I have a lot of friends who recommended this to me as a book they would compare to THE SIX DEATHS OF THE SAINT, and sadly, I think this comp really ruI have a lot of friends who recommended this to me as a book they would compare to THE SIX DEATHS OF THE SAINT, and sadly, I think this comp really ruined the book for me, because I have to disagree.
Though this is a twisty knight tale, the thing that works so well about THE SIX DEATHS OF THE SAINT is that it stretches the capacity of its format with brilliant tact. It's the triumph of telling an epic tale in a couple dozen pages. And I think this story is far from a mastery of format. In fact, it feels confined by its length.
I understand why my friends made this comp, and I think it'll help bring some of the right people to this story but it didn't work for me. But comp aside, let's talk about this book.
I hate when I have this opinion because it's such an annoying opinion to have, but I do really think this would work better as a long epic novel that combines this plot and whatever happens in the sequel. It was obvious from the get go that there would be some big twist about the narrator being unreliable, and so these 170 pages are really just spent in wait for that reveal. I would've been far more interested in a story that takes its time to set up this world and this character and her backstory beyond the here and now. As it stands, the payoff of the twist is weak, because the author gave me like 100+ pages to come up with theories of my own and nothing else to occupy my attention.
The world-building, the politics, and other goings-on are SO interesting but because of the urgency of the task at hand, feel irrelevant and tangental, so that the shifts beyond the task (especially towards the end) are disorienting and lack impact. There is so much to praise about this world. It does feel really lived in, and I have so many curiosities I'd love to dig into: the naming system of the knights, the history of hunting dragons, the viewpoints of magic, etc. And I think it's fine and good when worlds have details that go unexplored to focus on the direct plot, but I think time spent in this world-building would've actually much better aided the end of the narrative.
I think my favorite element is the epistolary entries about dragon hunting, and honestly I could have done with even more of them, especially if they aided the story more than they do (which isn't much at all, Bond could've really made use of these and hidden some lore elements and foreshadowing into those instead of just using them as ambiance).
I did overall enjoy my reading experience of this, and I think many people will too, but my expectations were just placed wayyyyy too high.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
CW: animal death, death, dead body, emesis, violence, alcohol, amputation, fire, hallucinations, body horror, blood & gore, self harm (for magic), child death (past)...more
I'm not usually a big sci-fi guy and am really picky with the ones I read, but this was sooo sweet.
Absolutely the perfect book for anyone who wants a I'm not usually a big sci-fi guy and am really picky with the ones I read, but this was sooo sweet.
Absolutely the perfect book for anyone who wants a story with a bit of adventure, a cast of loveable and unique characters, and the best found family depiction.
CW: fantasy xenophobia/racism, war, violence, gun violence, drug use, police brutality, needles, forced medical procedure, emesis, alcohol, animal death, child loss (past), eugenics (mention), sexual content (offpage)...more
A really nice follow up to A River Enchanted. I really enjoyed the shifts of focus to other parts of the world both physical and metaphysical, and theA really nice follow up to A River Enchanted. I really enjoyed the shifts of focus to other parts of the world both physical and metaphysical, and the fleshing out of its history and mythology.
Similarly to A River Enchanted, I found the distance covered by the characters a bit uneven, as most of the characters are just solving mysteries or saving folks while Torin is once again embarking on a trial of self-reflection that redefines his relationship to himself and the world around him and challenges every facet of his taught perspective.
Aside from that unevenness, however, I really enjoyed this one. I was immersed in the characters, the world, and the plot, and I'm definitely interested in reading more of Ross's work.
CW: drowning, blood, child death, illness, emesis, violence, pregnancy, death of parents (past), grief, dead body, imprisonment, poison, sexual content...more
I absolutely adore this series. Long novella series aren’t incredibly common, and this one is especially unique in that its installments function bothI absolutely adore this series. Long novella series aren’t incredibly common, and this one is especially unique in that its installments function both together and separately, allowing its readership to dip their toes into these stories one by one, enjoying the world on a scale both large and small.
To be honest, I had left the past couple books in this series feeling slightly lackluster. The first book, THE EMPRESS OF SALT AND FORTUNE, was a riveting and gorgeous story. The second one, WHEN THE TIGER CAME DOWN THE MOUNTAIN, contained such a wind of whimsy. But then the third book, IN THE RIVERLANDS, felt like Nghi Vo had already run out of story structures. The third book was a fun read and had lovely writing and characters, per usual, but honestly tried too hard to replicate the exact emotional arc and payoff of the first book, and fell short in that attempt. The fourth book, MAMMOTHS AT THE GATES, was better than the third in that it clearly was forging its own path, but it felt more like a separate reprieve from the other adventures. It lacked an impact that the initial two books had.
So when this fifth book came around, I didn’t have very high expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I was still excited for another installment, as I’ve definitely grown attached to this series regardless of its narrative accomplishments and was looking forward to reentering this world. But boy oh boy, Nghi Vo has found her footing again and we are so back, baby.
Nghi Vo brings the gothic into this installment of The Singing Hills, paying homage to classic stories like Bluebeard.
Though the structure of the pacing was still reminiscent to the other stories in this series, the use of information and lack-there-of was much more precise and complex than in the stories we’ve seen so far. Utilizing a dream-like, unsettling atmosphere, the approach to this book was so well-done and really served the story at hand.
Vo also brilliantly called back to a narrative thread from one of the other tales (I won’t say which) with such tact. Though some readers may find that repetitive, I found it to be a really strong choice. It allowed the installments, though primarily standalones, to start holding some elemental conversations, without causing either story to lean on the other. It was exactly the right installment to start bridging the gaps between the stories at hand without rupturing their ability to function on their own. Regardless of which order you read these books in, this parallel will be an exciting and unexpected familiar face amidst these otherwise mostly unconnected narratives.
