Absolutely wonderful weird west novella. A kind, gallant cowboy meets a prickly witch who makes magic prosthetics (and they are both trans!). She saveAbsolutely wonderful weird west novella. A kind, gallant cowboy meets a prickly witch who makes magic prosthetics (and they are both trans!). She saves his life at the cost of her dead lover's mechanical heart, which she wanted to keep around to attempt a resurrection spell. The vibes are perfect. The story is perfect. The pacing, my usual issue with novellas - no complaint. After a few mediocre reads in a row, this was like a breath of fresh air. Absolutely recommended.
Apparently, the only way I like short stories are single-author, single-world collections. And this one was brilliant. From more serious, beautiful shApparently, the only way I like short stories are single-author, single-world collections. And this one was brilliant. From more serious, beautiful short stories about belonging and love like The Book of How to Live to the wonderfully whimsical and humorous The Splendid Goat Adventure (also one of the two epistolary stories!), to The Book of Seed and the Abyss which is structured like academic discourse that becomes something more, to poetry, to stories that tie into other Birdverse works, the collection is varied, experimental in structure, and thoroughly queer and neurodivergent. Most highly recommended.
This is one of the few romance series that are perfect for me. Sweet, fluffy, with lots of healing, and characters who care about and for each other. This is one of the few romance series that are perfect for me. Sweet, fluffy, with lots of healing, and characters who care about and for each other. It's even rarer that I stumble upon one where the characters are also ace. As soon as I heard that there is a sequel, I had to preorder and read it—as as this one is Christmas-centered it would have perhaps been better if I waited, but I could not. I needed it. And it was just as delightful and fluffy and slice of life as expected. We get to know more of Martin's dark mysterious past and I really enjoyed that we get both POVs. I just wish it had been longer ...more
Wow. Where the first book was too slow for my taste, this is MUCH better and gets more compelling the closer to the end you get. It is still a bit lonWow. Where the first book was too slow for my taste, this is MUCH better and gets more compelling the closer to the end you get. It is still a bit long-winded at points (especially when Bren gets into one of his spirals), but it got me well and truly hooked. The interspecies politics are great and I need the next one, now.
Also please someone get Bren some rest, the poor man....more
Thanks to the publisher (Tachyon Publications) for the ARC of this book.
Sometimes, you have to stop for a while and think a book over before you can rThanks to the publisher (Tachyon Publications) for the ARC of this book.
Sometimes, you have to stop for a while and think a book over before you can review it and this was exactly the case here. I liked it, I was pretty sure – I read it in one sitting (or lying, as it were) after all – but it’s one of those books that give you a lot to think about. In either case, it made a great conclusion to the 2022 r/Fantasy Bingo.
The star of the Gelle-Geu islands is plagued by nightmares, causing earthquakes and threatening worse. The poet Erígra has a special connection with the star and is begged by the ghost of their ancestor Semberi to become starkeeper, but they’re not willing to take on the role with all the social obligations it involves and wondering if the star would consent to being woken up. The new starkeeper, Ranra, is more than willing to take on the position, but she might not be able.
The writing was a little clumsy at first, which surprised me – I don’t remember having any such issues with The Four Profound Weaves or any of the short stories I read. I did not understand why Erígra was so set on the question of whether the star would consent to being woken up, especially with so many people in danger. But I did, eventually, settle into the story. And there was a lot to like.
In many ways, this is a story about dealing with failure, especially failure to do what everyone expects of you, inability to do what everyone expects of you, which is a theme very close to my heart. I haven’t read Ranra’s Unbalancing, the poem The Unbalancing expands, until after (I wasn’t even aware there was a poem when I started), so I was a little surprised at the turn of the events, but the more I thought about it…it’s bold. I respect bold.
