Tag: backlog reviews

I really enjoyed The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy for several reason which I will detail in my review but the female ensemble cast was great. I haven’t read enough of Ursu’s work something I intent to remedy, this however was a gem.

The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy

Summary

If no one notices Marya Lupu, is likely because of her brother, Luka. And that’s because of what everyone knows: that Luka is destined to become a sorcerer.

The Lupus might be from a small village far from the capital city of Illyria, but that doesn’t matter. Every young boy born in in the kingdom holds the potential for the rare ability to wield magic, to protect the country from the terrifying force known only as the Dread. 

For all the hopes the family has for Luka, no one has any for Marya, who can never seem to do anything right. But even so, no one is prepared for the day that the sorcerers finally arrive to test Luka for magical ability, and Marya makes a terrible mistake. Nor the day after, when the Lupus receive a letter from a place called Dragomir Academy—a mysterious school for wayward young girls. Girls like Marya.

Soon she is a hundred miles from home, in a strange and unfamiliar place, surrounded by girls she’s never met. Dragomir Academy promises Marya and her classmates a chance to make something of themselves in service to one of the country’s powerful sorcerers. But as they learn how to fit into a world with no place for them, they begin to discover things about the magic the men of their country wield, as well as the Dread itself—things that threaten the precarious balance upon which Illyria is built.

Amazon: The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy

Review

I really love the feminist point of view of this book. Marya comes from a society with very few if any opportunities for women and educated women are seen as a threat, for example look what happens to Marya’s neighbor the seamstress when she tries to teach her a secret method of communication that the women of IIIyria used. I love that the women of IIIyria had a secret language as it mirror a lot of real life real secret languages that craftspeople use.

I loved that the problem IIIyria was facing was basically from taking away women’s agency and only way to solve it was for women to get their agency back. I loved what Dragomir Academy eventually became and the great cast of young women who were involved with running it with Marya.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and zoomed through it in maybe 3 days. Would definitely read more fantasy in the same universe.

I think it’s fair to say I’m a huge fan of Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces Quartet. Her latest outing Dark Waters representing the season of summer, doesn’t let down with the scares and sets up for a very interesting finale set in spring. I can’t wait to see how Arden makes spring creepy but I wasn’t there is some precedent for creepy summer stuff but I don’t know anything creepy spring, anyway I’m looking forward to it immensely.

Dark Waters Summary

Until next time. That was chilling promise made to Ollie, Coco and Brian after they outsmarted the smiling man at Mount Hemlock Resort. And as the trio knows, the smiling man always keeps his promises. So when the lights flicker on and off at Brian’s family’s inn and a boom sounds at the door, there’s just one visitor it could be. Only, there’s no one there, just a cryptic note left outside signed simply as —S.

The smiling man loves his games and it seems a new one is afoot. But first, the three friends will have to survive a group trip to Lake Champlain where it’s said Vermont’s very own Loch Ness monster lives. When they’re left shipwrecked on an island haunted by a monster on both land and sea, Brian’s survival instincts kick in and it’s up to him to help everyone work together and find a way to escape.

One thing is for sure, the smiling man is back and he wants a rematch. And this time Brian is ready to play.

Review

The group’s relationship with the Smiling Man is evolving, which isn’t good for Brian, Coco, and Ollie. The first two books were direct monster encounters in this book they had to avoid the monster and then get a few messages from helpful ghosts to save them. Also the Captain and the man on the island, tears right here. They were working in a situation where the Smiling Man had all the advantages and I fear that the finale book will be a lot like this as well. Smiling Man with the upper hand, the group having to fight against bad odds so great for reading but not great for my anxiety. Dark Waters was wonderful and scary and suspenseful in a way that I couldn’t see the end all the things you need for great horror/mystery.

Amazon: Dark Waters