recommend – Page 4 – Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Emily Wilde #1

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.

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, and the Fair Folk.

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.

Overall Recommendation:

With Emily’s unique voice set in a beautifully imaginative historical world where faeries live among us, Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries stands itself firmly out among the crowd. Perfect for an autumn or winter read, this book transports you to this alternative history in early 1900s through Emily’s eyes as a researcher of the fae. I loved the extensive world building and Emily’s grumpy character to Wendell’s bubbly nature. The romance was slow burn while the world takes centre stage, but this is everything I could ask for. This is how a cozy historical fantasy should be done!

The hype was real with this book when it first came out, and I’m never too certain if I want to jump on board the hype train while it’s still hot. However, my workplace book club voted to read this so I gladly decided to pick it up now, a little behind most others, and I’m so happy I did.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is the perfect blend of coziness for an autumn/winter read, intrigue into the world building full of all sorts of faeries, and slow burn romance that makes me want to giggle like a young schoolgirl swinging her feet happily. To describe everything that I feel for this book is not going to be easy, but I can describe the tropes I found I really enjoyed.

Starting with characterization, our protagonist Emily is a grumpy introvert with perhaps more than a dash of social anxiety and a huge love of rational thinking. Think Kathy Reich’s protagonist Temperance Brennan kind of awkwardness and love for scientific discovery. I rather enjoyed Emily’s character, from start to finish. She grew a lot in her experiences at Ljosland as she hoped to finish her encyclopedia with an entry on the Hidden Ones found in this sub-Arctic country.

To balance her character, her mysterious colleague and sometimes rival, Wendell Bambleby was an enigma from the start. Bubbly personality that could charm pretty much anyone once he got started, he was the complete opposite of Emily in pretty much most ways. While he enjoyed his work on faeries, he was noted to have many students help him with the “hard” work and may have fabricated data for a study or two (whoops). His teamwork with Emily, though, was one of my favourite things. This was the true definition of a grumpy and sunshine couple, and I loved seeing their banter that brought out Emily’s snarkiness and his teasing. For fans of romance, I will say this was a very slow burn romance that barely constituted much in this book, however, I wouldn’t want it to change a thing as it sets the stage for so much more we can expect in the next book.

The mystery surrounding Wendell, as hinted in the synopsis, doesn’t actually come at the end but gradually builds which was a delightful surprise. It’s not that we know everything, but it’s enough to draw us forward for what’s to come. I thought that was beautifully done by Heather, and she may be an author to love based on this alone.

Other tropes I loved that was featured heavily is the concept of found family. Emily never made ties with the villagers in the remote locations she did field work for her research. She did her thing and left, no emotions or strings attached. But in an isolated place like Ljosland, when things go awry (and oh boy, do they have some interesting misadventures), you need someone to count on besides yourself. I really enjoyed seeing these secondary characters blossom a little, and how they brought out Emily’s softer side that wasn’t so rigid in empirical thinking.

The pace and world building were excellently done as well, something I find can be quite hard in books. Written as a detailed journal with dated entries, it never quite felt like the story was too long or the author dumped a load of information about the world for the sake of knowledge alone. References were made, including little intriguing footnotes, that made me want to know more instead of reading paragraphs full of descriptions that made me yawn. I thoroughly enjoyed this method of giving us information while being true to Emily’s experiences and her voice. If you’re a fan of Piranesi, I would think this similar writing style would be of interest to you.

I’ve done all this talking and I haven’t even gotten to the faeries yet. Honestly, even if this wasn’t a faerie book, there are just so many things to love already. But as it is a faerie book, I will mention there is so much creativity and imaginative thought put into this story. From different faerie stories collected Emily has collected in her research travels to the different species and their unique attributes/weaknesses, even the randomest details in Emily’s notes she references could play a larger role in the overall story than we know. The faeries range from scary/violent to little common fae I would love to meet. Heather has put care into describing them and crafting this folklore feel around everything. If I had to absolutely pick my most favourite element of this book, I’d have to go with this.

I could go on and gush more, but I will end off saying this book more than meets the hype. You may not think of yourself as a historical fantasy kind of reader, but you wouldn’t know until you try. There are so many elements here to love. In a similar vein to Rebecca Ross’ A River Enchanted, there’s not only magic in the story, but there is magic in reading the book itself.

4.5 star, YA

ARC Review: Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou

June 13, 2023June 13, 2023 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

In a world where the children of the gods inherit their powers, a descendant of the Greek Fates must solve a series of impossible murders to save her sisters, her soulmate, and her city.

Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. The Ora sisters are no exception. Io, the youngest, uses her Fate-born abilities as a private investigator in the half-sunken city of Alante.

But her latest job leads her to a horrific discovery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill. To find the culprit, she must work alongside Edei Rhuna, the right hand of the infamous Mob Queen—and the boy with whom she shares a rare fate-thread linking them as soul mates before they’ve even met.

But the investigation turns personal when Io’s estranged oldest sister turns up on the arm of her best suspect. Amid unveiled secrets from her past and her growing feelings for Edei, Io must follow clues through the city’s darkest corners and unearth a conspiracy that involves some of the city’s most powerful players—before destruction comes to her own doorstep.

Overall Recommendation:

Threads That Bind ties together an intriguing take on Greek mythology and the powers ones descendants take on. In a dystopian world that’s fallen to natural disasters like regular flooding, Io’s world is still filled with fear against those who are different: the other-born with gifts from the gods. If you come into this book thinking it’s a super romantic story, I mean, yes, it has romance but it’s super slow burn. What is mostly highlighted and what I loved was the adventurous journey she and her fated soulmate takes to solve the mystery of dead women killing people in her neighborhood. Wholly imaginative in world building and the pieces of the mystery, this book will have you flipping those pages as it surely did for me.

**Threads That Bind comes out June 13, 2023**

Thank Penguin Random House Canada for this copy in exchange for an honest review

I always love a good Greek mythology story but sometimes it seems we focus on very specific gods and figures. One of the many things I loved about Threads That Bind is the different take on Greek gods and the powers their descendants may have. Io Ora, our protagonist, is a moira-born, one who is descended from the Fates and can specifically cut the threads that tie the people, places and things a person loves. Oh, and also their life-thread. This makes her considerably dangerous from an outside perspective, and Io knows well what it means to be other-born and a cutter. Faced with others’ stereotypes and fears, she holds to her own morals and helps those in the poorer district of the city where she lives as a private investigator.

Enter the mystery. While there is definitely romance in this book (I will get back to this later), this was my favourite part. Heavily plot-laden, we follow Io on what was initially a simple cheating case she was hired for that quickly escalates to mysterious deaths caused by a woman with a severed life-thread. In other words, this someone should be dead yet is functioning enough to kill someone else. Partnered with the man she is connected with by a fate-thread, Edei, the action is nonstop and the pieces of the puzzle keep on getting better as we unravel more about these women and their puppeteer.

While the mystery kept the plot exciting and moving quickly, another thing I loved was the world building. The lush descriptions of this dystopian world where neo-monsoons flood the streets often and three moons circle above entice you into this otherworldly experience. The residents are forced to traverse buildings by roof with bridges built in the air, and individual large cities have become their own city-nations as the lands outside are less inhabitable. The existence of so many different other-born showed the vast variety of people and Greek gods present, and how they can use their individual powers in society. I didn’t want to leave the city of Alante, not because it’s a nice place to live, but because it felt so real.

But for my romance lovers out there, the romance here is present but alas quite a slow burn. Fighting against their fate-thread that sometimes draw them closer together – especially in life-threatening situations – Io has been trying and failing at keeping her distance with Edei, emotionally and physically. This book explores the idea of fate versus choice. If they were to fall in love, is it considered real if this was always their destiny? Or is there something more potent about the idea of choosing whom you love? I can’t wait for more in the next book between them, but I definitely felt the pacing of their love story was appropriate given the craziness going on in their city. When one meets a fates soulmate, it wouldn’t do if they fell instantly in love. Now that would feel less real.

The last thing I’ll highlight that I loved was Io’s character arc. Hurt by her overbearing sister’s rules growing up, Io dealt a lot with shame and guilt when it came to her sister’s abandonment two years prior. Add onto the fact that she’s a cutter and normal people generally regard her suspiciously, it’s hard not to want to be everyone’s saviour. Helping out of guilt versus out of kindness are two different things, and Io had a lot of baggage to process in how she lived and what propelled her actions. I liked that she had flaws, realistic ones from her upbringing, but she also carried morals that could be molded when faced with new knowledge and experience. She’s the kind of flawed protagonist I like. Not morally gray but not self righteous in their inability to admit wrong. I look forward to seeing her journey continue in book 2. It honestly can’t come out fast enough!

5 star, YA

ARC Review: Always Isn’t Forever by J.C. Cervantes

June 4, 2023June 3, 2023 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

From New York Times bestselling author J.C. Cervantes comes a sparkling, unforgettable YA romance, perfect for fans of You’ve Reached Sam.