As I mentioned earlier, in the third installment, the narrative parallel felt more like “oh, we’ve seen this trick before.” It didn’t quite work. Whereas in this installment, it was precisely BECAUSE we had seen this trick before that it worked for the narrative. It felt like that thread had concluded, now resting off to the side, because of the way its presence functioned in the structure of that previous story. So of course we fell for the trick again, because we thought we had left it behind.
I think this is also the first time in The Singing Hills series that Vo has really made use of limited narration. We’ve, at this point, come to rely on Chih as a truthful and honest storyteller, whose sole purpose is to chronicle information, which allows us a consistent and trustworthy perspective in which to view the world. And wow, does Vo capitalize on this lens in this one.
I am so pleased to see something new and invigorating pumped into the lungs of this series. After the lull of the past few books, it was really exciting to read an installment that is definitely competing for my favorite of the books out so far.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: dead body, drugging, blood & gore, decapitation (offscreen), alcohol, sexual content (implied)...more
I had the absolute honor of reading an early draft of this book and I cannot sing its praises highly enough. Political, historical, Jewish, queer, romI had the absolute honor of reading an early draft of this book and I cannot sing its praises highly enough. Political, historical, Jewish, queer, romantic, adventurous, heart-wrenching, lyrical, ferocious, THE MAIDEN AND HER MONSTER is a masterpiece of a debut. This is one of the most impactful and close-to-the-heart stories I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, and it brought me to tears with its profundity. Maddie has tapped into something inevitable, ancient, and eternal about the Jewish experience that feels so impossible, so bigger than itself that I can’t imagine it’s anything less than pure magic.
This book features a glorious canopy of Jewish folklore, sapphic romance, and the enchanting allure of a sentient forest, supported by a strong and meaty tale with rich characters, abundant commentary, and succulent prose. And buried deep in the story’s roots, you’ll find a beating heart that bleeds with grief, hope, and passion.
It’s an indescribable feeling to have a friend write a book and for it to end up being one of the most powerful and moving works you’ve ever read, and exactly the story your heart was yearning for. I’m full of so much gratitude and pride, and I can’t wait for you all to fall in love with Nimrah and Malka like I have....more
How we deceive ourselves in days, in hours. We dream of years ahead but cannot see beyond the minute.
A really fascinating prequel to Macbeth focusing How we deceive ourselves in days, in hours. We dream of years ahead but cannot see beyond the minute.
A really fascinating prequel to Macbeth focusing primarily on Lady Macbeth and her son. Though the pacing was slower and the work a little longer than my ideal, this was a really well done story focusing on the historical background behind the beloved Shakespeare play.
This story doesn't so much tackle its themes but dips its toes into their waters. Politics, misogyny, cycles of power, grief, hunger, fear, and more bleed faintly but precisely across the pages, often explored through stunning symbolism that speaks to a brilliant understanding of Shakespeare scholarship. The birds alone!
And the title of this book is perfect. Though the "tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" speech is constantly employed in media, especially Shakespeare retellings, this reference for the title suited the book perfectly, adding so much depth and background to this famous soliloquy.
Thank you SO much to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: child loss, miscarriage, pregnancy, childbirth, adult/minor relationship, domestic abuse, child abuse, forced marriage, violence, blood & gore, animal death, misogyny, alcohol, insects, incestuous rape (past), hallucinations, parental death (past), fire (past), death in childbirth, death of grandmother (past), sexual content (implied) ...more
I have never felt so utterly betrayed, absolutely overjoyed, and unhingedly giddy with ego and adrenaline all at theHAHAHAHHAHAHAH I AM LOSING MY MIND
I have never felt so utterly betrayed, absolutely overjoyed, and unhingedly giddy with ego and adrenaline all at the same time. I need to mark this date in my diary.
Only one other person on planet Earth has ever felt this exact feeling and they likened it to the feeling Truman gets when he finds out about the Truman show. and yeah. it’s not unlike that.
Thank you to Melissa for sending me a finished copy in exchange for my raw reaction to your evil schemes over video call. I love and hate you for this.
CW: violence, alcoholism relapse, trauma, colonialism, grief, death of loved one, character death, self harm, blood & gore, dead bodies, fire, illness, electrocution, human experimentation, sexual content, kidnapping, death of parents, death of sibling, needles, infidelity, emesis...more
CW: death of father, cancer, suicide attempt (offpage), loss of mother (past), self harm (for magic), blood, alcohol, sexual content, pregnancy, chRTC
CW: death of father, cancer, suicide attempt (offpage), loss of mother (past), self harm (for magic), blood, alcohol, sexual content, pregnancy, childbirth (brief)...more
Wow these books are gorgeous. They’re so lovely and atmospheric to live in. This one definitely had a clearer and more consistent plot, which I apprecWow these books are gorgeous. They’re so lovely and atmospheric to live in. This one definitely had a clearer and more consistent plot, which I appreciated, and I loved getting to see the world through Silver’s eyes. I still find some of Tesh’s writing to be confusingly organized but I’ll get over it for the sake of the vibes.
CW: drugging, claustrophobia, dead body, decapitation (past), blood, body horror, drowning...more
almost 350 pages of the characters talking about the hypotheticals of the mystery at hand, then having sex, then talking about their relationship despalmost 350 pages of the characters talking about the hypotheticals of the mystery at hand, then having sex, then talking about their relationship despite only knowing for each other for a few days, and repeating that over and over until the last few chapters of the book.
this story certainly wasn’t as low as my expectations for it were, considering the only things I had heard about it where in comparison to the first book in the trilogy, but it definitely had its shortcomings. I loooooved its characters and their personal journeys, but the pacing really struggled here, and I felt that Marske had a tough time balancing the moving parts of this mystery.
CW: death, murder, violence, sexual content, blood, drugging, dead body, death of parents (past), grief, emesis, alcohol consumption...more
At the trial of God, we will ask: why did you allow all this? And the answer will be an echo: why did you allow all this?
Wow. I think this may take anoAt the trial of God, we will ask: why did you allow all this? And the answer will be an echo: why did you allow all this?
Wow. I think this may take another read before I can fully process it, but what an incredible and relevant read. A tale of performative advocacy, a tale of genuine advocacy, and a tale that asks us to consider how we choose to wield our silence.
CW: war, gun violence, police brutality, death, child death, torture, sexual content, alcohol, grief, loss of loved one...more
I had no idea where to set my expectations for this book, and initially picked it up with equal amounts of interest and skepticism. But I never would I had no idea where to set my expectations for this book, and initially picked it up with equal amounts of interest and skepticism. But I never would have guessed it would have blown me away the way it did.
Following an unlikely crew of three very different characters who carry three different family burdens, WHEN AMONG CROWS is a gorgeous and captivating urban fantasy tale about regret, repentance, and responsibility.
I was prepared for an action-packed folkloric urban fantasy. But I was not prepared for the deep commentary in this book about immigration, cultural ties, and Christian imperialism. And I was even less prepared for Roth to tackle all of these elements with such nuance and tact while creating a blossoming and tender achillean romance and found family amidst the cast of utterly lovable characters.
I almost want to say I wish it was longer, but not because it needed to be (arguably one of the best paced novellas I’ve ever read), but just because I fell so in love with these characters and this world and would read a whole series of this.
If you are a fan of political and folklore-heavy narratives like THE WOLF AND THE WOODSMAN, and want that type of story in the length of a novella, I highly recommend WHEN AMONG CROWS.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
CW: blood & gore, body horror, violence, grief, self-inflicted harm (for sacrifice), religious guilt, death of mother (past), death of father (past), alcohol consumption...more
If vampires, biblical/mythological creatures, an aroace neurodivergent MC, queer found family, and a dark academia setting sound like something you miIf vampires, biblical/mythological creatures, an aroace neurodivergent MC, queer found family, and a dark academia setting sound like something you might love, you should read FALLEN THORNS.
Arlo struggles to fit in. He's tall and awkward and nervous and doesn't really understand how to connect with people. The only person in his life who he can be himself with is his best friend Rani. But one day, he finds himself being asked on a date. And though he doesn't really get the whole relationship thing, he decides to give it a go. But branching out doesn't seem to work too well for Arlo, especially when his dating life meets a fatal end. Quite literally. Who knew one kiss could change someone so fundamentally?
After finding himself rescued and taken in by a family of vampires, Arlo has to learn how to live all over again. His body has changed, his appetite has changed, his perspective has changed, but most of all, his physical ability to support himself has changed. He finds himself needing to open up and rely on those around him, forcing him out of his shell and forcing him to confront parts of himself that he's been too scared to look at directly. But along with his unexpected rapid coming-of-age, Arlo finds something else growing inside of him. Another voice that's been a part of him for longer than he's known.
This is a book that sneaks up on you in more ways than one. The characters just worm their way into your heart, nestling themselves inside crevices when you're not looking. They were so easy to love and relate to, and I felt like I was just as wrapped up in the arms of this precious and ferocious found family as Arlo. And the pacing follows this path as well, as it eases you into a steady and consistent pace, the motions of the story gliding comfortably along until you're deep into the thick of it before you know it. I would definitely call the majority of this book leisurely-paced or quiet, until suddenly it’s not. Without even realizing, the stakes become suddenly high and you're screaming and crying and clutching your chest with anticipation.
There's so many fascinating moving parts to this world and to these characters and I'm left with the perfect amount of questions and confusion and desperation. I cannot WAIT to see where Harv takes us for book 2.
CW: blood & gore, death, murder, self-inflicted wounds, dismemberment (off-page), torture, mutilation, eye horror, character death, grief, suicide (mention), panic attacks, death of parents (past), death of sibling (past), sexual harrassment, alcohol consumption, emesis...more
I'm so glad to live in a world in which there's an 1800 sapphic vampire novel that predates Dracula.
Thoughts on Carmilla itself: I am having a hard timI'm so glad to live in a world in which there's an 1800 sapphic vampire novel that predates Dracula.
Thoughts on Carmilla itself: I am having a hard time pulling apart my thoughts on this story due to the edition I read (more on that below) but I can see why this story has such a cult following and why so many works were inspired by it. The intimacy and fragility of the love between these two women is beautiful, and something wonderfully and surprisingly queer for the era it was published in. Much of the story and world is left vague, which makes for a simultaneously disappointing and brilliantly enticing open-endedness. The Black woman in the carriage is left unknown. The large cat that appears to Laura is left unexplained. We never find out where Mademoiselle de Lafontaine goes after she leaves Carmilla. But it's almost more exciting to not know. It makes the story read as a bit of a riddle, a puzzle only partially put-together, with stray and missing pieces left behind for the reader to ponder over. The end is a bit anti-climactic, with the two women missing out on what would have been a riveting confrontational scene, and with the last chunk of the story being told through second-hand accounts. The end just felt more distanced and passive rather than mysterious, which was a bit disappointing. But I really enjoyed the story overall, and I am now really interested in engaging with retellings, reimaginings, scholarship, and debate all inspired by this fascinating tale. There's much to marinate on.
