What I Read: January 2024

2024 started with a bang for me. From home maintenance emergencies to unexpected dental procedures, it was a month of great transformation, and also of great stress. Managing stress has always been difficult for me, but as I enter my thirties I am learning different ways to cope with the stresses in life that are inevitable, instead of simply ignoring them the way I did in my twenties. One of those coping mechanisms has been escapism through reading. And as the stresses in January were plentiful, so were the books.

I started with what I think would be considered a novella, A Spindle Splintered, by Alex E. Harrow. I have heard good things about the author before, but this is the first I’ve read of their work. Hailed as a feminist twist on a fairy tale, Harrow took the classic tale of Snow White and spun it into a new modern and sapphic tale. While grittier than I anticipated going in, I did enjoy my time with this book. I believe a second book in this series exists (or is coming out soon) but I’m not sure I’ll pick it up.

Next up was The Magician’s Daughter, by H.G Parry, a book that I will admit, I picked up initially because of how simply gorgeous the cover is. I will take a guess that this tale will be one of our modern novels that is hailed as a classic in the future. Set on a magical island off the coast of Ireland, a young woman is thrust out of the only home she has ever known and into a world of magic, tyranny, and deception. The world-building is *chefs kiss* and you’ll love Biddy the moment you meet her. Fans of cozy fantasy will devour this novel, as I did.

Riding high on the success of the last fantasy novel I read, I picked up the much-anticipated Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco next. I’ll preface this by saying I have not read any of her other books, and while Throne of the Fallen is a standalone, it is set in the same world as her Kingdom of the Wicked series. I didn’t feel as though I missed any crucial information by not reading those books first, but you may catch a little more in this book if you have. This is the story of a dark prince (immediately yes for me) and a beautiful artist with her own set of secrets. Twisty and suspenseful, I genuinely couldn’t put this book down. I’ll definitely go back and read the Kingdom of the Wicked series to learn the stories of the rest of the brothers now.

I decided to take a break from fantasy and listened to Mandy Matney’s Blood on Their Hands next. Now I already knew quite a bit about Mandy and the Murdaugh Cases from her podcast Murdaugh Murders, so I was excited to learn more about the case and learn about any updates that I had missed. The title of the book was a little misleading, as it was more of Mandy’s story battling prejudice and sexism in a corrupt journalism community, but once I realized that I was hooked. Mandy is a brave, tough woman in a time when it’s hard to be outspoken, and I’m really happy that I read her story.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity on my local library’s hold list, it was my turn to check out Midnight Ruin by Katee Robert. I was so excited to read this book that I picked it up the same day that I got the notification. A little history here – I am quite possibly one of Katee Robert’s biggest fans, especially of her Dark Olympus series, of which Midnight Ruin is book six. (I also love Court of The Vampire Queen, but that’s for another time.) I think you could probably read Midnight Ruin without reading the rest of the series, but honestly, I don’t know why you would deny yourself the pure delight that is the first five books. Read them all! And then get back to me. But be sure to check any trigger warnings first.

After living in Hades’ Lower Olympus in Midnight Ruin, I wasn’t quite ready to leave the world of the Gods just yet, so I picked up a book that has been on my TBR for a long time. A Touch of Darkness by Scarlet St. Claire is a dark retelling of the Hades and Persephone myth. I’ll be honest, my expectations were sky-high. Hades and Persephone are my absolute favorite gods and Neon Gods, Katee Robert’s retelling of their story permanently changed my brain chemistry. So naturally, I was nervous about picking up another retelling, but I was not disappointed. A Touch of Darkness was in a word, lush. While not a dark romance, there are a few darker themes throughout the book, and I loved the time I spent with it. It’ll definitely be a reread for me, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series in February.

As always, I left off any books that I didn’t finish or enjoy, cause I’m only here to talk about positive vibes.

Let me know what books you loved in January!

Also, please drop any of your favorite Hades and Persephone retellings in the comments! They are the air that I breathe.

Thanks, XOXO.

Alys