Tag: TL Huchu

Reviews, Scottish Reads

Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments

Caley Kapowski

Some secrets are meant to stay buried

When Ropa Moyo discovered an occult underground library, she expected great things. She’s really into Edinburgh’s secret societies – but turns out they are less into her. So instead of getting paid to work magic, she’s had to accept a crummy unpaid internship. And her with bills to pay and a pet fox to feed.

Then her friend Priya offers her a job on the side. Priya works at Our Lady of Mysterious Maladies, a very specialized hospital, where a new illness is resisting magical and medical remedies alike. The first patient was a teenage boy, Max Wu, and his healers are baffled. If Ropa can solve the case, she might earn as she learns – and impress her mentor, Sir Callander.

Her sleuthing will lead her to a lost fortune, an avenging spirit and a secret buried deep in Scotland’s past. But how are they connected? Lives are at stake and Ropa is running out of time.

I’m very proud of myself for making some progress in my series with this book which is book two in the Edinburgh Nights series. Dare I say that I enjoyed this book more than the first one!

I absolutely love Ropa as a character. She’s so strong and tough but with such softness and love when it comes to her friends and family. I enjoyed finding out more Ropa’s grandmother and her history and magic.

I found the world building in this book to be fantastic! In the first book I thought the world was like a sort of medieval version of Edinburgh but I was wrong. This book revealed so much more of the world which was actually the modern world…just a different timeline.

The magic system is so cool. I loved getting to know more about the magic system and the rules surrounding it. I got so excited by the magical bank and the archive (possibly extra excited about the archive because it was next to a shopping centre I used to frequent as a teenager!). I feel like a have a really good understanding of the magical system and the risks involved in using magic.

This book had two different story arcs which I enjoyed to different levels.

I didn’t enjoy the storyline with the mysterious stranger as much. Mainly because I didn’t like the stranger. He seemed dodgy and untrustworthy and I just wasn’t overly into his tale.

I loved the storyline with Max, the unwell child. This story took us to one of Edinburgh’s oldest magic school. That magical garden gave me everything!

This was a wonderful continuation of the series and I’m buckled in for book three!

Scottish Reads, Vlogs

Reading Scottish- November Wrap Up

Caley Kapowski

This month I have been in a bit of a reading slump. In spite of this, I still managed to read three books by Scottish authors. I’m absolutely delighted as I also thoroughly enjoyed each of my Scottish reads this month.

My wee Scottish vlog

I think that these three books could all become firm favourites and that’s more than I could have hoped for! I’m now extra excited to see what next month brings!

Reviews, Scottish Reads

Library of the Dead

Caley Kapowski

When a child goes missing in Edinburgh’s darkest streets, young Ropa investigates. She’ll need to call on Zimbabwean magic as well as her Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. But as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunted?

When ghosts talk, she will listen…

Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker. Now she speaks to Edinburgh’s dead, carrying messages to the living. A girl’s gotta earn a living, and it seems harmless enough. Until, that is, the dead whisper that someone’s bewitching children–leaving them husks, empty of joy and life. It’s on Ropa’s patch, so she feels honor-bound to investigate. But what she learns will change her world.

She’ll dice with death (not part of her life plan…), discovering an occult library and a taste for hidden magic. She’ll also experience dark times. For Edinburgh hides a wealth of secrets, and Ropa’s gonna hunt them all down.

This book was a recommendation but I can’t remember from whom. So, huge thanks to whoever recommended this to me because I loved it and I’m excited to get the second book in this series. I’m currently on a library waiting list for it.

I absolutely loved the world building in this book. It was Edinburgh but not as we know it. The world is very much a fantastical version of ours and was somewhat medieval with bandits on every corner and a fierce loyalty to the king.

Ropa was a very interesting main character. On the outside she was tough and independent and couldn’t be swayed by emotion. On the inside, she was warm and caring and just loved her family. I really enjoyed her interaction with her granny and sister. Classic little sister always swiping her mobile phone.

Ropa speaking with the dead was so interesting. I don’t know if I believe in ghosts and spirits but I don’t want to annoy them by saying I don’t. I enjoyed the way she used her skills for speaking with ghosts as a way to make a living. The moment she refused to work for free, I knew the book was going to get even more exciting!

Something or someone had been stealing children and draining their youth, leaving them as empty husks. Nobody was looking into this so it fell to Ropa to investigate using the skills she had from being able to communicate with the other side.

This was like a fairytale. One of the creepy ones but I liked that. I loved the creepy house which was not made of gingerbread but was just as terrifying!

I would have liked a little bit more of the library. I did get to read a little about the library but it was so barely mentioned that I was a little confused about it being the title of the book to then basically be ignored. This book is the start of a series so maybe the library will feature more in future stories and I will happily read those.

I loved the way that this book mixed Scottish folklore with Zimbabwean magic. I found that to be so interesting. I love when books give me a little bit of magic and myth that I didn’t know.