Sahi

Probably more of a 4.5 but I'm rounding up.

I knew this book had great reviews. But I never had it on my tbr because I don't gravitate towards Greek mythology retellings as I do towards the Indian ones. But when the audiobook of this was on sale, I couldn't resist buying. But it still took me a while to get to it and I'm genuinely upset that it took me this long. This is not a book that deserves languishing on any bookshelf unread.

I have read a couple Trojan War retellings before and like many of my blogger friends, I have a special place in my heart for The Song of Achilles with it's beautiful prose and even more beautiful love story. But this retelling gave me something that TSoA didn't have, something which I looked for in The Silence of the Girls but missed slightly, but finally found it here - and that is defiance. The author has decided to bring the stories of women whose lives have been affected by the war to light and that she does in truly defiant glory. This is not a chronological story and the sheer number of POVs would probably have ruined any other book, but the author masterfully crafts her words so that we never feel overwhelmed. Yes, there are so many women who affected and were affected by the war - Trojan, Greek, goddesses from Olympus and nymphs from the sea - to weave together a narrative that does justice to them all is ambitious and I'm glad the author succeeds so well at it. The prose is not necessarily beautiful, I think it tended to be more blunt but I felt it perfectly encapsulated the feelings of most of these women - they had lost too much and had no time for niceties.

And I absolutely loved getting to know these women. The story starts with Calliope who is kind of like the narrator of this book, questioning why a women who lives through the horrors of war is any less heroic than any man who fought in it. Aren't they the ones who suffer the most, even after the war has taken the lives of the men. We meet the Trojan women awaiting their fates - Hecabe, the queen of Priam who still conducts herself like her former self, never losing her fire or her sharp tongue; Polyxena, her daughter who is calm and composed and brave until the end; Andromache, Hector's wife who is soft spoken even in her grief and devastation; and Cassandra, another daughter of Hecabe, whose prophecies fall on silent ears but her grief at knowing everything and being completely helpless tugged at my heartstrings. What actually surprised me was that we don't get to see Helen much, despite the war being for her, but I guess it was an interesting choice by the author, because ultimately the other women lost so much more.

I think I actually didn't know the origins for why the war had to come to pass, so I was fascinated by the POVs of Gaia and Themis and Eris and the three goddesses with their golden apple. There was also the utter tragedy of Laodamia who is shattered by her husband's death and Oenone who is steadfast in her convictions even when faced with immense betrayal. These were two women I had never ever heard of before, so it was good to know their tales as well. We even got to read Clytemnestra's POV which I really liked because I never knew how she felt about her daughter's sacrifice and what she did after the war.

But the strongest presence I felt had to be Penelope. The author tells her story through letters written to Odysseus and I think the audiobook was particularly good at depicting her rising anger and frustration at her husband who was taking his own sweet time returning to his homeland. While we do get to know his exploits through the ten years after the end of the war, I think it was Penelope who had my heart for holding on and waiting for her husband - whether it was due to love or frustration or devotion or just duty - she was strong for herself and her son when she was inundated with suitors, and I kept wishing that she gets everything she wants.

In the end, this was a surprisingly excellent read and I think the author did a great job as the narrator of the audiobook, using all her broadcasting experience to bring the varied emotions of her characters to life. If you are looking for a Trojan war retelling which is not about the war but the women who are usually forgotten in the epic narratives of battles, writing that is blunt and unapologetic but also full of deep empathy for it's characters, and a style of storytelling that is unique and fascinating and behaves as if timeline constraints do not exist, then this is the perfect book for you.

When I first saw Nisha's publishing deal announcement that she was writing a series of desi romantic retellings of Shakespeare's stories, I was immediately intrigued and have been waiting for one to release since. But I also have no clue about the plot of Taming of the Shrew, so I can't comment anything on how close or not it is to the original. I can just say it stands very well on its own.

This was quite enjoyable to read all the way through. Nisha's writing has a way to make you feel good and that's what I felt for the most part. We have a sassy and true romantic at heart heroine Kareena who is happy to be working in the field that makes her happy even if her pay doesn't live up to desi parents' expectations. And Prem is a cardiologist who believes love only increases the risks for heart health. How these two come together is pretty explosive and funny, but one undeniable thing is that their chemistry is off the charts. She is a strong independent woman who knows what she wants and will not lower her standards just because she is thirty. And despite whatever misgiving he has about love as a concept, Prem is a considerate, attentive and respectful guy and they seemed so perfect together. They both also had a couple of amazing bffs and I have a feeling we might see them getting together in the upcoming books of this series.

But my problem with the book has to do with the families. Firstly, because this series is titled “If Shakespeare was an Auntie”, I'm glad depicted four delightful aunties who could be meddlesome as expected but also sweet and a bit more progressive than I would have thought. But it's mostly Kareena's family that infuriated me. Bindu, her younger sister is a full on Bridezilla and always taking advantage of her elder sister, disrespecting her but expecting only affection in return. But I liked how Kareena decided to deal with her towards the end.

But it's both her father and grandma who were typical desi elders taunting Kareena for her choices and emotionally blackmailing her to get what they wanted. At this time in my life, I've realized that contemporary (or maybe even historical) romances don't work for me because I've become too cynical. Even though I can still appreciate them when I need some fun, I've also understood that I should stay far away from desi romances. While it's cool to see protagonists like myself on page, it's very hard to listen to the elders on page regurgitate the same nonsense that I hear everyday irl from my family, and I absolutely have no interest in reliving all of it while reading as well, because books are my only source of joy these days.

Anyways, let me not dampen anyone else's mood with my problems. This is a super fun romcom with interesting characters, sexy chemistry, great friends and some cool aunties and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for something like that. It'll probably take a few months or an year for the next book to release and I hope I will be in a much better headspace to appreciate a desi romance novel by then.

More of a 4.5 but I'm rounding up.

I have always heard great things about June Hur's books from my fellow blogger friends but never did pick her previous two books because mystery thriller is not my go to genre. But I couldn't resist adding The Red Palace to my tbr because it sounded like a mystery with a palace drama kind of backdrop and you all know how much I love my palace dramas these days. And I'm so so happy that I got to read this book in advance.

The book is a little over 300 pages and it went by so quick that I didn't even realize how much time had passed. It is immediately immersive from page one and then the tension just builds up until we are swept away in its magic, not bothering with what's happening around us. I'm actually not a kdrama watcher nor do I listen to much kpop, so I had trouble initially to keep track of the names and other Korean terms but once I got into the story, I found it very easy to absorb it all. The writing is perfectly descriptive, letting me feel like I was exploring the palace and hiding from the killers myself, creating a very lush and mysterious atmosphere - which definitely makes for a great setting for a multiple murder mystery. I had also read the author's newsletter where she mentioned her inspiration for this story, Crown Prince Sado and I was quite intrigued to see how she would incorporate his tragic life into this novel. And I have to say, the way she seamlessly blends fiction and history is masterful and there were many times I felt this book would make for a great drama.

