Review: Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King #2) by Rachel Gillig

        

Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King #2) by Rachel Gillig

Orbit

Publication Date: October 17th, 2023

Hardcover. 480 pages.

About Two Twisted Crowns:

"In the dark, spellbinding sequel to  One Dark Window , Elspeth must confront the weight of her actions as she and Ravyn embark on a perilous quest to save the kingdom—perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf and  Alexis Henderson's The Year of the Witching.

Gripped by a tyrant king and in the thrall of dark magic, the kingdom is in peril. Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last—and most important—one remains to be the Twin Alders. If they’re going to find the card before Solstice and set free the kingdom, they will need to journey through the dangerous mist-cloaked forest. The only one who can lead them through is the monster that shares Elspeth’s the Nightmare.

And he’s not eager to share any longer."

**Note: While this review will not have spoilers for Two Twisted Crowns, there will be some spoilers for One Dark Window! You can find my review for One Dark Window here if you've not yet read it.

Two Twisted Crowns is the thrilling conclusion to The Shepherd King duology, and I loved every minute of it. I really enjoyed One Dark Window last year and was eager to read this sequel, so I'm happy to say that it really lived up to my expectations and proved to be a fantastic wrap-up to the story. 

The story picks up not long after the events of One Dark Window, so there's not much to catch up on from in between the books. I had to refresh my own memory about events from the first book, but it didn't take me too long to get back into the story and remember everything going on. When we pick up, Elspeth is imprisoned with Nightmare, everyone wants to find the last card in order to break the curse and release the fog, and most of our characters are feeling pretty bad. 

Elspeth is relegated to the background quite a bit in this story as she shares her POV with Nightmare who has largely taken over her body for his own use. I personally didn't mind her being in the background as much because I felt like it provided a really interesting dynamic to explore between Elspeth/Nightmare and the rest of her companions, and I actually really liked getting so much of the Shepherd King as a 'living, breathing' character, even if it was at the expense of Elspeth. Because of this, Elspeth has less of a character arc, but instead we got to learn far more about Nightmare and explore his own background and development, which I found fascinating. His interactions with the rest of the characters while on their journey were also highly entertaining and showed a lot of personality that also added depth to his character.

We follow Ravyn's POV as well, and I enjoyed watching him interact with everyone else and make some of his own difficult decisions. He shows a lot of personal growth in this book, and I liked watching him attempt to communicate with Elspeth and really come to terms with his own feelings. Elm also comes to the forefront in this book with his POV chapters as he takes center stage while everyone else is off trying to find the last card. I don't necessarily consider him a favorite character, but I did appreciate this chance to dive deeper in his head and explore his storyline. Iona is not a POV character, but still took a very prominent role with Elm back at the castle. I actually think she's one of the most fascinating characters so I liked the chance to get to know her better and see how her usage of the Maiden card would play out. I did find that Elm and Iona's storyline got a bit too romance-heavy at times when I didn't care all that much about it, but this didn't detract too much from my enjoyment of the rest of the book. 

In general, I thought that there was great banter between all of the characters that wasn't overdone. Their interactions brought some fitting levity at times when it was needed, and really helped to make all of the characters seem very real and human.

The atmosphere of this duology has been one of my favorite things about it. There's a dark, foreboding air that lingers in this world, but it's not too dark and therefore acts as a perfect balance for the tone of the story. The plotting and world-building in The Shepherd King duology also seems very tight and cohesive, and I felt most things were explained in satisfactory manners. There are a lot of cliche/stereotypical elements, but they all work so well in their own rights and I feel like Gillig really adds some new ideas to them.  The pacing of Two Twisted Crowns is on the slower side, but certainly not too slow and it was able to easily capture my attention for the entire book. 

One of my favorite things about this duology has been the magic system–I am fascinated by the Providence cards! I love how they work and learning about the different limits that each one has. I do feel as though the cards overall were explored a bit less in this book, but there was still plenty of focus on specific cards and, of course, the overarching issues at play that I won't go into details about. We get a lot of really satisfying answers in this book about the magic and how everything works. Some of this is done via flashback memories regarding Nightmare and who he is/his past, which really helped explain a lot and bring everything together. 

