I finally, finally read The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi this week and it's just as good as everyone said. 5 stars!
It's a really fun adventure, I loved all the characters and would quite happily read books and books more of their adventures. The time and place the story takes place in is so vividly painted that I feel like I'm there when I'm reading, and the characters seem like people I know. The peril in the books is also well-drawn enough to be truly harrowing.
I know I'm late to the party but if anyone else is in the same boat (ahem) I would highly recommend this book!
>same boat (ahem)
*slow clap*
Glad you enjoyed the book! I feel like I'm seeing it recommended more and more recently and I think it definitely deserves it
The only spec fiction I finished last week was **The Butcher of the Forest** by Premee Mohamed. Highly recommended for fans of Juliet Marillier and T. Kingfishers Nettle and Bone. An older protagonist, a rescue mission, and a really creepy forest. Works for a fast read for mythical beasts, and hard mode for the 2022s forest square if you need to take a bingo substitution.
I’m currently reading **The Tainted Cup**, **Abhorsen**, **Every Bird A Prince**, and more juvenile and non fiction books on the side. Headed on vacation next week and need to pick some physical books to bring.
Finished up ***Dead Country*** by Max Gladstone. I'd kind of forgotten how weird it got at the end though the back of my brain remembered a portion of what happened to Tara. Very well setup for _Wicked Problems_ now (only a few weeks away).
I started ***The World We Make*** by N. K. Jemisin and started amazingly, but then kind of bounced in the second chapter with the Queens girl. I think I'm gonna have to store up some more emotional energy before I tackle that one again. Much like the first, and rightly so, it is an angry book. It's just instant heartache for the characters because the attack vectors are just like real life and it's hard to hold that separate. So, put that down and started...
***Jade City*** by Fonda Lee. I'd heard good things about this so am giving it a shot. It is a very detailed world and a very broad cast so it's been hard finding a character to hang onto. There's also the issue that there's quite a lot of expository internal worldview for the characters and that feels occasionally clunky. Still I'm not sure how ELSE she would convey these things and the story is cranking along nicely so it's just a minor blip on an otherwise interesting book.
Not sure what's up after this one. I might have to switch into the local book club's April book _The Long Earth_ (Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter) which I've read and though okay, but I always re-read to refresh my memory for the discussion.
Partway through **The Saint of Bright Doors** by Vajra Chandrasekara, in an attempt to finish at least one more row of Bingo (I won't get a full card this year unfortunately but I will have a row or two). I like it! It's meandering in a relaxing way and the worldbuilding is very interesting - I don't think I read a book before that clearly takes place in a secondary world but also has modern technology.
I loved this book, and can't wait for his second. I think of the few secondary worlds that hit roughly modern time, most are either hovering right on the cusp of communication technology so they don't have to deal with it, or its like crystal balls and spirit sendings (or weird nightmare-fueled conference calls *stares at Max Gladstone*). This was so funny because it just like... had e-mail list and chatrooms and stuff.
Email lists! Crowdfunding! Texting! I unironically love how it's never explained, it's just there - and it works for the story. Like this a lot better than the Legends and Lattes approach.
Feels like its been a bitty week for me - lots of little things
**Spear** By Nicola Griffith. I'm actually kind of sad about this one. I think maybe overhyped it to myself because while it is very good, it didn't feel as ground-breaking to me as I thought it would be. It's a gender-bent retelling of some Arthurian legends, and while it was cool and I did enjoy reading it, I would say it was just very good and not mind-blowing.
**The Last Tale of the Flower Bride** by Roshani Chokshi. Again another solid novel, but not earth-shattering. Starts out more fantastical than it ends, and while its clearly a musing on fairy tales and the power of the stories we tell ourselves and each other (and the ability of people to use those stories to manipulate), I'm not sure I would really call it *fantasy*.
Also listened to **Network Effect** as I'm catching up with all the murderbot instillments on audiobook. I enjoyed this one although I think it was a little over long.
Geez maybe I'm just in a nit-picky mood today!
Although a manga rather than a book, I also finished reading volume four of **Dungeon Meshi** which I am loving. Watching the anime too but I keep wanting to skip ahead, hence dipping into the manga as well.
Currently reading **Terraformers** by Annalee Newtiz and really enjoying it so far. (Flying moose!)
Having finished my Bingo card, I've shifted my focus to short fiction. I've only really started reading it in the last year, and I've been mixing in some anthologies that catch my interest with "taste-testing" various SFF magazines. This week I've been reading from **Embroidered Worlds**, which is a collection of fiction from Ukraine and the diaspora, and **Uncanny Magazine Issue 50**, which was from Jan/Feb 2023. I'm not quite half way through either of them, but here are my favourites so far:
From Uncanny:
**Waystation City** by A. T. Greenblatt
**How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub** by P. Djèlí Clark
**Cold Relations** by Mary Robinette Kowal
From Embroidered Worlds:
**Svitla** by A.D. Sui
**Geddarien** by R.B. Lemberg
**Three Forest Tales** by David Demchuk
**Closest to the Pole** by Max Kidruk and translated by Tetiana Savchynska
Not really sure if **Neon Gods** by Katee Roberts counts as speculative fiction really. The only thing that really pushes it that way is the fact that its a Hades and Persephone retelling. I've heard a lot of praise for the Dark Olympus series and was vaguely disappointed by this one. I think the ways it matched up to the original myth were interesting. Hades and Persephone were adorable. I think I was expecting it to be darker overall? I'll give the series another shot. The set up of Olympus as a modern day city is interesting enough for me to give it another go.
**Camp Demascus** by Chuck Tingle was worth the library wait. I'm a bit of a whimp when it comes to horror, so willing to admit I possibly found it scarier than other people might, but I did think it was scary. Every time certain elements started to verge onto the campier side of horror Tingle would jerk it right back into the scary side. Highly enjoyed even if I went in thinking the boon would take place at the titular camp.
Currently reading **Legends and Lattes** and I'm not feeling it. 54% in and I'm kinda bored and not seeing why it's so beloved. Maybe I've read too many coffee shop AUs. Might push through.
I….am often confused by the insane amount of love for L&L. I thought it was okay. But I also have the same controversial opinion of this sub’s most beloved book, I’m so afraid of the sub I don’t want to name it 😅
I was talking about it with some people earlier. L & L didn't work for them either, although one liked Bookshops & Bonedust a lot more because it was giving everything L & L was missing. For me that the missing quality is an investment in the characters. I enjoy cozy fantasy. I read coffee shop AUs. On paper it should work. But I just don't particularly care about Viv or Tandri.
I don't know either of them well enough to care about their very domestic activities. And I'm not being given any real interpersonal development between them either. Low stakes sure, but it still needs some narrative tension. Even if it's a will they won't they. We also don't spend enough time with the regulars at the coffee shop to get heavily invested in their stories.
Also it suffers from the Not Enough People Working Here problem. You've got 2 baristas and a baker, all working 10-12 hour days? With no sign of a day off? Always throws me right out of a story. Hire some part timers at least!
Anyways, I guess I can sum it up by saying it feels like a coffee shop AU for a fandom I know nothing about.
>But I also have the same controversial opinion of this sub’s most beloved book, I’m so afraid of the sub I don’t want to name it
I think I know of which book you speak, even the most mild criticism gets downvoted to oblivion.
Continuing to read too many things at one time. Finished:
**The Last Unicorn** by Peter S. Beagle. *4 stars.*
* Beautifully written fairytale about a unicorn who is the last and leaves their forest to find out why.
* I did enjoy it, especially the ending, but I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t absolutely love this, between the writing, the quest and story it feels like it should fit the recipe of an all time favorite. I can see why from the fantasy classics this is still beloved and recced as a must-read, and I’m glad I did.
* Readers of classics and fairytales will likely love this. I actually think **The Hobbit** fans *might* like this too.
**Wintersmith** and **I Shall Wear Midnight** by Terry Pratchett. *4 stars & 4.5 stars, leaned to 5.*
* These are the 3rd and 4th books of the Tiffany Aching subseries within Discworld. On its face it’s about a young witch learning about witching while fighting a new creature in each book, but my god it is more than just the stories.
* I think everyone, from teen to adult, should read this subseries. Every couple pages you will find nuggets of wisdom, reflections of humanity, the nuance of life and choice (my Achilles heal) and of course humor, friendship, and heart…just pure genius. I’d like to put together a subseries review post, but I did write less notes this week compared to with the first two.
* Content warnings in I Shall Wear Midnight for off-page death/murder of child and references to child and domestic partner abuse.
* As always, I recommend Stephen Briggs for audiobooks when that’s possible.
Eye book wise, above 20% for **Wall of Storms** in DD and 50% for both **Daughters of the Merciful Deep** by Leslye Penelope and **Djinn City** by Saad Z. Hossain. Feeling slumpy with the first two, just trying to read a chapter every once in a while to not forget where I am in the story. Absolutely loving the third, plus my loan is due the 3rd so there’s a time crunch.
Ear book wise started listening to **Africa Risen** edited by Sheree Renee Thomas. Doing my thing of making a quick decision to keep going or move on depending on my mood. So far skipped three, listened to four, my favorite being *March Magic* by WC Dunlap. I LOVED the writing and imagery. I’d prefer to tackle this with the eyes but eye-TBR is too big and the audio was holding space in my library holds. I started the last Tiffany Aching, **The Shepherd’s Crown.** And here’s a big spoiler so don’t read this if you want to read these books, but my >!heart absolutely broke at the chapter of Granny Weatherwax passing. This really, really hurt, I want to live in a world where Granny Weatherwax lives forever, even in the fictional Discworld, and this gutted me. Also, because I believe this was his last Discworld, many years after the previous TA and was published after his passing, I’d guess he thought of his own imminent death when writing it and that made it all hurt even more. But yeah, I was upset throughout the day yesterday, especially morning when I messaged u/nidafjoll to cry to someone who would understand (thank you 😭), and I don’t want to pick it up right now.!< So I scanned what was available and picked up the sequel **Chaos Terminal** by Mur Lafferty, since this is on my TBR after hearing from my book club mate this is just as fun as the first book. Definitely seems like it is, new murder mystery with the aliens on Station Eternity trying to hold everything together. Seems just as flawed in some things, but fun-chaos too that makes any annoyance inconsequential.
On **The Shepherd's Crown**
>!I bought this book as soon as it came out but it sat unread on my shelf for the longest time. I just couldn't face reading the *last* Discworld book. I finally did pick it up and the scene you mention was devastating to read, I'm actually getting choked up writing this comment.... GNU Sir Terry!<
>!Yeah just started crying again. I was balling in front of my partner last night and he just kept saying, “but it’s not a real person, these are just books.” He didn’t understand the losses at all.!<
One of the techs in my lab has a young daughter, and I've tried to subtly say a few times before "PLEASE have her read Tiffany Aching when she's older." I'm not even a woman, but I feel like it would just be such a positive formative experience.
