Another year, another list of my favorite books! As a result of my tendency to hop about different genres, I don’t prefer the Top 5/Top 10 etc., style lists for myself. It’s too hard to have these books compete against one another when they’re so intrinsically different. Instead, I like breaking it down by genre and picking some of my favorites from each. These are not all books that were published in 2023, just ones I read during this year.

In 2023, I finished the year having read 179 books which equaled out to about 63,800 pages. Per usual, I read a lot of romance and fantasy but there was no shortage of other genres. I joined a classics book club this year and read some old and new favorites, which I’ll be continuing to participate in during 2024.

One thing I always like to reiterate with my end-of-year lists is that not all of these were “five star” reads on my ratings. Some of these are books that I enjoyed and loved throughout the year even if they had some flaws. They’re the ones that stuck with me after 179 books read. I stuck each book into the genre that I most identified them with, but many of the books are genre-blending.

Alternatively, there’s books that were 5 stars for me that didn’t make this list. I read a lot this year! There were many books I really enjoyed that aren’t on this list.

I hope you find some inspiration for your next read in this list!

Thrillers/Mysteries 

•The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer

•Sign here by Claudia Lux

•Confessions by Kanae Minato

•Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering

•Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina 

Romance/Romantic Comedies 

•Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

•Snowed In by Catherine Walsh 

•Every Summer After/Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

•Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood 

•The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren 

•Love You, Mean It by Jilly Gagnon

Romantic Fantasy

•The Foxglove King by Hannah F. Whitten

•Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

•One for my Enemy by Olivie Blake

•Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong

•Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer 

•A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid

Fantasy/Magical Realism

•The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty 

•The Magician’s Daughter by H.G. Parry 

•The Mountain of Souls by Marcus Lee

•The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams 

•The Severing Son by Vaughn Roycroft

•Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin

Historical Fantasy/Mythology

•The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec 

•Clytemnestra by Constanza Casati

•Medusa’s Sisters by Lauren J.A. Bear

Historical Fiction

•Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez

•The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland 

•Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

•Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

Contemporary/Literary Fiction

•Yellowface by R.F. Kuang 

•Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

•Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler

Horror 

•Nestlings by Nat Cassidy

Science Fiction/Dystopian Fiction

•In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune

•Elsewhere by Alexis Schaitkin

•One of the Boys by Jayne Cowie

Nonfiction/Memoirs

•Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein 

•Strip Tees: A Memoir of Millennial Los Angelas by Kate Flannery

•Who’s Your Founding Father? One Man’s Epic Quest to Uncover the First, True Declaration of Independence by David Fleming

•Spare by Prince Harry

•Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly 

Classics 

•Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

•The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 

Graphic Novel

•The Glass Scientists: Volume One by S.H. Cotugno

And that’s a wrap on the 2023 season of books! As always, you can find my reviews on FanFiAddict.com, check out my bookish musings on Twitter (@sassideeee), or see my reviews on my book IG (cassidee.omnilegent). I didn’t do full reviews as much as I wanted this past year but I’m hoping to do more in 2024. Have a great year and read some amazing books!

Synopsis:

The gothic worlds of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, and more collide in this graphic novel series about buried secrets, mad science, and misunderstood monsters. For fans of stylish reimaginings like Lore Olympus and gaslamp fantasies like The Night Circus!

London isn’t the safest place for mad scientists these days. After that whole ordeal with Frankenstein, angry mobs have gotten awfully good at hunting down monsters and wiping out anything they don’t understand. In fact, if it weren’t for one extraordinary young man, every out-of-the-box thinker would have been locked up . . . or worse.

That young man is none other than Dr. Henry Jekyll. He believes mad scientists would thrive if they could just fix their public image, which is why he founded the Society for Arcane Sciences, a place where like-minded eccentrics could come together to defy the laws of nature in peace.

But everything changes when a mysterious stranger arrives, bent on taking the Society in a radical new direction. With everyone turning against him, Jekyll’s life starts to spiral out of control, shattering all his carefully laid plans and threatening to expose his darkest secret—one that could destroy everything he has built from the inside out.

Volume One collects Chapters 1-7 of this thrilling, humorous, beloved webcomic, which is available in print for the first time ever. It also features a brand-new side story, a behind-the-scenes look at artwork, and more exclusive bonus content!

Review:

“Now I am abominably behind schedule so could you perhaps… not exist for a bit?”

I was recently gifted a copy of The Glass Scientists: Volume One, a retelling of Jekyll & Hyde in graphic novel form adapted from the ongoing webtoon. Thanks so much to Books Forward! 

Honestly, I don’t have any criticisms. I enjoyed the illustrations immensely. They were vibrant yet contrasting against dark tones. They beautifully captured the atmosphere of what a haven for mad scientists in 19th Century London would be like.

I love the nods towards mad scientists, monsters, and the lore surrounding them from various classic novels. Frankenstein and her monster had a heavy feature in this book. She stirs up Jekyll’s society quite heavily.

The Glass Scientists is humorous and heartfelt, simultaneously a warm hug and a sigh of emotional release. It tackles an array of topics deftly; anything from sex to literature to sexual identity.

“You see, Jekyll just loves caretaking- it’s so much easier to ignore your own problems when you’re fussing over someone else’s.”