The other two big themes close to my heart it deals with are neurodivergence and gender. I don’t know why the society recognising five different kinds of ichidi (non-binary) was so mindblowing to me, but it was. Just one of those “oh…oh.” moments. And I loved having multiple neurodivergent characters. I loved the romance, I loved the communication and compromise between someone who is always “go go go” and someone who often has to stop and rest in order to not get too overwhelmed. And of course, I loved getting even more of an insight into the magic and the deepnames.
If you’re up for a short, dense, but still quick read with lots of queerness and neurodivergence and magic and people trying their best, very much recommended.
Enjoyment: 4.5/5 Execution: 4/5
Recommended to: those looking for stories with lots of queer and neurodivergent characters and shall we say, unusual endings Not recommended to: those who don’t like dense books
Content warning: abuse (not prominently at all, but Ranra has an abusive mother)
So soft and gentle and perfect, my HEART. Romance between two ace-spec agents, basically charming your fellow weirdo with lots and LOTS of cautiously So soft and gentle and perfect, my HEART. Romance between two ace-spec agents, basically charming your fellow weirdo with lots and LOTS of cautiously taking care of and being there for each other (oh, and homemade food). Very comforting, very up my weirdly specific alley and just...perfect. I have no words. Read it.
Enjoyment: 5/5 Execution: 5/5
Recommended to: those looking for softest gentlest hurt/comfort, ace rep, possibly autism rep, or bureaucracy
DNF 29% - I'm not sure why I thought it was a good idea to try this one. The blurb did make it sound like there might be some hurt/comfort hidden in tDNF 29% - I'm not sure why I thought it was a good idea to try this one. The blurb did make it sound like there might be some hurt/comfort hidden in there, but there wasn't much, the love interest was horribly stereotypical, the worldbuilding was thin and made no sense, and overall it was just...very very tropey, poorly written YA. When the prince randomly saved her ass because he found her attractive, I lost my patience. Nope. The dedication to Sarah J. Maas should have been enough warning. At least I tried it via Overdrive......more
ARC received from the publisher (Tor) in exchange for an honest review.
The House in the Cerulean Sea was one of my favourite books of 2020. So natARC received from the publisher (Tor) in exchange for an honest review.
The House in the Cerulean Sea was one of my favourite books of 2020. So naturally, I jumped at the chance to read Under the Whispering Door as well. Unlike Cerulean Sea, this wasn’t an instant hit with me – but it won me over completely before the halfway point and that’s vanishingly rare. It counts for something.
Wallace, a cold-hearted asshole of a lawyer, suddenly finds himself dead. From his own funeral, attended by few and mourned by no one, a reaper leads him to a quaint little teashop, where Hugo, a ferryman, serves tea to both the living and the dead who need to cross over.
Just like in Cerulean Sea, Klune manages to handle some heavy topics like death and redemption in a very light, readable, and heartwarming way. I loved the slow character development and the compassion, the found family vibes, how slice of life it was. If there’s a list of tropes that can make me love a book, that would be it.
The one thing I didn’t like all the way through was the humour. At the beginning, it relied too much on Wallace ending up in embarrassing situations or being frustrated for my liking. Sure, he wasn’t a great person before he died. But that doesn’t really matter to me – if I have a least favourite type of humour, that would be it. I was getting worried whether it might be a dealbreaker. Luckily, it got infinitely better at some point after the first third or so, and the rest was smooth sailing. Which surprised me.
In fact, Under the Whispering Door is one of the very few books that managed to win me over completely after some initial doubts. That alone makes it something special.
Recommended, and make yourself a cup of tea while you’re at it.
Enjoyment: 4.5/5 Execution: 4.5/5
Recommended to: fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea, those looking for slice of life, mlm romance subplots (between a gay and a bi man), and heavy themes handled lightly Not recommended to: those who like fast-paced books
Well, I accidentally the whole thing in a day. I didn't even plan to continue the series, it just happened - I guess I needed my dose of slice of lifeWell, I accidentally the whole thing in a day. I didn't even plan to continue the series, it just happened - I guess I needed my dose of slice of life this desperately. As with the first book, I enjoyed it very much as a whole, which is...not really a surprise given how fast I devoured it. I liked how quiet and personal it is, I liked that therapy exists in this universe, I liked the hurt/comfort with Jahir struggling to adapt to the environment.