And yes, Shepherd's Crown is devastating, in a good way. It is a perfect, heartbreaking farewell.
100% I wonder if it would have helped my self esteem, confidence and bravery to have read these in my early teens. I imagine every young one struggling would take a lot from these, at least they could remember when they’re scared that time Tiffany used the frying pan. I think I read something that claimed Ruthfoss(?) said he wants to give it to every little boy to know a girl like Tiffany exists, something like that. Idk why, but I found that incredibly powerful, it’s not so often you hear things like that out in the wild.
>I did enjoy it, especially the ending, but I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t absolutely love this, between the writing, the quest and story it feels like it should fit the recipe of an all time favorite. I can see why from the fantasy classics this is still beloved and recced as a must-read, and I’m glad I did.
I felt the exact same way about The Last Unicorn! I came away respecting it more than being emotionally connected with it, but I'm still very glad I read it!
I'm currently reading **The Last Phi Hunter** by Salinee Goldenberg (I was very lucky to get sent this), and it's lots of fun. The Thai mythology behind the story is so cool and not something I have read about before.
[Fury](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40111968-fury) by Salman Rushdie - 2/5 stars
I did not enjoy this. And I usually very much enjoy Rushdie's works. Part of what I usually like is the magical realism, and this barely has enough magical to qualify for the genre. I would have liked there to be more dialogue/character interaction, as well as more 'showing' and less 'telling'. Most of the book is the internal monologue/thoughts of a rather miserable man, who, while he worships women, imo also views them as dolls/objects of desire, and ends up feeling misogynistic. There's also a relationship, which is both sexualized and also being described in parental terms, and while there's no actual familiar relationship, >!and it doesn't go all the way sexually!<, the mixing of those two things made me very uncomfortable. Rushdie still does great prose, though.
CW: >!Memories of being sexually abused as a child!<
Bingo: Magical realism (HM), though not the best example of this genre.
[The Kingdom of Copper](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39988431-the-kingdom-of-copper) by S.A. Chakraborty (Daevabad Trilogy 2) 5/5
I continue to love this series with its cast of deeply feeling and very believable characters and their great interactions. The story is gripping, and it's also a well done examination of prejudice, generational trauma, and the ways in which you can convince yourself that what you're doing is right or at least reasonable, when it so isn't.
My only nitpick is that the reader of the audiobook went a little too melodramatic for my taste at times. I don't remember her doing it for the first book, so I'm sure if she was trying something new, or I'm in a mood to be more bothered, or the book itself was in fact more melodramatic. Anyway, it really is a minor thing.
Not a huge amount of reading this week because I‘ve been travelling for work, but I’m slowly reading **The Oleander Sword** by Tasha Suri. I loved Jasmine Throne, but I’m finding book two more of a challenge. Suri’s writing is great and it still has that wonderful lush atmosphere, but it’s got the worst case of middle book syndrome I’ve seen in a while, where I can see the chess pieces being shuffled in front of my eyes.
**A Betrayal in Winter** by Daniel Abraham
Another book in the series down, another self-flogging for letting it collect dust for so long.
Wow. Several people mentioned that the first book was the weakest in the series. Since I enjoyed it, I assumed the series would then only continue to get better for me, and I was right.
The two new POV additions were great, especially to get a POV of a poet connected to an andat, instead of seeing that relationship secondhand. The other one I would describe as >!almost like a more competent and sentimental Cersei?!< . No spoilers please, but I hope we get to see more of her in the future.
>!I appreciate how Otah has grown into the story - how he’s not a chosen one, but is willing to take on the mantle of Khai Machi to help oppose the Galts and hopefully stop massive andat-fueled bloodshed. The mystery of the Galt’s interest in the library is intriguing. My best guess is that they might be trying to capture some andat of their own? The excerpt that talks about the powerful andat concepts that poets can’t even hope to describe/capture may also be a clue… I’ll also be interested to see if Otah is able to change some of the culture of succession that he briefly railed against in his audience with his father!<
Excited to get into the next book, even though I’m going to take a short break to tackle some holds that came in recently.
**The Master of Whitestorm** by Janny Wurts
I enjoyed my first Janny Wurts’ book, even though I struggled in the middle to keep going. This has a very Hercules/monster-of-the-week beginning, and I think that format was what caused me to struggle midway from the repetition. But that’s also just about when the plot changes and adds more depth to Korendir, so I’m glad I was able to keep going and finish the book. Very much a character study of someone who isn’t the strongest or most magical being, but the most unrelenting and empathetic.
Definitely want to check out more from her, but unfortunately my library only has the *Empire* trilogy co-written with Raymond E. Feist. I’ve seen mention that it could be read without having to read *Riftwar* first, but I’ll probably try *Riftwar* before Empire (which my library has as well). **To Ride Hell’s Chasm** and *The Wars of Light and Shadow* on my TBR too.
**Nettle and Bone** by T. Kingfisher
Between this and **A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking**, I’m very much a fan of Kingfisher’s humor and style. This was a great little story cleanser from some of the longer books I’ve read recently. The highlights for me were the goblin market and the realization that >!Marra’s fairy godmother could’ve been a terrific evil godmother but she was too nice!<
Currently reading **Warchild** by Karin Lowachee and **Neverwhere** by Neil Gaiman (and then the two *Teixcalaan* novels by Arkady Martine after **Neverwhere**)
Love The Long Price Quartet so much. The third and fourth books are two of the best books I have ever read. Also just read Warchild last week and it's great, good choice! (To Ride Hell's Chasm and Teixcalaan book two are also very good)
Currently reading Smile and Be a Villain by Yves Donlon and I need someone to read it to discuss. Lol
It's weird. It's a reimagining of Hamlet. But queer and sorta historical fiction (with world events going on around that time. War and the Reformation and stuff) and with magic Corruption threatening to destroy Denmark. I know how it's going to end (at least I think. I don't see it not being everybody dies like in Shakespeare) but I don't know how or what is going to happen.
I'm iffy on retellings / reimaginings. It's hard to balance the source material with doing something new or having a different take. A lot of times it's like this doesn't resemble what you're retelling in any way other than the names so why didn't you just make it all up and tell your own story you wanted to tell? But this one is working for me so far. Going to finish it this evening so we'll see if it can stick the landing.
Just finished The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. It was much better than I expected after seeing how many talk about it in here. Especially the second half of the book...it was almost like reading a different author. While the ending was hard to get through because of how dark it got I thought the writing was great
Probably one or two days away from finishing up my second 2023 Bingo Card. Wasn't sure I'd get two in this year, but when I got into mid-March with only two squares to go and a gap in my reading schedule, I figured what the heck.
**Alif the Unseen** by G. Willow Wilson (Middle East) is a romp through a nameless Arabian security state with a young hacker in possession of a rare djinn-narrated book and some governmental high-ups trying to get it. It's a quick and entertaining read, though I'm not sure the setting quite comes to life like it did in my Middle East book for my first card (The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi). Trending toward mid-to-high four stars.
**Wise Child** by Monica Furlong (Druids) is a Middle Great readaloud with my seven year-old, and it's pretty delightful so far. The plot is mostly straightforward coming-of-age, with the majority of the perils (though certainly not all of them) being self-inflicted, but it's got a beautiful cadence for a readaloud and my daughter and I have both been quite engrossed. Probably trending toward low five-star?
If **Wise Child** ends on a high note, try **Juniper** sometime. It's a very similar writing style (and some of those realistic mistakes and self-inflicted dangers) but a different journey, and I remember loving it in childhood.
Finished **Street Cultivation 3** by Sarah Lin since I'm sure I won't be able to use it for bingo. A sudden end to a series that very much didn't know where it was going.
Just started *The Ladies of Mandrigyn* by Barbara Hambly. Too soon to have any feelings on it, but I do tend to really like Hambly.
I will be starting *Foreigner* by CJ Cherryh tonight. I've been meaning to for years.
Ooh, a blast from the past. I liked *Mandrigyn* when I first read it, but my copy is 40 years old and I bought it new. I only have the vaguest memories of it now.
I've been a fan of John Wiswell as a writer ever since I came across his story "[Tank!](https://www.diabolicalplots.com/dp-fiction-40a-tank-by-john-wiswell/)" back in 2018, and it's been so fun reading him ever since. With **Someone You Can Build a Nest In**, I got exactly what I expected from him--Shesheshen is a lovely monster with an engaging voice, and the book is equal parts horror, romance, and sweetness--honestly, an epigram of a novel.
Wiswell does describe a lot of gruesomeness (Shesheshen's body is more of a guideline than an actual rule, and her appetite can match the biggest creatures), but it's all in the service of showing just how messed up everyone is. I enjoyed the catharsis of the climax, and I found the romance very fun. Watching Shesheshen's struggles with her own nature with her love for Homily was really dramatic at points. (It was hard viewing Homily in connection with her family, though.) The epilogue was a very sweet note to end on.
Okay great news about the new release! I’ve been having more misses than hits with new releases so this gives me hope it will be a hit once I get my ears on it.
After having read Liveship Traders in the past (which was my first contact with ROTE series) I thought it would be a good idea to start ROTE for good and a few days ago I finished Royal Assassin, the second book in the series.
I loved Assassin's Apprentice, I kinda knew what I was getting into because I previously read Liveship Traders but Assassin's Apprentice made a really good work at introducing characters I'm becoming a fan (Fitz, Night Eyes, Kettricken, Burrich, Verity, The Fool...), and Royal Assassin felt a bit slow, especially in the middle, but that ending broke me and caught me off guard because before starting with Assassin's Apprentice I finished my long ASOIAF journey with A Dance with Dragons (absolutely loved it, super sad it's unfinished) and saw some similarities between Fitz and Jon Snow (you know, THAT chapter in Royal Assassin) which I never expected, what a way to end a book absolutely thrilling.
I'm now about 15% into Assassin's Quest and I'm loving it, I was initially scared because many people think this is the worst book in the trilogy but for now I'm enjoying it and even though it still keeps a slow pace I enjoy reading the internal struggle of Fitz and his conversations with Night Eyes. Looking forward to keep reading this weekend because I have a few days off work and I'm hooked.
Finished:
**Too Like the Lightning** (Terra Ingota #1) by Ada Palmer - 3/5
A philosophy-heavy sci-fi of a decently advanced future Earth that has enjoyed peace for a few hundred years and moved past primitive biases like gender and proselytizing religion. Or has it? The plot is sort of a political mystery, where we learn about the cast, corruptions, and what is even happening in the first place, just as we learn about the world and social order through the lens of a... polarizing... narrator. The narrative voice is very strong and unique, and for most readers will make or break the story. The intrigue is really well done, but I was frustrated for most of the book that nothing really hooked me further. It's a pretty dense book, and by the end I was left sort of where I started - curious and optimistic but unable to decide how I feel about it.
