January 2026 Reading Roundup (Part 2)
Jan. 31st, 2026 09:21 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
metallic_sweetBooks I Finished
Arcana Academy by Elise Kova
This book introduces us to a world where tarot is magic and used as the foundation of society and the Arcana Academy. It's very much in the vein of Fourth Wing minus the dragons and the style of intrigue of Throne of Glass with the main character, Clara Many-Meaningful-Last-Names, starting the series in The Unescapable Terrible Jail instead of the slave camp. That said, the story starts off fast-paced, introducing the strong personality and skilled qualities of Clara and creating sufficient tension with Prince Kaelis, her enemy-turned-fiancé and Headmaster of the Arcana Academy. It stalls for the majority of the novel as Clara goes through the paces of finding a place in the academy, making new friends, and alienating her old friends, and then inevitably falling in love with Kaelis who is actually an OK guy with a soft spot for black cats (we've seen this before) as everything goes tits up.
The in-universe narration and opinions of various characters openly acknowledge that the country is an absolute and corrupt monarchy with plutocratic features, which is par for the course with this particular dark academia romantasy genre but also implies that everyone has the same frame of reference. Overall, Arcana Academy offers an interesting magic system that sadly lacks in detail as the author seems to assume that we know what the Rider–Waite Tarot looks like and designs of the cards are glossed over, despite Clara's great talent for inking the cards. This hopefully gets explored more in future books and beyond the rare silver and gold Major Arcana plot device.
I don't particularly care about any of the characters, and I wish that there was more smut in this book because it sorely needed it as the "slow burn" was just dull. I've rated this somewhat generously because it was entertaining enough, especially the potential of the magic system and the part where Clara and Kaelis explore beneath the academy, which was possibly the most interesting part of the book, but I won't be picking up the second book unless I get particularly bored.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
The Fireborne Blade and The Bloodless Princes by Charlotte Bond
These two short books do an impressive amount of worldbuilding in the space of both of their under 200 pages, and the worldbuilding is a delight. I would actively read a whole book set in this universe by Bond, whether it be more dragon-focused (perhaps to do with how the dragons lost their speech or the time before the creation of the Fireborne Blade) or another, more in depth adventure with established characters. I loved the in-universe consciousness of how there is history and then there is history so long in the past to become legend. Each book is a little bit of a mystery with characters unraveling how conflicting accounts of events shape their world and themselves.
The main character, Maddileh, starts off The Fireborne Blade in need of redemption, aiming to claim the legendary blade from an ancient dragon's lair, with the assistance of a disrespectful squire. This first book is particularly intriguing in how it sets up Maddileh's quest, weaving legends, historical notes, and Maddileh's recent past together, getting the reader excited for her quest. The second book's plot hinges on how the first's plot plays out, and the perspective is split between Maddileh and the mage, Saralene, as their relationship is tested by the reappearance of an old foe and a journey to the underworld, ruled by two princes of legend.
Overall, both books are very straightforward (no dreaded padding side quests here), but the main characters are dynamic enough to carry the stories. Both books do suffer from side characters feeling tacked on and very, very simple, and a lot of major issues are tied up rather too conveniently, especially in the second book. Despite this, I would read more in this universe, although I feel like the perspective would need to shift to offer something different to the reader.
The Fireborne Blade rating: ★★★☆☆
The Bloodless Princes rating: ★★½☆☆
The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
This is a debut dark romantasy set in a fantasy version of China in a pseudo-late Ming dynasty period where magic exists and is tied to written language. Wei Yin, our main character, is the dutiful daughter of a small farmer who becomes a concubine to Terran, the violent and unhinged second-born son of the Azalea Dynasty and current heir to the throne. Famine ravages the nation, and women and girls are illiterate by law in this society, keeping magic and the authority that comes with it entirely in the domain of small handful of men.
This book is heavily detailed with complex, morally grey to evil characters and readers should absolutely consult the trigger warnings. Wei is a relatable protagonist, devoted to her family but not without her own desires and motivations, and the novel's theme of agency and the cost of power shines through her. Wei quickly picks up the knowledge and tools that she needs to survive and even thrive, but it all comes with heavy costs as she becomes more entrenched in the royal family. The court politics and broken relationship between Terran and his first-born brother, Maro, really carries the plot of the novel, much like any good Chinese historical drama, and I enjoyed how the drama is balanced between the intrigue unfolding in the succession crisis and the machinations of concubines and eunuchs.
