Gates of Hope is J.E. Hannaford’s masterful epic fantasy, which combines a beautifully written story with a Brandon Sanderson level of worldbuilding. As the novel opens, the Watcher—a giant space dragon who is revered as a deity by the human population—destroys the gates that connect the Aulirean System, viz., the planet of Lieus and its two moons. The larger moon, Mythos, is home to the Watcher and other dragons, while the tiny outer moon of Tebein has been colonized by humans who, without the gates, are now stranded in an inhospitable climate, living in fear of both starvation and Tebein’s race of warrior aliens known as awldrin.

The planet of Lieus is not much better: its main continent of Caldera was once lush with vegetation but became marred by deep craters following an event known as the Rending. Communities are largely confined to living inside the craters, as the upper surface of Lieus poses too much danger. The far eastern Edgelands of the continent are especially fearsome, teeming with monstrous beasts that are invasive species from the sibling moons.

There are three point-of-view characters in Gates of Hope. First up is Darin, a young man from Caldera who possesses rare magical abilities in a world where magic is dominated by women. Next up is the lilac-haired Suriin, a teenaged girl who lives in one of the deep craters on the continent of Caldera. Finally, Elissa is a young woman struggling to survive on the outer moon of Tebein.

Altogether, Gates of Hope filled me with a sense of awe and wonder from the first page to the last. J.E. Hannaford knocks this out of the park, combining exceptionally innovative worldbuilding and magic with well-realized, relatable characters and beautiful, accessible writing. Upon finishing Gates of Hope, I immediately wanted to flip back to the beginning of the book to read it again. Like the best of the genre, Gates of Hope is the type of book where you can discover new details each time through.

Them Old Bones
I have to admit I was thrown a little out of whack when I first started reading Teller’s Them Old Bones. The story structure is delivered in primarily short, choppy paragraphs which initially felt disjointed and unruly. Early bits of narrative that I thought were intended to be humorous didn’t land quite right. And yes, I am aware this review is starting out as “not so great.” I did that on purpose. I’m delighted to report that Them Old Bones turned out to be a wonderful, thoughtfully entertaining read.
Jokes and quips tended to be of the grenade sort. You know, something clicks three pages later and suddenly you’re chuckling to yourself while you read? The choppy structure never fell apart, instead clacking along like well, a bunch of old bones held together by deftly maneuvered marionette strings. Whether these quirks were intentional on Teller’s part or just a serendipitous stroke of luck doesn’t matter. What matters is that is works, and works well.
To quote Inigo Montoya, “Let me sum up.” Miriam Huckerpucker is an unalive bone assembler for The Vault on the hunt for haunted bones. She is a bold, out-of-the-box thinker whose rash decisions and risky plays don’t always pay off. Her gambles have ratcheted her up the ranks of assemblers – and sent her crashing back down again. In fact, when we meet her, she is one demotion away from not being allowed to leave The Vault’s confines at all. Thanks to a request sent via pigeon post, Miriam makes the acquaintance of Crazyjones, a farmer, and his dog, Tenderloin. Tenderloin has unearthed some interesting bones and Crazyjones thought The Vault might be interested in them. He was right! The bones he found are indeed haunted and sadly, have ensorcelled both the farmer and his dog. Through a series events both fortunate and un, Crazyjones winds up working for The Vault alongside Miss Huckerpucker and a dazzling array of charming and unsettling characters such as Pommy Phart, Chitwhole (pronounced Sheet-Owl), Mabel Bytheway, Timeon Flatface (who apparently landed directly on his face from an extreme height), and King Kiddo (the unofficial, secret nickname whispered behind the back of the Vault’s childlike leader.)
And so, while Crazyjones is learning the ins-and-outs of his new unlife – spell casting, sword fighting, reviving, what can kill someone who is already dead – Miriam discovers evidence of a traitor in The Vault and is tasked by King Kiddo to dig them up – in three hours. Hijinks and clever twists, surprising betrayals, bitter rivalries, earnest friendships, and yes, even a flicker of romance ensue all of which build to a satisfying conclusion which leaves just enough questions unanswered to segway into a new story.
Them Old Bones is a solid, quirky, first-installment in what could prove to be an excellent hexalogy.

Undine’s Blessing is Tessa Hastjarjanto’s beautifully emotive coming-of-age novel that transports the reader to a marine world full of magical adventure. The lead protagonist, Marella, is the daughter of a fisherman, Marcos, who spends long periods of time at sea. As an only child, Marella is often left taking care of her sick mother.

Marella is a dutiful daughter, taking care of her mother with nary a complaint. She is also a skilled basket weaver, supplementing the family’s income through her wares. Marella is famous for her smoked fish, although she herself cannot bear to eat animals. Marella feels inexorably drawn to the sea, but she is keenly aware of the dangers of water after a near-drowning experience as a younger child.

The world of Undine’s Blessing is full of wonders. There are butterfly-like nymphs, talking animal friends, and a gorgeous tropical island. Undine’s Blessing also features an elemental magic system closely linked to its stunning natural world.

Tessa Hastjarjanto’s prose is beautifully affecting. Undine’s Blessing has a fairytale-like quality that feels like the literary equivalent of watching a Miyazaki movie. It evokes a wholesome sense of discovery and gentle didacticism that will appeal to readers of all ages.