Thoughts on this edition: I started off loving this edition, but am left feeling VERY torn about it. Carmen Maria Machado is one of my favorite authors and I was really looking forward to experiencing this story for the first time with her edits as a guiding hand. The book opens with an introduction from CMM herself, explaining that this story was actually inspired by preexisting letters written by a woman named Veronika Hausle. Machado continues by citing a scholarly publication about the finding of these letters and criticizing Le Fanu's censorship of said letters in his publication of the story. She asks her readership to engage with the story ahead critically, to consider the way Le Fanu insults his own narrator through the limitations he places on her descriptors and experiences. And I've spent the past few days telling friends about this mysterious backstory to Carmilla, insisting that I couldn't possibly judge Carmilla as a story in its current form, as I'm missing so much of its original content and context. And then I went to go look up that source CMM cites in the introduction to learn more about these letters and their author... and reader, can you guess what I discovered? The source doesn't exist. Neither does Viktoria Hausle. The entire introduction was completely fictional and made up. And I have VERY mixed feelings about that.
As a storyteller and a fan of experimental writing, I find this so artistically thrilling. The idea of crafting a fictional backstory to a pre-existing work and presenting it in the format of an introduction to said work in a new publication is smart and fascinating. And this act of fictional expansion spread beyond the introduction and into the footnotes of the main text, where I found it most successful. These footnotes added entirely fictional anecdotes, Carmen Maria Machado sprinkling in additional world-building through her own silly little writings. And that worked SO well. There was no citation or real grounded-ness to these footnotes, so it was pretty clear that these were purely made-up additions. What a fun way to edit a book, by adding your own imaginative headcanons between the lines of the original text! I really appreciated the creative initiative and gall to craft an entirely new story and pitch it to your audience as fact. It was immersive and ground-breaking and so very Carmen Maria Machado.
But I also found it incredibly frustrating and somewhat morally irresponsible. See, the blurred line of fact and fiction amidst Carmen's additions to this work is cool in concept but inconsistent and unreliable in practice. I have three main issues with this introduction, so let me break it down: 1. "Censorship." The entire Point of CMM's introduction is to ask the audience to question this story's author via some made-up story of queer historical censorship. To craft an absence, a false negative space, around the text. And though, again, I artistically am obsessed with this choice to paint in the space untouched by a preexisting text, I found this a bit distracting. There are very true stories out in the world about queer censorship. It's a very real thing that happened. There are many authors who took the words of women around them and then painted those women as monsters (look no further than F. Scott Fitzgerald), and this introduction feels like it's looking to garner that misplaced sympathy. I would've found it more interesting and appropriate if CMM wrote an introduction about the history of censorship, or even maybe wrote an entire novel that creates this fictional backstory about Le Fanu in order to ask these questions about censorship on a larger stage (and one that would be more obviously fictional). But placing this story as the introduction to the actual text itself is just distracting and frankly, shadows the beauty of the fact that Carmilla IS a queer story that did survive historical censorship, misogyny, and lesbophobia. 2. A Betrayal of Trust. Now, one might disagree with me, but I find the editor of a text, especially the editor of a classic text, to be morally responsible in taking on the role of a sort of Virgil to the reader's Dante. Many readers, especially ones without prior experience with Carmilla (such as myself), will be looking to Carmen Maria Machado as a North Star to guide them through this unknown journey. I read classic literature fairly often, especially Shakespeare, and the editorial hand heavily shapes the reading experience. The introduction acts as a sort of guide, giving the reader a little spark of knowledge to help them take their first steps through the text's doorway with confidence. The reader is armed with the knowledge of metaphor or historical reception or scholarly debate or several of the many other gifts that are often granted via a work's introduction, then led along a path carved by footnotes that offer the reader stepping stones and road signs of translations or alternate meanings. So to me, it feels manipulative and academically dishonest to assert a misleading narrative onto your audience, who might be dipping their toes into this water for the first time, that will heavily affect their perspective on this text. I feel a bit like Red Riding Hood, tempted off the path by false promises. It felt almost predatory and malicious to use the introduction, which traditionally exists to serve the reader, as a way to toy with the reader instead. It caused me (and others, who I know had the same experience) to feel manipulated, humiliated, and honestly a little bit used. Now, I did say that I thought the footnotes were mostly successful and I do stand by that. But whereas the footnotes were clearly fictional (again, VERY anecdotal and without citation), the introduction was quite scholarly and contained (fake) sources. Even a reader with strong critical thinking skills would very easily fall for this trap until/unless they actually did the work of looking into these sources provided. Though again, this experiment of Machado's is wildly inconsistent, because there's an article referenced in one of the footnotes later on in the story that IS real. Why would readers expect a combination of true and false sources in a text? I think this inconsistency only heightens the manipulation. 3. A Lack Of. Like I mentioned earlier in this review, I really love Carmen Maria Machado. And I was really excited to read this story through her eyes. And just as disappointed as I am that I was misled, I'm also disappointed I never actually got the experience I was promised. CMM is clearly incredibly smart, incredibly well-researched, and is frankly an important figure in modern queer literature. I think her scholarly takes on Carmilla would have been profound and interesting on their own, without this warped narrative. The end result of this cool storytelling experiment is just a lack of. A lack of knowledge from CMM, a lack of certainty, a lack of understanding, and most importantly: a lack of a helpful introduction. And with this experience being my first with Carmilla, I'm feeling a bit disoriented, and am having a hard time separating the story itself from all the smoke and mirrors.
