On McPig's Wishlist - The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

 

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter

by Stephen Graham Jones

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians comes a tale of the American West, writ in blood.

This chilling historical novel is set in the nascent days of the state of Montana, following a Blackfeet Indian named Good Stab as he haunts the fields of the Blackfeet Nation looking for justice.

It begins when a diary written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall in 2012. What is unveiled is a slow massacre, a nearly forgotten chain of events that goes back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow, told in the transcribed interviews with Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar and unnaturally long life over a series of confessional visits.

This is an American Indian revenge story, captured in the vivid voices of the time, by one of the new masters of literary horror, Stephen Graham Jones.

Teasing on a Wednesday - The Queen of Sorrow

 

She flashed her a smile, to show she was only joking. Of course, she wasn’t entirely sure that Naelin had a sense of humor. They hadn’t spent much time together, at least not without either Naelin’s children or Ven.

 (page 3, The Queen of Sorrow by Sarah Beth Durst)

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, previously hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their  TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Reluctant Queen - Book Review (reread/repost)

 

The Reluctant Queen (The Queens of Renthia #2)
by Sarah Beth Durst

What is it about:
Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow . . .
And those spirits want to kill you.
It’s the first lesson that every Renthian learns.

Not long ago, Daleina used her strength and skill to survive those spirits and assume the royal throne. Since then, the new queen has kept the peace and protected the humans of her land. But now for all her power, she is hiding a terrible secret: she is dying. And if she leaves the world before a new heir is ready, the spirits that inhabit her beloved realm will run wild, destroying her cities and slaughtering her people.

Naelin is one such person, and she couldn’t be further removed from the Queen—and she wouldn’t have it any other way. Her world is her two children, her husband, and the remote village tucked deep in the forest that is her home, and that’s all she needs. But when Ven, the Queens champion, passes through the village, Naelin’s ambitious husband proudly tells him of his wife’s ability to control spirits—magic that Naelin fervently denies. She knows that if the truth of her abilities is known, it will bring only death and separation from those she loves.

But Ven has a single task: to find the best possible candidate to protect the people of Aratay. He did it once when he discovered Daleina, and he’s certain he’s done it again. Yet for all his appeals to duty, Naelin is a mother, and she knows her duty is to her children first and foremost. Only as the Queen’s power begins to wane and the spirits become emboldened—even as ominous rumors trickle down from the north—does she realize that the best way to keep her son and daughter safe is to risk everything.

What did I think of it:
I loved The Queen of Blood, so I made sure to get my trotters on the paperback of The Reluctant Queen.

And even though I never got to love Naelin as much as I love Daleina this is a really good Fantasy read.

The worldbuilding is wonderful, and the intrigues in this book kept me reading. Naelin might not have won my love, but I rooted for Daleina and for Ven. I had my doubts when it became clear Naelin's children had a bigger part in the story than I thought when reading the blurb, but they luckily weren't as annoying as I feared (yes: I'm not a big fan of children in SFF books).

All in all this is a very enjoyable read that ends in a way that I will most definitely buy the last book once it is available in paperback.

Thoughts on rereading

I will probably never become a fan of Naelin. I didn't warm up to her the first time I read this book, and didn't this time either. Still this is such a great story! And there's several viewpoint characters, so it's not Naelin all the time luckily enough. And there's tons of characters who I did love. I was totally invested in the intrigue and the drama. Some things are solved in this book, but much more still need to be solved. I'm looking forward to rereading the last book (which for some reason I never reviewed, and I can't really remember a lot, so I'm a bit worried).

Why should you read it:
It's a cool Fantasy read full of intrigue.

The Queen of Blood - Book Review (reread/repost)

 

The Queen of Blood (The Queens of Renthia #1)

by Sarah Beth Durst

What is it about:

An idealistic young student and a banished warrior become allies in a battle to save their realm in this first book of a mesmerizing epic fantasy series, filled with political intrigue, violent magic, malevolent spirits, and thrilling adventure

Everything has a spirit: the willow tree with leaves that kiss the pond, the stream that feeds the river, the wind that exhales fresh snow...

But the spirits that reside within this land want to rid it of all humans. One woman stands between these malevolent spirits and the end of humankind: the queen. She alone has the magical power to prevent the spirits from destroying every man, woman, and child. But queens are still just human, and no matter how strong or good, the threat of danger always looms.

With the position so precarious, young women are chosen to train as heirs. Daleina, a seemingly quiet academy student, is under no illusions as to her claim to the throne, but simply wants to right the wrongs that have befallen the land. Ven, a disgraced champion, has spent his exile secretly fighting against the growing number of spirit attacks. Joining forces, these daring partners embark on a treacherous quest to find the source of the spirits’ restlessness—a journey that will test their courage and trust, and force them to stand against both enemies and friends to save their land... before it’s bathed in blood.

