I’ve been disliking YA as a genre recently so I did not expect to like this book as much as I did!!! But really this has all of the best ingredients aI’ve been disliking YA as a genre recently so I did not expect to like this book as much as I did!!! But really this has all of the best ingredients and none of the worst thing.
What there was: A sentient city with magic bells that will wake up millennia old monsters if they aren’t cut twice a day? Check. Gargoyles and statues coming to life and chasing people? Check. Saints from historic legends (along with stained glass artwork of said saints)? Check.
What there was not: Instalove? NOPE. Overpowering YA angst? NOPE. Love triangles? NOPE.
The absolute best part of this book was the setting. The history and saints and statues gave so much depth to the book, and all of that being overlayed on a sentient living city that actually FELT alive was incredible. I would live in Vaiwyn. The saints and their relics were so cool. The belltowers were so cool. Immaculate vibes for an October read.
The second best part of this book was how incredibly well done the romance was. Y’all know I’m a romance hater 99% of the time. There’s nothing I hate more than instalove. But in this book the MC had been FRIENDS with the LI for a significant amount of time before anything romantic started happening. And not the “friends who are really just horny for each other and don’t actually have a friendship� trope I’ve seen so much in YA. They had a genuine friendship outside of their romance. Their chemistry wasn’t just pure sexual tension with nothing actually meaningful to it. That detail alone is enough to make me want to read every book Elle Tesch ever writes.
Bottom line: I LOVED THIS BOOK
TRIGGER WARNINGS (minor spoilers): there’s a scene where Mina is forced to kiss someone when she doesn’t want to. Her body is used against her will by a spirit. Her father died from a plague and her mother became abusive afterwards. A side character is severely alcoholic. ...more
This was really fun! I had some issues with it but overall I enjoyed reading it a lot and I’d read more from this author!
My biggest issue is just thatThis was really fun! I had some issues with it but overall I enjoyed reading it a lot and I’d read more from this author!
My biggest issue is just that it felt somewhat clumsy. The writing style felt juvenile enough that I thought I was reading YA, and then I got hit with a sudden sex scene. It didn’t feel consistent at all, at points it felt super young and had that overly cheerful middle grade energy, and then at points there was extreme gore that didn’t fit with the rest of the vibes. The characters were very caricatured, with sudden extreme swings in mood or belief that didn’t make a lot of sense. It felt like a debut from an author who doesn’t have a strong idea of what genre they want to write.
That being said tho, I really enjoyed reading it! I loved Sai as a main character, and I haven’t read anything remotely similar to this. It had a super unique plot that had me shocked at multiple points. I think Katrina Kwan will definitely be an author to watch out for! ...more
I was very hesitant about reading this book. There’s a recurring thing I’ve seen of “ex-gay Christians� writing books about why it’s bad to be queer, I was very hesitant about reading this book. There’s a recurring thing I’ve seen of “ex-gay Christians� writing books about why it’s bad to be queer, and I passionately despise everything about it. So when I had the chance to meet David Bennett I was EXTREMELY hesitant.
And then I met him in person and he was genuinely so sweet and kind and thoughtful, and he talked about how horrifically the church has abused the queer community, and how much homophobia and prejudice he’s experienced at the hands of Christians, and even with that how he is so happy to be gay and how much he loves Jesus, and I cried me eyes out and immediately ordered his book.
Regardless of your beliefs on theology, the Bible makes it very clear that queer folks are created in the image of Yahweh and are beloved by Him. David Bennett is an excellent voice from a minority that the church has historically and sinfully abused and cast out, and anyone who calls themselves a follower of Jesus should absolutely be listening to voices like his. ...more
I love Rysn so much and I absolutely LOVE the disability rep in this book. Brandon Sanderson did his research and it SHOWS. The interactions between RI love Rysn so much and I absolutely LOVE the disability rep in this book. Brandon Sanderson did his research and it SHOWS. The interactions between Rysn and Lopen had me teary.
Bottom line: the way to my heart is accurate disability rep ...more
Brandon Sanderson is such a ridiculously creative author. Puritan era pilgrim bounty hunter except in a haunted forest where fire, blood, or fast moveBrandon Sanderson is such a ridiculously creative author. Puritan era pilgrim bounty hunter except in a haunted forest where fire, blood, or fast movement will draw ghosts to kill you?? Brandon how did you even think of this? What is it like living in your brain?