But. Again, there is a but. Two buts, even. First, and the more obvious one, I did not like how an instance of a female supervisor making unwanted advances and essentially assaulting a character was handwaved. Second, it's weirdly structured - after the main plotline finishes, it just...continues for a while in a completely different vein, as if it's two novels, or a novel and a novella stitched into one.
I’ve never much liked or cared about superheroes – what’s some asshole in a cape? Despite my friends’ gushing, I didn’t put Hench on my radar until thI’ve never much liked or cared about superheroes – what’s some asshole in a cape? Despite my friends’ gushing, I didn’t put Hench on my radar until there was a sale, and….wait. Mundane job? Spreadsheets? Fuck me, I’m in. I’ve always had enough of a hard-on for bureaucracy and other usually boring shit in books to override subgenre preferences and sure enough, it was exactly my thing. The characters’ low opinion of superheroes was the final cherry on top.
No one wants to be a real hero; it’s too hard. My husband didn’t give a damn whether the work I was doing was noble as long as it appeared to be. When I killed someone then—something I did a lot more than I do now—it was for the greater good. It was such bullshit.
Anna is a hench, working temp jobs as a data analyst and spreadsheet master for various supervillains. Then an assignment goes wrong, she runs into a superhero, landing in hospital with a shattered leg and losing her job to boot. Of course, she swears revenge, intent on using her skill with data to expose how bad for humanity superheroes are. And then she gets an offer for a much better job…
I loved pretty much everything about this book. The colourful cast of characters, the fast pacing that was compelling without being too intense for me, being on the side of the villains, and, naturally, the spreadsheets. Anna can’t fly or jump over the buildings and she hates action – she’s just a normal person good at handling large amounts of data and weaponising it to ruin superheroes’ lives from afar. Which is, honestly, completely terrifying and at the same time very entertaining to watch.
The worldbuilding was not especially deep. Superheroes, supervillains, heroes are objectively worse for the world, that’s more or less it. But it was enough to get the point across and that’s good enough for me. I also liked that it’s queernorm and not ableist – there’s a number of casually queer characters (including Anna herself, who is bi) and being neuroatypical or disabled didn’t seem to be especially noteworthy either.
I was also surprised to find I genuinely enjoyed the humour!
I guess the guest pass isn’t the easiest thing
It’s a fucking suppository
We have ones you can swallow now
Oh yeah?
I’ll make sure they get you the older model
Asshole
Exactly
This is why you have no other friends
We desperately, desperately need a sequel and not just because of the hinted at but tragically unexplored potential for a monsterfucking romance subplot.
Enjoyment: 5/5 Execution: 4/5
Recommended to: spreadsheet fetishists, supervillain enthusiasts, those looking for a fast and entertaining read set in an inclusive world, disability rep, or a variety of LGBTQ+ rep Not recommended to: anyone sensitive to body horror, those who like detailed worldbuilding
ARC received from the publisher (Orbit) in exchange for an honest review.
This has been, hands down, one of my most anticipated releases of the year. IARC received from the publisher (Orbit) in exchange for an honest review.
This has been, hands down, one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I’ve been looking for books with messy, complicated relationships lately, so that sounded fantastic, plus being promised critique of colonialism on top and that cover? With those arms? ...more
I'd give this a thousand stars if I could. It was perfect.
“You’re allowed to be greedy and grasping. You’re allowed to be cross with him. That’s so
I'd give this a thousand stars if I could. It was perfect.
“You’re allowed to be greedy and grasping. You’re allowed to be cross with him. That’s sometimes what love is. It’s not all sweetness and light.”
