A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

One of my favorite detective duos is back to solve another seemingly unsolvable case. In this second book of the Shadow of the Leviathan series—The Tainted Cup is the first—the pair must once again use their logic and insights to solve a crime and walk a delicate political tightrope.

Ana Dolabra and her assistant, Din Kol, are tasked with solving a locked-room disappearance of a Treasury officer in Yarrowdale. They quickly discover that the man has been murdered with body parts showing up far from the crime scene. In tracing the victim's last activities, they realize they are up against a killer skilled at deception and whose ultimate goal may be destroying a controversial facility, known as the Shroud. With the body count rising, the pair is in a race to outwit the killer, save the facility, and ease political tensions.

This is an imaginative book featuring eccentric characters in a fantasy world that comes to life. I love the combination of fantasy and a murder mystery; it works for me. There are twists and red herrings galore, but Ana and Din cannot be denied. Just how the murder is solved and the killer uncovered makes for an entertaining read. 

5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Del Rey, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is April 1, 2025.

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The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness

 I loved the first three books in this series*; even the fourth one, which read like a standalone, was good. This book is my least favorite. It had a good story, but it did drag in parts—nothing that a good editor couldn't have fixed.

This story is set a few years after the end of the third book, The Book of Life. The twins are now seven years old, and Mathew and Diana live most of the year in the US, where Diana teaches at Yale and Mathew is continuing his creature DNA research.

The school year is over, and the family is preparing to spend the summer in England when a letter arrives from the Congregation, notifying Mathew and Diana that it is time for the twins' magical abilities to be tested. At the same time, Diana receives a message from her great-aunt, Gwyneth Proctor, telling her that she must come to the Proctor family home of Ravenswood. Once at Ravenswood, Diana learns it is time to develop her higher magic skills, with Aunt Gwyneth as her tutor.

This story is good because it explores an area of magic viewed as dangerous in the previous books. Diana and Mathew must come to terms with the fact that Diana is an even more powerful witch than they previously believed. Overall, I did like the book, but I found the pacing uneven and got bogged down in places. 

3.5/5 stars.

* The previous books in the series, in order, are A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, The Book of Life, and Time's Convert.

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Elphie by Gregory Maguire

 

I loved the previous books in this series and was eagerly looking forward to this one. Maybe my expectations were too high, or I wasn't in the right mood, but this latest addition to the Wicked series let me down. Whatever the reason, I had a difficult time staying engaged with it.

Readers of this series are familiar with Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, but how did she become the person we are familiar with? This book focuses on Elphaba's childhood, her relationships with her siblings and parents, and the situations she encountered early in life. Maguire explains Elphie's backstory, which should have been enlightening, but I struggled with it. At times, the writing was disjointed and hard to follow. I put the book down several times, hoping it would get better; it didn't. 

2/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is March 25, 2025.

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Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

 

This is the second time T. Kingfisher has dabbled in retelling fairy tales, A Sorceress Comes to Call being the other, and she does a masterful job. In her take on Sleeping Beauty, she twists it with dark humor and charm.

Toadling was switched at birth by fairies. The fairies loved and nurtured her, and she developed some magical skills, such as turning into a frog. Time passes faster in faerieland, and the adult Toadling is asked to return to her father's house to attend the Christening of the changeling, Fayette. She is to bestow a blessing that will stop Fayette from harming those around her. Unfortunately, Toadling doesn't work the magic correctly and spends several years trying to protect animals and humans from Fayette. Toadling eventually uses her magic to put Fayette under a sleeping spell, builds a thorn hedge to protect her, and spends centuries defending Fayette. All is going well until a hapless knight comes looking for the beauty in the castle. Now, Toadling must convince him to keep Fayette under the sleeping spell.

I love Kingfisher's writing and imagination. This is an excellent, thoughtful, and entertaining twist on Sleeping Beauty. Toadling is a wonderful character whose sense of duty overcomes her lonely task. This is another winner from T. Kingfisher. 

4/5 stars.

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A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher

 T. Kingfisher does an excellent job creating modern-day fairy tales that the Brothers Grimm would enjoy. Her dark tales are imaginative with a wicked sense of humor. A Sorceress Comes to Call is no exception.

Fourteen-year-old Cordelia has two friends: her horse Falada and a neighbor girl who is too polite to ignore her. Living with her mother, Evangeline, who can control Cordelia's movements and speech at will, Cordelia yearns for a normal life. Evangeline, however, has aspirations of marrying Cordelia to a wealthy man. To get a toehold in society, Evangeline enchants a wealthy Squire for herself to better Cordelia's chances of finding a worthy husband. Feeling helpless to stop her mother from using her magic on the Squire, Cordelia grows close to the Squire's sister, Hester, who recognizes what Evangeline is doing. Together, they try to outwit Evangeline, but can their cunning overcome magic?

This is a well-written book with excellent pacing and interesting characters. It contains mystery, murder, and intrigue. Kingfisher is a master storyteller who makes magic both believable and otherworldly. I found the book both engrossing and entertaining. 

5/5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tor Books, for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The publication date is August 6, 2024.

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The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

 This is a murder mystery with all the twists and turns you'd expect, but something I didn't expect in a fantasy world. What a fun ride.

When a high-ranking officer is murdered by the administration of a contagion that causes a tree to erupt from his body, investigator Ana Dolabra and her new assistant Dinios Kol are tasked with finding the perpetrator. Ana, whose unorthodox methods are often at odds with her straight-arrow assistant, is quick to make associations that involve a far-ranging conspiracy. Ana and Din aren't sure how far up the imperial ranks the scheme extends, but as they close in, they realize that the Empire and perhaps their lives are in peril.

Excellently written with humor and intrigue, this story is engaging with beautiful characters, especially Ana and Din. Both are entertaining, and their combined skills make them a formidable crime-solving duo. The world they inhabit is atmospheric and dangerous. I was happy to see this is the first book set in this world with these two larger-than-life characters. If you like murder mysteries and fantasy, I highly recommend this book. 

4.5/5 stars.

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