Bottom line this novella slaps and I’m mad there isn’t a full length book in this world ...more
I’m actually genuinely so upset about the ending of this book that I don’t think I’ll ever pick up another Mark Lawrence book again. I wish I could goI’m actually genuinely so upset about the ending of this book that I don’t think I’ll ever pick up another Mark Lawrence book again. I wish I could go back to a time before I read this book bc I’m now crying at the doctors office and there’s nothing more to read to make it right.
I liked this one a lot, but it definitely was a lot weaker than I’ve come to expect from Brandon Sanderson. I loved Siri’s whole plotline, but VivennaI liked this one a lot, but it definitely was a lot weaker than I’ve come to expect from Brandon Sanderson. I loved Siri’s whole plotline, but Vivenna’s chapters felt tropey and underdeveloped. I LOVED Lightsong, the man is literally a cat reincarnated into a god and it was so funny to me. There were so many times I wanted to slap him but also absolute 10/10 character development.
Bottom line: fun! Would read book 2. Not my favorite tho. ...more
There’s a strange thing that happens to me with Ann Liang books, and that thing is that I’m physically incapable ofLOOK AT THIS COVER I’M BEGGING YOU
There’s a strange thing that happens to me with Ann Liang books, and that thing is that I’m physically incapable of putting them down. My to-do list can go down itself, I HAVE to know what happens immediately or else I will die.
And that’s the story of how I read this entire book in one sitting. Now please go do the same. ...more
And when I say weird books, I mean Capital W Weird, not just weird. This one fit the bill for that SO well. It was so strange aI LOVE WEIRD BOOKS!!!!!
And when I say weird books, I mean Capital W Weird, not just weird. This one fit the bill for that SO well. It was so strange and creative and fascinating and I feel like I don’t understand the world but also like that’s kind of the point?
This book was entirely about names and the Named vs the Nameless, so it makes sense that the names are goofy, but they were So Strange and it was fun but also kept confusing me! You have Oh and Two and Ticket and Book and Gardener of Leaves and other such strange names, and half the time people had multiple names and none of them were easy to remember!
It was confusing enough that it took me a LONG time to read. It felt like I was reading this for a month. But I also kept getting lowkey bored. It definitely picked up a lot towards the end and I enjoyed the ending a lot more tho.
Overall: this was super creative and fun and Weird and I definitely would read another book from this author. ...more
I liked this one much better than the first one, but I still find it really icky and gross that it’s treated as totally normal and good and happy thatI liked this one much better than the first one, but I still find it really icky and gross that it’s treated as totally normal and good and happy that Sardeet was married off to an immortal guy when she was 14. don’t like that at all. ...more
you already know I love Victoria Goddard. I’m obsessed with this world and all of these characters and this series and I will read basically anything you already know I love Victoria Goddard. I’m obsessed with this world and all of these characters and this series and I will read basically anything she writes and like it.
HOWEVER.
This one was icky.
The whole premise is the two older sisters going to rescue their younger sister, who has been taken as the bride of the wind god and is unhappy. Fine premise, right?? Could’ve worked fine if they were maybe all adults, right?? Would’ve been the exact same story but much less creepy if they were all adults, right???????
Except they are not all adults, and we get way too much info about this fourteen year old girl ~making love~ with her ancient immortal husband. And how this fourteen year old girl is basically breeding stock for this god but that’s fine and dandy because ThEyRe mArRiEd but it never mentions that she’s a literal CHILD?????
The plot could’ve gone EXACTLY the same if she was 18. Literally nothing would have changed except it wouldn’t have been gross and pedophilic and made me go ick ick ick ew whenever it mentioned this child having sex with her ancient and immortal creep of a husband.
Bottom line: would’ve been a great story if it wasn’t about pedophilia ...more
I think that i don’t like Lift very much and that made me not like this a whole lot. She definitely had a lot of growth and was a lot better by the enI think that i don’t like Lift very much and that made me not like this a whole lot. She definitely had a lot of growth and was a lot better by the end of it, but she still is immature and obnoxious and rubs me the wrong way.
All of that aside tho, this was a really good story, and I liked seeing one of Nale’s major turning points! ...more
you know it’s bad when a middle grade book makes you full on cry
this book was wonderful. it was so sweet and wholesome. As a late diagnosed Autistic ayou know it’s bad when a middle grade book makes you full on cry
this book was wonderful. it was so sweet and wholesome. As a late diagnosed Autistic adult the way Maudie’s autism was treated by the different people in her life made me absolutely WEEP. So many of the awful things that were said to her were word for word things that have been said to me. Seeing her made meaningful connections with respectful and understanding people made my heart break for the younger me who would’ve given anything for that.
Trigger warning for on page physical and verbal abuse, but nothing sexual. ...more
This was really strange and not in a good way. It took a fascinating concept and made it so gross and miserable that I couldn’t wait for it to be overThis was really strange and not in a good way. It took a fascinating concept and made it so gross and miserable that I couldn’t wait for it to be over.
A few notes:
The lack of punctuation was a bold choice. I like it when people do creative things with their novels, but this one just left me confused. It was hard to tell who was speaking when, or if anyone was speaking at all.
There is so much threat of SA in this book. In the part following Odile’s adult life, every single man around her is either trying to assault her or manipulate her using her body. It comes up over and over and over again. The only way she can avoid being r*ped is by letting a different man manipulate her into agreeing to marry him, which it expressly says he wants for the social clout of being the one to have sex with her. It’s weird and creepy and disgusting, especially coming from a male author.
The blurb says this is a story of “heartbreak and hope�, but really it’s just a story of misery and sexual assault. The only hope I can find in it is if you can’t protect yourself from being assaulted at least you can go back in time and try to protect yourself there. It’s a miserable book full of miserable people.
Bottom line: stop letting male authors write female main characters who have to spend 90% of their time fleeing r*pe threats ...more
**spoiler alert** The sad thing about this book is that I actually really really enjoyed the first 80% of it, and then the ending was so profoundly ba**spoiler alert** The sad thing about this book is that I actually really really enjoyed the first 80% of it, and then the ending was so profoundly bad that it ruined the entire book.
Take the characters. You have John, pastor of the Free Church, struggling for money, unable to support his newlywed wife, taking on the thankless and pay-less work of translating the gospels into Scottish. John takes on a job that he can’t afford to question the morality of because of his desperation to support Mary.
You have Mary, in her forties, never a romantic until she met John. Mary is trying to support her husband and to love him through the struggles, even when he follows a career path that can’t support them, even when he leaves to evict the last poor tenant on a rich man’s island because he’s too proud to accept a loan. Mary is an icon, right up until the end.
Then you have Ivar. Ivar hasn’t had meaningful contact with another human in twenty-something years. Ivar lives alone on his island with his old blind cow, his horse, his sheep, his chickens. Ivar doesn’t understand the need for other people. At least not until John shows up and gets himself so badly hurt that Ivar takes him home to nurse him back to health, and suddenly for the first time in over two decades Ivar finds himself caring for a person.
John has a terrible internal debate as he tries to learn Ivar’s language. Ivar has taken care of him and asked nothing in return, and as soon as he knows enough words to communicate it John is going to have to tell Ivar that he’s being evicted, and he can either leave his home or be killed. At first John puts it off because he’s scared of Ivar, and then he puts it off because he doesn’t want to see Ivar hurt, even though he knows delaying it will only cause more pain.
Ivar’s story was the most moving to me, as he learned to care for and trust John and realized how much he was lacking in his decades of solitude. The joy of hearing his own language spoken again, by this poor wounded man who has nothing to do but sit and try to puzzle through making a dictionary. The experience of being seen and perceived in his own environment, when no outsider ever has. It was especially bittersweet knowing that John was holding such a horrible secret over his head, and that his entire way of life was about to be stolen from him.
This is the part of the story I loved. The tension of the impending secret and the bittersweet nature of their friendship, set against the language barrier, made for an incredibly moving story. I had no idea how the author was going to resolve it.
Now for the spoilers.
The resolution to this profoundly painful problem is that John and Ivar had sex, and then there wasn’t a problem anymore. While they’re in bed John tells Ivar that he’s here to evict him, and Ivar is a little nervous, but that’s it. And then Mary, John’s wife, shows up, realizes her husband just had sex with another man, and goes “I guess we’re three now, instead of two�, and then the book ends.
This was worst possible ending for this book. You cannot tell me that the entire struggle of the story is resolved by them having sex, especially when up until now there was absolutely NO sexual tension. You cannot tell me that Mary, who up until now has been such a profoundly strong and self respecting woman, upon finding out her husband had an affair, has no reaction other than “oh well, looks like we’re poly now�.
Somehow the entire internal struggle that John was facing for the whole book is resolved by him having an affair.
Somehow Ivar, after not having interacted with another person in two decades, is completely fine with the fact that he’s being removed from his home and forced to go live with strangers, because he had sex.
Somehow Mary sees her husband in his affair bed and invites his affair partner to live with them.
This ending is so weak and problematic it ruined the entire book. ...more
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