Kate Mergener

Different stories, different cheeses

Revisado: 11-04-24

This anthology may be the most unique centering around forms of tyromancy ( cheese divination). Personally I am.more for rhapsodomancy, but each story has its take.on the. cheese fortune tellers. I was mainly focused on reading the first which is an in-between story for The Iron Druid Chronicles; as it helps point Atticus in the direction of some vampire nuisances who have a bounty out for him. The second deals more in the paranormal romance as a young Criminy (of the Blud series) gains new circus employment and a shaky femme fatale relationship. The third, which seems to me is the most gritty, deals with rough around the edges psychic, Miriam Black. There she is seeking out a psychic for information and dealing with another potential murderer in her midst. I am not as familiar with the last two, but hearing the different takes was a fun experience.

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All the pocket paperbacks down the lane.

Revisado: 08-12-24

I am intrigued in the creator and publisher bios that came forth and merged their styles into the paperback boom that occurred with horror. I do sometimes feel like the layout kind of did it a disservice, only because when ever a unique title was mentioned I wanted to search out the cover pictures and they weren't always on the same page (luckily there is an index after the fact). I tend to be much more image focused vs word focused, so it kind of chilled me out like Lo-Fi music. Though my head did turn several times whenever I heard about penis mutilation and murderous infants. Some people find clowns disagreeable, while I just don't like babies and the want for them. I feel I would have soaked in more of that information into my gray matter, but a lot was thrown at me quite quickly. (co-read with book and audio together)

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Age of piracy and magia!

Revisado: 02-01-24

*Audio listened alonside the ebook version* A thrilling historical fantasy novel, equal parts daring adventure and elemental wild magia (magic)! Vico did a great job conveing in the audio the nuances and personalities of the characters (the joviality of Bas, the oft controlled seriousness and vunerability in Mar, the sarcasm of Dami, etc.) I had to pause a few times when conflicts and dread got tight around the main characters, but time helped smooth that out. I had to put the book in the freezer, to quote Friends. Mostly when the characters seem to be in extremely tense harrowing situations. Mar had to come to terms with her magia and instead of holding it so cautiously at bay learning to trust played a focal point in their character development. Still an amazing take and way to handle the pirate genre!

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One's truth acknowledged

Revisado: 01-19-24

This classic remix centers around Pride and Prejudice with a twist! Here Lizzy isn't the heroine of the story, but the trans boy living a hidden life in the austerity and strict manners of the Regency Era. While it does follow elements of the original classic it does deviate to suit the story. Gone is the Lydia incident, but Wickham still is sneaking about. Within the story it's mostly about Oliver (Lizzy's chosen name) trying to come to terms and be honest with his family and friends. He does not want to be somebody's demure wife, but wishes to live independently as himself. How he finds love or acceptance in this world of etiquette and status you should go read for yourself. Harrison Knights did a great job in the audio portion with the characters and their voices. Also of the book version I read along side it, I love the cover and its call back to the peacock from the original cover (there's an allusion on that proud, elegant bird in the book too).

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Love in unexpected places

Revisado: 12-01-23

I have a interesting thought process when it comes to this novel and audiobook which did in tandem. Overall I love the story and the characters along with their dynamics. I think I was blushing through a couple of those chapters. I much like Olive maintain that I am demisexual and hearing others talk about intimacy does most times make me cringe. Of the 1,000+ books I have read and audio listened to, I think only 5 of them qualified as the romance harlequin level category. Beyond my cringing I enjoyed the story and visualizing these characters finally figure out their wants, gain some kind of confidence, and be honest with their feelings (and frankly some trauma). In the audio parts, Callie's first version really illuminated the characters nature very well. There was a bonus track by Teddy and It did bring an interesting, slightly intimatdating male POV with Adam on some said cringe chapter events. And I don't mean cringe in as an cheesy certain chapters it just as someone who is not a romantic at heart that this made be blush A LOT. Which in a way may be the variable point and It was still an enjoyable story to read and listen to.

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A Look Back

Revisado: 11-10-23

A continuation from Legend and Lattes is actually prequel! We get to see Viv much younger starting out as a mercenary but wounded in battle. She stuck then in a seaside town and begins to help out at the local bookstore. All the while a mystery arises. Even knowing where she's going from Legend and Lattes it's interesting to see how she gets there in this one along with meeting the denizens of the town of Murk.

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Eastborne Sour sounds pretty good right now.

Revisado: 09-22-23

A fun jaunt to the Eastborne seaside! The detail and the characters made me really want to actually see some of these places! The drinks sounded pretty amazing as well! I keep wondering if the Tiberian Monk's Herbal Elixir is supposed to be based off of Frangelico or wormwood absinthe (for all I know it could be just be the fantasy version of dandelion wine)? Truth be told I actually thought it was going to go in a different direction with conflict involving the the spirit fox. So it was an interesting surprise to see where it went with its largest conflict during the end. I have a feeling that Fate's Fortune adventurers or Dobbin will pop up in the next of the series. I'll be excited to see!

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Coffee and Comfort

Revisado: 09-02-23

So I guess this is my first venture into cozy fantasy of the novel book format. That being said I have read and viewed some manga and manhwa that go that route (examples being some with stationary and desserts shops). I enjoyed the audiobook alongside reading the novel. I enjoyed the character voices that the author portrayed and the overall story as there was enough suspense without fully stressing me out. There was this feeling of experiencing and growing with the character of Viv as she expands the cafe business, along with making friends and enemies along the way. Very interesting juxtpositioning of something modern in a fantasy world. I have a feeling a couple of the characters might pop up again in the upcoming sequel with more growth and details revealed (a certain gnome has to have an antikythera mechanism dial yet to be revealed).

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Even when there's doubt there's still a superstar!

Revisado: 04-22-22

I'll keep it short and sweet. Molly comes right out of the gate describing a cataclysmic family event. From this though it shapes her and makes her more resilient and outgoing. She works so hard to please, but also to shine as a star in her own way. Loved hearing about how she got so much support from her family and friends, and also that her dad considered her one of his best friends (wish I could the same about my own).

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Van Ness for the gold!

Revisado: 03-05-22

Who is Jonathan Van Ness? Perhaps a rhetorical question, but this bio pretty much incapsulates Jonathan from his early years as young Jack to now. Sure he's not Oliver Twist, yet he has his moments of ups and downs and trials and tribulations. To paraphrase he says he make his steps forward and yet he's had some setbacks. Many happy humorous moments, but there's also moments that are very grief stricken.Through it all he seems to explore and strive for improvement. It's a rather riveting thing to listen to.

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