Nico

Sometimes I thought the writing could have been a little better and the voice of the characters more defined, but overall it is a great book and I loved the story and scifi vision.

If I was being fair to the book, I'd rate this three stars. But alas, the things I had problems with I feel so strongly about it's just two stars for me. In this book, I lost all care for and interest in Mia. I had major problems with the dialogue and I thought nothing about the character work or plot was interesting or special for the first 2/3rds of the book. The end was satisfying I thought, but so much of the book was easy (even the final conflict at the last 20 pages) and I had the strong urge to DNF multiple times. I don't know what the point the first 300 pages was, except to show character bonding (and pretend it wasn't kidnapping and Stockholm Syndrome with no one ever acknowledging that). I know this is not the common opinion here, but as with any book I didn't enjoy, I'm glad many others did.

3.5 stars, rounding to 4? This was a fine, single-POV character-focused story about Maia, fourth in line and who no one thought would become emperor. I liked Maia and some of the politicking, but some things were amiss for me that I can't put my finger on. I would say this is a lighter book and I can see this being a comfort read for some because Maia is so likable and you see people liking him for who he is, except Maia does receive bigotry because he is mixed goblin-elf and there are references to being raised with mental and physical abuse by his alcoholic cousin.

It's not terrible, but ultimately I think my issue was that it seemed very simple in all aspects. This is better as YA/teen and I would recommend it for youth audiences.

For me this book wasn't the whole package, but there was something about the plot that kept me interested. The writing was clean, I didn't love or hate any of the character work, the magic didn't suck me in either. But it was solid overall and I want to see where the rest of the series goes. It's a nice short book for me that was an easy read, it will be nice to intersperse the rest between some of the larger physical series I'm tackling next. This is not a rollercoaster plot-wise, but if you're into political plots or like books that question themes around the ethics of “the right thing” and associated costs, this could be up your alley.

Shesheshen can make her body out of anything and hide anything in it (your skull, that branch, a bear trap) and she's so good she can look like a real human too no matter how much she's carrying around— likely to trick you so she can eat you. We meet her when she is woken up by hunters towards the end of her hibernation. After she becomes injured during her escape, she is found and saved by a kind traveler.

I immediately loved Shesheshen and being in her head. It was interesting and sometimes funny to see her commentary on how monstrous humans are and how much she understands about the human mind, while also being like wtf is up with humans and not really knowing a lot about herself. I did start to struggle around the quarter point, then there were some mean, nasty AF characters, and then there was some animal abuse, but I was satisfied with how it was resolving and the twist. There is a sort of arc shift in the last 2-3 chapters, but I LOVED it. Those chapters could easily become their own book and I would definitely devour that. Maybe Wiswell will write a novella.

I was impressed by how Wiswell handled mental/verbal (and reference to physical) sibling and parental abuse in this and I can see this being a hard or cathartic read for that reason. And humans are eaten in this book so that might be disturbing for some. So m

This is the fourth book in The Stranger Times series. If you've never checked it out/haven't heard of it, its about a misfit group of newspaper employees who work at a rag that covers stories of the supernatural, paranormal and weird, and you follow along as they uncover different mysteries in each book. It has humor and a sort of dysfunctional found family - and I adore and am rooting for each imperfect character. And the audiobooks are phenomenal. This new release is exactly like what I hoped for and if you've been reading the series you'll like this one too.

