Review | Rat Queens, Vol.2: The Far-Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch and Stjepan Sejic

Rat Queens, Vol.2: The Far-Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth

by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch and Stjepan Sejic

My Rating: 

This booze-soaked second volume of RAT QUEENS reveals a growing menace within the very walls of Palisade. And while Dee may have run from her past, the bloated, blood-feasting sky god N’rygoth never really lets his children stray too far.

You can check out my review of Rat Queens, Vol.1: Sass and Sorcery here!

As I'm sure many of you know I read the first volume of Rat Queens back in January and absolutely adored it, and I've been anticipating the release of the second volume ever since. Volume 2 takes off immediately from where Volume 1 left off, and I still love this world and these characters - not to mention the humour!

More than once I genuinely laughed out loud while reading this curled up on my sofa, meaning I got a few odd looks from my family; Hannah is the Queen of Sass and her attitude warms the cockles of my cold, black heart. I love her relationship with Sawyer too, because I'm weak for a good ol' fashioned OTP. The same goes for Violet and Orc Dave - in fact I love Orc Dave.

As is usually the case with graphic novels, the plot of Volume 2 was a little bigger than that of Volume 1; I can tell this is a series that's going to continue to expand and grow, and I like the direction it's going in. I really enjoyed the glimpses into Hannah and Violet's pasts we were shown in this volume, and I'd really like to know more about Hannah's mother who seems like a very cool lady, but what I loved most was that we saw a little more of Dee. I look forward to continuing to learn more about her in future, because what we learned in this volume was pretty darn cool; I particularly loved the way she talked about how the religion she was raised with is still a part of her, and she doesn't have to discard her entire culture just because she disagrees with a part of it.

Honestly, the only real flaw I found with this volume was that it wasn't long enough. I want more, and I want it now!

If you haven't read this series yet, read it!

*insert bookish title here*

Thanks to Chrissi @ Chrissi Reads for introducing me to This Week In Books, a feature originally created by Lipsy @ Lipsyy Lost and Found which gives bloggers the opportunity to share what they've been reading recently. I thought I'd take part in Waiting On Wednesday, hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, this week, too, because I've been on a real blogging high lately and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to talk about more books!

I recently started White Trash Zombie Apocalypse by Diana Rowland, the third book in her White Trash Zombie series, and though I've only read the first couple of chapters I'm enjoying it so far. This series is so much fun and I find the books really easy to read; I flew through the first two! On Sunday I read American Vampire, Vol.3 by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque and Sean Murphy, which has been my favourite volume of the series so far and I'll be reviewing it soon, and then on Monday I received my signed copy of Mira Grant's Rolling in the Deep in the post! It's a little novella involving creepy mermaids, so I'm planning on devouring it some time this week.

Rat Queens, Vol.2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth

by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch

Pub. Date: 19th May, 2015
Publisher: Image Comics
Genre: Graphic Novel; High Fantasy

This booze-soaked second volume of RAT QUEENS reveals a growing menace within the very walls of Palisade. And while Dee may have run from her past, the bloated, blood-feasting sky god N’rygoth never really lets his children stray too far.

I loved the first volume of Rat Queens (reviewed here!), it's by far the best graphic novel I've read so far and I'm besotted with this series. As soon as I could I pre-ordered the second volume, and I can't wait for it to finally get here so I can continue to follow Hannah, Violet, Dee and Betty on their adventures!

Top Ten Tuesday | All Time Favourite Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Books you would classify as ALL TIME FAVOURITE BOOKS from the past 3 years'. I thought I'd find this list fairly tricky, but as much as I really love a lot of the books I read there are only a select few that end up on my list of favourites!

Feed by Mira Grant: Is it any surprise that this book is on my list? Feed was my favourite read of last year, and has an eternal place on my favourite books of all time list.

Cress by Marissa Meyer: I love The Lunar Chronicles, it's one of my favourite series, and so far the Cress has been the best book in the series in my opinion. It was so much fun to read, and I can't wait for Winter!

