It's a rare thing to find a high fantasy that takes a familiar playbook and shakes something fresh out of the dust. This one does it, and it 4.5 stars
It's a rare thing to find a high fantasy that takes a familiar playbook and shakes something fresh out of the dust. This one does it, and it does it WELL. Don't sleep on this indie fantasy series.
World building: ★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★★★ Characters: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★★
When you start Daughter of No Worlds, you're likely going to think about its similarity to a few very popular fantasy and young adult fantasy popular works. That's okay, because this novel does start in a somewhat familiar setting: it's a girl in a world against her, with some unique traits that make her a target who starts at the bottom of the ladder in an oppressed way—and she's going to do something about it.
That's a template that we know. Especially when it is paired with the older male, world-weary yet powerful, who finds himself drawn into the young woman's powerful, world-shaping energy.
But once you move beyond that surface-level introduction, Daughter of No Worlds begins to shine from the deep and grow with intensity with each reveal and new element. This author is playing the long game, and the further you dive in, the prettier the pearls.
A formerly enslaved woman with a need to succeed. A former warrior captain with scars and a weary acceptance that all power corrupts. A world on the brink of war. A change in the air.
Enter the world of Daughter of No Worlds. I promise you won't be disappointed, and I promise that the bland blurb that you read—which, yes, I agree is like many a blurb for many a romance fantasy—is hiding some really cool and very unique things.
Tisaanah is a female protagonist that I understood on a deep level. She's not the best at everything, but she doesn't have to work for everything overly hard either. Her passion is deep but her capacity for brute force and single-minded focus allows her to make the difficult calls when others would balk. She's aware of her place in the world, and she's aware that everything between her and her goal is a fight that she needs to strategize to win.
Max is a male love interest/mentor figure who REALLY surprised me. He is no Rowan Whitethorn with his past battles and trauma. (I am the biggest Rowan stan, so let's not slander my man here either, Rowan is great and has his place.) Max is a soft boy with hard edges, less than 10 years older than our protagonist, and he'd rather garden all afternoon than train Tisaanah in the art of magic and power plays—until, of course, push comes to shove and his claws come out. His arc was one of the freshest I've read for this kind of fantasy and I loved that.
And there's a third intriguing character here that stands apart from our two mains and slightly off from our side characters... I won't spill the secret, but let's just say that element took me COMPLETELY by surprise and immediately catapulted this series into another unique level for me. This is where the series deviates dramatically from others you've read before and cracks open into something fresh.
I can't wait to see how this all plays out in the trilogy. Time for book two!
A close friend who knew my reading tastes has been trying to get me to read this dark graphic novel5 what-the-heck-I-couldn't-stop-reading-this stars!
A close friend who knew my reading tastes has been trying to get me to read this dark graphic novel for months. She said it was dark, devious, filled with diverse female representation, twisted, focused on old gods, and absolutely beautiful. She was right. It's flawless.
Monstress is the type of graphic novel that fans of Anne Bishop, Leigh Bardugo, Dawn Kurtagich, Neil Gaiman, and other gothic authors should be reading. It's the perfect blend of Gaiman's dark humor and no-nonsense flair for the macabre, Kurtagich's twisted mind for horror, Bardugo's dark thread of Gothic, and Bishop's females influenced by dark power.
And yet, it stands alone.
I've honestly never read a graphic novel like this. I'm not sure if I've missed this niche filled with women in power fighting in dark stories—if so, help a girl out and give me a few suggestions—but it always seemed to me that most graphic novels were focused on men, or men writing sexualized women, or a few gems that had the flavor of women-led power struggles but ultimately were softer than their gritty male counterparts.
Wow, was Monstress a wake-up call.
The art is gorgeous. The story is 100% unique. The writing is gripping. The narrative follows several well fleshed out female characters across all levels of good and evil. The main character is perfectly balanced in the grey zone of good vs. bad. The plot is unputdownable.
It's definitely not a story for everyone, and I would caution readers to take a look at some of the spoiler reviews for this novel if you're a squeamish reader—there is a healthy dose of horror, bloodshed, and dark themes. But no rape, so that was a personal win for me as a reader.
Honestly, just pick this up. If you don't read it for the story, then give it a chance for the art—talk about a beautiful book both inside and out. I can't wait to read the next installments.
*****
Original notes: Oh oh oh this was good Review to come
A close friend who knew my reading tastes has been trying to get me to read this dark graphic novel for months. She said it was dark, devious, filled with diverse female representation, twisted, focused on old gods, and absolutely beautiful. She was right. It's flawless.
Monstress is the type of graphic novel that fans of Anne Bishop, Leigh Bardugo, Dawn Kurtagich, Neil Gaiman, and other gothic authors should be reading. It's the perfect blend of Gaiman's dark humor and no-nonsense flair for the macabre, Kurtagich's twisted mind for horror, Bardugo's dark thread of Gothic, and Bishop's females influenced by dark power.
And yet, it stands alone.
I've honestly never read a graphic novel like this. I'm not sure if I've missed this niche filled with women in power fighting in dark stories—if so, help a girl out and give me a few suggestions—but it always seemed to me that most graphic novels were focused on men, or men writing sexualized women, or a few gems that had the flavor of women-led power struggles but ultimately were softer than their gritty male counterparts.
Wow, was Monstress a wake-up call.
The art is gorgeous. The story is 100% unique. The writing is gripping. The narrative follows several well fleshed out female characters across all levels of good and evil. The main character is perfectly balanced in the grey zone of good vs. bad. The plot is unputdownable.
It's definitely not a story for everyone, and I would caution readers to take a look at some of the spoiler reviews for this novel if you're a squeamish reader—there is a healthy dose of horror, bloodshed, and dark themes. But no rape, so that was a personal win for me as a reader.
