soupçon/ˈsuːpsɒn,ˈsuːpsɒ̃/ noun
1. a very small quantity of something; a slight trace, as of a particular taste or flavor

Sunday Soupçons is where I scribble mini-reviews for books I don’t have the brainspace/eloquence/smarts to write about in depth – or if I just don’t have anything interesting to say beyond I LIKED IT AND YOU SHOULD READ IT TOO!

One adorable cosy fantasy, one not-cosy (but still delightful) romance!

Haroun and the Study of Mischief: A Magical Middle Eastern Cozy Fantasy by Lynn Strong
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Queer Protagonists, Cosy Fantasy
Representation: Middle-Eastern fat (asexual?) MC with chronic pain, major blind character
PoV: Third-person, past-tense
ISBN: B0FFZTZRYT
Goodreads

"Don't get a torch too close to his djellaba."

"It might catch fire?"

"You might see it."

Venerable Haroun, the blind saluqi priest of the dog-headed god Yepuet, has come to the wild and collarless Tel-Bastet, the City of Cats, for an education in mischief.

And Haroun has never met a crime of fashion he wouldn't commit.

Shai Madhur, the disabled human priest of Upaja, thought accepting Haroun's leash meant being Haroun's seeing-eye human. He wasn't prepared for the political machinations… or for Haroun's blossoming sense of humor.

When a kind prophet-prince goes missing, Haroun smells iniquity in the air. (Iniquity, it turns out, smells like kumiss spilled on a tomcat in dire need of a bath.)

The problem with everyone in Tel-Bastet knowing what a Good Boy their Shai Madhur is, is that people keep trying to rescue him, whether he needs it or not. Not that he's complaining, exactly. But Madhur swears he is never going carousing again… no matter how soulful Haroun's puppydog eyes are.

With a splash of Studio Ghibli, a sprinkle of Roshani Chokshi, and a dash of Terry Pratchett, when the cats and dogs need to learn to live together, Haroun and Madhur take on the difference between what is seen and what is true.

Haroun and the Study of Mischief is set in the same Catsprowl setting as Chai and Cat-tales, and Shai Madhur and the shahzada are major characters in both, but you can enjoy them on their own!

An absolute DELIGHT. Soft, kind, gorgeous, and so much fun. I still think Chai and Cat-tales is the best introduction to this setting, but Study of Mischief is definitely the second-best. I’m glad I read Chai and Charmcraft before this one – chronologically, Study of Mischief is set just after Charmcraft – but I don’t think they HAVE to be read that way if for some reason you don’t want to. (Also, the main character of Study of Mischief, Shai Madhar, stars in one of the novellas in Cat-tales, and it’s wonderful and you should definitely read it!)

The other books in this setting have given us plenty about the cat-folk; this is the first time we really get a proper look at the dog-folk. In the same way that the cat-folk were DEFINITELY created by someone who knows cats really well, the dog-folk are also extremely convincing bipedal dogs, thinking and behaving like dogs, rather than humans wearing dog costumes! It’s especially obvious in the way they treat wearing collars as an honour, and how they relate to humans who hold their leashes, and the way they feel about humans in general. DELIGHTFUL.

This is actually cosy fantasy that is extremely adorable, extremely funny, and entirely heart-warming. The disability rep is wonderful, and wonderfully handled. The Middle Eastern setting is beautifully detailed, and it’s so refreshing to see all things Middle Eastern undemonised OR un-exotified (is that a word?), instead presented through the lens of someone who loves and appreciates it all. Shai Madhur himself is the Ultimate Cinnamon-roll. I can see some readers thinking he’s too sweet, but they are simply Wrong: he’s the best. Fight me!

This was perfect reading any time I was feeling low or heart-bruised. Best pick-me-up EVER. Like the best warm hug in book-form.

Heartbroken that I have now read all of the published books in this setting. I need a gazillion more!!!

The Boy Bride (Lion & Snake, #1) by A.J. Demas
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Secondary World No Magic, Queer Protagonists
Representation: M/M
PoV: Third-person, past-tense; dual PoVs
ISBN: B0FY6R9GZ1
Goodreads

Lion & Snake, Book 1

In a fortress with no way in or out lives the beaten hero of the Western Mountains, imprisoned by his enemies. Up the mountain one spring comes a young man to be his bride—and to kill him. But nothing goes according to plan.

The Boy Bride is the first book of Lion & Snake, a queer romance set in a fictional world inspired by the Ancient Near East.

Like Demas’ other books, this is set in a fictional, historical-inspired world without any evidence of genuine magic. I think that makes it Low Fantasy? Regardless, I had a wonderful time with this – the prose is both light and elegant, easy in a way that doesn’t come across as basic. Every now and then – especially in big emotional moments – there’d be a line or two that would knock me breathless with how…potent they were. You know when someone manages to say something incredibly true in a way that is simple and absolutely perfect? THAT. A lot of that!

Also, lots and LOTS of giggles. I spent far more of this book laughing than I expected to! There are several running jokes, especially in the form of some of the secondary characters, like the pompous shaman who takes himself Extremely Seriously.

The romance charmed me – and I’m not someone who usually cares about romances one way or the other. Lill has been trained to have no emotions, and seeing those walls come down bit by bit – well, I got far more invested than I thought I would! There are some nonbinary vibes that I appreciated, and hope get explored more later in the trilogy (yes I DO have book 2 waiting for me on my Kobo, it’s why I’m trying to write this AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE so I can go pounce on it!), all tangled up with how Lill has been called feminine his entire life and punished for it. Vanu, the warlord, is marvellously straightforward, the kind of person who says what he means and means what he says. He’s also more than a bit of a romantic, which was delightful, seeing this warlord with the terrifying reputation hoping that this surprise wedding will lead to true love. The contrast between his PoV and Lill’s – what will Lill being an assassin come to wed him, bed him, and kill him – was so much fun!

But I was really happy with how much of the plot was not about the romance. Most of it’s low-key, interpersonal plot rather than big dramatic things, but that just made it more immediate, more real-feeling.

I had no idea going in that there would be so much wonderful Deaf/mute rep. Vanu barely speaks due to a wound to his throat when he was younger, and he has Deaf daughters; plus everyone but Lill comes from a culture where everyone learns sign-language as a matter of course. I really, REALLY loved how this was explored, how much complexity goes into being the translator of someone who is signing, ie speaking their words for them. (Also, how easy it is to be really bad at being that kind of translator!) Even who is acting as translator for a person in a given scene – it was really interesting tracking that, especially in scenes with Important Discussions, like when Vanu had to go talk to the noble asshole who not-so-secretly hates him, and really hates the daughter who usually translates for him!

The worldbuilding is simple but feels fully fleshed-out at the same time: different cultures have different naming conventions, there’s fashion and food and religion, and the hodge-podge they make of the wedding (trying to mash-up the different cultures’ marriage rituals)! It’s not complicated, but it’s plenty to make the setting feel like a satisfyingly real place.

Lots of fun, eager to jump into the sequel!

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