Hell Bent, by Leigh Bardugo: As someone admittedly not a frequent reader of fantasy, I suppose it makes sense that I enjoyed the first Alex Stern book – Ninth House – more than this one; this sequel goes full force into demons and devils and heaven and hell where the first dipped more of a toe in. It was generally fun, though.
Dirt Creek, by Haley Scrivenor: A quality mystery/examination of a small town, reminiscent of Jane Harper’s The Dry.
The Diamond Eye, by Kate Quinn: I loved Quinn’s The Rose Code, but this one felt both overwritten and overlong, with fifteen battles where five would have done for the plot and prose that shaded purple at times. I will say the conclusion was satisfying.
Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead, by Barbara Comyns: After reading Cursed Bread and loving it I saw this recommended as a comp – published almost forty years ago and set in England instead of France, but based on the same historical event. The writing is mesmerizing, an off-kilter Mother Goose rampaging through a demented watercolor painting of the countryside. Macabre and amazing even if it all ends a bit abruptly.
The Quiet Tenant, by Clémence Michallon: Oh boy did this one build tension effectively. We start with a woman who has been locked in a shed for five years and move from there to a setting with fewer physical bonds but just as many psychological ones.