Initially, I thought I'd borrow it, but it wasn't long until I got sick of waiting and bought it and I couldn't be more glad I did. I knew I'd love it. I read the whole series just to get to it. And in the end, yes, my instincts were once again correct. It literally couldn't fit my preferences better and I devoured it in a span of a few hours.
If there's a trope I'm weak for when it comes to romance, it's a character taking care of their sick lover (any hurt/comfort is good, really, but this in particular), and if there's two tropes, very messed up people finding love is the second. Which is, well, pretty much exactly what this book is. Will, a former opium addict suffering from PTSD after his time in the navy under a horrific captain, spends most of it caring for Martin, who's always been sickly but is now suffering from consumption.
“How long are you here for?” “Well, at least I don’t have a monopoly on idiocy.” Will stared. “What’s that supposed to mean?” “I’m here, full stop, because it’s my home, because—as you said two minutes ago—it’s where you are, you monumental lackwit.”
It's not a love heals all story. Neither of them is all well and good by the end, but they learn to live with it, and I loved that. I also liked that their love was a prickly thing, that even though they've been pining for each other for their whole lives, they mess up a lot and are terrible with feelings and use idiot as a term of endearment. So good. I have said before I like my romance soft and sweet, and it was that, but there are no cinnamon rolls here.
(As a sidenote, the other characters were also fantastic, especially the women. From Daisy, easily as prickly as Martin, to his terrifying aunt.)
Even though each book in this series can technically stand alone, this one in particular benefits greatly from having read the other two, otherwise you miss a lot of context about the relationships between the brothers. I'm glad that despite my impatience to get to this book in particular, I went for the whole series.
But either way. I think I have a new favourite romance book.
Enjoyment: 5/5 Execution: 5/5
Recommended to: fellow suckers for hurt/comfort and romance involving healing, those looking for bisexual and aroace-spec characters
"You think I'm going to tell you now when we're this close? Half the appeal of having you tag along is the fact that you dissolve into a puddle of
"You think I'm going to tell you now when we're this close? Half the appeal of having you tag along is the fact that you dissolve into a puddle of unintelligible enthusiasm every time we come across something remotely interesting. [...] It's a real treat, watching you fall in love with the things I love."
Heretic's Guide is a paradox. I want to shout its praises from the rooftops because how come that I've never heard of it before Lynn recommended it to me when it's so good and so relatable? (Not to mention the gorgeous cover. I had to go for the paperback.) But on the other hand, I almost want to keep it secret and not tell anyone it exists, because I couldn't stand someone disliking it and being harsh about it. This is, quite possibly, one of the hardest and yet most necessary reviews I ever wrote.
Because I've never been this personally attached to a book before. Sure, there's been my eternal favourite, The Gray House, which has a lot of themes that resonate with me, or The Curse of Chalion, my forever comfort read. But neither of them felt this intimate and I can easily shrug off the thought of someone hating them.
Ronoah suffers from severe anxiety and never stays in one place long before he feels like he fucked up and has to run. He knows he's screwing himself over again and again, yet feels powerless to break the circle and beats himself up over it constantly. He's also a complete cinnamon roll. Then he meets Reilin - a mysterious trickster sort of character, you probably know the type - who drags him along on a pilgrimage under several conditions...and that's really all there is to it. There is no violence, or romance, or anything much. It's split into three parts - the first, where Ronoah and Reilin meet; the second, where they travel with a troupe of travelling performers; and the third, set in the caves. In a way, it's a little similar to Tess of the Road, one of my favourite books - the main character goes on a journey, which is really more of a vehicle for character development and overcoming trauma.
This may suit you, or it may not. But the reason why I adore this book so much, the reason why is closer to my heart than any other, is that it portrays the ugly, messy, destructive side of anxiety better than anything I've ever read. It's not pretty. It's not a cute quirk. And it's certainly not fucking logical. Seeing it all laid out plainly like that was so relatable it was embarrassing. Not all, but too much of it. Painful and yet also oddly comforting. It's so strange to feel seen, not something I'm used to.
