Blog Archives

The Ernest Cunningham Holiday Special

28/6/2025

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (Ernest Cunningham #3 [or #2.5!])
by Benjamin Stevenson

Ernest Cunningham, under the guise of checking out the supposed entertainment for his upcoming nuptials, heads to Katoomba to help his ex-wife, who has been arrested for a murder she claims she didn't commit. And then there's yet another murder, one that is much more public. Are both linked? Most definitely. But how is Ernest going to prove this?

Hmm. Not as good as the other two nor as long, but I suppose the author did slyly mention that holiday specials are more like half books, making this book 2.5 instead of 3. It's a decent enough mystery... it just lacks the juicy drama that makes the other instalments so interesting. Still a fun read, though the lower page count seriously hampers what this could have been.

(A shoutout to the baby unexpectedly napping for nearly 3 hours today, which allowed me to finish this so soon after finishing book 1!)

0 Comments

Every Series Has a Start

28/6/2025

0 Comments

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (Ernest Cunningham #1)
by Benjamin Stevenson

Ernest Cunningham has arrived at an isolated snowy resort, having being summoned to a family reunion which promises to be all kinds of awkward - it'll have killers, exes and secrets. But what he doesn't expect is a murder. Then another one... and another. A serial killer has also decided to attend and his family is full of targets. Who will make it back down the mountain alive?

I had so much fun reading the sequel that I decided to source the book that started it all. I was not disappointed! There's so much going on here and it's a delight as each little nugget of information is presented to the reader (even when you've already guessed some of it). I admit I was hoping to see more of Juliette - her character is handled much better in the sequel. But all in all, it's a murderously good time.

0 Comments

Writers on a Train

22/6/2025

0 Comments

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect (Ernest Cunningham #2)
by Benjamin Stevenson

Ernest Cunningham wrote a book about a serial killer attacking his family, which earned him an invited to a writing festival being held on the Ghan, a train that runs between Darwin and Adelaide. He's still struggling to write the all-important sequel, but fiction isn't his thing. What he really needs is another murder. Which totally has never happened on a long train ride before...

I had no idea this was a sequel, since this copy came to me care of my aunt (a fellow bookworm), and I usually avoid the crime genre. I'm glad I made an exception for this one. So much fun! I can easily imagine a group of crime writers being caught up in a mystery - and the publishing world seems pretty cutthroat even before you factor in murder! Ernest is... well, perhaps not always likeable but a great choice of narrator. I envy him - and the author - for riding the Ghan, which is something I've always wanted to do.

Content warning: mentions of rape & presence of rape apologists

0 Comments

Consider Me Wooed

10/6/2025

0 Comments

Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy #1)
by Stephanie Burgis

Felix has escaped the clutches of his in-laws and has sought sanctuary with their enemy - Queen Saskia, the witch queen of Kitvaria, whose powers and nonhuman friends make her dangerous. Felix doesn't expect a case of mistaken identity to land him as her librarian. Saskia believes she's hired a dark wizard, not her magic-less foe. Very soon it's not just Kitvaria at stake but her heart as well.

*flailing*

It's been ages since I accidentally read a book in one sitting. I had meant to do things today (dang it!), but obviously this book was just too good to put aside. The Hidden Identity trope is my weakness in romance. Just add a fantasy setting and I'm done for! (Side note: No, I can never say "romantasy" with a straight face, because fantasy/romance has existed for decades without needing a portmanteau). Ahem. Did I mention the library featured in this book? Who doesn't love a library - especially when it's full of books about magic? And yay! Bi rep. Which makes my bi heart so happy.

Wooing the Witch Queen should just be called "these are a few - A LOT - of my favourite things".

0 Comments

Averageness Masked as Greatness

8/6/2025

0 Comments

Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear (Star Wars Disney)
by Alexander Freed

The war has been won. The Empire has ascended and with it an Emperor. But it is early days and perhaps there is still a chance to reveal atrocities, compromise, or fight back. Mon Mothma seeks to hinder Palpatine with a bill, Bail Organa seeks to prove that the evidence damning the Jedi is false, and for Saw Gerrera the war never actually ended. But is it too late to do anything? Anything at all?