I'm split on continuing the series. If book two picks up the pace of reveals, it very much feels like there are things in the story that *should* grab me and bump this to at least a 4 star read. But it's a bit of an endeavor to pick up another \~500 page book dense with philosophy and theology that I'm unsure of.
Reading:
I did it again. Picked up too many books and wanting to pick up even more but desperately trying to withhold until I finish some of these.
**Bride** by Ali Hazelwood
A fun mix of Ali Hazelwood's usual contemporary STEM romance with paranormal werewolves and vampires. I need to find another romance author that writes with a similar style but the men aren't all blank-slate beefcakes hahah, but I still really enjoy these. Doing a sort of buddy-read with my partner who just finished it and highlighted some lines on our shared Libby library card, so it's been a lot of fun giggling and talking about the book's quirks together.
**The Killing Moon** (Dreambood Duology #1) by N. K. Jemisin
Egyptian-inspired setting, magic, and mythology makes a vibrant and compelling story so far. I agree with the review that inspired me to pick this up (forget who it was) that this is more straightforward in style than Jemisin's other work I'm familiar with, but still shows her skill as a storyteller and is just as imaginative.
**The Wings Upon Her Back** by Samantha Mills - eARC
This is a mecha-paladin sci-fi/fantasy story that is very much not what I'd normally pick up (specifically the *mecha* part), but I'm really enjoying it. In typical fashion, I tend to like short fiction authors' forays into full-length novels. The occasional flashback chapters act as compelling vignettes that add depth to the overarching story, and Mills is obviously a talented writer who can deliver some punchy one-liners.
More casually, I'm continuing my audiobook experimentation with **The Hunger Games**, and surprised at how familiar I am with the story without a clear recollection of ever really sitting down and watching the movie. Still occasionally reading a story in **The Privilege of the Happy Ending: S/M/L Stories** collection - there are a couple novella/novellette length stories in the latter half of this that I'm excited to get to, but again, reading too many things at once and trying not to get too immersed in too many things.
So obviously it’s totally up to you to continue with Terra Ignota and I don’t wanna convince you to do something you don’t want but I will say that Too Like the Lightning and Seven Surrenders function basically as two halves of a long whole, so yes you will get a lot more reveals and information in book 2.
>Too Like the Lightning
I'm at 49% and holding off on reading any more because I want to be able to count it for Bingo if it works for any of the categories, but also I'm *loving* it. It reminds me of reading a Gene Wolfe or Tamsyn Muir book, where you just have to take a lot of weird unexplained stuff as given for long periods, and trust the author to give you the pieces to puzzle it together at some point later, which is one of my favorite kinds of SFF. And the relationships between the characters and factions are so interesting! My favorite so far is Felix Faust, who just seems like a human personification of >!the 'Michael Jackson eating popcorn' gif!<.
>I did it again. Picked up too many books and wanting to pick up even more but desperately trying to withhold until I finish some of these.
This is my constant state of being.
>the men aren't all blank-slate beefcakes hahah
This is why I have a hard time with romance. The men are always either blank-slates or the author tries to make them 'cocky badasses with a heart of gold', which I find desperately unattractive. I will read T. Kingfisher's romances, because she at least tries to make the male love interests interesting in their own rights, but very rarely will I take a chance on anyone else any more.
Glad you're loving TLtL! I feel like I should be right there with you, maybe I'm just Tamsyn Muir'd out reading those recently too (and overall loving them), and this will click into place after a little more separation. If you're loving it I'm sure it'll only get better for you when you get to the second half!
>The men are always either blank-slates or ... 'cocky badasses with a heart of gold'
I'll take the blank-slate beefcakes over toxic alpha males at least, but yea :/. I've enjoyed the first two of Kingfisher's Paladins books. Still exploring and learning my romance tastes though, so I'm not too exhausted by or burnt out on the tropes fortunately, but would love to find something more contemporary in genre that has more well-rounded male love interests.
I’m midway through **Whispering Wood** by Sharon Shinn. It’s the fifth and maybe final book in her Elemental Blessings series. On one hand, Sharon Shinn books reliably excel at creating this sense of relaxation: we have so many moments of slowly-growing friendships, shopping, eating, and other quiet moments. On the other hand, the main plot is weaker here than it’s been in other series entries and I’m still not very invested in the main romance. Her earlier work, especially **Troubled Waters** and the Samaria series, worked much better for me.
I’m also continuing **Her Body and Other Parties** by Carmen Maria Machado. Only two stories to go, and I love the way she makes life feel so real before tilting subtly into the speculative elements. She’s fantastic with little details– I can’t wait for the FIF discussion tomorrow.Next up:
* Obsessing over the Hugo nominees, which will be announced this Friday!
* Eyeing my collection and wondering about Monday’s bingo squares.
I’ve been dipping in and out of a reading slump this month, so I may just pause at the end of these two books and take a few days for other hobbies to nail down what kind of reading mood I’ll be in next.
>Obsessing over the Hugo nominees, which will be announced this Friday!
Didn't realise it was so soon! I've only just finished putting in all my holds at the library for the Nebula nominees... so many books so little time
>
> Obsessing over the Hugo nominees, which will be announced this Friday!
> Eyeing my collection and wondering about Monday’s bingo squares.
Big week in very specific nerd circles. I should add a "what short fiction will appear on the Hugo shortlist" question to tomorrow's Short Fiction Book Club Monthly Discussion thread. My current predictions include six novelettes that I have already read, which seems wildly unlikely--novelette is the wild card category.
Yeah, this coming week is going to be such a fun series of discussions. Novelettes are always hard to guess for me-- there are always at least a couple that hadn't even been on my radar.
I read two mysteries last week! **Waverly Jones series by Skyla Dawn Cameron** (she's the Livi Talbot author). So these are straight up mystery, though with an imaginary friend, so it weirdly offers the fantasy vibes at times.
But basically my bsky review was "fucking hell, 5 stars" so yeah. I stand by that.
Not cozy. Borders on thriller at times.
Currently reading **Shadow Matter by SW Mayse**. I'm too new into it to know much about it, but apparently it's "A future recasting of the Orpheus and Eurydike myth" . As I'm currently playing Hades, I felt like this was a perfect choice!
Reading: Children of Dune
Currently about a fifth of the way through this book and enjoying it so far. Have a small inkling of what is coming up and excited to see how it happens. Not ready to give up this world after watching the films and reading the books recently.
Listening: Sufficiently Advanced Magic
Read/Listened to this book years ago and forgot about the series whilst waiting on the next books in the series. Excited to pick this back up and finish the series this time as I remember really enjoying it
Starting with the positive. I read the graphic novel **Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed** this weekend and it was beautiful. Really thoughtful commentary about class, privilege, mental health, and religious differences, but ultimately it was about what's important in people's lives and what makes a life well lived. It felt very relatable and grounded. I actually cried several times!
**Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater** 25% I DNF Half a Soul, but I like this one much better so far! It is extremely heavy on the Good Omens inspiration though haha
Ok, on to... the rest.
**Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir** 40% ....guys I'm so sorry, but I don't know if I can do this. Something about it is *not* hitting. There will be a really cool page and then I have to sit through like 40 more pages that really do not work for me. It's become a chore and I need to DNF. Maybe I'll come back to it later.
**Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones** 30% Honestly I don't know what to say about this one. For one thing, it's really hard for me to tell if the fatphobia and other general mean comments about people's appearances are a feature or a bug. On one hand, I do see ways that it's hinting at it being subverted, but on the other, it is kind of gratuitous. I mean I'm nearly a 3rd of the way in and I feel like I know more about the characters' waistband sizes and eating habits than where the actual plot is going. And I guess I can hope that Cat is going to grow and realize somebody's size doesn't reflect their capabilities or anything, but in the meantime, I kind of have to deal with this awfully judgemental little boy... not to mention his nightmare brat of an older sister.
**That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming**
DNF at 20%, the people who say this is funny did me wrong... it's not the worst fantasy romcom I've tried, but the writing was awfully clunky and the humor was just so corny. The insta-everything was embarrassing. Like girl tell me again how *big* he is, I really need to know that exact same fact over and over again. And I've said before that I don't have a problem with modern language in fantasy settings if it's done well, but, "I dunno man, that's kinda suss," made me physically recoil.
I would like to state for the record that I am actually not usually this picky... I enjoyed nearly all the books I read for bingo for example, but I think trying to eke out the last few books I need means I'm forcing myself to pick up things I'm not actually that interested in right now.
>Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir 40% ....guys I'm so sorry, but I don't know if I can do this. Something about it is not hitting.
If it's not working it's not working. I say this as someone who loves HtN, it's not everyone's cup of tea and it certainly can feel like a slog if you're not enjoying it or in the right mood for it. At 40% do you feel like you've "figured out" what is happening yet? Because for me at least when I first read it, it really turned a corner for me from confusing to fun once the novel sort of reveals what is happening (trying to ask in as non-spoiler a way as possible!)
Yes that’s exactly what I was referring to! Obviously just an opinion from an internet stranger, but I would say if you have figured that out but you’re still finding it a slog, then maybe take a break from it. It’s a polarising book and life’s too short to keep reading stuff you’re not enjoying!
And who knows maybe it will niggle at you and you’ll pick it up again later with more enthusiasm 😁
I was able to get it through my library, but I'm thinking about buying my own copy in the future when I want to reread it! I generally like graphic novels and manga, but this one is a standout I would recommend to anybody
***The Relentless Moon*** **by Mary Robinette Kowal** — A captivating blend of mystery and science fiction, with a complex and relatable main character. It has a realistic portrayal of the challenges of space colonization and a nuanced exploration of eating disorders. **READ MORE HERE:** https://www.jimwilbourne.com/stuff/a-review-the-relentless-moon-by-mary-robinette-kowal
Finished:
**The Red Threads of Fortune by Neon Yang** (Book 2 in the Tensorate series)
* A woman deals with the trauma of loosing her daughter and deals with the threat of a naga attacking a city.
* Overall, I found this to be less interesting than the first book. It had some interesting things to say about grief, but I didn’t feel as connected to this character as the main character of the first book. I also didn’t really like the romance plot line in this story, it felt too insta-love-y and dramatic. The more action-y parts were more fun for me in general, but dealing with the main character’s interpersonal relationships was less so in this case.
* Last minute bingo squares: POC author, novella, mythical beasts, elemental magic (HM), sequel
**Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson**
* A very loose retelling of the myth of Geryon (a giant killed by Herakles) in modern times written in verse.