Overall, I'd call this edition a really cool artistic experiment but a cruel literary prank. I kind of loved it, and kind of hated it. I do recommend it, but with a heavy emphasis on the fact that Carmen's words are not to be trusted, and with a strong suggestion to read the original text elsewhere first. And of course the illustrations were an absolute joy. So sapphic. So gothic. Every time I read a book with interior illustrations I am reminded how much I wish every book had interior illustrations. It's certainly a pretty edition, even if its roses have hidden thorns.
CW: racism (the text itself), illness, death, blood, hallucinations, death of child, decapitation, car accident, death of mother (past), suicide (mention)...more
Overall, a really wonderful anthology featuring a variety of indigenous horror and dark fiction. From gothic haunted houses to pregnant body horror toOverall, a really wonderful anthology featuring a variety of indigenous horror and dark fiction. From gothic haunted houses to pregnant body horror to resurrection, this collection has it all. In the foreword, Stephen Graham Jones paints this image of Native writers sitting around at the end of a dark and cold evening, telling each other scary stories, and I think that's exactly what this evokes. It felt like being serenaded with ghost stories and urban legends around an ancient campfire
Mini reviews for each story:
Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller I read this first thing in the morning in full daylight and it still had me shivering and cowering into myself. I don't know what was scarier, the "monster" or the creepy white man who thinks the world is his toy box. I also already found myself referencing this story within a day or two after reading it, which is when you know a story has left a good impact.
Navajos Don't Wear Elk Teeth by Conley Lyons Honestly white gay men are fucking terrifying to me so this story was already filling me with dread from the first page.
CW: sexual content, rape, tooth horror (not graphic)
Wingless by Marcie R. Rendon This one was honestly a bit forgettable to me. There was nothing about it that left me with a lingering fear, nothing that extended its claws beyond its pages. But I liked the writing.
Quantum by Nick Medina At this point in the anthology, this one was my favorite read so far. The horror of this was one that was developed out of chosen and deliberate choices built out of delusion and it created such a wonderful tension in its reading experience.
CW: dead body, child neglect, needles, alcohol consumption (mention)
Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau Absolutely a standout in the collection. Such bold storytelling choices and such a unique voice. I loved Boudreau's way of creating an oddly happy horror by placing us in the mind of the monster, and asking what their horrors would look like.
CW: violent thoughts
Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline For some reason, I irrationally do not get along with Cherie Dimaline's writing style. The rhythm of it grates my brain and it genuinely gives me a headache every time I try to read one of her works. But the story itself was really really cool and there's much to analyze if you're a fan of her writing.
CW: blood & gore, insects, body/medical horror, death of parents
The Ones Who Killed Us by Brandon Hobson I actually skipped this one. It tried to be experimental in its writing style but felt like it lacked deliberate choices. Rather than using the experimental writing to guide its readers through an unexpected terrain, its sentences were just meandering. They weren't run-ons but rather runaways, and it felt like the words were swimming on the page in front of me. I was just completely unable to track the train of thought or process what was being said and so I skipped it.
CW: did not read
Snakes Are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo Oh my god. That was one of the most horrifying and fucked up thing I've ever read. It was just so gross and I had started the story with a hot chocolate in hand that was left unfinished. But it was really good and really intriguing and well written. Though I did notice a few important threads left open in an unsatisfying way at the end.
Before I Go by Norris Black I honestly keep forgetting about this one? It was good and haunting but was a little too direct. It's just not sticking with me.
CW: loss of spouse, death of mother, grief, body horror, death, animal death, blood & gore, dead body, cancer, alcohol consumption
Night in the Chrysalis by Tiffany Morris My favorite in the whole anthology, hands down. I immediately fell in love with Morris's poetic prose and wonderful delicate writing style. Her poetry background was very apparent in how it helped create such specificity and tact in her craft. It reminded me of lacework somehow. In regards to the story: gothic haunted houses with the house as a character/metaphor is my literary bread and butter and this living chrysalis was such a brilliant use of that house trope. I wanted it to go on forever. I ate this one UP and I'll be returning to feast on its words time and again.
CW: insects, blood, emesis, miscarriage (mention)
Behind Colin's Eyes by Shane Hawk A very traditional horror story (complimentary). It was horrifying and haunting, yet felt familiar and expected. I feel like if I imagined a horror story on a hunting trip it would be exactly this. But truly well-written nonetheless.
CW: animal death, blood & gore, body horror, tooth horror, insects, emesis, war (mention), colonization (mention)
Heart-Shaped Clock by Kelli Jo Ford I'm having a hard time placing my thoughts on this one. I think I liked what it was doing but the taste it left in my mouth was a little too helpless for me.
CW: murder, drugs, alcohol consumption, animal abandonment, imprisonment, suicidal thoughts, animal death, domestic abuse (mention), death of grandparent (past)
Scariest. Story. Ever. by Richard Van Camp This one keeps growing on me the more I think back on it. In the foreword, Stephen Graham Jones explains the impact of ambiguity in horror, especially indigenous horror, and I think Van Camp perfectly illustrated ambiguity and negative space as a tool of horror. I do wish its final note was a little more sour or off-putting rather than just being hopeful, but this really was a cool story.
Human Eaters by Royce K. Young Wolf Though it faded into the background for me, I thought this short story was a lovely ode to oral storytelling, the importance of generational memory, and the tradition of folklore as a way to pass on lessons and cautionary tales.
The Longest Street in the World by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. Really good. Really fucking weird. Certainly left an impression on me. I liked the writing style quite a bit, it was unique.