Despite how much of the magic system hinges on poetry, there's surprising little poetry "on screen" in this book, and even Wei Yin's major, plot-driving poem is never presented in its entirety, which left me feeling short-changed. To a lesser extent, this lack of detail also applies to the majority of side characters, despite being supposedly very important to the main characters. The ending feels extremely rushed and overly convenient. Essentially, this book would have benefited from one or two additional or more fleshed out chapters to even out the frentic pacing.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
This book pleasantly surprised me. Seemingly yet another fae-focused romantasy in a genre crammed full of them, this book doesn't do anything particularly different plot-wise, but it's characters feel fresh and lively, and the action sequences and magic systems are dynamic and intriguing. What's more: this book is funny and characters react to the increasingly dangerous and ridiculous situations like anyone would: by screaming, crying, freaking out, and asking, often loudly and hysterically, what the fuck is going on. All too often with this genre, the human/non-Fae world characters adapt far too quickly to the magic and chaos of the supernatural world whereas Quicksilver leans into the "you can't know what you don't know" as a way to drive the haphazardly constructed plot.
I particularly liked how our heroine, Saeris Fane, is a powerful force to be reckoned with, but she knows when she's out of her depth and, as the story goes on, learns to listen and heed the information and advice of people who do know more than her. The main male character, Kingfisher, is a living breathing trope with a personality to match, but he's petty in a way that I find amusing and makes the banter between him and Saeris, who is stubborn as a mule, entertaining, especially when other characters are present and clearly find it excruciating and embarrassing as any normal person watching two monumental idiots hate-flirt would.
Under normal circumstances, the uneven pacing and you-can-see-it-a-mile-away plot twists would detract more from my enjoyment, but Hart consistently leaned into creating and cultivating likable and complex side characters to keep me invested. Particularly standout is Carrion Swift, Saeris's sort-of ex and a pathological flirt, who gets pulled back into the story through a series of unfortunate events. Instead of becoming a flat obstacle between her and Kingfisher or the dreaded morality pet, Carrion is fully his own character, refusing to let others decide his fate and actively trying to solve the problems that arise. His character arc, much like this book, was refreshing and, most importantly, fun, and fun is much needed in this sub-genre that often takes itself far too seriously. I look forward to when I get the next book from the library.
Rating: ★★★★☆
The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman
This is a queer retelling of Marie de France's 12th century lai of Bisclavret, a werewolf whose wife betrays him by stealing his clothes, locking him in his wolf form in which he finds mercy in his king. Due to having a special interest in wolves and werewolves, I came into this somewhat confused by the comparison of the book to Madeline Miller and Angela Carter by the publisher, and I think that specific comparison does it a disservice. This is more of a queer interrogation of the relationships in the original lai with a strong focus on the internal thoughts and struggles of the two/two and a half main characters.
Structurally, the narrative is super interesting. I really liked the use of second person for the King, and I especially liked the disjointed, freestyle poetry of the wolf juxapositioned against the third person of human Bisclavret. It helps to keep Bisclavret from becoming a voiceless animal in the action of the story after he becomes trapped in his wolf form, and it also helps to bridge how Bisclavret falls in romantic love with the King and fully comes to conceptualise his loyalty to him. The King and Bisclavret are the most developed characters with others serving primarily as plot devices, but they are given space to have their own personalities, especially Bisclavret's cousin, his wife, the King's previous boyfriend/scribe, and the green knight.
My primary issue with this book is how women are treated. Arguably, this couldn't be avoided considering the original lai and the time period, but this is fiction in 2026: we can and should expect a more well-rounded interrogation of women-as-the-other. Longman makes an effort to contextualise Bisclavret's wife, but there aren't any other major or minor female characters; all other female characters are seen through the lens of a man, including their words. It is entirely possible to explore a non-male character in this setting, and the setting is not an excuse to use women as wallpaper.
Rating: ★★★½☆
Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart
A highly topical, hard to read book that tackles the human effects of the American Plan, part of the Chamberlain–Kahn Act and active from 1918 into the long dissolution through mid-century, in which women who were suspected of having STDs could be quarantined and arrested for prostitution and sent to farm colonies or secure hospitals. In actuality, the reasons women were incarcerated varied, and many were kept wrongly and against their will, subjected to physical, mental, and medical maltreatment. This book is advertised as "The Handmaid's Tale in 1940s North Carolina" and gives shades of Girl, Interrupted and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Told from three perspectives—Mrs. Baker, the superintendent of the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women; Ruth Foster, arrested while walking to work for living alone; and, Stella Temple, fifteen-years-old when brought to the farm colony and a victim of familial incest—, this is a complex, character-driven novel about twisted ambition, survival, and identity formation (and deformation) at its best. All three main characters are victims of mistreatment by men and society, and the novel challenges the reader to see events and character choices from their own point of view: Baker, who believes she is reforming the women under her care but also suffers from both an inferiority complex the size of the Earth and delusions of grandeur; Ruth, who clings to her sense of self viciously and stands up against the horrible treatment and conditions bravely but suffers greatly for it; and, most tragically, Stella, so young and desperately impressionable, who finds her life at the farm colony preferable to returning home. Occasionally, the shifting POVs can be hard to keep track of, especially because all three characters are so different and react to the same events, but this is a very minor quibble.