To sum it up I thought this was brilliant and consider me another instigator on the hype train. I went in knowing only RJB and mystery...that was enough to know and I think all anyone needs to know to enjoy the unraveling of the story. Except some who need some prodding, it's second world if don't like urban fantasy or care for mystery, I think you'd want to check this out. I thought everything about this world is cool as heck and the next up in the series will be one of my most anticipated releases when it's time. One big thought I have is that this is a first-person, single POV story, so I was worried from get. I find I often struggle with these types of books - some authors fail to make the story interesting for me, getting lost in train-of-thought ramblings that feel like someone put my own thoughts onto the page (you absolutely don't want to read my thoughts, I mean I'm subjecting you to them here, you don't want them in a book too) or offer dull, annoying descriptions of actions by the POV or others. To me it's an art to do first person right, so this is a testament to RBJ's mastery of his craft as an author IMO and although I've only read the Foundryside trilogy I'm thinking this is his magnum opus, time will tell with the rest of the trilogy. The mystery was fantastic and complex, I enjoyed our MC and his bosslady. Other thoughts I'm too lazy to think about more are is this RJB's pandemic book? If so, wow. Is there an undercurrent of commentary on capitalism or globalization? Again, too lazy and those more intellectually inclined brain cells are struggling on the mouse wheel at the moment so that's all I got. Also, audiobook A+++.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. This is a thriller-esque paranormal mystery novella set in Seoul. Kim Han-Gil from the Jong-ro Police Department isn't just any detective: he can see ghosts and smell spirits, and this has earned him the derisive moniker “spirit detective” from fellow practitioners and alienation from his police colleagues. The book opens with Han-Gil and his brand new (and 5th) partner, Choi Wonshik, at the scene of a body: was the cause of death as it appears to be or were supernatural forces at play?

The mystery and the world of gods and spirits all lured me to burn through this, and I was pleasantly surprised by the sprinkle of romance/friendship, adoptive-sibling relationship, and queer/bi representation. The book transformed from a mystery with a detective-noir tone to something more focused on exploring grief with a supernatural subplot. I absolutely enjoyed both stories, and was satisfied with the ending, I guess at the end of the day it felt like two different books in one. Sometimes that sits fine with me, but in this one it left me wishing they were two different books.

In this debut novella, I had minor qualms with some repetitive descriptors and think it did suffer a bit from “novella syndrome,” i.e. wanting more due to the smaller number of pages. By the end I was craving more from the relationship between Han-Gil and Wonshik and the siblings. I will absolutely look out for Yoo's next couple releases and I would love a book two (and three!) focusing more on the aforementioned character relationships and new supernatural mysteries.

I think fans of P. Djèlí Clark's Djinn Universe might like this one and this handles trans characters and transphobia in a similar way as Light from Uncommon Stars (for me that's a good thing, but it might not be for you). Content/trigger warnings for self-harm, transphobia, suicide, violence with knives, blood. Psst...thanks for the ARC NetGalley and publisher, I am indeed not a bot and I was not programmed to have these opinions nor were they generated by AI - they are the product of my neurological system.

This begins as a character study following Sarita who grapples with the question, “how do you cope when the thing you thought was your angel for so long is actually your devil?” While unpacking the lore of the devils in this world there is a fair amount of violence and gore, compelling time in likeable and unlikeable characters' heads, and rich writing that Compton lured me in with yet again.

There was a bit of info dumping and so much time in characters' heads that the book meandered a bit for me sometimes, but for horror readers who like to slowly sink their teeth into a story I think this will work. Plot-driven readers might be disappointed.

Halfway through I switched to purchased audio to meet my ARC review deadline, great audio narration.

This stunning (I mean look at the cover) comic called on multiple artists to imagine a world in the not too distant future where we hide those we don't want to see in floating pods called Dandelions. Was it meant to save the world or was it corrupted from the start?

I found the thread of the premise unique and would have loved to have been a fly in the wall seeing this collection take shape. I find that most collections have a miss or two for me and this was no different. However, I mostly found the artists' styles captivating and the colors used breathtaking – this is a work of art. There were a few stories where the art was by far more compelling than the story being told for me. My favorite entries, the ones that really made me feel something, are by Vanesa Del Rey and Eric Koda. I would highly recommend this for the artwork alone.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC, these opinions are the product of my neurological system.

This was an attempt to scratch a mystery itch and it's doing exactly what I wanted it to do. It's not a perfect book, but I enjoyed my experience with it and the futuristic world with time travel.

Jane Edwards lives in Awenasa, a small and thriving town next to the Noxahatchie River owned by its beloved and Black founder, Old George. Jane has been seeing white men in black Model T Fords going around speaking to residents and she knows something nefarious is afoot. One day she sees a face she could not have possibly seen — and she knows the river has something to do with it. She'll find herself on an impossible and unfathomable journey to save everything and everyone she loves, with the unlikeliest of helpers along the way.

