“Sleep is good. And books are better.”

— George R.R. Martin

Reviews

Alanna Barras 3/18/23 Alanna Barras 3/18/23

Princess Academy

An exciting but fairly low-stress adventure of a young girl saving her community. Great for younger readers.

Alanna Barras 3/16/23 Alanna Barras 3/16/23

The Case of the Spellbound Child

Sitting firmly at “ok”, a riff on Sherlock Holmes that neither frustrates nor excites.

Alanna Barras 12/29/22 Alanna Barras 12/29/22

The Starless Sea

A multilayered story reminiscent of Scheherazade’s tales.

Alanna Barras 12/21/22 Alanna Barras 12/21/22

The Empire of Gold

Book 3 of a complex political fantasy drawing inspiration from the Middle East - book and series review no spoilers.

Alanna Barras 12/18/22 Alanna Barras 12/18/22

The Kingdom of Copper

Book 2 of a complex political fantasy drawing inspiration from the Middle East.

Alanna Barras 12/11/22 Alanna Barras 12/11/22

Under the Whispering Door

A must-read for anyone who needs a safe place to take a break from the insanity of the real world for a while.

Alanna Barras 12/10/22 Alanna Barras 12/10/22

The Last Graduate

Book 2 of the Scholomance trilogy ramps up the action from the first,

Alanna Barras 12/8/22 Alanna Barras 12/8/22

Ruby Fever

A fast paced and spicy conclusion to Catalina’s trilogy in the Hidden Legacy series.

Alanna Barras 12/3/22 Alanna Barras 12/3/22

Clockwork

A sharp, suspenseful children’s story that doesn’t waste a word; perfect for a winter break bedtime story.

Alanna Barras 11/25/22 Alanna Barras 11/25/22

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Toxic masculinity and internalized sexism come to the fore in Rowling’s portrayal of Ron in the sixth book of the series.

Alanna Barras 9/6/22 Alanna Barras 9/6/22

The Once and Future Witches

A beautifully written alternate-history fantasy centered in the south during the suffragist era.

Alanna Barras 8/22/22 Alanna Barras 8/22/22

Fevered Star

Book two of an epic fantasy trilogy inspired by cultures in the pre-Colombian Americas. Excellent factional politics, sets up for what I assume will be an amazing finale.

Alanna Barras 8/22/22 Alanna Barras 8/22/22

Black Sun

The start of an epic fantasy trilogy inspired by cultures in the pre-Colombian Americas. Absolutely breathtaking - a must read.

Alanna Barras 8/13/22 Alanna Barras 8/13/22

Blood and Ash Series (1-4)

These books aren’t feminist, but since they center on a violent woman who likes sex you can pretend if you squint. If you liked Twilight and Divergent these are a very spicy and bingeable guilty pleasure.

Alanna Barras 8/10/22 Alanna Barras 8/10/22

Gideon the Ninth

Space opera + Necromancy = weird but super fun series kickoff. A must read for sci-fi or fantasy fans.

Alanna Barras 7/30/22 Alanna Barras 7/30/22

The City of Brass

The start of a political fantasy trilogy rooted in Muslim culture and history instead of the usual European Middle Ages. Refreshing but potentially difficult to get into.

Alanna Barras 7/19/22 Alanna Barras 7/19/22

The Helm of Midnight

One of the most innovative magic systems I’ve seen in a long time. The plot is good, but the implications of the magic system has stuck with me for months.