Goran Lowie
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2022 ELGIN AWARD
A great (if too unfamiliar for me) collection of nature-based poems.
NOW NOMINATED FOR THE 2022 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
A decently interesting work– though it never allowed me to immerse myself, I was intrigued by some of the images it conjectured. Lackluster prose and concepts were a detriment to this novel that seemed to be try to be both a high-concept yet character-focused work. In the end, it never really works (the merit of Cloud Atlas and To Paradise is that they are absolute tomes, which gives you more freedom to properly develop your story with nested narratives like these) because the stories and characters aren't given enough room to breathe. Feels more like a fix-up novel.
The kind of bleakness and nihilism I tend to avoid nowadays, because it just feels too extreme and unnuanced. This is almost a grimdark story, bit too much for my taste.
Ignoring that, there's some strong characters and it's certainly a very quick read. Felt like a Scalzi to me, with its dialogue and focus on action.
If you want to read a story about how all people are backstabbing, raping and murdering scum who will betray anyone as long as it's to their advantage... If you want to read about lots of torture and killing and monsters... This is the book for you.
To Paradise is a hopeless book. It doesn't start like this, it's not immediately noticeable, starting as a story of love, but as it progresses the cracks begin to show and you almost become resigned to the dissipitation of what people were dreaming of at the start– never outright depression, more so a resignation, a feeling of helpfulness, of being stuck, of making mistakes but this seeming like an inevitability.
This is essentially a collection of two connected novellas and one novel.
In the first one, we explore what I was initially expecting to be an alternate history novel handling the topic of slavery, but instead turned out to be an exploration of independence (as a person and a people), infatuation and insecurity. It's a tragic tale at heart, deliberately unsatisfying, would make for an interesting standalone story. The world is barely explored and served solely as background for the characters, which is what the story is very much focused on.
The hinted paradise feels palatable, somewhat uncertain, but well within reach.
The second part is where we start getting to the real meat. A deftly woven story of (broken) cultural identity, an almost epistolary novella from the perspective by one who is invisible to the people around him, a dark story told in a nuanced way.
The paradise feels like an near impossibility, out of grasp, a dwindling chance.
The third part... This one felt the most like The People in the Trees to me, an escalation of depression, emotionally overwhelming, as we slowly unravel the truth of a society slowly becoming more and more dystopic, in a world ravaged by constant pandemics, where the internet has practically been banned because of its danger– where conspiracy theorists are rampant, marriages are mandatory, and most people are broken.
No paradise to be found here. Instead, the concept of paradise is a cruel joke, an obvious unfeasability, a bitter unreality.
This was not as much as a tearjerker as The People in The Trees, which I'm thankful for. Her melodramatic tendencies, reminiscent of Guy Gavriel Kay, always felt a bit juvenile to me. I haven't read A Little Life yet but from what I've heard it's much the same. To Paradise is not that, I was hoping, feeling like the maturation of Yanagihara as an author, less focused on the emotional. Unfortunately, by the third part, it feels like tortureporn again.
Well, it's about what you'd expect! Great fun, don't think too much. One of those pulpy adventure novels that reads like a train.
NOMINATED FOR THE 2023 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
Reviewed in April 2022 below. Might re-read before the the prize announcement.
I went to a convention recently where I attended a panel on the Arthuriana. Topics of discussion were the current relevancy of the Arthurian tales, its place in our current society, and its legacy in popular media. Most of the panellists noted that it feels like our generation hasn't really had their version of Arthur yet.
And I agree with this, to some extent. Especially in popular media, as with most subjects re-visited often by Hollywood, little new things actually are said. I immediately thought of a book, however- “Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices”, an anthology I have not yet actually read but which came out about a year ago and is filled with stories retelling the lore surrounding King Arthur, often gender-bent, race-ben, queerified or in some way inclusive that Arthurian tales previously weren't very often.
It's a good collection, from what I've heard, though I have not yet read it. What's the link with this book? Spear was originally commissioned as a short story for that anthology, but it quickly grew into something much bigger, and a year after it was supposed to have been published in Sword Stone Table it released as this instead.
All the better for it. Spear is a wonderful tale, and if it's an indicator of what the other stories in Sword Stone Table are like I'll be very keen to read that. Griffith manages to use the familiar threads of Arthurian mythology in a way that feels refreshing- you catch glimpses of the original story, names that feel familiar, concepts that are as old as the stories themselves. But this story feels like a different tale- a story before the stories, Griffith's new take on a household world.