Overall, I've given Two Twisted Crowns 4.25 stars! I am really pleasantly surprised by how much I've enjoyed this trilogy, and would absolutely recommend it to any fantasy fan who enjoys a unique magic system. I am really excited about Rachel Gillig and look forward to more work from her, as I'd love to see her branch out and try news things in fantasy after this duology, as I think she has a lot of incredible potential. 

*I received a copy of Two Twisted Crowns courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Review: Death Valley by Melissa Broder

       

Death Valley by Melissa Broder

Scribner

Publication Date: October 3rd, 2023

Hardcover. 240 pages.

About Death Valley:

"In Melissa Broder’s astounding new novel, a woman arrives alone at a Best Western seeking respite from an emptiness that plagues her. She has fled to the California high desert to escape a cloud of sorrow—for both her father in the ICU and a husband whose illness is worsening. What the motel provides, however, is not peace but a path, thanks to a receptionist who recommends a nearby hike.

Out on the sun-scorched trail, the woman encounters a towering cactus whose size and shape mean it should not exist in California. Yet the cactus is there, with a gash through its side that beckons like a familiar door. So she enters it. What awaits her inside this mystical succulent sets her on a journey at once desolate and rich, hilarious and poignant."

Death Valley is a surreal, heartfelt, slightly existential, and mildly bizarre read–and also a highly addictive and enjoyable one. This book is a character study, a desert story, and a survival story, and you'll spend a lot of time getting to know our unnamed protagonist. 

Death Valley follows a writer as many different things she’s been struggling with in her life come to a sort of crossroads. Her father is currently in the ICU, her husband struggles with some sort of unknown chronic illness that’s been taking a toll on her and their relationship, and she’s been a bit stuck writing her new book. All of these things follow her as she goes on a bit of an escape to the desert to take some time for herself. She stays at an average Best Western–our protagonist seems to really love Best Westerns, so this is a huge positive for her–and doesn’t really have a lot of plans in store. She decides to embark upon a hike nearby recommended to her by a woman at the front desk, and it’s on this hike that the bulk of the novel is based around. All I can tell you here is that she comes across an enormous non-native to California cactus that has marks on it that appear to look like some sort of door that she’s really tempted to open and go inside this cactus…

Death Valley really seems to explore the idea of survival. There’s a physical survival component as she gets lost in the desert, but it feels much bigger than just that as she struggles with how to survive emotionally in her own life with everything going on around her. This is not a plot driven book, but rather one focused on the protagonist’s internal journey as she grapples with all these different things going on in her life that she must survive.

There’s a bit of absurdism and magical realism at play with regard to the cactus’ role and her night spent in the desert. Our protagonist also talks to some rocks and wildlife while working through various stages of grief and generally seems to be trying to figure out a lot of different things.  It won’t be for everyone, but it is compelling nonetheless and the protagonist's inner monologue and general tone captivated me, making me laugh as well as feel deeper moments of contemplation and a sense of relating to someone else’s misery in a way that was really engaging. Our protagonist has a very dry and dark sense of humor that I connected with perfectly. This is one of those books where the narrative voice is absolutely crucial to whether the story works or not since it plays such a critical role, and fortunately I think it was a hit.

I really don’t want to give too much else away about the story, so I’ll leave details at that. As previously mentioned, the narrative voice was entrancing, full of humor and a silliness to it that brought great enjoyment, but it was also quite poignant and has some really great moments that really thought-provoking, realistic, and raw. There's a lot of emotion in this book, ranging the entire spectrum of happy to sad to angry. 

My only complaint for Death Valley would be that it did drag a bit too long in some scenes, which slowed the pacing down a bit and sort of took me out of the moment at times. Other than that, however, I really don't have anything negative to say about this reading experience.

Overall, I've given Death Valley four stars! I don't think it will connect with everyone, but I'd definitely say to give it a shot if you don't mind spending some time in a particularly cynical person's head and/or things that are a little bizarre, but full of heart. 

