Short Fiction Friday: Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse

When Celeste's beloved sister, Mariel, is accused of murder, she's willing to do absolutely anything to make sure her name is cleared. 

Celeste and Mariel are both Fallen. But Celeste can pass as one of the Elect. So much so that her father separated the two, taking Celeste with him to live as one of the privileged while Mariel and her mother were relegated to the Drench. 

And Celeste swore she would never abandon Mariel again. So even though that means aligning herself with the one demon she swore she'd never see again. And even though it means risking her own soul with the Order of Archangels, Celeste agrees to become Mariel's advocate in her case. And she's decided to take it one further and find the real killer, thereby ensuring her sister's freedom. 

But investigating a murder in Goetia, much less the murder of one of the Virtues, is no easy task. And Celeste is about to learn just how little she truly knows her own sister.

It's Friday! (Finally!) 

I haven't been doing much leisure reading of late because I've been working to catch up on client projects. But I have a stack of designated one sitting reads that I've been plumbing for relaxing reading. And I've been taking advantage of audiobooks as well. 

In the case of Tread of Angels, it's both short (just about 200 pages) AND I have the audio from Libro.fm. Add to that the fact that it's Indigenous Heritage Month and that the book released this week, and it immediately made the tippy top of my TBR list. 

This is a little book that FEELS bigger. At least in terms of scope and world! 

Roanhorse mirrors real world class and race issues by packing the pages of this book with a world in which descendants of fallen angels are the lower and lesser class. The setting is Victorian meets Western but wholly unique. 

Celeste is a card dealer at the Eden, where her sister is also a performer/singer. It's a gambling house and drinking hole where knife fights and gun shots aren't completely unheard of. And it's there, during a brawl, that Mariel is dragged off as the prime suspect in a murder. 

But the whole thing stinks of privilege and conspiracy! Of course when one of the elite is killed officials would turn an eye to a Fallen. And they have little to no recourse against the powers that be. 

But that's not going to deter Celeste. Nor are the various tests she must figure out how to trick her way through so she doesn't get caught as a Fallen herself. It's a good thing she has an ally of sorts with a local demon lord! (Not that she really wants to ask for his help.)

This book is tiny but mighty! My only real complaint: I want more of Goetia! Which surprised me a little considering I'd thought I was over anything pertaining to fallen angels. Just goes to show you that a great story can pull you in no matter what!

Shout out to Dion Graham who narrates the audio. He is a delight to listen to! (The audio clocks in at 4 hours 25 minutes.)

Tread of Angels is out now from Saga! Order a copy from Bookshop.org!

The Stars Undying by Emery Robin

Happy hump day! Today I'm a stop on the Compulsive Readers tour for Emery Robin's debut, The Stars Undying. (The first in the Empire Without End series.)

Princess Altagracia was always meant to rule Szayet, but when her twin sister steals the throne and the Pearl that contains the wisdom of their dead god. 

Altagracia is set to flee but her sister has already hired someone to ensure that doesn't happen. Altagracia's only hope is to win that very same man over to her side. To have him as support is the only thing that might alter the course her sister has set in motion. 

The Stars Undying is an epic space opera BASED ON CLEOPATRA! 

Now let me be very clear, I know nothing about Cleopatra. And you don't have to know anything about her either to enjoy this book. Robin has put together a story inspired by historical figures, but set in a world so very different from our own. 

And the world building is truly spectacular! A monarchy set around gods and prophets alongside technology. War that stretches into space. 

I should warn you, don't plan to start this book at bedtime unless you can definitely afford lost hours of sleep! The Stars Undying is incredibly engaging but also pretty complex in terms of the politics (or maybe not complex in terms of politics but more accurately in terms of the players and their various plays!).

This is also a perfect cross over read for fantasy fans who don't usually dip their toes into science fiction and vice versa! 

The Stars Undying is out now from Orbit. Order a copy today from Bookshop.org!

The Vicious Circle by Katherine St. John

Happy Monday, readers! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Katherine St. John's latest, The Vicious Circle. 

Sveta's Uncle Paul (now Shiva) is a popular self-help turned spiritual guru. And though she's been estranged from him for most of his life, she's followed his career from the sidelines for quite some time. But Shiva has been out of the public eye ever since a supposedly false #MeToo accusation, living in South America at his palatial retreat, Xanadu, with his wife, Kali, and their followers. And although she'd heard he had some health problems, Sveta is still shocked to learn that Shiva has died. Even more shocking is the fact that he's left everything to her. Not Kali. 