Honestly, just pick this up. If you don't read it for the story, then give it a chance for the art—talk about a beautiful book both inside and out. I can't wait to read the next installments.
*****
Original notes: Oh oh oh this was good Review to come...more
Yarros had the AUDACITY to put all of my favorite things in one book?? *fans self* Dragons, fights to the death, enemies to lovers, and a perfectly acYarros had the AUDACITY to put all of my favorite things in one book?? *fans self* Dragons, fights to the death, enemies to lovers, and a perfectly accessible writing style have made this an addictive series to watch.
This book really said, "Let's combine everything that worked in a bunch of fantasy books before and mash them into something awesome." And it worked.
Fourth Wing has been all over the book community this spring. If you've somehow not heard of it yet, you will, and if you haven't broken under the hype train and tried this story out, then you are an insanely strong personality and I fear you.
I had no desire to avoid this hype train—I've been eagerly awaiting it since this book popped up on my Amazon "you might be interested in..." window in late 2022.
Dragon riders. A college segmented into quadrants. A quashed rebellion with lingering consequences. A longstanding war. Magic powers. A girl caught in the middle, tugged on by Fate.
I know, I know. We've heard those things before, right? That's like Eragon + Divergent + Deadly Education + Red Queen + [insert blockbuster series here].
But Y'ALL. When I tell you that I couldn't put this book DOWN, I mean that I literally took it into the bathroom with me so that I could keep reading it. (Outing myself here, but you need to hear me right when I talk about this level of obsession.)
I ignored texts for this book. I ignored meal times. Like I've already said, I took this book with me for calls of nature. Fourth Wing couldn't be stopped, and I was obsessed beyond reason.
Addictive is the only word I can use to describe this reading experience and the subsequent fandom hype that happens after you finish. Unlike some popular reads out there—where let's be honest, once you gain some distance you realize flaws and your passion fades—I don't see this happening with Fourth Wing. I'm days out from my first read and I'm still wishing I could dive back into this world.
This is so clearly a reaction review that I don't think I want to talk about anything specific in this story. The blurb pretty much covers it.
My only caveat for Fourth Wing is related to its fanfiction-like status as a remix of the greatest trope hits: Listen, I know this book isn't a unique snowflake. But I literally don't care.
There's something to be said for the talent required in taking an established set of ingredients and still baking something tasty that feels like a handmade treat tailored to you, you know?
Ride the wave, y'all. It's so much fun.
Thanks to the author for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Books like these are why I adore fantasy with all of my heart. A pirate queen cajoled out of retirement for one last job. A deadly sea with supernaturBooks like these are why I adore fantasy with all of my heart. A pirate queen cajoled out of retirement for one last job. A deadly sea with supernatural consequences. And a myth in the making.
The Adventures of Amina Al-Sarafireads like one of those real-world myths that creep up on your slowly. As your parents, schoolmates, books, and media tell it to you—it's almost like it's always been there, a fictional story existing outside of your own lived existence and yet wholly real somehow, grounded in historical fact and cultural relevancy.
To put it even more simply: Mention the concept of "greek gods" to almost anyone on the street these days and they have the story already. They know the strokes, or they know at least several small details that have made it into their brain via cultural osmosis.
When I read Amina's tale for the first time, I felt that stirring. That behemoth feeling in the deep that this is a tale that's more real than fiction, more muchness than just a fable told to mimic the 1100s Indian Ocean tales for a 2020s audience.
Like the best fantasy tales of new and old—Amina Al-Sarafi is here now, and she's always been here and always will be here. Her tale is too rich to ignore.
Combining elements of seafaring adventure, heists, monsters, and more, The Adventures of Amina Al-Sarafi struck me most in its unique and unputdownable voice. Amina's no-nonsense, middle-aged motherhood persona was a treat in its (unfortunate) uniqueness in today's fantasy market and also a hilarious narrator in her endless dry wit and "let me tell you how bad things went to shit" attitude.
There is nothing I did not like about this story. It stands proudly in the canon besides Chakraborty's already titanic City of Brass trilogy, and other fantasy legacies such as R.F. Kuang, Fonda Lee, Jacqueline Carey, Jenn Lyons, and more.
Oh, and there's the swashbuckling, seafaring, mythologically induced adventures with all of the plot points you could possibly want rolled into the most attractive package to any fantasy fan. I enjoyed the hell out of myself. I think others will too.
I'm starting to think that readers of this series should have some sort of button that states 'I survived the Locked Tomb readinI..... well, alright.
I'm starting to think that readers of this series should have some sort of button that states 'I survived the Locked Tomb reading experience' or something because, wow, my brain continues to tumble head over heels in overload for Nona the Ninth. It's done that for each of the books, to be fair, but this one was extra special given how spectacularly different it felt from the first two books in the series.
Plot/Pacing: ★★★★★ Concept: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ugh bury me with these books
If you're seeing this review somehow with zero prior knowledge of Gideon the Ninth or Harrow the Ninth, please immediately stop reading this review and check out those two books or reviews of those books first. This review will sound like absolute insanity on a good day and just utter nonsense if you're new to the fandom. My reviews for Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth, respectively.
Are they gone???
....
PEOPLE. People. What did we just read, why is it so well done despite of/due to its status as meme trash, and are you also ready to die for Nona. Because I am feeling all of those things.
I will not be explaining the plot or what happens in this book because I'll either sound like an idiot or I'll try and regurgitate the entire series so far in order to do so.
Suffice to say, I continue to be impressed by Tamsyn's ability to turn this series' arc around over and over while maintaining its integrity and intelligence in the writing and plot. I have such sky-high expectations for Alecto the Ninth now that frankly, it's scary. I hope Muir sticks the landing with a mic-drop atom bomb.
Nona the Ninth's brilliance for me came from the choice to make our one point-of-view that of the person with the least knowledge of what's going on. How fun. How frustrating. How titillating.
