A necromancer, a nun, and a peasant girl walk into the tiny hobble in the Bavarian forest in the 1600s, It's the height of the 30 year war, poverty, religious disagreement, superstition and unchecked body count has joined the party with severe hunger and blood shed galore, with systematic abuse of women, and people on the side. What is stopping a few undead creatures, and a skull to show up and stir the pot? Nothing.

The book sent me down historical rabbit holes, and to seek a better understanding of the state of Christianity in Germany during the 1600s. Much of the religious subtext of the book stands on your knowledge and history. That said, to enjoy the book neither is a prerequisite and the author makes sure that every reader gets the full experience: terror, twisted humour, the sorrows and consequences of war even if they don't want to look up the actual facts. It's just that going down the side quest, looking for information made the experience all the more fun for me. There are absolutely bone chilling, terrifying moments, less from induced fantasy horror and more from actual historically accurate facts which we as readers are forced to confront. It is balanced beautifully with a sapphic relationship and some dark, twisted humour (or I'm probably unhinged and it wasn't meant to be funny and, we have problems if the necromancer is the voice of reason handing out poetic justice to some very very bad men. However that is where Johannah Van Veen's gift with words shines.

Now for the reasons why I had to hold a few points hostage. When I look at the plot too closely, I realise that the central story could have been set in any era in any country. Unless I am actually shown a few German words to remind me where I am I can conveniently ignore the era and still make total sense of the story. The effect is also enhanced by the prose feeling quite modern despite the story's setting. I am not asking for purple prose but the author's use of certain archaic words scattered in otherwise modern sounding dialogue makes the prose feel somewhat suffocated.

Second, the sapphic romance I had trouble believing. Every thematic exploration that is meant to filter through this relationship seems to be quite capable of standing alone without said relationship. The conversations on faith and sin could have been held between two companionable travellers as well. I would be more inclined to believe a trauma bonded, codependent friendship, ownership, and eventual lust over the immediate focus on a romance. The final point that needs to be made is that I have personally felt the characters could be explored at a deeper and closer capacity. While I do understand why, where , and what purpose each one serves to the plot and themes, I couldn't shake the feeling that they are only written in a way that feels like we are skirting around the periphery.

That said, the book held my attention to the end, and the way humour is balanced with some absolute carnage had me hooked.

We gouged our civilization from the bodies of others while pretending to decency. Yet we gasp in surprise when we receive so flawlessly what we have earned.

This is another book that it's really difficult to talk much about what it did well without major spoilers, but I really liked this. The story only takes place in a handful of locations but the universe feels vast, the linguistics study feels necessary to the plot development, and I found the main character's voice, academic enthusiasm and kind of hapless shenanigans charming.

I really appreciated that the author was willing to tackle thorny issues like the after-effects of slavery and colonialism while acknowledging that there are no easy solutions after the fact, and that well-meaning people can still cause harm. As someone in a semi-related field the ending has given me a lot to think about.

The only negative to me was that while I understand why the choice was made, the constant misgendering of the Star Eaters by the main character (and therefore, the narration) annoyed me.

What a great cozy read. While the story has a warm and comforting atmosphere, it also touches on some heavier topics, including past trauma and anxiety/panic attacks, so definitely keep that in mind going in.

The author does a wonderful job portraying the characters’ journeys through their pasts and what it means to move forward and start over. Life on a farm can be lonely and difficult, but this story really emphasizes the importance of community, support, and helping your neighbors.

The characters felt relatable and genuinely written, and their interactions and struggles never felt forced. I also really enjoyed the worldbuilding—it was interesting and naturally woven into the story without ever feeling like an exposition dump.

Toward the end, parts of Oaklin’s struggle did feel a bit repetitive. At the same time, it felt like a very realistic portrayal of trauma and healing. I think we’re just so used to stories having a more expedited healing arc that the pacing caught me off guard a little. It wasn’t poorly done by any means, just different from what I expected.

If you’re a fan of Stardew Valley and want a story about second chances, recovery, and finding community, this is absolutely the book for you.