I find hard in most fantasy books as it is easy for new worlds and rules to get complicated quickly. I think it might have started a small fantasy obsession? I really need to find me some easy cozy fantasies to pick up ASAP! I really can’t wait for the second book to come out in January 2024, gosh this is going to be such a long wait!

“One doesn’t need magic if one knows enough stories.”
Heather Fawcett, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries

QOTD: Send me some Cozy Fantasy Recs.

“Perhaps it is always restful to be around someone who does not expect anything from you beyond what is in your nature.”
Heather Fawcett, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries

Book Review: “Legendary” By Stephanie Garber

This review has been a long time coming! I started this book in January and I just barley finished it. I am so happy I finally get to share my thoughts with you and move onto the third book into this series. Make sure to check out my full review of the first book in this series Caraval.

“Every good story needs a villain.
But the best villains are the ones you secretly like.”
Stephanie Garber, Legendary

About The Book

Author: Stephanie Garber

Publisher: Flatiron Books

Published Date: May 29th, 2018

Page Count: 451 Pages

Main Genres: Fantasy, YA, Romance

GoodReads Rating: 4.20

Format: E-Book

Synopsis

A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.

After being swept up in the magical world of Caraval, Donatella Dragna has finally escaped her father and saved her sister, Scarlett, from a disastrous arranged marriage. The girls should be celebrating, but Tella isn’t yet free. She made a desperate bargain with a mysterious criminal, and what Tella owes him no one has ever been able to deliver: Caraval Master Legend’s true name.

The only chance of uncovering Legend’s identity is to win Caraval, so Tella throws herself into the legendary competition once more—and into the path of the murderous heir to the throne, a doomed love story, and a web of secrets…including her sister’s. Caraval has always demanded bravery, cunning, and sacrifice, but now the game is asking for more. If Tella can’t fulfill her bargain and deliver Legend’s name, she’ll lose everything she cares about—maybe even her life. But if she wins, Legend and Caraval will be destroyed forever…

Welcome, welcome to Caraval . . . the games have only just begun.

Synopsis From GoodReads

“Every story has four parts – the beginning, the middle, the almost ending, and the true ending.”
Stephanie Garber, Legendary

Rating

Review

At the end of last year I finished Caraval and I said it was my favorite book of 2023 and honestly looking back I can’t say that I agree with that. I really did love the first book but I read so many other amazing books last year that saying Caraval was my favorite just doesn’t feel right anymore.

I immediately started this book after I finished Caraval thinking I would ride the high and devour this one, but it was quite the opposite. I did enjoy this book but I am just not someone who leans towards reading fantasy so it was harder for me to pick up and read.

The over all storyline was really great and I enjoyed the plotline of trying to find the girls mother. However I really wish we were following Scarlet still or just started following Tella from the beginning because I just didn’t care for Tella as much as I cared for Scarlet and I didn’t get much of Scarlet in this book.

I am excited to finish the Caraval Series but I can’t say I am going to jump right into it. But I also really do want to finish it as soon as possible so I can start the break off series “Once Upon A Broken Heart”. So I am sure you will be seeing some more Stephanie Garber Reviews from me over the next year.

“Not everyone gets a true ending. There are two types of endings because most people give up at the part of the story where things are the worst, where the situation feels hopeless. But that’s when hope is needed most. only those who persevere can find their true ending.”
Stephanie Garber, Legendary

QOTD: What Fantasy Novels do you recommend?

“Her heart was still a little heavy, but she’d decided carrying it around would only maker her stronger.”
Stephanie Garber, Legendary

February Hopefuls

February is the month of love and typically I would have all romance reads on my hopefuls list but this year I just have a desire to read a mix of things. One of these days I will actually read all of the hopefuls on my list in the month I pick them. Some of these books I am listing have been on my hopefuls list several times or even back to back which is so sad! But I have high hopes for this month!

QOTD: What book are you excited to read this month?

January Wrap Up

Is it just me or did January fly by?! But seriously though, I felt like I was running out of time to get anything read last month and I have some regrets. If I am 100% honest January was my month of cozy gaming, I restarted my Animal Crossing Island, Played Coral Island and Stardew Valley but honestly didn’t read as much as I would have liked.

Physical Book

“Legends and Lattes” By Travis Baldree

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

Synopsis From GoodReads

Full Review

Audio

“Babel” By R.F. Kuang

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel.

Babel is the world’s center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide…

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

Synopsis From GoodReads

Full Review

“Comfort Me With Apples” By Catherynne M. Valente

This book was extremely short so I didn’t think making a full review was necessary so here are my thoughts.

I had seen this book on so many peoples wrap ups over the last year and It sounded so intriguing. I had just watched the movie Don’t Worry Darling and so this book really gave me those vibes to start which I loved! However I think because I listened to the audio book it didn’t let me get the full intense vibe that this book was trying to give off. I think I will be rereading this one soon just so I can understand it a bit more but overall I did enjoy this book.

Graphic Novel

“The Witch Boy” By Molly Ostertag

I Never write full reviews for graphic novels so here are my quick thoughts.

This is a middle grade read so I really didn’t expect a lot but the art was absolutely gorgeous. The overall message about gender rolls was really cute and I do think it will be great for younger kids to pick this up and see that they can be anything they want and put their minds to.