And recommending it while calling it relatable feels like showing strangers pics of your room at its absolute messiest stage. Not something you'd want people to see with your name attached to it. I wouldn't be writing this review at all if I didn't think it'd be important - if I didn't hope someone else might also find solace in it.
The hard truth was, it wasn't enough to do one courageous thing and call it a day. One challenge accepted did not make challenge suddenly easy to accept; one act of bravery did not mean he was suddenly bold, or confident, or eager to take risks. He wanted to, gods how he made himself sick with the wanting, but that wasn't how it worked. You don't change overnight, said a voice in his head, not for things like this. This is how you form habits, how you shape personality: one excruciating step at a time. Congratulations, you've done it once. Now do it again. And again. And a hundred more times. And then it will begin to feel easy.
I almost, unwisely, hoped for answers. But there are none, really, except that change is hard, painful work. There's no magic cure for Ronoah, and I liked that.
All that said, it did take me a while to get into it. Part of it is the style, how it's almost told backwards and very much not how stories are "supposed" to be told (and aren't rules there to be shamelessly, courageously broken?) - there is a journey in the present, but it's really more of a story of Ronoah's past told through the present with all the digressions and little side stories and lots of telling instead of showing. I'd usually complain about that (ahem), but here it made a lot of thematic sense and the prose is lovely. Additionally, for a long while, it seemed like Reilin's behaviour was heading in the direction of "I'm an asshole but it's for your own good," a trope I despise. But at the end, it was all good. I liked how much compassion most of characters showed for Ronoah and his struggles as well.
(One more similarity with Tess of the Road: both books actually get that there are different languages in the world and how it feels to be partially fluent. Which, as someone who speaks two and a half languages, is always awesome to see.)
Another thing I found fascinating is that this book is part of a collaborative worldbuilding project called Shale. It's not something I have ever seen before and I find it pretty damn cool. I want to try other books set in it. I found it a shame that we only got to know a little bit of the world, because what we did get was utterly fascinating - especially the cultures since cultural worldbuilding is my absolute favourite. But I expect we will get to see more in book 2 and I am very much looking forward to that.
Enjoyment: 5/5 Execution: 5/5
Recommended to: fellow folks with anxiety, anyone who wants to read about journeys, fans of Tess of the Road, those looking for a book that's relatively small and personal in scope, those looking for a book without a romantic subplot, fans of cinnamon roll and/or trickster characters Not recommended to: those who like their books a bit more eventful and fast-paced, those who love to call protagonists annoying/whiny/illogical
Since the start of April, I've mostly emerged from my months-long slump and I've been downright craving fluff. Sweet, slow books where all ends well, Since the start of April, I've mostly emerged from my months-long slump and I've been downright craving fluff. Sweet, slow books where all ends well, yes please, give me all of them. I heard of Mindtouch a while ago, as a slice of life book with an asexual romance I might like. And since the 2020 r/Fantasy Bingo has an aro/ace square and I spotted this book was free...it seemed perfect.
In the end, have so many conflicted feelings about it. It was indeed fluffy and comfy and I couldn't stop reading all right. But some of the worldbuilding choices are...questionable at best and the same goes for ace represenataion.
The premise is simple. Jahir, an esper from a reclusive and xenophobic species leaves his world to study xenopsychology. On his first day, he meets Vasiht'h playing with some children in front of the hospital, and they become roommates. The rest of the book is made up of them studying, socialising, Vasiht'h introducing Jahir to all the things his world lacks, exploring their rare abilities, and visiting the group of terminally ill children in the hospital. What conflict there is, is minor and interpersonal or related to their studies, and there's no real climax or plot (though it's firmly not standalone). It's pure slice of life and tooth-achingly sweet.
