Rutabaga's Reads 2021: Part 2

Some stories spew darkness. Others rely on magical prowess. All contain ingenuity of characters that must be brought alive through words from creative authors. Welcome to the first YA compilation for 2021.

The Queen’s Assassin (Feb. 4, 2020) by Melissa de la Cruz.

*This is the first novel in a duology.*

In the world of Avantine, there is the Kingdom of Renovia. Once ruled by the Dellafiore dynasty, it’s been quelled since the Tyrant King. A jealous, murderous king, he also forbade magic amongst common folk and had his most loyal followers create the Deian Scrolls, “the fount of all magical history, information, practice, and use” of everything mystical in the kingdom. His descendant, King Esban (not a tyrant), declared war against the Aphrasians and attacked Baer Abbey, where the scrolls were said to reside. The war was won, but at the cost of King Esban’s life. The Deian Scrolls were not found. The king’s widow, Queen Lilianna, has made the search for the scrolls her life’s work for her country and her family, namely, her daughter, Princess Lilac.

            Shadow of the Honey Glade has been training seemingly all her life to become a member of the Hearthstone Guild. It originally brought brave witches together to save as much magic as able, but later it became “a society of assassins and spies.” Shadow wants to be an assassin as revered as Caledon (Cal) Holt. Because of a vow his father once made with the queen, Cal is likewise tied to her. Shadow goes to rescue him under the guise of being assigned as his apprentice, except it’s a real rescue. Shadow may not have expert training in being an assassin, but she is something of a mage and has the blue-black mage blood to prove it (blue blood is prized in the kingdom). And she wants no part in becoming a lady of the court as her mother and aunts expect. Shadow and Cal will endure a dangerous quest full of many things, including strong feelings for each other.

            I didn’t love this story and am currently unsure if I’ll read its successor. If I rated with stars, I’d give this book 3/5. Told from both Shadow’s and Cal’s points-of-view, their quest is just dangerous enough to keep the action moving forward and propel the story at a steady clip. I don’t consider this novel to be epic, but I do approve of the dynamic women and things like race and marriage equality are not an issue. The novel’s strengths are quiet in that regard and its ending definitely sets the story up for a sequel.

Spellhacker (Jan. 1, 2020) by M. K. England.

*This is a standalone novel.*

In Kyrkarta, magic (called maz) was once an abundant natural resource, but an earthquake released a magical spellplague. It killed thousands and made too many orphans at a young age. Maz suddenly became a rare commodity with outrageous prices to obtain, and it’s all parceled out by one supplier, Maz Management Corporation (MMC). Talk about a monopoly. So Dizmon (Diz) Hela and her three best friends run a very profitable (and very illegal) maz siphoning gig. Diz has no skill with maz, but she is the technical and hardware whiz of their quartet. The others include Ania, a techwitch, Remi, the spellweaving prodigy who has contracted spellplague, and Jaesin, who has most of the “mundie” skills like cooking and hitting people (“but only sometimes,” on the latter point). Their latest heist should be their final one, but they uncover something called maz-15 (aren’t there only 14 strains of maz?), which they shouldn’t know about. Running away takes them to Jattapore to try to locate Professor Aric Silva, who’s supposedly been dead for eight years. Is maz-15 the source material for all other maz? If so, how do they convince MMC to shut the drilling down? Does MMC have anything to do with the spellplague and the idea that the planet may be trying to rip itself apart?

            This is a story that should be right up my alley, but I struggled to connect with it. I enjoyed the plotline and this idea of a spellplague and a big, bad, evil corporation acting like it’s only working for the forward momentum of the people of Kyrkarta when it looks to be doing the population and world more harm than good. I do appreciate that the characters are a mix of multicultural diversity and are inclusive of non-s/he gender norms (Remi is nonbinary and uses they/them). It is a well-rounded cast of characters and an action-packed plot that weaves science fiction and fantasy nicely. Part of my struggle is that Diz has a lot of attitude. That perhaps seems unfair, because I, too, can have more attitude than should fit inside my 5’1” frame, and I realize that Diz’s struggles stem from the loss of her parents when she was young. But this is an opinion piece, and if I don’t find any sort of connection to the main character, I’m not going to love a story. That doesn’t mean this story won’t be for you. There is plenty of snarky banter and cuss words are present at times (the latter for those who may be concerned).

Spin the Dawn (June 2, 2020) by Elizabeth Lim.

*This is the first novel in a duology.*

Once upon a time, Maia Tamarin’s family was whole. Her Baba (Kalsang Tamarin) was the greatest tailor in A’landi, sought after by merchants from coast to coast, such was his skill at dressmaking. They lived well in Gangsun, a key city along the Great Spice Road. But that changed when Mama died. Baba drank until he couldn’t stomach spirits any longer and became less than a shadow of his former self. They had to move to Port Kamalan. Maia’s three older brothers were not skilled as tailors. The oldest, Finlei, was the brave one and despised being stuck working indoors. But then the Five Winters’ War took Finlei in battle. The middle brother, Sendo, had patience for storytelling but not for sewing. The war took him, too, only two days before Emperor Khanujin’s truce with the shansen, a warlord. The youngest brother, Keton, was full of song, jokes and merriment. He didn’t possess the discipline needed to be a tailor, but Baba loved him best. Keton did return from the war, but he returned broken.

            It’s Maia that possesses the skill to be a tailor as skilled as Baba, but she is a woman, and women are not allowed to become Master Tailors. When Baba is summoned, and with Keton’s knowledge, Maia goes to the emperor’s Summer Palace as a boy. To be found out would mean her death and likely her remaining family’s death. What Maia doesn’t initially expect is to be in competition with 11 other master tailors. She’s the youngest competitor by far, and she’s captured the attention of Edan, the emperor’s court enchanter, who seems to know that she is not, in fact, a boy. And it is with the Lord Enchanter that she goes on a quest to amass what is needed to sew Amana’s dresses. It will take more than Maia’s skill, as it is a quest Lady Sarnai expects Master Tamarin to fail. It will take Edan and the assistance of magical scissors.

            Magical scissors? Why not? This first in The Blood of Stars duology is like “Project Runway.” The drama is there, but with the added bonus of magic and danger. It is part beautiful clothing and part daring adventure. It’s like dancing with romance, artistic skill and magic while simultaneously dodging danger and Lady Sarnai’s judgment. “Spin the Dawn” is enchanting and is spun like the finest wool, has the feel of the smoothest velvet and is detailed in the finest embroidery. And, I won’t lie, I, too, would marvel at a dress “woven with the laughter of the sun,” a second “embroidered with the tears of the moon,” and a third “painted with the blood of the stars.” Beautiful!