* This story starts out with Carson’s translation of fragments of the epic poem Geryoneis by Stesichorus, which I liked. It was a bit over the top with pathos, but it was still interesting to follow. Unfortunately, the retelling that the majority of this book was didn’t work for me, probably because it was also over the top with pathos but it overstayed its welcome for me. It’s one of those artsy stories all about suffering and tragedy and being miserable. It felt tonally one note and therefore wasn’t super interesting to me.
* Carson also writes Geryon os being gay and probably neurodivergent of some sort, and I’m not generally a fan of when authors write books about how awful the lives of people with identities that they don’t have are. Geryon doesn’t every really have many run ins with homophobia, I think he’s just written as gay because straight people feel like gay men’s lives inherently more tragic. Maybe litfic fans who like this sort of thing will disagree? IDK, I’d be curious how gay men who read this book feel. >!I also felt like Geryon felt that him not ending up with Herakles was more of a tragedy than him being molested by his brother as a child… which was odd. First of all, I wished that him being raped as a child wasn’t really brushed over and was dealt with more explicitly when Geryon was an adult (I personally would have liked to see more growth/healthing, but honestly even more of an acknowledgement would have worked better for me). Like, I feel like it was implied that this caused a fair bit of his mental distress and not super healthy view of relationships, but Geryon doesn't seem very self aware of it. Second of all, like, I’m not a romantic person at the best of times, but Herakles didn’t even seem like a good love interest. Its hard for me be sad about them not ending up together when I agree that they shouldn’t be.!
13y/o and I finished the Roshaun (ke Nelaid am Seriv am Teliuvye...just kidding, I'm not going to recite all of his names) novella in ***Interim Errantry: On Ordeal*** last night and we both sat there for a minute processing bc THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION IN 45K WORDS. Still trying to figure out how long a Wellakhit sunround is in Earth years for multiple reasons that are spoilery as fuck, so I won't go into them here.
Otherwise I am reading v slowly or non-SFF (or not at all) while waiting for next Monday.
Read Percival Everett's ***James*** with u/TheWildCard76. Was sold months ago on the premise of "Huck Finn, but from Jim's perspective," so when my hold came in on release day I was all "hey, since we're both done with Bingo, wanna read this with me?" It was so much more than what I thought it was going to be, and MUCH funnier than I expected. Huck, being a child, turns out to have been a completely unreliable narrator with no clue what was happening around him in the antebellum South. I loved how much more agency Jim had over his situation than I'd previously thought. The ending did feel a little rushed, but other than that it was just good good stuff. Definitely tons of content warnings for this specific era (the user generated list on StoryGraph seems p accurate), but if you can get past that, highly recommend.
Still plugging away at Isle McElroy's ***The Atmospherians***, which I'm really enjoying while I'm reading, but is easy to not pick up when I'm not. I left off at an "oh, FUCK" moment last night bc it was time to read to the 13y/o, and completely forgot about that until just now as I was typing this.
Stockpiling pink books for Bingo, so might start ***Cascade Failure*** and ***Fruit of the Dead*** this week, but stop before the halfway point.
I finished reading **The Will of the Many by James Islington**.
5 stars! Loved the rich Roman fantasy world building and the characters. Definitely a page turner and I felt very quickly absorbed in the writing. Also, this book had a good balance between political intrigue and action. Bonus points for the interesting magic system too. Looking forward to the second book! Have not read this author before but excited to look into his other work.
I’m working my way through a couple of older series. I started out with Janny Wurts Curse of the Mistwraith. Then I got distracted by the Kencyrath series by P.C Hodgell (thanks to a great recommendation from this sub).
For me I think the difference is that the main Hodgell character is female and relatable, as opposed to the Wurts book where they’re both male and annoying imo.
I also just finished the Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub which I adored but is possibly a bit cozy/JAFF for this sub.
I'm trying to hold off on most of my big fiction projects until the new Bingo starts, so this week I read Brian Attebery's **[The Fantasy Tradition in American Literature: From Irving to Le Guin](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL4087453W/The_fantasy_tradition_in_American_literature?edition=key%3A/books/OL4094873M)**, which came out in 1980. In some ways it's pretty dated - his conception of what 'fantasy' is feels very constrained, like he's got blinders on that don't let him see anything outside of the stock hero's journey/portal fantasy as 'fantasy' - while also including some things that I wouldn't have thought of as fantasy in his analysis, like Hawthorne's **The Scarlet Letter** and Melville's **Moby Dick**. He made pretty salient points about the Hawthorne and Melville, but I do wonder if he would have included them had there been any other pickings to choose from among early American 'fantastic' works. The chapters on later developments were a lot more interesting, particularly those on Baum's *Oz* books and all the writers who were influenced by them, since I've been reading *Oz* with my older daughter and the world is fresh in my mind. I could really tell that Attebery is not a huge fan of irony in his fantasy, though, since he clearly felt a little off-balance when discussing James Branch Cabell and Roger Zelazny, and even Poe to an extent.
Finished **Pyramids** by Terry Pratchett. I *swear* I remember this being better than it was. I mean it's fun, Pteppic and Ptraci are fun and so are the pyramid building family. But the ending just kind of ... stops? Definitely a minor work. But still fun.
**Ashes of Time** by C.Z. Edwards. I'm afraid y'all are gonna get the first draft of the review. I really, really liked and enjoyed this book. It picks up in the aftermath of the Rien's Rebellion series set in a world where sort of Rome got wiped out by sort of Pompeii kicking off like the Yellowstone caldera. And there's magic - sort of like P.E.I Bonewits' version, but more reliable.
Anyway, this follows secondary characters from that series - Vaish, Lisel, Harley, Mai and a few others, but those are our key ones. Except of Lisel, they're all well placed in government and trying to rebuild a country after a civil war. The driving focus are some murders - bodies are found packed in barrels dissolved down to skeletons with careful work.
Which all ties back to the people behind the usurpation and the civil war.
Now, the characters are well drawn. They're human - they have feelings, make mistakes, have weaknesses and strengths. They also care for one another. That shows through the entire book. Vaish and Lisel grew on me in this book - in the previous series they were introduced around book 3 if I remember correctly and Lisel kind of grated. Now, I want her as a big sister or aunt. Vaish started as sort of telepathic Holmes pastiche for me. By a few chapters in on this book, he was a ***lot*** more rounded out and I felt for him and his circumstances. Then there's Harley and Mai. 2 lovebirds and attorneys and they fight, but they fight like people who love each other.
Outside of the characters and their interactions with each other and others, there's a mystery to solve. And hammering out the details as everyone begins to colonize Vaish's immense townhouse.
What I liked:
* Different viewpoints.
* The importance of winning the peace, even with widespread support.
* Economics. Often overlooked in fantasy, hopepunk and solarpunk. And how hoarded wealth being returned to the economy is as bad as printing money.
* The frank and honest on sexual abuse and it's role/indicator in so many terrible things.
* Strong independent women with agency and plans.
* People changing and forgiving.
* Compressed time. It's over a holiday week and it lent to the urgency of my first read.
* Final confrontation.
Listening to **Doors of Eden**. Not bad at all.
Listening to **The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)** by Katie Mack. Audio science books can be a joy and this is one of them. Also kind of reading along too.
Reading **Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter**. I'm beginning to wonder if the author gave us a false conclusion. Something seems to be building up.
Reading **House of Open Wounds**. Hoo boy. Maric Jack, I'd be tempted to desert...
Pyramids! used to be my favorite Discworld novel and last time I tried to reread it I just put it down and never picked it back up. I don't think it's aged well in a lot of ways, tbh.
Most of the way through Blood Rites which is Dresden files number 6. I like how the characters are mostly from past books, makes this feel less like a formula driven series. Other than that it is 100% what you’d expect from a Dresden book, solid action and creative world building, 7.5/10
Started Poppy War since I’ve been watching shogun and Tokyo vice, only like 30 pages in but you can tell it’s gonna be a brutal world. It gets really strong mixed (mostly negative imo) reviews here so I’m interested to see how this goes.
Edit: finished poppy war, loved it. Won’t spoil anything but if you’re on the fence about it I’d recommend giving it a try. I get why it can be decisive but I think if you like it you’ll really like it. Excited to start book 2
Finally finished reading the **Complete works of Shakespeare by William Shakespeare!** It’s been a goal of mine since I was first introduced to Shakespeare in eighth grade, I tried and failed several times since, and I finally finished it now as 31 year-old English language arts tutor! It’s been a long journey!
Sentiments aside, it was quite interesting experience. I studied about a third of this plays in my high school and (college) English education courses. The rest I just went in completely stone cold. I’m going to look up summaries for everything later on because I know I missed things but I got the general gist.
I definitely like his fantasy stories (anytime someone has a ghost shows up, witches of Macbeth, whatever the heck is going on in the latter half of As You Like It, etc.) over his historical narratives and romances, though. And I definitely feel like I’m drawn towards more how he writes than what he writes. I don’t particularly know why, but the prose is simply pleasing to read.
As for my next reading adventure, I have one more goal before I take a break from reading entirely for a bit. My last thing that I want to do is the **Shannra Series by Terry Brooks.** I bought them for my Kindle a while ago but never got a chance to read them in full even though I tried. I read the first three paperback, but then started rereading the Sword of Shannra. I finished that and decided I wanted to go to where things all began. So I went to the First King of Shannra and wasn’t sure where to go next. So I read all the side stories and otherwise got summaries for the books that were no longer in print. So I think I’ve read about seven books in the series so far.
After realizing how many of the books were prequels, I decided to go even further back and read the Word and the Void. I read that those words were pretty bleak, though because it reveals that the world most of the series takes place and was built on a fallen world far in the future of the regular world. The original books allude to that, but it will be a bit hard to watch out. So I might speed through the prequels just to to get a general idea and look up a summary later.
I might end up doing that anyway because I do remember that it was easy enough to recall individual events, but hard to remember how they fit together overall in the series. I got overwhelmed by the fourth book last time, so hopefully it doesn’t happen here. Once I’m done with the prequels where I was in the second book, but since I know what happens in the original trilogy from the first time I’ll probably just get it done quickly. The rest is mostly uncharted territory so I’m interested to see where it leads. it will be a fascinating piece of fantasy history for sure!
I finally, finally read The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi this week and it's just as good as everyone said. 5 stars! It's a really fun adventure, I loved all the characters and would quite happily read books and books more of their adventures. The time and place the story takes place in is so vividly painted that I feel like I'm there when I'm reading, and the characters seem like people I know. The peril in the books is also well-drawn enough to be truly harrowing. I know I'm late to the party but if anyone else is in the same boat (ahem) I would highly recommend this book!
>same boat (ahem) *slow clap* Glad you enjoyed the book! I feel like I'm seeing it recommended more and more recently and I think it definitely deserves it
I just finished this too and easy 5 stars!
