Review: Torn by Rowenna Miller

Torn by Rowenna Miller

Orbit, 2018

Paperback, 480 pages

About the book:
"TORN is the first book in an enchanting debut fantasy series featuring a seamstress who stitches magic into clothing, and the mounting political uprising that forces her to choose between her family and her ambitions. 

Sophie is a dressmaker who has managed to open her own shop and lift herself and her brother, Kristos, out of poverty. Her reputation for beautiful ball gowns and discreetly-embroidered charms for luck, love, and protection secures her a commission from the royal family itself -- and the commission earns her the attentions of a dashing but entirely unattainable duke. 

Meanwhile, Kristos rises to prominence in the growing anti-monarchist movement. Their worlds collide when the revolution's shadow leader takes him hostage and demands that Sophie place a curse on the queen's Midwinter costume -- or Kristos will die at their hand. As the proletariat uprising comes to a violent climax, Sophie is torn: between her brother and the community of her birth, and her lover and the life she's striven to build."

I read Torn about a month or so ago and it is one that I still find myself regularly thinking about and recommending to others. It's hard to describe why exactly this is, because it's not as though this was a particularly mind-blowing book, but I just really appreciated how well Miller handled the topics that she chose to feature in this story. It was incredibly carefully written and had such an air of calm and thoughtfulness that makes it continue to stick fresh in my mind.

I was immediately drawn to this book based on the notion that the magic system worked through the main character, Sophie's, sewing. What I ended up getting was so much more than that, however, such as high political intrigue, the beginning of a revolution between the lower classes and the upper classes, and even a dash of Victorian-inspired romance that actually added to the story in a variety of positive ways. The rebellion aspect in this book felt so relevant to our own societies, not because we have the exact same thing happening, but because it wasn't about some extreme issue such as slavery, high court scandal, or a major prophecy finally coming true--it was about the working class realizing that they don't want to be told what to do by the upper class anymore; they want more say in the world and their lives. This stood out to me as being something so relevant to history itself and as something that I applaud Miller for tackling, as she makes some fascinating arguments from many perspective throughout the entire book.

Sophie was a character that really grew on me throughout the duration of this book. At first, she comes across as rather uptight and I wondered if she would be the sort of character that I couldn't ever connect to or even like even to become fully invested in the story. Fortunately, as the story develops her character does as well and I was able to better understand her, her ideas, and her reasons for doing (or not doing) what she does. She's a much more complex character than she seems, and where other characters see some of her actions as cold or uncaring of her fellow class, Miller's writing allows the reader to get a better idea of where she's coming from and what her true ideals are.

Kristos, Sophie's brother, is a dream-follower who is very involved in the revolutionary ideas that are starting to cause uproar and major disruptions in the land. Sophie worries for his safety--with good reason, as he can be a bit brash and unpredictable-- and this creates a classic but still interesting sibling relationship that added a great element of conflict. Kristos was not a character that I liked quite as much as others, but he was still a great example of how one can become caught up in the whirlwind of change and sometimes take things further than they should be taken, even if your intentions are in the right place.

There are an abundance of other characters in this book that really help to set the backdrop of the story and also provide some insight into the various classes featured. Each character was so interesting to explore and I very much enjoyed meeting everyone that Sophie met as her business grew and she gained new clientele. This is what I particularly loved about this book, as it allowed the reader to have empathy and understand the perspective of each person of just about every class involved. We got insight into how the lower classes felt about what was happening, how the middle class was handling it, even how the nobility was viewing the issues and how some even wanted to help those behind the rebellion, but simply had less drastic ideas than those demanding change. I thought the political component of this book was extremely well-written and made

Lastly, I loved the magic in this book. This is a low fantasy series (so far, anyway) and the main magic that we see is found within the realm of charm-casting, such as how Sophie sews her charms into her clothing. The way she uses charms is rarer and often more difficult than how others often cast charms, and I found it fascinating how she did it and how it all worked. Her abilities are tested in this book in both positive and negative ways, and I loved exploring the depth and abilities of Sophie's magic along with her--and I wish I could cast charms into sewing as well!

Overall, I recommend this book to anyone who likes some strong political components in their books involving revolutions or class conflict, or anyone who simply is looking for a good book to keep them entertained. Four stars!

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

*I received a copy of Torn courtesy of Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment of the novel.*

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Circe by Madeline Miller

*Circe will be published Tuesday, April 10th!*

Circe by Madeline Miller. Little, Brown and Company, 2018. Hardcover. 400 pages.

It might only be April, but Circe has already fixed itself a place as one of my favorite books of 2018. I actually read Circe back in January, but my feelings for this book have remained strong and I still love this book as much as I did when I first read it. I wrote most of this review back in January when the book was still fresh, but I've been adding to it since then and I find that there is always more that I want to say about it.

I've always been interested in Circe as a mythological figure, but there's surprisingly/relatively little in the world of fiction focused solely on Circe and her own story. Miller's story is a retelling that I didn't realize how much or how desperately I needed it, and I just desperately want to tell everyone to read it.

Crice reads sort of like a literary historical fantasy. Miller's prose is stunning and reads almost like a song. I have heard endless people praise her previous book, The Song of Achilles (which I still have yet to read), for ages, and now, reading Circe, I can understand why. There is something exceptionally magical and effortless about the way in which Miller narrates this story, and I imagine all of her writing is a gorgeous as it was in this book. Every word she writes is both subtle and powerful at the same time, which makes this book one that is hard to put down and even harder to get out of your head.