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman: This is another book that I didn't read until last year - I know, what took me so long? - and I just adored it. I'm a big fan of Gaiman's work, but I think this is my favourite of his novels, with American Gods coming in at a close second.

Rat Queens, Vol.1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch: I only read this in January, but I've absolutely fallen in love with this series.

The Unlikely Ones by Mary Brown: I found this book in a local charity shop and read it in my first year of university. It's just a traditional high fantasy novel; there's witches, dragons, unicorns, knights and talking animals. It's a really lovely little book, and what makes me love it all the more is that the fate of the world doesn't depend on the heroes' success in their quest. The only thing that's going to be affected by the outcome is their happiness.

Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu: The first of my three all time favourite classics. Screw Dracula, read Carmilla.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson: Such a beautiful book. If you haven't read this yet I can't recommend it more, it's just stunning.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins: The second of my all time favourite classics. I thought I was going to hate this book when I had to read it for a Popular Victorian Fiction module at university but I ended up really enjoying it. If you're interested in some pre-Sherlock Victorian detective fiction then I recommend checking it out!

Corrag by Susan Fletcher: My list wouldn't be complete without some historical fiction, and Corrag is a gorgeous novel. If you're a fan of novels like Burial Rites or Alias Grace then this is another book worth your time!

Frankenstein Mary Shelley: The third of my all time favourite classics. This book is a masterpiece.

Which books made your list?

Top Ten Tuesday | My Favourite Heroines

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

Today's theme is 'Top Ten Favourite Heroines From Books', a theme which got me really excited. I love my heroines, and I can't wait to share my favourites!

Before I start my list I should probably mention that the heroines that wind up holding a very special place in my heart are funny, angry, get-shit-done kind of women who are brazen because it hides the fact that they're actually very vulnerable. Not all of my favourite heroines are like that, but there certainly seems to be a trend. I just thought that was worth mentioning now...

Georgia Mason from the Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant: Oh Georgia, light of my life and heart of my immortal soul. If someone held a gun to my head right now and said I had to choose just one ultimate favourite off this list it'd probably be this lady. Georgia made me want to trust the news again, she made me want to believe that there are still journalists out there dedicated to telling the truth, not just telling the best story. She's witty and intelligent and no nonsense and I love her with every fibre of my being.

Linh Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: The Lunar Chronicles has so much respect from me right now. It's a YA series that has managed to include so much diversity; we have heroines who are amputees, heroines from broken homes, heroines who are optimistic, heroines who aren't, and Meyer writes them all so well - there's a heroine for everyone! Her male characters aren't much different; our Prince Charming's Chinese, our Big Bad Wolf's the product of human experimentation, and then there's Thorne, who's basically the love child of Jack Sparrow and Captain Kirk. For me it's Cinder who stole my heart, as much as I love all the characters; she's a good person who's been through a lot of shit and she hasn't let it turn her bitter. When I read Glitches I genuinely teared up because I couldn't bear that Ari was being so horrid to such an adorable little girl who, more than anything, is desperate for acceptance and love. Cinder, like Georgia, just gives me all the feels guys.

Vicki Nelson from The Blood Books by Tanya Huff: If you've never read anything by Tanya Huff then that's something you need change right now. She's a fantastic writer of SFF who is constantly turning themes of gender and sexuality on their head, and her female leads are always amazing. My favourite has to be Vicki, the heroine from Huff's take on vampires. Essentially The Blood Books are urban fantasy crime novels set in Toronto and they're brilliant. Vicki is such a funny, sassy leading lady. I love her.

Violet from Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch: Violet is a fairly new addition to my list of favourite heroines who crept into my heart after I read the first volume of Rat Queens in January. This series is a female-led fantasy series full of innuendos, swearing, violence, and girl power. Naturally, it's right up my street. I liked all the ladies, but Violet in particular grew on me. The second volume isn't being released until later in the year so we know very little about the ladies' backstories as of now, but what I saw of Violet made me very happy; in particular an exchange between Violet and her brother when he asks her if she left because of him, and her simple reply is: "No. I left for me." Boom! Girl power.

