I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was the other week. In case you haven’t seen any of my previous posts, I do ‘mini’ reviews of books that I’ve previously read and am now ready to share my full thoughts about.
First up, I’d like to talk about The Scarlet Alchemist by Kylie Lee Baker. Thank you to Hodderscape for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Zilan dreams of becoming a royal alchemist, of providing for her family by making alchemical gold and gems for the wealthy to eat in order to stay young forever. But for now, she’s trapped in her impoverished village in southern China, practicing an illegal form of alchemy to keep food on the table – resurrecting the dead, for a price.
When Zilan finally has the chance to complete her imperial exams, she ventures to the capital to compete against the best alchemists in the country in tasks she’ll be lucky to survive, let alone pass. On top of that, her reputation for raising the dead has followed her, and the Crown Prince himself seeks out her help, suspecting a coming assassination attempt.
The more Zilan succeeds in her alchemy, the more she gets caught in the dangerous political games of the royal family. There are monsters lurking within the palace walls, and it’s only a matter of time before they – and secrets of Zilan’s past – catch up with her.
Publication Date: 25th October
TW: death, violence, blood, murder, graphic violence, gore, sexism, death of parent, fire, burning at the stake, gore, sexual harassment, self harm, bullying, classism, animal death, kidnapping, racism
My Thoughts:
The Scarlet Alchemist was a YA fantasy that has firmly planted itself in my brain. This was so original and striking.
It was unapologetically dark and brutal, wallowing in the rivers of blood and gold that flood through this book. Baker really goes there at times. It is a book rooted in messy ethics and difficult scenarios where there are no easy answers. Instead you have the true price of survival presented on every page. I adore a book enmeshed in world-building, politics and a sprinkle of magic. This has such an interesting magic system, which I adored. There are also so many great twists and turns. Every page felt like walking a deadly tightrope, with the atmosphere and paranoia being so strong. You know from the start that actions have consequences and this is a book dripping with blood and gore. We have trials, we have a deadly chess game and we have sprinklings of a romance that I connected with so strongly. Baker packed everything into this but in a way that felt so natural and compelling, so I am very, very excited for the sequel.
Zilan was a fantastically complex and conflicted protagonist caught in a web of politics, magic and death. She was someone that I lost my heart to, even if she would cave it out of my chest herself. It was just fantastic characterisation and you really get the sense of the lengths she has been forced to go to in order to survive. It is a murky and gritty world that she inhabits. The thrall and temptation that power offers is enticing and you can see how it utterly rattles her world.
The Scarlet Alchemist was a fantastic read – I adored this bloodthirsty little beast of a book and cannot wait to read the sequel.
Next up, I’d like to talk about Hercule Poirot’s ‘Silent Night’ by Sophie Hannah. Thank you to Harper Fiction for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
It’s 19 December 1931. Hercule Poirot and Inspector Edward Catchpool are called to investigate the murder of a man in the apparent safe haven of a Norfolk hospital ward. Catchpool’s mother, the irrepressible Cynthia, insists that Poirot stays in a crumbling mansion by the coast, so that they can all be together for the festive period while Poirot solves the case. Cynthia’s friend Arnold is soon to be admitted to that same hospital and his wife is convinced he will be the killer’s next victim, though she refuses to explain why.
Poirot has less than a week to solve the crime and prevent more murders, if he is to escape from this nightmare scenario and get home in time for Christmas. Meanwhile, someone else – someone utterly ruthless – also has ideas about what ought to happen to Hercule Poirot…
Publication Date: 26th October
TW: murder, death, terminal illness, manipulation, deception, poisoning, drugging, mental illness
My Thoughts:
Hercule Poirot’s ‘Silent Night’ places a murderous twist on the most wonderful time of the year.
It is absolutely no secret that I am a huge, huge fan of Agatha Christie. Sophie Hannah has picked up her torch and continued her legacy in the best way. I love her new Poirot stories and ‘Silent Night’ is no exception. This is tense, atmospheric and includes all of the best elements of the locked room mystery we have come to know and love. It just has that Golden Age touch, but with a thoroughly modern twist within it.
This is exquisitely plotted, with layers upon layers of secrets, lies and connections that are eventually revealed to us. As always, Poirot seems to be that one step ahead of us with his ‘little grey cells’ noticing every minute detail. Hannah has woven a tight, intense and enjoyable story that I devoured. The set-up is incredibly intriguing and Hannah ensures it pays off in every possible way. There are some deceptions and fabrications going on – it is a complex plot but never feels overwhelming or beyond our grasp.
The setting perfectly matches this with the crumbling cliffs of Norfolk as our backdrop. They serve as dramatic metaphors for the crumbling family relationships within that dark and brooding house. Everything is not as it seems. These are such tangled and complicated relationships, with their own darkness and manipulation hidden within. As a character driven reader, I loved how Hannah elevated the stock character tropes. They all flourished from their supposed stereotypes and became three-dimensional and deeply human people.
Hercule Poirot’s ‘Silent Night’ flickers ominously like a candle in the night, transforming those Christmassy lights into shadows of darkness and death.
Finally, I’d like to delve into The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett. Thank you to Viper Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
One dead Santa. A town full of suspects. Will you discover the truth?
Christmas in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, to raise money for the church roof appeal. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking amongst the amateur dramatics enthusiasts. Sarah-Jane is fending off threats to her new position as Chair, the fibreglass beanstalk might be full of asbestos, and a someone is intent on ruining the panto even before the curtain goes up.
Of course there’s also the matter of the dead body. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they read the round robins, examine the emails and pore over the police transcripts. Will the show go on?
Publication Date: 26th October
TW: murder, death, domestic abuse, physical abuse, violence, drugs
My Thoughts:
The Christmas Appeal is another smash-hit from a true queen of modern crime. Here, the festive spirit is definitely the Ghost of Christmas Past coming back to haunt our characters.
Janice Hallett is my modern Christie. Her style of writing is just so striking and deeply compelling. Through forms of communication like emails, transcripts and messages, she crafts these stories that just suck you right in and spit you out, reeling. I am bowled over by how deftly she creates these characters through just a text message or two. The Christmas Appeal offers a return to some familiar voices and our charming but claustrophobic setting of Lower Lockwood. I would happily read so many more books detailing the mishaps of the Fairway Players.
In terms of plot, Hallett just always delivers for me. This is another one that is so sneaky and underhanded in its use of tiny details scattered throughout that piece together into one shocking image. It also made me instantly want to (and I did a week later) go and re-read The Appeal, as there were now some new depths to ponder. There is just that spot-on depiction of small town life, with the niche infighting of the amateur drama group and how that spirals into a cacophony of farcical antics. All is heightened by the Christmas spirit and a few nicely done references to the previous book, though this could also be enjoyed as a standalone tale. I would recommend reading both, as you do get a deeper appreciation of characters, backstory and relationships.
The Christmas Appeal was a snarky, scandalous return to Lower Lockwood, with Hallett’s distinctive use of unusual narrative formats that just pull you straight into her twisty web of secrets, lies and deception. The happiest time of the year never seemed so unfortunate.
A Short Book Lover 
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