Best friends and soul mates since they were kids, Hart Augusto and Ruby Armenta were poised to take on senior year together when Hart tragically drowns in a boating accident. Absolutely shattered, Ruby struggles to move on from the person she knows was her forever love.

Hart can’t let go of Ruby either…. Due to some divine intervention, he’s offered a second chance. Only it won’t be as simple as bringing him back to life–instead, Hart’s soul is transferred to the body of local bad boy.

When Hart returns to town as Jameson, he realizes that winning Ruby back will be more challenging than he’d imagined. For one, he’s forbidden from telling Ruby the truth. And with each day he spends as Jameson, memories of his life as Hart begin to fade away.

Though Ruby still mourns Hart, she can’t deny that something is drawing her to Jameson. As much as she doesn’t understand the sudden pull, it can’t be ignored. And why does he remind her so much of Hart? Desperate to see if the connection she feels is real, Ruby begins to open her heart to Jameson–but will their love be enough to bridge the distance between them?

Overall Recommendation:

Bring your tissues because Always Isn’t Forever will tug at your heartstrings while you’re screaming at yourself to not let your heart beat with hope for Ruby and Hart. Reminiscent of You’ve Reached Sam, an unexpected early death throws a wrench in their plans for their forever future, but these two lovebirds find a way to connect with each other again even after death. Except Hart can’t tell Ruby he doesn’t appear as he used to! I loved the dual POV that gave insight into their love that defies the passing of time and their age. Their journey for even one more moment together had me hogging the tissues in a corner as I gobbled their story in one sitting. 100% worth the read!

**Always Isn’t Forever comes out June 6, 2023**

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review

It’s not a joke when the synopsis compares Always Isn’t Forever to You’ve Reached Sam. The cover gives even the same vibes. But where You’ve Reached Sam hit a little bit of a roadblock for me, this book blew past my expectations and opened my heart (and the floodgates) to Ruby and Hart’s story.

I’m a sucker for romances that hit you deep in the heart and this one is no exception. For a story about death and getting a divine second chance to potentially reconnect, whether you love the book or not hinges on how well you love the two protagonists. I’d say I’m sometimes pretty jaded when it comes to romance stories – I’ve definitely read a lot – but these two teenagers had such a woven and realistic story of love from childhood friends to something more.

The dual POV from Hart (in Jameson’s body) and Ruby gave so much insight to who they each were, but also who the other meant to them. Hart was a songwriter, and his soul was entwined with music and melody that dreamt of their love. While his memories were slowly disappearing, he held on desperately for his memory of Ruby and the music he was in the midst of writing for her at the time of his death. Ruby, on the other hand, loved the water, practically lived in it. After Hart’s drowning, she had to reconcile her love for the water and its hand in taking away the only boy she ever loved.

My heart is still beating rapidly just thinking of their story. The prose and flow had everything to do with it too. Cervantes carved their love story through quick chapters, little memories engraved in their souls, and raw emotions that aren’t always easy to deal with in the face of goodbyes.

Love doesn’t need more than one heart.

If there’s one thing that both Hart and Ruby learned, it was this quote. Oh, my poor heart suffered with Hart as he desperately tried to tell the people he loved, especially Ruby, that he was back. But regardless if she didn’t fully know who he was inside a new body, he knew. And love doesn’t require more than one heart.

Aside from these two whom I fell in love with, there were a few secondary characters making an impact. Ruby’s sister, Gabi, is exactly what I would want in a sister if I were to have one. She pushed Ruby when others may have given up when she went into a sad spiral. They bickered and they disagreed on things but you can tell love was the underlying motive for everything Gabi did for Ruby. And on Hart’s side, let’s just say there’s a fun divine being he befriends who ended up being a nice, more lighthearted character to throw into their mix.

Who surprised me most was Jameson. We can’t forget the boy whose body Hart took. This is NOT like The Host (aka my favourite book ever) where two souls vie for one body. The divine rules for body recycling is interesting, but a body can hold memories so getting to know pieces of Jameson was also amazing. Cervantes has a way of making each character feel real with their emotions and how they grapple with things like grief and guilt and joy.

All this to say, Always Isn’t Forever blew past my expectations. Did I think I would cry? Yes. Did I actually cry? 100 times yes. But it held such a good balance of hope, love, and grief that I could only ever hope to find in a book. If you liked You’ve Reached Sam, I’d say you’d LOVE this one.