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Cozy Fantasies: Brigands & Breadknives and The House Witch

12 Nov

Brigands and Breadknives
by Travis Baldree
Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes was instrumental in beginning the cozy fantasy wave. I personally find it refreshing to enjoy the lighter side of fantasy with a bit more humor and a bit less darkness than the previous wave of grimdark novels in the early 2000’s brought. The third in the series, Brigands & Breadknives is equally delightful, but definitely still has some very suspenseful moments and some blood is shed. This story instead of focusing on orc Viv, follows her friend Fern, a sweet, but foul mouthed rattkin, who upon having a midlife crisis is ready to find what the next chapter of her life holds. I loved seeing again Potroast her now senior, but still adorable doglike gryphet, but also enjoyed new characters like Zil a goblin, who breeds chaos and is sure to be a fan favorite. This novel like the previous entries will appeal to those who enjoy stories about found family and self-reinvention. Where Baldree excels compared to some other cozy fantasy authors is creating an intriguing and well paced plot to place his charming characters and also giving us something unique in each installment.

The House Witch
by Delemhach
I enjoyed The House Witch (1) by Delemhach as an audiobook. Matthew Wolf does a great job of narrating the story. Finlay Ashowan is the King of Daxaria’s new cook, but he is hiding secrets. The biggest of these is he is a house witch, meaning he is able to do magic associated with the household he lives in and works for. The novel contains likeable characters, a sweet romance, and an endearing kitten, Finlay’s familiar, Kraken (who looks quite a lot like one of my own cats). This novel will appeal to those who don’t mind some modern anachronisms in with their medievalesque setting. There are two more volumes of this romantasy series also available from Hoopla. If you enjoy this novel, I would also recommend checking out T.Kingfisher’s A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking .

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Heart-Stopping Horror: The Library at Hellebore and Certain Dark Things

23 Jul

The Library at Hellebore
by Cassandra Khaw
I’m always interested to check out a new work by Cassandra Khaw. Even when their work is at their goriest there is always something beautiful about the world they have created. The Library at Hellebore focuses on a school for those with dark supernatural powers. This is Dark Academy at its darkest; Harry Potter if the dementors were running the school. Although some of the students apply and arrive by choice, the main protagonist, Alessa Li, however has no other option after she is forcibly enrolled. When it becomes clear that the school is less about rehabilitation and more about using these would-be anti-Christs as fuel for the even more malevolent staff, they will need to use all their powers to if not save the world at least try to save themselves. I thought it was interesting how the school is often symbolized by carnivorous plants and many of the students are associated with insects and plays with the idea of symbiosis and parasitism. Also the idea of the ways love can become dark, obsessive and predatory are explored in a number of the characters relationships. Want to learn more about Khaw’s work; you can read my previous blog posts about Khaw’s The Salt Grows Heavy and Nothing But Blackened Teeth.

Certain Dark Things
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Sivlia Moreno-Garcia is best known for her novel, Mexican Gothic, but she has many other works of dark fantasy and horror that are also worth checking out. I enjoyed Certain Dark Things about a down on his luck young man, Domingo, who meets Atl, the beautiful jaded descendant of Aztec vampires. Atl is hiding from both the rival narco-vampire clan and the cops that would like to rid the streets of her kind. As always Moreno-Garcia does a fantastic job of weaving traditional native Mexican myths and legends in with modern stories with complex characters. Her vampires are unique in their physiology and history. In her feeding and behavior, Atl is often compared to not a bat, but a hummingbird. There is also a slow building romance between Domingo and Atl that added a sweet element to the darkness around them. I enjoyed listening to Certain Dark Things as an audiobook read by Aida Reluzco. If you are looking for more, you can read our previous blog posts about Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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