Tag Archives: Cozy

Quirky Fantasies: The Moonsingers & That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon

14 Jul

The Moonsingers
by Robyn J Pritzker
Ismay Beghart has never felt like she fits in, while her sister is content with attending balls and a life of leisure, Ismay wants to feel useful, but her efforts at becoming a teacher have not gone as planned and when she leaves her last post humiliated, she takes a position in a far away village tutoring three very unusual girls. I found The Moonsingers to be a fresh and unusual take on the typical fairy tale. Ismay is an interesting protagonist, she makes mistakes and often feels awkward but still manages to charm with her compassion. Neurodivergent readers may especially find her relatable, but she will will appeal to anyone looking for a unique and not stereotypical heroine. If you like The Moonsingers you may also enjoy The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna.

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon
by Kimberly Lemming
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon is a very silly story filled with absurd situations that manages to be uniquely original while still satirizing some of the popular tropes of fantasy cozies and steamy romantasies including modern language as well as culinary creations one would not expect to find in a medievalesque world. I felt the story would have been stronger if the author had not relied so heavily on cliched language in her descriptions, but her humor was well timed and kept me reading. If you are looking for something light and funny to bring with you to the beach or for a plane trip, than this would be a good pick. There are additional volumes in Mead Mishaps series and Lemming also has a series of equally ridiculous Science Fiction Series: Cosmic Chaos.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

Tags: , , ,

Cozy Science Fiction: Floating Hotel and Prime Deception

20 Mar

Floating Hotel
by Grace Curtis
The Grand Abeona Hotel isn’t your average hotel. This is a hotel on a spaceship traveling across the galaxy. At one point only the richest of the rich could board, though it isn’t quite as exclusive as it once was and things especially below deck aren’t as pristine, it is still a magical place of relaxation and discovery. The Floating Hotel is made of interlocking stories focusing on different quirky, diverse crew members or passengers on the ship. This gives enjoyable insights into different aspects of the Abeona and the varied connections the staff has made within their found family in the stars. The hotel with its combination of travel and destinations reminds me in a lot of ways of being on a cruise ship. There is a definite cozy vibe, but there is also suspense of an underlying story about a corrupt emperor and a secret journalist that may be traveling with the ship, and who is giving away the emperor’s secrets. With a master thief and trained spies on board not everything is a relaxing day at the spa. The ending took me a bit by surprise, but felt overall satisfying. Fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus and Tao Wong’s The Nameless Restaurant should enjoy this story.

Prime Deceptions
Valerie Valdes
I had greatly enjoyed, Chilling Effect, the first in Valerie Valdes, charming, humorous, space opera series about the Crew of La Sirena Negra (the Black Mermaid) so was interested to sample the sequel, Prime Deceptions. Despite her sister’s deception, in the previous novel, Eva again agrees to help her, this time to try and find a missing scientist related to a member of Eva’s crew. It will require her to reconnect with her estranged mother and go to the site of one of the most disastrous moments of Eva’s past. The found family and well as blood family drama and a sweet romance all combine to make an enjoyable story. As with the previous novel there are some fun pop culture in jokes such as when the crew visit a Sci-Fi Convention that spans a space station and much of the drama in the novels second half revolves around “ball buddies,” possible nefarious robotic replicas (Digimon, perhaps?) of actual psychic companion creatures (very clearly Pokémon inspired since the book’s dedication is a reference to Team Rocket). The trilogy is wrapped up in Fault Tolerance, which I’m hoping to also checkout soon since Prime Deceptions ends by setting up an epic alien battle the series has been building towards.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

Tags: , , ,

← Older Entries