I’m Reading: Vesuvius by Cass Biehn

Felix, a thief on the run from a past he can’t remember, steals a relic of the gods, landing himself in the sights of a dangerous, powerful man who would use the power for himself. Loren, a temple attendant with visions no one believes, has seen the flame-haired boy in his dreams, and knows his appearance marks the destruction of everything he loves. But when Felix arrives at Loren’s temple for sanctuary, the two must race against time to solve the relic’s mystery and save Pompeii.

From the first page, this YA romance plunges you into the ancient streets of Pompeii as a living, breathing city. Every immersive detail sings, from the fabric to the temple smoke. The author weaves political intrigue and complex social hierarchies through in a way that feels natural instead of exposition, and keeps us invested in the story.

The prose is quick and tight, with moments of evocative imagery that fit perfectly into this piece of history from poetry and art. But it’s also a story about the streets of Pompeii, the thieves, cutthroats and brothels. We’re seeing them in translation across time and language, but real people didn’t speak in poetry. They swore and used slang. And one of the challenges of making translation immersive is to convey the tone and meaning instead of the exact words. That’s why I’m not bothered by modern idioms in historical fiction, or a few F-bombs. I see it as an immersive depiction that lets us into these character’s heads.

Because, at its heart, Vesuvius is about people. That’s where Cass Biehn shines brightest.

Felix is immediately lovable as the wounded rogue running from a past he can’t remember, determined to avoid roots that slow him down. Loren is more complex and subtle, a boy with a heart so big he would give it to his city, but no one ever taught him how to survive that. Together they have a love that inspires hope, even in a story we think we know the end of.

I say think because Cass Biehn writes with a keen understanding of our modern context: we know how the story of Pompeii ends.

But do we?

The fantasy elements add a clever overarching tension as we wonder, this time, this Pompeii, these magical boys with no political or social power, might give us a different ending. Even though every interesting, lovable character we meet in the city evokes dread for their future and ups the stakes.

So we root for the unlikely duo of Felix the thief who pretends to not care and Loren the temple assistant who cares too much. Every warning, every earthquake, every sign of the inevitable end, we root for them to save the city, and each other.

Thanks to Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for giving me a chance to read a review copy in exchange for an honest review. Remember to request Vesuvius at your local library!

I’m Reading: Kill Your Darlings by L.E. Harper

Sorry, but I need to gush about this one. Kill Your Darlings by L.E. Harper is an astounding piece of writing craft, as a self-aware story inside a subtly unfolding story, where all is not as we perceive. I received a free digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

But first of all, make sure you read the forward of the book for trigger warnings. The triggers are there in a big way, so take them seriously if you are vulnerable to trauma.

Our MC is a fantasy author. We learn that she is on book 5 of her wildly successful YA fantasy series, and spiraling. Her editor hates her ending. Her revision deadline is days away. She hasn’t even started them. Depression and burnout have her in a chokehold. Her one escape is in her dreams, where she drops into her main character, Kyla, and spends time in the beautiful world of Solera that she’s created. But this time it feels different. This time, as she wakes up in her fictional lover’s arms, it might not be a dream.

When I first started Kill Your Darlings, I was a little meh on the standard fantasy world and creatures, and a few slightly shaky line edits. But I really loved the meta story. I loved how the MC lampshades the fantasy genre and tropes, playing with the meta narrative and fourth wall, and breaking all the rules. It felt like a Rian Johnson film, where the subtext, background, symbolism, and inside jokes took center stage over the actual plot. Then, as the book progressed and we learned all was not as it seemed, we discover the author was pulling off a master class in unreliable narrator. Just breathtakingly well-executed. And when dreams turned reality turned back into metaphor and the darkness falls, that last twist left me completely destroyed, and unable to put the book down.

I can see why Kill Your Darlings struggled in the query trenches. The real story, the thing that makes it unique and phenomenal, is a slow, subtle burn that takes time to develop. Querying, with the pitch plus ten pages approach, is going to bury a gem like this. It’s like trying to pitch a souffle to people looking for a candy bar. But if a slow-burn meta-narrative is your thing and you’re comfortable with darker themes, this is your dessert.

I picked this up excited for queer and Ace rep. I kept reading because it was a fun escapist fantasy. I loved the lampshading and the cleverness of an MC who knows what genre they’re in. But that last dark twist lets this book live rent-free in my head for the foreseeable future. Even now, days after reading, I look back and see how small pieces fit together into that final whole, and how perfectly unexpected yet inevitable the ending turned out to be.

*chef’s kiss*

Kill Your Darlings comes out on May 24, 2023 and is available for pre-order. Connect with this author on their TikTok at
https://www.tiktok.com/@selfpubdragon and make sure you request indie titles at your local library!