What did I think of it:

If I'm honest I think that for a lot of people the first part of this book will seem slow, but as it's mostly about Daleina going through her training in a boarding school I was hooked. (Yes, I have a great weakness for boarding school stories.) It's the second part of the story where things speed up to rush to a stunning finale.

I loved the world building and very much enjoyed learning about the spirits together with Daleina as she studies. I also loved that Daleina isn't some kind of prodigy, but that she has to struggle to get were she wants to go. It made her very easy to relate to.

I also really liked Ven and rooted for both him and Daleina to succeed in their goals. I will admit that the further I got into the story the more I started to care for both of them and it became more and more difficult to put the book down.

The ending was beautiful and although it's in no way a cliffhanger it left me hungry for more of this world and the characters. I will most certainly keep an eye out for the next book and I will investigate what other books Durst has written.

Thoughts on rereading:

I'm guessing that there were some very vocal people back in 2017 who complained it was slow, and that's why I mentioned it in my review. I didn't think it was too slow back then, and still don't think so now.

It was so good to reread this and I still love it as much as I did back then. Daleina is such a great heroine. If you love Durst's The Spellshop & The Enchanted Greenhouse, give this book a try: you won't be disappointed.

Why should you read it:

It's a beautiful Fantasy read.

Love Is a War Song - Book Review

 

Love Is a War Song

by Danica Nava

What is it about:

A Muscogee pop star and a cowboy who couldn’t be more different come together to strike a deal in this new romantic comedy by Danica Nava, USA Today bestselling author of The Truth According to Ember.

Pop singer Avery Fox has become a national joke after posing scantily clad on the cover of Rolling Stone in a feather warbonnet. What was meant to be a statement of her success as a Native American singer has turned her into a social pariah and dubbed her a fake. With threats coming from every direction and her career at a standstill, she escapes to her estranged grandmother Lottie’s ranch in Oklahoma. Living on the rez is new to Avery—not only does she have to work in the blazing summer heat to earn her keep, but the man who runs Lottie’s horse ranch despises her and wants her gone.

Red Fox Ranch has been home to Lucas Iron Eyes since he was sixteen years old. He has lived by three rules to keep himself out of trouble: 1) preserve the culture, 2) respect the horses, and 3) stick to himself. When he is tasked with picking up Lottie’s granddaughter at the bus station, the last person he expected to see is the Avery Fox. Lucas can’t stand what she represents, but when he’s forced to work with her on the ranch, he can’t get her out of his sight—or his head. He reminds himself to keep to his rules, especially after he finds out the ranch is under threat of being shut down.

It’s clear Avery doesn’t belong here, but they form a tentative truce and make a deal: Avery will help raise funds to save the ranch, and in exchange, Lucas will show her what it really means to be an Indian. It’s purely transactional, absolutely no horsing around…but where’s the fun in that?

What did we think of it:

We usually aren't into Cowboy Romance, but this one sounded too interesting to not give it a try.

And what an awesome read!

Avery has been in showbiz since a very young age, always strictly managed by her mother. At first she comes across as a bit shallow, but soon it turns out she just hasn't had a chance to figure out who she is and what matters to her.

We loved seeing Avery figuring out herself, discovering the culture she came from, and trying to decide what she wanted out of life. 

We loved Lucas from the start, and loved discovering what molded him into the man he was. And the attraction between him and Avery! It was really delicious to read the scenes with the both of them.

This is as much a romance as it's a journey of self discovery, and we read this in record time, wanting to know how this story would end. How Avery and Lucas would get their Happily Ever After. 

(It was beautiful in our opinion)

You bet after finishing this book we immediately went in search of other books Danica Nave might have written.

Why should you read it:

It's a really beautiful Cowboy/Rockstar Romance.

Wooing the Witch Queen - Book Review

 

Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy #1)

by Stephanie Burgis

What is it about:

In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…

Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?

What did we think about it:

This is such a fun and cozy read.

We loved both Saskia and Fabian/Felix from the start, so it was easy to root for the two of them. The romance is sweet and the overall story has some suspense, but mostly it's cozy and very enjoyable.

Saskia and Felix are absolutely made for each other, and it was fun to see them opening up for each other.

The two lead characters of the upcoming books had a role in this book as well. We must say that one of them... makes us worry about the next book. Still we will pick it up, hoping for more cozy fun.

Why should you read it:

It's a fun and very enjoyable Fantasy read.

Teaser Tuesdays - Tower of the Lost Princess

 

“I know you’re a romantic at heart, child. Unfortunately, the world is too dangerous for you.”

Tower of the Lost Princess - A.R. Kaufer (Kindle Location 146 - ARC) 

Expected publication October 6, 2025

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, previously hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: - Grab your current read - Open to a random page - Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) - Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their  TBR Lists if they like your teasers!