 I have such a soft spot for Jekyll and the weight that is on his shoulders. He’s confident and reassuring in public, yet riddled with insecurities and fears in private. He seems to grapple with his sexuality and that manifests in different ways. Hyde is mischievous and calculated, offering comedic relief and drama to the story. 

“Rachel, we’ve been over this. If you want to shag someone, just walk up to them and say, “Hallo, fancy a shag?” You don’t need all this confectionary pretense.”

There’s also a host of other lovable characters that we are introduced to that I can’t wait to learn more about. I especially enjoyed Rachel and Lanyon, both of whom love the people in their lives fiercely. There’s a heavy found family trope in The Glass Scientists and that’s always a favorite of mine. 

I’ll definitely be continuing with this series and am sad that I didn’t know about it until recently. This has the first seven chapters of the webtoon and you can continue on the website or wait for the next volume to come out! It ends on a cliffhanger, so I will be racing over so I can see how Jekyll and Hyde get out of their latest mishaps.

Synopsis:

After 800 years, the final installment of The Edda Trilogy has at long last arrived! Picking up where its medieval forebears, The Poetic Edda and The Prose Edda, left off, The Impudent Edda not only introduces readers to a fresh, new perspective on both familiar and previously unknown narratives of Norse mythology, but also brings the worldʼs foremost epic fantasy trilogy to its inevitable and fateful conclusion: in a dank alleyway behind a dive bar in Boston. 

Masterfully translated into English for the first time ever by esteemed Impudent Eddic scholar, Rowdy Geirsson, this volume offers readers a deeply poetic yet highly accessible version of fun and classic tales ranging from Odinʼs unprovoked murder of an ancient witch to Freyjaʼs voluntary experiment as a prostitute among lecherous dwarves to Thorʼs drunken and petty act of larceny on the eve of Ragnarök, the final world-shattering battle of the gods. 

Review:

You’ve heard of two renowned Eddas, The Prose Edda and The Poetic Edda, but have you heard of The Impudent Edda? What? You have not heard of the Edda found in the deepest, darkest depths of a seedy alleyway in Boston? Blasphemy!

The Impudent Edda has the prose and heart of a drunken Bostonian who just finished a course in Norse mythology and needed to tell everyone at the bar about it. There’s a good dose of swearing, some intentional meandering, a lot of laughter, and a dash of Dunkin’ Donuts.

This is not going to be your typical Norse collection of stories. If you are loving the wave of Norse retellings, or a bit burnt out on them and looking for a fresh take, this book might be just the thing for you. The Impudent Edda doesn’t take itself too seriously, but it still delivers. I would recommend this for people who already have a basis of understanding when it comes to Norse mythology or you might get a bit confused on the happenings. Geirsson does have a glossary and translates the Bostonian language back into more traditional language when needed.

Findings such as Thor getting his driver’s license might be more modern, but a lot of the basics such as Loki cutting off Sif’s hair are still there… even if this Edda has a slightly different theory on HOW that happened. This is a comical take on Norse mythology and unlike anything I’ve read in relation to mythology in general. Rowdy Geirrson brings the Norse Gods to life with humor and that good old Bostonian language. There’s some fun illustrations to guide us along the way, too. Thanks so much for the review copy, Rowdy!

I was lucky enough to read Medusa’s Sisters last month, which was a stunning debut that published in August with Ace/Berkley. I want to thank the publisher for granting me an early copy for review and for setting up an interview with Lauren J. A. Bear! A review will be coming for it shortly, but I wanted to get the interview up first. I’ll drop a quick synopsis of Medusa’s Sisters below and then it’s onward to the interview.

Synopsis:

A vivid and moving reimagining of the myth of Medusa and the sisters who loved her.

The end of the story is only the beginning…

Even before they were transformed into Gorgons, Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale were unique among their immortal family. Curious about mortals and their lives, Medusa and her sisters entered the human world in search of a place to belong, yet quickly found themselves at the perilous center of a dangerous Olympian rivalry and learned—too late—that a god’s love is a violent one.

 Forgotten by history and diminished by poets, the other two Gorgons have never been more than horrifying hags, damned and doomed. But they were sisters first, and their journey from lowly sea-born origins to the outskirts of the pantheon is a journey that rests, hidden, underneath their scales.

 Monsters, but not monstrous, Stheno and Euryale will step into the light for the first time to tell the story of how all three sisters lived and were changed by each other, as they struggle against the inherent conflict between sisterhood and individuality, myth and truth, vengeance and peace.

Interview:

Q. Hello, Lauren! My name is Cassidee and I am a book blogger for FanFiAddict, as well as some other outlets. Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for the blog. Your book Medusa’s Sisters came out recently and I’d love to know a bit about you. Please feel free to give us some background info about you! 

A. Hi Cassidee! So, I’m Lauren (obviously). I was born in Boston but I grew up in Long Beach, California. I live in Seattle now with my husband and three Bear cubs. Before working as a full-time writer, I taught middle school Humanities. I worked closely with the Holocaust Center for Humanity as a teaching fellow, specifically crafting lessons and experience that teach kids about genocide and the need for compassion + action. I’m a Bravo-loving cruciverbalist. I eat Taco Bell with Veuve. Total high-low girlie. 