It's always frustrating to read a story in which none of the characters know they are doomed to failure in particular quests. Because we know. I really had hoped to be won over by Freed, whose writing has become elevated to excellence over the years and whose video game background is evident in his (I'm assuming) creation of Eyo-Dajuritz - which is now one of my favourite locations in Disney canon. Unfortunately, I wasn't completely impressed by this book.

Bail Organa did not act like the Bail I know. Maybe I've been overly influenced by the Legends canon or my own headcanon. But it... just wasn't him. Other characters did sound like themselves, but then there were the OCs who didn't feel necessary or relevant (even Soujen, I'm afraid to say). So many pages and so little said!

This is presented as a political thriller, but its inferiority to Andor is glaringly obvious. And how can we not make comparisons between them? This book was obviously meant to cash in on the show's popularity. Ah well. But at least there were some genuinely good bits.

0 Comments

Seeking but Not Quite Finding

1/6/2025

0 Comments

Wayseeker (Star Wars: The Acolyte)
by Justina Ireland

Jedi Master Vernestra Rwoh has spent years as a Wayseeker, going where the Force guides her and avoiding the Jedi Temple on Coruscant as much as possible. But now she is needed. Jedi Knight Indara has been chosen to retrieve her. Indara has been hiding in the archives and is reluctant to do so. The Force has a way of ensuring that certain paths meet...especially when the fate of the galaxy is at stake.

When I was watching The Acolyte, I thought "this is not Vernestra, not the one from the books", but why would she be the same a century or so later? Still, it was so jarring. Wayseeker fills some of the gaps in her characterisation (although greater gaps are notably left alone, presumably because the show was expected to continue...oops). Vernestra's portrayal makes a little more sense to me now and I admit to enjoying her interactions with Indara (who got such a raw deal on the show - one reason I nearly quit at the first episode).

I'm trying to decide if the shorter length of this book is a good or a bad thing. On the one hand, too many recent Star Wars novels have been unnecessarily bloated - but on the other hand, the plot and the ending don't feel particularly satisfying. Perhaps because the book is more of a glorified epilogue to the High Republic project? An old plot thread. Name dropping. Descendants with familiar surnames. And so on.

Ultimately, I think I'll hang onto this paperback copy (many High Republic books are on my "to donate" pile) because it's an interesting book set in a time that hasn't been covered by lots of other media. For now, anyway.

0 Comments

Book Reviews

The Ernest Cunningham Holiday Special

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (Ernest Cunningham #3 [or #2.5!])
by Benjamin Stevenson

Every Series Has a Start

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (Ernest Cunningham #1)
by Benjamin Stevenson

Writers on a Train

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect (Ernest Cunningham #2)
by Benjamin Stevenson

Consider Me Wooed

Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy #1)
by Stephanie Burgis

Averageness Masked as Greatness

Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear (Star Wars Disney)
by Alexander Freed

Seeking but Not Quite Finding

Wayseeker (Star Wars: The Acolyte)
by Justina Ireland

About

Archives

Categories

Book Reviews

The Ernest Cunningham Holiday Special

​Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (Ernest Cunningham #3 [or #2.5!])by Benjamin Stevenson

Every Series Has a Start

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (Ernest Cunningham #1)​by Benjamin Stevenson

Writers on a Train

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect (Ernest Cunningham #2)​by Benjamin Stevenson

Consider Me Wooed

Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy #1)​by Stephanie Burgis

Averageness Masked as Greatness

​Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear (Star Wars Disney)by Alexander Freed

Seeking but Not Quite Finding

Wayseeker (Star Wars: The Acolyte)​by Justina Ireland

About

Archives

Categories

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret (Ernest Cunningham #3 [or #2.5!])
by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (Ernest Cunningham #1)
by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone on this Train is a Suspect (Ernest Cunningham #2)
by Benjamin Stevenson

Wooing the Witch Queen (Queens of Villainy #1)
by Stephanie Burgis

Reign of the Empire: The Mask of Fear (Star Wars Disney)
by Alexander Freed

Wayseeker (Star Wars: The Acolyte)
by Justina Ireland