3.5 My full review of The Spellshop. This book is the perfect read for readers who are looking for a combination of the two rising stars of fantasy subg3.5 My full review of The Spellshop. This book is the perfect read for readers who are looking for a combination of the two rising stars of fantasy subgenres, romantasy and cozy fantasy (especially if you like the cottagecore aesthetic). While the book is definitely flawed—especially from the point of view of epic fantasy readers—with its dragging ending and unconvincing side characters, they're less apparent to readers of cozy fantasy and romantasy, and the book still delivers when it comes to the main appeals of those two subgenres. The book does have a lot to say about the value of community and having friends even if you prefer books, and a little bit less about the importance of the distribution of knowledge and books....more
My full review of "The Siege of Burning Grass" This book is a good philosophical science fiction/fantasy book, but it's not for everyone. Its slow paceMy full review of "The Siege of Burning Grass" This book is a good philosophical science fiction/fantasy book, but it's not for everyone. Its slow pace and somewhat-detached writing style will definitely separate those looking for a quick easy read from the book's actual target audience, and that's people looking for a book that is as much philosophy as it is storytelling. It has a bit of a strange ending that doesn't completely fit considering everything that came before it, but it's still satisfying enough on its own that the problem is easy to overlook. It's not the type of book you can finish in one sitting, but it's one that will likely stay with you for a while after you're done with it....more
My full review of "Toward Eternity" So this is my second 5 star book of the year, and it's a debut novel that really didn't feel like one. It's a storyMy full review of "Toward Eternity" So this is my second 5 star book of the year, and it's a debut novel that really didn't feel like one. It's a story about humanity, languages, art, technology and how those things tremendously affect each other. This book is for you if you like stories about how important art is even when the world is deteriorating (like in Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven, with a bit of the dystopian world of "Sea of Tranquility"), or if you enjoy novels that features a lot of different characters, spanning multiple generations. Toward Eternity is a near-perfect soft sci-fi story with compelling philosophical elements that perfectly complement the book's focus on character depth. ...more
My full review of "The Failures" Benjamin Liar's The Failures is a respectable debut novel that attempted to do so many different things it might as weMy full review of "The Failures" Benjamin Liar's The Failures is a respectable debut novel that attempted to do so many different things it might as well be impossible. And while it didn't succeed in everything it did (the book is too long, sometimes too convoluted and clearly shouldn't have been a debut novel), it still did some things well, like in the immersive genre-bending worldbuilding (even if a lot of the names aren't creative, the world itself is), and some of the main characters and their relationships. If you're an experienced epic fantasy reader looking for something that's not only different from the usual stuff, but also a challenging read, then this book is for you, otherwise, you might want to read something else instead.
My full review of "Metal From Heaven" This book is an excellent fantasy book about empowering the working class against capitalism. It's perfect for reMy full review of "Metal From Heaven" This book is an excellent fantasy book about empowering the working class against capitalism. It's perfect for readers who enjoyed the political aspects of R.F. Kuang's Babel and the beautiful prose and complex character dynamics of Tamsyn Muir's Gideon the Ninth. It is relentlessly revolutionary in many different ways and yet still a very fun, rip-roaring read at the same time. This isn't the book for those of you who are looking for a fantasy story with deep magic systems or in-depth worldbuilding, instead, this is for readers who are desperate for a political fantasy revenge story that is written in a conversational yet lyrical prose....more
3.5 My full review of "Hell Followed With Us" This is a harrowing young adult dystopian horror read featuring the type of horror you can see in stories 3.5 My full review of "Hell Followed With Us" This is a harrowing young adult dystopian horror read featuring the type of horror you can see in stories from authors like Jeff VanderMeer and also the type of horror you might encounter in real life. Parts of it can be a bit confusing at the beginning, and the pacing is a bit all over the place, so it's not perfect, but it works well for the most part. If you're looking for a young adult read that's all about fun escapism, then this might not be for you. But if you're looking for a dark YA post-apocalyptic horror read featuring a nuanced trans representation, then you might want to pick up this book...more
My full review of Beautyland. an excellent literary sci-fi about an alien sent to Earth to observe human being and humanity. It meanders a bit sometimeMy full review of Beautyland. an excellent literary sci-fi about an alien sent to Earth to observe human being and humanity. It meanders a bit sometimes, but the book makes up for that with the excellent prose and character work that really drilled down on the themes. If you enjoy character/theme-focused literary fiction with a dash of sci-fi in the premise, then you should pick up this book....more
My full review of Ghost of the Neon God a quick read but in the best possible ways. usually sff novellas can feel too short or underdeveloped, but thisMy full review of Ghost of the Neon God a quick read but in the best possible ways. usually sff novellas can feel too short or underdeveloped, but this was perfect in terms of the length. it's a cyberpunk story about AI so a lot of the worldbuilding is done by the fact that the readers have probably read other cyberpunk stories before, so this book didn't need to explain much. The three main characters are really compelling especially considering how short the book is. And while the story doesn't contain anything particularly new or revolutionary, almost everything felt well-executed. ...more
My full review of The Stars Too Fondly. This is one of those books that I feel like are quite obviously a debut novel. It's described as a rom-com but My full review of The Stars Too Fondly. This is one of those books that I feel like are quite obviously a debut novel. It's described as a rom-com but I think it's just romance, really. Most of thee supposedly funny parts are from the dialogues, not from the characters' circumstances, and the dialogues themselves are often not that funny. And I feel like there are a lot of inconsistencies when it comes to the science and characters too, which are just there to make sure the plot moves forward. Fortunately, I think the romance parts are done quite well, it's slow burn and quite understated, but it's still the book's most interesting aspect by far....more