Q. Have you always been passionate about mythology? How did you decide who you were going to focus on for this first novel?

A. When I was in third grade, my dad bought me a copy of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. (I still have it!) Those stories became a part of my DNA and clearly I’m not alone. These stories are nearly three THOUSAND years old and we still read them with fervor. Why? Because they entertain, because they connect us to the past and tell us something about ourselves in the present. And they provide endless opportunities for imagination.

I believe we are storytelling animals. Our love – our hunger – for narrative is part of what makes us human. If it’s not human nature by now, revising and revisiting the stories we’ve been told is certainly an ingrained human habit. It’s hardly a new trend; it’s how we bring the past with us into the future, amending and translating old tales for a modern audience. We change, add, delete, pivot, and reinterpret, both to answer old questions and ask new ones. I think stories must adapt as humans do to survive.

Q. I love the wave of mythological retellings that center around women. I have always been majorly interested in mythology and remember spending my childhood looking up myths as soon as we got a computer. There was always an subconscious uncomfortable feeling toward the way women were often portrayed and the way their stories usually ended but at a young age, I didn’t know how to vocalize that feeling. All this to say, did you feel a calling to add to the humanization and empowerment of the women in mythology? Was there ever a point in your life that you felt the injustice of the way women in mythology were presented?

A. YES, CASSIDEE, YES! We were two kids of a kindred spirit! I remember my favorite myth as a girl was Atalanta, but the fact that she’s tricked into marriage by her desire for a golden apple felt completely unfair and incongruous. I hated her ending. And the rest of the female characters are such flat, stale archetypes – the woman scorned (Medea), the faithful wife (Penelope), the powerless beauty (Helen), the virgin sacrifice (Iphigenia). These are so inauthentic. Real women are all complicated; we are ALL the things. But this is what happens when the narrative is controlled by men. By rewriting these old tales, we take back power. By challenging the authoritative voice, we give agency to characters that are misunderstood, misrepresented, muted.

Q. I want to share one of my favorite quotes from the book:

“One day, sooner than you realize, the humans will know you for what you are. And all the many, many things you are not. The altars will run dry with dust; the fires will die. Your temples will empty and fall to ruin.” 

I love the way that this quote ties in that thread of justice, the idea that one day the powerful and the corrupt will lose all that makes them powerful. 

Do you have a quote that you’re particularly proud or fond of from Medusa’s Sisters?

A. Oh, this quote is from one of my favorite scenes in the whole novel! Excellent choice! For Stheno and Euryale, justice is not always accessible to them. They have to find it in their own ways (through acts of revenge, through unconditional love, through personal redemption and acceptance, etc…). 

I also love this quote from a conversation between Mistress Charmion and Euryale: “The mothers must survive in a world where men and god — and men who think they’re gods — limit their choices … To have choices is to have power. Most women have neither.”

In Athens, the sisters encounter three different types of female mentors: the musician, the priestess, the madam. I had a lot of fun playing with their similarities and differences – how they use their influence, how they make space for themselves in a limited world.

Q. Did you have a favorite POV while writing? One that came easier or one that was more challenging?

A. I’m an older sister. Stheno’s sense of responsibility, her tendency to stymie her own emotions to protect and preserve the family, are something I really relate to. But Euryale is messy. She has “unlikable” thoughts and feelings. She resonates with me, as well. Overall, I think I’m Stheno on the outside, Euryale on the inside. (Do I make a ‘Stheno on the streets, Euryale in the sheets’ joke? Damn, I guess I just did.)

Q. As a mother, I feel internally squeamish whenever I read about a mother losing a child, even when I know it is coming. Did you find it at all emotionally taxing to write the loss of Orion, not only for Euryale but for Stheno? Those passages were some of my favorite to read despite the subject matter. 

A. 100%. I gave birth to my third child (a boy) as I was writing the novel so Orion is very much based on him – the curls, the wildness. Stheno’s anxiety for Orion is so real; her fears are ones I’ve articulated or I’ve heard from the people around me. 

Orion was always intended to be the actual love of Euryale’s life, and I knew she would not survive his loss, so from the second he was born on the page it was bittersweet. He’s only in a small portion of the book but he’s essential for Euryale’s “villain redemption arc” and her reconnection with Stheno. 

Q. Are there any mythological misconceptions or discrepancies across different accounts that really get you heated?

A. The one that made me most angry – and inspired my novel – was a quote from classical scholar Jane Ellen Harrison calling Stheno and Euryale “mere appendages” of their famous sister, Medusa. That assertion, that the other Gorgons don’t matter, is what whipped me into a research frenzy. Honestly, the book is my response; I’m just a troll on a lengthy rant! 

Q. Do you have a specific regimen for your writing process? What about any rituals/traditions either during or after your novel is finished?

A. Call me Jane Austen; I handwrite most of the first draft. I started this way because my kids were home during Covid and I couldn’t be on a laptop all day. A notebook is much more portable – it can do tummy time and the playground and Lego! Now, it’s become my preferred method of drafting. There’s something about long hand that forces a pause. My writing is more thoughtful, more lyrical when I write this way. On my computer I think I rush. 

Every now and then I do like writing with a glass of wine. What did Hemingway say? Write drunk and edit sober? And when the draft is done, I sleep. I am so, so good at napping.