Seeing our favorite characters with (no) context... nice. Guessing who is who, who is where, who is why, and the underlying meaning of it all??? So fun.
The absolute GRIP this series has on my soul, I swear. I am in the chokehold of the Ninth House and I'm happy to be here—as absolutely wi5 soupy stars
The absolute GRIP this series has on my soul, I swear. I am in the chokehold of the Ninth House and I'm happy to be here—as absolutely wild as it is to be on a mound of constantly shifting, resurrecting bones.
Concept: ★★★★★ Construction of story: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★★
Stop right the heck here if you haven't read Gideon the Ninth yet.
This book is the terribly confusing sequel to its extremely dense and pivotal first book, and unlike many other series you absolute cannot, under any reasonable circumstance, start with this particular book. Do not pass go.
Harrow the Ninth took my incredibly lofty expectations—how does one follow Gideon the Ninth?—and said "wait, you thought that's all I would do?" and decided to wham-bam, thank you ma'am me down with a notepad and said "watch me."
(As you can tell, this is a reaction review. Any summary would be either too vague or too nonsensical, and both are useless in this case. My reaction is already nonsensical enough for the both of us.)
The ending of Gideon the Ninth left me shattered. I wondered what could possibly happen in Harrow's journey. I wondered how I'd possibly like it. I wondered where we could go from here without falling into at least 3 previously done science fiction plot lines.
Again, Tamsyn didn't need my wonderings. She had other things to say.
Harrow the Ninth is a puzzle box, a haunted house, and a meditation on the intensely human capacity for emotion and inner mentality. It's a study of insanity, an unreliable framework, and a genre-defying installment in a series that gives new meaning to the word "epic."
I love the irreverence and utter lack of fear in this writing. The author saw the borderline of what had been done before—our comfort levels in genre fiction, our societal expectations, you name it—and decided to ignore any and all prior caution tape. An equal-opportunity mindf*ck, if you will. Nothing is sacred and yet this series—and this book in particular—feels like a religious experience.
I just... couldn't stop. It's been a long, long time since I've found a novel that ticked every. single. box.
It uses your entire brain—there are enough micro-puzzles and macro-arcs to keep even the unrelenting mystery reader satisfied. (There is also just enough of the familiar—and the more easily guessed—to keep you from disengaging in frustration, as well, which is almost more impressive for the mystery fans.)
It uses your acceptance of fictional truths and writing styles and subverts them in delightful ways. It explores a love on the interstellar and devastatingly intimate scale. It's so, so well devised and SO well written.
And, more than all else and with all of that included... it's still an absolute joy to read.
An all-time favorite, and hopefully the first of many in an exciting subniche of brilliant genre fiction to come.
A Clue-style mystery setting mashed with scintillating razor-sharp humor mashed with intricate puzzle-box plotting mashed with post-apoca5 necro stars
A Clue-style mystery setting mashed with scintillating razor-sharp humor mashed with intricate puzzle-box plotting mashed with post-apocalyptic necromancy mashed with intergalactic space vibes mashed with death/not-death mashed with lesbian drama mashed with—
I could go on, but we’d be here all day. This is an excellent chaotic casserole of brilliant nonsense.
UPDATE 7/15/23: Reread it, loved it the same, had even more good times as the eggs are all buried in this waiting for us to see them for what they are.
I now completely understand why Gideon the Ninth is marketed the way it is. Let me explain.
This book came out in 2019. It was pitched as "lesbian necromancers in space." I, not particularly liking space and not receiving much else from that limited pitch, took a pass on reading it. "Lesbian necromancers" was interesting... but vague. I didn't have enough to go on to outweigh my dislike of Star Wars-esque space-y stuff involving politics and planets.
Then the reviews started coming out and all of them said a confusing blend of nonsensical ?!?!?!, fandom love for the queer epic-ness, mentions of how messed up and dark and brutal it was, and a general sense of awe and an utter unwillingness to describe what was going on.
I was more intrigued, but not quite enough to pick it up. I had a lot to read, and this was still in my no-no zone of adult hard science fiction (I believed it to be, anyway.)
I waited until 2022 to read it.
Hot diggity dang, what a book. One of those Amy-you-dumbass, shoulda coulda woulda read it earlier type of moments.
Gideon the Ninth is an epic done on the intimate and bonkers foundations of the post-modern cultural moment of the now as opposed to the traditional scale of genre and expectations. Its readership both fits the pitch "lesbian necromancers in space" and yet needs to include other groups of people—myself included—who should ignore that pitch and try this glorious black hole of a book anyway.
I, too, will remain weirdly vague and wax rhapsodic on its attributes over its actual plot because going into this book blind, like a horror-thriller, is really the way to go.
It's a murder mystery. It's a haunted house novel. It's a video game-esque questing story with challenges to defeat. It's puzzles to solve. It's hidden clues on the tale ends of sentences and descriptions leading the reader unknowingly to the inevitable. It's a plot-twist thriller. It's an intimate enemies-to-[something?] with a passionate rivalry/hatred to rouse the interests of the most hardened of the slow burn smut readers—an unbelievable feat considering there is no pay-off in this particular installment. It's a gut punch, a brutal overthrow of your expectations. It's also pop-culture level funny with quips that seriously date it and yet add to the humor and surprise.
I'm honestly shocked at how not-science fiction this novel feels while remaining such a strong science fiction novel.
This is a gothic ballad to the queer emo mixed with the sardonic humor of the Black Death aficionados. I have spent this review making sentences with lofty nonsense pairings for the vibes and to depict the emotional aura of this novel because, frankly, I think Tamsyn would approve. (If my review annoys you, pass on this book.)