Hyeon is a palace nurse who has worked really hard for years to achieve that position. It was heartbreaking to see her strive for the approval of a father who never treated her like his daughter just because of her mother's class status. But I was also glad to see her always try to stand up for truth and justice, even if it meant that she would lose whatever she had earned, and maybe even her life. She is stubborn that way - once she has decided on a path, she doesn't let anyone or anything deter her from her decisions. I loved how competent she was at her job and so intelligent at figuring out various clues and solving mysteries. I also enjoyed how the author showed us her various relationships - the admiration and love she had for her mentor, her complicated feelings for her mother, and a sweet friendship with Jieun.

And then there is Eojin - child prodigy extraordinaire who is a police inspector already at the age of nineteen, full of ideals about fighting for justice and never for revenge. Also a shining light in this very hierarchical kingdom because he never lets his higher class or gender dictate his behavior and treats Hyeon with all the respect and consideration that she deserves. Theirs is a very organically progressing friendship to romance, but the author treats it very subtly, because they are two intelligent individuals with goals in life and not the type to demonstrate their feelings in a big manner. It's a calm and quiet kinda love, steady and unwavering in the face of danger.

The crown prince is a very small presence in person, but he is an ever running thread across all subplots. After having read about the historical prince, I could see how the author decided to depict his character - an only son of the emperor who can never live up to his abusive father's expectations and takes out his anger on helpless people who can't fight back. We know he is on a downward spiral but we only get to see glimpses of it and I was fascinated by my own reactions to him - sad at times at his tragic home and political situation but also angry at his actions. It's really to the author's credit for being able to depict such a character so deftly.

There are quite a few other side characters but most of them have limited page time. But everyone has a distinct personality that shines even through the few dialogues they have and it was impressive. I also don't want to giveaway any spoilers about the suspects and killers but the way the author developed their characters was very skillful, giving us enough hints that might lead us to the perpetrators but also not making it too easy to guess. I never did and it felt nice seeing the way Hyeon and Eojin deduced it all towards the end.

To conclude, this is a great mystery novel which has the perfect combination of thriller novel tropes as well as an immersive historical setting that is absolutely adaptation worthy. If you are in the mood for some sleuthing in Joseon era Korea with smart and competent characters who you would want to be friends with, don't miss this one. And I'm especially looking forward to the author's next novel because I loved her nods to its title in this story.

It's probably more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

This is probably the first Xuya book I ever got to know about and it's a Sherlock Holmes retelling, so I should have read it a long time ago. But I somehow was able to get the other books first, so here I am finally.

This was interesting. I thought it was a bit on the shorter side compared to the other Xuya novellas I've read, but I think the page count worked for this kind of story. It's more like the first time meeting of the Holmes and Watson-esque characters in this universe - only the detective Long Chau is a woman and The Shadow's Child is a mindship. Ofcourse their relationship starts off rocky because Long Chau comes across as arrogant and emotionless, as well as someone with a possible troubled past. The Shadow's Child on the other hand suffered a traumatic event years ago and those memories and grief still haunt her. But to solve the case of the death of a woman, they have to reluctantly team up and both have to dig deep into their memories, and relive their pasts in order to save the day in the present. It's a beautifully written story about grief and how there's no one way to handle it in the long term, and how coping with it is all one can do sometimes, unable to move on. The mystery itself is not very fascinating or predictable and I was probably even confused for a bit. But it's the characters and writing who make up for any small issues.

Overall, this felt like a cool setup story more than something on its own. And I think it will make for a great series of its own within Xuya. So I'm surprised the author hasn't written anymore featuring these two wonderful characters. But I still look forward to anything the author comes up with in this setting because I've come to love this world of space empires and mind ships, peppered with Vietnamese culture.

I was just randomly browsing when I came across this book and I realized I hadn't read it despite admiring George Takei as an activist and outspoken defender of civil rights. So I thought why not pick it up right away.

While it is the story of George's childhood in the Japanese internment camps in WW2, what makes this more powerful is seeing the juxtaposition between the anguish and devastation his parents feel with his and his brother's tales of adventure. He was an innocent who didn't realize that living inside a fenced camp wasn't normal and that the country where he, his siblings and his mother were born had declared them “enemy aliens” for no fault of their own except their ancestry. His memories maybe more heartwarming but he does include how humiliating it must have been for his parents and all the other 120,000 Japanese Americans who were first labeled enemies, but then asked to plead allegiance to their captors and also fight for them as soldiers. It's truly a shameful and hypocritical part of history which highlights how America has at various times in the past failed to live up to its ideals.

Despite all the horrors though, George's parents are the heroes of this story. His mother ensures her kids are safe and feel as normal as possible during all the years, even sacrificing her principles to keep the family together. His father on the other hand takes a leadership role within the camps, helping everyone else navigate that life and do whatever he can to solve their problems. I found his wisdom and strength incomparable because despite all his hardships and being treated so horrifically by his country, he never loses his faith in the guiding principles of American democracy and I can see where George got all his ideals from and why he has become such a prolific activist. What did surprise me was that Earl Warren (future Supreme Court Chief Justice) was an early instigator of prejudice against Japanese Americans and a supporter of the internment camps. I had only known him as the person whose famously known “Warren Court” was one of the most liberal ever and delivered historical judgements like Brown v. Board of Education and Loving v. Virginia. FDR died before the war was over but I wonder if Warren ever regretted the choices he made during that time.

Overall, this is definitely a memoir that needs to be read, to learn about one of the dark periods of American history. The art style is simple and the content may seem may feel sanitized, but that's because it's mostly told from the POV of a child and I think that's why this makes for a perfect read for children, a way for them to know their history in an understandable manner.

I have always wanted to read more Xuya universe books but they don't feel like the binge watching kind - more like stories that need to be contemplated about. That's why I'm here many months later, reading another novella set in this world.

Another book where I didn't bother reading the blurb, because I knew I would enjoy it anyways. And enjoy it I did. This is an emotional story of two women - strong in their own right, which kind of sets them on combative paths. Linh is a war refugee, trying to keep down the grief of losing all her friends to rebellion by projecting a more steely persona reminiscent of her previous position as a magistrate. Quyen on the other hand technically doesn't have accomplishments to her name but after her husband left for war and never returned, she has been the administrator of Prosper station, keeping everything going during difficult times. Both of them very much feel the need to control everything around them and not yield to anyone, so naturally they find themselves butting heads.

But the beauty of the author's writing is in how she makes us empathize with both the women and everyone else from the family, despite their actions. They can feel a little unyielding and stubborn, but we understand exactly why they are behaving that way. We also get to explore the various forms of grief - grief for being unheard when the empire is collapsing with war and people are dying in droves, grief for the helplessness that one is unable to save anyone, grief for not knowing if one's loved ones are alive or dead, grief for the grandmotherly AI Mind of the station who may be malfunctioning, grief for a life not led and a love missed, and grief for being unable to be a family. While it's about grief though, it's not without its slightly mysterious subplots and a consistent undertone of war and rebellion and worry for the people on various planets and stations. The writing is evocative and emotional, and I couldn't put it down once I began.

While the author does mention that she derived inspiration from the famous Chinese classic, A Dream of the Red Chamber, but I don't know enough about it to understand the similarities. However, I loved the nods to Three Kingdoms and the fan favorite Liu Bei, and was feeling pretty proud that I understood the references. On the whole, this was very enjoyable if a bit bittersweet towards the end, but it's a lovely addition to the Xuya universe and I can't wait to read more stories.