And it's exactly the quietness and lack of plot I enjoyed the most. In fact, whenever I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading and went through it in large bursts rather than picking at it little by little as I usually do. It was like a warm hug.
Well, at least until some more worldbuilding dropped. I got used to the whole anthopomorphic animals thing surprisingly easily at the start. Not up my alley at all, but not much different than having any other kind of alien in practice. But when it was revealed that the Pelted were initially genetically engineered by humans for sex - I could not buy that. At all. For several reasons. It both majorly broke my suspension of disbelief and seemed out of place in an otherwise very mild book. To be clear: nobody in-universe considers it in any way okay. But still, why.
That one line put me off so much I put the book down for a few days.
The treatment of asexuality was similarly sketchy. It's revealed that Vasiht'h's species is asexual as a byproduct of genetical engineering and that they consider themselves passionless and unemotional (although this is pretty firmly disproven). The relationship also didn't seem like a romance, I'd label it vaguely queerplatonic if I had to, which is fine, but not what it was recommended to me as. And just...can't we have an asexual character who is naturally ace because they are ace like gay people are gay, no explanation or excuses necessary? Not a robot or someone who was otherwise made such? Not implied to be inhuman or lacking in emotion or otherwise less-than?
Still, even though those two paragraphs sound pretty ranty, I did enjoy the book and I do want to read the sequel some day, when I feel in need of more feel-good stories. But it's pretty hard to recommend without some major caveats.
Enjoyment: 4.5/5 Execution: 3.5/5
Recommended to: fellow fans of fluffy slice of life, those who like school stories and settings where therapy is a thing, those looking for anthopomorphic animals in their SFF Not recommended to: those looking for asexual representation or romance, anyone who needs a book with conflict beyond some angst
I forgot how much I enjoy this novella series. Penric, with his sunny disposition, is always a delight, as is his wise old demon Desdemona. These noveI forgot how much I enjoy this novella series. Penric, with his sunny disposition, is always a delight, as is his wise old demon Desdemona. These novellas are a little more interconnected than the first three I read, with the first two having quite open-ended endings, and an obvious hook for more sequels. Which is fine, I will read them all sooner or later, but they’re not as self-contained as I thought going in. What I liked about this collection in particular is that two of the novellas feature a man crossdressing as a woman for disguise, without making it into a joke. A rarity.
ARC received from the publisher (Tachyon) in exchange for an honest review.
They were birds of bright fire that fell from the sky and cocooned me, u
ARC received from the publisher (Tachyon) in exchange for an honest review.
They were birds of bright fire that fell from the sky and cocooned me, until I could see and hear nothing except the warmth and the feathers enveloping me and the threads of the wind singing each to each until my whole skin was ignited by the sun, my body changing and changed by the malleable flame.
I have been familiar with R.B. Lemberg's works for a while - Geometries of Belonging and Grandmother-nai-Leylit’s Cloth of Winds (which should preferably be read before reading this book) are two of those short stories that stuck with me long after I read them. So when Erio brought The Four Profound Weaves to my attention, highly recommending it, I knew that sooner or later, I will end up reading it. Queer books with lovely prose are precisely my kind of thing.
As suspected, I adored it.
The story stars two elderly trans protagonists. Uiziya is a Surun’ weaver whose greatest wish at the beginning is to learn the last of the Four Profound Weaves from her exiled aunt and weave a carpet of death. She transformed very young and has always been accepted. The nameless man, nen-sasaïr, has been living with the Surun’ for three months, ever since his transformation, because his culture isn't tolerant of changers. After a life of denial, he feels unmoored, frustrated, unsure of where he belongs. Together, they go on a quest.
But that's only a part of it. Even though it's a novella, The Four Profound Weaves has so much going on that I don't know where to start. I don't think I can do it justice.
