Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal

This book had a very interesting system of magic, but that's about all I found interesting. Sure the book is an easy read. The description says it's a cross between Pride and Prejudice and Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and that is very accurate. However I felt as if I was simply reading Pride and Prejudice fanfiction; which is not to say that it was bad. No I enjoyed the plot and the characters, but overall it felt stiff. Like the author was trying to hard to color inside the lines. I'm curious about how the sequels are since the book ends with the characters being old and gray.

Shades of Milk and Honey is the story of Jane and her sister Melody. Jane is well, a Plain Jane and Melody is lovelier than all the world's beauties apparently. So Jane is the elder sister and is clearly supposed to be Elizabeth Bennett and Melody is supposed to be Mary mixed with Lydia. Basically the two sisters are jealous of each other while trying to navigate the social niceties of the regency period. They both are introduced to a revolving door of handsome suitors, some who turn out well, and others who reveal themselves to be rouges.

Despite my snarkniess I really did enjoy this book. I just have been so set in finding fantasy read a likes to Howl's Moving Castle that this one just struck me as only "okay". I think the problem is that the story was too grounded in reality where as I seem to like the more fantastical and whimsy of magic. As I said earlier I am curious about the sequels, and maybe someday I will read them but as for now I'm closing the book on this story and moving on to the next.

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

“There you are, darling. So sorry I'm late.”

I'm having a flashback to Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle film. Which is good, that has been my prerequisite for books lately. Kiersten White wow's us with a fantastic YA Fantasy book about a stubborn girl named Jessa. Jessa is from the island country of Melei (in my mind I think it's like Hawaii or the Caribbean Islands) but she is half-Albion. Thanks to that she has received the opportunity to study in Albion at a prestigious school her father teaches at. Though he is a huge jerk and refuses to acknowledge his illegitimate child.

On her way home from school she meets Finn, and enigma within an enigma. He is a mysterious lord who rescued her from the unwanted advances of another gentleman, things get more confusing with each meeting she has with Finn. Sometimes he's flirty and funny, other times he seems to ignore her very presence or wants nothing to do with her. One night she receives a mysterious package from him, in it is a beautiful dress and an invite to a ball, an because of this she is drawn into a world she does not fully understand. One of long standing grudges and magic. Can Jessa save everybody and find romance in the process?

I love, love, love this book. I'm literary going to be rushing to the bookstore next payday to buy a paperback of this book because I adore it so much. It has romance, wit, well rounded and relatable characters. Thinly veiled allusions to British and American colonialism and the effects it has on the natives (i.e. not good). This book deals slightly with prejudice and racism, but those issues take more of a back seat to the main plot point. I would have like to maybe have this dealt with a little more in depth, but alas I cannot always have what I want. The book is a nicely paced fantasy adventure with a heroine who actually is worth caring about. They only thing I did not like was how rushed the ending felt. This book could have easily ended in a cliffhanger and spurred a sequel, but instead the resolutions were all crammed into the last few chapters. Despite this I would still like to see a sequel. I feel like there is a lot more that can be told about this world, and it doesn't necessarily have to be about Jessa and Finn (à la Castle In The Air).

Overall this was a solid read and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Howl's Moving Castle or The Paper Magician series.

The Master Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Ceony is fast on her way to completing her apprenticeship as a Folder to her mentor/boyfriend Emery Thane. Due to their student/teacher relationship they have decided to keep there romance a secret until Ceony graduates, not that people don't suspect they are a bit too close because they do. To combat the gossip that Ceony had an unfair advantage in passing her exams to complete her apprenticeship, Emery sends her to study with another Folder temporarily. Only this Folder hates Emery and dislikes Ceony even more. Ceony finds herself losing focus on studying for her final exam when Excisioner Saraj Prendi escapes from prison to once again go after Ceony and the secrets she learned last year from former Gaffer turned Excisioner Grath Cobalt. Ceony can bond and unbond to materials at will, a magical art long forgotten.

Ceony is ordered by the Cabinet and Criminal Affairs to stay out of the investigation to find Saraj, but Ceony cannot help it. She goes after him, again and again. Each time finding that Saraj is making his way closer and closer to London, and not out of the country as Criminal Affairs believes. On top of this Ceony must navigate her way with Magician Bailey, her temporary mentor, and with the sudden silence from Emery Thane. Has he lost interest in her?

All in all this book was amazing! Seriously this series is one of the best things to happen to me ever. My only complaint is that it was too short! I wanted more happy endings at the end. I was happy Emery and Ceony are engaged at the end, kind of. A little epilogue with them happily married is all I'm asking for seriously! Well I suppose I shall just have to scour the internet for fanfiction to satisfy my curiosity.

The Glass Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

The adventure continues in The Glass Magician! Ceony Twill is an apprentice Folder to Magician Emery Thane who is struggling to keep her feelings for her mentor hidden. Ever since she trekked through Emery Thane's heart and rescued him from his ex-wife and Excisioner Lira, Ceony has found herself falling in love with her teacher. But she hasn't broached the subject with Emery even after reading his fortune with a Fortuity Box confirmed that she and Emery were destined to be together.

Soon Ceony finds herself in the middle of a cat and mouse game with the other Excisioners from Lira's group. Wanting to know what she did to defeat Lira three months ago, and how to reverse it. Ceony must find a way to stop the Excisioners and continue her studies in Folding, but it's hard to do when her mind is so focused on her feelings for Emery, and examining the possible feelings he might hold for her.

This book was amazing! I could have finished it in one sitting if I didn't have this pesky thing called life interrupting me. The slow burn romance between Ceony and Emery was perfect. It wasn't rushed and it didn't feel like it came out of no where like in some books. There was beautiful romantic tension à la Numair and Daine from Tamora Pierce's Immortals Quartet. I look forward to reading the next in the series.

Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg

Continuing on my quest to find books similar to Diana Wynne Jones' Howl's Moving Castle I found The Paper Magician Trilogy by Charlie N. Holmberg and I have to say I was delighted by this book.

It starts off a bit slow introducing us to Ceony and Emery Thane, as well as focusing on world building. Then the book really takes off with a twist I seriously did not see coming!

The Paper Magician is the story of Ceony Twill who after completing her classes at Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined she is assigned to be a Folder (a magician who works in paper) rather than being a Smelter (a magician who works in metal) like she wanted. There are less students signing up to be Folders, so some students like Ceony are assigned to the study. Ceony is distressed by these turn of events and wows the audience with some very lovely snark. Which her new teacher Magician Emery Thane all takes in stride.

Eventually Ceony resolves herself to being a Folder and even finds that she doesn't mind it so much as she once did. She gets into a routine with Thane and advances quite quickly in her studies. When everything is looking up for Ceony finally, the calm bubble that she has created bursts with a visit from Emery Thane's ex-wife and magician on the run, Lira. Lira is an Excisioner (a magician who works in the dark arts, flesh magic). She takes Emery Thane's heart and Ceony manages to keep him from dying by quickly folding a paper heart to keep him alive. Ceony goes further when it looks like no one can save Emery Thane, and goes after Lira to recover her teacher's heart.

Through a series of magic booby traps Ceony finds herself traversing through Emery's heart and seeing who exactly Emery Thane is and was. She has to navigate the four chambers of his heart, see his greatest triumphs, fears, and regrets; all while fleeing from Lira who has followed her. But the deeper into his heart Ceony gets, the more questions arise. With the clock ticking will Ceony save her mentor before it's too late?

This book was fantastic. It has a very slow buildup to the action but once you get there the novel's pace quickens quite a bit. My only complaint is that the book, and the sequels, are all very short. I just know I am going to want more!