Overall, I would suggest this book with the caveat that there is some truly disturbing and unsettling content, so read this when you're in a safe place with yourself. That being said, Everhart handles the content carefully with her show (carefully) not tell (unless absolutely need) narration. I really enjoyed the storytelling style, and I especially liked that Baker was such a complex character—reprehensible, yes, and just as much a product of society and the systems that oppress women and those who are different. The ending is somewhat lackluster and boring with more questions left unanswered, but that's closer to life: it goes on; the cogs keep grinding; and those in power stay in power with just a change to the window dressing.
Rating: ★★★★½
Books I Did Not Finish
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
I started reading this at the beginning of the month because I'm a fan of Shannon's The Roots of Chaos series, but I think this one, set in a near future supernatural dystopian Britain, is not for me. It's very slow, despite a lot happening, and I don't find the magic system or any of the characters immediately interesting. The geography of London and Oxford are very familiar to me, but that's the only way I know where anything is happening in the sense of scenery orientation. When this book was first published in 2013, there was a lot more room in the market for the set up of this novel, but now there's a plethora of other options that don't imply a commitment to seven whole novels.
Malice by John Gwynne
Gwynne's The Bloodsworn Saga was one of my favourite reads last year, so I picked up Malice, which is also set in a pseudo-Norse world, with pretty high hopes, although with the knowledge that this was an earlier publication. This book is surprisingly slow with a lot of characters and POVs to keep track off, and it's pretty clear to me that Gwynne learned a lot from writing this series and applied his lessons in Bloodsworn. While I like a lot of the ideas in this and appreciated Gwynne's excellent as always action sequences and grounded plot even with the mystical forces at play, I was never deeply motivated to continue reading, except when I got to Corban chapters. Because Corban is essentially the main character, there's a small chance I might revisit this series.
Arcana Academy by Elise Kova
First book in a trilogy
This book introduces us to a world where tarot is magic and used as the foundation of society and the Arcana Academy. It's very much in the vein of Fourth Wing minus the dragons and the style of intrigue of Throne of Glass with the main character, Clara Many-Meaningful-Last-Names, starting the series in The Unescapable Terrible Jail instead of the slave camp. That said, the story starts off fast-paced, introducing the strong personality and skilled qualities of Clara and creating sufficient tension with Prince Kaelis, her enemy-turned-fiancé and Headmaster of the Arcana Academy. It stalls for the majority of the novel as Clara goes through the paces of finding a place in the academy, making new friends, and alienating her old friends, and then inevitably falling in love with Kaelis who is actually an OK guy with a soft spot for black cats (we've seen this before) as everything goes tits up.
The in-universe narration and opinions of various characters openly acknowledge that the country is an absolute and corrupt monarchy with plutocratic features, which is par for the course with this particular dark academia romantasy genre but also implies that everyone has the same frame of reference. Overall, Arcana Academy offers an interesting magic system that sadly lacks in detail as the author seems to assume that we know what the Rider–Waite Tarot looks like and designs of the cards are glossed over, despite Clara's great talent for inking the cards. This hopefully gets explored more in future books and beyond the rare silver and gold Major Arcana plot device.
I don't particularly care about any of the characters, and I wish that there was more smut in this book because it sorely needed it as the "slow burn" was just dull. I've rated this somewhat generously because it was entertaining enough, especially the potential of the magic system and the part where Clara and Kaelis explore beneath the academy, which was possibly the most interesting part of the book, but I won't be picking up the second book unless I get particularly bored.
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
The Fireborne Blade and The Bloodless Princes by Charlotte Bond
A novella duology
These two short books do an impressive amount of worldbuilding in the space of both of their under 200 pages, and the worldbuilding is a delight. I would actively read a whole book set in this universe by Bond, whether it be more dragon-focused (perhaps to do with how the dragons lost their speech or the time before the creation of the Fireborne Blade) or another, more in depth adventure with established characters. I loved the in-universe consciousness of how there is history and then there is history so long in the past to become legend. Each book is a little bit of a mystery with characters unraveling how conflicting accounts of events shape their world and themselves.