I think what I loved the most about this story was how Miller stuck so faithfully to the major plot points and events that occur in the myths of Circe's life. She doesn't make any extensive changes or alter her entire life; instead, Miller merely fleshes out these stories and adds much ore context and life to them. Circe became incredibly relatable and someone whose life I truly became invested in. In addition, Miller included all of the characters that Circe interacts with in the many previous stories about her, including Odysseus, her sister (Pasiphaë), her brother (Perses), Penelope, and so many more characters that contribute so much depth and intrigue to this story. Despite the impact that many of these character's have on Circe's life -- both positive and negative--the story never fails to focus solely on Circe and center in on her turbulent life.

The Circe that Miller has created for this book is a remarkable woman, flawed but also remarkably wise and able to adapt to whatever world she is in. My favorite aspect of Circe was her continuous development as a person. In particular, I loved watching how she grew up as a child who never quite fit in or received the respect she desired and became bitter and angry as a result, and how slowly but surely she developed a keen knowledge that guided her throughout her life. Circe has many weaknesses, but she develops many strengths in response to these while also learning how to work with her anger rather than against it and use it for better purposes. I felt so connected to Circe's character, more so than I have to any character in a while. I think I also read Circe at a wonderful point in my life (or not so wonderful, depending on how you look at it) because I was personally experiencing many of the same  feelings, revelations, despair that Circe experienced, and I feel she helped me discover how to make it on my own journey. I felt as if I grew myself, and I felt incredibly empowered by this book. I think any woman that reads this book will be able to walk away from it with their own sense of empowerment, in whatever form it may take, and I also think that any person could find something in this book to take away with them.

As beautiful as this book is, it isn't a particularly nice book. There is death, anger, violence, despair, loss, heartbreak, love--there's everything you do and do not want in your life, but there is plenty more negative than there is positive. This is a book that doesn't necessarily make you feel happy, but it leaves you pondering Circe's life and how things happen in one's life, whether they want it to or not.

In addition to the lives of the characters, Circe also contains some beautiful settings and descriptions of the world in which Circe lives. I was so caught up in the descriptions of the island on which she lives, of the large ocean and the deadly monster that lives there, of the palace that she grew up on, and so many more places. This book will absolutely transport you to mythological Ancient Greece.

Overall, I've given Circe  five stars and I can't recommend it enough!

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

*I received an ARC of Circe in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

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Waiting on Wednesday: The Five Daughters of the Moon by Leena Likitalo

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:
The Five Daughters of the Moon by Leena Likitalo
Publication Date: July 25th, 2017

Tor
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository

From Goodreads:

"Inspired by the 1917 Russian revolution and the last months of the Romanov sisters, The Five Daughters of the Moon by Leena Likitalo is a beautifully crafted historical fantasy with elements of technology fueled by evil magic.

The Crescent Empire teeters on the edge of a revolution, and the Five Daughters of the Moon are the ones to determine its future.

Alina, six, fears Gagargi Prataslav and his Great Thinking Machine. The gagargi claims that the machine can predict the future, but at a cost that no one seems to want to know.
Merile, eleven, cares only for her dogs, but she smells that something is afoul with the gagargi. By chance, she learns that the machine devours human souls for fuel, and yet no one believes her claim.

Sibilia, fifteen, has fallen in love for the first time in her life. She couldn't care less about the unrests spreading through the countryside. Or the rumors about the gagargi and his machine.

Elise, sixteen, follows the captain of her heart to orphanages and workhouses. But soon she realizes that the unhappiness amongst her people runs much deeper that anyone could have ever predicted.

And Celestia, twenty-two, who will be the empress one day. Lately, she's been drawn to the gagargi. But which one of them was the first to mention the idea of a coup?"

This is a historical fantasy that sounds like nothing I've ever read, and I love the idea of a Russian revolution/Romanov setting. Each sister sounds like they'll bring something really interesting to this book, and I really can't wait to read it! I'm also not sure whether I like that cover or not, but it sure is haunting.

What do you think about this upcoming release? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

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Waiting on Wednesday: Everfair by Nisi Shawl

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

This week's upcoming book spotlight is:

Everfair by Nisi Shawl

Publication Date: September 6th, 2016
Tor Books

Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

From Goodreads:

An alternate history / historical fantasy / steampunk novel set in the Belgian Congo, from noted short story writer Nisi Shawl.

Everfair is a wonderful Neo-Victorian alternate history novel that explores the question of what might have come of Belgium's disastrous colonization of the Congo if the native populations had learned about steam technology a bit earlier. Fabian Socialists from Great Britian join forces with African-American missionaries to purchase land from the Belgian Congo's "owner," King Leopold II. This land, named Everfair, is set aside as a safe haven, an imaginary Utopia for native populations of the Congo as well as escaped slaves returning from America and other places where African natives were being mistreated.

Shawl's speculative masterpiece manages to turn one of the worst human rights disasters on record into a marvelous and exciting exploration of the possibilities inherent in a turn of history. Everfair is told from a multiplicity of voices: Africans, Europeans, East Asians, and African Americans in complex relationships with one another, in a compelling range of voices that have historically been silenced. Everfair is not only a beautiful book but an educational and inspiring one that will give the reader new insight into an often ignored period of history.

There are so many incredible upcoming releases that I'm eagerly anticipating that it becomes hard to choose just one each week to spotlight! But Everfair's upcoming release luckily made it a bit easier to choose. I haven't read many alternate history or steampunk novels (especially not together), so I'm really excited about those aspects of this story. I also don't know much about this particular event in history, and although this is an alternative history, I am very interested to understand more about it! I am really looking forward to digging into this complex and representative work.

If you're at all interested in Everfair, be sure to check out this article about both the book and its incredible author, Nisi Shawl, in this article at Tor Books.

What do you think about this upcoming release? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

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