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 Spiral Key by Kelsey Day. Thank you to Tempest for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
At the start of each school year, the spiral key invitations go out for Madison Pembroke’s birthday party. For one night, a few lucky students get to enter Ametrine, a virtual paradise designed to be the party of the year – an unforgettable celebration that will secure their social status in the real world. As Madison’s hated ex-BFF, Bree Benson never receives a key.
Until now.
Despite warnings from her boyfriend, Bree sees the invite as an olive branch, the perfect opportunity to rekindle her once-amazing friendship with Madison. But as the party games begin to turn violent, Bree finds that Ametrine might not be the virtual paradise she was promised. And that Madison may have let Bree enter Ametrine, but she has no intention of ever letting her leave . . .
Can Bree turn the tables in time to survive and fight back?
Publication Date: 26th February
CW: murder, death, bullying, manipulation, car accident, addiction
My Thoughts:
The Spiral Key is an intriguing and imaginative YA thriller that combines very timely conversations with the timeless topic of friendships. It asks what lengths we would go to in order to protect our secrets and looks at new forms of manipulation.
The plotting of this book is great with an initial hook that draws you in and then plenty more surprises along the way to keep those pages flowing. Bree is at the core of it all and she is a relatable character, ostracised from her friendship group due to the actions of her father. She is isolated, scared and angry with her burgeoning relationship the sole lifeboat on these dark waters. So when she is offered a way back ‘in’, she is going to grab it with both hands. I liked her voice and how believable it was. The story Day is telling is an important one and I hope it lands with the readers who need it.
I really enjoyed the way Day integrated the virtual reality elements with the YA thriller plotline. It gave it a very timely feel and allowed her to explore topics around image manipulation and that thin line between reality and fantasy. With technological advances, that line is increasingly blurry and sometimes distinguishing fact from fiction can be harder than you may think. These topics are at the heart of this story, with Bree having to confront her own secrets while trying to navigate this alternative reality. It is fundamentally a story about truth and shaping the narrative, showing that it is those with power that can reshape a tale as they please.
The Spiral Key is a thrilling read with great twists and turns but lands most impactfully for its considered characterisation and layered story.
Next up, I’d like to talk about These Shattered Spires by Cassidy Ellis Salter. Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Beneath a tooth-filled sky, the world rots.
At the heart of the decaying world is Fourspires Castle, home to arcanists from across the four magical disciplines: bone, blood, botany and stone.
When the king is assassinated, chaos erupts. To seize the crown, arcanists and their human familiars are dragged into the Slaughter – a deadly competition, where survival means killing and death is the only escape.
Amidst the bloodshed, four rival familiars must work together … Taro, a bone witch still obsessed with her ex. Nixie, a botanical familiar with a ghost living in her bedroom. Elliot, a cursed and vengeful blood familiar and Alix, banished from the stone arcania tower and shrouded in secrets.
Together, the four Wyrdosare not just fighting to survive, but to lift the curse upon their world. There must be more to the sky than a dome of teeth and spittle; there must be something beyond the decay of Fourspires …
Publication Date: 10th March
CW: murder, death, violence, gore, blood, ableism, traumatic flashbacks
My Thoughts:
I was promised Gothic, gory and messy and These Shattered Spires delivered.
Every character is layered, three-dimensional and often making terrible decisions. They are determined to survive by any means and that means they’re not always the most likeable, but you keep wanting to know what happens next anyway. Nixie, Taro, Alis and Elliot are all following their own paths and desires, meaning they’re keeping secrets and knives behind their back. In trying to avoid their demise, they will sacrifice anything and anyone in their way. That tension doesn’t dissipate from their unlikely alliance, as their pasts intersect and previous events come to light once more. They are the beating black heart of the book and you cannot help but fall for their devious ways.
It is precisely that mix of good and evil that really makes this book stand out. For the unrelenting existential horror of it all and the more tangible body horror at play, there is heart and depth and occasionally a spark of some light. Throughout, it retains this spiky and dark sense of humour like a smirk permanently etched on its face. There is this snarkiness and sense of inevitability that comes from people trying to escape their death at all costs, only to end up in further peril.
The magic systems explored are nothing short of fascinating. There is a careful balance of lore, history and mythos that feeds into the central plot. I loved the attention to detail within this and the world-building that is hinted at and sure to be built on further within the trilogy. They are all pretty squelchy and dark with dire consequences for the user and some gory moments along the way. This marries perfectly with the claustrophobic, encroaching atmosphere of Fourspires. It is ostensibly this bubble to protect them against the world but the monsters are really inside. There is a lot to dig into here in terms of greed and ambition as corrosive influences on people and the way they can transform someone, encapsulated in the Slaughter.
These Shattered Spires is a bold debut that lives up to its promises and exceeds them. I am beyond excited to see where the story may lead me next.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Sweetbitter Song by Rosie Hewlett. Thank you to Bantam for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
One fateful night in Sparta, a young slave girl encounters a mysterious, grey-eyed princess. Melantho and Penelope, though from different worlds, are instantly connected. But betrayal soon tears them apart.
Years later, on Ithaca’s rocky shores, Melantho is sent to serve Princess Penelope and her new husband, Prince Odysseus. Hardened by slavery, Melantho vows to stay distant from Penelope. Yet, the undeniable pull between them proves stronger than ever.
As war ignites Greece, Odysseus and Ithaca’s men are called away and, in their absence, Melantho finds a new world opening up before her – one where women rule, where family can be found, and where love is finally given the space to bloom.
But all wars eventually end and as Troy falls, Penelope and Melantho must face the King’s return and decide how far they will go to protect what matters most to them.
Publication Date: 19th March
CW: slavery, rape, sexual assault, harassment, violence, death, murder, blood, gore, hanging, paedophilia
My Thoughts:
Sweetbitter Song offers a new tale into the pantheon of Greek mythological retellings with a distinctive take on the story of Penelope and Odysseus. This is a tale of love caught up in a web of deception, war and bloodshed.
Melantho is a great protagonist with a voice that captures you from the start. This is a dark and unrelenting story at times, right from the start with the horrific implications of the situation Melantho is caught up in. It is a sickening reminder of the abuse of power and the way it is wielded against those who have none. By choosing to tell Melantho’s story, Hewlett is truly choosing to showcase voices that were shut out of the narrative. There is an inherent power imbalance between Melantho and Penelope, allowing Hewlett to explore issues around race, class and gender. I remember reading The Penelopiad and feeling something spark to life under my skin. It had this immense power to reshape a story from the perspective I had been taught. This has those same embers with a pulsating anger against the power structures that sadly only feels more timely as the days come past. Within this story, Hewlett decries the racism and patriarchy that endeavour to protect the power of the few and shed the blood of those it considers sacrificial.
Hewlett works to convey those parallels with our modern society but also retains a kernel of hope throughout, be that in those snatched moments of happiness or the tender connection that begins to grow. I liked the way their dynamic shifts and changes and the people that are pulled into their orbit too. It adds texture to a story you think you already know.
Sweetbitter Song pulls you into its enchanting embrace with sparkling writing and layered characterisation. It is a startling and striking declaration of love against the odds and in the face of untold tragedy.
A Short Book Lover 