I’m sharing my first Mini Review Mondays (on a Wednesday) of November, 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 Her Rising Flame by Clíodhna O’Sullivan. Thank you to Penguin Random House Children’s UK for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Éadha has narrowly escaped the cruel grip of the Master Channellers on the back of a dragon. Forced to the very edge of the world she knows, to a place of long-held secrets, she must create a new life for herself – in ways she’d never imagined.
Ionáin must come to terms with the fact that he has no power, nor did he ever. Deep into the Fodder holds, he faces the stark reality of what it means to be an enemy of the Masters, and tries to make sense of what happened with Éadha.
Gry must walk the careful balance between protecting his Family’s secret legacy and being true to his feelings. With his newly revealed abilities, he must train with the Masters he despises and hope to find some way to undo the very system that makes him elite.
Publication Date: 5th November
CW: death, murder, violence, sexual harassment, assault, torture, injury
My Thoughts:
Her Rising Flame is a sensational sequel that continues an adrenaline-inducing story all about the rippling effects of our choices and the corrosive effects of power, enforcing a cycle of perpetual violence and oppression.
Her Hidden Fire stoked a flame and this sequel lets it run ablaze. The first book was such an inventive, imaginative and impactful YA romantasy. Every aspect of this book is so well thought out and you can feel the careful shaping of O’Sullivan’s craft through the pages. This is such a brilliant YA trilogy with great characterisation and a fascinating concept at its heart. I really enjoy the way each character progresses here, all having learnt a lot from the events of book one and needing to push further in their fight here. All of them have their flaws and highlights but I am intrigued to see where their story will end.
I have a particular fondness for Éadha, who is an exceptional protagonist. Her story has an interesting spin on familiar fantasy tropes and speaks to a strength of spirit that is truly inspiring. What O’Sullivan is choosing to convey about the power within and community against all odds is a poignant message that rings even louder in our current climate. She is a ferocious fighter and passionate for the causes she believes in, going to any length to protect those she loves. However her choices have consequences and I enjoyed how they reverberated through this story and beyond.
Her Rising Flame is a true evolution in terms of world-building, characterisation, plot and stakes for this world. We embark on a new adventure to far-off lands but the message still lands impactfully for our world.
Next up, I’d like to talk about Seven Deadly Spells by L. A. Weatherly. Thank you to Tempest for gifting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
For most of her life, eighteen-year-old Lana thought she was ordinary. But when fractured childhood memories resurface, she remembers the truth: Lana is a Chapel, heir to one of the most powerful and feared magical families in existence.
In a world where magical families rule from the shadows, the Velascos, the Chapel family’s oldest rivals, have warred with them for generations. But when a new, bloodthirsty magical family threatens to wipe them both out, the Chapels and Velascos are forced into a desperate alliance. And Lana must bind her magic with Gage Velasco, her sworn enemy.
The binding was supposed to be an Enmity spell, designed to unite their hatred into strength. Instead, it becomes an Eros binding – one rooted in love. Worse still, binding is one of the Seven Deadly Spells, and the only way it can be broken is for one of them to die.
But as the lines blur between duty and desire, Lana must choose: protect her legacy or follow her heart into ruin.
Publication Date: 5th November
CW: death, murder, graphic violence, grief, injury, blood, torture, addiction, abuse
My Thoughts:
Seven Deadly Spells pulls you into its pages and refuses to let you go with this heart-pounding story of love, family and betrayal.
As soon as I heard Romeo and Juliet meets The Sopranos, I was sold. What Weatherly has in store delivers on that front but also so much more. This is a layered story about cyclical violence, grasping for power and the ties we have to our family, how they may hold us up or break us. It is a story that is not afraid to get its hands dirty with plenty of bloodshed and violence. The themes touched on are dark but also important to discuss frankly with the audience.
It is so well-paced with this ticking clock throughout. We are aware of the deadly secret at its heart but there are plenty more twists and turns to uncover along the way. This book likes to surprise you and throw a shocking curveball your way just as you think you have everything figured out. Weatherly cleverly balances the noir tone of these two warring criminal families and intertwines it with the magic system. This was a fascinating element and I liked how it explored addiction as a core theme. There are the magical substances at play but also this desperate, unfillable void of lusting after power. Nothing will ever quite be enough. The story questions what you might sacrifice in the ultimate quest for power and ends on an intriguing note that I hope to follow into the sequel.
Seven Deadly Spells delivers on its brilliant promise with a story full of spells, secrets and sensational reveals. The characterisation casts a spell over you and makes you invested in these two complex people and their quest for the truth.
Finally, I’d like to delve into Infinite Wisdom by Thomas R Weaver. Thank you to Bantam for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
It is five years since a global vote elected an AI leader, Solomon, to give humanity one last chance of survival in the face of crippling climate change. The world might be in recovery, but humankind is suffering—and rebelling—under Solomon’s governance. The choice was far from unanimous, and resentment is running high.
As acts of sabotage and civil disobedience increase, a disgusted Solomon offers the people of the world a final choice: Upgrade or Unplug. Upgrade means irrevocably merging with artificial intelligence as a way of deleting the destructive nature of the species. Unplug will brick every chip, including Solomon himself, and humanity will begin again in a pre-digital age.
Humanity has eighteen days to decide before civilization tips over into complete anarchy. One vote. No appeal. A simple majority wins. How will humanity vote this time? And how much choice do they really have?
Publication Date: 11th November
CW: death, murder, mass murder, gaslighting, manipulation, xenophobia, racism
My Thoughts:
Infinite Wisdom is the speculative thriller of the year. It combines this terrifying dystopian premise with a tightly plotted and incredibly tense story that keeps you guessing until the final pages.
Artificial Wisdom lived up to its fantastic premise with a tense read where you’re never entirely sure who you can trust. It was probably one of the most buzzed-about thrillers of the year and for good reason. Weaver packed a punch so any sequel had a lot to live up to.
This duology asks such brilliant questions about what defines humanity, what true control is and how we decide which truth we can bear. It sits in this morally murky territory and isn’t afraid to pull you there too, asking difficult ethical questions and offering no easy answers. These pages are dripping with blood and darkness but there is also this hope that endures beyond all sense. It is the warning and the tonic we need.
Yet again, Weaver weaves a compelling story that is difficult to disentangle yourself from. It is this wide-reaching thriller that takes you around the glove and offers these dystopian concepts that are scarily believable. He walks the line between imagination and reality perfectly, as is the pacing. There is one particular chapter near the start that has rooted itself in my brain and epitomises the tangible stakes of this story. Everything flows well and makes for a gripping story. Without spoilers, I have to say that this ending is fantastic and took real courage from Weaver. It feels entirely fitting and satisfying, yet enough to keep your imagination firing.
Infinite Wisdom brings this ominously prescient duology to a close in brilliant fashion. We get even more lore, world-building and jaw-dropping reveals but the smartest part is always the razor-sharp writing.
