Cute and cozy Fantasy story and EXACTLY what I wanted and needed when I picked this up. It had just the right amount of stakes and cutesy cozy vibes fCute and cozy Fantasy story and EXACTLY what I wanted and needed when I picked this up. It had just the right amount of stakes and cutesy cozy vibes for a cozy Fantasy. I really loved the protagonist Kiela and felt her struggles with other people and her own boundaries deeply. Def check this one out if the description matches what you're looking for!...more
I want to thank Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
An4.5/5 stars
I want to thank Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
An Education in Malice delivers on what it promises. It is dark, it is poetic, and it is deeply carnal.
I would lie to say that I was deep into this from page one. Laura Sheridan is an interesting character, but only in deeper relation to her academic nemesis Carmilla Karnstein - and this book finally took the idea of academic rivals serious - did my interest for them bloom. The characters were aggressively academic: competitive, manipulative, borderline abusive and jealous. The way they fawned and fought over their professor was obsessive to a high degree, yet made the setting make more sense.
The reader is hit full force with their feelings in a violent ping-pong of their perspectives as they each figure out not only what the other thinks about them but as they also slide deeper into the sea of darkness and carnal desire. And not only that, but creatures of the night come a-knockin' and present a more differentiated world the characters can explore.
The ending was unexpected, yet felt satisfied when I finally turned the last page, ready to say goodbye to these girls and their misadventures....more
I want to thank Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I 4.5/5 Stars
I want to thank Little Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I am happy to announce that this book is every bit as spellbinding and atmospheric as the first. Reading the story was a breeze, and I felt like I blew rather than tore through the pages. It felt effortless.
Surprising to me, I liked this book a tad more than the first, even if I generally felt the same way reading it. The development of the characters and story as a whole felt more fulfilling in the second book, which is a feat in and of itself as there will be a book 3, which I will definitely pick up once its time has come!...more
An expansive journey through the intricacies of Greek mythology following Proteus, mythical seer and firstborn son of Poseidon.
Thank you to Reedsy DisAn expansive journey through the intricacies of Greek mythology following Proteus, mythical seer and firstborn son of Poseidon.
Thank you to Reedsy Discovery and the author for providing me a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Heir Apparent is a debut novel and first in a series. It makes an intriguing effort to build a world of Greek mythology unlike many of the popular retellings. In this world, we see through the eyes of Proteus, oldest son of Poseidon. When his father disappears alongside the other children of the Titan Kronos, the way is paved for him to take the throne and become King of the Sea - only that is the last thing he wants to do. Instead, he tries to find out more about the disappearances while also protecting his home, the sea, from those lusting for the throne. Burdened with purpose, he is threatened to drown in an unknown future.
None shall go unscathed if their hunger for power threatens the sea.
This book is by no means an easy introduction to Greek mythology. From chapter one, it drags you into a literal sea of interwoven stories of parents and children, love and power, Olympians and those beneath. Heir Apparent puts a focus on where few have looked in the past: the countless deities of the vast and mighty sea. Without Poseidon to take the spotlight from them, we learn about dozens of major and minor goddesses and gods, and each and every chapter introduces us to more. While this appears very overwhelming at first, a list of the deities at the back of the book offers a welcome respite. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to discern between major and minor roles in the story while reading, as what feels like every single character is named and described, which can be a bit too much to take in.
Over the course of the story, we visit many important locations in the world of Greek mythology, such as Olympos and the underworld. The author makes an effort to show the many relations Proteus has to each and every realm and the deities therein, which makes it easier for readers to follow along. Other characters and Proteus' inner monologue often refer to past actions of his, which I would have loved to properly see more of instead of being told about.
The plot, which at first is an assumed murder/capture mystery, turns out to revolve mainly around Proteus protecting Poseidon's throne from inside and outside the sea kingdom. While parts of the story feel a bit aimless, the ending does tie a lot of strings together. Overall, the novel feels a bit like the prequel to the main story, so I am excited to see where book two will take us in the future...
Recommended for those already comfortable with the more well-known Greek mythologies, and those willing to take a crash course in minor deities!...more
Fast, light-hearted and charismatic - Incomplete is strongly character-driven and boy did I love these characters.