Q. What are you working on next? Do you have interest in writing other genres or are you content to stick with mythology?

A. Mother of Rome is my next novel with Ace/Berkley. It’s the story of Rhea Silvia, mythical mother of Romulus and Remus, and Rome before it was Rome. I’ve had a lot of fun deconstructing this foundational legend and creating a wildhearted woman for modern readers. Right now I’m pretty obsessed with women in antiquity, but I could see myself in the speculative fiction space one day.

I always like to finish interviews with a rapid fire Q&A to get to know our author in a fun way. 

Favorite book (all-time): The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy.

Favorite book read this year: It’s from 2019 but I was late to the party. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone was brilliant.

Favorite show and/or movie: Currently, Only Murders in the Building because it makes me giggle. And literally any single Below Deckfranchise.

Coke or Pepsi: Diet Coke, aspartame and all. (I’m so ashamed.)

Wine, liquor, or beer: Martini (Tito’s, slightly dirty)

Tea or coffee:  Coffee, all day long.

Sword or bow & arrow: I’m pretty tall so bow & arrow feels more appropriately elfin.

Would you be a mage, Queen/King, or knight: Queen, Cersei Lannister style.

Favorite Hobby: Horseback riding.

Dream vacation: Super yacht through the Med with all my best friends.

Favorite animal: Octopus. They are incredible. 

Favorite musical artist: ABBA or Fleetwood Mac or Beyonce or Rihanna.

I want to thank you again for being so kind as to take the time to answer some questions. Wishing you the best of luck on the rest of your endeavors! 

Thank you so much! This was a blast.

Where to find Lauren:

Synopsis:

Every year, thousands in the kingdom of Talin will flock to its capital twin cities, San-Er, where the palace hosts a set of games. For those confident enough in their ability to jump between bodies, competitors across San-Er fight to the death to win unimaginable riches.

Princess Calla Tuoleimi lurks in hiding. Five years ago, a massacre killed her parents and left the palace of Er empty…and she was the one who did it. Before King Kasa’s forces in San can catch her, she plans to finish the job and bring down the monarchy. Her reclusive uncle always greets the victor of the games, so if she wins, she gets her opportunity at last to kill him.

Enter Anton Makusa, an exiled aristocrat. His childhood love has lain in a coma since they were both ousted from the palace, and he’s deep in debt trying to keep her alive. Thankfully, he’s one of the best jumpers in the kingdom, flitting from body to body at will. His last chance at saving her is entering the games and winning.

Calla finds both an unexpected alliance with Anton and help from King Kasa’s adopted son, August, who wants to mend Talin’s ills. But the three of them have very different goals, even as Calla and Anton’s partnership spirals into something all-consuming. Before the games close, Calla must decide what she’s playing for—her lover or her kingdom.

Review:

“They trained her for war. And she rose up to wage it on them.” 

Well, that was fantastic. Immortal Longings starts out super strong and intriguing and I’ll be honest, in the middle, there was a bit of a lull and I was hoping the pace picked up. I should have known my girl wouldn’t do us like that, because the ending is explosive and leaves us wanting more. 

Calla! Anton! August! I cared for them all and they’re all at odds with one another. I am so intensely curious to see what is going to happen in the next book because of how this ended.

Gong’s foray from YA to Adult is effortless. I feel like she’s always straddled the line with her YA books, so it was no feat for her to take the pining and sexual tension between her characters a bit further. I love that you can still see her Shakespearean influences mixed with the Chinese culture. The magic system is heavily influenced by Chinese beliefs and Qi, it was simply fascinating and brilliant. The idea that you can body jump by harnessing the life force that is Qi was such a unique system. It made the dystopian, assassin-battle-royale setting that much more unpredictable.

We have seen dystopian literature before, especially ones that includes death-match competitions. I still found this to be fresh and unique. The Qi body-jumping system pairs well with all of the things that make survival dystopia a beloved genre. Furthermore, Chloe Gong’s style of writing never fails to keep me breathless. The chemistry between her characters is sheer perfection. The magic systems are unique and intelligent in the way they make absolute sense. The realistic world building is rich yet not needlessly complex. Most importantly, the twists are delicious and promise more drama as the series continues. 

“Calla,” she echoes, putting on a tone of reverence. She makes a thoughtful noise. “Would you know me in another body?” 
“In any body,” Anton promises, “you would still be the same terrifying princess.”

Chloe Gong has absolutely become an auto-buy author for me. I want to thank Saga Press/Gallery Books for the early ebook copy and the finished copy of Immortal Longings. I am already looking forward to the next installment!

Hello! I’m here today with Jayne Cowie, author of the dystopian thriller titled ONE OF THE BOYS, out now via Berkley Publishing. I read, reviewed, and really enjoyed this book, which is quite unlike anything else I’ve read this year.

Hi Jayne, my name is Cassidee and I am so excited to read One of the Boys. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your schedule to do a little Q&A with me for FanFiAddict!

JC: Hi Cassidee, thanks for having me! 

FFA: Did you always know you wanted to be a writer and when did you first try to publish one of your works? Was it successful or was it one of your later works that got the attention of a publisher? 

