I’m sharing another instalment of my Mini Review Mondays, the most recent of which was last 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 Queen of Fives by Alex Hay. Thank you to Headline for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
1898. Quinn Le Blanc, London’s most talented con woman, has five days to pull off the seemingly impossible: trick an eligible duke into marriage and lift a fortune from the richest family in England.
Masquerading as a wealthy debutante, Quinn is the jewel of the season. Her brilliant act opens doors to the grand drawing rooms and lavish balls of high society – and propels her into the inner circle of her target: the corrupt, charismatic Kendals.
But as she spins in and out of their world, Quinn becomes tangled in a dangerous web of love, lies and loyalty. The Kendal family all have secrets of their own, and she may not be the only one playing a game of high deception…
Publication Date: 30th January
CW: sexism, homophobia, manipulation, shooting
My Thoughts:
The Queen of Fives follows competing cons in the laser-focus of the marriage market. It is a historical mystery with great characters and a fiercely compelling plot.
I really enjoyed The Housekeepers where Hay burst onto the scene. This is an equally scheming gem of a book with twists aplenty and a great mystery at its core.Hay has a great aptitude for creating these layered characters that are larger than the page. Within just a few lines, you have a complete sense of who they are and their motivations. Quinn is a formidable protagonist with the weight of the world on her shoulders. She is intelligent, able to adapt and has a deep sense of loyalty for those she loves, though she is willing to do anything to succeed. However, this might not be quite the game that she is used to playing.
Hay has a subtlety to world-building, with some fascinating threads buried in here. Between The Queen of Fives, the con-school and the Kendal family, there is no shortage of rich detail that is excellent to delve into. There are so many tangled relationships and secrets within and a power system that is fantastic. I would happily read several spin-offs about elements of the book. You have so many questions, but part of the allure is the mystery. It is like magic, seeing the trick done is awe-inspiring, but so it discovering the set-up behind it. Sometimes it can feel like a house of cards though, with everything hanging on a precipice. As a reader you are aware of the foreboding force playing in the shadows. It adds more tension to a situation where the stakes are already sky-high. Placing this within the high society marriage market is ingenious. It adds in themes around class and gendered expectations, which are played with to decieve both those around them and the reader themselves.
The Queen of Fives is a high-stakes historical story with all the drama of the ‘big con’.
Next up, I’d like to talk about A Fix of Light by Kel Menton. Thank you to Little Island for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Hanan is supposed to be dead.
The forest outside Skenashogue sent him home alive – but changed. A strange new magic makes every emotion a physical force he can’t control.
Bright and gentle, fox-like Pax is everything Hanan is not. And when he touches Hana he mutes his secret power, quiets the curse.
To survive their own darkness they’ll need to open up to each other. But Hanan isn’t sure Pax will like what he finds out …
Can their love help them find their way back to the light?
Publication Date: 6th February
CW: transphobia, homophobia, body dysmorphia, deadnaming, sexual assault, rape, suicidal ideation
My Thoughts:
A Fix of Light was gorgeous and heart-breaking in equal measure. Menton’s prose had a way of pulling you in and weaving the story around you.
This is quite a character-focused story and luckily our protagonists are wonderful. Hannan and Pax are two teenagers trying to find their feet in a complex and sometimes hateful world, drawn together by forces they do not fully comprehend initially. I loved watching them develop and grow, making mistakes and learning from them. They were messy and all the more authentic in that. Their dynamic is a wonderful spot of light amidst the tougher moments, though it is not plain sailing. Parts of it reminded me of Heartstopper in the way Oseman can make your heart sing despite darker stories, but transposed to Ireland with fantasy aspects.
I really enjoyed the use of speculative elements. They weave in aspects of Irish folklore in a beautiful way that enhances the characters and deepens the emotional impact surrounding the central theme. It feels like such a rich way of adding to the landscape of the book. This is not the lighter magic you may be used to – it is darker and has proper bite. It is spikier, with teeth that it is prepared to use. That anger and darkness fits wonderfully though and twists the narrative in interesting ways. It mirrors the emotional beats of the plot, while keeping an element of hope hidden within.
This is a tricky read in parts, delving into difficult topics, so do check content warnings before starting. It is brutally honest in its darkness and done in a way that feels respectful and nuanced. The political landscape surrounding these topics is more perilous every day and the monstrosity of humanity is on full display here.
A Fix of Light is ultimately a story of hope – the light after the storm has passed.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Cloud Nine by Sue H. Cunningham. Thank you to Scholastic for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Sixteen-year-old Evangeline has been dead for decades. Her accidentally heroic demise secured her a spot on Cloud Nine, the luxurious top tier of the Afterlife – but it turns out that even paradise can get boring.
After a century of terminal niceness, Evvy volunteers to train as a celestial guide. Now it’s her job to watch over people during their final hours on earth, ensuring they don’t screw up their chances of a decent Afterlife.
Evvy isn’t averse to bending the rules, and she always gets results – until she makes the fatal mistake of falling for a living boy.
Why can Tom see Evvy when he’s not scheduled to depart yet? And how can she make this work when he’s alive, she’s dead, and fraternising with Beforelifers is absolutely forbidden?
Suddenly, Evvy is facing the biggest challenge of her Afterlife…
Publication Date: 13th February
CW: death, murder, arson, terminal illness
My Thoughts:
Cloud Nine takes an ingenious concept and elevates it to new heights in this life-affirming, heart-warming sparkler of a book.
I loved Totally Deceased, which is an underrated YA gem that built wonderfully on its clever premise. Cunningham delivers that same dark humour and wonderfully drawn characters in this speculative YA romance. She clearly has a talent for spinning fantastic yarns out of ideas that just grab you immediately. This had the irreverent humour and existential considerations of The Good Place, with all the classic hallmarks of a great YA contemporary romance. It stands out from the crowd and is infused with so much heart. Evvy is a large part of that – leaping off the page instantly. She has an arresting voice that captivates you and endears you to her very quickly. I really enjoyed her development and personal journey over the course of the book. Her experiences as a guide really change her outlook and intersect with the central mysteries well.
At the same time, this also has several mysterious plotlines that are well-paced, with stakes of literal life and death. Evvy is desperate to crack the case with plenty of grit and determination, as well as a keen eye. I liked how out of time she felt at times and how her background as a Victorian thief informed how she moved through the world, even now. Her comments on how everything had changed were great. There was a deep-seated weariness that Cunningham touches on. The concept of the afterlife becoming boring in its perfection was fantastic, with the growing unrest about the separation of the levels. That throughline was heart-breaking and added a moral dilemma I had never considered before. It speaks to the way grief continues to throw new challenges your way, perhaps even after death.
Cloud Nine is a hilarious heartwarmer of a book that combines fantasy, romance and mystery into an irresitible story.
A Short Book Lover 
3 thoughts on “Mini Review Monday #173”