Book Review: Girls: Life isn't a Fairy Tale | Annet Schaap, Laura Watkinson

Girls: Life Isn't a Fairy Tale by Annet Schaap
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

These are familiar fairy tales retold, and mostly modernised in some way: Rumpelstiltskin, Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, The Frog Prince, Bluebeard, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty and the Beast. (Well, at least I think "Monster Girl" is a gender flipped Beauty and the Beast, since I can't figure out any closer comparison.)

There's a wry humour that runs through these stories, and it's especially amusing to me how Schaap twists the original stories to new and unexpected endings. Whilst all the stories are pretty dark, there's also a thread of hope - and if not hope, a kind of resilience - that turns up at the unexpected times and in unexpected places in most of them. There's also a stark realism to them; I'd like to imagine that these retellings would have the same impact on us as the originals did in their time, in warning the readers about the dangers of the world. And also in telling us how to overcome them.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Pushkin Children's Books via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Book Review: Murder at Gull's Nest | Jess Kidd

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Murder at Gulls Nest is a classic cosy mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. Here, we have an Nora Breen, a former nun, who arrives at Gore-on-Sea in Kent in search of Frieda Brogan, her former novice and friend. Gulls Nest, the same boarding house that Frieda disappeared from, is filled with odd characters: the grieving widow and her wild, silent child; the loving couple who may be facing difficult times; the secret smuggler; the old entertainer; the foreigner; and the grim housekeeper. It's all Breen can do to trace Frieda's footsteps... and then the murders start.

The mystery itself is intriguing. There's enough intrigue and misdirection, misunderstandings and coincidences to keep you entertained and guessing. The various characters are colourful and complex... and yet the main thing that kept me from really enjoying the book was Nora Breen herself.

Breen is supposed to be about 50, but she came across to me as rather brash, impulsive, and unlikeable, as if she'd staved off her teenage years in the convent and was now catching up with antics like constantly throwing shoes at the police constable. There's her rape backstory to contend with, which felt like it was mostly brought up to force a connection with another character. And then there was that nod to a relationship between Breen and the Inspector at the end of the book, which felt rather forced after their extremely contrary working relationship. It's not quite insta-love, but it feels like it was made to happen because both of them were single and had, well, a love for solving mysteries and this was the easiest way for them to work together in future books.

Other minor quibble: The book was written in the present tense, which felt rather jarring and strange for a book of this kind/genre. There didn't seem to be anything in the narrative or text that made it feel necessary, neither did it add to the atmosphere. This is very much a reader preference, however, so maybe it works for others.

At any rate, anyone who likes whodunnits would probably like this book.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from Atria Books via Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Book Review: A Palace Near the Wind | Ai Jiang

A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Land Walkers, or humans, have been encroaching onto Feng territory for years, bringing with it progress and development. But whatever good they purportedly bring is destroying the very fabric of Feng society and the Wind Walkers' way of life. Liu Lufeng's arranged marriage to the King is meant to buy them more time, her bridewealth used to negotiate ways to preserve what little they have left. Yet Lufeng's mother and sisters' marriages have had little lasting effect - so what hope does she have that her own marriage will bring needed change? Thus, attempted murder.

Despite its length - or maybe because of it - A Palace Near the Wind requires careful reading. It's a little hard to get into at first as there are many new ideas and concepts to orient yourself to and there's little to ease your way - and I say this coming fresh off the Stormlight Archives. Maybe if Ai had given it more space to breathe, it wouldn't be so hard to connect.

And yet, once things fall into place, A Palace Near the Wind feels less dense, but more richly layered, exploring not just the destructive nature of unchecked development, but also the any layers of governance and the hidden powers behind the throne. Is the face of the government, be it a king or a president, really the one making the decisions? Or are there others behind them pulling the strings? Can you truly take anything at face value? Or must one always be wary of where the money flows?

The longer Lufeng stays in the Palace, the more secrets she uncovers - secrets that shake the foundations of her very life. What are the true origins of Feng? And what should she do when she discovers that the people she grew up trusting may be complicit in the destruction of her nation? These are delicious breadcrumbs that Ai scatters as twists in the story, leading up to a tantalising cliffhanger.

It is here that I wish that this weren't a novella duology, but that it had been written as a complete novel, because now I have to wait for the next book to be published.

Note: I received a digital ARC of this book from the Titan Books via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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