JC: I had an idea that I wanted to be a writer when I was very young, so probably 9 or 10, and even had a go at writing a novel in my teens, but that attempt didn’t get past the first chapter. Life then got in the way for a few years, and I didn’t think any more about it until I’d had my second child and found myself desperately in need of a creative outlet, preferably something I could do at home that wouldn’t cost any money. I’d read somewhere that Nora Roberts had written her first novel in a similar situation, so I decided to have a try, just to see if I could do it. I didn’t have any thoughts about trying to get published at that stage, which is probably just as well, because I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and the book was predictably terrible. I’m not sure you could even say it was a story. It was just a lot of words. But I finished it. And then I wrote another, and another. I started to read books about how to write, entered some writing competitions and went on a few writing courses as well. I sold several books to various digital first publishers (so ebook only) before I got an agent. ONE OF THE BOYS is my fifth traditionally published novel. I’m not one of those people who wrote their first book in three months and sold it straight away. I have written a LOT of unpublished stuff. But I’m OK with that. A career as a novelist requires stamina and patience and my slow journey to publication gave me the opportunity to develop both of those skills. 

FFA: One of the Boys was marketed to me as a dystopian thriller. Have you always had an interest in those genres? Do you have any other favorites? 

JC: Dystopian thrillers are an amazing mix of my favourite things – the excitement and pace of a thriller, with the fascinating ‘what if’ of a dystopia. They give you a world that is both strange and familiar at the same time. Thrillers always make good reads, because they’re a puzzle in book form. I also like what is often referred to as women’s fiction, so stories about women at various stages of their lives. 

FFA: Can you pinpoint a moment where you got the idea for One of the Boys or was it something that formed over time?

JC: This book wasn’t written in the usual way – I was actually working on something completely different but unfortunately my editors decided that they didn’t like it and asked me to come up with something else. I quickly brainstormed half a dozen ideas, and this was the one that they felt had the most promise. When writing a book like One of the Boys, the starting point is to ask yourself ‘what if?’ What if it turns out that violent behaviour has a clear genetic cause, and we can test for it? All the data we have tells us that men are more violent than women – they commit more violent crimes, are responsible for the majority of murders, and make up the vast majority of serial killers, and this is true across all countries and cultures as well as all periods in recorded history. I like to write about ordinary people in extraordinary situations, and Bea and Antonia and their sons came to me almost fully formed. 

FFA: In your book, boys can get tested at a young age to see if they have a gene for violence. There are two sisters with sons and one wants to test her son while the other doesn’t. If you were in the scenario, which route do you think you’d go?

JC: That’s a tricky question. When I had my children (in my twenties) I was very much on Bea’s side of the argument, and actually refused all prenatal testing. Now that I’m a bit older, I can see how young and naïve I was at that time. But the test for the violence gene is a tricky one, because it’s not about health, it’s about behaviour. I honestly don’t know what I would do, and as the mother of a teenage boy, I can imagine what a difficult decision it would be.  

FFA: Do you read reviews or do you prefer for reviews to be left to the reader? 

JC: I have a rule not to read reviews. I very much believe that once a book is published, it belongs to the reader, and they’re entitled to make of it what they will. Plus by that stage I can’t change the book, so it’s not like I can fix whatever it is that people haven’t liked about it. 

FFA: I am constantly highlighting quotes on my kindle or keeping tabs in my book of my favorite quotes. Are there any quotes from your novels that you’re especially fond or proud of?

JC:    There’s a line in ONE OF THE BOYS that I really like – Bea gives birth alone on the floor of a hospital bathroom, after a midwife tells her she’s not in labour and should go home. There’s a moment of very precious intimacy between herself and her son, Simon, before the door opens and the staff coming rushing in:

‘his little body had places in it where her hands could fit, like his armpits and under his bottom, as if he had been designed for exactly this, to be caught by his mother as he made the transition from the warm, safe world inside her body to the cold, cruel world outside it.’

I’ve also got a favourite quote from my previous novel, CURFEW, which is about a near future Britain in which all men are electronically tagged and not allowed to leave their homes at night:

‘Women ruled these public spaces. They were free to do what they wanted, say what they wanted, dress how they wanted. They were free to walk home drunk at midnight without being bothered.’

FFA: Do you have a specific regimen for your writing process? What about any rituals/traditions either during or after your novel is finished?

JC: I generally write during the week and try and keep the weekends for family time, but when I’m on a deadline that doesn’t always work. After years of working with children around I can write pretty much anywhere. I try to plan my books before I write them. This can take longer than you’d expect, several weeks sometimes, but it’s worth it in the long run as it helps you to see if an idea has legs and where the major flaws are before you get 50,000 words in and realise it isn’t working. Post book ritual usually involves cleaning the house. 

FFA: If your books were adapted for film, are there any dream castings you would have in mind to play your characters?

JC: I would love Alison Brie as Bea, I think she’s amazing and could really bring out Bea’s stubbornness and her inner turmoil and anger, and Sienna Miller as Antonia. Zoe Saldana would make a great Zara. For the men, I would have Benedict Cumberbatch as Owen and Rupert Friend as Paul, and then Gillian Anderson and Helen Mirren could just show up and do whatever they felt like. 

FFA: Do you feel like your characters are a reflection of yourself or people in your life? Any of your characters that you relate to more than others?