Saba from Blood Red Road by Moira Young: (I still haven't read Rebel Heart or Raging Star, so no spoilers please!) I adored Blood Red Road when I read it, and while I enjoyed the plot it was Saba who convinced me to give the book 5 stars. She's so raw and angry and real and I love her lots.

Angel Crawford from My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland: Angel is another recent addition to my list and another heroine who convinced me to give her book five stars. In fact I love Angel so much that I ordered the next three books in the White Trash Zombie series before I'd even finished reading the first book, and I can't wait to continue with the series!

Jane Eyre from Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë: "I am no bird; and no net ensares me; I am a free human being with an independent will." Jane's probably one of the most iconic heroines in classic literature, and there's a reason she's still popular today. While I'd take Mr. Rochester over Heathcliff any day he's still not the most pleasant of romantic heroes, but when Jane realises he's an arse she gets the hell out of there! For that, and for many other things, she has my eternal respect.

Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins: I'm not on Team Gale or Team Peeta. I'm on Team Katniss.

Tonks from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling: I love Hermione, Ginny and Luna, too, but I've loved Tonks since we were first introduced to her in The Order of the Phoenix (which is my favourite book in the series). I don't know why I love her as much as I do, I think when I was younger I was just desperate to be her, but she's always remained a favourite of mine.

Mary Lennox from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett: Mary isn't particularly likeable when we first meet her, although there's something about her spoiled, guarded nature that does make you want to give her a cuddle, but she goes through one of the most astonishing character growths ever seen, from a child who is neglected and unloved to a child who uses that yearning for affection to nurture a garden back to life. This is a charming story, but it would be nothing without Mary.

Who made your list?

Review | Rat Queens, Vol.1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch

Rat Queens, Vol.1: Sass and Sorcery

by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch

My Rating: 

Who are the Rat Queens? 

A pack of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire, and they're in the business of killing all god's creatures for profit. 

It's also a darkly comedic sass-and-sorcery series starring Hannah the Rockabilly Elven Mage, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric and Betty the Hippy Smidgen Thief. This modern spin on an old school genre is a violent monster-killing epic that is like Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world on crack! 

If you're into high fantasy, innuendo, swearing and girl power, then you need to get your hands on a copy of this book.

Rat Queens is a graphic novel series which follows friends Hannah, Violet, Dee Dee and Betty on their escapades. The four ladies are essentially bounty hunters; they go on quests to vanquish evil and kill stuff for a living, and they're pretty good at what they do. In the first volume, however, they begin to realise that they might be causing more harm than good, particularly when it becomes clear that someone is out to kill them.

This volume is so much fun. I laughed out loud more than once, and even when I wasn't laughing I was grinning inanely. By the end of this volume we're left with a lot of questions about these girls, about how they met and what their lives were like before they were the Rat Queens, but there was still plenty to suggest a wider story and a wider world, and to tantalise our tastebuds until the next volume.

I loved the friendship between the four girls and how real they are. Sure three of them aren't human, but none of them felt like stereotypical female fantasy characters, or even stereotypical female characters in general; these women aren't the product of a teenage boy's wet dream inducing fantasies, but well thought-out protagonists who piss all over the idea of the traditional fantasy heroine.

In terms of high fantasy this series feels more World of Warcraft than Lord of the Rings, so if you like your high fantasy quite serious it probably isn't for you, but if you're a fan of writers like Mira Grant and Tanya Huff, or if you're a fan of Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' Saga, then you'll love this series!

I can't recommend it more!

Anticipated 2015 Reads Pt. II

Back in December I wrote a blog post about some of my most anticipated reads of 2015. Now if I'm perfectly honest the majority of them were just books that sounded like the kind of books I'd enjoy that just happened to be coming out in 2015 because, for someone who works in publishing, I'm really quite rubbish at keeping up with what's being published when.

Since 2015 began I've discovered even more books being released this year that I'm very excited for, so today I thought I'd share some of them with you! Some of these have already been released and some of them haven't, but I'm looking forward to getting my hands on all of them.