CW: decapitation, violence, gun violence, emesis
Dead Owls by Mona Susan Power Really emotionally evocative, haunting, and precious. I did really enjoy this one. It felt like it stood out tonally from a lot of the other stories.
The Prepper by Morgan Talty Not so much for me. I thought it had really nice writing and nice storytelling but I just don't find interest in doomsday prepper horror or zombie horror unless it's really spinning it on its head and this didn't. I also feel like I wasn't quite sure what it was saying about many of its topics (mental illness leading to violence, assisted suicide, etc.) and thought it needed further clarity on its point.
CW: assisted suicide, suicidal thoughts, imprisonment, self harm, illness, mental illness, death of grandparent, ableism, bullying, murder, animal death, violence, gun violence, rape (mention), death
Uncle Robert Rides the Lightning by Kate Hart More mythological than horror, and honestly not sure I feel like it fits in well with the rest of the anthology. Surrounded by so many monsters and horrors, I kept waiting for something scary or unnerving to happen, but it really just felt like a little mythological tale. (I know this sounds weird with the content warnings below being what they are but I promise this makes sense.) I liked it though.
CW: electrocution, drowning, suicide (offscreen), alcohol consumption, death
Sundays by David Heska Wanbli Weiden I think this was one of the most jarring stories. I had my jaw dropped and my fists clenched for much of its reading. Powerful and clear. A lot but really good.
CW: child rape (graphic), trauma, grooming, alcohol consumption, car accident (mention), suicide (mention), racism, parental death (past), loss of spouse (past), cancer
Eulogy for a Brother, Resurrected by Carson Faust One of my favorites! I keep returning to this one in my mind. Its storytelling is very much my jam (I mean, anything sort of golem-core or death-core in this particular vibe is my jam.) I especially loved the poetic ambiguity of the ending and the shift in writing style in which to portray that ambiguity. It was emotionally and artistically charged in the right places and I just really enjoyed it.
CW: loss of sibling, grief, blood, death, homophobia, murder, gun violence, death
Night Moves by Andrea L. Rodgers Wonderfully classic. It won't stick with me but mostly because it just felt like many old black-and-white horror movies.
CW: blood and gore, war, alcohol consumption, death of sibling (past), death, colonization, emesis, violence
Capgras by Tommy Orange Another favorite of mine in the collection. There was something in its storytelling structure and style that reminded me of Edgar Allen Poe despite its decidedly un-gothic atmosphere. I definitely need to revisit and analyze this one because I felt like it was Doing and Saying a lot that I missed just due to my headspace when reading it. My critical thinking brain cells were not functioning properly, but I could tell this one was incredibly smart and cool and I'm certain I'm missing a lot of what makes it so smart and cool.
CW: alcohol consumption, hallucinations, blood, dead body
The Scientist's Horror Story by Darcie Little Badger I've been so excited to read more of Darcie Little Badger's work since I encountered her writing in The Grimoire of Grave Fates earlier this year, and this story did not disappoint. Featuring a call to action and poignant reflection upon the horrors of the real world, this full-circle story was haunting and satisfying.
CW: death
Collections by Amber Blaeser-Wardzala Whereas some of these other stories created horror via an omission of knowledge, or with a journey into the unknown, this story freaked me out precisely because as soon as you pick it up, you know exactly where its headed. It felt like being on a high-speed train to hell, as you spend the story pleading for it to hit the brakes or veer off-course. Praying for some twist to arrive to save you from the dreaded destination, while knowing there's no way to avoid the inevitable.
CW: decapitation, dead bodies, murder (implied)
Limbs by Waubgeshig Rice What a great note to end this story on. Though I had to skim some parts due to its gore, this story was grotesquely powerful. In featuring a depiction of the land rising up to protect itself and those who care for it properly, this story properly sums up the exact reason why so many marginalized communities find comfort in horror. Because often times, as our horror is our every day lives, there's a comfort in aligning ourselves with the "monster". In using horror to face "othering" head on.
THE EMPEROR AND THE ENDLESS PALACE is a story brimming with potential. Its marketing is bold, with comparisons to era-defining love stories such as SOTHE EMPEROR AND THE ENDLESS PALACE is a story brimming with potential. Its marketing is bold, with comparisons to era-defining love stories such as SONG OF ACHILLES. This pitch has been ambitious, and set my expectations for this book high.
Across various lifetimes, THE EMPEROR AND THE ENDLESS PALACE tells the tale of reincarnated lovers stuck in an endless loop, their romance forever star-crossed as fate tangles them together time and again.
My favorite types of stories are the kind that transcend their singular telling, which is why I’m so drawn to reincarnation-based plots. I’m nothing if not a sucker for stories that say “love (not always romantic!!!) conquers all” or that celebrate the interconnectedness of culture and humanity. They always make me feel a part of something larger than myself and/or bring me some comforting sense of hope. And this book sets itself up to be one of these stories: one that discusses love, romance, and human relationships across distant lands and time.
Which is why it was so disappointing.
The story starts out promising, its scope wide but its strokes confident, painting a canvas full of folkloric imagery and setting up the bones of something stuffed with yearning, queerness, and transformation. While reading the first chapter, I vividly remember thinking: “oh. I’m going to love this.” But this command begins and ends with that first chapter, the rest of the book featuring only glimpses into this level of storytelling.
The majority of this book’s journey is oddly timid and disjointed. Its folkloric and fantastical elements are scattered, isolated to mere moments without any profound impact on the world-building or the story as a whole. The prose feels the same, as the story sometimes halts to insert moments of lovely meaningful writing sandwiched between tentative plot points.
