June 2025 - Novel Notions

Book Review: Caligo (Sequel to the Nightingale Trilogy) by J.J. Fischer

June 26, 2025 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Caligo by J.J. Fischer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have a confession to make: I preordered this standalone sequel to the Nightingale Trilogy before I had even started the first book. I was that sure that I would love the series. That bet paid off. It’s not often that every single book in a series is a five-star read, but the Nightingale saga was that for me. And that includes Caligo. This sequel was just as fantastic as the main trilogy, if not even better. …

Book Review: Memoria (The Nightingale Trilogy #3) by J.J. Fischer

June 18, 2025 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Memoria by J.J. Fischer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Absolutely incredible. I was captivated by Calor. I was entranced by Lumen. But it is in Memoria that I found myself the most profoundly moved. Not because it was an excellent story, expertly told. Not because I had fallen in love with the characters and was so deeply invested in their stories. While all of those things were true, and all of them contributed to making this trilogy as wonderful as it is, those components were merely the foundation, the setting of the stage for the Truth that Fischer so brilliantly displayed through this work of fiction. …

Book Review: Lumen (The Nightingale Trilogy #2) by J.J. Fischer

June 11, 2025 Celeste Comments 0 Comment

Lumen by J.J. Fischer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lumen is the second installment in the Nightingale trilogy, and it picks up right where Calor left off. The pace is fast and the tensions are high from the very first page. The cast is still wonderful, and I’m enjoying getting to know them more deeply. Fischer does a wonderful job balancing their strengths against their weaknesses. She also does a lovely job of weaving subtle strands of Greek myth into her world in a way that only serves to deepen the story. There are subtle nods throughout, especially seen in the naming of places and even certain characters. …