This looped a rope around my ankle and zig-zagged me down the rabbit hole. Hours disappeared as I cackled my way through a bizarre medievalesqu5 stars
This looped a rope around my ankle and zig-zagged me down the rabbit hole. Hours disappeared as I cackled my way through a bizarre medievalesque alternate fantasy world led but an unreliable and self-deprecating narrator. It was a whirlwind, a masterpiece, a satire, a heist. Can you tell I LOVED it??
Concept: ★★★★ Character: ★★★★★ Sense of Voice: ★★★★★ Witty Humor: ★★★★★
Oooookay. From the lead-in, I hope you gathered that I have completely converted into an absolute superfan for this novel. Don't expect any level of balanced critique—for me, this was perfect. (I know, I'm shook. too. Who'd have thought a book with a cover like that and a battle-focused concept would live on my shelf of greats.)
Orhan is an engineer. More specifically, a colonel of engineering bridge-builders. He and his team of 4,000 men travel across the Empire building bridges. This is what they do.
When the Empire starts to fall to a cleverly executed and unknown invader, however, Orhan's life as a bridge-builder starts to end. The Empire's navy has been lost to the sea. The military's robust defensive supplies and stores are gone. The 13,000-man army has been massacred. And the walled City is now at risk—with no one to defend it.
To the surprise of literally everyone—including Orhan's own men—Orhan decides he might as well give it a go. Protecting the city, he means. It's either be slaughtered trying to run away, or die quickly while defending a well-built siege city. As a former slave to this same Empire in trouble, it's an odd choice for Orhan to make, but Orhan often makes seemingly odd choices. (Even though he's telling the story, who's to say it's the right one.)
So the siege begins.
Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City is, to put it simply, AWESOME. K.J. Parker is known for his irreverent humor, his wry twists of concept and story arc and unreliable-yet-begrudgingly-likeable narrators. I thought I was a potential fan with Prosper's Demon. I knew I was a fan with Inside Man. And now I'm sure of it—I'm going to read every novel Parker has ever written under this pseudonym. I must!
Don't go into this novel with more background than the above. (It's more fun that way.)
I shouldn’t feel like I’m pulling teeth by saying this but apparently I am… As someone who tends to steer clear of this type of story and world building due to general fatigue of male Medieval/feudal empire kingdom vibes…I just loved the hell out of this.
The Justice of Kings follows the story of Helena, a young female apprentice learning the footsteps of one of the king's powerful Justices, Sir Konrad Vonvalt. Vonvalt is a traveling lawman, the king's voice when the king is not there, and the wielder of supernatural powers all in the name of the law: justice.
This story has a very legal, judicial, and ethical vibe to it—people like myself, who love courtroom thrillers, should have this on their radar.
Helena is following in Vonvalt's path across the Empire, doling justice to each and every small town and making sure the law is being followed fairly from area to area. Vonvalt feels very much like the good, honest man trying to do his best in an ever-changing system. Along with Helena, Vonvalt's entourage includes his man-at-arms, Bessinger. This trio is an interesting bunch—one 19-year-old former-thief female telling the story, one vaguely 30-something bodyguard type with a checkered past, and one upper class lawman in his later middle-aged years with a burning passion for ethics.
It shouldn't work, but it does.
Helena, Vonvalt, and Bessinger unknowingly find themselves in the heart of a sweeping political saga just being themselves in a complex and ever-tilting world, and as Helena herself tells us: we had no idea what our actions would set in motion.
At the core of this fantasy is a murder mystery: one of Vonvalt's stops in the countryside involves a rich outpost city reeling from the senseless murder of a noblewoman. Noblewoman are not often murdered, much less with no suspects, so Vonvalt's bloodhound senses prickle, and he sets up shop in the city to investigate with Helena and Bessinger.
Things unfold from there, both on an intimate and a far-reaching kingdom level.
Overall, I thought this fantasy debut was utterly fantastic. Gripping, told from a surprising perspective, and engagingly thrilling due to foreshadowing from "future" Helena looking back on this book's events, The Justice of Kings was a book I couldn't stop thinking about. I read it in small doses over several days to savor it, and whenever I wasn't reading it I was chewing on it, thinking about the layers and enjoying the scope of the world building.
I think this story brings fresh air into a tired niche, and am eagerly awaiting the next two books in the trilogy and more from this author.
This was too good to rate less than 5 stars, even though I have to admit the pacing was rough. Very lush, heady, and romantic—a deb4.5 celestial stars
This was too good to rate less than 5 stars, even though I have to admit the pacing was rough. Very lush, heady, and romantic—a debut that every fantasy reader should have on their radar.
Xingyin is the daughter of Chang'e, the Moon Goddess. Hidden from the rest of the Celestial Kingdom and their fellow immortals, Xingyin is her mother's secret. An immortal born from a newly immortal moon goddess and the mortal, Houyi—the best archer who ever lived—Xingyin's life was fated for destiny.
To save her from discovery, Chang'e sends her daughter away from the moon to seek safety in the Southern Sea. Xingyin does not make the journey. Instead, she finds herself unmoored and on her own in the Celestial Kingdom. It's time to make her own destiny and, while she's at it, save her mother from her imprisonment on the moon. All while hiding the fact that she's the daughter of the moon goddess—the one mortal-turned-immortal who disobeyed the rules of the all-powerful Celestial Emperor.
What will happen to Xingyin? Curl up with her as her story unfolds and she tells you all about it...
Daughter of the Moon Goddess is one of those reads that reminds you just how good descriptive lyrical fantasies can be. That's a bold statement, I know, but I stand by it.
Whether you prefer your fantasy epic, urban, romantic, grimdark, gothic, young adult, or other—fantasy is, at its core, an exploration of realms and concepts that exist outside of our mundane reality.
Some of our earliest fantasies sprung from early storytelling and oral histories. Cultural touchstones of mythology, faith, origins of peoples, fairytales. Stories that persist and adapt with our cultures.