It's a mythic story, poetic and lyrical, with wonderful and honestly impressive genderqueer character development subtly interwoven. It feels so effortlessly done.
One of my favorite new reads of 2022! And I've found a new author to devour- this was my first Griffith, and it seemed like a great starting point. I've had Ammonite laying around for a while, feel like it might be time to order Hild as well.
THE STARLESS CROWN is a mostly fun pre-apocalyptic adventure thriller. Plenty of intrigue, some classic tropes, fairly dark story, maybe a bit overlong (especially near the end) but good enough to make me finish it. It's very much the first book in a series, setting up some things which will likely only pay off in a few books time, so I guess I'll have to read the sequels...
NOMINATED FOR THE 2022 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
A pleasant, delightful surprise. This is the exact type of story I was hoping this award would highlight. After the Dragons is a quiet story focused on humans- a kind of slice of life of two gay students and their troubled relationships (the characters feel very real, often frustratingly so). In the background is a beautifully constructed and fascinating world based on modern-day Beijing, where dragons are small pet-like creatures which were perhaps once seen as gods, but now all-too familiar victims of capitalism, just like our pets are today.
It's an interesting way of telling climate fiction. The climate stuff is never at the forefront, yet it's always palpable and feels like an intrinsic part of the story. Definitely check this out if you're a fan of low-stakes fiction. Heartily recommend.
WINNER OF THE 2022 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
A magnificent read, blending mythopoeic fiction with a sort of young adult coming of age story. I found it hard to immerse myself in the story because I was often distracted by its gorgeous imagery and prose. The book creates a vivid image of its characters (the headstrong Aisha is a feminist hero Le Guin would be proud of) without compromising their realistic story arcs. This book is a LOT. I think I will have to re-read it to understand it better.
It almost felt like an African Patricia McKillip, which is just about the highest praise I can give a book.
NOMINATED FOR THE 2022 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
A fun YA fairytale-inspired story that gets weirder as it goes on. I particularly liked the themes of found family, (body) positivity, a great take on a non-binary character (I only noticed about halfway through when it became very obvious in the story, because pronouns were never used for the character) as well as some good neurodiversity.
It's a fairly nuanced work, even if it feels like the characters aren't ever in any real danger and the plot always felt a little bit contrived and lost me near the end. Definitely reads like the type of quirky teen read I probably would've adored in high school, but now it mostly left me wanting more.
THE UNBALANCING is an unbalanced work (heh). I've previously liked much of Lemberg's other works, including their novella THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES as well as many Birdverse poems. They're delightfully original, depicting a very queer and diverse world. The worldbuilding is quite interesting, if abstract—I felt a bit lost at times, but if I got it right this book is about a sleeping star having nightmares, threatening a nearby city- which means a starkeeper and a poet have to try and heal the star.
It's a very magic-infused book, definitely easier to read than THE FOUR PROFOUND WEAVES, but it still feels a bit too much for me. An extended version with more of a focus on the plot and the characters would do wonders, I reckon. But if you're willing to forgive its somewhat ramshackle plot, you'll be enraptured by its mythology (still the main appeal to the Birdverse, for me), the tremendous amount of diversity and the way people express it (not just queer, but also neurodiversity, and cultural).
If anything, it's an interesting read. I think it will grow on me on a re-read. It's a poetic and fleeting work—unique, inspiring wonder, feeling like a small story in a much bigger world.
DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
NOMINATED FOR THE 2022 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
My main problem with Darcie Little Badger books is that they are on the young end of young adult (nearly middle grade), and I generally prefer non-YA reads. This is a more satisfying read than Elatsoe, however. It juggles some interesting themes with more complex worldbuilding and some big Le Guin vibes in terms of overall tone (despite the many tensions, it's a very calm and sweet story with some folkloric elements. Oral storytelling, animal extinction, some slight Octavia Butler vibes (for some reason I can't really explain) makes for an excellent middle grade book.
NOMINATED FOR THE 2023 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
A delightful and well-written re-telling of the Romulus and Remus story. I liked it enough at the beginning, but about halfway through something clicked that made me love it. Yes; this is reminiscent of Le Guin. A simple story hiding much behind it, compact prose revealing beauties. An almost mythological feeling, myth turned into story. Lovely stuff.
NOMINATED FOR THE 2023 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
A brilliantly lyrical, mythopoeic tale filled with interesting ideas and exemplifying the spirit of Ursula K. Le Guin. Loved the narrative style, the prose, the characters, and sheer imagination.
Surprisingly strong end to the trilogy. This book accomplished what Kuang's BABEL never managed for me- critiquing capitalism in a refreshing way that doesn't give easy answers. Strong anti-capitalist themes.
