My very favorite Bossy December reads!
This month my favorite reads were a historical-fiction fantasy set during the Spanish Inquisition; an adventure-fantasy inspired by a Chinese legend; literary fiction tracing life in a British boarding school and beyond; a Norse-inspired fantasy saga; a fun young adult, queer, medieval adventure romance; and a heartwarming, offbeat story set in Japan about the healing power of keeping company with cats.
If you've read any of these titles, I'd love to hear what you think!
And I'd also love to hear: what are some of your recent favorite reads?
01 The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Bardugo's rich world-building sets the scene in Spain during the Inquisition, as a scullery maid with magical abilities is thrust into the spotlight, falls for a cursed lover, and finds that her only hope of survival--and revenge--is outwitting church, state, and the wealthy who gleefully wield their cruel power.
Luzia Cotado lives in a grim house on a shabby street in the new capital of Madrid, working as a scullery maid for an insufferable, unsatisfied mistress.
But when her employer figures out that Luzia is using tiny works of magic to get through her day, she insists that Luzia turn her attentions to magical efforts that will benefit her, or be turned out on the street.
Luzia attracts the attention of more and more powerful people, and she soon finds herself navigating the complex world of seers, frauds, and holy men vying for the king's favor in a competition to earn a position in his inner circle.
She must manage the weighty expectations set upon her--while always hiding her Jewish blood, which would make her a target of the terrifying Inquisition that looms over everyone.
I love a mix of historical fiction and fantasy, and while this novel isn't as layered and complex or as twisty as some other Bardugo novels, The Familiar hit the spot for me with trademark Bardugo detail and world-building that set a dark, rich scene for the action; an unassuming, unlikely heroine who comes into her power; an unorthodox, deep love; and satisfying revenge over corruption and evil.
For my full review of this book--and for links to my reviews of other Leigh Bardugo books--please see The Familiar.
02 A Song to Drown Rivers by Ann Liang
I love Liang's books, and this departure from her romantic comedies is inspired by the Chinese legend of Xishi. It's full of danger, deceit, noble sacrifice, bravery, and love.
I would light the fire. I would heat up this whole room. And when that didn't work--I would burn this kingdom down to ashes, turn all its men into smoke. I would, I would.
Xishi is a beautiful young woman who makes her village in the region of Yue proud, for she will almost certainly make a good marriage match.
But she catches the eye of the well-known young military advisor Fanli, and as she becomes trained in playing music and hiding her emotions, she becomes the key to an elaborate, traitorous plan: to overturn the kingdom of Wu, empower her own people, and avenge her sister's death.
She rises through the ranks of palace concubines and gains almost unfettered access to the king, all the while well aware that if she is revealed to be a traitor, not only she and Fanli but their homeland will be destroyed.
I love Liang's characters and their voices, and I was intrigued that A Song to Drown Rivers was a reworking of an early writing piece of hers.
The ending is fanciful and strange; the tone of the book doesn't seem to be leading to a too-convenient happy ending, and as expected, Liang provides a complex set of conflicts to consider at the story's close: duty, corrupt power, the suffering of the common people, regret after retribution, and life-and-death struggles that don't always end well.
Click here for my full review of A Song to Drown Rivers--and for links to my Bossy reviews of other Ann Liang books.
03 Our Evenings by Alan Hollinghurst
Our Evenings explores a young, often cruel, existence at a British boys' boarding school; later fits and starts of exploring sexuality and expressing vulnerability; a growing love for acting; and seeking and finding a path toward living a genuine life.
Did I have a grievance? Most of us, without looking far, could find something that had harmed us, and oppressed us, and unfairly held us back. I tried not to dwell on it, thought it healthier not to, though I'd lived my short life so far in a chaos of privilege and prejudice.
Young Dave Win, the son of a Burmese father he never met and a devoted, kind seamstress mother, attends a prestigious boarding school on scholarship in the 1960s.
His social position is fragile because of his mixed race and his modest background. He dodges unwelcome attention, begins to love to act in plays, and explores his feelings about other boys.
Our Evenings trails the various impacts of the authority of wealth, abuse of power, and cruelties of the mighty inflicted upon the powerless. The story also explores Dave's and his mother's personal, individual paths through various experiences of bigotry to living life honestly and freely with partners they love.
