I’ve been preparing the next batch of books to read for a week. Tried to use the Marie Condo approach and only ordered books that are likely to bring me joy.

• Michael Connelly’s Nightshade features a new detective. I personally didn’t feel the need for anyone other than Renee Ballard but looking forward to meeting Detective Stilwell
• Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid. I felt like reading another Frieda after the series about Freida Klein
• 2 books by Nicci French – these are 3.5-rated and probably less great than the other 10 I finished. I still feel good about them and think I’ll rate them higher
• Raymond E. Feist’s latest

Strange book.

On the one hand, it’s a straightforward epic fantasy in a pseudo-Japanese settings, similar to what I’ve recently read in Jade City and Shadow of the Fox. I can’t say there’s anything surprising—the avalanche of terminology was also expected.

On the other hand, it’s full of Winnetou-type scenes, more suited for children’s books, including endless sword fights. Epic drama-rama, the kind I usually prefer to avoid.

If I had to rate it based on just that, the book would get 2 stars, 3 at most. But there’s more to it—there’s a magical world just beginning to unfold, reminding me of a new series by Raymond Feist or Robin Hobb. There’s a sense of promise. And there’s an unusual structure, as if Maya Wang didn’t particularly care about how books are “supposed” to be written. I liked that part.

So in the end, I think I might eventually read a sequel—unlike with Jade City. I want to find out what these blood puppeteers are.

This was an unusual month for me. I got caught up in a the series about Frieda Klein, read all 8 books from the series and as an added bonus, completed House of Correction by the same authors. Nicci Gerrard and Sean French write together under the name Nicci French.

I feel it’s mostly pointless order these books from best to worst, especially when read like that one after the other, they all felt very similar.

Blue Monday, Tuesday’s Gone, and Waiting for Wednesday felt long for my taste but were otherwise great books. House of Corrections (the only one that was not from a series) was a slow start and the settings were static by design, which likely makes it the worst of the 9. Apart from that, all 9 books were solid 4/5 or 5/5, and if there was a 9th book about Frieda Klein, I’d buy it without thinking.

I own one more book by Nicci French but decided to switch back to Fantasy and Sci-Fi for August. I am currently reading a very long and famous book.