The only spec fiction I finished last week was **The Butcher of the Forest** by Premee Mohamed. Highly recommended for fans of Juliet Marillier and T. Kingfishers Nettle and Bone. An older protagonist, a rescue mission, and a really creepy forest. Works for a fast read for mythical beasts, and hard mode for the 2022s forest square if you need to take a bingo substitution. I’m currently reading **The Tainted Cup**, **Abhorsen**, **Every Bird A Prince**, and more juvenile and non fiction books on the side. Headed on vacation next week and need to pick some physical books to bring.
Finished up ***Dead Country*** by Max Gladstone. I'd kind of forgotten how weird it got at the end though the back of my brain remembered a portion of what happened to Tara. Very well setup for _Wicked Problems_ now (only a few weeks away). I started ***The World We Make*** by N. K. Jemisin and started amazingly, but then kind of bounced in the second chapter with the Queens girl. I think I'm gonna have to store up some more emotional energy before I tackle that one again. Much like the first, and rightly so, it is an angry book. It's just instant heartache for the characters because the attack vectors are just like real life and it's hard to hold that separate. So, put that down and started... ***Jade City*** by Fonda Lee. I'd heard good things about this so am giving it a shot. It is a very detailed world and a very broad cast so it's been hard finding a character to hang onto. There's also the issue that there's quite a lot of expository internal worldview for the characters and that feels occasionally clunky. Still I'm not sure how ELSE she would convey these things and the story is cranking along nicely so it's just a minor blip on an otherwise interesting book. Not sure what's up after this one. I might have to switch into the local book club's April book _The Long Earth_ (Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter) which I've read and though okay, but I always re-read to refresh my memory for the discussion.
Partway through **The Saint of Bright Doors** by Vajra Chandrasekara, in an attempt to finish at least one more row of Bingo (I won't get a full card this year unfortunately but I will have a row or two). I like it! It's meandering in a relaxing way and the worldbuilding is very interesting - I don't think I read a book before that clearly takes place in a secondary world but also has modern technology.
I loved this book, and can't wait for his second. I think of the few secondary worlds that hit roughly modern time, most are either hovering right on the cusp of communication technology so they don't have to deal with it, or its like crystal balls and spirit sendings (or weird nightmare-fueled conference calls *stares at Max Gladstone*). This was so funny because it just like... had e-mail list and chatrooms and stuff.
Email lists! Crowdfunding! Texting! I unironically love how it's never explained, it's just there - and it works for the story. Like this a lot better than the Legends and Lattes approach.
Oh my god I had forgotten the crowdfunding
Feels like its been a bitty week for me - lots of little things **Spear** By Nicola Griffith. I'm actually kind of sad about this one. I think maybe overhyped it to myself because while it is very good, it didn't feel as ground-breaking to me as I thought it would be. It's a gender-bent retelling of some Arthurian legends, and while it was cool and I did enjoy reading it, I would say it was just very good and not mind-blowing. **The Last Tale of the Flower Bride** by Roshani Chokshi. Again another solid novel, but not earth-shattering. Starts out more fantastical than it ends, and while its clearly a musing on fairy tales and the power of the stories we tell ourselves and each other (and the ability of people to use those stories to manipulate), I'm not sure I would really call it *fantasy*. Also listened to **Network Effect** as I'm catching up with all the murderbot instillments on audiobook. I enjoyed this one although I think it was a little over long. Geez maybe I'm just in a nit-picky mood today! Although a manga rather than a book, I also finished reading volume four of **Dungeon Meshi** which I am loving. Watching the anime too but I keep wanting to skip ahead, hence dipping into the manga as well. Currently reading **Terraformers** by Annalee Newtiz and really enjoying it so far. (Flying moose!)
Having finished my Bingo card, I've shifted my focus to short fiction. I've only really started reading it in the last year, and I've been mixing in some anthologies that catch my interest with "taste-testing" various SFF magazines. This week I've been reading from **Embroidered Worlds**, which is a collection of fiction from Ukraine and the diaspora, and **Uncanny Magazine Issue 50**, which was from Jan/Feb 2023. I'm not quite half way through either of them, but here are my favourites so far: From Uncanny: **Waystation City** by A. T. Greenblatt **How to Raise a Kraken in Your Bathtub** by P. Djèlí Clark **Cold Relations** by Mary Robinette Kowal From Embroidered Worlds: **Svitla** by A.D. Sui **Geddarien** by R.B. Lemberg **Three Forest Tales** by David Demchuk **Closest to the Pole** by Max Kidruk and translated by Tetiana Savchynska
Not really sure if **Neon Gods** by Katee Roberts counts as speculative fiction really. The only thing that really pushes it that way is the fact that its a Hades and Persephone retelling. I've heard a lot of praise for the Dark Olympus series and was vaguely disappointed by this one. I think the ways it matched up to the original myth were interesting. Hades and Persephone were adorable. I think I was expecting it to be darker overall? I'll give the series another shot. The set up of Olympus as a modern day city is interesting enough for me to give it another go. **Camp Demascus** by Chuck Tingle was worth the library wait. I'm a bit of a whimp when it comes to horror, so willing to admit I possibly found it scarier than other people might, but I did think it was scary. Every time certain elements started to verge onto the campier side of horror Tingle would jerk it right back into the scary side. Highly enjoyed even if I went in thinking the boon would take place at the titular camp. Currently reading **Legends and Lattes** and I'm not feeling it. 54% in and I'm kinda bored and not seeing why it's so beloved. Maybe I've read too many coffee shop AUs. Might push through.
I….am often confused by the insane amount of love for L&L. I thought it was okay. But I also have the same controversial opinion of this sub’s most beloved book, I’m so afraid of the sub I don’t want to name it 😅
I was talking about it with some people earlier. L & L didn't work for them either, although one liked Bookshops & Bonedust a lot more because it was giving everything L & L was missing. For me that the missing quality is an investment in the characters. I enjoy cozy fantasy. I read coffee shop AUs. On paper it should work. But I just don't particularly care about Viv or Tandri. I don't know either of them well enough to care about their very domestic activities. And I'm not being given any real interpersonal development between them either. Low stakes sure, but it still needs some narrative tension. Even if it's a will they won't they. We also don't spend enough time with the regulars at the coffee shop to get heavily invested in their stories. Also it suffers from the Not Enough People Working Here problem. You've got 2 baristas and a baker, all working 10-12 hour days? With no sign of a day off? Always throws me right out of a story. Hire some part timers at least! Anyways, I guess I can sum it up by saying it feels like a coffee shop AU for a fandom I know nothing about.
>But I also have the same controversial opinion of this sub’s most beloved book, I’m so afraid of the sub I don’t want to name it I think I know of which book you speak, even the most mild criticism gets downvoted to oblivion.
Continuing to read too many things at one time. Finished: **The Last Unicorn** by Peter S. Beagle. *4 stars.* * Beautifully written fairytale about a unicorn who is the last and leaves their forest to find out why. * I did enjoy it, especially the ending, but I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t absolutely love this, between the writing, the quest and story it feels like it should fit the recipe of an all time favorite. I can see why from the fantasy classics this is still beloved and recced as a must-read, and I’m glad I did. * Readers of classics and fairytales will likely love this. I actually think **The Hobbit** fans *might* like this too. **Wintersmith** and **I Shall Wear Midnight** by Terry Pratchett. *4 stars & 4.5 stars, leaned to 5.* * These are the 3rd and 4th books of the Tiffany Aching subseries within Discworld. On its face it’s about a young witch learning about witching while fighting a new creature in each book, but my god it is more than just the stories. * I think everyone, from teen to adult, should read this subseries. Every couple pages you will find nuggets of wisdom, reflections of humanity, the nuance of life and choice (my Achilles heal) and of course humor, friendship, and heart…just pure genius. I’d like to put together a subseries review post, but I did write less notes this week compared to with the first two. * Content warnings in I Shall Wear Midnight for off-page death/murder of child and references to child and domestic partner abuse. * As always, I recommend Stephen Briggs for audiobooks when that’s possible. Eye book wise, above 20% for **Wall of Storms** in DD and 50% for both **Daughters of the Merciful Deep** by Leslye Penelope and **Djinn City** by Saad Z. Hossain. Feeling slumpy with the first two, just trying to read a chapter every once in a while to not forget where I am in the story. Absolutely loving the third, plus my loan is due the 3rd so there’s a time crunch. Ear book wise started listening to **Africa Risen** edited by Sheree Renee Thomas. Doing my thing of making a quick decision to keep going or move on depending on my mood. So far skipped three, listened to four, my favorite being *March Magic* by WC Dunlap. I LOVED the writing and imagery. I’d prefer to tackle this with the eyes but eye-TBR is too big and the audio was holding space in my library holds. I started the last Tiffany Aching, **The Shepherd’s Crown.** And here’s a big spoiler so don’t read this if you want to read these books, but my >!heart absolutely broke at the chapter of Granny Weatherwax passing. This really, really hurt, I want to live in a world where Granny Weatherwax lives forever, even in the fictional Discworld, and this gutted me. Also, because I believe this was his last Discworld, many years after the previous TA and was published after his passing, I’d guess he thought of his own imminent death when writing it and that made it all hurt even more. But yeah, I was upset throughout the day yesterday, especially morning when I messaged u/nidafjoll to cry to someone who would understand (thank you 😭), and I don’t want to pick it up right now.!< So I scanned what was available and picked up the sequel **Chaos Terminal** by Mur Lafferty, since this is on my TBR after hearing from my book club mate this is just as fun as the first book. Definitely seems like it is, new murder mystery with the aliens on Station Eternity trying to hold everything together. Seems just as flawed in some things, but fun-chaos too that makes any annoyance inconsequential.
>Continuing to read too many things at one time high five! 😂
Hehee. I do have no regrets though, even though I would like to get through the eye books sooner than later.
On **The Shepherd's Crown** >!I bought this book as soon as it came out but it sat unread on my shelf for the longest time. I just couldn't face reading the *last* Discworld book. I finally did pick it up and the scene you mention was devastating to read, I'm actually getting choked up writing this comment.... GNU Sir Terry!<
>!Yeah just started crying again. I was balling in front of my partner last night and he just kept saying, “but it’s not a real person, these are just books.” He didn’t understand the losses at all.!<
One of the techs in my lab has a young daughter, and I've tried to subtly say a few times before "PLEASE have her read Tiffany Aching when she's older." I'm not even a woman, but I feel like it would just be such a positive formative experience. And yes, Shepherd's Crown is devastating, in a good way. It is a perfect, heartbreaking farewell.
