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rusteepixls's review against another edition
4.0
3.5
i really loved this idea and characters.
i loved the main character and the struggles with self identity she has as an ace / that was really cool to see interpreted in a fantasy setting.
it could’ve been so good
but i didn’t really like the direction the plot went.
i really loved this idea and characters.
i loved the main character and the struggles with self identity she has as an ace / that was really cool to see interpreted in a fantasy setting.
it could’ve been so good
but i didn’t really like the direction the plot went.
rebeshelton's review against another edition
1.0
I just couldn't do it, I could not finish.
I picked this book for my every other month book club. I was honestly excited to pick it up, especially with the blurb about the main character grappling with her asexuality.
There were several things that I just couldn't get into. I agree with several other reviews that the beginning made me uncomfortable. Now listen, I am all for supporting consensual sex work. But the way the pleasure artist was described really made it seem like the author looked down on traditional sex work.
Second, I couldn't handle the relationship between Kamai and Vehyn. There is definitely a huge power dynamic between the two and I don't appreciate or romanticize coercive relationships. I really didn't want to finish the book and find out that Kamai chose Vehyn and her asexuality was immediately gone. (If someone wants to spoil that for me, please do so! I couldn't find any spoilers online).
And last, for a book that has such grand descriptions of places and objects, I just really couldn't make myself care for any of the characters or their dilemmas. I was so bored with the entire fantasy element and even Kamai's sexuality seemed incredibly over-described. The author was definitely a huge fan of telling instead of showing. The point where I gave up was when the reader is shown an actual picture and then we have to read a lengthy description about it. Like, do one or the other, not both. It was several examples of this over-explaining that really made it difficult for me to pay attention to. After trying to trudge my way through this one for 2 and a half weeks, I'm glad I finally gave myself permission to give up!
I picked this book for my every other month book club. I was honestly excited to pick it up, especially with the blurb about the main character grappling with her asexuality.
There were several things that I just couldn't get into. I agree with several other reviews that the beginning made me uncomfortable. Now listen, I am all for supporting consensual sex work. But the way the pleasure artist was described really made it seem like the author looked down on traditional sex work.
Second, I couldn't handle the relationship between Kamai and Vehyn. There is definitely a huge power dynamic between the two and I don't appreciate or romanticize coercive relationships. I really didn't want to finish the book and find out that Kamai chose Vehyn and her asexuality was immediately gone. (If someone wants to spoil that for me, please do so! I couldn't find any spoilers online).
And last, for a book that has such grand descriptions of places and objects, I just really couldn't make myself care for any of the characters or their dilemmas. I was so bored with the entire fantasy element and even Kamai's sexuality seemed incredibly over-described. The author was definitely a huge fan of telling instead of showing. The point where I gave up was when the reader is shown an actual picture and then we have to read a lengthy description about it. Like, do one or the other, not both. It was several examples of this over-explaining that really made it difficult for me to pay attention to. After trying to trudge my way through this one for 2 and a half weeks, I'm glad I finally gave myself permission to give up!
tiashas's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
it took a while for me to get into it, read the first half over the course of 8 months but it really picked up by the end of the book. I loved the character development of the main characters as well as Nikha.
a_meliabedelia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
If you had a weird, unexplainable attraction to Pitch Black from Rise of the Guardians, this book is for you.
stressedspidergirl's review against another edition
2.0
It's good to see queer rep and to see it be common place rather than shameful. And I've never seen a book with an ace protagonist before.
I just felt like there was ... very little story or growth or world building in comparison to "oh no I'm broken" and for me that just meant it wasn't one I'll reread.
I would have liked to have known more about the world, the gods, the king and about a million other things than what the book heavily focused on.
I would also recommend it to other people, it was something different, and set in a non west Europe setting, so that was nice. But overall I just... I personally just felt meh about it.
I just felt like there was ... very little story or growth or world building in comparison to "oh no I'm broken" and for me that just meant it wasn't one I'll reread.
