This Urban Fantasy is one of the best series I’ve ever read, and it has a unique main character (she’s spiderkin). She has trouble fitting in, reading people, and understanding nuances even though she has a human form because she was raised via spider culture more than human ones.
The two books in the series have been fantastic and fascinating so far. The main character has a unique way of attacking problems, investigating mysteries, and using her seer abilities. It was an engrossing read, and I can’t wait for the next book.
As a spider-kin seer, Liliana’s eyes can see the future. What she didn’t see was her visions leading her out of her voluntary seclusion and into the lives of the first friends she’s had in decades. Friends Liliana just rescued from the deadly venom of widow spiders.
Determined to keep the warmth of belonging and stay out of her shell, she looks into the future again and sees death. Her friends Pete the red wolf, Siobhan the fairy sprite, and Nudd the goblin doctor will all die soon—if she doesn’t take steps to nudge the future and discover who was…
This series is a unique mix of epic fantasy with a Regency-type setting. The women are not powerless in society, but nearly so, with the husbands and fathers making the most important decisions. Our intrepid heroine is doing her best to become independent, but the unique challenges she faces are sometimes overwhelming as the women (her aunts) in her life don’t really support her.
There is magic in this world, but it is strictly forbidden. She knows she has some odd, arcane ability but is deathly afraid of it and of being caught. The books can go long on description in places, but the tale is intriguing. Ever so slowly, she has been making friends who might be able to help her save herself and her sister.
Never bargain with the fae. The society of Byren lives by this rule, but it’s one herbalist Jessa Caldwell has broken time and again. So far, she’s escaped unscathed, but her sister Ainslie—snared in a bargain she can’t recall making—doesn’t share her good fortune.
After Ainslie vanishes into the night, Jessa fears the horrors her sister might suffer. She’s witnessed what fae do to mortals—using them as playthings to torment, even transforming them into monsters. No matter the cost, she’s resolved to find her.
This intriguing story includes culture, myth, mystery, and fantasy woven into an epic tale. As with most books I love, the characters make the book for me, and these characters had such heart and soul, family nuances, real-life longing, and real-life fears.
The mystery at the heart of the story was very well plotted. While there were fantasy elements, they subtly impacted the plot without becoming the plot. The historical elements were handled delicately, bringing the world-building to life.
'Vivid, enigmatic, enchanting' M. L. Rio 'Irresistible' Sunday Times
Some people think foxes go around collecting qi, or life force, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . .
Manchuria, 1908: A young woman is found frozen in the snow.
Her death is clouded by rumours of foxes, believed to lure people into peril by transforming into beautiful women and men. Bao, a detective with a reputation for sniffing out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman's identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by…
Adriel is used to solving problems with earth magic, and with White Feather by her side; they can manipulate two powerful elements. But magic isn’t the only power in the world; sometimes it pays to carry a mundane knife. Or two.
When one spell cancels another out, Adriel is left with her wits and her feet. Can she run fast enough to prevent someone from stealing her birthright? Or has she relied on magic too long to survive without it?
My book takes place in the Moon Shadow world and features a new character, Spring.
