Welcome to a new occasional series on the Candlemark & Gleam blog: Biblibations!

We’re book people. That much is kind of obvious, what with the whole “running a small press” thing. But everyone – editors, artists, designers, authors, etc. – reads outside of their C&G efforts, too. And it’s kind of fun to take a peek at what others are reading when they’re not writing, editing, reading slush, etc.

Beyond that, we got thinking about how well books go with a nice drink – tea, booze, juice, pick your poison. Curling up with something to read and something to sip is a delight, and we want to give you a glimpse inside the reading-and-drinking personalities of all the C&G folks, from contributors to authors.

And so begins Biblibations! Every so often, someone will pop on the blog and give you a taste of what they’re reading now, and maybe a little sip of a drink to go with it.

Mastermind Kate is starting us off with her current nightly pairing: The Spirit Thief by Rachel Aaron and homemade hot cocoa with cayenne.

I work some pretty insane hours, and I rarely take time off for much of anything. But lately, I’ve been in need of some downtime and, frankly, some comfort. And for me, that means turning to re-reads, and to favourites. Normally I reach for a much-loved Terry Pratchett book when I get into one of these moods, but this week, I turned to the Eli Monpress trilogy instead. I first read The Spirit Thief when it came out a year or two ago, and adored it instantly. It has the feeling of a Terry Pratchett book – smart, slightly satirical humour and a really involved fantasy world that never infodumps or bogs down. But it’s also got a wry, snarky sense of humour and more action than you can shake a stick at. The books never slow down, and the tiny, clever, incredibly well-thought-out details just keep coming, immersing you completely in Eli’s world. Rachel Aaron sends you tumbling headfirst into her world and you’re swept up instantly – this is how fantasy settings grab you.

Having really human, interesting, flawed characters that feel like real people just completes the package. And I mean that for all of them – there’s no real secondary characters here; while it’s called the Eli Monpress series (Spirit Thief, Spirit Rebellion, Spirit Eater, Spirit War, etc), and while Eli does take center stage, everyone gets their due, and everyone from prickly Miranda to mysterious Nico and gruff Josef is a fully realized person in their own right. It’s quite a feat, especially given how fast the books came out.

So for the last few nights, I’ve been re-reading The Spirit Thief with a cup of homemade hot cocoa in hand (in my trusty Spelling Police mug, of course). Cocoa spiked with a touch of cayenne to perk it up, that is. It’s kind of like the Eli Monpress books for me – comforting and soothing and familiar and warming, but with a little flicker of heat and vibrance and depth. Mmmm.