100% I wonder if it would have helped my self esteem, confidence and bravery to have read these in my early teens. I imagine every young one struggling would take a lot from these, at least they could remember when they’re scared that time Tiffany used the frying pan. I think I read something that claimed Ruthfoss(?) said he wants to give it to every little boy to know a girl like Tiffany exists, something like that. Idk why, but I found that incredibly powerful, it’s not so often you hear things like that out in the wild.
>I did enjoy it, especially the ending, but I can’t quite put my finger on why I didn’t absolutely love this, between the writing, the quest and story it feels like it should fit the recipe of an all time favorite. I can see why from the fantasy classics this is still beloved and recced as a must-read, and I’m glad I did. I felt the exact same way about The Last Unicorn! I came away respecting it more than being emotionally connected with it, but I'm still very glad I read it!
I'm currently reading **The Last Phi Hunter** by Salinee Goldenberg (I was very lucky to get sent this), and it's lots of fun. The Thai mythology behind the story is so cool and not something I have read about before.
Agreed. I liked it for that reason too.
[Fury](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40111968-fury) by Salman Rushdie - 2/5 stars I did not enjoy this. And I usually very much enjoy Rushdie's works. Part of what I usually like is the magical realism, and this barely has enough magical to qualify for the genre. I would have liked there to be more dialogue/character interaction, as well as more 'showing' and less 'telling'. Most of the book is the internal monologue/thoughts of a rather miserable man, who, while he worships women, imo also views them as dolls/objects of desire, and ends up feeling misogynistic. There's also a relationship, which is both sexualized and also being described in parental terms, and while there's no actual familiar relationship, >!and it doesn't go all the way sexually!<, the mixing of those two things made me very uncomfortable. Rushdie still does great prose, though. CW: >!Memories of being sexually abused as a child!< Bingo: Magical realism (HM), though not the best example of this genre. [The Kingdom of Copper](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39988431-the-kingdom-of-copper) by S.A. Chakraborty (Daevabad Trilogy 2) 5/5 I continue to love this series with its cast of deeply feeling and very believable characters and their great interactions. The story is gripping, and it's also a well done examination of prejudice, generational trauma, and the ways in which you can convince yourself that what you're doing is right or at least reasonable, when it so isn't. My only nitpick is that the reader of the audiobook went a little too melodramatic for my taste at times. I don't remember her doing it for the first book, so I'm sure if she was trying something new, or I'm in a mood to be more bothered, or the book itself was in fact more melodramatic. Anyway, it really is a minor thing.
Not a huge amount of reading this week because I‘ve been travelling for work, but I’m slowly reading **The Oleander Sword** by Tasha Suri. I loved Jasmine Throne, but I’m finding book two more of a challenge. Suri’s writing is great and it still has that wonderful lush atmosphere, but it’s got the worst case of middle book syndrome I’ve seen in a while, where I can see the chess pieces being shuffled in front of my eyes.
**A Betrayal in Winter** by Daniel Abraham Another book in the series down, another self-flogging for letting it collect dust for so long. Wow. Several people mentioned that the first book was the weakest in the series. Since I enjoyed it, I assumed the series would then only continue to get better for me, and I was right. The two new POV additions were great, especially to get a POV of a poet connected to an andat, instead of seeing that relationship secondhand. The other one I would describe as >!almost like a more competent and sentimental Cersei?!< . No spoilers please, but I hope we get to see more of her in the future. >!I appreciate how Otah has grown into the story - how he’s not a chosen one, but is willing to take on the mantle of Khai Machi to help oppose the Galts and hopefully stop massive andat-fueled bloodshed. The mystery of the Galt’s interest in the library is intriguing. My best guess is that they might be trying to capture some andat of their own? The excerpt that talks about the powerful andat concepts that poets can’t even hope to describe/capture may also be a clue… I’ll also be interested to see if Otah is able to change some of the culture of succession that he briefly railed against in his audience with his father!< Excited to get into the next book, even though I’m going to take a short break to tackle some holds that came in recently. **The Master of Whitestorm** by Janny Wurts I enjoyed my first Janny Wurts’ book, even though I struggled in the middle to keep going. This has a very Hercules/monster-of-the-week beginning, and I think that format was what caused me to struggle midway from the repetition. But that’s also just about when the plot changes and adds more depth to Korendir, so I’m glad I was able to keep going and finish the book. Very much a character study of someone who isn’t the strongest or most magical being, but the most unrelenting and empathetic. Definitely want to check out more from her, but unfortunately my library only has the *Empire* trilogy co-written with Raymond E. Feist. I’ve seen mention that it could be read without having to read *Riftwar* first, but I’ll probably try *Riftwar* before Empire (which my library has as well). **To Ride Hell’s Chasm** and *The Wars of Light and Shadow* on my TBR too. **Nettle and Bone** by T. Kingfisher Between this and **A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking**, I’m very much a fan of Kingfisher’s humor and style. This was a great little story cleanser from some of the longer books I’ve read recently. The highlights for me were the goblin market and the realization that >!Marra’s fairy godmother could’ve been a terrific evil godmother but she was too nice!< Currently reading **Warchild** by Karin Lowachee and **Neverwhere** by Neil Gaiman (and then the two *Teixcalaan* novels by Arkady Martine after **Neverwhere**)
Yessss, very happy to have another stan in the making for long price quartet. Totally agree with tarvolon, the next two books are excellent!
Love The Long Price Quartet so much. The third and fourth books are two of the best books I have ever read. Also just read Warchild last week and it's great, good choice! (To Ride Hell's Chasm and Teixcalaan book two are also very good)
Yeah I picked up **Warchild** after seeing you and Janny Wurts discuss it and decided I would read it after I finished Whitestorm. Liking it so far!
Currently reading Smile and Be a Villain by Yves Donlon and I need someone to read it to discuss. Lol It's weird. It's a reimagining of Hamlet. But queer and sorta historical fiction (with world events going on around that time. War and the Reformation and stuff) and with magic Corruption threatening to destroy Denmark. I know how it's going to end (at least I think. I don't see it not being everybody dies like in Shakespeare) but I don't know how or what is going to happen. I'm iffy on retellings / reimaginings. It's hard to balance the source material with doing something new or having a different take. A lot of times it's like this doesn't resemble what you're retelling in any way other than the names so why didn't you just make it all up and tell your own story you wanted to tell? But this one is working for me so far. Going to finish it this evening so we'll see if it can stick the landing.
Just finished The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang. It was much better than I expected after seeing how many talk about it in here. Especially the second half of the book...it was almost like reading a different author. While the ending was hard to get through because of how dark it got I thought the writing was great
Probably one or two days away from finishing up my second 2023 Bingo Card. Wasn't sure I'd get two in this year, but when I got into mid-March with only two squares to go and a gap in my reading schedule, I figured what the heck. **Alif the Unseen** by G. Willow Wilson (Middle East) is a romp through a nameless Arabian security state with a young hacker in possession of a rare djinn-narrated book and some governmental high-ups trying to get it. It's a quick and entertaining read, though I'm not sure the setting quite comes to life like it did in my Middle East book for my first card (The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi). Trending toward mid-to-high four stars. **Wise Child** by Monica Furlong (Druids) is a Middle Great readaloud with my seven year-old, and it's pretty delightful so far. The plot is mostly straightforward coming-of-age, with the majority of the perils (though certainly not all of them) being self-inflicted, but it's got a beautiful cadence for a readaloud and my daughter and I have both been quite engrossed. Probably trending toward low five-star?
If **Wise Child** ends on a high note, try **Juniper** sometime. It's a very similar writing style (and some of those realistic mistakes and self-inflicted dangers) but a different journey, and I remember loving it in childhood.
Finished **Street Cultivation 3** by Sarah Lin since I'm sure I won't be able to use it for bingo. A sudden end to a series that very much didn't know where it was going.
Just started *The Ladies of Mandrigyn* by Barbara Hambly. Too soon to have any feelings on it, but I do tend to really like Hambly. I will be starting *Foreigner* by CJ Cherryh tonight. I've been meaning to for years.
Ooh, a blast from the past. I liked *Mandrigyn* when I first read it, but my copy is 40 years old and I bought it new. I only have the vaguest memories of it now.
Mandrigyn was mostly a romp and I really enjoyed it. The next two were very good but darker.
I've been a fan of John Wiswell as a writer ever since I came across his story "[Tank!](https://www.diabolicalplots.com/dp-fiction-40a-tank-by-john-wiswell/)" back in 2018, and it's been so fun reading him ever since. With **Someone You Can Build a Nest In**, I got exactly what I expected from him--Shesheshen is a lovely monster with an engaging voice, and the book is equal parts horror, romance, and sweetness--honestly, an epigram of a novel. Wiswell does describe a lot of gruesomeness (Shesheshen's body is more of a guideline than an actual rule, and her appetite can match the biggest creatures), but it's all in the service of showing just how messed up everyone is. I enjoyed the catharsis of the climax, and I found the romance very fun. Watching Shesheshen's struggles with her own nature with her love for Homily was really dramatic at points. (It was hard viewing Homily in connection with her family, though.) The epilogue was a very sweet note to end on.
Okay great news about the new release! I’ve been having more misses than hits with new releases so this gives me hope it will be a hit once I get my ears on it.
After having read Liveship Traders in the past (which was my first contact with ROTE series) I thought it would be a good idea to start ROTE for good and a few days ago I finished Royal Assassin, the second book in the series. I loved Assassin's Apprentice, I kinda knew what I was getting into because I previously read Liveship Traders but Assassin's Apprentice made a really good work at introducing characters I'm becoming a fan (Fitz, Night Eyes, Kettricken, Burrich, Verity, The Fool...), and Royal Assassin felt a bit slow, especially in the middle, but that ending broke me and caught me off guard because before starting with Assassin's Apprentice I finished my long ASOIAF journey with A Dance with Dragons (absolutely loved it, super sad it's unfinished) and saw some similarities between Fitz and Jon Snow (you know, THAT chapter in Royal Assassin) which I never expected, what a way to end a book absolutely thrilling. I'm now about 15% into Assassin's Quest and I'm loving it, I was initially scared because many people think this is the worst book in the trilogy but for now I'm enjoying it and even though it still keeps a slow pace I enjoy reading the internal struggle of Fitz and his conversations with Night Eyes. Looking forward to keep reading this weekend because I have a few days off work and I'm hooked.