First, the prose is absolutely exquisite. And the story is exactly the sort of fairytale-esque that I'm an absolute sucker for. A quest for the carpets, magical objects, the whole deal. At the same time, the worldbuilding is entirely original and well thought out. Seeing as the author also wrote several short stories set in the same world, this shouldn't come as a surprise.
“You see other lives as easy because you don’t see them. You see your story as complex and hard because you know it best.”
And then the themes. Someone better at literary analysis could probably write an essay on it. It contains so much. I could say it's about identity and belonging, but that doesn't quite cut it. Or about two trans people with two very different experiences, acceptance, loved ones that smother you, culture clash, of how hard and messy change can be, and how you're never too old to turn your life around...so many things. It's like a tapestry itself, multiple interwoven themes and threads coming together into a beautiful whole.
But to me, by far the biggest surprise was that the length felt exactly right. I found I don't like novellas very much - they often feel as if they're missing something, as if either there's too many ideas or plot crammed into too small of a space or as if there's not enough. Not so here; Lemberg hit the precarious balance perfectly. The Four Profound Weaves feels complete. It needs nothing more and nothing less than what is already there. It's probably safe to say this will be one of the highlights of 2020 for me and I most highly recommend it.
Enjoyment: 5/5 Execution: 5/5
Recommended to: fans of literary fantasy, those looking for non-western and/or LGBTQ+ books, those looking for a shorter read, anyone who likes fairytale-like stories Not recommended to: those who don't like introspective and theme-focused books...?
Space nuns! Squishy biological spaceships! Lesbians! I enjoyed this quite a bit. The worldbuilding has a few interesting touches and the writing was vSpace nuns! Squishy biological spaceships! Lesbians! I enjoyed this quite a bit. The worldbuilding has a few interesting touches and the writing was very engaging (though, I have to warn, the plot includes an epidemic). It felt a little thin in the places novellas often are, but I read it in one sitting, and during a time where I struggle to finish books, that means something too.
ARC received from the publisher (Orbit) in exchange for an honest review.
I should not have put this off as long as I did - my fears about this book beARC received from the publisher (Orbit) in exchange for an honest review.
I should not have put this off as long as I did - my fears about this book being a slow read because it was epic fantasy were baseless. Not only does it largely live up to the hype, it reads really really fast as well. And the romance subplot is exquisite - sapphic, morally gray, with with a strong hurt/comfort element.
I know there is no higher power that sanctions a king or an emperor. There is only the moment when power is placed in your hands, and there is one truth: either you take the power and wield it, or someone else will. And perhaps they will not be as kind to you and yours.
Malini has been imprisoned in the Hirana - an ancient, decaying temple - for disobeying her emperor brother and refusing to be executed by burning. And if this is not enough, she is also sick from slowly being poisoned by the servant who was sent there with her. Priya is one of the maidservants cleaning her rooms and, secretly, a former temple child. Each has her own reason to hate the empire.
What I loved the most about the book were the characters and their complexity. Priya and Malini's POV chapters are mixed with the occasional chapter from the POV of someone else, and everyone has their own goals and their own preferred means to achieve them, most of them quite ruthless. I liked that. It also affects the romance. Priya distrusts Malini, given her manipulative tendencies and being the princess of the very empire that colonised Ahiranya, which causes much tension between them, but both of them are drawn to each other. I loved the slowly developing romance - a character taking care of their sick love interest is my absolute favourite thing ever (cough) and there is plenty of that here.
The same approach also shows in the worldbuilding. There are several factions that hate the empire and are forced to cooperate because of that, but have little in common aside from that, ranging from only wanting the emperor replaced with another but not caring about Ahiranya, subtle rebellion, or liberation at all costs, no matter how much blood and lives it takes. It has a lot to say about power and how it changes people. In addition to political tensions, there is also the threat of a magical incurable plague, that manifests itself as plants growing under the skin.
If intrigue, f/f romance with lots of hurt/comfort, epic fantasy with an Indian-inspired setting, or plant-based magic sound good to you, you should absolutely go for it. I am very curious to see where this series will go next.
