240 replies to this topic

[Mara=^.^=]

I really shouldn't be quoting Skyrim here, but...yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and quote Skyrim:
 

 
I finally got around to reading The Speaker by Traci Chee, the sequel to The Reader, which I reviewed back in 2017. I actually had to re-read the first book because I had forgotten basically everything.

Whereas The Reader was primarily about Sefia, The Speaker is Archer's story. The sections told from his perspective center on his struggle to tame his addiction to violence. With his memory and voice restored, he's no longer Sefia's faithful guardian. He's a person with a past — a traumatic, monstrous past, filled with pain and terror and death. He can't escape the nightmares, and he can't escape his insatiable blood-lust, though he hates himself for it. Like a heroin addict, he's drawn toward killing time and time again...and he's very, very good at it. Overcoming his murderous nature isn't easy, and it isn't something he can do alone.

The Speaker is filled with a jumble of POV characters, but it feels less disjointed than its predecessor, probably because all of the various plot threads relate to the central theme: the struggle to defy fate. Over and over again, various characters strive to change a future that has already been set in stone — or rather, in ink. The Book functions as a kind of antagonist, a shackle chaining those who read it to the lives (and deaths) it has prepared for them. It has a will of its own, and its true goals are anyone's guess. Nevertheless, Sefia is determined to avert the tragic ending that awaits her and the boy she loves, even though her parents tried and failed to do the same.

Final thoughts: this is very much a middle book. It's hard to judge the narrative in isolation; I feel like the final entry in the trilogy will make or break this series for me. I am rooting for Sefia and Archer, but the standout romance for me was the unlikely love story between the cursed king and the man sent to assassinate him. I hope Ed gets a happy ending. Until then, 3.5 stars .

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =
 

[Mara=^.^=]

 

This is one of the saddest books I have ever read. It ends in gutting, heart-wrenching grief — a victory for the many, at the expense of everything for the few. It turns out that in the end, love isn't enough to save those fated to die. The only choice the condemned get to make is what sort of legacy they leave behind when they're gone. It's the story of a fatal diagnosis told through the medium of fantasy romance.

The Storyteller is packed with creative risks that make it more impactful than the previous two books. It breaks your expectations, it breaks the fourth wall, it breaks your heart. I have such respect for Chee's commitment to her artistic vision, even if it makes for a tragic ending and zero re-readability. I didn't love it, but I'm still gonna give it 4 stars, because I appreciate it when authors swing for the fences . If it had been called "The Author", with all that would have entailed, I would've rated it 5 stars.

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

 

An exercise in Medieval grotesquerie, replete with filth and superstition and creeping horror. The author clearly did a ton of research, but the weak ending drags the novel down.

 

3 Stars . 

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

The Planet Construction Kit has a lot of great ideas, but it's shambling, uneven, and overstuffed. The lack of focus is particularly evident in the final chapters, which are way beyond the scope of the book and absolutely should've been cut. The author is very clearly NOT an artist — but instead of recommending a list of resources for readers looking to incorporate art into their world-building, he includes page after page of his own poorly-drawn sketches.

The amount of time dedicated to the actual planet part of the Planet Construction Kit is minimal. Much more attention is paid to culture and society, with frequent allusions to the author's own fictional world. He writes with an authoritative tone that is not in line with his qualifications. He is clearly a fan of anthropology, but he isn't an expert, and his confident, sweeping assertions about human nature should be taken with a grain of salt.

And then there's the random sidebar conversations Rosenfelder has with his Christian readers. They are...strange, to say the least. In one sidebar, he assures Christian readers that it's okay to invent a fictional religion (what kind of crazed fundamentalist thinks it's a sin to invent a fake religion for a story?). In another aside, he reassures the fundies that he isn't trying to convince them that science is, y'know, real. It's like he's feeding lumps of sugar to a frightened horse. Absolutely bizarre.

2.5 stars .


~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

 

 

Started this. Got about halfway through. Can't be bothered to finish. There's nothing really wrong with it - it just doesn't hold my interest for some reason.

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Mara=^.^=]

 

The Narrow is a novel about queer love, intimate partner violence, and grief, told through the medium of a ghost story. The prose is atmospheric and polished, even if the characters are nothing remarkable. The ending falls somewhere between tragic and bittersweet — don't read it if you like your wlw to have a happy resolution.

 

3 stars.

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =
 

[Mara=^.^=]

 

The Isles of the Gods stars a cranky sailor, a fuckboi prince, a painfully generic scholar, a reluctant hostage, and a religious nutter willing to commit atrocities to win the respect of her older sister. Some of the characters are trying to prevent a war, others are trying to foment it. At the heart of this struggle is a war-mongering god bound in sleep, and the warrior goddess who keeps him trapped there.

 

This whole book feels like a recipe where the ingredients don't quite go together. Part of this comes down to personal taste; this is a fantasy that mixes monarchies, spirits, magic, gods, and sailing ships with speakeasies, automobiles, and radios. I...do not like this type of setting. I find it hard to believe that a world with such different rules would produce an industrial revolution so similar to our own. I think this book would've been stronger without the presence of modern technology. It doesn't really add anything to the story.
 

The prose was polished and the plot had high stakes, but I struggled to connect with most of the characters. There did *not* need to be 5 POVs. I ended up liking the prince the best; his guilt was emotionally resonant, especially toward the end. I question the author's decision to make the female lead a tsundere type cranky-pants. I think Kaufman was going for an enemies-to-lovers story-line, but it just feels contrived. If you're going to do enemies-to-lovers, you have to commit. Like everything else in this book, it almost works, but not quite.

 

3 stars. Even though it was kinda "meh", I'll still probably pick up the sequel, because I cannot abide a cliffhanger.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

"If you're going to do enemies-to-lovers, you have to commit." MMHMM. 