JC: I think characters will always have elements of people you’ve known in them, but I wouldn’t say that they are based on myself or anyone I know, and I think that’s a dangerous path for a fiction writer to go down. When you create a character, you’re trying to make them fully rounded, fully human, which means you have to know both their public face and their private, inner one, and you have to know what the characters they come into contact with think about them. I don’t think it’s possible to know that much about real people, including yourself, nor should you want to!

FFA: Lastly, let us know if you have any other projects in the works that we should keep an eye out for!

JC: I’m currently working on a book in which a tech company has designed an algorithm that runs a background check by scraping your entire internet history – everything you’ve looked at, clicked on and posted. The story follows a happily married couple. At least, they are happily married, until the results of the husband’s background check come back. 

FFA: Thanks again for your time! I always like to finish interviews with a rapid fire Q&A to get to know our author in a fun way. 

Favorite book (all-time): Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith

Favorite book read this year: My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier

Favorite show and/or movie: Stranger than Fiction. 

Coke or Pepsi: Diet coke please

Wine, liquor, or beer: Beer

Tea or coffee: Tea 

Sword or bow & arrow: Bow and arrow, I think I would do myself a mischief with a sword

Would you be a mage, Queen/King, or knight: Queen of all I survey

Favorite Hobby: Reading

Dream vacation: A cottage in Ireland, with lots of books!

Favorite animal: Giraffe

Favorite musical artist: Taylor Swift

Thanks again, Jayne! I appreciate your time and wish you all the best in your future writing endeavors and otherwise!

About the Author

An avid reader and lifelong writer, Jayne Cowie also enjoys digging in her garden and making an excellent devil’s food cake. She lives near London with her family. You can find her on Instagram as @CowieJayne.

About ONE OF THE BOYS

If you could test your son for a gene that predicts violence, would you do it? From the author of Curfew comes a suspenseful, heart-wrenching novel about the consequences of your answer.

Antonia and Bea are sisters, and doting mothers to their sons. But that is where their similarities end.
Antonia had her son tested to make sure he didn’t possess the “violent” M gene.
Bea refuses to let her son take the test. She believes his life should not be determined by a positive or negative result.
These women will go to any length to protect their sons.
But one of them is hiding a monster.
And there will be fatal consequences for everybody…

Links

My Review • Jayne’s IG • Buy on Amazon

Synopsis:

If you could test your son for a gene that predicts violence, would you do it? From the author of Curfew comes a suspenseful, heart-wrenching novel about the consequences of your answer.

Antonia and Bea are sisters, and doting mothers to their sons. But that is where their similarities end. 

Antonia had her son tested to make sure he didn’t possess the “violent” M gene. 

Bea refuses to let her son take the test. She believes his life should not be determined by a positive or negative result. 

These women will go to any length to protect their sons.

But one of them is hiding a monster.

And there will be fatal consequences for everybody…

Review:

Jayne Cowie’s One of the Boys is a genre-bending novel that marks itself as one of the most unique books I’ve read this year. Cowie’s imaginings can boast itself as part thriller, part domestic drama, and part dystopian. 

While reading the synopsis of One of the Boys, I was positive that I would naturally have my boys tested for the gene for a predisposition to violence if I could. It’s no secret that historically and statistically, men as a whole are more violent than women. If I could protect others by having them tested, why wouldn’t I? After all, I was one of the women who did all genetic testing when pregnant just so I could be prepared.

Oh, but Cowie doesn’t let us off easy. By a quarter of the way through the novel, I wasn’t so sure. Around half way through the novel, I was convinced that I wouldn’t do the test. By the end, I was once again teetering towards testing, but not certain by any means. There are consequences to labeling someone and there’s also consequences to not taking responsibility. 

We see some really excellently written character-building here. There were points that I loved and hated both Bea and Antonia. We are taken through waves of understanding and layers are revealed. The characters contain multitudes and this is only amplified by the stress of this dystopian world. 

There’s some major revelations that I saw coming almost immediately, simply because they would make sense in the scope of where the story was headed. Yet even knowing where the story was going, I was riveted. The tension built throughout the book and I couldn’t wait to pick it back up again. It was anxiety-inducing not knowing how these characters were going to end up, if justice would be served or not. 

Jayne Cowie ties up this novel nicely but she doesn’t let her characters off the hook. Boys will not “just be boys” in her world, and I love her for it. I think one of the ways she shows her expertise in writing is the fact that she takes us through all mindsets. She put me in shoes that I never thought would fit, so to speak. One of the Boys is thought-provoking, chilling, and a very humbling experience. 

Tomorrow, I will follow up with an author interview! Thanks to the team at Berkley for setting this up and sending me an early e-galley for review. 

Synopsis:

The lives of two women—one desperate only to save her missing sister, the other a witch destined to become queen of Norway—intertwine in this spellbinding, powerful novel of Viking Age history and myth from the acclaimed author of The Witch’s Heart.

Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in tenth century Norway, and they could not be more different: Oddny hopes for a quiet life, while Gunnhild burns for power and longs to escape her cruel mother. But after a visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to help one another always.