Despite the book’s claim to tell some grand story that transcends time and space, it struggles to hold an overarching narrative, functioning through individual moments. This book isn’t one story told across separate timelines or even three stories told simultaneously, but rather is three fractions of a story on rotation, with minimal narrative distance covered by any of the individual timelines. It reminds me of those children’s stereoscopes I played with growing up, clicking through reels of scenes only connected by their shared concept.
This book tells us that these characters are trapped in a cycle of reincarnation spanning thousands of years and hundreds of lifetimes, so the fact that this book only provides some inconsequential sliver of insight into three (THREE!) of them was baffling to me. I desperately wanted even the slightest peek into another lifetime to help understand the magnitude of this supposed epic, transcendent romance. The story would have been served so much better with interludes between chapters that share even vague glimpses into other lifetimes. Or it needed to express why these three lifetimes are significant turning points at the absolute least. It desperately needed some tangible portrayal of the weight of these thousands of years.
There isn’t even that much interconnectivity between the three portrayed timelines, and the connections that are present feel more like wink wink nudge nudges rather than actual links. It reads as though nothing really changes in this relationship over lifetimes and, well, nothing IS actually changing in this relationship over lifetimes! Which makes me ask, why reincarnation then?
Because you’re telling me that you have lived hundreds of lifetimes, thousands of years, and you… what? have sex and then reincarnate again? There is just literally nothing greater going on between these characters. Not a singular piece of ground, over thousands of years, is covered in progressing… what, exactly?
Which, let’s get into that, shall we? As we find out later on in the story, there’s supposedly some curse that’s tied to a specific object that one of the main characters is trying to track down in the modern timeline. And we don’t even really know what this curse is, who placed it or why, or how to break it. There’s just… a “curse”and it’s supposedly causing their reincarnation in some way. It’s all very noncommittal. This explanation feels literally just dropped in there as an attempt to justify their reincarnation, but actually has no real impression on the nonexistent plot.
As you can probably surmise from my description so far, the rules of the world are just vague. Not in any kind of an interesting way, but in a way that feels like the author is just hesitant to touch world-building or logic, which resulted in fragmented, confusing connections between elements and uncertain stakes. Because there is no part of the plot here we can really root for! There is no real end goal!
Without any understanding behind this “curse” or the circumstances these characters are in, we have absolutely nowhere to go. There is no wrong to be righted, because the provided information about this supposed “wrong” is minimal at best, and there is no known way to “right” it. (There’s one that’s implied, but it's really confusing and the characters never actually take major strides to fulfilling it.) And it’s not even clear what the punishment or consequence for the “wrong” is, because it just seemed like it’s reincarnation, which doesn’t seem all that bad, since there was nothing wrong happening to them due to reincarnation.
(Sidebar! It’s officially now time for me to bring in THE quote. The quote that this book is being marketed around. Because this quote makes absolutely no sense with this story, and it is a great example as to how this book confuses itself with its logic.
“What if I told you that the feeling we call love is actually the feeling of metaphysical recognition, when your soul remembers someone from a previous life?”
So let’s begin counting the things that make no sense with this quote! Problem 1: If these characters’ reincarnation loop is something they’re doomed into, why is the feeling of reincarnation being equated to love, which is something we’re supposed to view as a positive? Problem 2: If the characters are in love and therefore want to be together, why would we stop the reincarnation, which is supposedly what is giving them the feeling of love?)
Now let’s talk about this book’s only real obstacle: a third character who gets between our main characters.
I absolutely hate this third character. He essentially rapes one of the main characters over multiple timelines, and yet his relationship to the two main characters seems to be narratively framed as a love V, his role being to keep a character torn between loyalty and lust. So he never quite works as a villain because he’s also set up as a love interest, but never works as a love interest because he is a controlling rapist. I didn’t know what to make of him and his presence in the story really put me off. There are also like two or three chapters in which the characters spend nearly the whole scene scheming about killing this guy off and then there's never any actual follow through on that, ever? There's never any attempt made on his life and there's never a moment where they decide not to kill him off. Fully just forgotten.
(Quickly back to the quote! Problem 3: If love is the feeling of metaphysical recognition, and this other character is reincarnating with the main two, shouldn’t the main two characters both be in love with this character? Wouldn’t they all three be amorously in love after living hundreds of lifetimes in orbit?)
In general, I’m not a fan of the erotica in this book. I really don’t mind explicit sexual content, and I had been warned ahead of time about the amount of sexual content in this book, but I found myself SO uncomfortable. I think this is primarily because there are good sex scenes, neutral sex scenes, and bad sex scenes, and then there are consensual sex scenes, dubious sex scenes, and nonconsensual sex scenes, with little to no correlation between those different factors. The story seems to have no invested interest in consent when it comes to sexual content. Until there is one attempted rape scene in one of the timelines, when it is clear the audience is meant to be thinking: “oh no, he’s going to rape him, that’s bad!” But this doesn’t hold any actual weight because so many of the other sexual scenes are nonconsensual or dubious and are treated as normal or even kind of sexy by the narrative.
The language of these scenes is also just… so cringey? I was confused by the combination of explicit descriptions of sexual acts and the coy substitution of certain sexual words and body parts. I just could not take “influence” and “pink plum” seriously. If you’re going to be that explicit with the sexual actions of your characters, and you’re not trying create some profound metaphorical imagery, then stop using code words! It was cute the first time and then it got annoying!