I would have liked to have known more about the world, the gods, the king and about a million other things than what the book heavily focused on.
I would also recommend it to other people, it was something different, and set in a non west Europe setting, so that was nice. But overall I just... I personally just felt meh about it.
bibliobrittish's review against another edition
4.0
I can’t say enough about this book. I picked it up because of the asexual rep (in fantasy!), but the mythology and the characters Strickland created were what held me in Eopia. And it’s magical. The kind of magical that’s in between the swirling folds of a dress with pockets, or hiding in the spaces between souls. It's a truly dark gem of a fantasy. It had me swooning and cursing and biting my nails in the same sentence. Kamai comes into her own so beautifully, with a little help from her friends and an incredibly artful explanation of (a)sexuality as phases of the moon. Beyond the Black Door is the kind of book that says, 'no more hiding,' and I couldn't be more excited for more of the world to read it.
fluffballpanda's review against another edition
2.0
It’s more like 2 1/2 stars story had potential but it got real weird. My friend recommended it to me because of the Ace representation, but it was not done well in my opinion. All in all the story didn’t come together for me.
someonetookit's review against another edition
4.0
I think I liked this one but I'm not actually sure tbh. At the moment I'm treading that fine line between feeling like it was average and fantastic because it was a weird one.
Kamai starts out being introduced as a courtesans daughter, a profession most feel she will apprentice in. Unfortunately this isn't a preferred career choice as she is in fact ace and doesn't feel the desire to sleep with anyone regardless of how much they are willing to pay. Once her mother dies, she is swiftly removed from the town of her raising to live near the father she never met and the story truly begins to unfold.
If you have read the blurb, you know there is a sinister presence behind the black door. Enter Vehyn, the man in Kamai's head that is neither a physical nor spiritual entity. He is the personification of *redacted* and i feel like he's part of the reason I am undecided. In my head, I know he is supposed to be the villain. But he's also too cinnamon roll to effectively perform his role so he comes across as kinda meh with the occasional temper tantrum. I wanted sizzle or sinister and THIS HAVE ME NEITHER.
The plot is a relatively common one with plots to kill your friends, the monarch and anyone who gets in the way. It was neither bad not spectacular but it gave Kamai purpose so
Kamai starts out being introduced as a courtesans daughter, a profession most feel she will apprentice in. Unfortunately this isn't a preferred career choice as she is in fact ace and doesn't feel the desire to sleep with anyone regardless of how much they are willing to pay. Once her mother dies, she is swiftly removed from the town of her raising to live near the father she never met and the story truly begins to unfold.
If you have read the blurb, you know there is a sinister presence behind the black door. Enter Vehyn, the man in Kamai's head that is neither a physical nor spiritual entity. He is the personification of *redacted* and i feel like he's part of the reason I am undecided. In my head, I know he is supposed to be the villain. But he's also too cinnamon roll to effectively perform his role so he comes across as kinda meh with the occasional temper tantrum. I wanted sizzle or sinister and THIS HAVE ME NEITHER.
The plot is a relatively common one with plots to kill your friends, the monarch and anyone who gets in the way. It was neither bad not spectacular but it gave Kamai purpose so
dharshanirymond's review against another edition
4.0
Though the initial pace of the book was slow with more of world and character building, the story had me gripped. It is true that the mystery continues till more than 60% of the book about the antagonist and his motive, but I liked the way how slowly all the pieces of puzzle were aligned to solve the mystery. The concept of soulwalking and it's mythological connection to Sun and Moon seemed to be very fresh and interesting. I loved each and every twist in the plot. The MC, Kamai is an asexual but her feelings are contradictory to asexuality and it's logically confusing which lost more than half a star in my perspective. Hence the 4 star rating!
Watch the full spoiler free review here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKBlI0_LcZU
Watch the full spoiler free review here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKBlI0_LcZU