The main character, Maddileh, starts off The Fireborne Blade in need of redemption, aiming to claim the legendary blade from an ancient dragon's lair, with the assistance of a disrespectful squire. This first book is particularly intriguing in how it sets up Maddileh's quest, weaving legends, historical notes, and Maddileh's recent past together, getting the reader excited for her quest. The second book's plot hinges on how the first's plot plays out, and the perspective is split between Maddileh and the mage, Saralene, as their relationship is tested by the reappearance of an old foe and a journey to the underworld, ruled by two princes of legend.
Overall, both books are very straightforward (no dreaded padding side quests here), but the main characters are dynamic enough to carry the stories. Both books do suffer from side characters feeling tacked on and very, very simple, and a lot of major issues are tied up rather too conveniently, especially in the second book. Despite this, I would read more in this universe, although I feel like the perspective would need to shift to offer something different to the reader.
The Fireborne Blade rating: ★★★☆☆
The Bloodless Princes rating: ★★½☆☆
The Poet Empress by Shen Tao
This is a debut dark romantasy set in a fantasy version of China in a pseudo-late Ming dynasty period where magic exists and is tied to written language. Wei Yin, our main character, is the dutiful daughter of a small farmer who becomes a concubine to Terran, the violent and unhinged second-born son of the Azalea Dynasty and current heir to the throne. Famine ravages the nation, and women and girls are illiterate by law in this society, keeping magic and the authority that comes with it entirely in the domain of small handful of men.
This book is heavily detailed with complex, morally grey to evil characters and readers should absolutely consult the trigger warnings. Wei is a relatable protagonist, devoted to her family but not without her own desires and motivations, and the novel's theme of agency and the cost of power shines through her. Wei quickly picks up the knowledge and tools that she needs to survive and even thrive, but it all comes with heavy costs as she becomes more entrenched in the royal family. The court politics and broken relationship between Terran and his first-born brother, Maro, really carries the plot of the novel, much like any good Chinese historical drama, and I enjoyed how the drama is balanced between the intrigue unfolding in the succession crisis and the machinations of concubines and eunuchs.
Despite how much of the magic system hinges on poetry, there's surprising little poetry "on screen" in this book, and even Wei Yin's major, plot-driving poem is never presented in its entirety, which left me feeling short-changed. To a lesser extent, this lack of detail also applies to the majority of side characters, despite being supposedly very important to the main characters. The ending feels extremely rushed and overly convenient. Essentially, this book would have benefited from one or two additional or more fleshed out chapters to even out the frentic pacing.
Rating: ★★★★☆
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
First book in the Fae & Alchemy trilogy
This book pleasantly surprised me. Seemingly yet another fae-focused romantasy in a genre crammed full of them, this book doesn't do anything particularly different plot-wise, but it's characters feel fresh and lively, and the action sequences and magic systems are dynamic and intriguing. What's more: this book is funny and characters react to the increasingly dangerous and ridiculous situations like anyone would: by screaming, crying, freaking out, and asking, often loudly and hysterically, what the fuck is going on. All too often with this genre, the human/non-Fae world characters adapt far too quickly to the magic and chaos of the supernatural world whereas Quicksilver leans into the "you can't know what you don't know" as a way to drive the haphazardly constructed plot.
I particularly liked how our heroine, Saeris Fane, is a powerful force to be reckoned with, but she knows when she's out of her depth and, as the story goes on, learns to listen and heed the information and advice of people who do know more than her. The main male character, Kingfisher, is a living breathing trope with a personality to match, but he's petty in a way that I find amusing and makes the banter between him and Saeris, who is stubborn as a mule, entertaining, especially when other characters are present and clearly find it excruciating and embarrassing as any normal person watching two monumental idiots hate-flirt would.
Under normal circumstances, the uneven pacing and you-can-see-it-a-mile-away plot twists would detract more from my enjoyment, but Hart consistently leaned into creating and cultivating likable and complex side characters to keep me invested. Particularly standout is Carrion Swift, Saeris's sort-of ex and a pathological flirt, who gets pulled back into the story through a series of unfortunate events. Instead of becoming a flat obstacle between her and Kingfisher or the dreaded morality pet, Carrion is fully his own character, refusing to let others decide his fate and actively trying to solve the problems that arise. His character arc, much like this book, was refreshing and, most importantly, fun, and fun is much needed in this sub-genre that often takes itself far too seriously. I look forward to when I get the next book from the library.
Rating: ★★★★☆
The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman
This is a queer retelling of Marie de France's 12th century lai of Bisclavret, a werewolf whose wife betrays him by stealing his clothes, locking him in his wolf form in which he finds mercy in his king. Due to having a special interest in wolves and werewolves, I came into this somewhat confused by the comparison of the book to Madeline Miller and Angela Carter by the publisher, and I think that specific comparison does it a disservice. This is more of a queer interrogation of the relationships in the original lai with a strong focus on the internal thoughts and struggles of the two/two and a half main characters.
Structurally, the narrative is super interesting. I really liked the use of second person for the King, and I especially liked the disjointed, freestyle poetry of the wolf juxapositioned against the third person of human Bisclavret. It helps to keep Bisclavret from becoming a voiceless animal in the action of the story after he becomes trapped in his wolf form, and it also helps to bridge how Bisclavret falls in romantic love with the King and fully comes to conceptualise his loyalty to him. The King and Bisclavret are the most developed characters with others serving primarily as plot devices, but they are given space to have their own personalities, especially Bisclavret's cousin, his wife, the King's previous boyfriend/scribe, and the green knight.
My primary issue with this book is how women are treated. Arguably, this couldn't be avoided considering the original lai and the time period, but this is fiction in 2026: we can and should expect a more well-rounded interrogation of women-as-the-other. Longman makes an effort to contextualise Bisclavret's wife, but there aren't any other major or minor female characters; all other female characters are seen through the lens of a man, including their words. It is entirely possible to explore a non-male character in this setting, and the setting is not an excuse to use women as wallpaper.
Rating: ★★★½☆
Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart
A highly topical, hard to read book that tackles the human effects of the American Plan, part of the Chamberlain–Kahn Act and active from 1918 into the long dissolution through mid-century, in which women who were suspected of having STDs could be quarantined and arrested for prostitution and sent to farm colonies or secure hospitals. In actuality, the reasons women were incarcerated varied, and many were kept wrongly and against their will, subjected to physical, mental, and medical maltreatment. This book is advertised as "The Handmaid's Tale in 1940s North Carolina" and gives shades of Girl, Interrupted and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Told from three perspectives—Mrs. Baker, the superintendent of the State Industrial Farm Colony for Women; Ruth Foster, arrested while walking to work for living alone; and, Stella Temple, fifteen-years-old when brought to the farm colony and a victim of familial incest—, this is a complex, character-driven novel about twisted ambition, survival, and identity formation (and deformation) at its best. All three main characters are victims of mistreatment by men and society, and the novel challenges the reader to see events and character choices from their own point of view: Baker, who believes she is reforming the women under her care but also suffers from both an inferiority complex the size of the Earth and delusions of grandeur; Ruth, who clings to her sense of self viciously and stands up against the horrible treatment and conditions bravely but suffers greatly for it; and, most tragically, Stella, so young and desperately impressionable, who finds her life at the farm colony preferable to returning home. Occasionally, the shifting POVs can be hard to keep track of, especially because all three characters are so different and react to the same events, but this is a very minor quibble.
Overall, I would suggest this book with the caveat that there is some truly disturbing and unsettling content, so read this when you're in a safe place with yourself. That being said, Everhart handles the content carefully with her show (carefully) not tell (unless absolutely need) narration. I really enjoyed the storytelling style, and I especially liked that Baker was such a complex character—reprehensible, yes, and just as much a product of society and the systems that oppress women and those who are different. The ending is somewhat lackluster and boring with more questions left unanswered, but that's closer to life: it goes on; the cogs keep grinding; and those in power stay in power with just a change to the window dressing.
Rating: ★★★★½
Books I Did Not Finish
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
First book in a seven part series
I started reading this at the beginning of the month because I'm a fan of Shannon's The Roots of Chaos series, but I think this one, set in a near future supernatural dystopian Britain, is not for me. It's very slow, despite a lot happening, and I don't find the magic system or any of the characters immediately interesting. The geography of London and Oxford are very familiar to me, but that's the only way I know where anything is happening in the sense of scenery orientation. When this book was first published in 2013, there was a lot more room in the market for the set up of this novel, but now there's a plethora of other options that don't imply a commitment to seven whole novels.
Malice by John Gwynne
First book in a four part series
Gwynne's The Bloodsworn Saga was one of my favourite reads last year, so I picked up Malice, which is also set in a pseudo-Norse world, with pretty high hopes, although with the knowledge that this was an earlier publication. This book is surprisingly slow with a lot of characters and POVs to keep track off, and it's pretty clear to me that Gwynne learned a lot from writing this series and applied his lessons in Bloodsworn. While I like a lot of the ideas in this and appreciated Gwynne's excellent as always action sequences and grounded plot even with the mystical forces at play, I was never deeply motivated to continue reading, except when I got to Corban chapters. Because Corban is essentially the main character, there's a small chance I might revisit this series.