I knew about this novella, that it was a tordotcom publication, but never did add it to my tbr. But the end of the year is near and it's pretty cold out there, so my mood is all over the place and I tend to pick up books randomly . That's how I ended up reading this little gem.

I went into it knowing pretty much nothing and it sucked me into the world immediately. A world full of sea, land and star dwellers, alien species, gene eaters and so much more - this was captivating right from the get go, aided very aptly by the author's stunningly beautiful prose. The author deftly handles the grief of possibly losing a loved one, the regrets of unfulfilled love and doors not taken, the wonders of exploration and discovering the vast world, and finally choosing between sacrificing love or sacrificing deeply held dreams. There is a steady melancholic tone throughout but the author also manages to infuse it with hope and goodness, which makes for a very impactful read despite its criminally short length. How I wish this was longer or atleast the author decides to write more stories in this world.

Why did I pick up a book about craft and writing? I have no idea. I just saw it being mentioned on social media 2 days and remembered that many POC authors talked a lot about the advice in this book earlier in the year when it released. And even for someone like me who doesn't have much of an idea about what craft entails or what writing workshops comprise of, I thought this book was quite accessible to me. I especially loved the first half of the book a lot because the author talks about how writing cannot be separated from the real world context, and how teaching craft aimed at a generalized normative audience does injustice to the marginalized writers whose ideas and stories might fall outside of what is accepted tradition. I love reviewing books but I am not a fan of note taking, so it was quite a surprise that I spent most of the first half of the book taking extensive notes. The second part of the book is more about the different ways writing workshops can be conducted, so I wasn't the intended audience, but I still liked the ideas presented. Overall, this felt very informative and almost like a look into how author's create the stories that we get to enjoy. So, maybe understanding some of the advice here might change the way I consume and analyse the books I read from now on. If you are an aspiring author, especially a BIPOC author, then I think this will be particularly interesting for you.

Probably more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

This is another surprise addition to my read list this year. I think I saw this collection being mentioned somewhere after being nominated for an award, and as it's stories are inspired from Japanese folklore and legends, I couldn't resist picking it up.

I thought it was quite interesting that each of these seemingly different stories are connected and the writing was very engaging. Most of the stories were enjoyable to read too even if I didn't always understand what the author was trying to convey through them. And as most of these are ghost stories, it isn't surprising that loneliness and grief seems to be the common thread across most of them. But I also liked that the author depicts the various kinds of issues women face in their lives, and what they are able to accomplish when they decide to challenge the age old norms and take their destiny into their own hands. And the notes at the end with details about each legend or folktale that inspired these stories was a wealth of knowledge I really appreciated.

I also listened to the audiobook and Sarah Skaer's narration is pretty fun. I particularly loved her various voices and accents, as well as exclamations whenever they were warranted. I think I enjoyed the book more because of the narration. Definitely recommend it to anyone who would want to explore slightly offbeat, whimsical, and sometimes unexpectedly funny supernatural stories.

Smartening Up

While I can't say I understood everything in this story, I loved the message that a woman shouldn't have to change herself, both appearance and personality wise, just to get a man; nor should she excuse bad behavior from them just for the sake of companionship. The commentary on body hair was definitely very interesting too, and exactly what I always felt.

The Peony Lanterns

I thought it was a bit funny but another story where I wasn't sure what was happening. Maybe it was just about the push the main character needed to stop his wallowing and look for a new job.

My Superpower

I thought this was a great story about how we shouldn't judge people on their appearance because we know nothing about what's happening with them; and we should never forget that while we are judging someone, we are being judged in return.

Quite a Catch

I didn't expect to read a story of a woman who finds herself disillusioned by the men in her life and ultimately finds love with a ghost. It was surprisingly sweet and earnest.

The Jealous Type

I'm seriously not sure how I feel about this story of an extremely possessive and jealous woman. It felt a bit cathartic in the beginning but then it devolved into too much destruction.

Where the Wild Ladies Are

The story of a young man trying to get through life after the tragic loss of his mother, and a mom who doesn't want her son to suffer from grief. This was both bittersweet and warm but weird at the same time.

Loved One

Another story of grief and loneliness but I thought the main character's relationship with her cat was endearing and I wasn't surprised by her choices at all.

A Fox's Life

I'm not sure if it was the author's intent but I thought this story was about how demure women are considered the good ones and women who live banal existences without making waves are preferred. But it does end on the note that things are changing, especially because are no longer content with playing invisible roles.

What She Can Do

A very understandable tale about a young single mother struggling to get by while also facing the criticisms from everyone for making the decision for divorce. This is a story that clearly focuses on the childcare and support such mothers need.

Enoki

Another story about the struggles of motherhood and how humans tend to sexualize everything without any meaning or purpose, except perhaps to get some perverse joy out of it. I liked the twist at the end.

Silently Burning

This story is the perfect description of “don't judge a book by its cover”. And how women are always underestimated but then elicit surprises when they naturally exceed expectations.

A New Recruit

This can be considered a story about memories and nostalgia, and how important it can be to keep them close to our heart.

Team Sarashina

This was a tale about how formidable a united group of women can be if they decide to strive for winning and aren't scared of what anyone else will think about it.

A Day Off

I could totally empathize with the main character here who supports women being harassed or molested, and is just in despair because she doesn't know if a life without all this is possible for any woman to find.

Having a Blast

I think this one really depicted how a wife and husband can view their marriage and relationship very differently. Very interesting take on how the women might feel after they no longer have a husband to take care of.

The Missing One

A young woman trying to run her own business because she wants to work for herself, and trying to imagine all the worst possible scenarios so that she wouldn't be surprised when something bad happened, seemed like a very realistic character to me. I also loved the little bit of history weaved through this story along with a lovely meet cute.

On High

Interesting story of kind of a guardian angel (or ghost) staying on to guard the castle as well as the town, but feeling lonely because she has been doing it for too long and wondering maybe if she should give it up.

This was a fun one for the most part, especially with Natalie's narration of the audiobook. I guess I just feel very uncomfortable these days with books exploring Asian parents' relationships with their children, because they hit too close my heart and current situation and I don't want to encounter in books too. The resolution also never feels satisfactory because I probably am looking for something different personally. But it's unfair to project my insecurities onto the book.

I however have to say that I seem to have lost my touch with contemporary romance novels these days, so this one didn't necessarily excite me. It was cute while I was reading, the love story was only a small part, loved the donuts, but ultimately it was nothing very special. Also, I love when I can understand little mandarin words and phrases.

More of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

A space opera sci-fi novella isn't actually my kind of book, especially written by two authors known for their very hardcore science fiction series. So, I don't even know why I bought this one but I guess seeing many lovely reviews by bloggers I follow made me wanna give it a try.

And it turned out to be such a fascinating one. Told through the eyes of a loner pilot who has been alive for thousands of years traveling across planets and collecting memories, this story spans worlds and centuries and even lifetimes. The authors use the story within a story format to take us through the lives of many characters and how they all tie up to our main characters' destiny. Love that survived across lives, reincarnations, extremely sentient AI, a highly evolved species that can control the destiny of the universe, and a lonely pilot who finally decides to do something about it - this little novella has it all and if you aren't looking for too much detailed world building and are ready to suspend disbelief, I'm sure you will have fun reading this one.

