Category: Rhea Reviews Books
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Lessons in Magic and Disaster by Charlie Jane Anders: Emotional and Healing
A young witch teaches her mother how to do magic–with very unexpected results–in this relatable, resonant novel about family, identity, and the power of love. Jamie is the average New England academic in-training–she has a strong queer relationship, generational trauma, and an esoteric dissertation proposal. But she has one extraordinary secret: she’s also a powerful…
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Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher: Fascinating Tale
Healer Anja regularly drinks poison. Not to die, but to save— seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on. But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her. Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and…
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The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas: Intense and Emotional
In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something…
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The Doors of Midnight by R.R. Virdi: Layered and Winding
Some stories are hidden for a reason. All tales have a price. And every debt must be paid. I killed three men as a child and earned the name Bloodletter. Then I set fire to the fabled Ashram. I’ve been a bird and robbed a merchant king of a ransom of gold. And I have…
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The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World by J.R. Dawson: Joyful and Hopeful
At the edge of Chicago, nestled on the shores of Lake Michigan, there is a waystation for the dead. Every night, the newly-departed travel through the city to the Station, guided by its lighthouse. There, they reckon with their lives, before stepping aboard a boat to go beyond. Nera has spent decades watching her father―the…
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Volatile Memory by Seth Haddon: Powerful Message
With nothing but a limping ship and an outdated mask to her name, Wylla needs a big pay day. When the alert goes out that a lucrative piece of tech lies hidden on a nearby planet, she calls on all the swiftness of her prey-animal instincts to beat other hunters to it. What you found…
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Red Rabbit Ghost by Jen Julian: Haunting and Immersive
Eighteen years ago, an infant Jesse Calloway was found wailing on the bank of a river, his mother dead beside him. The mystery of her death has haunted him all his life, and despite every effort, he has never been able to uncover the truth. Now someone is promising him answers. An anonymous source claims…
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The West Passage by Jared Pechacek: Intricate and Unique
When the Guardian of the West Passage died in her bed, the women of Grey Tower fed her to the crows and went back to their chores. No successor was named as Guardian, no one took up the fallen blade; the West Passage went unguarded. Now, snow blankets Grey in the height of summer, foretelling…
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House of Frost and Feathers by Lauren Wiesebron: Lyrical Fantasy
Marisha’s time is running out. She’s already lost her family to the sleeping plague, and she fears she’ll be next. Penniless and desperate for protection, Marisha is forced to accept a job as apprentice to the notorious koldunya, the sorceress Baba Zima. But Baba Zima is renowned for being both clever and cruel. And most…
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House of Monstrous Women by Daphne Fama: Haunting and Visceral
A young woman is drawn into a dangerous game after being invited to the mazelike home of her childhood friend, a rumored witch, in this gothic horror set in 1986 Philippines. In this game, there’s one rule: survive. Orphaned after her father’s political campaign ended in tragedy, Josephine is alone taking care of the family…
