Mitch

Let me start off by saying the world of this book was super intriguing. It felt like a fantastical version of the gilded age, with flying castles, court politics, living scarves, ancestral magic, enigmatic omnipotent immortals... the list goes on. There were so many fresh and interesting ideas on display here but despite all that goodness I had a hard time connecting with it as a whole. It felt like there was something lost in translation and I struggled to get a sense any of the characters beyond their basic mannerisms or quirks. On top of that, it all plays out very slowly and doesn't really pick up until the very end. I think ultimately, this kind of story just isn't for me. Despite the epic backdrop it's less fantasy adventure and more Downton Abbey which sadly, is not my jam.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but this one did not hit the same. It felt like I was reading the same plot points over and over with the same frustrating outcome each time until the very end... the characters were constantly fluctuating between wanting peace for all and committing genocide. ALL OF THEM. It made it hard to root for anyone. And the ending felt like it came completely out of left field within the context of the story so far.

This was a surprise favourite for me... mostly because if this book wasn't shoved into my hands I never would've picked it up. When I finally decided to crack it open, I was rewarded with elegant and immersive prose that drew me into a vividly realized universe filled with memorable characters and relevant thought-provoking themes. E.g. The idea of imperialism that's conquering through a culture that's so persuasive that you'll trade your own away to be a part of it... the pull, and guilt, and lie of assimilation. Despite the weighty subject matter, it's a also a pretty thrilling page turner with stakes that start relatively small and work their way up to the fate of humanity. There's a bit of romance here as well, but despite loving both characters involved it felt a little tacked on. Maybe I was just missing the signs? Don't let that stop you from picking this up though!
4.5 Stars!

I really liked this. I wished it was weirder but loved the characters, story, creatures, and descriptions on display here. The language is so rich and pitch perfect for the grim fairy tale/folklore feel of this book. It's like reading something written a hundred years ago in the best possible way. It has a blend of ordinary life and extraordinary elements, that make the world and the magic feel a little more real. It's also really moving in parts, with these brilliantly drawn human stories.

“There are men who are wolves inside, and want to eat up other people to fill their bellies. That is what was in your house with you, all your life. But here you are with your brothers, and you are not eaten up, and there is not a wolf inside you. You have fed each other, and you kept the wolf away.”

Definitely worth a read and pick up Uprooted while you're at it!

I've loved Greek mythology since as long as I can remember. I'm ashamed to admit, this probably started with the adventures of Hercules which led me down a long weird pop culture rabbit hole until I finally arrived at the Iliad and then the Odyssey. This book made me feel like I was experiencing all of that for the first time. It felt so true to the source that it seemed like this version of Circe's story was carved from the marble of the original tales. I think that's the best way to describe how reading this felt... So many adaptations of these myths add, change, and update things to make them more palatable to their audience. This one managed to make so much of the cultural weirdness of Greek myth just work as is, while also telling a wholly original story that managed to tie it all together into a cohesive compelling page turner. I'd never thought much of Circe before reading this but I'm stunned at what Madeline Miller pulled out of her. Joy, awe, devastation... if you haven't already, please read this book.

This felt like two different books. One half is Naruto meets dark academia and one half is hyper violent historical fiction. Both probably would've been worth reading on their own but together they're less than the sum of their parts. I've seen people talk about this like it's a feature and intentionally jarring but it completely took me out of the story. I'd note that knowing too much of the real history that this story is largely based on was a big part of what took me out of it. It made immersion difficult with so many obvious parallels to our world, it also made it very heavy and sad which is how war crimes and atrocities should make you feel, but not what I'm typically looking for in a fantasy novel. I thought the protagonist was interesting but everyone else felt flat, as if they were just fulfilling a narrative purpose rather than having any goals or purpose of their own. I liked it? It felt like this book wanted to say something and then forgot what that was. Could've just been over my head.

My favourite kind of sci-fi is the kind that finds ways to get the real world sneak up on you, before your own prejudice can get in the way. This book does that beautifully with wonderfully drawn, likeable characters and a grounded compelling story. It's slow but fascinating, challenging and certainly worthwhile.

Did not expect to describe any entry in a series called “The Murderbot Diaries” as charming but here we are. This was fast paced, funny, razor sharp, clever and yes, charming. I loved it so much. I'm a little unsettled by how much I related to the Murderbot but mostly I'm just delighted by what a good time this was. “Yes, talk to Murderbot about its feelings. The idea was so painful I dropped to 97 percent efficiency. I'd rather climb back into Hostile One's mouth.” It's packed with that kind of stuff and It's paced with the kind of efficiency you would expect from a killing machine. Not one page is wasted. Can't wait to pick up book 2.