I still have a few 2021 arcs left to read but I realized I wasn't in the mood for any of them, so had to pick up a 2022 one instead. I can't believe the New Year is so close. But coming to the book, this is the first 2022 book I received and I have been wanting to read it for a while, since my friend gushed about it. And I'm happy to report that she was right.

The prose was very beautiful in this book, but at the same time, it was very accessible and easy to get into - I was so engrossed that it hardly took me a few hours to finish it. Places are not overly described but I still liked the feel I got of the setting. The lore about the magic and the history of the world was pretty cool and I'm fed hoping we'll get to know more in the next book. There's also a lot of going through scrolls, solving riddles and puzzles, and going on treasure hunts with high stakes - all elements which I really enjoy and and it's been a while since I've read a book like this. While the couple of twists were quite interesting, I could guess a few of them pretty early on in the book, and it didn't really affect my enjoyment but still it felt like the payoff of the reveal wasn't very satisfying. But it was fast paced and fun and I didn't put it down even once.

I don't even remember if I've read a book which focused mainly on sibling dynamics. So, that was very refreshing and I loved how the author created the relationships between them. Vira is the recently crowned Queen of Ashoka after her mother's murder and is trying her best to save her kingdom from both an invasion and the depletion of the last quarry of magic. Her actions and decisions (and especially secrets) have led to a divide with her siblings - especially her twin Ronak who is fed up of being used as a pawn in Royal affairs and not allowed to make any decisions for himself. Riya is their runaway sister who has joined the rebels because she hates the royal lifestyle and wants to help the suffering people more. Kaleb is their half brother who is unjustly thrown in prison for their mother's murder but is not too resentful of his sister and just wants the best for the kingdom.

They are all very different from each other and for most of the book, their motivations seems to be at cross purposes. So when they forced to work together to find the key that will save their kingdom, I was quite interested to see how their attitudes towards each other will change by being in close quarters. And I have to give credit to the author, she writes very effectively the way they all try to understand each other, realize the importance of showing a united front, and despite still keeping some secrets, their bond also becomes much closer. There's only one slight possibility of a romance but I'm glad it didn't take up too much time and the story remained focused on the siblings. I do have one gripe though - whenever they encountered any troubles on their quest, it seemed like one of them always had a solution and it just felt too easy despite the stakes being so high. But I guess I can let it go in a YA novel.

To conclude, this was a very entertaining and engaging read, with a lot of focus on interpersonal relationships which I loved. Adding to that is a rich world and lots of mysteries, which makes this a very exciting debut and I'm quite intrigued to know where this story is going next.

I am technically a graduate in Information Systems and have worked in the IT field for about 5 years, but it was always a job to be completed in my head and I have never been someone very interested in keeping up with the latest innovations happening around, or trying to learn about up and coming technologies. I'm also not smart enough to understand the intricacies of ever changing intelligent systems.

So, how did I even decide to pick up this book. I frankly have no clue. I remember seeing someone mention it on Twitter and I went looking for it in my library. Other than taking an Artificial Intelligence 101 course in university, I have no other knowledge about this field. So, I found it very intriguing to read more about the kind of advances that are happening in the field currently and what can we expect to happen in the next two decades. I loved the idea of these two authors - both tech guys but one of them also an SFF author - coming together to tell us about these upcoming advances through stories, while also discussing the pros and cons of every development and possible ways to mitigate the issues. While there were quite a few things I disagreed with on with the author about his vision of the future, I think there's nothing wrong in working towards something better. But if there's one thing I realized after reading this, it's that governments across the world have to keep up with the emerging technologies and ensure that they have laws in place to safeguard the privacy of people while also ensuring that the adverse affects of these technologies can be lessened as much as possible. But none of this bright future will be possible if corporations and billionaires continue to maximize only profit and hoard wealth, while pushing millions more into poverty.

Overall, this was a fascinating book and I think I learned a lot. It has me thinking about many things I've never given a thought to before and that's the best thing a book can do for us. I also thought all the sci-fi stories itself were written very well, and the accompanying essays about the technologies was very eye opening and gave more information about the wider implications of the stories. This is definitely a collection which I'm sure readers interested in the field will enjoy, but also feel that readers like me who are more into futuristic stuff in the form of sci-fi will also find this book very accessible.

The Golden Elephant

Firstly, I loved that the first story was set in India. As a slightly cautionary but also hopeful tale about the pros and cons of deep learning AI in the applications that we use daily, this was interesting, while also being a cute story about a possible budding inter caste romance. I also thought it was great to learn a bit more about the deep learning technology and it's real world implications, as well as possible steps that can be taken to ensure it's more transparent as well as functioning in the interest of its users rather than just maximizing profits for the businesses using it.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gods Behind the Masks

Deepfakes are a pretty scary phenomenon to be honest and that's probably one development which has convinced me to reduce the amount of pictures of mine I share on the internet. And considering that fake and manipulated videos have become a very common feature in politics these days across the globe, this story hit too close. Very thought provoking with a hopeful resolution, I enjoyed the story but got totally lost in its highly technological speak. The note on the positive applications that this technology can have other than deepfake stuff was good to know, but I'm not sure if I'm as optimistic as the author that technological solutions will be effective enough to prevent real life catastrophes induced by deepfake and other manipulative technologies.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Twin Sparrows

Another interesting story about personalized AI tutors for children who teach them in ways most suited to them individually. What I liked more was that the AI and the child had a symbiotic relationship, with one learning from the other. I also appreciated the fact that the story made a point that human intervention would still be necessary when it comes to aspects like encouraging creativity, mending interpersonal problems and ensuring healthier emotional development.

I also really loved getting to know more about NLPs and how this technology is already become such an important part of our lives in our day to day use, and it's future applications only seem more interesting. While the author's points about the advantages of having AI tutors makes sense theoretically, I don't know if relegating something as important as a child's education to an AI will give us desirable results.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Contactless Love

CW: Covid-19

It is scary to imagine a world after two decades where Covid-19 has become a seasonal disease with new variants coming up everytime and new vaccines being developed simultaneously. But that's where this story is set and I hope to god it doesn't happen irl. I really empathized with the main character who is nosophobic and hasn't stepped out of home in 3 years, managing both work and life with the help of technology and robots. While I liked that she was overcome her difficulties, I can't say I liked how it came out to be.

