#shadow scale

January 2026 reads

[loved liked ok nope dnf bookclub*]

Ocultos • The Butcher's Masquerade • The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet • Elatsoe • A Wizard of Earthsea • Nightshade and Oak • Magic Flutes • Totem • The Girl from the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún Vols 9-12 • Book of a Thousand Days* • Shadow Scale • The Eye of the Bedlam Bride • Snake Eater

Like everyone else's January, my January sucked ass. Especially in the second half of the month, after the sudden death of my cat, I increasingly turned to books as a distraction/to keep my mind occupied. And it... mostly worked? I definitely read some good books this month. And also, fittingly, the most drab, monochromatic collection of book cover colors yet. Judging by the number of parentheticals and small text asides below, I've got some Opinions on this batch.

Here's hoping February will be a better month irl and an also-good month bookwise 🤞

Ocultos [GR review] ★★★☆☆ - Another Laura Pérez book where I look at the pictures and go "Ah yes, some weird shit. Keep it coming 🫡"

The Butcher's Masquerade ★★★★★ - A faaaascinating chapter of the DCC saga! That ending though. Ouch. Pretty insulted that this book [SPOILER] killed off a character I liked but resurrected the character with my dad's name. Where's the justice

The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet ★★1/2☆☆ - Imma be real with you chat, this one was simply not for me. I was unprepared for just how meandering light on plot and slow-paced it was gonna be (it really was a LONG way to that planet, goddamn), and I wasn't in the mood for all the therapyspeak Aesops the characters went through. Would be good for someone who is in the mood for something episodic and therapeutic, I suppose.

Elatsoe ★★★1/2☆ - Finally crossed this one off the tbr! And what a fun romp. I loved that since the in-universe vampires had to follow the "must be invited in" rules, the Apache characters could disinvite them from large swaths of North America. Also the cute ghost animals! I want that ghost mammoth so bad

A Wizard of Earthsea ★★★1/2☆ - Another book that's been on my TBR for, oh, a decade or something. Having now read Ursula's craft book, it was very cool to see how she deploys her own techniques. Needed 80% more women in it, but I hear the sequels are good for that

also this was yet another book that made me go "oh, so THIS is what Name of the Wind is trying to be"

Nightshade and Oak ★★★1/2☆ - An ARC I snapped up because it looked fun. Had strong first and last acts and a middle that decidedly plodded. Cool "goddess trapped in mortal form" premise though, and I'd love to see more historical fantasy from this setting/era!

Magic Flutes ★★★★☆ - I definitely have to be in the mood for Eva Ibbotson, but when I am in the mood, she HITS. I really appreciate that while her romances all have similar plot structures and archetypes, she fills each of them with incredibly specific details and side characters that stand out. Also this book taught me like 12 new words. Ever heard of a charabanc? A smultronställe? Poob Eva has it for you

Totem ★★★☆☆ - Once again looking at Laura Pérez story-pictures going hell yeah right on sister. Watch your past self have sex with your now-dead gf who mysteriously disappeared into the desert! You go girl

Shadow Scale ★★★1/2☆ - Not as good as Seraphina, alas. Had way too many (admittedly cool) characters and didn't take enough time to explore the full impies (implications) of its own events. And call me a whiny baby but I wanted PROPER polyamory, not Schrodinger's Homewrecker! What do you MEAN she danced with Kiggs but not Selda at the wedding?? When I want grim self-sacrificing love triangles I'll watch Mujhse Dosti Karoge. This is an outrage who do I call

The Eye of the Bedlam Bride ★★★★☆ - Devoured this in 1.5 days because I desperately needed a distraction after my cat's sudden passing, and it was oddly comforting to read about the fictional Donut's adventures, especially since this is the book where everyone's mental health is relatably in shambles. Interestingly, this is the first DCC book that felt a little repetitive at times, but I ended up not minding so much because the final twist* (*not final there were like 3 more in the epilogue alone) being hopeful felt very earned after the previous book's bleaker ending.

Snake-Eater ★★★★☆ - A surprisingly fun vibe-forward time! Having now been to the Sonoran desert (and seen a roadrunner there) I felt like the setting was incredibly well-rendered—I could tell that unlike me Ms. Ursula loves the desert with her whole soul. This might be my second- or third-favorite T. Kingfisher book now? It was surprisingly tightly written for something so slow-paced for the first 80%. I love how I'll bitch about Becky Chambers writing something slow and therapeutic but when T. Kingfisher does the same thing I'm like no let her cook. A craft thing or a personal taste thing? Yes. Also this one has suspense and gradually building dread so that might be part of it

The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, A Rún Vols 9-12 ★★★☆☆ - Well, that was an ending. I'm not sure I liked where the story ended up, but that wild interlude with the king and the Church was interesting. And as usual, the art never missed.

DNFs: None!

January superlatives: here

Next up:

I've got The Swan's Daughter and Nine Goblins checked out from the library. I also hope to get around to Mariana Enriquez's memoir and perhaps the first Bartimaeus, which a friend gifted me!

previous months:

2024: july august september october november december

I don’t even remember who gave it to me or when it was, just that it was at my 12th birthday maximum because I didn’t have a 13th birthday party and then Covid happened and during the pandemic I read the Seraphina series after having read Tess of the Road.

It’s the best book anyone has ever given me without me explicitly asking for that book (like in my Christmas list or something). Idk how my friends back then knew that I would love it. Props to them. I kinda wish I could start receiving books as gifts again just to find completely unexpected gems like these.

Anyway, I reread it at age 16 and it completely blew my mind. Like what do you mean this sixteen year old girl went through so much? I was her age when I reread Tess of the Road and it just made me so sad for her. I have never hated a book character more than I’ve hated Will (and it’s also SO ironic that their names are Tess and Will bc I’m such a big fan of the Shadowhunter Chronicles)

And yeah his punishment in the 4th book was not enough.

I’d love a third duology or a standalone about the third Dombegh sister Jeanne because I fear that a book about how conforming to society’s pressures/parental pressures and being obedient is so taxing while everyone thinks it’s easy and breaking down because of it would hit far too close to home and I want to read about her.

It’s odd because I think I’m an even mix of a little bit of all of them. Tess is this bold rogue girl who dreams of big adventures and is terribly let down by life but also looks out for underdogs because she is an underdog herself as an unconventional woman in a patriarchal society rooted in religious superstition. Seraphina always feels out of place because she can fit in neither the human world nor the dragon world (at least at the beginning of the first book) and is trying to carve out a spot for herself despite this. Jeanne seems like she’s got it easy because she was always the conventional obedient “good” “angelic” one and she found a husband easily and they’re in love. But we do see the facade slip at the end of Tess of the Road when she gets very angry at Tess for running away and making her fear the worst had happened to her twin.

Like?? I was so disappointed upon discovering online book fandom when I found out this didn’t have a big fan base. I’ll admit it’s not for everyone but it has dragons!! Medieval fantasy!! Unconventionally strong FMCs!! Complex relationships between sisters!! Interesting/compelling (at least to me) character growth!!

I feel like if you really loved the way Leigh Bardugo wrote about saints and religion in the Shadow and Bone / King of Scars series you’ll really love the way it’s explored in this series too especially in the Seraphina series. Religion/saints are really embedded in this world. Won’t say more bc of spoilers.

I would really recommend you read Seraphina and Shadow Scale, then Tess of the Road and potentially In The Serpent’s Wake (didn’t like it as much as Tess of the Road. Maybe my expectations were too high).

Book summaries below: