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3.33 AVERAGE
3.33 AVERAGE
Thank you to netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I marked it four stars, but it’s honestly more of a 3.5. Curses to all for not having a decimal based rating system!
Regardless, I enjoyed this book without a doubt. It was very strange, and very fascinating, and the characters (especially the dynamic between Lark and Kane, and the comparison of their belief systems) were continually interesting to read about. I love the psychology behind this book, and everything it represents. The cult itself, the Fellowship of the Anointed, as well as Calvin’s attraction to the idea that magic might be real, sucked me RIGHT THE FUCK IN. It was veeeery realistic, to the point where part of me was very much worried for myself should I have been put in that situation.
One thing I can’t say I particularly enjoyed, though, and SPOILER FOR THOSE READING, IGNORE THIS NEXT BIT, was that the magic DID end up being real. (I think? I’m still a little unclear, but I’m 99% sure the magic was real...) The whole time I was waiting for some psychological reasoning behind the magic, and I was a little disappointed when there wasn’t one. Also Lark’s fight with the monster admittedly confused me and felt sort of out of place in regards to the rest of the book.
Over all, though, I would recommend this book, especially if weird cult vibes and fascinating character mentalities are your thing!
I marked it four stars, but it’s honestly more of a 3.5. Curses to all for not having a decimal based rating system!
Regardless, I enjoyed this book without a doubt. It was very strange, and very fascinating, and the characters (especially the dynamic between Lark and Kane, and the comparison of their belief systems) were continually interesting to read about. I love the psychology behind this book, and everything it represents. The cult itself, the Fellowship of the Anointed, as well as Calvin’s attraction to the idea that magic might be real, sucked me RIGHT THE FUCK IN. It was veeeery realistic, to the point where part of me was very much worried for myself should I have been put in that situation.
One thing I can’t say I particularly enjoyed, though, and SPOILER FOR THOSE READING, IGNORE THIS NEXT BIT, was that the magic DID end up being real. (I think? I’m still a little unclear, but I’m 99% sure the magic was real...) The whole time I was waiting for some psychological reasoning behind the magic, and I was a little disappointed when there wasn’t one. Also Lark’s fight with the monster admittedly confused me and felt sort of out of place in regards to the rest of the book.
Over all, though, I would recommend this book, especially if weird cult vibes and fascinating character mentalities are your thing!
DNF
I walked into this totally unprepared for what it turned out to be. The flap summery gave the impression of an intense but intriguing story of leaving life in a cult. I didn’t see the trigger warnings a few pages in until I started and then I just hoped they were mentions of difficult subject matter. Nope. This is graphic. And it’s not the kind of graphic that is understandable, if you know what I mean. Life isn’t nice, ugly things happen everyday. This isn’t description, its glorification. It takes erotica and combines it with abuse and that’s a book ender for me.
I walked into this totally unprepared for what it turned out to be. The flap summery gave the impression of an intense but intriguing story of leaving life in a cult. I didn’t see the trigger warnings a few pages in until I started and then I just hoped they were mentions of difficult subject matter. Nope. This is graphic. And it’s not the kind of graphic that is understandable, if you know what I mean. Life isn’t nice, ugly things happen everyday. This isn’t description, its glorification. It takes erotica and combines it with abuse and that’s a book ender for me.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Szpara definitely takes on some tough topics through books that end up flying by.
fast-paced
K.M. Szpara knocks it out of the park again (so to speak). This book feels entirely different from Docile, it's less power exchange and more power tsunami. Although religion and spirituality are central to the narrative, it doesn't feel particularly "woo" - it feels more like fantasy novel magic than pagan magic. (That may just be me, I'm not very woo myself.) To my surprise, it's a novel of hope - for the first two-thirds I was expecting one outcome, and then that focus was abandoned in favor of stubborn hope in the face of adversity.