Rolling in the Deep
by Mira Grant

Publication Date: April 2015
Publisher: Subterranean Press

When the Imagine Network commissioned a documentary on mermaids, to be filmed from the cruise ship Atargatis, they expected what they had always received before: an assortment of eyewitness reports that proved nothing, some footage that proved even less, and the kind of ratings that only came from peddling imaginary creatures to the masses.

They didn't expect actual mermaids.  They certainly didn't expect those mermaids to have teeth.

This is the story of the Atargatis, lost at sea with all hands.  Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.  Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the bathypelagic zone in the Mariana Trench…and the depths are very good at keeping secrets.

Trigger Warning

by Neil Gaiman

Publication Date: February 2015

Publisher: Headline

In this new volume, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction-stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013-as well as BLACK DOG, a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods.

Trigger Warning is a rich cornucopia of horror and ghosts stories, science fiction and fairy tales, fabulism and poetry that explores the realm of experience and emotion. In Adventure Story-a thematic companion to The Ocean at the End of the Lane-Gaiman ponders death and the way people take their stories with them when they die. His social media experience A Calendar of Tales are short takes inspired by replies to fan tweets about the months of the year-stories of pirates and the March winds, an igloo made of books, and a Mother's Day card that portends disturbances in the universe. Gaiman offers his own ingenious spin on Sherlock Holmes in his award-nominated mystery tale The Case of Death and Honey. And Click-Clack the Rattlebag explains the creaks and clatter we hear when we're all alone in the darkness.

A writer whose creative genius is unparalleled, Gaiman entrances with his literary alchemy, transporting us deep into the realm of imagination, where the fantastical becomes real and the everyday incandescent. Trigger Warning engages the mind, stirs the heart, and shakes the soul. Neil Gaiman is one of the most original and popular literary artists of our day.

Rat Queens, Vol.2: The Far Reaching Tentacles of N'rygoth

by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch

Publication Date: May 2015

Publisher: Image Comics

This booze-soaked second volume of RAT QUEENS reveals a growing menace within the very walls of Palisade. And while Dee may have run from her past, the bloated, blood-feasting sky god N’rygoth never really lets his children stray too far.

To Hold the Bridge

by Garth Nix

Publication Date: June 2015

Publisher: HarperCollins

Far to the north of the magical Old Kingdom, the Greenwash Bridge Company has been building a bridge for almost a hundred years. It is not an easy task, for many dangers threaten the bridge builders, from nomad raiders to Free Magic sorcerers. Despite the danger, Morghan wants nothing more than to join the Bridge Company as a cadet. But the company takes only the best, the most skillful Charter mages, and trains them hard, for the night might come when only a single young cadet must hold the bridge against many foes. Will Morghan be that cadet?

Also included in this remarkable collection are eighteen short stories that showcase Nix’s versatility as he adds a fantastical twist on an array of genres including science fiction, paranormal, realistic fiction, mystery, and adventure.

The Great Zoo of China

by Matthew Reilly

Publication Date: February 2015 (first published November 2014)

Publisher: Orion

It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for 40 years. They have found a species of animal no one believed even existed. It will amaze the world.

Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing discovery within the greatest zoo ever constructed. A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see its fabulous creatures for the first time. Among them is Dr Cassandra Jane 'CJ' Cameron, a writer for NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC and an expert on reptiles.

The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that they are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong...

What are you looking forward to reading this year?

What's Up Wednesday | 04/02/15

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop created by Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk as a way for writers and readers to stay in touch!

It's February! Where did that come from?

What I'm Reading

Since last week I've read Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch - a really fun graphic novel that I recommend to any high fantasy lovers! - and I'm currently in the middle of Rurouni Kenshin, Vol.1 by Nobuhiro Watsuki, My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland, and Half Bad by Sally Green.

I'm reading Half Bad with Shannon who I know has already finished it, and I'm hoping to finish it in the next day or so - terrible reader that I am, I let myself get distracted last week!