*I received a copy of Death Valley courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Darkness Before Them by Matthew Ward & The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor

     

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are:

The Darkness Before Them by Matthew Ward
Publication: November 7th, 2023
Orbit
Paperback. 576 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"The first in an exciting, action-packed new trilogy from epic fantasy author Matthew Ward,  The Darkness Before Them introduces readers to a world ruled by a dangerous immortal king, where souls fuel magic, and a supernatural mist known as the Veil threatens to engulf the land.

These are dark times for the Kingdom of Khalad. As the magical mists of the Veil devour the land, the populace struggles beneath the rule of ruthless noble houses and their uncaring immortal king.

Kat doesn’t care about any of that. A talented thief, she’s pursuing one big score that will settle the debt that destroyed her family. No easy feat in a realm where indentured spirits hold vigil over every vault and treasure room. However, Kat has a unique she can speak to those spirits, and even command them. And she has no qualms using her power to her advantage.

Kat’s not a hero. She just wants to be free. To have her old life back. But as rebellion rekindles and the war for Khalad’s future begins, everyone—Kat included—will have to pick a side."

I enjoyed Matthew Ward's previous trilogy, which was a pretty huge epic fantasy with tons of characters and really intricate world-building and magic system, so I'm excited to see what he comes up with for this next one!

The Fiction Writer by Jillian Cantor
Publication: November 28th, 2023
Park Row
Paperback. 304 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"Last night I dreamt I went to Malibu again…

The once-rising literary star Olivia Fitzgerald is down on her luck. Her most recent novel—a retelling of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca—was a flop, her boyfriend of nine years just dumped her and she’s battling a bad case of writer’s block. So when her agent calls her with a high-paying ghostwriting opportunity, Olivia is all too willing to sign the NDA.

At first, the write-for-hire job seems too good to be true. All she has to do is interview Henry “Ash” Asherwood, a reclusive mega billionaire, twice named People’s Sexiest Man Alive, who wants her help in writing a book that reveals a shocking secret about his late grandmother and Daphne du Maurier. But when Olivia arrives at his Malibu estate, nothing is as it seems. The more Olivia digs into his grandmother’s past, the more questions she has—and before she knows it, she’s trapped in a gothic mystery of her own.

With as many twists and turns as the California coast, The Fiction Writer is a page-turner that explores the boundaries of creative freedom and whose stories we have the right to tell."

I hear this one is a little crazy and ridiculous, which sounds like an entertaining time to me! I'm always a bit of sucker for premises like these, so I'm curious to see how it'll be.

Review: The Bell in the Fog (Andy Mills #2) by Lev AC Rosen

        

The Bell in the Fog (Andy Mills #2) by Lev AC Rosen

Forge Books

Publication Date: October 10th, 2023

Hardcover. 272 pages.

About The Bell in the Fog:

"The Bell in the Fog, a dazzling historical mystery by Lev AC Rosen, asks―once you have finally found a family, how far would you go to prove yourself to them?

San Francisco, 1952. Detective Evander “Andy” Mills has started a new life for himself as a private detective―but his business hasn’t exactly taken off. It turns out that word spreads fast when you have a bad reputation, and no one in the queer community trusts him enough to ask an ex-cop for help.

When James, an old flame from the war who had mysteriously disappeared, arrives in his offices above the Ruby, Andy wants to kick him out. But the job seems to be a simple case of blackmail, and Andy’s debts are piling up. He agrees to investigate, despite everything it stirs up.

The case will take him back to the shadowy, closeted world of the Navy, and then out into the gay bars of the city, where the past rises up to meet him, like the swell of the ocean under a warship. Missing people, violent strangers, and scandalous photos that could destroy lives are a whirlpool around him, and Andy better make sense of it all before someone pulls him under for good."

Last year, I read an ARC of Lavender House and really fell in love with the characters, plot, and writing. Since then, I've been eagerly awaiting the sequel, The Bell in the Fog, and I'm pleased to say this lived up to its predecessor splendidly. This is a historical fiction mystery with many noir-style vibes and a cast of characters that really sets it apart from other books in its genre. 

