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 A Murder of Rogues by Joe Heap. Thank you to Scholastic for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
In Regency England, Cascabel Gray dreams of freedom – and disguises herself as a boy to secure a place at Oxford University. After all, she’s as comfortable in breeches as she is in ballgowns.
Her plans are upended, however, when she receives a blackmail letter from Charles Lafleur, a member of infamous secret society the Rogues Club, threatening to expose her.
But when Lafleur is found dead, the plot thickens… and Cascabel becomes a prime suspect in his murder. She joins the Rogues Club to conduct an investigation of her own, and her life soon begins to spiral out of control.
To survive, she must switch between her male and female personas, attracting both fellow student William Grenville and a chambermaid known as Mouse – and even attending a ball with an Austrian prince. Can she find a way to balance her double life and clear her name, before she loses everything?
Publication Date: 14th August
CW: transphobia, homophobia, sexism, misogyny, blackmail, death, murder, police brutality, ableism, classism, violence, injury, blood, gun violence
My Thoughts:
A Murder of Rogues was a sensational YA historical mystery with wonderful queer and disabled representation. It is fantastically written and highly engaging.
Heap’s characterisation sings – they leap off the page and into your heart. Pom is a wonderful protagonist, driven by their desire to further their knowledge and pursue their career. Society does not wish for this, leading to their disguise and elaborate plot. This instantly sets the stakes as you root for the underdog to succeed against the odds. Their desire is simultaneously so huge and remarkably small. Injustices, discrimination and suppressing people are key themes of the book and feel unfortunately timely for current readers.
That idea of fear and shame defining your status and what goals you should have for life is horrifying. Pom defies this, but is all too aware of the risks they are undertaking. So when this comes under threat through blackmail and investigation, the reader is wholeheartedly rooting for Pom to find out the real culprit and untangle the mystery. I also have to shout out Mouse as a great character who Pom learns a lot from and is integral to their development. Mouse is shrewd and driven, but has to express this in a different way to Pom due to her own societal limitations.
The central mystery is well-plotted with a great sense of pacing. From the first page, the stakes are clearly set and then escalate as the pages turn. You get caught up in the sights and perils along with Pom, with some fantastic sideplots that weave into the larger picture. It is great writing that captivates you and fully pulls you into the story. I also really enjoyed the central romance – how the dynamic grows and develops over the course of the book. There is a beauty to it and also a poignancy.
A Murder of Rogues is an excellent queer YA historical read that should be gracing your shelves shortly.
Next up, I’d like to talk about Artificial Wisdom by Thomas R. Weaver. Thank you to Bantam Books for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
The year is 2050. In the teeth of a climate catastrophe, the world is left with a drastic solution: one global leader to steer it through the coming apocalypse.
The final two candidates are ex-US President Lockwood, and Solomon, the world’s first political artificial intelligence.
As whispers of a global conspiracy emerge, investigative journalist Marcus Tully find himself at the centre of it – when Solomon’s creator turns up murdered.
Overnight, one investigation becomes two, and it’s not just the result of the election that’s at stake but the future of the species. Suddenly humanity must make an impossible choice – between salvation, or freedom.
Publication Date: 14th August
CW: death, murder, manipulation, gaslighting, racism, grief
My Thoughts:
Artificial Wisdom lived up to its fantastic premise with a tense read where you’re never entirely sure who you can trust.
This is probably one of the most buzzed-about thrillers of the year and for good reason. A political thriller focusing on a global election with the first AI candidate? That immediately grabs your attention and makes you want to know more. Weaver builds on this ingenious concept to ruminate on the concepts of good and evil. It is a deeply moral thriller that questions your assumptions and allows them to misguide you. Not everything is as it seems and this leads to some fantastic twists, delivered at the most devastating times.
Weaver really digs into what it means to be human and the flaws and fallibilities that may come alongside that. You may find that your allegiance shifts and changes from chapter to chapter – the marketing and publicity campaigns for this title have been as game-changing as the book and reflect that polarised decision of the vote. It is a smart commentary on the way politics divides people and pushes them into camps backing their favourite, much like we see in many other aspects of life. This election will decide the fate of humanity but it also encapsulates it.
At the centre of it all, we follow a couple of perspectives, starting with Marcus Tully. He is an embittered investigative journalist that values the truth at any cost, but is also still reeling from a personal tragedy that shocked the world. Weaver uses his storyline to tremendous effect, turning that journalistic instinct into the role of detective but being distorted by his personal views. The book is a masterclass in manipulation. This puzzle box is more than worth solving, with great pacing and plotting throughout.
Artificial Wisdom is timely, packs a punch and is sure to be one of the most talked about thrillers this summer.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Girls of Dark Divine by E. V. Woods. Thank you to Usborne for sending me a proof in exchange for an honest review.
Emberlyn is a Marionette – one of a troupe of hauntingly beautiful girls who have been cursed to perform until they turn to dust… When another one of her sisters falls, Emberlyn decides she must fight back against their Puppet Master and free them from this violent dance.
Whisked away to a new theatre, Emberlyn seizes the chance to escape, but instead brings dark secrets and a boy made of shadows to light… As her strings tighten, Emberlyn realizes the only way to break free is to end the Puppet Master once and for all. Except tearing the life out of his veins might destroy the Marionettes too…
Publication Date: 14th August
CW: death, violence, murder, abusive relationship, loss of autonomy, coercive control, physical violence, injury, grief
My Thoughts:
Girls of Dark Divine was a bold and blistering debut that explores dark themes through its rich fantasy world.
This is an impressive debut from Woods, who shines in her characterisation. The central themes are dark and heavy, so do check before reading, but handled sensitively. Emberlyn is such a gem of a protagonist with a heart that has been broken countless times with the awful situation she is trapped in. What she has experienced has forever changed her and hardened her heart, remaining loyal to her sisters but knowing time is against them. And yet there is still an impossible longing for hope that she tries to stifle, only to reignite with certain aspects coming into play. You root for her and the story tugs on your heartstrings as you find yourself trapped with Emberlyn and her cruel fate.
The world-building was fantastic with this evocative setting springing to life around you. Emberlyn is not free to roam, but you get snatches of the vibrancy and brilliance of the world around her. The magic system is wickedly dark and well-imagined, with clear rules and stakes set out for you from the first chapter. Woods parallels it with abusive tactics from our world to heartbreaking effect. Within this evil, there are sparks of light from the characters and their relationships. You see the beauty of friendship and romantic love in equal measure, but there is always fear interwoven for this. Everything is fraught, meaning you are reading on a tightrope throughout. Woods has an incredible sense of atmosphere and tension that creates a propulsive story.
Girls of Dark Divine casts a spell on you with its tragic tale of love and loss. It is an enchanting debut that taps into real-world monstrosity and gives a nuanced and cathartic portrayal through a fantastical lens.
A Short Book Lover 
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