What I'm Writing (+1 Writing Goal)

I'm still working away on short stories for submissions and competitions, and I'm enjoying writing short fiction right now. It's been a while since I worked on any short stories - while I was doing my MA I worked on nothing but Bloodroot and Bracken for a year - and it's been really fun to write something that actually has an end in sight. There's something very satisfying about just bashing out a 3,000 word story and knowing it's finished!

I didn't complete my writing goals last week, which is really annoying, but I only have myself to blame. Over the weekend I didn't really manage to get much time in which I could work undisturbed. This week, though, I need to complete two of the stories I've been working on, because I have one competition and one submission deadline next week!

Writing Goal: Complete 'Dead Beautiful' and 'Mab' - URGENTLY!

What Works For Me

Making lists. This can be something of a double-edged sword because sometimes I can get so into list making and planning that I end up doing no writing whatsoever, but lately as I've been working on submissions for various magazines and competitions making lists as to which story I'm sending where and what the deadline is - as well as another list for stories that have already been sent off, where they were sent to and when - helps me to de-stress and makes me feel just a teensy bit more organised. And to be honest writing stuff down in my own list on Google Docs is a lot easier than having to find the competition submissions page every time I want to check the deadline!

What Else Is New

First off, thank you to all of you who sent my nana your good wishes last week, I really appreciated that she was in your thoughts, even if it was just for a moment. I'm pleased to announce that she's slowly but surely getting better; I mentioned before that along with the septicemia she'd already been ill for a while, and she was worried she had bowel cancer because her dad passed away from the same disease. Thankfully tests have shown that she's cancer free, and today they're letting her go home!

I haven't really done much this past week! I entered The Winston Fletcher Fiction Prize, and I've sent off a couple of short stories and various poems to some magazines that are currently calling for submissions, but other than that it's been fairly quiet here. Oh, aside from my book-buying addiction that has got somewhat out of control since I started working and earning my own money. I already have no room for books, so I really need to stop buying more! Am I going to, though? No. No, I'm not.

Today, because of our heating not working, I get to work from home where it's nice and warm, and has the added benefit of being able to stay in my pyjamas.

What's new with you?

Reading Wrap-Up | January 2015

I'm very pleased to announce that January was a brilliant reading month for me, meaning I got the new year off to a fantastic start! I read ten books this month, and enjoyed all of them.

Burial Rites

by Hannah Kent

My Rating:

Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her former master, is sent to an isolated farm to await execution. 

Horrified at the prospect of housing a convicted murderer, the family at first avoids Agnes. Only Tóti, a priest Agnes has mysteriously chosen to be her spiritual guardian, seeks to understand her. But as Agnes's death looms, the farmer's wife and their daughters learn there is another side to the sensational story they've heard. 

A stunning debut novel and a stunning piece of historical fiction. If you'd like to see more of my thoughts on it, you can find my review here!

White Ravens

by Owen Sheers

My Rating: 

Based on the fable of Branwen, Daughter of Llyr, this interpretation revives one of the most action-packed stories in the whole myth cycle. Moving this bloodthirsty tale of Welsh and Irish power struggles and family tensions into the 21st century, this retelling retains many of the bizarre and magical happenings of the original. After being wounded in Italy, Matthew O’Connell is seeing out WWII in an obscure government department, spreading rumors and myths to the enemy. When he is assigned the bizarre task of escorting a box containing six raven chicks from a remote hill farm to the Tower of London, he soon finds himself ensnared in an adventure that leaves him powerless.

My first retelling of the year was White Ravens, a retelling of one of the tales from The Mabinogion. I enjoyed it, and I look forward to reading more of these retellings!

Saga, Volume 1

by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

My Rating: 

When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe. 

This month I finally started Saga, which I've been meaning to read for a long time now. I loved it. I love the originality of the character designs; I love Prince Robot IV, and despite being terrified of spiders I really love The Stalk, too. The chemistry between Alana and Marko is perfection and I just love this series so much. I love it!