Thank you to Reedsy Discovery and th
Fast, light-hearted and charismatic - Incomplete is strongly character-driven and boy did I love these characters.
Thank you to Reedsy Discovery and the author for providing me a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
Incomplete shows us a complex world where a genetic mutation allows part of Earth's population to control certain elements: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Storm, Fortune, or Life. In this world divided between the aloof elementalists and humans, Ethan Silverspoon is fated to die. He is a Rogue, an elementalist with no proper grasp on any of the seven elements. He is a threat. The Council kills him - or they try to, only to realize that they can't. Meanwhile, humans move to rise against the elementalists, thinking them the threat. The Council might need Ethan after all - and those like him.
We start with a lot of information we need to take in at the beginning of the story, which is typical for the genre. From there, we quickly meet our cast of characters and expand our understanding of the world and the people therein. Incomplete feels deeply character-driven to me and getting to know the characters got us to further the plot in a smooth and light-hearted way. In the second half of the book, the initial plot diverges unexpectedly. It felt like the story tried to be a lot of things at once before building a solid base with what it gave us at first. The story would have benefitted from staying in part one for longer than it did before moving to the bigger plot.
The way this story hooked me came unexpected, but the way it tends to happen for me: the lovable cast of characters. You start out, confused by who is who and which nickname matches which person, and then all of the sudden you find yourself thinking about these characters in the day-to-day. Incomplete truly has an adorable cast, and while comprehending them seems to be a solid wall of confusion at first, halfway through you realized that it was never there in the first place.
One thing I did not know before picking this up was the representation this book covered. As a fellow person on the asexual spectrum, seeing a story with multiple factettes of being Ace was heartwarming. S.I. Foote, the author, is asexual themself and gave us a witty Aro Ace boy, a quiet demisexual girl, and another asexual character. I personally enjoyed the way it was handled with care yet with comforting ease. Aside from the Ace representation, Incomplete also offers characters from backgrounds I rarely see in Fantasy fiction, yet I liked the way the book introduced me to them.
This Young Adult Fantasy story is a little gem perfect for readers who enjoy a bigger, but intricate cast of characters working as a team to solve problems....more
4.5/5 Stars - rounded up because I started crying right when the epilogue started.
Look, I went into this thinking it would be a nice folklore-y gothic4.5/5 Stars - rounded up because I started crying right when the epilogue started.
Look, I went into this thinking it would be a nice folklore-y gothic romance story. And what did I get? A Polish gothic fairytale that talks about guilt, sacrifices, loss, and what it means to give yourself up. AND I got an amazing romance even though there is a 700 year age difference. For the sake of Fantasy romance, I decided to ignore this and let's just say this story made it more believable than a lot of other Fantasy romance I have stumbled upon in the past.
The reason why this book had me tearing up was the raw nature with which the narration described all these terrible feelings of guilt and loss. The role of women also plays a big part in the narration, and it is handled beautifully. Liska, our protagonist, is fiercely protective and caring, yet is so much more than the simple "doting wife/mother". The end of the book was perfect for that and, even though it was bittersweet and hurt like hell to read, it was exactly what this story needed.
Please do pick this one up, even if you're only curious about the Polish folklore. It's worth it....more
A grumpy overprotective barbarian, the ghost of his dead wife, an eccentric necromancer, and a boy and his unicorn set out to save a bard, wh4/5 Stars
A grumpy overprotective barbarian, the ghost of his dead wife, an eccentric necromancer, and a boy and his unicorn set out to save a bard, who just happens to be the barbarian's husband. Tears and a good laugh alike guaranteed!
You guessed it with the title: this is a book heavily inspired by D&D and I am here for it! Lovers of the all-time-favorite Legends & Lattes are not necessarily guaranteed to love this, but this book is very precious in its own way and did give me strong L&L vibes from time to time. The biggest difference, to me, was that this was way more action-packed than L&L and followed more of a Quest/Adventure storyline. Still, it was character-driven, had a lot of great development and some fun lines thrown in!
If you think you might enjoy this, I can tell you there is a good chance you will!...more
Wow. This is a story about women, truth, academia, and survival, wrapped inside a cloak of Mystery, Fantasy and Romance. It is everything it needed anWow. This is a story about women, truth, academia, and survival, wrapped inside a cloak of Mystery, Fantasy and Romance. It is everything it needed and wanted to be and more.
