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Series Review: The Kingston Cycle by C.L. Polk

Greetings and welcome to Reviews That Burn: Series Reviews, part of Books That Burn. Series Reviews discuss at least three books in a series and cover the overarching themes and development of the story across several books. I'd like to thank longtime Patron Case Aiken, who receives a monthly shoutout. This episode discusses The Kingston Cycle by C. L. Polk.  Full Audio Here    In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a World War, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own. Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after...

Finna by Nino Cipri (Finna, #1)

Finna is a fun and fast-paced (slightly deadly) anti-capitalist adventure through a wormhole in technically-not-Ikea with two former lovers a few days after breaking up. 

It’s an anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-transphobic, anti-capitalist, thought-provoking romp which strikes just the right balance between explaining stressful stuff and depicting an escape from it. The romantic relationship is over before the story starts, and it helps convey a raw feeling, an uncertainty, because while the reader doesn’t already know all of why it didn’t work out, the shape is familiar. The world-building is really good for such a short book. 

CW for racism (minor), sexism (minor), transphobia (minor), discussion of misgendering, violence, gore, death.

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A teal background with an implied off-kilter grid and sketch drawings of pipes.







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