I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was a little while ago now. 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 Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland. Thank you to Zaffre Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
His sister’s ring is in his sights, and he will do anything to get what he wants. Even manipulating the five blades to steal it…
Bonded by deceit, the blades must rely on their skills to pull off King Joon’s pursuit or risk his legendary wrath.
A foreign rule of law stands between them and Quilimar, the Queen of Khitan. Now they have one month to steal the powerful Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord. But that impossible task might be easier than trusting one another, even though their lives, their families, and the realms depend on it.
They can all agree on one thing: the king can’t win. But can they beat him at his own game?
Because for the blades, this time it’s not just personal, it’s revenge. Lies may have torn them apart, but now vengeance will bring them together.
The lies have only just begun…
Publication Date: 7th January 2025
CW: genocide, rape, assault, violence, blood, death, poisoning, substance abuse, alcohol, animal abuse, gender-based violence, sex work, suicidal ideation, indentured servitude, PTSD, trauma, grief
My Thoughts:
Four Ruined Realms continues this classic fantasy tale full of tangled lies, secrets and intrigue. Corland develops these characters further, while also expanding the world of the story to bring new elements into play.
I really enjoyed Five Broken Blades earlier this year, finding it to be a duplicitous and intense read. I was thrilled to be back with these backstabbing schemers. In this sequel, we get a more expansive world and more intricate plots to unravel as the bigger picture starts to take shape. I mentioned in my review of the first book that I was fascinated by these other named lands and here we actually get to explore them a little more. We get complex geopolitical chess moves that move the entire game forward. These are lush and richly imagined places with an attention to detail that really helps situate the reader in these new spaces.
Often with a fantasy series, the pace and tension can drop a little in a follow-up book but Corland casts those doubts aside speedily. This is still very much a series mired in blood and guts, with an extensive body count and an unflinching willingness to delve into dark topics. Corland handles these heavy subjects with sensitivity and nuance, but also allows their full horror to stagger the reader. There are no gratuitous scenes but you can infer and imagine the monstrosity yourself, which I always think is worse. These topics are also woven into the expansive world-building of this sequel as you view a different power structure and potential worldview. It is fascinating and ferocious at the same time. Corland also sets up an interesting thread for the next story that I am very excited to follow up with.
Also, the character development is great. All of these people are deeply messed up and often driven by their own selfish motivations, but there is also a real humanity to each of them. Corland allows space for three-dimensionality and for other relationships to blossom within these pages. They have all often been viewed in a singular role but they are much more than this.
Four Ruined Realms is an excellent follow-up as we continue this band of rogues’ story.
Next up, I’d like to talk about A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay. Thank you to Headline for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hazel and Fox are an ordinary married couple with a baby. Except for one small thing: they’re ex-serial killers.
They had it all. An enviable London lifestyle, five-star travels, and plenty of bad men to kill. Not many power couples know how to get away with murder.
Then Hazel fell pregnant and they gave it all up for life in the suburbs; dinner parties instead of body disposal.
But recently Hazel has started to feel that itch again. When she kills someone behind Fox’s back and brings the police to their door, she must do anything she can to protect her family.
This could save their marriage – unless it kills them first.
Publication Date: 14th January
CW: murder, death, violence, rape, suicide, depression, abuse, trafficking, assault, kidnapping, PTSD, trauma
My Thoughts:
A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage was an incredibly strong adult thriller with a killer concept and the chops to back it up.
As soon as I heard the pitch for this book, I knew I had to snap it up. It is just such a rich and fascinating premise that Mackay makes full use of. We move between Hazel and Fox’s perspectives, as well as both the past and present timelines. This gives texture to the novel – seeing how Hazel and Fox met and their whirlwind romance to today’s suburbian boredom. It has that classic feel of a marriage on the rocks, but here that stems from the lack of murder in their marriage now. Within this, there is a dark sense of humour that I really enjoyed. It adds a smirk to proceedings that are often plagued by darkness.
As the story unfolds, you get more of an understanding of Hazel and Fox’s backgrounds and how these inform them as the killers they are now. There is a beautifully poignant thread about mental health and grief, which really hit home for me. On the other hand, there is also a throughline about privilege and legacy protecting you at all costs, which is a sharp shock of reality pushing through (though obviously pushed to an extreme).
Mackay pulls you in straight away with a fast-paced, compelling opening that is cinematic, slick and sinister. It instantly validated the Mr and Mrs Smith comparison I had heard and promised you a dynamic that you simply must unpick. From there, the tension never let up. Every page of this is soaked in blood and tension with a brilliant story and plenty of twists. It is a very well crafted thriller with great use of atmosphere and suspense. All the way through it feels balanced on the edge of a knife, where it all may descend into chaos at any moment.
A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage is a sensational and suspenseful thriller that will be a hugely talked about story in 2025. Don’t let it pass you by.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Clever Little Thing by Helena Echlin. Thank you to Headline for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Charlotte’s daughter, Stella, is sensitive and brilliant – perhaps even a genius – but after the sudden death of her babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. And what’s more unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka’s personality, from her accent and repetitive phrases to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian.
Charlotte is pregnant with her second child, depleted and sick, and convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella’s transformation. But how could Blanka still be entwined in their lives?
As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, it’s clear her husband believes this is all in her head and soon, Charlotte is convinced she is the only one who can save her daughter.
Publication Date: 14th January
CW: death, murder, suicide, rape, sexual assault, forced institutionalisation, drowning, ableism, torture
My Thoughts:
With Clever Little Thing, Echlin carefully buids that unsettling atmosphere and sense of dread to weave a story that thrives in ambiguity and suspense.
Oh this was clever. I love a book that keeps you guessing and this delivers that in spades. All the way through, you are questioning the version of events presented to you. It is masterfully done in how Echlin flits between aspects of the Gothic and psychological thrillers. No clear answers are provided and that is the beauty of it all. Echlin mediates on the resounding impacts of grief and how this can alter a person, but also on manipulations and deceit. I loved the ambiguity and the willingness to stay in the murkiness of the unknown. It all makes for a fiercely compelling read.
It is wonderfully paced, never quite allowing you to draw breath but still giving you enough time to get inside these characters’ heads and learn more about them. The suspense is palpable as Charlotte tries to piece together what is happening. As a reader, you are right there with her but you also have further context from the dual timelines. It is fractured and fragmented, adding to that sense of ambiguity. It touches on some difficult topics with nuance, using them as genuine moments for conversation rather than shock factor reveals. It is intense and dark. Echlin particularly excels in creating an atmosphere that truly rattles you. It is peturbing and uncanny in a way that plays with your mind just so. For a story interested in manipulation as a primary theme, it mirrors that in your reading experience.
Clever Little Thing burrows under your skin, giving you a shiver in the process. You’ll be left pondering this long after the final page.
A Short Book Lover 
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