Book 11: The Searchers by Kathryn Lasky. The Secret of Glendunny #2. Slightly better than the first, but almost completely disconnected from it. The best part is the octopus. We need more octopus xenofiction.

Book 10: The Haunting by Kathryn Lasky. The Secret of Glendunny #1. Circular, scattershot, and in desperate need of an editor. Beavers are a great animal to focus on, and Lasky certainly did her research, but the actual writing doesn't match the potential.

Also, justice for the lynxes.

Book 9: Doom of the Darkwing by Cressida Cowell. How to Train Your Dragon School #1. Too short to have any real substance, but it works fine as a reintroduction to the world.

I definitely recommend it! The main character is a cross fox!

...That's not why I recommend it, but it's still cool!

I actually started the sequel, but I had to pause because I had read the rest of the series back-to-back and needed a breather. But I'll be getting back to it soon!

Book 8: Fire and Ash by Erin Hunter. Bamboo Kingdom #6. This series is ultimately just okay. It presents some interesting characters but misses its own potential via scattershot plotting and an overly-safe adherence to the status quo.

Still, I'm curious to see if we'll get arc 2 in English.

Book 7: Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree. Legends & Lattes #0. I might like this one even better than the first, which is no surprise (a bookstore! A rat person! Skeletons!). I also feel like the prose improved.

Book 6: The Lightning Path by Erin Hunter. Bamboo Kingdom #5. This is one of those series where as soon as I put it down, I have a hard time remembering what happened in which book. It all blends together.

I do remember that this one has more Dasher and Shiver, though, and I always love that.

Book 5: The Reign of Wolf 21 by Rick McIntyre. The Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone #2. I'm not crying over wolves, *you're* crying over wolves.

Book 4: The Mage by Inbali Iserles. Foxcraft #3. While the climax is a bit disappointing, this series is overall a solid piece of modern animal fiction. The magic system is unique and interesting while catering to the fox trickster archetype.

Book 3: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Caroll. It always feels weird to read/watch something when you've only ever known its cultural impact for years.
Honestly, I spent most of these books thinking about Fairyland.

Book 2: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. This was fun! I can see why it kind of sparked a genre. Gives me the same feeling as those build-a-restaurant games. Maybe I'll read some more cozy fantasies, if anyone has any suggestions (as if I need a longer TBR...)

Book 1: The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre. The Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone #1. A cool look at the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone, a very interesting topic. It gives a good look at wolf behavior and how varied their social structure can be.

(New year, new book count.)

Part 227 of 200 in historically interesting things to inspire your ttrpg dnd

Tankard made of amber slabs, carved with figures representing Pride, Gluttony, Lechery, Anger, Envy, Avarice and Sloth. 1640

Book 67: The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest by Aubrey Hartman. A great meditation of death, acceptance, and scrungly little guys.

Book 66: The Dark Sun by Erin Hunter. Bamboo Kingdom #4. I appreciated in the past books that the author didn't always go for the cheap, easy drama. There was a bit less of that here.

Didn't dislike it, but some of the writing choices felt disappointing.

Book 65: Shadows of Karakan by AvaritaBona. Draka #2. Things get darker and more twisted. I love a good concerning dynamic.

Yo that's sick.