“If it’s possible to be an adult, relocate to a faraway island and run a spell shop - I’m in!”
- Mel’s Moonlit Reads
The Spellshop
Sarah Beth Durst
This is such a sweet, cosy ‘Romantasy’ (there, I said it, don’t come for me!) set in a magical world with a cast of characters so adorable that it made for an enjoyable, uncomplicated read.
With seemingly low stakes (though our protagonist has some troubles to resolve), I loved the descriptions of daily life on a magical island and the delightful banter between the characters.
There are plenty of ‘good old’ Fantasy and Romance Tropes to keep the readers’ interest: found family, a search for home and the power of friendship, with just the right amount of romance sprinkled in along the way.
I enjoyed my time with this book, and while it may not be groundbreaking Literature, it does have a sentient spider plant…which is fairly groundbreaking in my book! If it’s possible to be an adult, relocate to a faraway island and run a spell shop - I’m in!
Just one requested change, can it be a moonlit island?!
A solid 3 / 5 moons
“...And in that ancient time there lived a girl as wild as the winter who would change the world forever.”
Billie Eilish
Fia and the Last Snow Deer
Eilish Fisher
A delightful story full of mythology and atmosphere, but with a whisper of danger lurking in the shadows of ancient Ireland. This beautifully descriptive children’s novel is full to the brim with wintry wildness and some tender moments. I was hooked from the first line.
We are in the company of Fia and her Snow deer, Solas, who must abandon their village when, due to the ravages of a seemingly unending winter, the villagers look desperately on Solas as a potential answer to their prayers. For a prophecy says that spring may return if the ‘ultimate sacrifice’ is made.
To protect Solas and find a way to save her and the village, Fia and Solas embark on an adventure through the frozen landscape in search of the mythical ‘Deer Mother’ so she might once again wake the sun and save the village—a dangerous task.
The wonderful writing style leads us to consider themes of loyalty, friendship, mythology and the nature of sacrifice itself.
A gorgeous read.
5/5 Stars
“It was as though, overnight, the clock had been wound back three centuries to the Great Fire of London, and everything he remembered from before the war had gone.”
Mike Holloway - The Soho Murder.
The Soho Murder
Mike Holloway
This murder mystery/police procedural novel continues a series (The Blitz Detective) with all the elements expected: the clever but aloof lead DI, the gloomy, foreboding city streets (devastated in the blitz bombings in this case), plot twists and turns and lively dialogue.
Set in what used to be the book seller’s area of London, Detective Inspector Jago and sidekick Detective Constable Cradock arrive at a puzzling murder scene in the premises of Antiquarian bookseller Samuel Bellamy, who is decidedly not alive, sprawled on the floor with a single bullet hole to the chest. Who would want to kill a middle-aged, unassuming bookseller, and what would be the motive?
The characters line up with the obligatory multitude of motives, and we are led through a very twisty plot as the investigation progresses. Fans of the author and murder/mystery buffs will no doubt fly through the story with glee.
As someone who is not a keen reader of this genre, I still enjoyed the story, which had a good pace, though the very detailed plot and characters lost me at times.
I enjoyed the unexpected moments of lyrical writing (though too few for my taste) and the banter between Jago and Cradock, which gave the plot a light break from the police-focused side of the action and had me occasionally sniggering into my coffee as I tried to solve the riddles along with them - spoiler: I didn’t guess the outcome!!
A well-written book from an accomplished crime writer.
2 / 5 stars
(rounded down to reflect my personal taste only).
Blood on her Tongue
Johanna van Veen
Bog bodies, blood-sucking, murderous women and a dash of Sapphic love, sisterhood dynamics and marital abuse thrown in?…..erm…yes please!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this twisty, chilling and at times horrifically graphic story, which follows twins Sarah and Lucy on a truly (Penny) dreadful adventure.
A Bog body is discovered on Sarah’s marital estate, and she becomes obsessed with it to the point of making herself ill. A strange new hunger develops in her, and her sister Lucy must fight to save her from madness.
I loved the Gothic atmosphere the writer evokes in this book, but what I’ll remember most is how relatable the characters were, which is terrifying in itself!!
The Burnings
Naomi Kelsey
Sixteenth Century Scotland and in the midst of the witchcraft trials, we are shown a view of life for women (and some men), accused, imprisoned and, in too many cases, executed for the ‘crime’ of witchcraft - all encouraged by King James VI of Scotland’s relentless seeking out of those witches, and other conspirators, who he believed were set on his destruction and in pursuit of the crown.
The novel follows the lives of the women caught in the crossfire between the Scottish court and the Danish court when James marries Anna of Denmark, all amid a fearful political climate in which people accuse each other of devilish deeds, with no one quite knowing truth from lie. The burnings of the title are the result of this, and many innocent people were killed as a result.
Some nice lyrical writing, but it felt long and confusing at times.