Today I'm sharing four mini reviews with you: A Summoning of Souls (Spectral City #3) by Leanna Renee Hieber (available July 21, 2020), Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu (available July 28, 2020), Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura (available August 4, 2020), and It Will Just Be Us by Jo Kaplan (available August 11, 2020) I received these ARCs from NetGalley in exchange for honest reviews. Read on to see my thoughts on them:
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A Summoning of Souls by Leanna Renee Hieber is the third installment of the Spectral City series and I enjoyed seeing these characters again. The series is quickly becoming a favorite of mine and I'm so lucky to have been approved for them. I have a soft spot for historical fantasy and this novel, and the series as a whole, hits almost all the right notes. I love the ghostly and creepy elements as well as the notes of real life history that are interspersed throughout. The level of detail that Hieber puts into her work makes the world of early 1900s NYC feel incredibly real. The same goes for the cast of characters. Eve and all of the members of the Ghost Precinct are quite unique and have their own key strengths to bring to the table. As with each previous installment, it was always delightful to get to see Detective Horowitz. The budding relationship between the detective and Eve is so sweet. Overall, I highly recommend this entire series especially to fans of historical fantasy, paranormal ghost stories, just a dash of romance, and turn of the last century New York City. I need to read more of Hieber's work, and I'm really hoping that we get to see more of Eve, Detective Horowitz, and the Ghost Precinct in the future.
My review is also on Goodreads.
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Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu is an outstanding and lyrical feminist fairy tale. As the blurb states, it is a great combination of Damsel by Elana K. Arnold and A Heart in the Body of the World by Deb Caletti. If you've read either of those two novels, that description should give you an idea of what you're going to be in for with this new release. The story of the cursed princesses of the Kingdom of Ever is brutal and spare yet lyrical. The dual perspective between Jane, one of the cursed, and Reagan, the witch who cursed the family, is absolutely fascinating decision on the author's part. I was swept up as we begin to learn more of the details of the nature of the curse on the sisters, the cost of casting a curse on the witches, and the horrifying reason the curse was placed on the princesses. Although, this story is presented as a timeless fairy tale it still feels all too timely. Overall, I highly recommend Ever Cursed if you're looking for a tough but ultimately hopeful fairy tale. I'm going to need to try more of Haydu's work in the future.
My review is also on Goodreads.
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Poe Dameron: Free Fall by Alex Segura starts off as a tale about teenage Poe Dameron as he begins to get involved as a spice runner before he joins the rebellion. It's a fun, fast-paced adventure that jumps from mission to mission. It does a decent job of bringing young Poe and Zorii to life and letting us in to their world. Poe Dameron is one of my favorites characters from the new Star Wars films, but I wasn't terribly thrilled with where his character ends up over the course of three films. Either way, I was pretty excited to see the character I loved from The Force Awakens gets his start. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by this novel. The characterizations, relationships, and world-building were a little too flat for my tastes. My expectations were quite high and it just never got there, but to be honest usually any day I get to see a Star War is a good day.
My review is also on Goodreads.
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I'm always on the look out for a good, atmospheric gothic horror novel and It Will Just Be Us by Jo Kaplan checked almost all the right boxes for me. I mean, it's got decaying mansions, ghosts of crazy ancestors and everything. To keep it simple, this novel is quite a ride that puts you through the nerve-grating wringer right with the cast. The unsettling twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat to the very end. If you're a fan of Netflix's The Haunting of Hill House and The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, I have a feeling you'll want to give this new release a try.
My review is also on Goodreads.
What are you reading? Are you planning on trying these new novels? As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!
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