Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews

 

My wife has enjoyed Ilona Andrews’s books for years, so when I saw a new book from them on NetGalley, I requested a copy from the publisher. Thanks for the eARC! Let’s see what my wife has to say:

The end of Catalina‘s story was less satisfying than I hoped. There was something a bit awkward about the way this book was written, almost as if the authors were simply tired of this portion of the series. Nevada’s story ended much stronger, and this is actually quite a bit weaker than the previous book in Catalina’s series. However, it was still enjoyable, it left me looking forward to when they kick off the next series. 

The Bruising of Qilwa by Naseem Jamnia

 

I didn’t know what to expect from this fantasy novella. The description was intriguing- a Persian inspired secondary world fantasy with blood magic? I decided to give it a whirl, thanks to an eARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

I really enjoyed this book! The writing style was both lyrical and down to earth, if that makes any sense. The descriptions of the different kinds of magic made just enough sense without feeling like you were being weighed down with a Player’s Handbook. I got a little bit squeamish about some of the medical descriptions during an autopsy, but it wasn’t anything over the top. The mystery fooled me - I didn’t see who the perpetrator was until only a page before the reveal, and I liked how the author and the narrator both acknowledge that the antagonist doesn’t necessarily have to be evil. I think the author mostly handled the cast of characters well, although the mother character was such a nonentity that she could’ve been excised easily. I also really appreciated both the realistic sibling relationship and the well-realized trans, ace, and non-binary  characters. I definitely recommend this book and will look for more from the author in the future.