I'm waxing poetic about storytelling because Daughter of the Moon Goddess feels like a continuation of that conversation. It's rooted in Chinese mythology and yet linking new threads and telling its own story. It's lush. It's descriptive. It's extremely heady in its romanticism. It highlights life lessons and morals. It's its own modern (ancient?) fable. It's one of those tales that unfolds in its own time and in its own way. It is the definition of "unhurried."
That, I think, was this story's only weakness—its pacing. As someone who is used to our modern fantasies, I found Daughter of the Moon Goddess frustrating for the first several chapters in its use of extremely slow pacing mixed with time jump intervals. This might be common in Chinese stories, I'll admit ignorance in this field, but it was present to me as a Western reader so I'll caution my other Western readers to persevere. If you can get into the groove with this story and its unique sense of plodding pace, it is truly spectacular.
So I abandoned this book years ago, but I guess I'm a different reader now, or maybe I just missed the magic the first time—because now it's a 4 stars
So I abandoned this book years ago, but I guess I'm a different reader now, or maybe I just missed the magic the first time—because now it's a new favorite. Sometimes, second chances are worth it...
Concept: ★★★★★ Plot/Pacing: ★★★★ Main character: ★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★
Scarlett and her sister, Donatella, live on an isle under the controlling rule of their abusive father. Scarlett believes in happy endings. Donatella...doesn't so much.
So when their grandmother tells them tale after tale of the mysterious Legend, the man behind the magic of the realm's mystical Caraval game, Scarlett's the one who writes to Legend year after year. If Legend would only invite them to participate in Caraval, then Scarlett and Donatella could win the game and be granted the grand prize... one wish. No restrictions.
For two girls with a very bleak future, winning Legend's elusive wish is one of their last shots at happiness.
So when Scarlett's letter finally arrives with invitations, Scarlett and Donatella can't believe it.
It's all about to begin, now. And remember, it's only a game.... (Right?)
Filled with lush descriptions, fantastical and transportive scenes, and enough twists and turns to actually surprise this jaded YA reader more than once, Caraval was more than worth the read!
My thoughts: Alright, so like I said from the beginning, this was a second-chance read for me. In 2018ish, I tried to pick this up and actually DNF'd it a few times within the first few chapters. I just couldn't get into it, the main character bothered me (I have a personal taste issue with really naively-written older teen characters), and I just. didn't. vibe.
But then, this author came out with a spin-off series in this universe in 2021 called Once Upon a Broken Heart. And I totally loved it. It made me curious enough to give Caraval another shot—again—and see if anything good lay beyond the opening part of the book.
Spoiler: a LOT of good things exist beyond the weak opener. So if you're like me, maybe give this one another shot.
This is the light grimdark, rage against the patriarchy, scorched Earth, polyamorous power couple YA novel that I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED until it5 stars
This is the light grimdark, rage against the patriarchy, scorched Earth, polyamorous power couple YA novel that I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED until it was right in front of me. And it. was. glorious.
Concepts: ★★★★★ Plot: ★★★★★ Female rage against the machine: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★★
No summary here, y'all, welcome to the reaction review.
So first off, I think it needs to be said that I don't read a lot of science fiction—either adult or young adult. (My one sci-fi vice is Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff's multiple space opera trilogies.) Science fiction as a genre isn't my favorite, and I often have a hard time getting into it. I'm a fantasy, horror, and feminist speculative kind of girl. That might not be the most relevant thing to start out with in this review, but I think for the other people out there like me, who don't normally read science fiction, this might be worth a try.
What I LOVED:
>>The no-holds-barred female rage—we are starting to see this more in fiction, and I am here for it. Ladies, be ANGRY.
>>The fact that no matter what, I was surprised. Was the plot going to go the way I expected? No. Did characters do what I expected them to do? Not always. Was the world holding some surprises, even when I thought I had it figured out? YES. There's nothing more refreshing then when a YA successfully manages to shock a seasoned reader.
>>The polyamorous romance. Can I get HELL YEAH to see some more of that in traditionally published fiction? Woohoo!
>>The compelling world. Pacific Rim vibes, but make it based in Chinese amalgamations of history and culture and have a borderline fantastical atmosphere.
>>The blunt, steel-tipped writing style. Other reviews call this writing too on-the-nose, in need of sugar coating. I did not feel that way at all. This is a grim world filled with female oppression and embarking on a much-needed journey of retribution. The writing reflected that.
What I didn't love:
>>Nothing. I have no complaints, no wishes for other things, no regrets.
>>(Ok fine, I am UPSET at how long I must wait for the sequel because that ending was torturous.)
I put off reading this book for YEARS, and for what? This was awesome. An alternate version of Japan (Janloon) with clans vying for cont4.5 jade stars
I put off reading this book for YEARS, and for what? This was awesome. An alternate version of Japan (Janloon) with clans vying for control of the modern regions with special, jade-related magic abilities and ruthless gang-related politics. Come for the concept, stay for the ingenuity of the worldbuilding and the intriguing plot.
In Janloon, the Green Bone clans hold all the cards. Using jade, a rock known for its biomechanics and magical properties, as their power source, the Green Bones are now one generation in to the "new" version of Janloon--one ruled by its native people, the Kekonese, as opposed to its Shurikan oppressors.
But "peaceful" times are only as peaceful as the clans ruling the cities, and the Green Bones are a warrior caste of people holding on to a power source known to cause madness in a large segment of the jade-carrying population.
The No Peak clan of Green Bones is headed by the Kaul family. Lan, the oldest, is the recently appointed Pillar of No Peak--a new ruler for a new generation of Kekonese, but the elderly patriarch is still in the picture, and he is a constant reminder of the Kauls' wartime past.