A historical fiction fantasy that will transport you to small town America in the 1930s. All is on display, from the community's beauty and vibrancy to the injustice and cruelty of the Jim Crow era, white supremacy and hate. Penelope again brings her knack for realizing true American history in the form of fantastical fiction, this time in a work with gods and a magic that revolves around objects, memories and sacrifice. It will make you cry, love, hurt and remember. If you read stories exploring trauma and forgiveness, enjoy historical fiction or are a fan of Rivers Solomon I'd recommend this to you. I say Solomon for the way they write protagonists you love and root for, while not at all shying away from the brutality of racism and what white supremacy will do because of their hate and to make claims of what they think is theirs.

I received an early ARC and had really high expectations because I absolutely loved The Monsters We Defy by the same author. Penelope yet again presents a MC that feels like a real woman who is both ordinary and extraordinary. Jane clearly has secrets and I wanted to know more, and there is a looming threat and lore that are revealed – and I am always a sucker for stories that bring the gods to the page – so I was quite hooked and invested from the beginning. Around 25-30% I began to have some pacing and abrupt transition issues, and felt like I was reading a tome even though it is far from it, and for me it picked up again around the 70% mark. There is also heavier on-page content in this release and I found it harder to compartmentalize so I took some reading breaks. Again you have characters that shine, but really it was Awenasa and the tertiary characters that eclipsed Jane and the secondary characters for me. Jane's dad and the townspeople felt like real people, yet they danced on page and brought so much life and joy to the story. Which is fantastic because it is a point. Even though the story is a first-person, (mostly) single POV about Jane, her trauma and journey of self-forgiveness, Awenasa and its people are equally as important as a character and all the things that come with a beautiful community: love, compassion, gossip, care, fear, joy, forgiveness, coming together and so much more. I so badly wanted a happy ending for Jane and Awenasa, and Penelope warmed my heart with such a powerful story where ancestry and familial and communal love radiates to your soul.

I understand that not every fantasy reader enjoys the historical-fantasy mashup, yet I will still say everyone should try at least one Penelope story. In comparing this new release and Monsters, I'd say for me the journey through Monsters was smoother than Daughter, but while Monsters is an all time favorite I think Daughter has deeply impacted my being and it is not one I will forget for years to come. Penelope is solidified as an auto-read author for me at this point and I strongly suspect we'll see a lot more from her. I look forward to exploring more of what she cooks up next AND I need to go back to her releases as L. Penelope.

Handle with care: Hanging – there is on-page of imagery of a man hanging after death and it is a very emotional and difficult scene. Slavery – there is depiction of a slave ship in a storm and lives lost to the sea across 1-2 pages.

Thank you NetGalley and Redhook Publishing for an opportunity to do an early review of Daughters of the Merciful Deep. These thoughts and ramblings are the product of my nervous system (a.k.a. they are my own).

Audio review: A dual-POV story about a fallen trickster god and a wanted nine-tailed fox who hides under that name Honey and works at a coffee shop. Three men are found without livers and Honey weasels her way into the investigation, when an even more heinous murder takes place. If you like the enemies to lovers trope this one is for you. If you like urban fantasy and mythology mashups you'll likely like this too. Romantasy definitely.

Audio review: What an interesting book to try to describe. I'd say this is a funky, slice-of-life-ish, hopeful cyberpunk. Hopeful because in the near future after the Water Wars, there is a community bursting with creativity, care, found family and love. In this high tech world where the resources we know now are low there are also haints and spirits and a Boneyard Barron from another universe. The “plot” takes place over a few days when our MCs are trying to prepare for the annual Next World Festival. There are also threats to the community that emerge and drive the book forward.

Overall I was really transported to this community and came to deeply care for it. I was entranced by the writing, especially the dialogue, which often made me feel like I was part of a poetry slam or spoken word performance (possibly especially amplified by January Lavoy's narration). In some ways Festival is where I was disappointed, because it all felt a bit anti-climactic and was hoping for more on-page pizzazz and magic from the celebration and performances, which were overshadowed by the character goings-on and threats. It's not a book one gobbles down, but it's like slowly drinking tea or coffee and being gratified by every sip. I fell in love with Cinnamon, Zaneesha, Spook and Bruja (the latter two are canine friends).