Sveta travels to Xanadu for the funeral and finds what appears to be a utopian enclave filled with the spiritually enlightened. But from the start things seem off. Shiva's lawyer says he wanted to shut down Xanadu. And Kali is all smiles until she turns up the "real will" leaving everything to herself. Sveta doesn't know what to think, but she soon realizes she's essentially trapped in the middle of nowhere and completely unsure who she can trust.  

I love Katherine St. John's work! Rich and privileged people behaving badly. Everyone else caught up in their various webs of misdeeds!

When we meet Sveta, she's preparing for a New Year's Eve party with her fiancé and his brother. And it soon becomes very clear that the relationship is more than a little strained between the former model and her soon to be in-laws. News that her uncle, a man she'd always loved deeply but who'd been distanced from the family since her father's death, hits her hard. As does the news that she's inherited his fortune, his company, and his property. 

Fortunately for the reader, Sveta is a bit more grounded than you might expect of someone who's been in the modeling industry since she was 14. 

She's easy to like, easy to empathize with, and you really don't want to see her get hurt in any way!

So it's easy to get wrapped up in her story! Plus, it really is a fun read. If you've read either (or both) The Lion's Den and Siren, you will definitely love The Vicious Circle!

If you're new to St. John, The Vicious Circle is billed as being "a gripping, escapist suspense" "for fans of Lucy Foley and Liane Moriarty." Which is all true! (And pretty perfect comps considering I've read all three authors.) Definitely one I recommend for your fall reading TBR! If you're anything like me, you'll gobble it up in one sitting :)

The Vicious Circle is out now in the UK and in the States!

The Cruise by Catherine Cooper

Good morning, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for Catherine Cooper's latest, The Cruise!

A luxury cruise liner and a missing person. Believe it or not, it's not an unheard of scenario. Though not an ideal one for the Heracles company or their pride and joy, the Immanis. 

When a passenger's report that someone went overboard coincides with the disappearance of one of the ship's dancers, people aren't quite sure what to make of it. There's no evidence that anything actually happened. The witness had been drinking so no one can even be sure if she did actually see someone go overboard. But Lola has gone missing, that's a fact that no one can deny. And two weeks later, another employee is dead. 

Catherine Cooper's thrillers are pure popcorn entertainment! With fabulous locales—a grand but fallen French chateau, a chalet in the French Alps, and now a luxury cruise ship—Cooper's books are pretty perfect for armchair travelers who like their fictional vacations with more than a touch of mystery!

As someone who is particularly inclined to never going on a cruise, I do love them as settings for nefarious doings. So this was definitely up my alley (it was up my alley already because I enjoy Cooper's work)!

This book has such a fun progression in terms of how the story is laid out. We begin with a passenger who has won his trip on the cruise. We then jump to the staff on Immanis on New Year's Eve 2021 leading up to Lola's disappearance. 

Then we jump two weeks ahead to Immanis in port undergoing renovations (including security upgrades) while a skeleton crew remains on board. And of those crew, it soon becomes clear that everyone is hiding something!

But then we jump back to 2013 and a girl who wakes in the hospital after an accident. How her story ties into that of the occurrences on Immanis is part of the fantastic and twisted journey Cooper has in store for us as readers!

I absolutely loved The Cruise! I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a dark diversion in their reading lives. And if it's your introduction to Cooper, I definitely suggest picking up her previous books as well—you won't regret it!

The Cruise is out now in the UK and is due out in the States in February! 

Hide by Kiersten White

It’s Hide and Seek—competition style. At least, that’s what the participants are being told. A sporting goods company looking to build up it’s brand and name recognition is offering fourteen competitors a chance to win $50,000 if they can last through a seven day game of hide and seek. 

For Mack, winning would mean everything. Orphaned and homeless, the money would be life changing. And she’s knows how to hide. It saved her life once already. 

This is a hell of a fun read! Kiersten White reimagines the legend of the minotaur and the labyrinth but sets it in an uber creepy, abandoned amusement park! (Who doesn't love an abandoned amusement park setting?!)

