"Ambrosia" by Katrina Kwan

 

"Ambrosia" by Katrina Kwan is a dark academia standalone combining murder mystery and alchemy, all my favorite tropes. The opening of the book was great, and I loved the wink to the opening of "Pride and Prejudice."

The book revolves around a Huay woman, Li, who left her home country with her husband, Zhen, so he could join the University of Quartë’s world-renowned Order of Alchemic Science as a tenured alchemist. When his body is found in a frozen river, the police dismiss it as suicide. Li doesn't buy it, due to the gold found in his veins.

As the campus doesn't accept women alchemists, Li disguises herself as a man to infiltrate the campus and find out who murdered her husband. There are five suspects, including Rauley, her husband's best friend, and she believes one of them murdered her husband. Nonetheless, the truth is darker than she suspected.

Overall, I enjoyed the tale. The mystery was good enough that I didn't guess the identity of the murderer, and there were enough red herrings to keep me guessing. The title has some connection to the plot, which I'll let you find out for yourself. The world-building was nicely done. The mystical animals, the murder investigation, and the alchemy involved created exactly the kind of atmosphere I enjoy. I liked the peeks we got into the academy and the alchemy side of things, which was creative enough to make me want more. The cast was nicely developed, to one degree or another. I also liked the wink to Mulan and her similarities to our heroine.

Speaking of that, I am ambivalent about Li. On one hand, I liked her and rooted for her. On the other, she irritated me, and I went from liking her to disliking her and back again. I admired her bravery and resourcefulness, but at times she went too far. She was too reckless, and I didn't like her attitude toward Rauley, among other things. She used his feelings toward her to her own ends. I liked her compassion toward a couple of street urchins, but I didn't approve of some of her other acts.

The book explores themes of grief, prejudice, social class, gender inequality, survival, and found family. It also explores how far one will go to achieve justice. Far enough, it seems. There isn't much of a romance, although the book details the romance between Li and her late husband, as well as the possibility of one with another.

While I liked the premise of "Ambrosia," the execution fell a little short for me. Written in the third person POV, the book moves between past and present, with flashbacks to Li's past interspersed with her life in the present, which at times interrupted the flow of the story. The prose was clunky and took some time to get used to, and the pace wasn't even at times. That said, the story still kept me intrigued until the explosive conclusion, which gave the story the payoff I was hoping for. Therefore, I only shaved one star off my final rating. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend the book to fans of dark academia, mystery, and East Asian folklore.

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

* For more info about the book: "Ambrosia" by Katrina Kwan

"The Farewitch of Foxe Holler" by Ellen Pauley Goff

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




As in cooking, this book has all the right ingredients that add up to an excellent dish: grumpy vs. sunshine, a sentient farmhouse, and magic! The Farewitch of Foxe Holler by Ellen Pauley Goff is a charming cozy fantasy stand-alone set in a magic-imbued small town in Kentucky. This book checked all my boxes and worked perfectly for me.

Honey Frost is Foxe Holler's thirty-something Farewitch who had to take over her family's Apothakery business earlier due to unexpected circumstances. Creating culinary cures is her specialty, and most small ailments can be cured with just the right recipe. When the Holler's reclusive Warlock, Mr. Knight, suddenly requests her help, she reluctantly agrees, to the dismay of the townsfolk, in the hope of finding helpful new recipes to cure the one illness she has been unable to heal.

She stays at his farmhouse, which has a mind of its own and mistrusts strangers. The only other residents are a lovely nine-year-old boy, Lazlo, and his unwelcoming governess, Ms. Zeen. The Warlock has many secrets, so Honey's task is set out for her, and she has only three months to accomplish it. As Honey tries to find a cure while dealing with her own issues, two threats loom: the Widow Witch, who steals a husband from Foxe Holler every year, and a zealot pastor determined to banish magic altogether. And time is running out, literally.

I enjoyed the book very much. I loved the banter and repartee between Honey and Mr. Knight, the slow-burn romance, the eclectic cast of side characters, the different types of witches, and the cozy atmosphere. The romance develops gradually and never overshadows the rest of the story. I also adored the sentient farmhouse. It was every bit as grumpy as its owner and felt like a character in its own right. I appreciated the character growth of both Honey and Mr. Knight, the snappy dialogue between them, and the writing.