Anyways, back to the reincarnation issues because AGAIN, the world-building in regards to the rules of this don’t make any sense. To recap: we’re initially told that only the two characters are doomed in a loop because of the “curse.” (And also because they’re in love? Unclear.) And then, of course, we find out that this third character is also reincarnating with them.
But actually, the story also suggests that there are more people reincarnating along with these other characters. At some points in the novel, a character in one timeline is clearly hinted at in another, but these connections are never expanded upon beyond that.
(Problem 4: How can their romance be epic because they keep reincarnating and therefore creating this growing feeling of true love, when potentially everyone around them is someone they know from previous lives?)
And you know what? I’m actually VERY down for an ensemble cast. I think this book would have flourished so much more if this was fleshed out. It would have created a clearer arc between the three POVs and maybe even would have helped craft a better and more constant rhetoric about love and community.
(If it weren’t for that dastardly curse that literally contradicts everything, what the fuck is that?)
But truly, the most frustrating thing about this book is that it doesn’t seem that these characters are actually… in love. I’m concerned that Huang doesn’t know the difference between romantic attraction, sexual attraction, and love. We’re told A LOT that these two men have some “special feeling” between them that transcends lifetimes, and that that feeling is “true love,” but the only thing we’re really shown between them is some really great sex.
In fact, the greatest examples of love I can point to in the book are shown by side characters in the modern timeline–characters, who don’t as far as I’m aware, have any parallels between timelines.
(Problem 5: If love is metaphysical recognition, does this only count for romantic and/or sexual love? Problem 6: If the answer to problem 5 even is yes, one of the side characters has romantic AND sexual AND platonic love for one of the main characters, but doesn’t seem to appear in other timelines, so is he not actually feeling love? Problem 7: Is no one able to feel love for someone they aren’t reincarnated with? Problem 8: If this side character is feeling unrequited love, does that mean he was reincarnated with the main character, but the main character was not reincarnated with him? How does that make sense? Problem 9: By the time it rolls around to the modern timeline, we never see these characters in love, just very sexually attracted to each other, while other characters show their love through genuine compassion and support and patience, but their love is not as valued by the main character, so is love just the feeling of finding someone really hot? Problem 10: If they’re trapped by this curse of reincarnation, and metaphysical recognition is love, how could they have fallen in love in their first lifetime? Check. mate.)
Now, it’s possible there is some sort of commentary here about the way we define love, and how we should be looking to the people who support us rather than staying caught up in the cycles of the past, but… I’m not sure that the book really supports this. It seems, above all, to value undying loyalty.
By the final chapters (without spoiling it, I promise), the book practically falls apart, all its final choices undermining every message this story initially sets out to portray without any shift of perspective. It constantly contradicts itself, leaving a muddied, frustrating, and inconclusive messaging. We lose the plot line of the curse entirely, there’s still barely any narrative distance covered across any of the three timelines, and the romance is just…??? It lacks closure, and I really love an open ending but there isn’t even a final beat or question for us to ponder on that carries us off and away from this book.
At the end of it all, I think this book just has no clue what it is trying to say. There is no guiding hand, leaving the audience to saunter aimlessly through this garden of ideas.
I don’t know where the blame for these issues lie, with the author or the editor or both or neither, but wow was this one a disappointment. When you have a narrative brimming with this much potential, you need to make sure you have a strong grip on it. A shaky hand only causes spillage, making a mess of the story and your reader.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
CW: sexual content (including dubious and nonconsensual content), drug use, drugging, alcohol, animal death, homophobia, death, mind control, gun violence, blood, death of father (past), death by cancer (past), infidelity (mention), alcoholism (mention), suicide (mention), fatphobic comment...more
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book!
"Imagine that these paper birds were me and you—I’d have folded us together"
Returning to thThank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book!
"Imagine that these paper birds were me and you—I’d have folded us together"
Returning to the world of Modern Divination from a new angle, Agajanian once again takes their readers on a journey of hope, love, and loss. In book two we have: less tea, less academia, and less banter, but more swords, more Catholic guilt, and lots more bird content.
CW: grief, emesis, suicide (past), alcohol consumption, death of mother, dead body, blood & gore, blood magic, violence, abusive parents, religious trauma, character death...more
Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy and a PR package of this book! These are my honest opinions!
Caraway of the Sea is a sweet self-pThank you so much to the author for sending me a copy and a PR package of this book! These are my honest opinions!
Caraway of the Sea is a sweet self-published pirate story featuring a diverse cast and found family. I enjoyed the writing, and for a self-pub book, I found the work to be quite polished and readable! I loved our MC, Caraway, who is so incredibly snarky and stubborn and guarded, and her journey throughout the story was really compelling.
Though this isn't a fault of Burget's writing, as this is a pirate book, I was expecting more of a plot-heavy fast narrative with lots of swashbuckling adventure and sailing action, but the majority of the story takes place on land (and the parts that are on a boat are just mostly in contained rooms below cabin, so we don't get much of a feel for the ship itself) and is driven by slow-burn interpersonal conflict. I think that for folks who aren't super into pirate-y content but want the general vibe, or people who want to dip their toes into pirates but prefer more intimate dynamics, this book may be up your alley. But because I pick up pirate books to be immersed in the pirate ship ambience, the sailing lingo, and gritty action, I felt this one wasn't quite as much up mine.
I also want to mention that this book is marketed as fantasy but it isn’t. It’s a second world book, but without any actual fantasy elements or world building, this just seems like a tool to avoid handling any historical elements. It takes away rather than adds imo.
I'm really grateful I was sent a copy and got to have a little taste of a pirate story this summer (no summer is complete without one pirate book imo), and I'm happy to see on here that this book seems like it's found its audience!
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