I’ve decided that, at least for the foreseeable future, I’m going to be participating in WWW Wednesdays, which is a meme hosted over at Taking On a World of Words. To take part, you just answer the three questions below, and link back to TOaWoW!

WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY READING?

The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardry by C.M. Waggoner
Genres: Secondary World Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC, F/F or wlw, classism, poverty
Goodreads

A charming historical fantasy with a tender love story at its core, from the author of Unnatural Magic.

Hard-drinking petty thief Dellaria Wells is down on her luck in the city of Leiscourt—again. Then she sees a want ad for a female bodyguard, and she fast-talks her way into the high-paying job. Along with a team of other women, she’s meant to protect a rich young lady from mysterious assassins.

At first Delly thinks the danger is exaggerated, but a series of attacks shows there’s much to fear. Then she begins to fall for Winn, one of the other bodyguards, and the women team up against a mysterious, magical foe who seems to have allies everywhere.

I didn’t manage to finish my arc by release day, and now I’ve swapped over to the published, finished version of the book. (Yes, I bought it even though I had an arc. Arcs aren’t finished copies, and I like supporting authors with more than just reviews!) I’m loving it just as much as I knew I would! Delly, the mc, is absolutely hilarious and I adore the dialect Waggoner has created, up to and including Delly’s made-up words, which we should all start using immediately. I’m in love!

WHAT DID YOU RECENTLY FINISH READING?

The Councillor by E.J. Beaton
Genres: Secondary World Fantasy, Queer Protagonists
Representation: Bisexual MC, past F/F or wlw, queernorm world, secondary M/M
Published on: 2nd March 2021
Goodreads

This Machiavellian fantasy follows a scholar's quest to choose the next ruler of her kingdom amidst lies, conspiracy, and assassination.

When the death of Iron Queen Sarelin Brey fractures the realm of Elira, Lysande Prior, the palace scholar and the queen’s closest friend, is appointed Councillor. Publically, Lysande must choose the next monarch from amongst the city-rulers vying for the throne. Privately, she seeks to discover which ruler murdered the queen, suspecting the use of magic.

Resourceful, analytical, and quiet, Lysande appears to embody the motto she was raised with: everything in its place. Yet while she hides her drug addiction from her new associates, she cannot hide her growing interest in power. She becomes locked in a game of strategy with the city-rulers – especially the erudite prince Luca Fontaine, who seems to shift between ally and rival.

Further from home, an old enemy is stirring: the magic-wielding White Queen is on the move again, and her alliance with a traitor among the royal milieu poses a danger not just to the peace of the realm, but to the survival of everything that Lysande cares about.

In a world where the low-born keep their heads down, Lysande must learn to fight an enemy who wears many guises… even as she wages her own battle between ambition and restraint.

I finished reading EJ Beaton’s The Councillor, which I absolutely adored! I was hoping for really rich, gorgeous prose to go with all the politics, and that’s exactly what I got. I finished writing my review yesterday and have it scheduled for Saturday, so remember to come back and check it out! But I think this book is going to be a major hit, and really deserves to be!

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’LL READ NEXT?

Upon a Once Time by N.A. Sulway, Mike Morgan, Rebecca E. Treasure, Melissa Mead, Alex Langer, Joshua Gage, M. Regan, Suri Parmar, Cat Rambo, Evan Dicken, Anna Fagundes Martino, Taryn Haas, Anna Madden, Lin Darrow, Dennis Mombauer, Kit Falbo, Maya Chhabra, C.J. Dotson, Jude Reid, Jamie Lackey, Brent Baldwin, Nike Sulway
Goodreads

Fairy tales and folk tales, originally passed down orally through generations, are a fundamental part of our shared world culture. They are a way to interpret - through magic and monsters, princesses and paupers, queens and quests - lessons on morality and society. They show a once upon a time world of simple archetypes in fantastical situations.

This book gathers twenty-one authors who have brought new focus to fairy tales by combining two well known stories with a literary genre of their choice.

Upon a Once Time contains the following tales re-imagined: The Arthurian Cycle, The Bad Wife, Beauty and the Beast, The Boy Who Drew Cats, The Brown Bear of Norway, Caliph Stork, Cinderella, Diamonds and Toads, The Girl Who Trod on a Loaf, The Goblin Spider, The Golem of Prague, Iron John, The Little Mermaid, Little Red Riding Hood, Math Fab Mathonwy, Momotaro, The Nightingale, Petrosinella, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Pwyll Pendefig Dyfed, The Red Shoes, Rumpelstiltskin, Rusalka Tales, Schneewittchen, The Selkie Bride, Sleeping Beauty, The Swineherd, Taketori Monogatari, Thousandfurs, Tom Thumb, The Twelve Months, The Valiant Little Tailor, Vasilisa the Beautiful, Vasilisa the Wise, The Waters of Life, The Well of the World’s End, The Wild Swans, and The Woodcutter’s Daughter.

What do you call it when it’s not an Advanced Reading Copy, but a copy of a book that’s already been published? I got a copy of Upon a Once Time from Netgalley, but it was published last year after being funded through Kickstarter. I’m not sure why it’s on Netgalley, because even if I give it a glowing review I’m not sure where folx can buy a copy, but that cover? And that premise, of merging folk tales together with different genres??? No way I could resist giving it a try!

Here endeth the weekly check-in!