I want to thank Random House UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Her fear had transfigured the entire world. Looking at anything was like trying to glimpse a reflection in a broken mirror, all of it warped and shattered and strange.
This story truly grabbed me by the collar and dragged me along from chapter one. The narration is very purposeful in the way it makes the reader feel, especially negatively. I felt uncomfortable reading most of the book, deeply touched by its writing and topics, only for the end to tie everything together in a flawless manner.
It's a story about trauma and fear, patched by the idea of obsessive Fantasy, and it was everything. It gave me The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, both in the topics and the way it made me feel. I can't wait to see more people picking this up!
You don’t have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery, too.
PS: I would categorize this book as New Adult rather than Young Adult due to the topics discussed. I strongly recommend looking at a list of trigger warnings before reading, if you are sensitive to such topics.
Merged review:
Wow. This is a story about women, truth, academia, and survival, wrapped inside a cloak of Mystery, Fantasy and Romance. It is everything it needed and wanted to be and more.
I want to thank Random House UK and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Her fear had transfigured the entire world. Looking at anything was like trying to glimpse a reflection in a broken mirror, all of it warped and shattered and strange.
This story truly grabbed me by the collar and dragged me along from chapter one. The narration is very purposeful in the way it makes the reader feel, especially negatively. I felt uncomfortable reading most of the book, deeply touched by its writing and topics, only for the end to tie everything together in a flawless manner.
It's a story about trauma and fear, patched by the idea of obsessive Fantasy, and it was everything. It gave me The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, both in the topics and the way it made me feel. I can't wait to see more people picking this up!
You don’t have to take up a sword. Survival is bravery, too.
PS: I would categorize this book as New Adult rather than Young Adult due to the topics discussed. I strongly recommend looking at a list of trigger warnings before reading, if you are sensitive to such topics....more
I want to thank Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this copy in exchange for an honest review.
In this 3/5 Stars
I want to thank Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this copy in exchange for an honest review.
In this story, we follow a young boy's journey as he joins an elite academy for fighters and protectors, Guardians of a Force that keeps the peace between East and West. Our protagonist, Yahshi, has seen a glimpse of the scary truth behind this Guardianship and is torn between believing the pretty story they show the public or seeing the truth.
I enjoy academy-type or trial-type books. It feels impossibly nostalgic if done right, and a good trial story will always grip me from start to finish. Think Hunger Games or Divergent or many newer additions to this subgenre. I'm not sure what it is about these stories for me.
Unfortunately, while this story was a YA academy story and very typically dystopian, it was not my cup of tea. The story and characters never gripped me and so these pages felt endlessly long with no true goal in mind as the protagonist keeps being torn between his options, which is fair. Even by the end of the story, you're not quite sure if what you've read is plausible and where the plot will go. A lot happened in this book, yet it did not manage to inspire me to keep my interest in it.
I would still encourage readers of YA fiction to pick this one up, as it might be the beginning of a great series. I've noticed that I personally oftentimes don't enjoy YA fiction the way actual young adults do (I do fear I am getting old with my 20+), so if you're looking for a book to hook you this might as well be it!...more
I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Y'know whe4.5/5 Stars
I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Y'know when a blurb advertises a book as "perfect for fans of Becky Chambers", I feel it is my duty to read it and see for myself. This one? Oh yes.
Every job in hospitality is the hardest job in hospitality.
Safe to say it's easy to see where the comparison comes from, but Floating Hotel has its own very unique charm. The story is told through a dozen characters as focalizers and, even though each of them has their own story to tell (which they do) and their own little plot to work on, they also keep building the story of this space hotel as a big cohesive group. There are characters you'll hate, those you'll love, any everything in between. The book goes deep emotionally but since it is rather short and has so many different perspectives, it goes deep very fast instead of with the long build-up like a Becky Chambers book.
SHOOT FOR THE MOON! EVEN IF YOU MISS, YOU'LL LAND AMONG THE STARS!