The good: This book does a lot of really interesting things. I loved the sections where the characters are acting out a role and you get this mashup of emotions from the characters and the role they're playing. It was my favourite part of this whole book and something that will definitely stick with me. The use of Shakespeare throughout was so much fun and handled in a way that made it feel accessible and unpretentious as a reader.
The not-as-good: The plot fell a bit short for me, largely because I was expecting more of a traditional whodunnit mystery, and this isn't really that. It spends a lot of time on the central characters as you watch guilt erode them all in different ways, which is handled well for the most part but wasn't what I thought I was signing up for. I also had a hard time buying into the love triangle that serves as a central motivation for the main character's actions... it felt more like a narrative device than something that was really character driven and I couldn't get past that feeling. Overall, I really enjoyed the style, the themes, and the way the characters were drawn but wasn't super compelled by core mystery.

I always love it when folklore is adapted with the weirdness intact. While this isn't an adaptation of any one story, this is a book that does that kind of weird very well. Uprooted has the feel of a pre-Disney fairytale where the moral of the story isn't, “be good and kind” but rather, “don't go too close to the woods or your eyes will get poked out and all your friends will die!” It features a non-contemporary protagonist, it's not about the small town girl who dreams of adventure and unknown lands, it's about the small town girl who loves her family would be genuinely happy to stay in the boring little valley she grew up in forever. It's a mix of fables, folklore and fairy tales that blend together to create something strange, immersive, original and sometimes moving. For fans of folklore and a slightly stranger brand of fantasy I'd definitely recommend this book.

This book is exactly what I look for in a sci-fi novel. Big ideas, backed up by just enough hard science to suspend disbelief and dive into some really engaging philosophical questions. Once the pieces started falling into place I couldn't put it down. Can't wait to read the rest of this series!

Took me a while to pick this up, then it took me a while to get into this. The pace is slow and methodical throughout and there's actually very little tension at all until the last 30 or so pages (at which point it gets pretty tense). That being said, this book was fantastic. The world is so wonderfully realized through the three p.o.v. Characters. It felt like exploring a new city, or growing up. You learn and relearn the world along with the characters in a way that felt genuine and natural. Like the way we gradually discover our own world. It's a very human story told on a small scale and set against an epic landscape, so don't expect epic heroes or maniacal villains unless you want to be disappointed.

It was so consistent throughout, so well crafted... the only thing I can fault it for was the pace, which upon further reflection feels like more of a me problem. Very interested to see where the series goes from here!

Equally odd and interesting it felt like one of the truest feeling fake histories I've ever read. It feels a little more like a reference book than a novel at times but that's not a bad thing. It's so convincing that you can almost imagine that this world really could have been our own. It's slow and dense and I loved it. It's so unlike anything I've read in this genre and I'm glad I made the effort.
It's rich and rewarding. Definitely worth the read.

3.5 Stars - I think the biggest problem I have with this book was that I read it after Circe. I couldn't help comparing them as I flipped through the pages. Overall I enjoyed it, it's endlessly quotable and beautifully written but I felt like this book spent too much time apologizing for these stories and characters. This happens all the time in adaptations of these myths and most of the time I don't mind as much... but Circe managed that balance so well, that I expected more from Song of Achilles and ultimately ended up a little disappointed. Patroclus felt too contemporary, and I had a hard time with his P.O.V. as a result. Also, I'm not sure how I felt about getting to know “the real Achilles” here. “Look at how he will be remembered now. Killing Hector, killing Troilus. For things he did cruelly in his grief... Perhaps such things pass for virtue among the gods...” it felt weird to have a negative opinion of these deeds within the story itself. Despite these beefs it's still very good. I would just say, the less you know of the original story the better and don't expect Circe!

Of all the books I've read to make people think I'm smart, this was the toughest to get through. I think it's that ancient propaganda vibe that got me. I read it after the Iliad and then the Odyssey and discovered I really don't have the same affinity for the Roman stuff. Obviously it's a little silly to give three stars to an ancient masterpiece but if you're thinking of reading this for the same shallow reasons as me, maybe don't. In retrospect I would much rather have read a book about the Aeneid before reading the Aeneid maybe then I would have had the context and enthusiasm to give this more than 3 stars.

I really enjoyed this. The dread I experienced while reading this was fantastic, creative and engaging throughout. It goes from light and fun to pitch black in an instant all wrapped in that inescapable, inevitable doom that cosmic horror does so well. While it's not as inventive or original as other entries in that genre, It manages to be a lot more fun than most. I had a great time with this one.