Saga, Volume 2

by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

My Rating: 

Thanks to her star-crossed parents Marko and Alana, newborn baby Hazel has already survived lethal assassins, rampaging armies, and horrific monsters, but in the cold vastness of outer space, the little girl encounters her strangest adventure yet... grandparents.

Did I mention I love this series?

Saga, Volume 3

by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

My Rating: 

Searching for their literary hero, new parents Marko and Alana travel to a cosmic lighthouse on the planet Quietus, while the couple's multiple pursuers finally close in on their targets.

Like, really love it.

A Room of One's Own

by Virginia Woolf

My Rating: 

A Room of One's Own is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published on 24 October 1929, the essay was based on a series of lectures she delivered at Newnham College and Girton College, two women's colleges at Cambridge University in October 1928. While this extended essay in fact employs a fictional narrator and narrative to explore women both as writers of and characters in fiction, the manuscript for the delivery of the series of lectures, titled "Women and Fiction", and hence the essay, are considered non-fiction. The essay is generally seen as a feminist text, and is noted in its argument for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by patriarchy.

I've been meaning to read this for the longest time, so I finally got myself a copy and read it during my bus rides to and from work. I loved it; there are entire extracts from this I'd love to print out and stick on my wall.

Saga, Volume 4

by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

My Rating: 

Visit new planets, meet new adversaries and explore a very new direction, as Hazel becomes a toddler while her family struggles to stay on their feet.

When do I get Volume 5?!

The Meat Tree

by Gwyneth Lewis

My Rating: 

A dangerous tale of desire, DNA, incest and flowers plays out within the wreckage of an ancient spaceship in The Meat Tree: an absorbing retelling of one of the best-known Welsh myths by prize-winning writer and poet, Gwyneth Lewis.

An elderly investigator and his female apprentice hope to extract the fate of the ship's crew from its antiquated virtual reality game system, but their empirical approach falters as the story tangles with their own imagination.

By imposing a distance of another 200 years and millions of light years between the reader and the medieval myth, Gwyneth Lewis brings the magical tale of Blodeuwedd, a woman made of flowers, closer than ever before: maybe uncomfortably so.

After all, what man has any idea how sap burns in the veins of a woman?

Next I read another Maginogion retelling. I didn't enjoy it as much as I enjoyed White Ravens - it's very weird - but it was still an entertaining and original read.

The Crown

by Nancy Bilyeau

My Rating: 

Joanna Stafford, a Dominican nun, learns that her favourite cousin has been condemned by Henry VIII to be burned at the stake. Defying the rule of enclosure, Joanna leaves the priory to stand at her cousin’s side. Arrested for interfering with the king’s justice, Joanna, along with her father, is sent to the Tower of London.

While Joanna is in the Tower, the ruthless Bishop of Winchester forces her to spy for him: to save her father’s life she must find an ancient relic—a crown so powerful, it may possess the ability to end the Reformation.

With Cromwell’s troops threatening to shutter her priory, bright and bold Joanna must decide who she can trust so that she may save herself, her family, and her sacred way of life. 

I was craving some historical crime in January, and as the latest Matthew Shardlake book isn't out in paperback until March I decided to pick up the first book in Nancy Bilyeau's Joanna Stafford series. It was just what I was in the mood for, and it was great to read some female-led historical crime. Look out for my review!

Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass and Sorcery

by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Roc Upchurch

My Rating: 

Who are the Rat Queens? 

A pack of booze-guzzling, death-dealing battle maidens-for-hire, and they're in the business of killing all god's creatures for profit. 

It's also a darkly comedic sass-and-sorcery series starring Hannah the Rockabilly Elven Mage, Violet the Hipster Dwarven Fighter, Dee the Atheist Human Cleric and Betty the Hippy Smidgen Thief. This modern spin on an old school genre is a violent monster-killing epic that is like Buffy meets Tank Girl in a Lord of the Rings world on crack! 

I really want to read more graphic novels this year, and I think reading five in January has certainly gotten me off to a good start. I really enjoyed Rat Queens; I adore Violet and Dee Dee in particular, and I'm looking forward to the animated series!

What did you read in January?