Spring's Arcana (Dead God's Heart, #1)

by Lilith Saintcrow

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Nat Drozdova's mother is dying. She has cancer, and the doctors say there is little they can do. Yet Nat's mother is convinced that her cure lies at the top of a skyscraper in Manhattan. So that is where Nat is going.

As it turns out, the cure isn't a thing. It's a goddess; one is both hungry and powerful. Will Nat take her offered deal, or will she give up the hope that may save her mother?

My Review:

When I started Spring's Arcana, I was unaware that it would be the first in a series (Dead God's Heart). That said, I'm thrilled that this is far from the end of this story! A modern-day Baba Yaga tale is exactly what I was looking for – and I got that, plus so much more.

In truth, Spring's Arcana reminded me of several different stories, all taking a new form. There's the obvious – but there are other tales too. It had a bit of an American Gods aesthetic, and elements of the story felt like Seanan McGuire's Ghost Roads world (though this was probably largely due to the road element, duh). I enjoyed seeing these elements combine into something new and interesting.

Plus, there's the whole desperate protagonist plot. Nat is desperate to save her mother, even if that means dealing with a god with nothing but a whim and a wish. We all know how dangerous that is – and it helped to add a darker undertone to this read.

Long story short, Spring's Arcana was a fantastic read, and I legit can't wait to see what happens next.

Highlights:
Urban Fantasy Meets Baba Yaga
Fight to Save a Life

Trigger Warnings:
Cancer

Thanks to Tor Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

You Can Also Find Me On:
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat's Comics | The Book Review Crew | Monkeys Fighting Robots | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Reedsy