Obviously I'd recommend this for folks who like cyberpunk or post-apocalyptic with high-tech, especially if you don't want just doom and gloom, but I'd also rec this for the theater kids, artists, poets, funk fans, music fans, or anyone looking for those types of stories that are doing something different and/or influenced by US Southern and African-American culture. I wouldn't rec this for people who NEED an obvious plot arc or action. I'm rooting for this book to find its audience and curious to see if it ends up on any award nomination lists.

To me this is a love letter to African-American and Japanese cultures and the literary version of their fusion that marries historical fiction and modernity — using champloo in the title is apt. There is an In Memoriam chapter at the end, which enlightened me to some things I didn't see while reading, and really solidified for me that this is a very special book.

In a world that is bleak and grim, everyone lives in fear of soul-eating demons, and the cost of protection is high. Our protagonist, Sistah Samurai, rocks an afro and her katana and wakizashi, Fuck-Around and Find-Out, and likes to eat in peace at her favorite ramen joint.

If any of the above sounds interesting to you, you like the animes Samurai Champloo or Afro Samurai, you like to read about characters haunted by guilt, or you like fight scenes, you'll absolutely want to check this out. If either plot or exploration of character relationships are critically important to you, you might be disappointed. I had a good time with it, I was entranced by the mash-ups and the world, and very curious about the story of the MC.

My go-to series during reading slumps these past couple years. I'm hella itching for some plot things to happen, like for at least one of the parents to learn Anya can read minds, or even the dog, idc I need some movement here, like even if it's just suspicion of each other being more than they seem. None of that happened, but there were some cool backstory/flashback things, so 4 stars.

The is an urban fantasy YA based on Cree lore and it only has 177 ratings on GRs! I think it's underrated because it's a small indie press in Canada and the book is not broadly available in the US, which is really too bad. My personal enjoyment was meh, but I think it is an excellent book for both pre-teens and teens since it has great themes for the age groups and good pacing to keep young readers engaged.

As someone who's a wannabe naturalist and loves memoir, I was pretty into this. Brennan's ability to write in the voice of naturalist 1) in a memoir style and 2) at a time when very little is known about dragons impressed me quite a bit. Even though I mostly enjoyed this book and the strong as heck female protagonist, there was plot elements and character development elements I found lacking.

Quit audio @ 5%. I think this is just a case of where the audio didn't work for me and I'd like to try to tackle this with the eyes one day.

After a somewhat slow and confusing start, this turned into a high stakes epic fantasy and I highly recommend this one. This could be for folks who like strategy and power struggles and multi-POVs. If you're a single-POV person I don't think this will work for you.

I highly enjoyed this sequel to Black Sun. I did forget a lot from the first book and was often confused about what was happening, but I was entranced with this one and became invested in so many of the characters. I'm excited to see where this story goes.

The epic story continues, with even more politicking, battles, and heartbreak. I can see why Liu calls his books silkpunk and I wish I was smart enough to understand all of the inventions and science. Even though I didn’t often understand, I enjoyed seeing the creations. And the war scenes never bored me like in other epic fantasy. It was just fantastic.

From my memory The Grace of Kings was fast paced while still spending time with characters, but this one felt like a mix of really getting into the weeds with some characters and time stops and then moving quickly again. I loved it. It gave me the complex and nuanced character development and character relationships I desire, while being a page turner. This one book could have easily been 5 books if Liu didn’t move through time so quickly — thank you, Liu.

This is the first book of an epic fantasy quartet that has a little something for everyone. We meet our cast living in an empire where the gods meddle. This is not a world where its humans widely wield magic nor does the book explore the characters or the maneuvers of war ad nauseam. If you don't need all that in your epics I strongly suggest this one. I loved the writing style (it was both lyrical and concise) and the balance of a quick moving plot with a fair amount of character development. My absolute favorite books are ones that show the nuance of character motivation, power and choice - this is a book that shows the world as more than black or white and you will not find mustache twirling villains here. If you like historical fantasy, battles or political machinations this would be worth checking out. I liked all the characters, even the ones I didn't actually like. And, wow I did not expect the ending.

Fun twist for me on magic and secret societies. Great debut, can't wait to see what's next.