The book has trigger warnings for SM, sex, abuse, and rape - it is worth noting that all of these are depicted in a predominantly negative light. I don't think Szpara is saying BDSM is a bad thing - nor did he with Docile, both felt like he has a solid grasp of healthy consent and power exchange - but it should be noted that the SM is equated with abuse and rape in this book, and only in some scenes is the sex depicted positively.
If you enjoyed Docile, do pick this up. It's a very different book but Szpara is a phenomenal writer and this was an excellent read.
The book has trigger warnings for SM, sex, abuse, and rape - it is worth noting that all of these are depicted in a predominantly negative light. I don't think Szpara is saying BDSM is a bad thing - nor did he with Docile, both felt like he has a solid grasp of healthy consent and power exchange - but it should be noted that the SM is equated with abuse and rape in this book, and only in some scenes is the sex depicted positively.
If you enjoyed Docile, do pick this up. It's a very different book but Szpara is a phenomenal writer and this was an excellent read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexual content
I need to sit with this book.
I have some seriously conflicting feelings about it.
I have some spoilers here so proceed with caution.
On one hand there were aspects about it I REALLY loved:
-the cover. The cover is effing lovely. But also the cover doesn’t match the insides so
I have some seriously conflicting feelings about it.
I have some spoilers here so proceed with caution.
On one hand there were aspects about it I REALLY loved:
-the cover. The cover is effing lovely. But also the cover doesn’t match the insides so
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Interesting read, intense.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
After loving [b:Docile|40522814|Docile|K.M. Szpara|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1557777604l/40522814._SY75_.jpg|62893543], I was excited to read [a:K.M. Szpara|6889171|K.M. Szpara|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1553921769p2/6889171.jpg]'s next book. Unfortunately, [b:First, Become Ashes|53205868|First, Become Ashes|K.M. Szpara|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1588342662l/53205868._SY75_.jpg|80438436] fell kind of flat for me.
The concept of a cult that believed they could harness pain to create magic, and the aftermath of its exposure by one of it's own members was great. I loved how magic being real or not was murky throughout the story.
However, I never felt connected to the characters or felt their connection to one another. The book is pretty short but somehow still dragged in parts.
First, Become Ashes has a lot of elements that I enjoyed, but they just didn't come together properly for me personally.
The concept of a cult that believed they could harness pain to create magic, and the aftermath of its exposure by one of it's own members was great. I loved how magic being real or not was murky throughout the story.
However, I never felt connected to the characters or felt their connection to one another. The book is pretty short but somehow still dragged in parts.
First, Become Ashes has a lot of elements that I enjoyed, but they just didn't come together properly for me personally.
Holy unreliable narrator, Batman.
First, Become Ashes was my most anticipated read for this year and I’m glad that it held up to most of my expectations.
FBA is a book filled with monsters, magic and...unpleasant circumstances. It’s an intense read from start to end. I was continuously questioning what the hell was going on and what was actually real or not.
Lark was a really hard character to enjoy for most of the book. His devotion to the cult and the constant rebellious attitude grated on me, but I think that’s due to the fact I just wanted him to understand and get help with the abuse and trauma he’s suffered through.
Kane’s chapters were my favourite. I found them so intriguing and engaging and it made me want to delve deeper into the history of the cult. His character arc was interesting and I mostly just felt so awful for him.
I can say I wasn’t entirely fond of the whole Calvin thing, like i was a bit bummed when the plot took that type of turn because I was really hoping for a good cult based story, but it was still enjoyable.
Over all, I enjoyed First, Become Ashes.
It wasn’t as heavy as Docile but really packed that emotional punch that Szpara knows how to dish out.
[ 3 stars due to the HP references in the book and the acknowledgment. ]
First, Become Ashes was my most anticipated read for this year and I’m glad that it held up to most of my expectations.
FBA is a book filled with monsters, magic and...unpleasant circumstances. It’s an intense read from start to end. I was continuously questioning what the hell was going on and what was actually real or not.
