Blodeuedd's Monday Review: Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

Narrated by: Jennifer Pickens

Length: 11 hrs and 50 mins

Release date: 08-19-25

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Fantasy/spotify

I do like Kingfisher, and here we got a story of a healer who has studied poisons since she was a child. Or as she tells it, she studies how antidotes, but really it is poisons.

Then the King comes calling. He thinks some one is poisoning his child Snow, and you can not say no to a King. She is taken on a journey and soon meets Snow.

Something is strange is going on in that house. Something is wrong. The child is not healthy, but why and how? She is always watched.

I liked Anja. She likes what she does, she finds it interesting and when things does not work out she wants to know why. She befriends some people at the estate and tries her best to solve this problem. But something bigger is going on.

A good story, a fairytale that Kingfisher does so well.

The only bad part was that I listened to spotify, and my hours ended 1 hour! before the end. And I had to wait 10 days for more. Ugh, stupid spotify. Yes I know you can buy more, but for 1 hour, nah.

Great story. Great narration. I have so many more Kingfisher books before me and I do enjoy that.

Healer Anja regularly drinks poison. Not to die, but to save—seeking cures for those everyone else has given up on. But a summons from the King interrupts her quiet, herb-obsessed life. His daughter, Snow, is dying, and he hopes Anja’s unorthodox methods can save her.

Aided by a taciturn guard, a narcissistic cat, and a passion for the scientific method, Anja rushes to treat Snow, but nothing seems to work. That is, until she finds a secret world, hidden inside a magic mirror. This dark realm may hold the key to what is making Snow sick.

Or it might be the thing that kills them all.

Best of January

Hellooooo 2026! Here are the bests of January! Hope you like our new trophy logo at the top. They are based off our kitties.

Best Book of the Month:

Blodeuedd - Hemlock & Silver by T. Kingfisher

"Best book of the month. Kingfisher wins January this year again."

Carole -  Letters from Father Christmas by JRR Tolkien

"This was adorable and fun for all ages!"

Best Movie of the Month:

Carole -  Murder Mystery (2019)

"Rewatched this and it was a hoot!"

Blodeuedd - Gladiator II (2024)

"I am horrible remembering what I watched when so my best movie is just one I do remember 😅 Not as epic or good as the first"

Best TV show of the Month:

Blodeuedd - The Good Doctor (s7) & Mooonhaven (s1)

"I watched the last season of The Good Doctor. Moonhaven was really good but I do not recommend it cos there is no s2!!!"

Carole - Fallout (s2)

"Been so good! I wished they would release all the episodes, but I am caught up!"

Best Cover of the Month:

C's pick: A tough pick this month! But this one is just so pretty with all the snow. And that dress? Love.

B's pick: Best cover cos it is as creepy as the book. Not pretty just creepy

Book Review: Murder at the Mayfair Hotel by CJ Archer

Author: C.J. Archer

Title: Murder at the Mayfair Hotel

Series: Cleopatra Fox #1

Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery

Format: ebook

Pages: 395

Published: November 30, 2020

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

December 1899. After the death of her beloved grandmother, Cleopatra Fox moves into the luxury hotel owned by her estranged uncle in the hopes of putting hardship and loneliness behind her. But the poisoning of a guest on Christmas Eve throws her new life, and the hotel, into chaos. Cleo quickly realizes no one can be trusted, not Scotland Yard and especially not the hotel’s charming assistant manager. With the New Year’s Eve ball approaching fast and the hotel’s reputation hanging by a thread, Cleo must find the killer before the ball, and the hotel itself, are ruined. But catching a murderer proves just as difficult as navigating the hotel’s hierarchy and the peculiarities of her family. Can Cleo find the killer before the new century begins? Or will someone get away with murder?

Review:

I've seen this book everywhere, so I decided to give it a chance when it was free on Amazon. Love me a historical fiction mixed with a good mystery!!!!

Cleo Fox moves into a luxury hotel owned by her estranged uncle in hopes of putting the past behind her. She wants to move forward and reforge these family bonds. However, after the poisoning of a guest on Christmas Eve, her life is turned upside down. No one can be trusted, especially not Scotland Yard. With the New Year's Eve ball fast approaching and the hotel's reputation on the line, Cleo must find out who the killer is. 

The first half of the book had me addicted!  I was glued. The last half? It started dragging a little bit for me. Maybe I was just anxious to find out who the killer was? IDK. I was just ready for the story to wrap up nicely, and we go on our merry way. 

Plus, Cleo is supposed to be this brainiac, but she made a lot of silly mistakes and pointed fingers that made no sense. Maybe she'll tighten up in the next one? Yes, she was a bit sheltered and naive.  Maybe that iswhy she made some obvious errors. 

The last couple of chapters had me glued again. 

We'll see. If I come across book 2 and it is free...maybe. 

I'll stamp this with 3 stars. 

Audiobook Review: The Hammer of God by Arthur C. Clarke

Author: Arthur C Clarke

Narrator: Jonathan Davis
Title: The Hammer of God

Genre: SciFi
Format: Audiobook
Published: January 1, 1992
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: 

In the year 2110 technology has cured most of our worries. But even as humankind enters a new golden age, an amateur astronomer points his telescope at just the right corner of the night sky and sees disaster hurtling toward Earth: a chunk of rock that could annihilate civilization. While a few fanatics welcome the apocalyptic destruction as a sign from God, the greatest scientific minds of Earth desperately search for a way to avoid the inevitable. On board the starship Goliath Captain Robert Singh and his crew must race against time to redirect the meteor form its deadly collision course. Suddenly they find themselves on the most important mission in human history--a mission whose success may require the ultimate sacrifice.

Review:

I've heard about this book for years, but never gave it a chance. I decided to finally give it a read.

We are in the year 2110, and technology and AI are the least of our worries. They have cured most of them, but there is a disaster heading straight towards Earth. One huge chunk of rock could annihilate all of civilization. There are some fanatics that welcome it since they see it as an act of God. However, the greatest scientific minds want to stop it. Starship Goliath and its crew race against time to redirect the meteor. 

This was certainly a story to read. It inspired many, many SciFi movies, so it was interesting for sure. 

The pacing was a little slow for such a thriller and high-tension situation. I feel like there was a lot of filler and a lot of deep dives. Don't get me wrong. I like understanding the world and how we got to where we are. However, there was a lot of history lessons that didn't really help the story along. 

The mix of religion was a nice touch, though. It showed that even in the future, there might be some folks trying to stop science and push their religion. 

The ending. Oof.

The narrator did a good job. I liked his voices, and he helped me stay involved with the story during the info-dumping sections. 

Overall, this was a good read. Just be prepared for some serious tech, history, and world info-dumping. The narrator helped me stay involved with the story and made it come to life. I'll give this 4 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #3