Iðunn has been battling constant fatigue and body aches, yet visiting her doctor for her symptoms has only yielded completely normal blood test resultIðunn has been battling constant fatigue and body aches, yet visiting her doctor for her symptoms has only yielded completely normal blood test results. While continuing to stuggle with exhaustion and finding more and more random injuries that she doesn’t recall receiving, a decision to track her sleep one evening leads to a frightening realization.
The Night Guest is a tense, gripping and eerie novella that explores the incredibly common tribulations that surround the diagnosing of an unexplained illness, while also dealing with the chronic symptoms in your everyday life. The Night Guest is very relatable, as some woman are quite familiar with having their medical issues dismissed, blamed on something unrelated or viewed as something that is purely psychological.
The Night Guest takes an unexpected turn with the revelation that Iðunn has been spending many of her nights sleepwalking-amongst other things-and while the reasons behind her behavior and the conclusion of the novella are very ambiguous, little details and interactions scattered thoroughout provide interesting fodder for speculation.
Although I wished for something slightly more concrete for a resolution, the audiobook narrated by Mary Robinette Kowal does an excellent job of drawing you in with a seemingly normal woman relating her medical struggles and then portraying the ever-increasing uncertainty and panic as Iðunn’s life unravels around her.
Mary Robinette Kowal is a captivating narrator and the very short length of certain chapters helps to make you feel as though you are truly witnessing Iðunn’s deterioration in real-and unreliable-time. In terms of content warnings: there are brief mentions of cruelty to animals-specifically cats.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for access to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are solely my own....more
The Spellshop is the charming and cozy fantasy that I didn’t know I needed. With an immersive and magical setting, delightful characters and even a slThe Spellshop is the charming and cozy fantasy that I didn’t know I needed. With an immersive and magical setting, delightful characters and even a slow-burn romance, I felt enchanted as I listened to the audiobook.
In the midst of a firey political uprising in the capital city of Alyssium, librarian Kiela and her assistant Caz-a spider plant made sentient through the use of magic-pack up as many magical books as they are able carry and flee to her hometown with the intention of keeping a low profile.
However, her need to provide for herself and Caz, as well as the neglected state of the island and the failure of the Empire to utilize the magic it hoards to help the people who depend upon it, leads Kiela to turn her family’s cottage into a jam shop-while providing helpful spells in the form of “remedies” to assist the villagers.
Kiela is an endearing main character and her growth throughout The Spellshop as she forms new relationships and engages in self-discovery is wonderful to witness. While slightly reserved and perhaps a bit awkward, her love of books is incredibly relatable and her desire to help others even despite the risk of punishment is admirable.
Caz the spider plant is a lovely character with a spirited personality and sharp wit. He is a great balance to Kiela and made the idea of a book-obsessed magical plant assistant an appealing one
Kiela’s neighbor Larran is also a kind and pleasant man and I certainly wasn’t at all taken by the fact that he bought her food, helped to fix up her home and shop, made her bookshelves…no, not all.
The secondary characters and the assorted magical creatures help to flesh out the island and their attachment to Kiela as one of their own is also very touching.
Caitlin Davies was splendid as the narrator of The Spellshop and infused the characters with a great deal of charm. Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Bramble Romance and NetGalley for providing access to this ALC....more
Masquerade is is beautifully written novel with rich characters that is set within 15th century West Africa and draws some inspiration from the myth oMasquerade is is beautifully written novel with rich characters that is set within 15th century West Africa and draws some inspiration from the myth of Hades and Persephone. The life of a blacksmith is a difficult one, yet when Òdòdó is abducted from her home in Timbuktu and brought to the capital city of Ṣàngótẹ̀ to be the wife of the Aláàfin, the warrior king of Yorùbáland, her life changes in ways she never imagined.
Òdòdó is an engaging and sympathetic character and while some her decisions are very naive, they are also understandable when viewed as both a result of her sheltered upbringing with her somewhat overbearing mother and her lack of experience in dealing with the intricate aspects of politics and noble relationships.
Masquerade does not shy away from the consequences that occur when nations are conquered, as war, death, slavery and the subjugation of women-both common and noble women though different means-are depicted. Òdòdó’s relationship with the Aláàfin is also a complicated one: the power dynamic present-as well as the circumstances surrounding their betrothal-leave her completely at his whims for her survival.
Òdòdó’s journey as she attempts to gain agency beyond simply being the future wife of the Aláàfin is an arduous one and the ending, while foreshadowed is also slightly bittersweet in my opinion. While perhaps the best possible scenario for Òdòdó, she sacrificed and suffered a great deal to reach it.
The narration for Masquerade by Ariel Blake is wonderful and she does an excellent job bringing the characters to life. Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Forge Books and NetGalley for providing access to this ALC. ...more
**spoiler alert** Cuckoo is horrific, grisly, utterly unapologetic and incredibly evocative. The prologue is amazing and it raised my expectations for**spoiler alert** Cuckoo is horrific, grisly, utterly unapologetic and incredibly evocative. The prologue is amazing and it raised my expectations for the rest of the novel that were unfortunately not reached.
The premise of Cuckoo: seven queer kids are abandoned in a remote conversation camp in Utah for the summer by their parents, is nightmarish on its own and the addition of an evil creature that seeks to claim their bodies only heightens the tension.
The abduction scenes prior to the arrival to and several scenes within the camp are immensely difficult to stomach, as the characters experience: abandonment, emotional abuse, graphic physical abuse, racism, fatphobia, homophobia, transphobia and dehumanization. Gretchen Felker-Martin’s descriptions are unflinching and-at times-quite disgusting and the aspects pertaining to the inevitable body horror are also intense and vivid.
The multiple viewpoints of Cuckoo sometimes made it difficult to keep track of every character, though the audiobook’s different narrators did provide more of a distinction. The representation was also very well done, though with so many characters, some inevitably had stronger impacts upon the story than others.
The amount of graphic sexual content within Cuckoo also made me uncomfortable, as the characters are teenagers and some of the scenes seemed unnecessary. The pacing of the story-which is divided into about seventy percent focusing upon the time spent in the camp and thirty percent taking place fifteen years later-is also slightly uneven and made wish there was more of a balance between the two timelines.
The various narrators did an excellent job bringing: their characters, the malicious “counselors,” the husband and wife in charge of the camp and the monstrous Cuckoo, to life. I’m not sure if I’m the right reader for Gretchen Felker-Martin’s future works, but I am grateful to Macmillan Audio, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for providing access to this ALC. ...more
When a robot valet known as Charles attempts to go about its daily tasks within the wealthy manor that employs it, it receives an awful shock: the MasWhen a robot valet known as Charles attempts to go about its daily tasks within the wealthy manor that employs it, it receives an awful shock: the Master of the house is dead and Charles is the one who murdered him.
Departing the manor and venturing out into a world it has never experienced before in search of diagnostics to understand its…mishap and for potential employment, the robot-formerly-known-as-Charles encounters a post-apocalyptic dystopia where humans have lost their place at the top of the hierarchy and robots have either broken down or remain entrenched in carrying out their repetitive tasks.
Service Model is an intriguing and thought-provoking story that follows the charming robot-who is rechristened as UnCharles-and his rebellious companion The Wonk as they search for employment, meaning within and understanding of how the world has reached such a disastrous state.
Brimming with a dry and dark humor, Service Model presents scenarios that are both bleak and optimistic and offers biting social commentary pertaining to the consequences of capitalism and the dangers of blind dependence upon AI and technology.
UnCharles was very easy to become attached to and I was thoroughly invested in it and The Wonk’s journey; while also mentally echoing the latter’s exasperation when UnCharles found itself in dangerous situations with no inklings of self-preservation.
The narration by the author Adrian Tchaikovsky is also fabulous. He has an excellent voice and infuses his characters with unique intonations. None of his robot characters feel particularly wooden even despite their repetitive statements. This is the first time that I’ve read or listened to any of Tchaikovsky’s work and I will certainly look into his previous writing.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and to NetGalley for providing access to this wonderful ALC. ...more
The premise of The Dangerous Ones is intriguing one: in the midst of the Civil War, a young Black woman named Jerusalem has spent a year working alongThe premise of The Dangerous Ones is intriguing one: in the midst of the Civil War, a young Black woman named Jerusalem has spent a year working alongside Ancient Vampire Alexei and their other allies known as “Saints,” against the Confederate Army. Mentioned in the papers as “The Demon Saint,” Jerusalem possess remarkable reflexes and strength akin to a demigod, a powerful spear that she utilizes to dispatch her enemies and a desire for vengeance against the monstrous vampire who enslaved and murdered her family.
Told from the perspectives of Jerusalem and Alexei and shifting between both of their pasts and their presents, The Dangerous Ones does a great job at presenting their motivations and depicting the depths of their emotions. Given the nature of the setting and the histories of the characters, there are moments of brutality and abuse depicted and the content warnings in the beginning of the audiobook should be given proper consideration.
The narrations from Angel Pean and Jay Ben Markson are captivating and they do an excellent job at infusing Jerusalem and Alexei-as well as the other characters-with the believable anguish, vulnerability, teasing and menace that reflects the novel’s writing. Jerusalem is headstrong and fearless in the face of adversity, but more uncertain when when navigating her complicated feelings towards Alexei and while Alexei is charming and steadfast in his adoration of Jerusalem, his carefully hidden fear relating to his own past trauma is also understandable.
In regards to aspects of The Dangerous Ones that I was not as fond of: there are moments when modern dialogue is used and it is jarring in relation to the historical setting. Alexei also refers to Jerusalem by a nickname relating to her diminutive stature excessively, as though the listener may possibly forget that she is very petite.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing access to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are solely my own....more
Following a frank conversation with her sister and feeling unsatisfied with her job, her relationships-romantic and otherwise-and the direction of herFollowing a frank conversation with her sister and feeling unsatisfied with her job, her relationships-romantic and otherwise-and the direction of her life in general, Orie Lennox impulsively applies for a reality television show that offers a chance to compete on an island with other contestants for a million dollar prize.
Little does she know that she’ll actually be participating in a romantic-themed reality series called Attached At The Hip and that being stranded in the wilderness without amenities may truly be the least of her worries.
Attached At The Hip is a fun novel with a quirky, yet relatable main character, an interesting plot and even a twist or two to keep the reader guessing. I’ve never really watched reality television, but the challenges invented for the game seem appropriate-and particularly horrifying in one instance-and the moments written as “confessionals” help to provide insight into the secondary characters, as we see them only from Orie’s perspective otherwise.
The narration by Brittany Pressley was wonderful and she made some of the more ridiculous moments of Orie’s behavior more palpable and also gave the characters distinct voices. I did prefer one love interest over the others and I liked that the messiness of reality television relationships was shown, as opposed to just a happy ending. While the story does drag a bit in the middle, things pick up towards the end and I was strongly invested.
The romantic scenes are sweet and it is nice to see Orie grow as a character. There are also many pop culture references made, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’re a fan of the-quite literal-forced proximity trope and of reality television-with all the cutthroat behaviors that accompany it-then Attached At The Hip will be a treat.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing access to this ALC....more
The Stardust Grail is a captivating space opera with themes pertaining to anti-colonialism, how the depth of connections made with others can transcenThe Stardust Grail is a captivating space opera with themes pertaining to anti-colonialism, how the depth of connections made with others can transcend species and experiences and the ethics of stealing artifacts to return them to their original cultures.
The worldbuilding in The Stardust Grail is intriguing and the alien species depicted have distinctly unique cultures, appearance and histories, but are not so unusual as to be unsympathetic. No one perspective is presented as morally “right,” as the biases of each species-including discrimination of humans towards one another-infuences their perspectives and behaviors.
The characters are engaging: possessing flaws and motivations that make them relatable. Although some felt slightly more developed than others, their interactions with one another and in relation to the ethical quandaries presented in their overall mission are compelling. The friendship between former art thief turned graduate student Maya Hashimoto and the Frenro known as Auncle is particularly endearing.
While mostly a heist novel, as Maya and her crew travel to different locations in their search for the Stardust Grail in an effort to save an alien species, political influences, questions of morality and even moments of utter horror are also present. Although there are some truly dark moments within the novel, there is also an optimism and a genuine sense of wonder that prevent the story from becoming overly depressing.
The narration by Katharine Chin is also superb. She does a wonderful job of infusing the characters with distinct voices and personalities and her narration contributes to the gripping nature of the novel.
Thank you very much to Macmillan Audio, Flatiron Books, NetGalley and Yume Kitasei for providing access to this audiobook. All opinions expressed are solely my own....more
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