The author definitely has a lot of hope for advances in AI helping the medical industry as well as robotics changing the face of many fields, but this is another field where I'm unsure. While I can see how AI can revolutionize things like vaccine development and creating new treatments, I'm not sure if diagnosis is something I would want to completely leave to technology.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

My Haunting Idol

As a very recent consumer of Chinese entertainment content but being an international fan, I have been a one step away but still very much aware of the kind of toxicity that exists in fandom, especially surrounding idols, and how companies manipulate fans to achieve their outcomes. So this story with its very hyper realistic game of virtual idols interacting with their fans, in a very personalized way, felt very dubious and an extension of the toxic fan culture. But the aspects of X Reality, and it's components like AR and VR are interesting to know about even though the kind of advances he talks about seems unreal to me, and more in the realm of sci-fi movies. But who knows, maybe his predictions are right.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

The Holy Driver

Set in Sri Lanka, this story is very engaging and emotionally driven and definitely gave me goosebumps towards the end. While the story as a sci-fi feels like a good one on paper, imagining something like this in reality makes me very scared. As someone who is petrified of driving and even get anxiety when I'm in the passenger seat, even the idea of an autonomous vehicle is unimaginable. So I'm not sure I want our transportation future to be like how the author imagines. L0 to L3 Autonomous vehicles sound fine with AIs assisting human drivers, but anything above that feels scary to me. Also, while the author is sure that advancements in AV technology will ultimately lead to people buying less cars and thus helping the environment, I'm somehow unsure that will be possible unless AVs are also renewable energy based and not fossil fuel.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Quantum Genocide

Another story where I can't say I understand all the physics and technology behind it, but this was also the story which clearly presented the perils of advancements if the persons holding the key decide to use it for evil. The author also clearly describes in his note the extreme liabilities with the development of autonomous weapons which could lead to the proliferation of the arms race, while there is no deterrent left like the some semblance of it which we do have for the nuclear arms race. And I'm definitely not surprised that US, Russia and the UK are opposed to enacting any ban on the development of autonomous weapons.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Job Savior

This was the story as well as note about job displacement due to AI innovations across industries and this is definitely one of the things that everyone needs to be prepared for in the future. The author also comes across as being against UBI or atleast a conditional one, which I'm unsure about, because assuming that people's self worth will get affected if they are given money without a job is unsubstantiated. Also, alongwith giving the gory details about the level of job loss and wealth inequality, the author tries to paint a better picture about new kinds of job that can be created which an AI can't do as well as people following their passions in creative fields - while it sounds very good, I don't see how it is feasible enough for the majority population that will be suffering. But it's all definitely worth pondering.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Isle of Happiness

This is the only story till now where I didn't understand the complete picture of what it was trying to say, and even if I have misunderstood, I still feel that an AI can never totally figure out how to make a human happy. Also, while I agree with all the privacy issues that the author talks about, I don't think I agree with his assertion that we would be able to develop a powerful AI that will help us find lasting happiness, with the help of a benevolent monarchy, an open sourced commune or a distributed blockchain system - it just seems too fanciful and a tad bit too optimistic. The author also mentions that most of the people will be living comfortably in an AI empowered future, which I thought contradicted with his thoughts in the previous chapter that AI would displace unprecedented number of jobs leading to worse wealth inequality.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Dreaming of Plenitude

Set in an Australia where almost everything is free and all the basic needs of everyone is covered by the government, where the country is carbon neutral completely relying on sustainable technologies, and a new social currency is what the young people aim to accumulate by volunteering their services - this was very heartwarming and I loved the idea of two women from very different generations finding inspiration in each other to take the next step in their lives. And despite however unrealistic the author's words in this one seem, I want to be hopeful that the kind of utopia that the author is dreaming about is possible sometime in our future. And he is very right when he says that things can change for the better when those in power work with human needs in mind than human greed. But who knows if that is ever possible in our capitalistic money obsessed world. Let's wait and watch.

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

CW: mention of highly infectious viruses and forced infecting of people

When I was looking for 2022 books to add to my tbr, I found the sequel to this novel and thought the premise was very interesting. So ofcourse I had to pick up this first book of the series. I was quite surprised to see that I already owned this novella as part of a Tor.com collection, so I had no reason to wait. And this turned out to be such an unexpected surprise.

There's not much to talk about the writing because it's too short of a book and it reads pretty quick and easy. It's the themes and characters that make a mark. Books with pervasive religious themes are not always my cup of tea because I find organized religion to be used as a tool of oppression too much in our real and don't like the same repeating in the books I read as well. So it was actually very nice to see the space nuns in this book to be just overall nice people who want to genuinely help people, despite whatever questions they have about their own personal faith. They are a symbol of hope and service and just love for everything in the world, going wherever they are required and not just limiting themselves to religious activities. I admired them for wanting to remain independent of any central authority and even going as far as disagreeing with their superiors, because they remember the history of this world and how things can go wrong when one group tries to exert control over everyone else.

The nuns are also such an eclectic group and I couldn't help but love them. Sister Gemma is a self made scientist who loves her work more than her faith, and I admired her for confronting her dilemma between choosing her faith or her heart. She was also endearing with how she treated their slug ship like a real animal with desires and feelings. Sister Faustina places very less importance on her faith but her commitment to helping everyone is solid and even her brusque and cynical nature couldn't make me dislike her. Sister Lucia is probably the one with the most belief in their order and religion and she is just such a nice person, with love for every being in the universe. And finally Mother Superior who is so much more than what everyone knows of her and I found myself unable to judge her for either her past or the choices she makes towards the end.

Overall, I think this is a book to read when in need of some goodness and hope, and I like the depiction that religion can be a force of good even in the future (and maybe in our present too but I'm a skeptic). I can see that the series might go into more darker territory in the next book but I'm sure the group of nuns will remain a ray of sunshine in dark times.

Probably more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

CW: childbirth, bullying, brain manipulation

James Rollins is an author I've been reading for more than a decade now and every year, I find a lot of joy in picking up the next Sigma Force novel. So when I saw that he was getting back to fantasy after many many years, I knew I had to read it. And I was ecstatic when I got the arc of this one. And it definitely was an interesting read.

This was a tough going for the first few chapters. I hadn't even bothered to read the premise of the book because I trust the author so much, so I went into it without knowing a word and I guess I felt a little lost in the beginning. But once the first three POVs were introduced and we got to know them a little bit, the story took up speed and then it was a breeze through. I think I also had a bit of difficulty following the various names of kingdoms, gods, creatures, peoples etc initially but I slowly got accustomed to remembering only the ones necessary for the ongoing immediate plot. The pacing, the multiple POVs converging together, the elaborate action set pieces involving lots of firepower, various fantastical creatures, and a world whose prophecied apocalypse is a bit reminiscent of our climate change issues - any veteran reader of Rollins will recognize all these elements which are always present in his books and I think it was this familiarity that pushed me to continue until I fell in love with the characters and their goals. My main gripe remains the various descriptions of generous bosoms and breasts which just felt so unnecessary in the circumstances the characters were going through.

I'm used to getting right into the thick of the plot in Rollins's novels because I already know all the major characters too well for more than ten years now. So I think it took me time to get myself attached to these new ones. But the wait was totally worth it. Nyx's story is one of family and hope and love, who is inadvertently pushed on a path of danger when she sees a prophecy of an impending apocalypse. What I admired about her though is her bravery and dedication to her goal despite any adversity, and her endearing bond with Bashaalia and Aamon. She is aptly supported by her friend Jace who may be a well of bookish knowledge but will do anything to protect her.