Nonetheless, this made me laugh and tear up and restore a little hope in humanity. And that's all you can want from a book....more
This book is about women and perseverence, science and magic, history and truth, predator and prey. It's about power. It's about those people abused tThis book is about women and perseverence, science and magic, history and truth, predator and prey. It's about power. It's about those people abused to the point of nothingness, discarded without a second thought. It's about the people unseen and those underestimated. It’s about academia and its raw truth in the most brutal way imaginable. And boy, what an ending....more
As someone who does not like enemies to lovers, I am bewildered to find that I enjoyed this one. I want to thank Little Brown Book group and 4/5 Stars
As someone who does not like enemies to lovers, I am bewildered to find that I enjoyed this one. I want to thank Little Brown Book group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
But once I stopped needing to survive, what would be left? What if the worst parts of me had already cannibalized the best?
When the kingdom of Jasad burned and its magic was outlawed, Sylvia was but a child. After barely surviving the event and its aftermath, all she wants is to forget her past as the Jasad Heir and survive peacefully. Enter Arin, Heir to the very kingdom that scorched hers. When he discovers her magic by chance, Sylvia is forced to make a deal with him to escape persecution, and so the cruel game begins.
Amidst the many many books the internet is hyping up these days, this is one that truly delivers on its promises. We get a beautifully complex Egyptian-inspired world, in which powerful magic has been outlawed. We get strong characters, interactions and development across this first installment. We get enemies to lovers in a way that had me uncertain at first, but ended up convincing me as someone not too keen on this type of romance. We get a compelling narrator with Sylvia, who talks about struggles that will resonate with a lot of readers, namely - as the author mentions in her interview - through the guiding question:
What do you owe to a place and a people you’ve barely known, but without whom you wouldn’t exist?
All in all, truly a terrific debut that I’m sure lots of people will love!...more
Very excited to have finally read an Ann Leckie book! I want to thank Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit and NetGalley for the opportunity3.25/5 Stars
Very excited to have finally read an Ann Leckie book! I want to thank Little, Brown Book Group UK, Orbit and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
In Translation State, the story of a missing alien Translator changes everything for people 200 years after their disappearance. Enae, once a repressed housekeeper, now a curious investigator, is sent on a pointless cold-case mission to figure out what happened to this alien, only to uproot a human and another alien - both mixed up in this story far more than they believe possible.
Look, considering how deep we are in this crazy Sci Fi world of Ann Leckie's, I had an easy and enjoyable time getting through this book. While it was difficult to follow at times (possibly due to my lack of knowledge of other books in the series), I was surprised to see how smooth this boat sailed. All three main characters were unique in their own right, and I did enjoy the very different perspectives they provided.
The pacing, unfortunately, I wasn't the biggest fan of. The beginning was awesome, then the buildup and climax fell rather short for me, and the end had little impact too. The loss of momentum carried to my curiosity of the main characters, who made interesting journeys but reiterated a few discoveries a couple times too much for my case. Lastly, and this is likely something that my reading the other books in the series would change, I felt like I was introduced to too little of the world the book played in to properly put things into perspective. That was very confusing and ultimately a let down.
All in all, a book with great prose and such an incredibly cool galaxy to discover! Definitely the kind of series you could get sucked into, but not my cup of tea as of right now!...more
I haven't had this much fun reading a Romantasy in a WHILE. I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read th4.5/5 Stars
I haven't had this much fun reading a Romantasy in a WHILE. I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Immortal Longings is a story set in the crowded city San-Er, capital of the world Talin. In it, the king hosts a dangerous game in which players fight for their life for a chance to win riches. With most players capable of jumping between human bodies, chaos and danger alike is assured. Princess Calla Tuoleimi and Royal Exile Anton Makusa enter these games with different motives, but one thing is sure - they will clash, and one of them will win.
Look, I read this as someone who 1. has never read anything by Chloe Gong before and 2. does not know Shakespeare's Anthony and Cleopatra, which this story is supposed to be inspired by. And let me tell you - I had so much fun. It felt a little overly complicated at times with the introduction of the concept of "body jumping", but I was glad that I could enjoy this as an oblivious peasant.
Both prose and romance were likely what stood out to me in this story. Gong caught me off-guard with her stunning prose and the way I was highlighting half of some of these chapters. I totally understand why fans of writers like V.E. Schwab or Naomi Novik would love her writing. And the romance? Look, I'm by no means a romance reader but there is something about obsessive, terrible "love" that I can't help but be intrigued by. Anton and Calla reminded me of Olivie Blake's Alone With You in the Ether in the best and most awful way possible - this for sure ain't a nice love story. Both them and the other characters were all morally gray in a formidable way and it made this so much more fun!
