Review Archives - Scribes & Archers

Tag: Review

Scribes & Archers > Review

Book Review: Murder in Mossyhollow by Sarah Rodecker

Posted on October 14, 2025September 18, 2025 by R.M. Archer

Having worked on several projects with Sarah throughout the years, including her previous book Escape from Mathebos, I was super excited when I heard she was working on a cozy fantasy mystery series! I’m always super excited to see more Christian-authored cozy fantasy books, and cozy fantasy plus cozy mystery sounds like the perfect mix, so I couldn’t wait to read Murder in Mossyhollow.

(Required disclaimer that though I received a free copy to review, the following opinions are my own.)

What is Murder in Mossyhollow about?

As Mossyhollow’s apothecary, Sybell Buslingthorpe has her finger on the pulse of the village. When a well-loathed man is poisoned at a dinner party and the fiancée of Sybell’s assistant, Joan, is the prime suspect, Sybell feels compelled to step in and solve the murder before the wrong person is accused.

Sybell Buslingthorpe fills her days with caring for the sick, teasing her young assistant and his spunky fiancée, and going home to her garden and pet dragons. Free time is spent interacting with the village people of Mossyhollow and getting involved in the local politics. Everything an elderly apothecary could dream of.

Her comfortable life is thrown into chaos when her dear friend, Anya Thorne, throws a dinner party and her friend’s grandson is poisoned. Despite everyone hating him, Joan, as Anya’s housekeeper, becomes the prime suspect. Knowing her assistant’s fiancée is innocent, Sybell races against the clock to clear her name and find the real killer.

She finds herself swept up in a world of politics and prejudice, where everyone has a motive, but few have the means and opportunity. Will Sybell be able to patch up Joan’s reputation before it is too late?

Review

Murder in Mossyhollow‘s charm is in its Continue reading “Book Review: Murder in Mossyhollow by Sarah Rodecker” →

Book Review: DragonFire and Other Nonsense by Bethany Meyer

Posted on April 8, 2025March 10, 2025 by R.M. Archer

I haven’t posted as many reviews this year as some other years, as a consequence of reducing the volume of books I read in order to take my time with books that I really enjoy. Let me start by saying, this book was definitely worth the time.

(Required disclaimer that though I received a free copy to review, the following opinions are my own.)

Since this book concludes the Scorch trilogy, here is the blurb from book one rather than DragonFire itself:

What is Robbing Centaurs and Other Bad Ideas about?

Wick the tree messenger is bound for success. His career as a messenger is better than it’s ever been, and he’s on the fast track to getting an even more important job as a councilor. But before he can succeed, word spreads that a thief is after the most powerful magic in Aro, the Heather Stone, and stealing it piece by piece. To be safe, Wick is entrusted with moving one of the stones to a safer location.

On his journey, Wick is overtaken by the thief himself, a seraph named Archer, but Archer’s plans as he explains them are nothing like what everyone thinks. Wick doesn’t know what to believe, but Archer seems so sure. Wick’s options are limited: ignore Archer and keep his piece of the Heather Stone out of potentially dangerous hands, or choose to trust this thief and the warning he brings.

Something is coming. An ancient scourge that could destroy all of Aro. All that stands in its way are an uncertain messenger and an untrustworthy thief.

If he chooses wrong, Wick could lose everything.

Prior to reading DragonFire and Other Nonsense, I went back and reread both Robbing Centaurs and Other Bad Ideas and World Saving and Other Disasters–and I’m quite happy to have done so, both because Continue reading “Book Review: DragonFire and Other Nonsense by Bethany Meyer” →

Book Review: Princesses, Spies, & Other Modern Lies by Hannah Carter

Posted on November 5, 2024February 13, 2025 by R.M. Archer

Twenty Hills Publishing is a fairly new publishing house that caught my attention earlier this year as a Christian publishing house that tries to emphasize Christian values and light-centered stories without requiring those stories to be 100% squeaky clean in every context. When I entered a giveaway over the summer, one of the entries was to sign up to one of their street teams, so I ended up receiving an ARC of Princesses, Spies, & Other Modern Lies to review and was glad to have the opportunity to read something from Twenty Hills Publishing.

(Required disclaimer that though I received a free copy to review, the following opinions are my own.)

What is Princesses, Spies, & Other Modern Lies about?

The country of Umbra is caught in a war between its magical history filled with spellcasters and the new modern revolution. At the core of this civil war is the missing princess, who is prophesied to end the war and put the spellcasters back in a position of power.

To figure out where the heir is, the spellcasters throw a ball and invite all twenty-year-old women to see if one of them is the princess.

Though she’s forced to attend, Hazel Cartwright has no magical powers, so she can’t possibly be the missing heir . . .

Right?

Princesses, Spies, & Other Modern Lies is a short story full of political intrigue, a missing princess, magic versus modernity, banter, and spies.

This story starts off with a very Anastasia-esque premise, albeit Continue reading “Book Review: Princesses, Spies, & Other Modern Lies by Hannah Carter” →

Book Review: The Librarian’s Ruse by Thirzah

Posted on September 17, 2024September 18, 2024 by R.M. Archer

Today’s review is in honor of yesterday’s book release–A Traitor’s Vow, which is the sequel to The Librarian’s Ruse. For the sake of context, I began with this book and am sharing this review for others like me who might be unfamiliar with this series as a whole.

(Required disclaimer that though I received a free copy to review, the following opinions are my own.)

What is The Librarian’s Ruse about?

ONE MISTAKE. TWO EMPIRES. COUNTLESS SECRETS.

Amelia’s peaceful life as a librarian is cut short when she and her older brother Leon are sent on an errand to Eldnaire, the capital city of the vicious Vilnarian Empire. After witnessing a crime carried out in the woods, Amelia and Leon enter the capital only to be faced with an impossible tell the truth and risk imprisonment, or lie and face far worse if they’re caught.

One deception leads to a dozen more, and before she can put an end to the lies, she and Leon are swept up into Vilnaria’s high society. Amelia finds an unlikely ally in Vilnaria’s handsome new ruler, Emperor Kyvir. But as the secrets and scandals continue to pile up and danger closes in on all sides, Amelia must decide once and for all what matters the truth…or her life?

Let’s start with the characters, as they were Continue reading “Book Review: The Librarian’s Ruse by Thirzah” →

Book Review: Inseparable by E.B. Roshan

Posted on September 10, 2024September 9, 2024 by R.M. Archer

Starting today, I’ll be posting book reviews for three straight weeks, because apparently September is a popular release month this year! First up, Inseparable by E.B. Roshan released yesterday and I had the opportunity to read an ARC.

(Required disclaimer that though I received a free copy to review, the following opinions are my own.)

What is Inseparable about?

War brought Radoslav and Dunya together. If she hadn’t become a refugee, and he hadn’t taken a job as an interpreter at the camp she was sent to, they never would have met. Now, they’re taking the first tentative steps toward a peaceful future for themselves and their adopted son. Settled in a fishing village far from the conflict zone, they have good reason to hope the worst of their troubles are behind them. They could not be more wrong…

Review

Inseparable is book six in Roshan’s Shards of Sevia series, and I have not read the first five, so I can’t speak to Continue reading “Book Review: Inseparable by E.B. Roshan” →