Kanthe is second son of the King, forever doomed to be the forgotten member of the family, with no expectations set on him. And he seems content playing that role until he realizes he is in a fight for survival - both of himself and the world. I was slightly miffed that he kept having feelings for Nyx despite their being a possibility that she was his half sister, but hopefully that confusion resolves soon. I'm just not sure I like this love triangle though, but thankfully Nyx doesn't have time for these boys when she has her brother to take care of and a world to save.

Rhaif and Pratik were characters I didn't really feel much connected to for a long time until I realized how much they were doing to protect Shiya and ensure that she arrives at her destination. Shiya is definitely the most special one here and I don't wanna say more about her lest I spoil the fun. Frell is an alchemyst like Pratik and despite being old, he is a good voice of reason for Kanthe as well as the whole group, determined to bring the truth to light even if it gets him killed. And finally Graylin, the disgraced knight exiled from civilization who has to come back to his homeland to confront someone from his past and maybe makeup for all the grief he has caused and experienced.

There are also many other side characters, some of whose POVs we do get, and many of them antagonists who only care about increasing their power and maybe win wars against neighboring kingdoms but have no care for the fact that their world might be ending soon. I'm hoping they'll all get their comeuppance for being so narcissistic and power hungry, and in a few cases downright even, but I'm sure I'll have to wait for the last book of this series for that to happen.

In the end, this was an interesting new world with lots of perspectives and characters, their various ambitions and destinies driving the journeys they undertake which we get to follow along, and many many gruesome as well as endearing creatures who inspire awe while reading. This is quite an adventurous novel, reminiscent of the author's most famous series and I can only hope the next one will be even better. Thankfully it doesn't end on a cliffhanger and is pretty satisfying, so I think this wait might not be very painful.

This was adorable and sweet and fun, and I absolutely loved all the Bollywood references. I haven't been reading YA contemporaries at all these days but I couldn't resist a book by Nisha and she didn't disappoint. I read it in a bit of a rush because I didn't wanna put it down but I think the best way to read this one is to relax with a super fun Indian movie songs playlist and let it entertain you

I read These Violent Delights much later than everyone else, so I never considered myself to be one of the hardcore fans of the series. That's why I was excited to read this sequel but it wasn't highly anticipated in my head and I was just hoping that it'll be as fun as the first one. And wow did this surpass my expectations on every scale.

I had about 3 arcs of 2021 left to read and despite not being in the mood for any of them, I decided to pick this one up because I wanted to get atleast a couple of them read before their release dates. But once I started reading this one, I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. The author just knows how to capture a reader's attention within a few pages, and then the story doesn't let one go. It starts off with a tense situation in close quarters which made me anxious instantly and never let up from there. The twists and turns kept coming, the angst was peak level, and even the betrayals that I managed to guess were foreshadowing done well. The author gives subtle hints and sometimes even big indications to make us think the plot is going in a direction, but then throw us a surprise which feels perfectly earned. It is masterful craft at play and I could only get swept up in the magic. My almost year long binging of cdramas and little dabbling on Duolingo came to some use because I was delighted to encounter Mandarin words I could understand - mostly various forms of address - and I had the Pleco app open on the side for anything I didn't understand. Even when the author didn't try to explain the meanings of the words as footnotes or within the text, I found them to be seamlessly blended into the English text, making us feel the setting the story inhabited.

The backdrop of the brewing revolution in China by the workers and the fraught alliance between the Kuomintang and the Communists, while the blood feud between the Scarlet Gang and White Flowers is reaching crescendo is absolutely perfect for this story, giving a sense of impending doom on every page and keeping us on our toes. It also raises many questions about who is right and who is wrong, why the blood feud which kills and kills matters so much when the original reason for it has been forgotten, is there any hopeful way out of a city that is spilling with hatred, and so much more. It's also hard not to sympathize with the common people and workers who rise up in revolution for their rights when we can see that they are battered on all sides by gangsters and politicians and colonizers alike. This whole setting is a powder keg waiting to explode and the author only notches up the intensity by pitting a forbidden love against this world full of literal and figurative monsters.

Juliette is the kind of female main character whom you can't forget even if you try, and I felt it more in this book than the first one. She knows the privilege and position she has is because of her blood, that the violence she perpetuates to keep her loved ones safe is an unending cycle but she doesn't stop caring. And despite all the obstacles in her way, she never stops wanting to save the people of the city too, atleast from the monsters. Whether she can save them from the blood feud is a question even she doesn't have the answer to and it haunts her throughout the book. The toll that the futile violence in the name of her family and loyalty takes on her is agonizing to read about but much more hurtful for her.

Her dynamic with Roma is such an enticing push and pull that keeps us engrossed all the way. His anguish in hating her for killing his close friend but unable to kill her because the love still exists in his heart makes for great reading - it's angst central and every single interaction they had before the truth came out felt like a blowup waiting to happen, collateral damage be damned. But later on, every scene of theirs was beautiful and so full of love and hope even in desperate situations, and I just had my fingers crossed wondering whether this would be a Romeo Juliet ending or something else.

I also loved the supporting characters a lot in this book. Kathleen's loyalties are divided because she feels too connected to the people she meets in the Communist worker meetings and has to decide what she values more - the lives of the people or her fidelity to the Scarlet Gang. Benedikt is devastated and ready to burn the world down in his grief until he realizes his truth. Marshall's decisions keep changing until he has to make a choice between trying to work from a place of privilege to better the lives of the people and save some of them, or leave it all behind and start over with the love of his life. They all make significant contributions to the advancement of the plot and I loved all of it came together towards the end. Alisa maybe a smaller presence but I loved how wise she is despite her age and kept wishing she would be safe amidst the chaos. I also liked how despite their being quite a few antagonists in the book, the author emphasizes that the actual villain is the violent system and everyone in power who uses more violence to get what they want and kill everyone who doesn't agree with them.

To conclude, this was a perfect sequel/finale. It has a great balance between an alluring plot, extremely memorable characters, a vivid setting that leaves a mark and so many twists and turns that we are left gasping for a moment of respite which never comes. If you are looking for a fast paced and well written historical fantasy with little sci-fi elements, or an unforgettable East Asian Romeo Juliet retelling with a brewing civil war as a backdrop, then look no further than this duology. Once you start, you will not be able to put it down.

I've wanted to read this book for quite a long time now, but I only bought it recently when I realized the sequel was coming out next year. I had only heard great things about this before from my dear friends, and it's so rare to find a South Indian inspired (in this case specifically Tamil Nadu) fantasy novel that I knew I had to give this a try.

However, I don't know if I am having a bit of a bad luck lately because I seem to not be loving all my reads. Which is ofcourse always possible because I can't always be reading 4 and 5 star books but I guess I've been spoiled for most of this year with absolutely wonderful books. That's not to say this book was bad. The prose is actually quite beautiful and the author does a lovely job telling both a historical and contemporary story in the same book. It is told in two alternate timelines, or in other words, two different lifetimes of the same characters. The current timeline is where I completely lost my interest.