One last honorable mention about this book is that it talks about (gender) identity and representation in a way that I personally enjoyed and found refreshing to read. It was integrated into the theme of jumping between bodies and using them as "accessories" rather than permanent residences, and the writing around it sure was intriguing. The topic was very current in an unexpected way that left me almost wanting more.
All in all, I feel so lucky to have read this before the release date and I will sure be recommending it to fellow readers!...more
This was an unexpected win in the department of ARC requests of books that are rather unknown. I want to thank BookBuzz and NetGalley for t3.5/5 Stars
This was an unexpected win in the department of ARC requests of books that are rather unknown. I want to thank BookBuzz and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Golden March introduces us to its three protagonists - ex-fighter Dredge, archivist Cersi, and Shadow mage Endri - as their lives are irreversibly intertwined and they learn what was kept from them all their lives. Long ago, the city they live in was split into two sides and Dredge, trapped in the gloomy Greyward, looks in wonder towards Brightwater, where Cersi lives yet is haunted by a curious piece of history that has her venture into the dark to find out more. All the while sneaky Endri discovers hidden truths on how their land came into mana and magic - a truth that soon has the enemy knocking on their door, threatening to knock it down.
Honestly I was impressed by this book. The detail that went into the world and its magic, which the author takes their time to slowly unravel across the story, was intriguing to say the least. We have lost civilizations, ancient magic, fated pairs of magicians, and different races of humanoid beings that all pack a punch in a different way. The world is Fantasy in its nature and plot, although we do find some elements that give it a slight Sci Fi vibe, which I liked.
I did enjoy reading the perspective of our three protagonist, although I wish they had had more time to let their character and desires shine, and to form truer bonds between each other that were more relatable. To me, a lot of explanations on the realities of the world came a little late to a point that sometimes had me confused and frustrated, but that by no means makes this a bad story.
All in all, this is an awesome Fantasy book that I truly hope more people will have the chance to pick up in the future!...more
I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I've trul3.5/5 Stars
I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I've truly been blessed with a lot of ARCs recently and I'm honored to be able to read these copies.
Anyways, the book. Dragonfall is the first in a three-book High Fantasy trilogy telling the story of two worlds - one of dragons banished from their home world long ago, and one of humans who have forgotten their dark past. We are thrown into the fray with the thief Arcady, who performs a spell during their latest acquisition and thus connects to Everen, a dragon who then lets himself get spelled away to the "human world". His task: form a magical bond of trust and soul with a human, and then kill them. This human: not having it.
When I started this book, I thought it was bad. The beginning is filled with many many info-dumps in order to explain the characters, the worlds, the magic system. I truly disliked that the author told everything and left very little to show in that regard. However, this is a very common issue with Fantasy and eventually got better. I did also have issues with the magic system and truly could not tell you how exactly it worked after reading the book. It might have helped to have an informative graphic at the beginning of the book, just to have a short overview. The writing, while truly brilliant at times, felt dragging and slow-paced most of the time. A lot happens in this book, but for some reason it felt like it took me ages to get through its pages.
Enough of the bad stuff - I did give this book quite a lot of stars! While conflicted about the use of narration perspective at first, it ended up making sense the way it was written later one. It's not catering to my taste in books, but then again it does not have to. I can truly see people enjoying this story, especially the romance between Everen and Arcady. It's queer, it's enemies bonded to each other to enemies learning to coexist to lovers to ???, and the characters' perspectives are indeed quite interesting. The narration is also quite queer in that, most of the times, gender-neutral pronouns are used unless characters specifically request gendered pronouns - I thought this was something that was quite interesting to explore.
All in all, Dragonfall is indeed a book worth picking up if you're looking for queer stories about dragons and romance - a very specific corner of the bookish community indeed....more
I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I have to2.5/5 Stars
I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I have to preface this by saying that I had some technical issues with the eBook that may have caused some confusion and frustration on my end, but these are issues that will surely be fixed very soon.