I appreciated the fullness of the arc of Dave's life, while feeling relatively little emotional attachment to it. I listened to Our Evenings as an audiobook.
Please click here for my full review of Our Evenings.
04 The Shadow of the Gods (The Bloodsworn #1) by John Gwynne
Gwynne's epic, Norse-inspired saga tracks three fascinating main protagonists through battles, shifting alliances, strengthened resolve, and revenge journeys. I loved this.
In John Gwynne's Norse-inspired saga The Shadow of the Gods, it's been a century since the gods battled themselves into extinction. Only their bones hold power now--for those brave enough to seek them out.
There is talk of war's return, and three warriors will shape the future of the land of Vigrid: Elvar, a noblewoman searching for fame through battle; Orka, a huntress on a quest filled with danger; and Varg, a servant who joins the mercenaries called the Bloodsworn so that he may seek revenge.
The three stories run along with plenty of steam, centered around violent battles, brutal revenge, extended searches for loved ones, and the carving out of new futures by our main protagonists. The story is always shifting--shaped by betrayals and the flipped script when fate and destiny aren't what the characters thought and they must come into their own.
This is epic but never melodramatic, and I was hooked on the Viking-esque elements, the badass women who find their strength, and the perfect balance of resolution and cliffhanger to build anticipation for book two. Spoiler: a dragon appears at the very end of the book, laying the groundwork for more dragon page time in subsequent books.
I listened to The Shadow of the Gods as an audiobook. Please click here for my full review of The Shadow of the Gods.
05 Not for the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher
Croucher's young adult queer medieval adventure romance is sweet, spunky, and full of great banter, with characters finding their way (and love) despite complex challenges.
"You aren’t merry," Clem said to her captor. "And you aren’t all men. So there’s been some marketing confusion somewhere along the line."
Mariel is the bristly new captain of the Merry Men and is anxious to live up to the legacy of her grandfather, the retired Robin Hood (who now lives with his true love, William), and to make her hard-to-please father, who has wrested control of the Merry Men, proud.
Clem is a jovial healer from the country who is advancing medical techniques and is sought out for her helpful salves and methods in a time of the outdated use of leeches and attempts to cure dark humors. Clem has only noble intentions of helping others, and she doesn't differentiate between those on the Sheriff's side and those on the Merry Men's side.
When the Merry Men capture Clem in retribution for her help in healing the Sheriff of Nottingham, things get complicated for both Mariel and Clem in this sassy, fun, queer historical fiction young adult romance.
The group faces real challenges, and some characters don't make it through the battles and sometimes-messy plans-gone-awry. Consequences feel appropriately weighty.
It's a young adult book, with lots of love and attraction but very little steaminess (none explicit), and it kept me hooked with the layers of emotional growth, the fights for autonomy, and the determination to build a new future.
I am all in for Lex Croucher novels forever. The banter, the adventure, the medieval setting--yes yes yes.
For my full review--and for a link to my rave Bossy review of Croucher's Gwen & Art Are Not in Love--check out Not for the Faint of Heart.
06 We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida
Ishida's offbeat, heartwarming story of unconventional "medicine" in the form of cats explores interconnectedness and new perspectives, inspiration, and familial bonds.
“You know the old saying: ‘A cat a day keeps the doctor away.’ Cats are more effective than any other medicine out there.”
In the charming story We'll Prescribe You a Cat, a winding, hard-to-find Kyoto alleyway leads to a strange building. Inside, the mysterious Nakagyō Kokoro Clinic for the Soul prescribes medicine to those looking for support and help. Patients are given basic animal care instructions and "take" their unconventional cat prescriptions for a period of time.
Ishida's offbeat story tells the tales of various characters, lost or in pain, who find themselves transformed by spending time with feline companions.
Ishida in some cases overlaps names of cats, workers at the clinic, and others--causing protagonists to wonder at unexpected interconnectedness. The clinic is not always accessible--at times, the roads and alleys around the convoluted address do not appear to be the same and do not lead to the cats. Intention and need seem to be key to finding the source of cat comfort.
I listened to this as an audiobook. My book club will be discussing this heartwarming novel next year. For my full review, please see We'll Prescribe You a Cat.
If you're looking for more heartwarming stories, you might like my Bossy reviews of books like these.
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