Favorite Quotes

“The combined aromas of hot cinnamon, ground coffee, and sweet cardamom intoxicated her, and as she brewed and smiled and served and chatted, a deep contentment welled up. It was a glowing warmth she’d never experienced before, and she liked it. She liked it a great deal.”
Travis Baldree, Legends & Lattes

“… The price of what I meant to do Was higher when the day was through, And when I took a different road, I almost couldn’t feel the load …”
Travis Baldree, Legends & Lattes

“If we push in the right spots – then we’ve moved things to the breaking point. The the future becomes fluid, and change is possible. History isn’t a premed tapestry that we’ve got to suffer, a closed world with no exit. We can form it. Make it. We just have to choose to make it.”
R.F. Kuang, Babel

“A lie was not a lie if it was never uttered; questions that were never asked did not need answers. They would both remain perfectly content to linger in the liminal, endless space between truth and denial.”
R.F. Kuang, Babel

QOTD: Favorite read so far in 2023?

Book Review: “Legends and Lattes” By Travis Baldree

As someone who is not a fantasy reader I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I had seen only good reviews for this book and also heard that it was a cozy low stakes read which sounded right up my alley and they were not wrong! If you are looking for a cute, cozy read that will make you hungry then please pick this book up!

“After twenty-two years of adventuring, Viv had reached her limit of blood and mud and bullshit. An orc’s life was strength and violence and a sudden, sharp end—but she’d be damned if she’d let hers finish that way. It was time for something new.”
Travis Baldree, Legends & Lattes

About The Book

Author: Travis Baldree

Publisher: TOR Books

Published Date: February 22, 2022

Page Count: 296 Pages

Main Genres: Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+

GoodReads Rating: 4.36

Format: Physical Book

“… The price of what I meant to do Was higher when the day was through, And when I took a different road, I almost couldn’t feel the load …”
Travis Baldree, Legends & Lattes

Synopsis

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone.

Synopsis From GoodReads

“Things don’t have to stay as what they started out as.”
Travis Baldree, Legends & Lattes

Rating

Review

I believe that this book has started an obsession with finding cozy low stake fantasy books. I need more books that the world is easy to understand, you fall in love with each and every character, and you just want everyone to succeed.

My favorite part about this book was all the small details that were written into the story such as, the making of the menu board, the recipes that thimble puts together and last but not least the romantic tension between the two main characters.

I was constantly hungry while reading this book and I am so glad I ended up at a coffee shop for my own iced latte.

This book was a fairly short read and I think that was the worst part! I was not ready for their story to end, so much so that I would only read a chapter a day so that I could savor every moment. Don’t get me wrong, I could have sped through and read this in one day but that might have broke my heart.

If you haven’t yet, please do yourself a favor and pick this fantastical read up, especially while it is still cold and possibly snowy out. I promise you will not regret it!

“The combined aromas of hot cinnamon, ground coffee, and sweet cardamom intoxicated her, and as she brewed and smiled and served and chatted, a deep contentment welled up. It was a glowing warmth she’d never experienced before, and she liked it. She liked it a great deal.”
Travis Baldree, Legends & Lattes

QOTD: What are some other cozy low stake fantasy reads?

Book Review: “Babel” By R.F. Kuang

2023 is starting off a lot slower than I would have hoped. This will be only the second book I have read so far and January is practically over! I have two other books that I am currently reading and I really hope to finish them over the next few days, my fingers are crossed.

“If we push in the right spots – then we’ve moved things to the breaking point. The the future becomes fluid, and change is possible. History isn’t a premed tapestry that we’ve got to suffer, a closed world with no exit. We can form it. Make it. We just have to choose to make it.”
R.F. Kuang, Babel

About The Book

Author: R.F. Kuang

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Published Date: August 23, 2022

Page Count: 545 Pages

Main Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

GoodReads Rating: 4.35

Format: Audio

“She learned revolution is, in fact, always unimaginable. It shatters the world you know. The future is unwritten, brimming with potential. The colonizers have no idea what is coming, and that makes them panic. It terrifies them.
R.F. Kuang, Babel

Synopsis

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

Synopsis From GoodReads

“A lie was not a lie if it was never uttered; questions that were never asked did not need answers. They would both remain perfectly content to linger in the liminal, endless space between truth and denial.”
R.F. Kuang, Babel

Rating

“No one’s focused on how we’re all connected. We only think about how we suffer, individually. The poor and middle-class of this country don’t realize they have more in common with us than they do with Westminster.”
R.F. Kuang, Babel

Review

This is a book that made it on almost everyone’s 2022 top 10 lists so I knew I needed to pick it up and see what all they hype was about. Honestly, I really struggled at first because I felt almost to dumb to be reading it. But the mor ethe story progressed the more I fell in love with it.

I would have died for the majority of these characters! The relationships built throughout the book really tugged at your heart and made you want what was best for the characters and their relationships. I feel like in most books where you have a fairly large cast of characters it can be hard to grow any kind of connection to the majority of them but with this book that just wasn’t the case. Their relationships with each other were a very important part of the book and if the character building wasn’t done well then the book would have fallen flat.

This book talks about some really important topics, the biggest two to me were race and social classism. These are things that our world was built around and this book really dives deep into how we as a world need to come together and make some much needed changes as these are two huge issues in todays society.

Something that really stuck out to me is that even if the world is unwilling to change YOU are capable of changing and making your own small impact to make this world a better place.

With all of that said I would highly recommend this book especially on audio. The audio book was amazing because a second voice would read the footnotes to you as they were happening and even help with pronunciations. I hope this makes you want to give this book a chance because it will change your outlook on the world.

“That’s just what translation is, I think. That’s all speaking is. Listening to the other and trying to see past your own biases to glimpse what they’re trying to say. Showing yourself to the world, and hoping someone else understands.”
R.F. Kuang, Babel

QOTD: What are some good books about Race, Classism and Feminism?

“Be selfish,” he whispered. “Be brave.”
R.F. Kuang, Babel