I found the beginning itself to be very abrupt and then I couldn't fathom why the characters started feeling so deeply for each other, especially Suri because Kiran atleast had a reason to feel the love. The past timeline was definitely more interesting with Suri having to travel to an enemy kingdom and get acclimated to the land and it's people while also harboring a dangerous secret. I liked her character who has been brought up with violence as her creed but probably wants something different if she could choose. Kiran too is fascinating because he is neither completely human nor a god, and living a haunted life due to being able to see the visions of the future have made him seem much more guarded and dispassionate. While I enjoyed their relationship dynamic, I just found it not so plausible because she is technically betrothed to the king. And the other unbelievable part was that she hardly has any interactions with Viro, and none of them ever to alluding to the fact that they probably are supposed to be married someday. I probably liked Tarak the best of the lot but we see quite little of him. The mystery of who is betraying the kingdom is also pretty easy to guess but there are only a couple of choices, and why of it didn't seem convincing enough.

But overall, it wasn't something I couldn't get through. The lovely prose and the historical timeline hold enough water that it kept me going and I wanted to know how the subplot would end. But I really would have skipped the present timeline if I felt I could. Maybe it would have worked better for me if the two timelines were in separate books, but many others have enjoyed this book so I guess it's just my personal preference. And now I am unsure if I wanna continue with the sequel. Let's see what I will decide in the future.

I actually don't wanna say much about this book except it's an important part of history that needs to be remembered, so do give this book a try if you wanna know more about the community of Greenwood, Oklahoma, Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre. It's a well researched and emotionally evocative book and I'm glad to have read it. And I would definitely take from it what the author emphasizes - history matters, stories matter, and it also matters who is telling these stories; also keep asking questions, never stop seeking the truth or sharing it.

I don't know if I wasn't in the right mood for this one or the book itself wasn't too engaging, because unfortunately I found this one to be just okay. I was definitely expecting the social issues to be executed well and I'm glad I wasn't disappointed - the suffragette movement and working people's rights and mining conditions do form a good portion of the story and the discussions about them are quite progressive. But the romance didn't endear much to me because I didn't feel invested in the characters. Maybe I shouldn't read romance novels for a while when I'm unable to appreciate them better.

Average Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.4

After having read Ken Liu's short stories as well as his translated works, I have been very excited to read more stories from Chinese SFF authors. So, when I saw this collection being reviewed by one of my mutuals, I knew I had to read it. And what an experience this turned out to be. I am always scared of reading sci-fi because I am not much into hard core scientific concepts, but I loved that this collection is a lot about ideas and humanity and just humans in general, with all their flaws and emotions. There were many moments here where I was moved and I just couldn't put the book down. I almost loved all stories here and definitely appreciated the rest which is rarely the case when reading so many authors, so I am very glad that this book exists. And I hope I will be able to read more stories by these authors in the future.

The Last Save by Gu Shi

This story poses a very important question - what if in our quest for perfect happiness, we develop a technology that lets us erase every small moment that we consider bad or imperfect, and ultimately forget that humanity is what it is because of it's imperfections and flaws. Great opening to the collection.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Tombs of the Universe by Han Song

This was an engaging story about what death means to a technologically advanced civilization which has moved much farther from earth, and how the customs and rituals surrounding the celebration of the end of life evolve in mysterious ways when humanity starts living longer. It also has some interesting commentary on the necessity of studying various aspects of history and the importance of remembering it.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Qiankun and Alex by Hao Jingfang

This was an extremely fascinating and sweet story about the interactions between a little boy and the world's most super intelligent AI. I loved the idea that even the most technologically advanced artificial intelligence might have something to learn from children.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Cat's Chance in Hell by Nian Yu

A kind of a commentary on the ethical aspects of human cloning, this action packed thrilling short story explores a world where humans don't participate in wars anymore but clones and robots do; but the age old habit of exploiting love and affection and patriotism to wage war and create destruction still persists, probably in a more perverse manner.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5

The Return of Adam by Wang Jinkang

The story of a man out of time, and the conflict between adapting a neural implant that provides a higher level of intelligence and the founding principles of Confucius; this was interesting to begin with but I can't say I liked the way it ended. But as the oldest story in this collection, it does stand as an example of the evolution of the Kehuan genre.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Rendezvous: 1937 by Zhao Haihong

This was undoubtedly a painful story to read but definitely so well written that it moved me deeply. A tale of a young woman time travelling to the events of the Nanjiang massacre and confronting the horrors of the time while hoping that there existed someone who resisted, this was very emotional and enumerated the fact that this is a part of history that needs to be remembered in the hope that humanity will learn something from it and probably not resort to that depravity again.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Heart of the Museum by Tang Fei

I was fascinated that this story was told through the POV of a non human entity living on Earth among humans while concealing their identity. And I loved how through their timeless eyes - who can see all past, present and future at the same time - we get to explore the idea of how much our actions determine our future or if everything is predestined. It was also interesting to see a non human entity explore a museum full of past artifacts and try to understand their significance to us, because the past doesn't really have any nostalgia effect for them.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Great Migration by Ma Boyong

The overwhelming feeling I had while reading this was despair. As the editor mentions, this story is a parallel to the annual travel that Chinese people across the world undertake to reach home before the Lunar New Year; and what would happen if there was a similar scramble to go home to Earth from Mars in a future Space Age. I think the author wanted to show that however far away from Earth we might go, some basic troubles and tribulations will never change - trying to get the cheapest tickets, cutting queues to be first, trying to buy on the black market, and ultimately the desire to go home under any circumstances - we will essentially remain the same.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Meisje Met De Parel by Anna Wu

This is another time travel and AI story but what I loved was it's appreciation for Art in all forms - especially painting, classical music and the culinary arts. I loved the way the author describes the melodies of Bach, the turmoil in the paintings of Van Gogh as well as the meticulous way food can be prepared. I don't wanna give away too much because this sweetly haunting tale deserves not to be spoiled at all but what I will take away from it is that Art is beautiful and timeless.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Flower of the Other Shore by A Que

CW: virus and pandemic

When I started this story and I realized that it had a virus which resulted in a pandemic of zombies called Stiffs affecting a huge part of humanity, I thought of abandoning it. I don't know why I kept on but I'm glad I did because this is probably one of the best in this collection. It is pretty tropey in many ways like a Hollywood zombie film with constant fights between Breathers and Stiffs, the army trying to take control, and a mad villain scientist thinking he has the right to decide for all of humanity. But ultimately this story is full of love and hope and I can promise you that it'll leave you teary eyed.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Absolution Experiment by Bao Shu

CW: bigoted serial killer who has committed mass murders

A tale of mankind's search for immortality while also not being able to tame one of humanity's basest impulses - retribution - this very short story was interesting and makes you contemplate the blurring distinctions between punishment and justice.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5

The Tide of Moon City by Regina Wanyu Kang

Wow did this make me sad. Taking some inspiration from the story of The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, the author explores the tale of two binary planets in gridlock whose acrimony towards each other only hinder their progress; simultaneously touching on two characters from the planets who can't be together because of the political situation. It's a story about loss and grief and it was so touching and emotional. The melancholic tone of the writing reminded me a lot of some cdramas I have watched.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Starship: Library by Jiang Bo

This was definitely a perfect end to the collection. Set in a starship library that keeps traveling across the galaxy for millenia in hopes that someone who is in need of it will visit them, this story is an ode to the beauty of libraries and the important part they play in the process of learning. It shows that if humans continue to imprint knowledge instead of learning it through struggles, humanity will lose it's vitality and become stagnant. I really appreciated the way this story left us with lots of thoughts about the way we have been neglecting libraries in our real world, hoping that it would create a spark in us to med our ways.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

I do like my Chinese bl novels but tbh, I've only read the two - MDZS and TYK - because I loved their adaptations and then QiYe because it seemed like a fun spinoff. So when I saw this book being talked about on my social media, I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to check it out because I know there's hardly any hope for bl adaptations coming out anytime soon. But then I found myself in a slump and thought, maybe this one will get me out of it. And what a beauty this turned out to be.

