Cool idea: In the sci-fi future, a phone company has become the most powerful organization due to their monopoly on communication. Lame idea: It is reCool idea: In the sci-fi future, a phone company has become the most powerful organization due to their monopoly on communication. Lame idea: It is referred to as "The Phone Company" the entire time.
I feel like this novella kept trying to knock over dominos that it hadn't actually set up yet...more
I kept waiting for this book to hook me, but it never did. This is mostly due to weak characterization. This book gets so wrapped up in the worldbuildI kept waiting for this book to hook me, but it never did. This is mostly due to weak characterization. This book gets so wrapped up in the worldbuilding (admittedly, cool) and the slow mystery of our protagonist's dark backstory (admittedly, interesting) that it forgets to give our protagonist emotions. Even when our protagonist has lost everything dear to her, the typical reaction is one line of, "She sighed," and then the story moves briskly along. We never stop for reactions, or anticipation, or planning, or emotions of any kind.
Oh, and don't even get me started on this romance. No chemistry. No emotions. Just the very occasional, "Wow, he's hot isn't he? But, I'm not here to make friends so I'm not going to think about it." The book is just expecting you to fill in the romance yourself based on the bare minimum tropes it hints at.
The audiobook is well performed. The narrator includes a Bulgarian accent for some of the characters, making the setting and people in the book come alive.
DNF at 59%
Thanks to Netgalley, Tor Books, and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ...more
The protagonist of the book is annoying, frustratingly stupid, and passive. I love the vibe of the setting, exploring the Harlem Renaissance in 1920s The protagonist of the book is annoying, frustratingly stupid, and passive. I love the vibe of the setting, exploring the Harlem Renaissance in 1920s New York, especially the jazz and queer communities. However, my love for the vibrant setting could not overpower the dull narrator. I hated this book.
This book also has disappointingly little Nightingale content. Heartbreaking for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Subterranean Press for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own....more
There's only so many times you should repeat a scene without having it go anywhere. This book's three favorite scenes: - oh no, my emotions are being mThere's only so many times you should repeat a scene without having it go anywhere. This book's three favorite scenes: - oh no, my emotions are being manipulated - time to politically manipulate someone by talking to them - what if we kissed? ...more
This is the story of 1910's monster hunters. The hunters are a sibling duo with a perfectly entertaining dynamic. There's also larger politics at playThis is the story of 1910's monster hunters. The hunters are a sibling duo with a perfectly entertaining dynamic. There's also larger politics at play with the secretive monster hunter organization.
Though this book has great bones -- intriguing monster, dynamic characters, I feel like this book fell short of that potential. The characters are flawed, but don't face any consequences for those weaknesses here. The hunt is intriguing, until it spends way too long in the same place spinning its wheels. There is a vague threat from their bosses, and yet it doesn't really pan out.
Despite not having read the next books in the series yet, this feels like a case of middle-book-syndrome: a book that is there to set the characters up for a finale, but doesn't actually justify its existence.
It was fine, and I still recommend the series. I just hope that the next book has more going on, both in terms of plot and character development.
Thanks to Netgalley and Gallery/Saga Press for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own. ...more
If I ask myself, "what is the purpose of this scene?" most of the time the answer is, "It provides an info dump on a topic that I don't care about."If I ask myself, "what is the purpose of this scene?" most of the time the answer is, "It provides an info dump on a topic that I don't care about."...more
I feel very differently about the first and second halves of this book.
The first half of this book is incredibly boring, dragging, and pointless. TheI feel very differently about the first and second halves of this book.
The first half of this book is incredibly boring, dragging, and pointless. The plot does not progress. The characters are given no sources of conflict. The scenes are repetitive and unnecessary. It's unsatisfying and disappointing, especially from and author that I love the work of so dearly. This book is over 600 pages, and over half of them do absolutely nothing to justify their existence. Out of 4 POV characters that we get, I cared about none of them, despite being obsessed with them all in book 1 (which I just reread last month and gave 5 stars!).
In the second half of the book, things start to begin to actually happen. The plot kicks into gear, and some of our leads belatedly get motivations and character arcs assigned to them. There are actual stakes, and I was invested and enjoying myself. The book most definitely sticks the landing, with bombastic action sequences supported by emotional payoffs. There was a portion of this novel, 75%-95%, where I was loving it.
So, though there were many instances where I contemplated giving up on this one, I'm glad that I stuck with it to the end. I'm left feeling satisfied and hungry for the next installment. But this book should have been half as long, as it only had enough plot in store to support that much.
The cats in this book are as great, proud, and spunky as ever. I enjoy how this book explores our antagonists, and is shaping the series into something quite epic.
The new cover style is ugly and does not represent the book well. I hate it, especially in comparison to the beautiful and fitting cover of book 1.
Thanks to Netgalley and Ace for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own. ...more
This story follows Khat, a black market relics dealer and historian. He is recruited to help find some relics that haI read the 2023 revised edition.
This story follows Khat, a black market relics dealer and historian. He is recruited to help find some relics that have the potential to change the magical landscape, if the legends have any truth to them.
This is a fine fantasy book. That's my main takeaway. The worldbuilding is fine, interesting but not blowing me away. The plot is fine, entertaining without ever surprising me. The characters are fine, well crafted but never really reaching into compelling.
The setting and pacing of this book will appeal to fans of The Fifth Season. There is a similar feeling of historical and looming apocalypse in the setting. The pacing is thoughtful without being too slow, with fight scenes interspersed.
Thanks to Netgalley and Tordotcom for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own....more
People who were pleased with book 1, the Justice of Kings, seem to be happy with book 2, The Tyranny of Faith. However, to me as my starting place, boPeople who were pleased with book 1, the Justice of Kings, seem to be happy with book 2, The Tyranny of Faith. However, to me as my starting place, book 2 felt like a middle book in the trilogy: a plot without a strong beginning or a firm ending. I think this kind of dry narration and wandering focus is part of the appeal of this series. It lends a reality and weight to the account, as if it's in a 1800's style.
In the very beginning, I was intrigued. However, as the book went from political side quest to and fro, I grew bored. The detached style of the narration and the passivity of our narrator didn't help.
The ending, I admit, was much faster paced than the beginning. The plot twists us farther and deeper into dark magicks, and the result is powerful and heart-wrenching. The farther into the annals of this book I got, the dread and anxiety-ridden politics twisted ever more. I, personally, felt that it wasn't worth the boring first half.
Thanks to Orbit and Netgalley for a copy to review. All opinions are my own....more
I really loved the Berserker Guy and Cute Little Adopted Son dynamic we had. But then nothing was really done with it, and it was superceded by many sI really loved the Berserker Guy and Cute Little Adopted Son dynamic we had. But then nothing was really done with it, and it was superceded by many scenes of dialogue info dumps....more
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