Hilo is the Horn of No Peak--the brutal enforcer of the Pillar, and the head of the Green Bone and their street force. He's the hot-headed steel behind the Pillar and his impetuous nature is going to totally, totally help with delicate situations...of course...
Shae is the prodigal daughter, the Green Bone with power and yet she spent her formative years growing up with the gendered expectations of the Kauls and a competitive streak that clashed so much with Hilo that when a foreigner breached her confidences, she left Janloon never to return. Well now she's returned--older, wiser, and with the intent of staying out of the family business.
The Kaul siblings all have intentions and dreams for what's going to happen for themselves and for No Peak. But the best laid plans... you know how it goes. Nothing ever ends up the way you expect it to, and No Peak's future is not as clear as that.
Like I said right at the beginning, I put off reading this story for ages. I had a lot of (false) preconceived ideas about the story based on how it was marketed--it's marketed as an action-based martial arts plot, so I thought it would follow a very action/male-dominated lens--and that was just not the case.
The interpersonal relationships of this story were fascinating. The siblings and their various POVs all are coming to the same situation and family setup with their own baggage and ideas of what it means to be a Green Bone, and I couldn't get enough of it. I think Shae's character arc was the most interesting to me, as a woman myself, as I can't wait to see what her arc looks like as she handles Kekonese cultural expectations and (hopefully) supersedes them.
There's a lot of twists, predictable and unpredictable. Fonda Lee found many ways to subvert my reader expectations as well as provide a structure that feels familiar and new in equal turns.
The pacing lagged a bit, but I found that issue easily fixed by switching between the audiobook and print versions of the story. If you enjoy audiobooks, I recommend doing the same! Good narrator and helped keep me invested in the various POVs.
*This is a reaction review, and does NOT attempt to provide a summary or introduction to the story itself. Sorry!*
This is one of several retelling/fairytale revamps I've read this year, and unfortunately for The Wolf and the Woodsman it joins its fellow tale counterparts in the "meh" category on my shelf.
I don't necessarily think that the book itself is bad - not at all, I seem to be in a small minority here on Goodreads! - it's just that it fell flat for me. My problem with fairytales/retellings/folk tales is this: due to their structure and/or original storylines, the books start off at a strong disadvantage. We know the moves, we can anticipate the betrayals, there is often a strong flavor of morality/religion/"lessons to be taught", and the folk tale-inspired main character is often an archetype that lends themselves to naivety, blandness, or a strong wall of distance between them and us as the reader due to the way they are written.
(I picked this up for my sister. She loved this book and asked me to read it. All the things above that I stated as negatives, she stated as positives, so this seems to be relative to the individual reader.)
Leaning further in to the reaction vibe of this review, I think it's also worth noting that the historical contexts for this novel (Hungarian history, a strong Jewish cultural and historical element) were extremely well done. I enjoyed those elements and loved seeing Jewish communities displayed in the page—albeit, in their fictionalized versions with some different names/etc.
Obviously those themes came in tandem with a larger plot that focused heavily on religion...I was less excited for that as the religion in this tale was extremely patriarchal and hit too close to home in too many areas...but again, this seems to be a personal dislike and not a fault of the novel itself.
Also, if you're interested in giving this book a try: get ready for some EXTREME repetition. "You're the wolf girl, I'm the Woodsman." "You are the Woodsman, I'm just a wolf girl." "The wolf girl and her Woodsman." "Hey Woodsman, can you help this wolf girl?" "I am the wolf girl, you are the Woodsman." (Over and over and over and over and—)
How many times can I fumble my way through the concept of "it's not you, it's me" in this review? Apparently a lot! Thanks for sticking with me to the end of this review if you made it this far.
I had a lot to get off my chest with this one (clearly) so apologies for those who are used to a more well-rounded review.
There's no other way to put this review, so I'm starting off right with a one-two punch: The Last Graduate wa4.5 I’m-dying-from-that-cliffhanger stars
There's no other way to put this review, so I'm starting off right with a one-two punch: The Last Graduate was 50% a slow-burn sophomore setup, and 50% an active, amazing plot with the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers.
Writing: ★★★★ Character relationships: ★★★★★ Pacing: ★★ World building #2: ★★★★
Where to start?? I guess I'm going to attempt to be completely spoiler free this time around... Because of that, here's a vague synopsis of the first book, A Deadly Education:
El, a powerful "evil" wizard who is prophesized to bring the doom of the wizarding world, attends the deadliest school you could ever conceptualize: The Scholomance. It's a never-ending haunted house—with deadly stakes—and El's lack of connections and rage-filled chip on her shoulder left her in a pickle. That and the fact that the Scholomance, which is sentient and supposed to provide each student with schoolwork tailored to their unique abilities, keeps trying to give El supervolcano spells of mass destruction whenever she asks for help cleaning her dirty dorm room.
We should probably mention that El was raised by the kindest hippie witch trope in the world, so El's trying her best to NOT be the next Evil One to End All Things.
But anyway... Some things happen. As El is the Evil One, she also interacts with her class's version of the Chosen One with...interesting results that I (totally and utterly) went completely fangirl over. She makes some alliances, some things happen... the vague synopsis peters out here.
In this book, The Last Graduate, El and her classmates are now seniors. With the graduation ceremony historically being a bloodbath of epic proportions—they have to fight their way out of a monster pit at the base of the school, full-on gladiator/Hunger Games style—they've got a lot of training and preparation to do.
But things this year are different. And their plans are about to be radically changed... and not from the source that they're expecting.
That's all. I'm not going to ruin it!
I will fully admit to being very bored for the first half of this novel. In fact, this book had me questioning my love of the first one! Because it was so much slower, not overly much happened right away, and Noviks' already extremely meandering and overly descriptive writing took center stage and tried to bore me from my beloved characters.