The Bell in the Fog brings us right back to Andy Mills' new life as a private detective, and this time we spend much more of our time in the bright and vibrant world of gay bars in 1952 San Francisco. Andy is all set up with an office above the Ruby, and although he does get some cases here and there, he has yet to fully earn the trust of many of the patrons the regularly visit the gay bars in the city, and his business is suffering as a result. One night, a figure from Andy's past shows up with a case of blackmail for Andy to work on, and with this case comes not only direct danger to Andy's life, but also a plethora of mixed feelings that rise back to the surface as he deals with more past memories. 

Rosen excels in crafting characters that are full of personality and easy to imagine being real people. I really enjoyed getting to know Andy and his background in the first book, and I appreciated the opportunity to get back in his head and build upon everything that was shared and occurred in the first book. Andy has a lot of demons to deal with, and it's extremely satisfying to watch him slowly overcome many of these obstacles in order to help himself continue to move on and into his new life. I particularly liked watching him essentially learn how to interact with a variety of bar patrons and endear them to him, a hard feat given his previous life as a cop that didn't exactly stand up for any of the gay bars or queer people in the city. He also struggles to find his footing in a place where he's already technically been "accepted," but now feel immense pressure to prove his worth and dedication. Andy is a very genuine person who spends much of his time thinking not just about the past, but how he can make it up to both himself and his community going forward, and I think this sequel handled those topics excellently. 

In addition to Andy are a variety of additional characters that fully bring this story to life. We have the Ruby's endearing bartender, Gene; Lee, a regular performer and Andy's new girl Friday, Lee; the patron behind Andy's new gig, Elsie; and so many more! We meet so many interesting characters, from those who are immediately friendly to those who are much more standoffish and harder for Andy to get to know, and it's this huge variety that really lets the story feel exciting and like you never really know what to expect. 

The 1950s San Francisco setting is also executed with deftness and a clear interest in the time period on the part of the author. I have really appreciated getting a deeper look into the queer scene in San Francisco at this time and the many, many struggles that it faced on a regular basis. In contrast, I also liked that we got to see the opposite of that, as well. Namely, that we got to see the life, the happiness, and the joy that still existed in these spaces by those who refused to hide and chose to live their lives as best as they could, and it's this vein of determination that is really what this book is about. 

Overall, I've given The Bell in the Fog 4.5 stars! I can't recommend this enough to anyone who enjoy a great noir-style mystery, a brilliantly rendered historical setting, and/or some characters that you don't want to walk away from. 

*I received a copy of The Bell in the Fog courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

Month in Review: September 2023

  

September was a month... I'm not sure what type of month, so it's just was a month. I can't even remember what I did. I did a lot of aerial, I read a pretty decent amount, and I feel like I started getting back on my review game a little bit. My husband and I also celebrated our five year marriage anniversary with a day trip to Malibu, so that was a nice time and much needed break. I was really looking forward to September/October all year because I really have grown to love the Halloween season, but October is shaping up to be a pretty hectic month so I'm trying to just enjoy what I can so far, haha. 

I read 13 books in September, which really shocked me, but I've been trying to really prioritize my reading and focus better, so it goods to see that that's clearly working. Some standouts from September's reading are: To Shape a Dragon's Breath, Royal Assassin, Whispers from the Poisoned Isle, Two Twisted Crowns, and The September House–which is quite a nice number of books to have loved for once! I've been slowly getting back into what feels like a more normal routine for blogging and reading and so far, so good! What have you all been reading?  Let me know in the comments and feel free to link your own wrap-ups (or any posts, really!), and I hope you all have a wonderful October!

# books read: 13
   

To Shape a Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC

Thoughts: I loved this! I don't think it's going to be for everyone because it's written in a very... I don't know, matter of fact way? The protagonist has a really great head on her shoulders and I can see some people not meshing well with that, but I though this was amazing and I cannot wait for the next book in the series.

Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC

Thoughts: Sadly, this didn't click with me as much as I'd hoped it would. I still liked the general premise and would probably still recommend this, though, to anyone interested. 

Whispers from the Poisoned Isle (Jekua #4) by Travis M. Riddle
Source: Author | Format: eARC

Thoughts: I loved this fourth installment to Riddle's Jekua series! This series has been so fun and has been ramping up and diving into some fascinating storylines. Highly recommended!

Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King #2) by Rachel Gillig
Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC

Thoughts: This was a fantastic conclusion to a really great duology! I was really pleasantly surprised by this duology and ended up having an amazing time with it. I think it sounds a bit like some common YA stories out there, but it's really not and I think it stands on its own really well.  I'll have a review up for this sequel soon!

Royal Assassin (Farseer Trilogy #2) by Robin Hobb 

Source: Library | Format: Audiobook

Thoughts: I enjoyed Assassin's Apprentie well enough, but not enough to where I wanted to read this sequel right away after finishing it. I finally got around to reading the sequel now, and I loved it so much more than the first book! I feel like that's pretty rare, but holy cow this was great and I read it so much faster than I expected, and I'm actually now in the middle of the third book because I had to keep reading the story, so... yeah. The second book is good. 

The September House by Carissa Orlando
Source: NetGalley | Format: eARC

Thoughts: This was wild and is now one of my favorite haunted house stories. I already talked about it a bit on my blog tour stop, but I really love it (though I honestly didn't care for some of the chapters that focused solely on the main character's relationship... I know it was important, but... eh.)

Wild Spaces by S.L. Coney
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook

Thoughts: This was a weird story that definitely didn't end up working for me. Of course, I remembered that a lot of the bloggers I follow gave this poor reviews once I was almost done with the book and thinking about how much I didn't like it. Maybe I should've checked those reviews again before I picked it up, haha.

Phaedra by Laura Shepperson
Source: Owned | Format: Hardcover

Thoughts: This has a pretty low average Goodreads rating, and while I can generally understand why, I actually think this was pretty good. It's not going to be a favorite, but I thought it was a really solid retelling and I liked all the different POVs. 

Death Valley by Melissa Broder

Source: Publisher | Format: Physical ARC

Thoughts: This was weird and kinda whacky and witty and I had a great time with it!

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer
Source: Owned | Format: Paperback

Thoughts: I liked this way more than the movie, and it's pretty much just as weird as I expected it to be based off of what everyone has told me about it. Not sure I'd continue the series, though.

Hula by Jasmin Iolani Hakes
Source: Owned | Format: Audiobook

Thoughts: This was so unexpected and so good! I caught it on sale a couple weeks ago and hadn't heard of it before then, so I was really pleasantly surprised by it. It has some great Hawaiian history woven into a compelling story. It's a bit on the slower side, but I'd absolutely recommend it. 

Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Source: Publisher | Format: Paperback

Thoughts: I am mildly devastated that I didn't read this as a kid because I would've lost my mind over it. This and the sequel that just came out this year were sent to me by the publisher and I had an awesome time with this book. (The sequel... we'll discuss that next month.)

The Narrow by Kate Alice Marshall
Source: Library | Format: Audiobook

Thoughts: This had a strong start, but I feel like it started to lose me somewhere along the way. Still, I'll always be excited to try out new Kate Alice Marshall books and I think this will be a hit for a lot of people!

DNF/To-Be-Finished:

Apparently none! I feel like this might not be true, but I can't remember any books I DNF'd, so we're going with none. 

 

More Perfect by Temi Oh
Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft
After the Forest by Kell Woods
Whispers from the Poisoned Isle (Jekua #4) by Travis M. Riddle
Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

 Posts:

(other than reviews)

Month in Review: August 2023
Blog Tour + Excerpt: The September House by Carissa Orlando
Anticipated October 2023 Releases

Blog Memes:

Can't-Wait Wednesday:
9/6: Red River Seven by A.J. Ryan, Nestlings by Nat Cassidy, & The Paleontologist by Luke Dumas
9/13: Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, Knock Knock Open Wide by Neil Sharpson, & Lilith by Nikki Marmery
9/20: Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling, Death Valley by Melissa Broder, & Curious Tides by Pascale Lacelle
9/27: The Dead Take the A Train by Cassandra Khaw & Richard Kadrey, A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand, & Silent City by Sarah Davis-Goff

The Friday Face-Off:

Current Read #14
Current Read #15

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper & Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park

    

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are:

The Temple of Fortuna by Elodie Harper
Publication: November 23rd, 2023
Union Square & Co.
Hardcover. 352 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"'Beautiful, moving, captivating.' - Jennifer Saint

'Vivid, unsentimental and compelling.' - The Times

Amara's journey has taken her far; from a slave in Pompeii's wolf den to a high-powered courtesan in Rome... though her story is not over yet.