 

I have to admit, this one sounds like it'd probably be right up my alley, or at least adjacent to it but I have so many other books I want to read. 

 

I enjoy your reviews, Mara. They are always so concise. Whenever I try to review anything I just ramble. 

[Mara=^.^=]

"If you're going to do enemies-to-lovers, you have to commit." MMHMM.

 

I'm something of a connoisseur when it comes to this trope. I have...very strong thoughts about how it should be executed.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

I would LOVE to hear these strong thoughts, Mara. 

 

I agree it certainly takes a very skilled hand to pull it off. Now, there have been a few when I'm fanning myself because they are just so hot, but it also can be like.. "Well, now they are kissing.... Okay." 

[Mara=^.^=]

I think the biggest requirement for me is that they need to have a reason to be on opposite sides at the beginning. If they just sincerely don't like each other's personalities, and that's it, then you've lost me.

 

My fave version of the trope, of course, is when the two leads are obsessed with each other throughout the story - it's just that the nature of the obsession evolves over time. Obsession is fun.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

OOOOO. Heck yeah. If you have any recs, please share them if you wish! I'm always looking for more believable and fun enemies to lovers books. 

[JimmyxxCindy4EVER]

My fave version of the trope, of course, is when the two leads are obsessed with each other throughout the story - it's just that the nature of the obsession evolves over time. Obsession is fun.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

 

I know exactly what you mean with that, Mara!  I love that, which is exactly what drew me to love J/C!  The moment you said that, it reminded me of them!

[Mara=^.^=]

 

 

The Familiar is a story about servitude. About changing fortunes. About the desperate, cloying struggle of those who have no power, and the fearful, petty machinations of those who do. Leigh Bardugo has a talent for creating interesting character dynamics, and that strength is on full display here. The first third of the novel is flawless. Unfortunately, Bardugo makes a world-building decision that, in my opinion at least, seriously weakens the book: she never explains where magic comes from, what its rules are, or why only some people can wield it. It's not an oversight; she literally says these things do not matter. Except, they really, really do. Magic is the beating heart of the novel. It's the inciting incident and the impossible conclusion. With no solid guard rails in place, magic can just be...whatever it needs to be in the moment. It's an ever-unfurling, intentional deus ex machina. It hearkens back to an older style of folktale, where miraculous elements appear as needed, thanks to the audacity of the heroes. I do not like this narrative choice. It feels...at odds with the setting.

 

In the end, this is only a 3 for me . There are other things I could say about the romance, or the pacing, or the religious themes, but all of these elements (good and bad) are overshadowed by the magic conundrum. Honestly, my favorite moment in the story was when the initial antagonist - an evil stepmother type - throws off her shackles and ditches her shitty husband to live a bohemian life raising orphans with her female playwright lover. Why isn't the book about her?? She has the best character development of anyone in the cast!

On an unrelated note, Bardugo uses the word "cock" way too liberally. I was laughing uncomfortably the entire time.

 

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

I’ve had this on my radar for a while, but now I feel a little less inclined to be in a hurry to pick it up.

[Katia11]

Honestly, my favorite moment in the story was when the initial antagonist - an evil stepmother type - throws off her shackles and ditches her shitty husband to live a bohemian life raising orphans with her female playwright lover. Why isn't the book about her?? She has the best character development of anyone in the cast!

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

Uhm. That sounds awesome. I'd read that.

[Mara=^.^=]

Uhm. That sounds awesome. I'd read that.

 

I was surprised by how much I liked Valentina by the end. She's a prime example of how misery can make a person nasty and mean - but when she finally stands up for herself (and takes a good, long, hard look in the mirror), she realizes that she can be so much more than an unfulfilled wretch. Her happy ending is less deus ex machina, and more make your own happiness. I want to read about all the adventures she has with her adopted daughters.

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

I was surprised by how much I liked Valentina by the end. She's a prime example of how misery can make a person nasty and mean - but when she finally stands up for herself (and takes a good, long, hard look in the mirror), she realizes that she can be so much more. Her happy ending is less deus ex machina, and more make your own happiness. I want to read about all the adventures she has with her adopted daughters.

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

Agreed! And I haven't even read it.

So, after I read the Six of Crows duology, I went back and read Shadow and Bone. It was a mistake because it sort of turned me off her other writing a little. Like I didn't hate it, it just fell really flat for me. I realize this isn't quite fair since those books came before Six of Crows, but it's what happened. So, I've been looking for another book to try by her and see if that goes any better. I'm quite simple and very easily pleased, but yeah - I definitely have other books I want to read more.

[Mara=^.^=]

I've had this on my radar for a while, but now I feel a little less inclined to be in a hurry to pick it up.

 

I love Leigh Bardugo's writing style. I've been meaning to read Ninth House, but every time I pick it up and read the cover blurb, I just remember my interactions with actual, real life Yale students and then laugh raucously before returning it to the shelf.

 

So, after I read the Six of Crows duology, I went back and read Shadow and Bone. It was a mistake because it sort of turned me off her other writing a little. Like I didn't hate it, it just fell really flat for me. I realize this isn't quite fair since those books came before Six of Crows, but it's what happened. So, I've been looking for another book to try by her and see if that goes any better. I'm quite simple and very easily pleased, but yeah - I definitely have other books I want to read more.

 

I haven't gone back and read those either. I keep getting sidetracked by all the new books coming out. There's never enough time!

 

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

[Katia11]

I haven't gone back and read those either. I keep getting sidetracked by all the new books coming out. There's never enough time!

~*Mara*~ = ^.^ =

Oh, I feel that.

And yeah, Ninth House is one I've considered picking up, it seems right up my alley in terms of vibes but I heard kind of mixed things about it when it first came out.