When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny is set adrift from the life she imagined—but she’s determined to save her sister no matter the cost, even as she finds herself irresistibly drawn to one of the raiders who participated in the attack. And in the far north, Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch, is surprised to find her destiny seems to be linked with that of the formidable King Eirik, heir apparent to the ruler of all Norway. 
 
But the bonds—both enchanted and emotional—that hold the two women together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other, these bonds will be tested in ways they never could have foreseen in this deeply moving novel of magic, history, and sworn sisterhood.

Review:

“One of you clouds the futures of the others. For better or worse, your fates are intertwined.” Her features contorted again, this time in fear and confusion. “I dare not say more.”

This was absolutely stunning. If you have followed me on any of my book review outlets in the last few years, you have likely heard me rave about The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec. It’s one of my all-time favorite books.

I will admit, I was nervous about picking up The Weaver and the Witch Queen. Would Gornichec’s writing pluck at the same chords in my heart that TWH did? Would I be as captivated? Well, my friends, I had nothing to worry about because Gornichec’s talent knows no bounds.

Similarly to how I declared that I had no doubt that Gornichec’s account of Angrboda’s life would become the ultimate reference, I believe that this novel will become the same in regard to Gunnhild. This author knows how to write underrated historical or mythological women and bring them to the forefront. These aren’t just retellings, they are creative expressions so powerful that it is hard to remember that any mention of them existed before Gornichec continued the weaving of their stories. Simply put, I don’t believe that anyone could have done Gunnhild’s story justice in the same way.

“I suppose enduring this will make me stronger, then,” Oddny had said bitterly. “If it comforts you to think so,” Yrsa had replied. ‘But it’s all right to feel weak, Oddny. Sometimes our bodies give us more pain than we can bear. But any gods worth worshipping know that not every person can give the same effort.”

Additionally, the crafting of the completely fictional Signy and Oddny is done just as expertly and lovingly. Oddny’s characterization is especially fruitful and satisfying. The thread of these three women and their lifelines are beautifully entwined and a true testament to sisterhood, through blood and without it––not without flaws and hardships, but ultimately stronger than the trials that life throws at them.

I wanted to get back to The Weaver and the Witch Queen as quickly as possible whenever I had to set it down and found that I devoured it with ease. Gornichec doesn’t shy away from the enslavement that often came after raids, but is tactful enough not to gruesomely detail the sexual assault that took place, though it is alluded to. There’s a bit of enemies to lovers romance, as well as LGBTQ representation. The high stakes of the time period paired with the intent of the characters and the way that their storylines evolve keeps the plot going at a propulsive speed. I cared deeply about characters at the forefront and cared as equally for the smaller characters in the background. Nobody fell flat to me, all were fleshed out even if their roles were small. I wasn’t surprised by a major reveal of one of the antagonists, but it didn’t bother me at all.

“Your enemies are my enemies.” At once he recognized his own words from the day they’d bound themselves with blood nearly a moon ago, and a ghost of a grim, determined smile played at his lips. This wedding was for his family, the people, the gods. But these words were a reminder of the oath they’d already taken, a reminder for just the two of them. “And your fate is my fate,” he said.

One of my favorites themes across the mythologies of various cultures is the symbolism of the threads of Fate and their connection to our life-force. I take sincere delight in the way that Gornichec included this in the magic system. It was classic and refreshing all at once.

I could keep talking about this book, but I’ll end with this: The Weaver and the Witch Queen is satisfyingly action-packed, yet full of moments of tenderness and reflective introspection. It combines harsh realities with soft, inviting prose. It embodies the myriad emotions I want to experience while reading a historical fantasy novel.

“When your patron calls you, they’ll judge your strengths and weaknesses against yourself, not against others.”

Thanks so much to the team at Berkley and Ace for the ebook and finished copy of one of my most anticipated reads this year, it exceeded all expectations. The Weaver and the Witch Queen comes out July 25th, 2023.

Synopsis:

In a world where battle-hardened warriors determine the fate of empires, war-ravaged nations seek out a new champion in the first book of a thrilling science fantasy trilogy: “that rare book that fully satisfies me as an action fan” (Fonda Lee, author of Jade City). 

In a world long ago ravaged by war, the nations have sworn an armistice never to use weapons of mass destruction again. Instead, highly-skilled warriors known as Grievar Knights represent their nations’ interests in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

Murray Pearson was once a famed Knight until he suffered a loss that crippled his homeland — but now he’s on the hunt to discover the next champion.

In underground and ruthless combat rings, an orphaned boy called Cego is making a name for himself. Murray believes Cego has what it takes to thrive in the world’s most prestigious combat academy – but first, Cego must prove himself in the vicious arenas of the underworld. And survival isn’t guaranteed.  

The Combat Codes will be published traditionally via Orbit on June 13 2023. It was previously self-published and a finalist for SPFBO.

Review:

The Combat Codes was a fantastic novel! I cannot wait to get to the next one. I found myself fully immersed from the beginning. I have had a tough time with fantasy reads this year because I think I overdid it in the past few years. My brain has been rebelling! So when I started reading The Combat Codes and didn’t want to stop, I was thrilled.  I began with an ebook copy gifted to me via Orbit and then I actually reached out to Hachette Audio to see if they had an audio code, as I didn’t want to stop my journey within this novel. I was able to completely get lost into all this book had to offer without interruption between the two. 