While Amara plays for power in Rome's imperial palace, those dearest to her remain in Pompeii. But it is AD 79, and mighty Mount Vesuvius is about to make itself known..."

The Wolf Den Trilogy has been one of my favorite trilogies so far, and I am absolutely elated that the third book is almost here! This is truly one of the best historical fiction series I've read, so I'm also a little sad it'll be over. I have loved the cover design for all of these as well and how cohesive they all are. 

Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park
Publication: November 7th, 2023
Random House
Hardcover. 528 pages.
Pre-order: Amazon | Bookshop.org

From Goodreads:
"In 1919, far-flung Korean patriots establish the Korean Provisional Government to protest the Japanese occupation of their country. This government-in-exile proves mostly symbolic, though, and after Japan’s defeat in World War II, the KPG dissolves and civil war erupts, resulting in the North-South split that remains today.

But what if the KPG still existed now, today—working toward a unified Korea, secretly harnessing the might of a giant tech company to further its aims? That’s the outrageous premise of Same Bed Different Dreams, which weaves together three distinct narrative voices and an archive of mysterious images and twists reality like a kaleidoscope, spinning Korean history, American pop culture, and our tech-fraught lives into an extraordinary and unforgettable novel.

Early on we meet Soon Sheen, who works at the sprawling international technology company GLOAT, and comes into possession of an unfinished book authored by the KPG. The manuscript is a mysterious, revisionist history, tying famous names and obscure bit players to the KPG’s grand project. This strange manuscript links together figures from architect-poet Yi Sang to Jack London to Marilyn Monroe. M*A*S*H is in here, too, and the Moonies, and a history of violence extending from the assassination of President McKinley to the Soviet downing of Korean Air Lines Flight 007.

Just as foreign countries have imposed their desires on Korea, so too has Park tucked different dreamers into this sprawling bed of a novel. Among them: Parker Jotter, Korean War vet and appliance-store owner, who saw something--a UFO?--while flying over North Korea; Nora You, nail salon magnate; and Monk Zingapan, game designer turned writing guru. Their links are revealed over time, even as the dreamers remain in the dark as to their own interconnectedness. A thrilling feat of imagination and a step forward from an award-winning author, Same Bed Different Dreams begins as a comic novel and gradually pulls readers into another dimension—one in which utopia is possible."

That has got to be one of the biggest blurbs I've ever seen–and it sounds kinda crazy and also amazing, so I'm really looking forward to having a chance to check it out. 

Review: Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling

       

Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling

Tor Books

Publication Date: October 10th, 2023

Hardcover. 320 pages.

About Last to Leave the Room:

"The city of San Siroco is sinking. The basement of Dr. Tamsin Rivers, the arrogant, selfish head of the research team assigned to find the source of the subsidence, is sinking faster. As Tamsin grows obsessed with the distorting dimensions of the room at the bottom of the stairs, she finds a door that didn’t exist before - and one night, it opens to reveal an exact physical copy of her. This doppelgänger is sweet and biddable where Tamsin is calculating and cruel. It appears fully, terribly human, passing every test Tamsin can devise. But the longer the double exists, the more Tamsin begins to forget pieces of her life, to lose track of time, to grow terrified of the outside world. As her employer grows increasingly suspicious, Tamsin must try to hold herself together long enough to figure out what her double wants from her, and just where the mysterious door leads…"

If you're looking for a bit of a mind bender to sink into this fall (pun intended, you'll figure out why), then Last to Leave the Room is a book to put on your radar. 

