"City of Iron and Ivy" by Thomas Kent West

 

"City of Iron and Ivy" by Thomas Kent West is an enticing historical fantasy that takes place in a fictionalized Victorian London alive with botanical magic. Think Bridgerton — but twisted, and with magic. What a heady combination!

The book follows Elswyth Elderwood, an intelligent, scarred academic interested in exploring botanical magic. After the disappearance and presumed death of her sister during the London season, she is forced to set aside her academic ambitions — even after being accepted to Oxford — and seek a husband instead, or marry her cousin, to save the family fortune. Not an easy task, as her sister was the beautiful one, and she the studious one. She is the thorn to her sister’s rose.

She is thrust into a London where floromancers weave gowns from living blooms, hedge witches sprout poisons from their fingertips, high society refuses to accept her, and a serial killer in the style of Jack the Reaper stalks the streets. At the same time, she is determined to uncover her sister’s murderer — and all the signs point to a powerful nobleman.

With Mrs. Rose by her side to guide her through the ins and outs of high society, her uncle Percival to support her, her uncle’s aide Kehinde teaching her the use of poisons, and the bastard-born archaeologist Silas Blackthorn dazzling her, she must navigate carefully — or risk becoming another victim of the Reaper.

I enjoyed the book immensely. The magic system is one of the most original I have encountered. I loved the use of floriography and the application of the language of flowers within the magic system. The idea of conjuring flowers and poisons from the skin is truly genius.

I loved the Frankenstein vibes, the plant-human hybrids, and the Ripper-inspired murder plot. I loved the FMC — flawed, stubborn, brave, and standing up for her principles. I did want to shout at her at times for the unnecessary risks she took. We get an eclectic cast of characters; even the side characters have compelling backstories, and each has enough personality to make this a truly memorable ensemble, with a satisfying story arc and a decent amount of emotional depth.

The book is presented as romantasy, but the romance feels more like an afterthought, and there is not enough of it to truly be considered as such. It is historical fantasy with fictional liberties, so take the history with a pinch of salt. The book explores themes of racism, colonization, class, women’s rights, found family, betrayal, the relationship between sisters, loss, grief, and embracing one’s power, all seamlessly integrated into the tale.

The author is an excellent storyteller who kept me engaged with gripping scenes and a creative plot that builds suspense. The pacing is steady and kept me engaged throughout. Some scenes genuinely unsettled me, and others required a suspension of disbelief — even for a fantasy. It is ambitious in scope, but I felt the author accomplished what he set out to do.

This book earns 4.5 out of 5 stars from me, rounded up to 5. The ending isn’t conventional in the usual sense, but it fits perfectly. I would love another book in this world, as some questions were left unanswered. If you like your fantasy dark, thorny, and laced with poison, this one is for you.

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book:  "City of Iron and Ivy" by Thomas Kent West

  

"The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne" by Summer N. England

 

"The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne" by Summer N. England is a charming and spicy sapphic cozy romantasy debut, following a grumpy garden witch and her sunshine bodyguard. The book enchanted me from the first word with its warm, fuzzy atmosphere, catching me hook, line, and sinker.

Clara Thorne lives happily in a cozy cottage in the town of Moss with Warty, her sidekick hedgehog, along with books, writing, and her garden. She has one friend, an orc named Rosie, and prefers to keep to herself. Believed to possess garden magic, she was appointed Town Gardener upon her arrival in Moss at the age of 13 and has lived there ever since. Fast-forward 15 years, and her life takes a turn when the Goddess Eldrene sends her on a seemingly hopeless quest—to travel to the cursed town of Dwindle, which is on the edge of withering, and grow them a garden in a month.

Clara believes the quest is doomed since her powers are weak and don’t exist outside of Moss—or so she thinks. The Goddess appoints her a bodyguard, a warrior named Hesper, who has a crow companion named Edge. The two hit a false note from the moment they meet. Clara dislikes Hesper at first sight, blaming her for all her woes and being openly hostile toward her, so their journey doesn’t start on the right foot. Hesper keeps insisting that Clara has magic, which only further irritates her. Add to that an ancient enemy on their trail, an eclectic cast of characters—nymphs, fae, water nymphs, dryads, dwarves—and magic, and you get one hell of an adventure.

The book had everything I enjoy: a fantasy world with magic, talking animals, enemies to lovers, and a heroine forced out of her comfort zone and placed in situations that test her strength and heart. The whimsical names worked for me, Warty and Edge were delightful, and I enjoyed the friendship between Clara and Rosie, as well as the emotional dynamics between the characters. The novel thoughtfully explores themes of loss, found family, duty, hope, self-growth, believing in yourself, and the power of love.   

This is a highly entertaining cozy fantasy with rich world-building, vivid characters, and a captivating magical setting. The division between major and lesser magic was especially fun—kitchen magic, beauty magic, garden magic, heart magic—and paired nicely with the whimsy of the tale and the banter. I smiled every time Hesper called Clara “princess” and at their comebacks. The chapter-opening quotes were also a nice touch.

I did find Clara to be a bit of a brat. Since she’s almost 30 years old, it didn’t always fit, and she lived up to her name—thorny. She was often whiny and irrational, hating Hesper for no real reason, treating her badly, and refusing to accept certain truths. Because it felt so one-sided, the enemies-to-lovers arc came across as a bit too constructed for the sake of the trope. That said, I still liked her. Hesper, on the other hand, was a delight, and I would love to read more about her past. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book greatly and would happily read more stories set in this world. The writing was top-notch and kept me hooked all the way through. Fans of cozy fantasy, fleshed-out characters, and those who don’t mind spicy sapphic romance and a somewhat forced enemies-to-lovers arc will enjoy this book. I know I did! 

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.  

* For more info about the book: "The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne" by Summer N. England