This book is definitely character-driven, and the author does a tremendous job capturing the personalities of her characters. Among the side characters, Beulah Buchanan and her lovely dog, the grumpy Gertha Fudge, and Letha Zeen were standouts and added plenty of flavor to the story. The pacing is steady, and while it may slow somewhat in the middle, it felt just right to me and suited the cozy atmosphere of the story. I loved the concept of solving problems with the right recipes. We get the backstory in bits and pieces, which is how I prefer it rather than pages of info dumps.

Interwoven within this sweet tale are themes of friendship, loyalty, found family, and the power of community, as well as other insightful messages, such as the dangers of overworking oneself at the expense of one's health (through the costs of magic), learning to accept help, understanding that people can make bad decisions without being bad people, and learning from our mistakes. The plot served our protagonists to the best of their personalities. And the characters, in turn, served the plot to its full potential.

Overall, I loved the book and highly recommend it. It was everything I want from a cozy fantasy novel. It is filled with vivid world-building, original characters, and a captivating magical setting. I loved the connection between magic and baking, as well as Honey's helpful tips from her planned Southern Cookbook for Recipes Gone Wrong at the heading of each chapter. I would love to read more books set in this world. It's perfect for fans of the genre. The author baked us a great burgoo dish, and in Honey's Momaw's own words: food is magic. And this book has both, in spades!

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

* For more info about the book: "The Farewitch of Foxe Holler" by Ellen Pauley Goff

 

"The Wicked and the Damned" by Rebecca Robinson

 

"The Wicked and the Damned" is the second romantasy novel in Rebecca Robinson’s Dark Inheritance Trilogy, and just as intense—if not more. It continues right where the first book ended, with stakes that are just as high, if not higher.

The first book introduced Vaasa Kozár, a princess of Asterya, and Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler—characters one can't help but fall in love with, along with their story. The book ended with a deal made between Vaasa and Ozik, her father's counselor and a Zetyr witch. In return for Reid's life, Vaasa agreed to give Ozik access to her magic. The book ends with her being dragged back to her homeland in chains to be used as a political pawn and figurehead.

Ozik annuls her marriage to Reid and forces her to choose a noble to marry in order to gain more power and control. Forced to comply, Vaasa pretends to be obedient while scheming her way to freedom. She will have to use all her wits and her training to outwit her enemies. And there are many of them. 

Meanwhile, Reid has his own plans to rescue her and will do whatever is necessary, be it war or consorting with pirates—and their leader, Sachia—to achieve his goals. Sachia has her own agenda, and trust is slow to build. Betrayal, intrigue, revenge, conspiracy, found family, friendship, magic, and love all intertwine in this sweeping tale.

I was afraid of the second book syndrome, but this book is just as complex and good as the first one. Told in dual POVs, we get to know more about Vaasa and Reid, especially Vaasa. The author continues to develop the world, revealing more of its history and magical system. Vaasa learns more about her magic and how to control it. There is also a bit more political maneuvering here than in the first book, and Vaasa handles herself perfectly among all the underhanded dealings.

I loved the introduction of new characters, mainly Sachia, and what unfolds is an intriguing tale that blends political intrigue, action, magic, and moral dilemmas. One of the things I liked about this book was how creative it was. It combines an interesting plot with compelling, complex fantasy and plenty of twists. The characters are finely drawn, and we get just enough of the backstory in bits and pieces, which is how I prefer it to an info dump.

While the book mainly focuses on Vaasa and Reid, we also get a brief look into Ozik, which I loved. Even some of the villains have a human side, making all the characters feel fully realized. The book has everything I enjoy: a fantasy world with magic, heart, and a heroine caught in the middle of a dangerous game that tests her strength.
 
The story opens with a bang and builds to an explosive climax. The middle was a bit slow and could be tightened, but the action-packed ending is impossible to put down. There were a couple of spicy scenes that felt out of place, some occurring in the middle of danger, which felt out of place. There is a bit of a cliffhanger, but not as huge as in the first book.

One needs to read the first book before this one, as it doesn’t stand on its own. There is some recapping to remind readers what happened, but it isn’t enough for new readers to fully get into the story. Overall, I loved the book despite those small misgivings, so I rate it 4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up to 5. I can’t wait to read the final book in the series. I recommend the book to those who read and enjoyed the first book and love books with strong heroines, a complex magic system, and political intrigue.

Note on content: The story includes elements that may be intense for some readers such as: Torture, violence, spicy scenes, imprisonment/captivity, manipulation & coercion.

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

* For more info about the book: "The Wicked and the Damned" by Rebecca Robinson