Lark was a really hard character to enjoy for most of the book. His devotion to the cult and the constant rebellious attitude grated on me, but I think that’s due to the fact I just wanted him to understand and get help with the abuse and trauma he’s suffered through.
Kane’s chapters were my favourite. I found them so intriguing and engaging and it made me want to delve deeper into the history of the cult. His character arc was interesting and I mostly just felt so awful for him.
I can say I wasn’t entirely fond of the whole Calvin thing, like i was a bit bummed when the plot took that type of turn because I was really hoping for a good cult based story, but it was still enjoyable.
Over all, I enjoyed First, Become Ashes.
It wasn’t as heavy as Docile but really packed that emotional punch that Szpara knows how to dish out.
[ 3 stars due to the HP references in the book and the acknowledgment. ]
this book definitely has an audience but i’m not sure i’m it??? need to sit on this one for a bit
✨Firstly, there is a content warning at the beginning of the book that should be taken seriously. There are some shocking and disturbing abuse scenes. Secondly, I like to be informed, so I will share that I did a little research on this book before I read it. There is some controversy surrounding it, feel free to research and decide for yourself before proceeding. ✨
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✨Thank you to @NetGalley and @Tordotcom for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. With the warnings established I will review. I read this book in two days. It was fast paced and completely engrossing. At first, it was like The OA meets Divergent. Then you are shell shocked into a completely different reality, when everything the main character has ever known their whole life is revealed to be a lie. You feel the hurt and betrayal right along with the MC. The rest of the story was truly unique.✨
.
.
✨I enjoy speculative fiction, found family, magical realism, LGBTQIA and non-binary characters and this book has all of that. This story broke its own ground and created its own rules. The main character of Lark was both the hero on a hero’s journey and the foil of his own belief system. Calvin was such a cute, tender nerdy side character. Kane was so good, so loving and steadfast. I enjoyed them all. ✨
.
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✨The magical aspects of this book are always being called into question. Is it real? Or is the human spirit, or true belief the key to unlocking super human powers? I like that it is ambiguous and lets the reader make some of those decisions for themselves.✨
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✨ All that being said, there were a few things that didn’t work for me. I would really have enjoyed more. More of the side characters, more of the villain Nova, more of her protests of innocence, more of how she got away with all that she did and how she was eventually punished. I would have liked more world building and yes, gasp, a little less sex. There were places where it was distracting rather than building intimacy. ✨
.
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✨Overall, if you can overcome some graphic content and not so neat world building, this was a fast paced and thoroughly entertaining read.✨
.
.
✨Thank you to @NetGalley and @Tordotcom for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. With the warnings established I will review. I read this book in two days. It was fast paced and completely engrossing. At first, it was like The OA meets Divergent. Then you are shell shocked into a completely different reality, when everything the main character has ever known their whole life is revealed to be a lie. You feel the hurt and betrayal right along with the MC. The rest of the story was truly unique.✨
.
.
✨I enjoy speculative fiction, found family, magical realism, LGBTQIA and non-binary characters and this book has all of that. This story broke its own ground and created its own rules. The main character of Lark was both the hero on a hero’s journey and the foil of his own belief system. Calvin was such a cute, tender nerdy side character. Kane was so good, so loving and steadfast. I enjoyed them all. ✨
.
.
✨The magical aspects of this book are always being called into question. Is it real? Or is the human spirit, or true belief the key to unlocking super human powers? I like that it is ambiguous and lets the reader make some of those decisions for themselves.✨
.
.
✨ All that being said, there were a few things that didn’t work for me. I would really have enjoyed more. More of the side characters, more of the villain Nova, more of her protests of innocence, more of how she got away with all that she did and how she was eventually punished. I would have liked more world building and yes, gasp, a little less sex. There were places where it was distracting rather than building intimacy. ✨
.
.
✨Overall, if you can overcome some graphic content and not so neat world building, this was a fast paced and thoroughly entertaining read.✨