Each of the competitors has been chosen for a very specific reason. And each one is pretty desperate to win, as becomes obvious when they realize exactly what is at stake in this game.

Mack, though, she's a real survivor. And anyone who hears her real name knows her story. 

I'm not going to lie, this book was a little reminiscent of the movie The Hunt. Which is not a comparison that I hate because I actually kind of enjoyed it (sorry to those of you who expected me to like something more high brow). 

But of course Hide leans into the mythology aspect to such a satisfying degree!

I read this in the middle of a slump. And I read it in one day. Which automatically gives a book high marks from me. But all of the pieces of this book—mythology, survival games, THE SETTING, and a heroine I really loved—made this such a fabulously enjoyable read!

Order a copy from Bookshop!

Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

Rory never planned to return to her hometown. But when her sister's partner leaves in the midst of her pregnancy, Rory is the one she calls. 

Which is why Rory is back. And why she has a run in with an old friend who could be more. And why she finds herself getting attacked by a wild animal in the middle of the night.

And after that happens...things start to change for Rory. And not necessarily for the better.

If you didn't know, this is a werewolf book. And it's so much fabulous fun! I love Harrison's style of dark humor. It makes her books such completely enjoyable reads!

Rory is a big city girl who escaped her small town and truly never intended to return. 

Yes, she has family and friends there. But that's about it. It's a dead end and she wants to go places!

But when her sister calls, Rory is definitely not going to say no. Especially when her turd of an SO abandoned her! (Rory feels a little protective of her sister.)

The last thing she wants, though, is a complication tying her down. And that's exactly what she gets—in spades. 

She's attacked by something. Some say it was a bear, but Rory kind of thinks not. But it's when Rory starts to notice certain changes in herself that she begins to think the creature in question is actually one that couldn't possibly exist in real life!

I loved Rory's evolution in this book. She's kind of a bitch when we meet her. Very wrapped up in herself, in spite of the fact that she does clearly care about and want to support her sister. And the family dynamics are fantastic!

Harrison's exploration of personal growth through the lens of someone coming to grips with being a werewolf is the perfect combination of heart and escapism! With, of course, an excellent helping of horror!

Order a copy from Bookshop.org!

Malice House by Megan Shepherd

Haven's father was a famous name in literary scenes. But as a dad, he was somewhat lacking. Which is why she'd barely seen him in the years leading up to his death. 

But here she is, six months after he's died, with almost nothing to her name and taking up residence in his home. A home he claimed was haunted. A home that was no comfort in his last days.

When Haven finds an unpublished manuscript of her father's hidden in the attic, she thinks it could be just the thing to change her life. It would mean money for one, but as a hopeful illustrator, it could mean launching her career. After she finds the manuscript, though, things start to become...weird.

Is she imagining the noises within the walls? Was her father right about the house being haunted?

Shepherd's latest is a super fun and creepy read perfect for spooky season! (And any other time, at that!) A book about books, monsters, fathers and daughters, and some super creepy monsters of both the human and supernatural type!

Haven had been putting off dealing with her father's things, but life suddenly has left her with pretty much no choice. With just her art supplies in hand, she leaves everything—including her husband—behind. And it's clear that she didn't leave under great circumstances. 

You could say she's on edge pretty much from the start. 

The discovery of the manuscript—what appears to be a collection of eerie stories in the vein of fairy tales—is almost more than Haven can hope for. Her father left behind a lot of debt. Debt that was addressed by signing over future royalties to the man's published works. Which means that in spite of his popularity, Haven won't see a dime from them. 

But this, this is an undiscovered manuscript, this is a book that isn't tied into the financial mess. What's more, this is an opportunity!

Haven's goal is to work as an illustrator and this could be exactly what she needs to solve her money problems and get her foot in the door, making a name for herself.

Which is why, at first, she's willing to believe that the bizarre happenings in the house are all her own imagination. Plus, being there in the house with the manuscript is exactly the inspiration she needs to create the art she hopes will land her an agent and a book deal. 

But let's make it clear, Haven has no other choice anyway. She's got nowhere else to go and no money for a hotel. Even when people start dying under pretty strange circumstances near the property...

It was easy to sympathize with Haven considering her situation. Plus, I'm a sucker for books about books!

I found this so enjoyable! Especially the glimpses of Haven's father's tales. Everything about Malice House was freaky fun!

Order a copy from Bookshop.org!