Firstly, I have to immensely commend the translator because their work is wonderful and there was never a point where I felt that I was't reading a professionally translated book published by a big name publisher. The prose is beautiful, particularly in the emotional and romantic moments and there were so many times where I just felt so much (I'm basically struggling here to describe my feelings

Probably more of a 3.5 but I'm rounding up.

It's been a long while since I've read anything on Kindle Unlimited, but one day I got an email with this book as a recommendation and I knew I couldn't resist. I've been on a wuxia kick for a while now, and reading any book in the genre that I don't have to look for translated on multiple blogs is an unexpected convenience. So I immediately decided to get this one.

And I wasn't wrong. I will not say that the prose is beautiful or stunning or any such superlatives, but what this book offered to me was fun. The prose is very accessible, with some of the dialogues and particularly the swears making me laugh a lot with their inventiveness. The plot itself is mostly fast moving, but it's typical of the wuxia dramas I've come to love - encountering foes while traveling the jianghu, some spectacular fight sequences, meeting old friends and making new ones, and all these adventurous bouts interspersed with moments of contemplation and reminiscing the joys and sorrows of the past. Even though it took me a few sittings to complete because I kept putting it down, I found the second half particularly engaging with its multiple betrayals and devious villains and finally the past coming to light.

Li Ming and Shu Yan are also stereotypical protagonists whom I've gotten used to encountering in multiple other media. Li Ming is a grumpy swordsman who is just alive but not living, probably sustaining on the hope that he will get his revenge one day and show his filial piety to his dead master. Shu Yan is running away literally from her tragic past, in the hope for a better future. They are a very unlikely duo and despite their nonstop bickering throughout, it's obvious that they start to care for each other as father and daughter as the story goes on. While I loved the realization about life that Li Ming has towards the end, what I found most unforgettable about the book was how shrewd and cunning as well as sweet talking Shu Yan could be, excellent at extracting money from every opportunity. But I don't mean this in a bad way because she is ultimately very good at survival, while also caring for those she loves.

There are some more interesting side characters who add some heart to the proceedings. Han Mama is like a mother figure who has to do lots of unsavory things to ensure the innocent people in her town survive, but ultimately her warmth is very soothing. Jingyi is a formidable woman in her own right, taking over her father's business and ensuring that everything goes well, making her like a role model for Shu Yan. And then Tao Jun - the very charming and sly magistrate and sworn brother of Li Ming whose presence brings a lot of entertainment to the story. I loved his bond with Li Ming and I have a feeling we'll see more of him in the sequel.

In the end, this was fun and entertaining and exactly what I was looking for during a bad week. It definitely took my mind off all my worries and I'm happy for that. It also ends on a terrifying cliffhanger, so I guess I just have to read the sequel soon because I badly wanna know what happens next.

More of a 3.5 probably.

I have been very excited for this book for a while, so I couldn't resist immediately reading it after receiving my advance copy. But maybe my expectations were too high, because I ended up not feeling too delighted by it.

The world building is this one is definitely cool and I feel like I'm enjoying the historical fantasy set in England subgenre. The whole magic system with moving hands like weaving strings was very very fascinating and I kept trying to picture it in my head. The mystery was also interesting enough, but ultimately it's the characters who kinda let me down. They aren't bad per se, just not very engaging and I didn't feel myself attached to any of them. The main characters Edwin and Robin's developing relationship is nice but I didn't feel that chemistry between them which I was looking for. And the side characters were mostly annoying or boring except Mrs. Morrisey.

So, while I can say that my overall enjoyment of this book was fine and I wasn't too bored, I also wasn't eagerly waiting to pick it back up whenever I took a break. Maybe go in with lower expectations and you'll love it more.

This is not the first time I've tried to read the book. I think I started it once when I heard Dr. Shashi Tharoor's speech at Oxford about reparations and wanted to read about it, in his own words. But I still have no recollection why I abandoned it then. I guess now was the time.

I think I probably stopped reading this before because it is undoubtedly a grim read. Reading about all the atrocities that were committed on my country's people and how my country was exploited and destroyed for two centuries, while extolling the virtues of their superiority is not easy to digest. Add to it that fact that this is essentially a history book which mainly seeks to answer the question if British colonialism actually did more good things than bad to India, it can feel boring sometimes due to its recitation of facts and references to what the various players thought of during those times, as well as observations by others studying the situation. But Dr. Tharoor brings to such a supposedly dry narrative, his signature wit and command of the language, which makes this an emotional read.

I also listened to the audiobook narrated by him, and that's the perfect format to consume this book because no one can deny that he is an exceptional orator. And he doesn't go the route of modern journalists in US where you are expected to be dispassionate and objective when reporting about anything - he is clearly emotional and indignant when talking about how the British systematically enacted policies to destroy India's existing manufacturing and artisan class, compel the people into landlessness and indentured servitude, fill the coffers of the English corporations with money squeezed from our population, all while using all forms of violence and subjugation to show the people their place. He uses facts and figures to talk about how in every aspect of life and governance like democracy, liberalism, education, infrastructure and in every other measurable index, India is where it is today not because of the British Raj, but inspite of it.

This may feel like an aside but I couldn't help but see the parallels between the British administration's actions during the various famines that ravaged India under their rule and the statements that current GOP leaders in America make when talking about any measures to help the people. The British believed that as a government, it was their duty not to interfere with the free market nor was it their imperative to reduce/control prices of food when millions of dying of starvation, and they actively discouraged charity or welfare because it would make the people lazy. This is so in-line with present Republican party's belief that even during a once in a lifetime pandemic, giving assistance to people to weather their losses should be subject to constraints and very limited; that even the idea of extended unemployment benefits or universal childcare is abhorrent without means testing and work requirements because god forbid the government ever get into the business of helping the common people instead of the corporations. I just felt while reading this chapter about famines that colonialism and empire might not exist today in its past form, but it's legacies are carried forward with enough fervor into the future.

To conclude, this was an informative and well narrated look at all the ways in which the Raj destroyed India, and was not a benevolent force that brought development, democracy and liberalism to a backward nation. This book is definitely one of those that serves as an answer to the many Raj apologists who keep reminiscing the good old days of the empire, forgetting that it was never actually good for those who were colonized. Ofcourse, this is not an extensive nor a completely chronological look at the history of the British Raj in India, but probably a good one to start with for those who are unfamiliar with the history or just want more insight into the times. And as the author rightfully points out, the crimes of colonialism maybe forgiven but can't be forgotten, it's all of our imperative to ensure we all remember this history as we strive for a better future.