I found both experiences absolutely lovely. The audio was helpful for name pronunciations and the ebook allowed me to highlight and really get the subtle qualities down. The Combat Codes was enthralling and the audio production was paired perfection.

As for the writing, you can tell that Alexander Darwin is extremely passionate about martial arts and the people who practice it. He writes the fight scenes with expertise and I found these scenes to be very engaging.  Through Murray and Cego, we see compassion for others, rage against injustice, and a will to change the world. The prose was straightforward and light. I think this was exactly the novel I needed at this time. Though serious things are happening, it was fun and easy to read. 

I think we got to know Cego and Murray pretty well. I think some of the sides characters, we could stand to learn a bit more about and hopefully will do so in the next book. 

We are left with a bit of a cliffhanging revelation, yet the novel tidied up nicely at the end otherwise. The ending promises a building of these characters and their journeys. I’m eager to see where Darwin takes us in the next book.

Thanks again to Mihir from Fantasy Book Critic and the author, Alexander Darwin, for having me on the blog tour. Also, to Orbit and Hachette Audio for the gifted copies. 

About the Author:

Alexander Darwin is an author living near Boston with his wife and three daughters. Outside of writing, he teaches and trains martial arts (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). He’s inspired by old-school Hong Kong action flicks, jRPGs, underdog stories and bibimbap bowls.

Outside of writing fiction, Alexander has written for publications such as Rolling Stone Magazine, Jiu Jitsu Style and SF Signal. His latest piece, The Lost Diary of Anthony Bourdain, was a featured piece in Rolling Stone’s January 2022 Issue.

Author Links:

Website – http://www.combatcodes.com/

 Where to buy TCC from – USA & UK

 Alexander on Goodreads –  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14664130.Alexander_Darwin

 Alexander on Twitter – https://twitter.com/combatcodes

 Alexander on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/combatcodes/

 Alexander on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/CombatCodes/

 Alexander on TikTok – https://www.tiktok.com/@combatcodes

Blog Tour Participants:

June 6th (Tuesday) – Queen’s Book Asylum

June 7th (Wednesday) – Space and Sorcery (Adventures in Speculative Fiction)

June 8th (Thursday) – Out of This World SFF

June 9th (Friday) – Bookwyrms Den

June 10th (Saturday) – Under the Radar SFF Books

June 11th (Sunday) – Grimdark Magazine & FanFiAddict

June 12th (Monday) – Fantasy Book Critic

June 13th (Tuesday) – WeatherWax Report & Jessie Mae Books

“The Bringer. You are he. You will cause great pain. But also glory shall you bring. What is to come through you will change us all— Gottari and Skolani alike—forever. For you shall be the start of it. Upon your doom, the Urrinan shall ride.”

Vaughn Roycroft knows how to write. The Severing Son certainly does not feel like a debut and in my opinion, could hold its own against many traditionally published fantasy novels. This book adds to the validity that self-published novels are often just as good —if not better— than trad pub. He’s going to be a name to watch.

His writing style is reminiscent of John Gwynne, in the best of ways. There’s a warmth to their writing that shines through, even when paired with the gruesome things that often happen in an epic fantasy setting.  It doesn’t hurt that you can see the historical inspirations in their novels, especially Nordic culture and mythology. 

“Holding a knife he made beauty. Holding a sword he only made trouble. A knife had a thousand uses. A sword had only one. His father always said that the best way to keep swords from spilling blood was to be the best at wielding one.”

I am a fan of multiple POVs in epic fantasy and Roycroft pulls off the switch-ups with ease. There were enough romantic scenarios to satisfy the romance-lover in me but not so much as to scare off the romance-shy. I found myself very much endeared to our characters and am eager to see where their path goes. Alternatively, he hit just the right amount of battle scenes for me, too. There were enough to keep the integrity of the story without dragging us through needless scenes. Roycroft knows how to maintain the flow of a battle scene. They were riveting and anxiety-inducing, yet were easy to follow. 

“I guess that settles it. If you’re going, I’m going. You’ll never stand alone. It’s the only thing I can truly promise you.” Elan extended her arm to him. He rose into his shoulders, smiled, and they grasped forearms. “Together, then.”

This book was so quotable that I had a great deal of trouble limiting it to the four quotes I allowed myself. There’s wisdom and beautiful prose while not meandering into unnecessary flowery composition. 

Lastly, he uses prophecies to his full advantage. As the prophecies unfold and we learn more about our characters, I am not sure whether some of my favorite characters will end up being the saviors or the villains, and I find that incredibly exciting. I don’t want the straightforward route, I like when an author makes getting to the conclusion of a series a battle within itself. I have a feeling that we are going to come out of this trilogy feeling like we were in the battles ourselves and there’s no better feeling. 

“‘Trust me, I know what’s inside you.’ His bloody smile was grim. ‘Because it’s inside me, too.’”

Before we go, I would also like to give a nod to this cover art. It is visually striking and gives a nod to traditional book covers while looking gorgeously refreshing amongst the recent covers I’ve seen in the fantasy genre.

This was a pleasure to read and I can’t wait to see what Vaughn throws at us next. I am eager to see what he creates as his pacing, character development, and world-building skills keep sharpening against the blade of experience. He has already shown his immense, innate talent with this first novel.