Here are mini reviews for some of the books I read from November to December 2022. Give them a shot if they sound interesting.

The links lead to the book page on goodreads, from where I've also copied a portion of the blurbs for this post.

Guild Core by T.J. Reynolds

Blurb

Kai was the least likely young man to ascend. Raised on his uncle’s potato farm, he began his career as an adventurer with empty pockets and little skill. Rhona is a battle-scarred soldier who’s as likely to toss a quip as she is to throw a punch. When Bancroft the Earth Core awakens, he can’t wait to clean up his dungeon and begin building things anew.

Reviews for book 2 and 3 of the trilogy

Core Sworn: I liked the plot, action and some of the twists in this book. The pacing was good for the most part as well. A little more depth to characters, worldbuilding and a more understandable magic system (instead of endless spells and stuff that are hard to keep track) would have made this series even more appealing.

War Torn: Similar in quality to the first two books except the ending, which felt too rushed. Would've expected a whole book to cover the climax fight and the aftermath instead of the few chapters we got. Overall, the trilogy is a fun, fast-paced read that I'd recommend between heavier epic fantasy series.

Crystal Awakening by Andrew Rowe and Kayleigh Nicol

Blurb

A team of adventurers enters an epic trial of wits, magic, and monsters in this thrilling new fantasy series set within the Arcane Ascension universe.

Review

Having read all books in the Arcane Ascension universe by Andrew, I was looking forward to read this new series written by Kayleigh. It was great to see new characters and ideas as well as reading an entire book about tower climbing.

There were 6 POVs (for each of the members in the climbing team). Writing was good and just a few chapters were enough to get a feel for these 6 characters. Challenges, action and the banter scenes were cool. However, I just couldn't handle the climax. If I had known it would be so dark, I wouldn't have read this.

Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

Blurb

Global conspiracy, complex code-breaking, high-tech data visualization, young love, the secret to eternal life. Mostly in a hole-in-the-wall San Francisco bookstore.

Review

Having read and enjoyed Sourdough, I wanted to check out other books by Robin Sloan. This book, while charming a few times, didn't really hit the high of Sourdough. The main plot reminded me a bit of Dan Brown's books with all the mystery hunting for old stuff and seemingly magical current technology.

The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O'Neill

Blurb

After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon care-taking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives—and eventually her own.

Review

Finally read this after I've had this graphical novel on my TBR for a long time. It was cozy and wonderful just as the reviews had promised. Though, I would've loved it better if it had more details and a longer read.

The idea of making tea out of leaves/flowers/bark growing on dragons paired with taking care of them was such a cool concept. The use of flashbacks and blending it with magical tea was a nice touch too. And I enjoyed the dragon infographics at the end of the book. Looking forward to the sequels.

A King's Bargain by J.D.L. Rosell

Blurb

After three decades of fighting warlocks, killing mythical beasts, and hunting enchanted treasure, Tal has had enough. Running from the deeds of his past, he retreats to his home village under a different name and meets an unlikely companion: Garin, a village boy who dreams of making a name for himself and seeing the world beyond their sleepy town.

Review

Mostly liked this one but probably won't continue the series. Writing was good in terms of readability and worldbuilding. My main complaint is mind-control - I dislike it as it makes characters do things they normally wouldn't.

The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard

Blurb

A transport ship discharged from military service after a traumatic injury, The Shadow's Child now ekes out a precarious living as a brewer of mind-altering drugs for the comfort of space-travellers. Meanwhile, abrasive and eccentric scholar Long Chau wants to find a corpse for a scientific study. When Long Chau walks into her office, The Shadow's Child expects an unpleasant but easy assignment. When the corpse turns out to have been murdered, Long Chau feels compelled to investigate, dragging The Shadow's Child with her.

Review

Based on the title, I had assumed this was going to be a cozy mystery. My mistake, and don't let my lukewarm review affect your chances of checking out this well written book.

I liked the detective parts and some parts of the ending. But I couldn't really enjoy the book due to main character's trauma and general presence of heavy themes.

Best Served Cold by Actus

Blurb

Best Served Cold is the 3rd and final book in a Fantasy / LitRPG lite series with a cooking element that's perfect for the Holiday Season.

Review

It was great to come back to this series and it finished well. I didn't expect this to finish with just a trilogy, but good news mentioned in the afterword is that we can expect more nuggets with these characters.

I especially liked the crew setting up roadside cart for serving their dishes. And Ming continued to be my favorite character — I'd love a book/novella from her POV.