Disclaimer: There is a higher-than-normal chance that I will return to any of the books I DNF in the next month because I am truly in the worst readinDisclaimer: There is a higher-than-normal chance that I will return to any of the books I DNF in the next month because I am truly in the worst reading mood right now.
That being said... DNF at 10%
Painful miscommunication mislabeled as enemies-to-lovers strikes again. The repetitive writing is what really drove me to DNFing this one. The same facts would be repeated over and over again in almost the exact same phrasing. Please trust readers to remember something that was mentioned 5 pages ago. ...more
This was a really rough start and I just couldn’t find anything to motivate me to continue. The writing, the characters, the lack of atmosphereDNF 20%
This was a really rough start and I just couldn’t find anything to motivate me to continue. The writing, the characters, the lack of atmosphere, the insta love… not for me. ...more
Come for the heist novel stay for the contemplations of existence and morality.
The Stardust Grail was so much more than I expected it to be. In th4.5
Come for the heist novel stay for the contemplations of existence and morality.
The Stardust Grail was so much more than I expected it to be. In this book, we follow ex-art thief Maya who is essentially hiding in graduate school after a heist goes very, very wrong. Despite efforts to leave her past behind, Maya is roped into “one last mission” that has the potential to save an entire alien race.
The Stardust Grail grabs your attention with the SciFi heist setup but there is so much to discover in this book. There is found family with a really fun and eccentric cast of characters. Characters navigate discussions of identity and morality. The story explores history and who is remembered as the “good” and “bad” guys. Halfway through the story, the book takes an unexpected, weird turn and from that point on I was completely hooked.
Yume Kitasei has quickly become an auto-buy SciFi author for me. I was a big fan of her debut, The Deep Sky, when I read it last year. What I particularly love about both of her books is the way she creates a sense of culture and how culture and identity are central to these far-future SciFi stories. These elements make the stories rich and engaging.
In The Stardust Grail, the sense of rich cultural identity shows itself both in the human beings and in the other life forms in this universe. The story is not just humans and then everyone else are these generic aliens. There’s a really rich sense of diversity and culture among the other space-capable people in this universe. There is this extensive sense of politics, art, history, and conflict between these people. Human beings are such a small part of the history of the universe as a whole. This book really captures the sense of things being so much bigger than one person. But at the same time, the book highlights the impact of individual choice through this line that recurs throughout the book:
You cannot live in the universe without leaving footprints
I would highly recommend the audiobook if you're interested. There are some cool moments where the narrator plays with voices that really add to the reading experience.
When Among Crows delivers a dark, emotional urban fantasy story packed with folklore. As this is such a short novella, I HIGHLY recommend goi4.5 stars
When Among Crows delivers a dark, emotional urban fantasy story packed with folklore. As this is such a short novella, I HIGHLY recommend going into this knowing as little as possible. I am going to keep this review on the short side to avoid giving anything away.
Roth creates a modern fairytale on the urban streets of Chicago, weaving Slavic folklore into the very foundation of this city. I loved seeing how the different mythical beings were included in the story. In this world, Roth explores culture, identity, immigration, belonging, and Christian imperialism. Every page of this story packs a punch.
When Among Crows follows an unlikely cast of characters on a 36-hour impossible quest. I loved every member of this little found family. The pacing of the quest really suited the novella format. I do wish the story had had a bit more time to build the character relationships.
Easily one of the best novellas I have ever read. I am excited to explore more of Veronica Roth’s adult fantasy work.
I think this book is cute and I appreciate how it tackles topics related to mental health, grief, and therapy. But I’m really uncomfortable witDNF 19%
I think this book is cute and I appreciate how it tackles topics related to mental health, grief, and therapy. But I’m really uncomfortable with a few things related to the set up of the story and how the characters are acting in regards to those things. There’s nothing wrong with the plot it just feels a bit illogical and immature. I can see the third act conflict coming from a mile away. I probably could’ve enjoyed the romance and watching Rory form a close relationship with Olivia. But this already isn’t what I wanted it to be.
Also why does Rory refer to the love interest by his full name every. single. time? ...more
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