Last to Leave the Room has been a highly anticipated read for me because I absolutely loved Caitlin Starling's debut novel, The Luminous Dead, and consider it a favorite. However, I actually really disliked her second novel, The Death of Jane Lawrence, which makes me more hesitant but still always excited to see what she's written next. Last to Leave the Room seemed slightly more in line with The Luminous Dead in style with stronger sci-fi aspects, so I had high hopes for it and ended up having a good time with it. 

Last to Leave the Room follows Dr. Tamsin Rivers, head of a research team who is now tasked with attempting to figure out why the city of San Siroco is sinking. As if that's not alarming and weird enough, Tamsin also discovers that her basement also appears to be sinking–at an alarmingly faster rate than the rest of the city, and with the sinking comes the appearance of a random door in her basement that Tamsin is unable to open. And if even that isn't weird enough for you, a doppelgänger of Tamsin basically appears from that door in her basement one day, leaving Tamsin to figure out just what the hell is going in. I feel like all of this is a lot to take in at the start of a book, and I had so many questions about all of this that I'm not entirely sure if the story fully answered.

Tamsin is a bit of a prickly person. She's not the friendliest, she's a bit arrogant, and she's not the most empathetic person around to her coworkers. But she's also incredibly intelligent and capable and knows exactly how to do her job, which she does exceedingly well–at least, she always has done a great job until the events of this story start throwing things for some loops. She's an interesting character to follow, but I can't say I ever found myself really liking her or connecting with her or her motivations and goals. However, I will at least say that over the course of the story as you learn more about her and how she got to be where she is, it is a little easier to understand her, which helped me feel slightly more invested int he story. That being said, I did still struggle to find myself really care that much about her or what would end up happening, but the premise was interesting enough to keep me engaged.

The pacing of this story is sort of hard to describe. A lot of things happen in fairly short amounts of time, which makes the story feel fast-paced, but at the same time I felt as though there was a lot of repetition and descriptions of Tamsin's life and experiences that made it feel as though we really weren't going anywhere. Once the major events of the premise happen as described in the summary, there seems to be a stalling of sorts where Tamsin seems to quickly lose her nerve and we see a very sudden descent in her abilities and general alertness, which felt disjointed. I just kept thinking that something was missing from the story, like some chapters or important moments had been left out and in turn left me, as a reader, feeling like the story didn't flow as well as it could. 

In this same vein, the first and latter half of the book felt very different from one another. In the first half, we get fairly strong detail about what's happening and things are explained fairly well, but there came a point where it just suddenly felt like the writing lost some sense of cohesion or attention to detail and I started feeling like things were missing or just weren't as carefully thought out as they were previously. Maybe this was done purposefully to imitate Tamsin's own cognitive struggles as things progress, but it didn't work all that well for me and left me feeling slightly frustrated. 

This reminded me a bit of The Death of Jane Lawrence where Starling has fairly strong starts, but then seems to sort of lose me halfway through. It's almost like she tries to do too much with the story or tries to push the story in directions that are a bit too far from what it can really handle, if that makes sense. I felt like this book wanted to be a lot of different things, and I generally enjoyed the mix of genres (some sci-fi, horror, thriller, paranormal), but sometimes her explorations just felt like a bit too much. I almost feel like this could have worked well as a novella because it has more of that style to it where it needs to maintain an air of mystery without too much detail and you often don't have all the information, but it works because it's a short novel. It was perhaps too drawn out, and bit of a lack of resolution in some areas that didn't work for me. 

To add a positive note, though, I would say that this book is wonderfully weird and it will make you questions a lot of different things going on in this story in the best way. It's a little trippy and doesn't always make sense (in good ways!), which will leave you wanting to keep turning the pages to see what will happen. You don't know exactly what's real and what's not, what's reliable and what's not, and this was a great asset to the story when it wasn't overpowering the narrative. 

Last to Leave the Room is a story well worth the read that plays with a lot of different concepts and ideas. If nothing else, it's a fun experiment with a bit of horror, sci-fi, and thriller all rolled up into one. Although I had some issues with it, I still enjoyed the overall experience and would recommend it to someone with a taste for something a little weird. Overall, I've given Last to Leave the Room 3.75 stars. 

*I received a copy of Last to Leave the Room courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org