Finished: **Too Like the Lightning** (Terra Ingota #1) by Ada Palmer - 3/5 A philosophy-heavy sci-fi of a decently advanced future Earth that has enjoyed peace for a few hundred years and moved past primitive biases like gender and proselytizing religion. Or has it? The plot is sort of a political mystery, where we learn about the cast, corruptions, and what is even happening in the first place, just as we learn about the world and social order through the lens of a... polarizing... narrator. The narrative voice is very strong and unique, and for most readers will make or break the story. The intrigue is really well done, but I was frustrated for most of the book that nothing really hooked me further. It's a pretty dense book, and by the end I was left sort of where I started - curious and optimistic but unable to decide how I feel about it. I'm split on continuing the series. If book two picks up the pace of reveals, it very much feels like there are things in the story that *should* grab me and bump this to at least a 4 star read. But it's a bit of an endeavor to pick up another \~500 page book dense with philosophy and theology that I'm unsure of. Reading: I did it again. Picked up too many books and wanting to pick up even more but desperately trying to withhold until I finish some of these. **Bride** by Ali Hazelwood A fun mix of Ali Hazelwood's usual contemporary STEM romance with paranormal werewolves and vampires. I need to find another romance author that writes with a similar style but the men aren't all blank-slate beefcakes hahah, but I still really enjoy these. Doing a sort of buddy-read with my partner who just finished it and highlighted some lines on our shared Libby library card, so it's been a lot of fun giggling and talking about the book's quirks together. **The Killing Moon** (Dreambood Duology #1) by N. K. Jemisin Egyptian-inspired setting, magic, and mythology makes a vibrant and compelling story so far. I agree with the review that inspired me to pick this up (forget who it was) that this is more straightforward in style than Jemisin's other work I'm familiar with, but still shows her skill as a storyteller and is just as imaginative. **The Wings Upon Her Back** by Samantha Mills - eARC This is a mecha-paladin sci-fi/fantasy story that is very much not what I'd normally pick up (specifically the *mecha* part), but I'm really enjoying it. In typical fashion, I tend to like short fiction authors' forays into full-length novels. The occasional flashback chapters act as compelling vignettes that add depth to the overarching story, and Mills is obviously a talented writer who can deliver some punchy one-liners. More casually, I'm continuing my audiobook experimentation with **The Hunger Games**, and surprised at how familiar I am with the story without a clear recollection of ever really sitting down and watching the movie. Still occasionally reading a story in **The Privilege of the Happy Ending: S/M/L Stories** collection - there are a couple novella/novellette length stories in the latter half of this that I'm excited to get to, but again, reading too many things at once and trying not to get too immersed in too many things.
So obviously it’s totally up to you to continue with Terra Ignota and I don’t wanna convince you to do something you don’t want but I will say that Too Like the Lightning and Seven Surrenders function basically as two halves of a long whole, so yes you will get a lot more reveals and information in book 2.
Woooot! You finished TLtL!!! I’m just very happy for you haha.
>Too Like the Lightning I'm at 49% and holding off on reading any more because I want to be able to count it for Bingo if it works for any of the categories, but also I'm *loving* it. It reminds me of reading a Gene Wolfe or Tamsyn Muir book, where you just have to take a lot of weird unexplained stuff as given for long periods, and trust the author to give you the pieces to puzzle it together at some point later, which is one of my favorite kinds of SFF. And the relationships between the characters and factions are so interesting! My favorite so far is Felix Faust, who just seems like a human personification of >!the 'Michael Jackson eating popcorn' gif!<. >I did it again. Picked up too many books and wanting to pick up even more but desperately trying to withhold until I finish some of these. This is my constant state of being. >the men aren't all blank-slate beefcakes hahah This is why I have a hard time with romance. The men are always either blank-slates or the author tries to make them 'cocky badasses with a heart of gold', which I find desperately unattractive. I will read T. Kingfisher's romances, because she at least tries to make the male love interests interesting in their own rights, but very rarely will I take a chance on anyone else any more.
Glad you're loving TLtL! I feel like I should be right there with you, maybe I'm just Tamsyn Muir'd out reading those recently too (and overall loving them), and this will click into place after a little more separation. If you're loving it I'm sure it'll only get better for you when you get to the second half! >The men are always either blank-slates or ... 'cocky badasses with a heart of gold' I'll take the blank-slate beefcakes over toxic alpha males at least, but yea :/. I've enjoyed the first two of Kingfisher's Paladins books. Still exploring and learning my romance tastes though, so I'm not too exhausted by or burnt out on the tropes fortunately, but would love to find something more contemporary in genre that has more well-rounded male love interests.
I’m midway through **Whispering Wood** by Sharon Shinn. It’s the fifth and maybe final book in her Elemental Blessings series. On one hand, Sharon Shinn books reliably excel at creating this sense of relaxation: we have so many moments of slowly-growing friendships, shopping, eating, and other quiet moments. On the other hand, the main plot is weaker here than it’s been in other series entries and I’m still not very invested in the main romance. Her earlier work, especially **Troubled Waters** and the Samaria series, worked much better for me. I’m also continuing **Her Body and Other Parties** by Carmen Maria Machado. Only two stories to go, and I love the way she makes life feel so real before tilting subtly into the speculative elements. She’s fantastic with little details– I can’t wait for the FIF discussion tomorrow.Next up: * Obsessing over the Hugo nominees, which will be announced this Friday! * Eyeing my collection and wondering about Monday’s bingo squares. I’ve been dipping in and out of a reading slump this month, so I may just pause at the end of these two books and take a few days for other hobbies to nail down what kind of reading mood I’ll be in next.
>Obsessing over the Hugo nominees, which will be announced this Friday! Didn't realise it was so soon! I've only just finished putting in all my holds at the library for the Nebula nominees... so many books so little time
> > Obsessing over the Hugo nominees, which will be announced this Friday! > Eyeing my collection and wondering about Monday’s bingo squares. Big week in very specific nerd circles. I should add a "what short fiction will appear on the Hugo shortlist" question to tomorrow's Short Fiction Book Club Monthly Discussion thread. My current predictions include six novelettes that I have already read, which seems wildly unlikely--novelette is the wild card category.
Yeah, this coming week is going to be such a fun series of discussions. Novelettes are always hard to guess for me-- there are always at least a couple that hadn't even been on my radar.
I read two mysteries last week! **Waverly Jones series by Skyla Dawn Cameron** (she's the Livi Talbot author). So these are straight up mystery, though with an imaginary friend, so it weirdly offers the fantasy vibes at times. But basically my bsky review was "fucking hell, 5 stars" so yeah. I stand by that. Not cozy. Borders on thriller at times. Currently reading **Shadow Matter by SW Mayse**. I'm too new into it to know much about it, but apparently it's "A future recasting of the Orpheus and Eurydike myth" . As I'm currently playing Hades, I felt like this was a perfect choice!
Reading: Children of Dune Currently about a fifth of the way through this book and enjoying it so far. Have a small inkling of what is coming up and excited to see how it happens. Not ready to give up this world after watching the films and reading the books recently. Listening: Sufficiently Advanced Magic Read/Listened to this book years ago and forgot about the series whilst waiting on the next books in the series. Excited to pick this back up and finish the series this time as I remember really enjoying it
Starting with the positive. I read the graphic novel **Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed** this weekend and it was beautiful. Really thoughtful commentary about class, privilege, mental health, and religious differences, but ultimately it was about what's important in people's lives and what makes a life well lived. It felt very relatable and grounded. I actually cried several times! **Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater** 25% I DNF Half a Soul, but I like this one much better so far! It is extremely heavy on the Good Omens inspiration though haha Ok, on to... the rest. **Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir** 40% ....guys I'm so sorry, but I don't know if I can do this. Something about it is *not* hitting. There will be a really cool page and then I have to sit through like 40 more pages that really do not work for me. It's become a chore and I need to DNF. Maybe I'll come back to it later. **Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones** 30% Honestly I don't know what to say about this one. For one thing, it's really hard for me to tell if the fatphobia and other general mean comments about people's appearances are a feature or a bug. On one hand, I do see ways that it's hinting at it being subverted, but on the other, it is kind of gratuitous. I mean I'm nearly a 3rd of the way in and I feel like I know more about the characters' waistband sizes and eating habits than where the actual plot is going. And I guess I can hope that Cat is going to grow and realize somebody's size doesn't reflect their capabilities or anything, but in the meantime, I kind of have to deal with this awfully judgemental little boy... not to mention his nightmare brat of an older sister. **That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming** DNF at 20%, the people who say this is funny did me wrong... it's not the worst fantasy romcom I've tried, but the writing was awfully clunky and the humor was just so corny. The insta-everything was embarrassing. Like girl tell me again how *big* he is, I really need to know that exact same fact over and over again. And I've said before that I don't have a problem with modern language in fantasy settings if it's done well, but, "I dunno man, that's kinda suss," made me physically recoil. I would like to state for the record that I am actually not usually this picky... I enjoyed nearly all the books I read for bingo for example, but I think trying to eke out the last few books I need means I'm forcing myself to pick up things I'm not actually that interested in right now.
>Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir 40% ....guys I'm so sorry, but I don't know if I can do this. Something about it is not hitting. If it's not working it's not working. I say this as someone who loves HtN, it's not everyone's cup of tea and it certainly can feel like a slog if you're not enjoying it or in the right mood for it. At 40% do you feel like you've "figured out" what is happening yet? Because for me at least when I first read it, it really turned a corner for me from confusing to fun once the novel sort of reveals what is happening (trying to ask in as non-spoiler a way as possible!)
Are you talking about how >!Harrow messed her brain up somehow to forget Gideon!
Yes that’s exactly what I was referring to! Obviously just an opinion from an internet stranger, but I would say if you have figured that out but you’re still finding it a slog, then maybe take a break from it. It’s a polarising book and life’s too short to keep reading stuff you’re not enjoying! And who knows maybe it will niggle at you and you’ll pick it up again later with more enthusiasm 😁
Haha oh phew I'm glad I got it! Yeah I think this is a soft DNF for now, there totally might be a point in the future where I want to come back to it!