But I loved El, and I loved her situation and her friends, so I kept going. And that paid off BIG TIME. The last half of the novel recovered from its slump and ended in a truly dramatic and over-the-top way that made me just lose my mind. I'm upset we've got to wait until September 2022 for our next one!
(But will gladly wait, with popcorn, for the finale. It's going to be epic.)
This pretty, gorgeous, absolutely irresistible package of a book is so much fun to hold and to have on your shelves. I bou3.5 where-was-the-plot stars
This pretty, gorgeous, absolutely irresistible package of a book is so much fun to hold and to have on your shelves. I bought it for the hype and I am 100% satisfied with my purchase. As a book collector, this will live on my shelf forever and look beautiful.
But did I love it??
...No. Sadly. I tried so, so hard to love this novel—but at the end of the day, when you strip the marketing, the blacked out pages, and the mysteriousness of the blurb from consideration... the story itself didn't do much for me.
I've been sitting on this all day, what to say for this review. Because after reading so many other reviews on Goodreads, Instagram, TikTok, you name it.. it seems like it's just me in this corner of hey, it was cool, but it wasn't amazing? I was bored, frankly. And I thought the plot struggled to make itself known between the choppy descriptions of really cool things and the goobledygook name pronunciations.
Not much... happens. I mean, in a very literal sense, the characters move from space to space quite frequently and talk, a LOT, to a lot of people in various settings. But my overall feeling for 80% of this 500 page "prologue" was one of looking at the metaphorical clock, going hey... I'd love for the story to start soon, thanks, and then... at the very, very last page, it felt like we were finally getting somewhere. (I hold a large candle of hope that due to the ending's takeoff, this "prologue" was meant to feel this way and the next volume will not have this issue.)
Reig and Trad are two twins who live in a different realm/reality within an organization known as the Octunnumi. Like a fantastical version of the Men in Black concept ( I am really, REALLY reducing the complexity of this book's premise with this comparison, and I know that, but this is a good likeness if you strip away the excess), the Octunnumi exists but the world of Earth doesn't know they exist. They pop in and out of these portal doors and affect/change/manipulate things in our world and we never, ever know they're there. They interface with magical beings and influence humans' opinions on art, culture, design, and technology.. all from behind the unseen curtain.
In the realm of the Octunnumi, Reig and Trad travel from fantastical section of the realm to fantastical section of the realm like an interdimensional train station/antique store/urban market hybrid that would make an AMAZING visual cornucopia of a movie. The descriptions are lush and the areas of the realm sound awesome. A playground for the imagination in every sense of the word.
But what are Reig and Trad doing, exactly, and what happens in this prologue?
Well, while still avoiding spoilers, let me just say... not much.
There's a plot thread of children, presumed dead from a failed rescue operation ages past, who have been identified as alive. This is the "core" plot of sorts, as Reig and Trad were on the rescue team and never got over this loss - so to find out these children are alive, yet still missing, has spurred the two boys into action to relocate them. The core plot, as much as it can be called such, is the twins moving around the realm talking to people and gathering people/ideas/things together loosely to work toward finding these missing children.
There's also a plot thread of Reig and Trad's old friend, Nicolas, who was forcefully ejected from the Octunnumi around the time of the failed rescue operation and condemned to a life on Earth due to his forbidden love with a girl outside his race. This comes back to bite the Octunnumi organization in the butt when Nicolas arrives on their doorstep many regenerations later (oh, did I mention all of these operatives endlessly regenerate/reincarnate instead of die? Yes, they do. It is unnecessarily confusing) with a mystery of his own and ulterior motives.
And, of course, there are Reig and Trad themselves. They were the most interesting to me at the start, as there was a fair amount of foreshadowing involved regarding a meta Narrator who interacts with the boys directly (the author of this book, self-inserted as their Narrator), some allusions to the some Things that will Happen Soon and other such nuggets. I was intrigued at their history and their future. However, like many other things about this novel, my fascination soon turned to boredom and eventually shifted into flat out exasperation as hundreds of pages flew by and Reig and Trad remained exactly the same. No character development or growth, no insights into their motivations and/or feelings of attachment, and ultimately no sense of what they cared about and/or wanted to happen. Unlike most novels, the main characters you get on page one are the exact same as the ones on the last page.
As you can see from my extremely scattered thoughts and reactions, this was an ultimately polarizing read. I liked elements, I disliked other elements, and ultimately I didn't love it. But am I intrigued enough to see if my dislikes are solved in volume two? Heck yes.
Give us a pseudo-Venetian atmosphere, a criminal underbelly like Six of Crows but grown up, and a twisty-turny plot like the best of the best..5 stars
Give us a pseudo-Venetian atmosphere, a criminal underbelly like Six of Crows but grown up, and a twisty-turny plot like the best of the best... Y'all need to read this!
There was nothing that I did not love about this. Masterful writing, nuanced world building, and twisting character arcs. It was a bit long, but who can blame the author for that?? There was a lot to cover.
Ren comes to the city of Nedezra with one goal in mind: to con her way into the noble house of Traementis. A former thief and Nedezran gang member who escaped the city as a teen, she's going to pretend to be their distant cousin and it's all going to be fine.
Everything is not fine. When she arrives, Ren quickly discovers that House Traementis is dying on the vine and almost broke to boot. And things in the city of Nedezra are fracturing. The noble houses, which are Liganti born, exert their will onto the city, and most importantly, they exert their ironclad will onto the city's indigenous population, the Vrazenians. In a (sadly) classic nod toward our world's cultural battles and colonizations, Nedezra is on the brink of an uprising with the Vrazenians and the Liganti on opposing sides.
And while Ren might be in the process of conning her way into the Traementis' Liganti household, Ren herself is Vrazenian...
To make things more complicated, Nedezra's foundations lay in a holy space for the Vrazenians, where myth and magic all combine into the realm of dreams and visions that the Vrazenians are known for. (Patterning, for example, is a Vrazenian pursuit that is a direct relative of tarot card reading. Etc.)