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.
This is a great, breezy read. Complex characters in a well-developed world. Some interesting stuff about revolution and colonialism here. Loved the main character! Really hope Elliott returns to this world.
NOMINATED FOR THE 2022 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
Appleseed is an overwritten mess of a book, examining our dying world from the perspective of some who witnessed the seeds of its death, its imminent demise, and those who came after. It's certainly an ambitious book, and by the time I was about 2/3rds through the book I was actually starting to appreciate what it was trying to do. It does get there, in the end– but I felt as though it could have easily been half as long, and twice as well-written. Characters are mouthpieces for ideas, themes are overdone to the point they feel forced.
If this is Le Guin-esque, it's more THE WORD FOR WORLD IS FOREST than anything else; an unsubtle work that never hits its stride.
One of the most original takes on Peter Pan I've read in a while. It challenges the original story and shows the darkness of what the original story truly entails- when you refuse to grow up. There are also some parallels to Earthsea here, not Ged but Peter fighting his shadow. A bit more extreme than in Earthsea, but a lot of themes resurface here that resonate nearly as much.
Of particular interest was the detailed story of Wendy- a sadly realistic look and how she would have been treated after returning from Neverland. It's an interesting look at the darkness that's often hinted at in the original story, but never truly shown. Might be my preferred version of the story.
NOMINATED FOR THE 2022 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
A melancholic expression of post-apocalyptic nostalgia. What happens when you are born on a big garbage patch in the sea, knowing only your current way of life? What happens when you discover the past? Many will long for the past, get stuck in it, try to trod backwards down a path of which the beginning has long fallen into earth. Others will try to move forward in some way, adapting to the current world, accepting how things are. This is one of the many themes of this novella.
It's a very honest yet fun perspective on life on a post-climate-apocalypse Earth. Very environmentalist and certainly deserving of the Le Guin nomination.
We're all fuckwits, eh?
3.5 stars.
This feels like something Patricia McKillip could've written, except for the prose, which is simpler and feels very contemporary.
It particularly reminded me of a book by McKillip I finished quite recently (SOLSTICE WOOD), which was essentially a fae story set in the modern world, just like this one. The difference being that ORFEIA is much more recent and is also very deliberately set in the world of today (with Fitbits and smartphones) while also retelling the story of Orpheus in a somewhat interesting way.
It's a short, good and refreshing story, even if it felt like there was something missing to make this a truly great read. I love fairy tale retellings, but ultimately I never managed to fully connect with this and I just don't think it will stay with me. It's a very inoffensive, kind of forgettable book.
This is a short and fun book. It's like if Piranesi were a dungeon fighter LitRPG with fairytale monsters. Does that make any sense?
My first foray into Muir, will definitely check out Gideon soon, after hearing nothing but praise for that series.
Loved this! Ishiguro returns with a setting he's kind of explored before and with themes he's touched upon in the past, but in a convincing new way. Feels like a gentle fable.
SIREN QUEEN is a dark work. It starts very familiar, an old tale we've heard many tales before—a young actress wants to make it in the world of Hollywood. I almost forgot I was reading a genre work and figured this would simply be a literary feminist work about a Chinese-American woman trying to make a name for herself in a world that's notoriously not that great towards Chinese people or women.
The fantastical elements enter the story slowly, and remain there until the end, but they never take the forefront or become a major part of the story. It's simply there. You get no explanation, no context, it doesn't even really feel like it has any kind of logic (or perhaps some fairytale-logic). I found myself intrigued by some of the magical laws that were clearly a part of this world yet were never illuminated on. It made for a mysterious read.
It's a delightful reimagining of old time Hollywood. Almost reads like the memoir of a gender-swapped Christopher Lee starting his career at Hammer films, with a bigger focus on anti-racism, anti-misogynism, queer representation and the like.
I wish people wrote more fantasy-infused stories of Hollywood. It's a rather unique setting, a kind of urban fantasy that worked well for me, even though I'm not big on the genre.
DISCLAIMER: I received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.
NOMINATED FOR THE 2022 URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE FOR FICTION
Too vague for my taste. The author never seems to want to commit to any of the themes that are hinted at throughout the novel and on the back (the back text being more intriguing for me than the actual book...), with a novelette-length work both feeling like a novel-length slog and a bloated short story. The prose is simple and reads more like free verse poetry at times, with some remarkably interesting sentences, but half-baked ideas and a complete lack of any direction makes for an unsatisfying read.