Enjoyment: 4/5 Execution: 4/5
Recommended to: fans of the hurt/comfort trope, those looking for anti-colonialist fantasy or sapphic books, those looking for epic fantasy that's character-focused and not set in faux-medieval Europe, if you want moral grayness without grimdarkness Not recommended to: uhh...can't think of any obvious drawbacks...
Content warnings: epidemic (but fantastic enough that it was not at all an issue for me), some mild body horror involving plants
I volunteered to be a bookclub leader, read the book, led the discussions, then forgot to write a review. Typical. So it’s getting a smol one much latI volunteered to be a bookclub leader, read the book, led the discussions, then forgot to write a review. Typical. So it’s getting a smol one much later instead.
I was hesitant because of how bleak the premise seemed, but despite the dystopia of a generation slave ship and various horrors that went on, it read faster than I expected. The characters were excellent too – I appreciated the portrayal of autism in particular – and I loved how it tackled race and gender.
What I didn’t like as much was that the worldbuilding was full of holes. So many things weren’t given any explanation – how did Matilda come to be organised like a slave ship, for example? That along with wildly uneven pacing (slow for most of the book, then a lightning-fast ending), lack of closure, and unrepetantly abusive characters who were constantly forgiven made for a rather mixed overall impression.
ARC received from the publisher (Angry Robot) in exchange for an honest review
I had fairly high expectations going in. Dark Victorian fantasy with a mARC received from the publisher (Angry Robot) in exchange for an honest review
I had fairly high expectations going in. Dark Victorian fantasy with a murder mystery plot and at least of a bit of a focus on medicine? Plus that gorgeous cover? Unfortunately, The Resurrectionist of Caligo was a letdown. Initially, I was hopeful it would be one of those books that manage to pull it off despite its many flaws, but the nearer to the end I was, the more clear it became that this is sadly not the case. The characters were either bland or assholes and what's worse, the worldbuilding and plot had more holes than swiss cheese and the ending...did not do it any favours.
Note: the word "resurrectionist" is simply an euphemism for a person who digs up corpses and sells them to doctors to learn from, it's not related to necromancy (alas).
The story is split between two perspectives. Roger Weathersby is a corpse thief who steals fresh cadavers from the graveyard and sells them to medical schools. While on one of his expeditions, he ends up being framed for murders he definitely did not commit. There is a serial killer targeting women, as well as a mysterious disease, and now Roger has to race against time to clear his name and find who really did it. He finds himself tangled with princess Sibylla, his ex-lover, whose half of the book is...basically some fairly standard court intrigue.
The main problem is, it all relies on massive amounts of idiot ball and increasingly contrived twists. If you thought Robin Hobb's The Farseer Trilogy relied too much on people acting like idiots to advance the plot, boy you're in for a surprise. And the closer to the end it is, the worse and more ridiculous it gets.
That might not have been too bad if the characters and worldbuilding were up to scratch. Which...they weren't. Sibylla and Roger felt very bland and most everyone else was an asshole. The only character I liked was Ada aka Ghostofmary, the little girl Roger takes under his wing. The worldbuilding isn't much better. It's Victorian-flavoured, which is what initially drew me to the book, but...sloppy. Surface-level. There's a lot of concepts that would make it a hellish dystopia (genetic magic, for one), but they are mostly sidestepped or not engaged with as much as I felt they should have been. It doesn't commit.
It has a slow start, so I wasn't enjoying myself until about 50% when my curiosity about mystery plots took over. Only for my enjoyment to tank completely at the end. I love mystery-type plots and I love fantasy books involving medicine, so this should have been more or less my thing. But even the best concept doesn't help when the execution isn't up to scratch.
Enjoyment: 2.5/5 Execution: 2/5
Recommended to: people desperate for Victorian-inspired fantasy Not recommended to: people who hate idiot ball and contrived plot twists
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