But someone is messing with magic that they shouldn't... and children are dying in the streets. "We can't sleep," they say. And then their essence is consumed by a living nightmare.
Weaving together the core point of view of Ren—our plucky, street-rat protagonist—with several other players throughout the city on both sides, The Mask of Mirrors was an amazing entry point into a new favorite series.
I will say the pacing was a little on the longwinded side, but given the complexities of the world building and the intense setup needed to establish the main plot points, I didn't mind.
We also had almost a dozen POVs to keep track of, including: a mysterious Robin Hood-esque vigilante, a former thug turned profitable merchant with a penchant for secrets, a Vrazenian-born police captain who now works for the Liganti nobles, and a few more with their own agendas and secrets to share.
Eagerly awaiting the second book in the series. May there be many more to come from this author duo pseudonym!
I fell in love with this world and its characters. Historic London-type vibes, murder mysteries, witches in hiding, a queer love story, and 3.5 stars!
I fell in love with this world and its characters. Historic London-type vibes, murder mysteries, witches in hiding, a queer love story, and a massive world-ending plot twist?? Y'all.
Pacing: ★★ 1/2 World: ★★★★★ Enjoyment: ★★★★
Miles Singer is trying to hide the fact that he's a witch. In Aeland, a realm that feels like an alternate Edwardian London, being a witch means a one-way ticket to an asylum. Or in Miles' case, a one-way ticket to eternal servitude to his rich family. (Because the rich obviously treat their own witches differently. Rich people are the same no matter the world...)
Toiling away in a veterans hospital, Miles tries to keep a low profile. Because not only is he a witch in hiding--he's also hiding his true identity and avoiding his family. As plans go, it's semi-working. Miles is getting by.
But then a dying witch shows up at the hospital in the arms of a handsome stranger. The dying man gives his power to Miles, accuses an attacker of murdering him, and also hints at some huge issues with Aeland's current government and the "true" purpose of the war. He begs Miles to find out the truth. He calls out to Miles' duty as a fellow witch and binds him with mutual magic.
And all of this happens in front of the handsome stranger. Who may or may not be extremely interested in this turn of events. With some clever blackmail at play, the stranger and Miles embark on a detective adventure with very, very high stakes.
Will Miles find out the truth before his past catches up to him?
Wow, was this a fun story! For having been on my radar for a while, I was shocked at just how much of this novel took me by complete surprise. Witches, historic vibes, a murder mystery, a gay romance, and family angst?? This was so much fun. I absolutely fell in love with the world and its characters.
However. I need to say something about the pacing. The first half was slowwwwww. Too slow. Confusingly slow. In an effort to ease us into the world and provide a "cozy mystery" type atmosphere, we lost a lot of plot momentum. I had to struggle to stay engaged while waiting for the plot to kick off. BUT, once it takes off, this novel runs! So the issue resolved itself.
Overall, great read. If the blurb even mildly interests you, check this out. You will not be disappointed.
Below there are SPOILERS for the first book, We Hunt the Flame. I repeat, SPOILERS for the first book!
Ok, they gone? Good! Let's talk about this one.
Following the events of We Hunt the Flame, our group of rebels/adventurers are reeling. The Lion of the Night is at large with a dangerous agenda, they've lost Altair, and the remaining members of the group are struggling to cope with a recent loss and the implications of the fight yet to come.
Zafira, Nasir, and the team are bound for Sultan’s Keep, determined to restore the hearts of the Sisters of Old to the minarets of each caliphate—thus returning magic to all of Arawiya.
Zafira is the fabled Hunter of the realm, who spent most of her years masquerading as a man who was known for his ability to find anything. Now armed with a mind-to-mind connection to a powerful magical text and outed as a Huntress, not a Hunter, she's struggling to adjust to her new situation amidst the panic of their quest. Oh, and there's the exciting (or distracting?) feelings she's experiencing for the crown prince, Nasir.
Nasir, the crown prince of Arawiya and the famed assassin known as the Prince of Death, is also dealing with some shattering revelations. Having just found out that he has a brother—and discovering that the brother is his commander at arms and lifelong reluctant frenemy, Altair—is enough to make him stop in his tracks. But then to discover that his father, the evil Sultan, is also under the Lion's mind control and therefore not the monster Nasir believed him to be for years? Yikes. Nasir is, to put it mildly, a bit of an emotional mess and attempting to hide it. And there's also the fated pull he feels for Zafira too, in case he didn't have enough going on.
With court politics, assassinations, intrigue, and deadly games of cat and mouse to come, We Free the Stars takes off with a lot on its plate. Will Arawiya be saved?
My thoughts: So I need to address the elephant in the room right off the bat: the pacing of this novel really suffered with the extreme length of this book. Even though it was only roughly 100 pages longer than the first book, this installment felt every inch of its extra page count.
I think this was a difficult series to wrap up, honestly, and it speaks to the author's talented sentences and character development that I still loved it... even when it dragged on. And it did drag. Part of what made me fixate on the length was the somewhat aimless portion around the 250-350 page mark where I felt like the characters were all aimlessly pacing from space to space, waiting for the shoe to drop and filling the time with movement to feel productive. That sounds super dramatic—but I feel like it's accurate. I enjoyed those portions for the conversations and the romantic angst, but even my "character drama"-preferring self was ready for some action after a while.
However, despite those qualms above, I really did love this book.
Hafsah Faizal is a beautiful writer and I fell in love with her characters and this world. Nasir and Zafira's romance stands alone in my head for its refreshing blend of good "old fashioned" YA angst and drama mixed with a sensual edge that didn't rely on raw sexual insta-lust to make it work. I was also a huge fan of the side characters and their unique emotional arcs.
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