Frontier is a multi-POV sci-fi story that follows a stranger from space as she searches for her lost lover on a post-apocalyptic Earth. In short, I enjoyed the lighthearted prose and the way the world was presented, but felt like the execution of the unique way the story is told was lacking.
The story does not pick up any kind of pace or set a clear goal until very late. The first two thirds of the book contain chapters with plotlines from different perspectives in which the unnamed MC appears, and we get to know her through these many "side quests" or little adventures before we can piece together what is truly happening. It was a very different and interesting strategy, although oftentimes confusing in a way that frustrated rather than let me try to figure it out myself. It felt like a lot of prologues stitched together, and for more than 50% of the book I thought its entire goal was to present an idea of this post-apocalyptic world rather than a plot. There ended up being a story that vaguely tied everything together; however, this came a little too late for my taste.
On a very positive note: the world was intriguing, and nothing I have seen in the genre up until now. The culture on this Earth is based on a religion centered on Gaia and gave major Wild West vibes, which made it fun to follow the protagonist along as she and the reader (re)discover this planet.
All in all, Frontier presented a sketch of a fascinating sci-fi setting and I would be thrilled to read more about the world itself in the future....more
Oh my, this was a fun one. I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for 4.5/5 Stars
Oh my, this was a fun one. I want to thank Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Shanghai Immortal is a sarcastic, character-driven story about the half-fox spirit, half-vampire Lady Jing, who spent most of her almost hundred years of life in the spirit realm of Immortal Shanghai upset with the people and non-people around her. By chance, she hears of a plot by the court of fox spirits (or rather huljing) to steal the very dragon pearl that the King of Hell gave her mother to have Jing become his ward. Jing seizes this chance to expose the spiteful huljing who rejected her from their court due to her mixed heritage once and for all, and embarks on a journey from Immortal to Mortal Shanghai and, with the help of a charming mortal, sets out to reveal their plot.
It took me a while to get used to this narration. In first person, we get a very emotional and oftentimes sarcastic commentary by Lady Jing herself. It's fast-paced, easy to read, and the story and characters continue to be interesting and entertaining. We follow Jing through her ups and downs in this spectacular world that Chao has crafted and narrated with this book - from her thrillingly dark Immortal Shanghai, a mirror world based on real counterparts of historical Shanghai, to the actual Mortal Shanghai of the time. I truly enjoyed the influence of the author's culture: how much we learned through her Fantasy story alone, and how we actually felt the influence that the real history had on this fictional version.
What keeps me from giving this book 5 stars are the following aspects: - The narration: while witty and later on enjoyable, is not going to be everybody's cup of tea. It's very sarcastic, deeply emotional and at times self-depricating, and conveys Jing's anger and fear in a way that is not always pleasant. It took me a good 20% of the book until I was able to enjoy it. - The romance: I have to preface this by saying that I'm generally not a romance person, but the biggest issue I had with it was mostly that it felt like a third of the book was mostly only romance, and the rest was the actual plot. It felt oddly separate to the plot to me, almost as though it put a kind of halt to it. This might just be me personally, but it didn't feel as connected as it could have been.
All in all, I truly did love this, ESPECIALLY as a character-driven standalone. An intriguing world, unique narration, wholesome romance, and all the feelings!...more
I sadly DNFed The Cleaving at 15 percent, but I still want to thank Angry Robot and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchanI sadly DNFed The Cleaving at 15 percent, but I still want to thank Angry Robot and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
I have to preface this by saying that I am not well versed in Arthurian myth and instead thought this book would develop my understanding of the myth, which it unfortunately did not - this is not an attack on the author’s understanding, simply my own lack of knowledge. The first few chapters throw a lot of names at the reader that they are presumably supposed to recognize, which lead me to being confused and in desperate need of some sort of overview. I constantly felt like I was lacking information without knowing what kind. The writing didn’t work for me either, as I felt like the parts I read were quite dry and lacked sympathy for readers unfamiliar with Arthurian legend. I was curious about the main character Nimue, her powers and her relationship with Merlin, but this was not enough for me to read the entire story.
On a rather personal note, I, even as a young woman myself, am a little tired of terrible men in feminist literature.
I still want to encourage readers to read further reviews of people that belong in the bubble of Arthurian myths and give the book a try as I myself simply don’t feel like I am the intended audience for this book....more
Loading...