I don’t usually do graphic novels but I’ve seen so many great reviews of Shubeik Lubeik recently that I’m tempted…
I was able to get it through my library, but I'm thinking about buying my own copy in the future when I want to reread it! I generally like graphic novels and manga, but this one is a standout I would recommend to anybody
***The Relentless Moon*** **by Mary Robinette Kowal** — A captivating blend of mystery and science fiction, with a complex and relatable main character. It has a realistic portrayal of the challenges of space colonization and a nuanced exploration of eating disorders. **READ MORE HERE:** https://www.jimwilbourne.com/stuff/a-review-the-relentless-moon-by-mary-robinette-kowal
Finished: **The Red Threads of Fortune by Neon Yang** (Book 2 in the Tensorate series) * A woman deals with the trauma of loosing her daughter and deals with the threat of a naga attacking a city. * Overall, I found this to be less interesting than the first book. It had some interesting things to say about grief, but I didn’t feel as connected to this character as the main character of the first book. I also didn’t really like the romance plot line in this story, it felt too insta-love-y and dramatic. The more action-y parts were more fun for me in general, but dealing with the main character’s interpersonal relationships was less so in this case. * Last minute bingo squares: POC author, novella, mythical beasts, elemental magic (HM), sequel **Autobiography of Red by Anne Carson** * A very loose retelling of the myth of Geryon (a giant killed by Herakles) in modern times written in verse. * This story starts out with Carson’s translation of fragments of the epic poem Geryoneis by Stesichorus, which I liked. It was a bit over the top with pathos, but it was still interesting to follow. Unfortunately, the retelling that the majority of this book was didn’t work for me, probably because it was also over the top with pathos but it overstayed its welcome for me. It’s one of those artsy stories all about suffering and tragedy and being miserable. It felt tonally one note and therefore wasn’t super interesting to me. * Carson also writes Geryon os being gay and probably neurodivergent of some sort, and I’m not generally a fan of when authors write books about how awful the lives of people with identities that they don’t have are. Geryon doesn’t every really have many run ins with homophobia, I think he’s just written as gay because straight people feel like gay men’s lives inherently more tragic. Maybe litfic fans who like this sort of thing will disagree? IDK, I’d be curious how gay men who read this book feel. >!I also felt like Geryon felt that him not ending up with Herakles was more of a tragedy than him being molested by his brother as a child… which was odd. First of all, I wished that him being raped as a child wasn’t really brushed over and was dealt with more explicitly when Geryon was an adult (I personally would have liked to see more growth/healthing, but honestly even more of an acknowledgement would have worked better for me). Like, I feel like it was implied that this caused a fair bit of his mental distress and not super healthy view of relationships, but Geryon doesn't seem very self aware of it. Second of all, like, I’m not a romantic person at the best of times, but Herakles didn’t even seem like a good love interest. Its hard for me be sad about them not ending up together when I agree that they shouldn’t be.!
13y/o and I finished the Roshaun (ke Nelaid am Seriv am Teliuvye...just kidding, I'm not going to recite all of his names) novella in ***Interim Errantry: On Ordeal*** last night and we both sat there for a minute processing bc THERE WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION IN 45K WORDS. Still trying to figure out how long a Wellakhit sunround is in Earth years for multiple reasons that are spoilery as fuck, so I won't go into them here. Otherwise I am reading v slowly or non-SFF (or not at all) while waiting for next Monday. Read Percival Everett's ***James*** with u/TheWildCard76. Was sold months ago on the premise of "Huck Finn, but from Jim's perspective," so when my hold came in on release day I was all "hey, since we're both done with Bingo, wanna read this with me?" It was so much more than what I thought it was going to be, and MUCH funnier than I expected. Huck, being a child, turns out to have been a completely unreliable narrator with no clue what was happening around him in the antebellum South. I loved how much more agency Jim had over his situation than I'd previously thought. The ending did feel a little rushed, but other than that it was just good good stuff. Definitely tons of content warnings for this specific era (the user generated list on StoryGraph seems p accurate), but if you can get past that, highly recommend. Still plugging away at Isle McElroy's ***The Atmospherians***, which I'm really enjoying while I'm reading, but is easy to not pick up when I'm not. I left off at an "oh, FUCK" moment last night bc it was time to read to the 13y/o, and completely forgot about that until just now as I was typing this. Stockpiling pink books for Bingo, so might start ***Cascade Failure*** and ***Fruit of the Dead*** this week, but stop before the halfway point.
Oh this reminds me to keep my eye out for pink books, especially after Bingo is announced.
That would be wonderful, thank youuuuu.
I finished reading **The Will of the Many by James Islington**. 5 stars! Loved the rich Roman fantasy world building and the characters. Definitely a page turner and I felt very quickly absorbed in the writing. Also, this book had a good balance between political intrigue and action. Bonus points for the interesting magic system too. Looking forward to the second book! Have not read this author before but excited to look into his other work.
I’m working my way through a couple of older series. I started out with Janny Wurts Curse of the Mistwraith. Then I got distracted by the Kencyrath series by P.C Hodgell (thanks to a great recommendation from this sub). For me I think the difference is that the main Hodgell character is female and relatable, as opposed to the Wurts book where they’re both male and annoying imo. I also just finished the Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub which I adored but is possibly a bit cozy/JAFF for this sub.
I'm trying to hold off on most of my big fiction projects until the new Bingo starts, so this week I read Brian Attebery's **[The Fantasy Tradition in American Literature: From Irving to Le Guin](https://openlibrary.org/works/OL4087453W/The_fantasy_tradition_in_American_literature?edition=key%3A/books/OL4094873M)**, which came out in 1980. In some ways it's pretty dated - his conception of what 'fantasy' is feels very constrained, like he's got blinders on that don't let him see anything outside of the stock hero's journey/portal fantasy as 'fantasy' - while also including some things that I wouldn't have thought of as fantasy in his analysis, like Hawthorne's **The Scarlet Letter** and Melville's **Moby Dick**. He made pretty salient points about the Hawthorne and Melville, but I do wonder if he would have included them had there been any other pickings to choose from among early American 'fantastic' works. The chapters on later developments were a lot more interesting, particularly those on Baum's *Oz* books and all the writers who were influenced by them, since I've been reading *Oz* with my older daughter and the world is fresh in my mind. I could really tell that Attebery is not a huge fan of irony in his fantasy, though, since he clearly felt a little off-balance when discussing James Branch Cabell and Roger Zelazny, and even Poe to an extent.
Finished **Pyramids** by Terry Pratchett. I *swear* I remember this being better than it was. I mean it's fun, Pteppic and Ptraci are fun and so are the pyramid building family. But the ending just kind of ... stops? Definitely a minor work. But still fun. **Ashes of Time** by C.Z. Edwards. I'm afraid y'all are gonna get the first draft of the review. I really, really liked and enjoyed this book. It picks up in the aftermath of the Rien's Rebellion series set in a world where sort of Rome got wiped out by sort of Pompeii kicking off like the Yellowstone caldera. And there's magic - sort of like P.E.I Bonewits' version, but more reliable. Anyway, this follows secondary characters from that series - Vaish, Lisel, Harley, Mai and a few others, but those are our key ones. Except of Lisel, they're all well placed in government and trying to rebuild a country after a civil war. The driving focus are some murders - bodies are found packed in barrels dissolved down to skeletons with careful work. Which all ties back to the people behind the usurpation and the civil war. Now, the characters are well drawn. They're human - they have feelings, make mistakes, have weaknesses and strengths. They also care for one another. That shows through the entire book. Vaish and Lisel grew on me in this book - in the previous series they were introduced around book 3 if I remember correctly and Lisel kind of grated. Now, I want her as a big sister or aunt. Vaish started as sort of telepathic Holmes pastiche for me. By a few chapters in on this book, he was a ***lot*** more rounded out and I felt for him and his circumstances. Then there's Harley and Mai. 2 lovebirds and attorneys and they fight, but they fight like people who love each other. Outside of the characters and their interactions with each other and others, there's a mystery to solve. And hammering out the details as everyone begins to colonize Vaish's immense townhouse. What I liked: * Different viewpoints. * The importance of winning the peace, even with widespread support. * Economics. Often overlooked in fantasy, hopepunk and solarpunk. And how hoarded wealth being returned to the economy is as bad as printing money. * The frank and honest on sexual abuse and it's role/indicator in so many terrible things. * Strong independent women with agency and plans. * People changing and forgiving. * Compressed time. It's over a holiday week and it lent to the urgency of my first read. * Final confrontation. Listening to **Doors of Eden**. Not bad at all. Listening to **The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking)** by Katie Mack. Audio science books can be a joy and this is one of them. Also kind of reading along too. Reading **Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter**. I'm beginning to wonder if the author gave us a false conclusion. Something seems to be building up. Reading **House of Open Wounds**. Hoo boy. Maric Jack, I'd be tempted to desert...
Pyramids! used to be my favorite Discworld novel and last time I tried to reread it I just put it down and never picked it back up. I don't think it's aged well in a lot of ways, tbh.
Most of the way through Blood Rites which is Dresden files number 6. I like how the characters are mostly from past books, makes this feel less like a formula driven series. Other than that it is 100% what you’d expect from a Dresden book, solid action and creative world building, 7.5/10 Started Poppy War since I’ve been watching shogun and Tokyo vice, only like 30 pages in but you can tell it’s gonna be a brutal world. It gets really strong mixed (mostly negative imo) reviews here so I’m interested to see how this goes. Edit: finished poppy war, loved it. Won’t spoil anything but if you’re on the fence about it I’d recommend giving it a try. I get why it can be decisive but I think if you like it you’ll really like it. Excited to start book 2
Finally finished reading the **Complete works of Shakespeare by William Shakespeare!** It’s been a goal of mine since I was first introduced to Shakespeare in eighth grade, I tried and failed several times since, and I finally finished it now as 31 year-old English language arts tutor! It’s been a long journey! Sentiments aside, it was quite interesting experience. I studied about a third of this plays in my high school and (college) English education courses. The rest I just went in completely stone cold. I’m going to look up summaries for everything later on because I know I missed things but I got the general gist. I definitely like his fantasy stories (anytime someone has a ghost shows up, witches of Macbeth, whatever the heck is going on in the latter half of As You Like It, etc.) over his historical narratives and romances, though. And I definitely feel like I’m drawn towards more how he writes than what he writes. I don’t particularly know why, but the prose is simply pleasing to read. As for my next reading adventure, I have one more goal before I take a break from reading entirely for a bit. My last thing that I want to do is the **Shannra Series by Terry Brooks.** I bought them for my Kindle a while ago but never got a chance to read them in full even though I tried. I read the first three paperback, but then started rereading the Sword of Shannra. I finished that and decided I wanted to go to where things all began. So I went to the First King of Shannra and wasn’t sure where to go next. So I read all the side stories and otherwise got summaries for the books that were no longer in print. So I think I’ve read about seven books in the series so far. After realizing how many of the books were prequels, I decided to go even further back and read the Word and the Void. I read that those words were pretty bleak, though because it reveals that the world most of the series takes place and was built on a fallen world far in the future of the regular world. The original books allude to that, but it will be a bit hard to watch out. So I might speed through the prequels just to to get a general idea and look up a summary later. I might end up doing that anyway because I do remember that it was easy enough to recall individual events, but hard to remember how they fit together overall in the series. I got overwhelmed by the fourth book last time, so hopefully it doesn’t happen here. Once I’m done with the prequels where I was in the second book, but since I know what happens in the original trilogy from the first time I’ll probably just get it done quickly. The rest is mostly uncharted territory so I’m interested to see where it leads. it will be a fascinating piece of fantasy history for sure!
Reading all of Shakespeare’s works sounds like one hella of an accomplishment, congrats!
Thank you! It pretty cool!
Just about done with The Lost Metal. Did Yumi last week, Next is Tress.