Tag: historical fantasy

Book Review: The Gods Will Sing Our Song by Autumn Krause

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy
Length: 432 pages
Author: Autumn Krause
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: September 1st, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this sweeping WWII historical romance threaded with magic and myth, two star-crossed Japanese American teenagers find a love more powerful than the gods — inspired by the author’s true family history of internment and resilience.

A divine favor can change everything.

1942. War rumbles across the world, gods stir in the wind, and two lives are set on a collision course that will change them forever.

Seventeen-year-old Ren Hamada has always been defined by his troubled past, while Violet Aratani has only ever worried about keeping her straight-A grades and helping her parents run their beloved print shop. The two have little in common beyond the old magic that thrums in their worn family relics—and the fact that they’re Japanese American in a country determined to cast them as the enemy.

Forced out of their homes and into ramshackle wooden barracks in the California desert by the US government, Ren and Violet collide. In a barbed wire world where everything they thought they knew is upside-down, the magnetic pull between them is the only thing that makes sense.

But there’s more than just desert dust swirling in the air. A god walks among them, his mortal form tethered to the camp, and only Violet and Ren hold the key to freeing him—an act that would earn them an immeasurable reward. Yet with tensions rising and their lives on the line, is even a divine favor powerful enough to save them?

Thank you to Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

IMPACTFUL STORY.

I happened to read this on audio before my physical copy got here and I really enjoyed the duel narration between the POV’s of Ren and Violet. Don’t leave out the author’s note either. It added crucial information about the history and construction of the book and how her family’s story was included.

I appreciated broadening my understanding of the internment camps during WWII. It’s an important part of history that isn’t discussed enough and it was heartbreaking knowing the lasting trauma that came from this time period. Alongside the hard were moments of strength infused with hope.

The romance between Ren and Violet was fast and sweet. I liked the connection between them and learning to communicate and support each other through the trials they were facing. There was a magical element to the book that I was never sure was truly needed but it does add an extra element if you like the combination of a historical with magic.

An impactful story with characters you want to root for. I look forward to reading more books from this author (I also recommend Grave Flowers!).

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Historical Fantasy
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Content warnings: racism, grief, loss of life, weapons/physical violence, internment camps

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Book Review: Town of Shadows (Slanted London #1) by Jessica Scarlett

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 381 pages
Author: Jessica Scarlett
Publisher: Oliver Heber Books
Release Date: July 1st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In Victorian London, magic earns you a noose.

Eighteen-year-old Dorothy St. James can’t control her magic. To avoid arrest, she locks herself at home and buries her nose in her experiments. But a kidnapper called the Rook is on the loose, and his victims keep turning up insane. When Dorothy’s father is taken, she must exchange her beakers for bravery and find the Rook’s trail—the problem is, only one person ever has: a mysterious masked hero.

Ashley Gardner unabashedly casts illusions, using his charm to flit between the upper ton and the magical underbelly below. When Dorothy accuses him of knowing the masked hero’s identity, he flatly denies it. Until the clever beauty intercepts a communique he desperately needs.

They strike a bargain: she’ll give him the message in exchange for three clues to point her in the right direction. But Ashley won’t make them easy. In fact, he’ll make them impossible, because he has his own dangerous reasons for keeping Dorothy away—and Ashley always gets what he wants.

Through dazzling ballets, wild carnivals, and death-defying train rides, Dorothy must use her wits and magic to solve Ashley’s riddles and unravel her budding feelings for the illusionist mastermind behind them. The masked hero isn’t who she believes, and the Rook is closer than she suspects. While the game was always rigged against her, returning her father—mind intact—might just cheat her out of a heart too.

I LIKED IT.

I’ve read Scarlett’s regency books and was excited to hear she was trying out historical fantasy and I am here to say I am sat and ready for the next book. This was a lot of fun and an easy read to pick up.

I liked that it was multiple POV. While I’m still curious about a few of the additions besides the true MC’s, I think that will come in book two and look forward to getting to know all of them better. I really loved all of the sass and banter in the romance(s). It’s cheeky and swoony and a delight.

Some of the magic system components didn’t feel fully fleshed out and once again, I’m hopeful book two is a little more clear. There seemed to be a lack of boundaries overall.

Any who, solid historical fantasy. Definitely recommend!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fantasy + romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild – moderate

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Book Review: She Knows All the Names (Throne of Khetara #2) by Michelle Jabes Corpora

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Historical Fantasy
Length: 437 pages
Author: Michelle Jabes Corpora
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Magic, adventure, romance, and horror collide in this lush, epic, Ancient Egyptian inspired trilogy perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Tahereh Mafi, and Sabaa Tahir.

Fresh to the throne, the cunning new pharaoh schemes to bring unprecedented power to the Kingdom of Khetara. He commands absolute allegiance, leaving bloodshed in his wake as he searches for the missing Princess Sitamun, and at his side, the young priestess Nefermaat serves as divine counsel. Having witnessed the king’s merciless acts, Neff furtively plots to free the kingdom from his grip, though she knows the heavy price of treason.

Meanwhile, the rebellion in Low Khetara grows, and Raetawy, a courageous farm girl, leads the resistance. Her quest is clear: infiltrate the capital and free the imprisoned rebels—including her beloved father. Yet in her desperation, Rae agrees to a plan that could destroy all she is fighting for….

In the Red Lands, the thief Karim grapples with the new life he’s been given. Is it a blessing or a curse? He fears what lurks within him, yet he and his unlikely companion, Princess Sita, grow ever closer as they search for a lost city believed to harbor the secret to saving Khetara from destruction.

The ancient oracle that once whispered to these four strangers now speaks with an urgency as powerful as the mighty Iteru. The current of destiny is strengthening, but will it bring redemption…or annihilation?

FANTASTIC SEQUEL.

Oh I had a good time with this one!! I am hooked on this series. I can’t wait for the finale!!

Everything increased. The action and intrigue. The mystery and betrayals. Even got a little more romance. The progression from book one to book two is exactly what I’m after. I still love all of the mythology moments and how the gods are starting to meddle.

I’m really attached to all of the main characters and loving the journey. The rotating POV’s are working for me. It keeps things moving and I don’t think there’s a weak link. I like not being able to tell just quite what’s going to happen next and the brutal world that’s been built.

Amped for the third book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Upper YA historical fantasy
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: many executions, loss of life, near death experiences

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Book Review: Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy
Length: 560 pages
Author: R.F. Kuang
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: August 26th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul, perhaps at the cost of their own.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.

NEW FAV.

I am quite confident this is my new favorite book from R.F. Kuang. The longer I listened the more entranced I became and I was enthralled by the whole story. And y’all know my romance loving heart loved that this had a HEA soft romance woven in!! I genuinely think it added to the story and showed off these characters in a new light. I loved that contrast to them diving into the depths of hell.

I found the story very intriguing. I loved the concept of traveling through Hell and seeing how that world was set-up. The different characters and situations Alice and Peter kept running into kept me glued to my headphones (loved the audiobook too).

The themes tackled in here were written incredibly well. It makes you ponder many different topics and I found multiple sentiments hit home. The only thing I wasn’t too sure on was why it was worth following Grimes. They leads did learn a lot along the way but the initial premise with Grimes didn’t feel as solid as it should.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fiction fantasy
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: kisses; light innuendo
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: animal cruelty, misogyny, su!cidal thoughts, chronic illness (Crohn’s Disease), sexual harassment, injury and near death experiences, classism, gaslighting

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