My full review of Dreadnought. This definitely worked a lot better as a trans coming of age story than as a superhero story (or maybe my standards for My full review of Dreadnought. This definitely worked a lot better as a trans coming of age story than as a superhero story (or maybe my standards for superhero stories are just too high after reading Worm/Ward). This book really didn't shy away from any of the depressing realities of growing up as a trans person, and even though it didn't do anything particularly new as a superhero story, that part of the story can often be fun (though occasionally dark too) to balance out the darker coming of age part. Though I do wish the book was longer as a lot of the details (especially regarding the superhero stuff) feel missing and it's not like the book is that long as it stands....more
4.5 My full review of Saturation Point here. This is an excellent novella that is obviously influenced by things like Annihilation, Roadside Picnic, and4.5 My full review of Saturation Point here. This is an excellent novella that is obviously influenced by things like Annihilation, Roadside Picnic, and Stalker, at least at the beginning, before it became it's own unique thing by the end. As the main characters suggest, the events of this book is basically the manifestation of the "nature is healing" meme we often see today. And "nature is healing" is good for nature, but it's not always so good for us humans, and the book makes it clear that while we need nature to survive, nature doesn't need us, especially with how humanity as a whole keeps on doing things that are destroying our natural world. If you're looking for a short eco/climate-thriller with a copious amount of social commentary, then this book is worth picking up....more
This is a short story collection about solastalgia, a type of grief caused by changes in the natural world (which are mostly caused by climate change). It's a fascinating concept that the author delved really deep into in these short stories, some of which are written in really unique styles that are closer to things you'd find in an epistolary novel than normal short stories, making them feel unique. the stories themselves can vary a bit in quality but that's just how most short story collections are. There's enough cohesion shared by them all because of the uniting concept (solastalgia) and so even if there are very few (if any) connections in terms of the plot and characters, these stories still feel like they belong together. It's a good work of speculative fiction that feels both realistic and imaginative in the best possible ways....more
3.5 My full review of "We Need No Wings" This is a magical realism novel focused on the main character's grief and how the setting of Ávila (and its peo3.5 My full review of "We Need No Wings" This is a magical realism novel focused on the main character's grief and how the setting of Ávila (and its people) can help her process all the emotions that come with that grieving process. This book isn't perfect, as the side characters can be a bit shallow, and the pacing is quite slow, even for books of this type. But it's written really well (other than the fact that there were too many Marvel references that really broke my immersion) and features a very compelling main character. We Need No Wings isn't for readers who are looking for an eventful magical adventure, but if you're looking for a slow-paced character study about a grieving sixty-year-old woman who's trying to find herself, then this might be for you ...more
3.5 My full review of No One Will Come Back For Us and Other Stories Far from perfect, and like many short story collections, can be a bit inconsistent 3.5 My full review of No One Will Come Back For Us and Other Stories Far from perfect, and like many short story collections, can be a bit inconsistent when it comes to the quality. But there are some really good ones here. What impressed me the most is the author's versatility, there are many different types of stories here, and many different types of voices used as well, all of them done with the amount of confidence you'd expect from an experienced author. ...more
2.5 My full review of The Book That Broke The World. Really wanted to like this because the ending of the first book was really intriguing but unfortuna2.5 My full review of The Book That Broke The World. Really wanted to like this because the ending of the first book was really intriguing but unfortunately I didn't like this one all that much, which is an unpopular opinion so it seems like most readers are enjoying this book at least. I found it to be too heavy on the worldbuilding and themes, but not enough on the characters, so it felt very exhausting to read, which is why it took me a while to finish this. Probably won't read the final book, but we'll see......more
3.5 My full review of The Stardust Grail A pretty good heist story. I think the plotting could've been better, but the characters are excellent. And the3.5 My full review of The Stardust Grail A pretty good heist story. I think the plotting could've been better, but the characters are excellent. And the worldbuilding too, with all the different aliens (even if we don't get to see all of them that much). All the heists feel unique and the main thing causing that is the stakes, the book is really good at increasing stakes in a natural way, and it makes the whole thing really exciting to read....more
3.5 My full review of "A Sorceress Comes to Call. While it might not be a perfect book, T. Kingfisher's A Sorceress Comes to Call has all the ingredient3.5 My full review of "A Sorceress Comes to Call. While it might not be a perfect book, T. Kingfisher's A Sorceress Comes to Call has all the ingredients for a perfect Halloween book, with its ghosts, mysterious geese, magical horse, and cruel sorceress. It's the kind of book that has to balance a lot of things, from different types of horror (the horror of being abused by your powerful sorceress mother and the horror of being chased by a magical horse, among others), the dark humor, and even the delightful regency romance. Overall, it's another solid entry in Kingfisher's body of work....more
My full review of Service Model. Another excellent Tchaikovsky read, he's 2/2 this year so far, with at least one more book to come, very impressive. TMy full review of Service Model. Another excellent Tchaikovsky read, he's 2/2 this year so far, with at least one more book to come, very impressive. This was a funny but also poignant read about a robot trying to find a purpose in a dying world. The characters are few but memorable, the storytelling is never boring, with the different styles in each section, and the philosophical and political discussions are very apparent, but in the best possible ways......more
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