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helynalc's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
I enjoyed this book a lot! I loved Rowan as our protagonist - this hedonist leaf-man is not a character one would expect to follow through an epic fantasy adventure. But then again, even the adventure was irregular: most of the time we are in Bisia, capital city of the country and only hear about the happenings in other lands. That's not to say it's hard to imagine those happenings, though, and there are clear stakes here and danger. Rowan screws up quite early in the book...or, let's say, he's just being himself, and have to deal with the consequences of his inaction...and figure out whether he even cares about those consequences. A group of newly-found friends (and a romantic love interest) luckily helps him in that. I really liked Clover, Tani, and Dagan, and I wished we could know even more about them! I liked that there was a member of each species who tried to stop the evil plans endangering them, which were quite evil indeed. Pretty dark stuff.
The ending was satisfying but left room for imagination about Rowan's future journey. His character development is certainly the focal point of the story.
I also liked Gwendolyn and the whole inspiring and healing with song from Clover! Damn, I love dwarves x)
The ending was satisfying but left room for imagination about Rowan's future journey. His character development is certainly the focal point of the story.
I also liked Gwendolyn and the whole inspiring and healing with song from Clover! Damn, I love dwarves x)
d_g_redd's review
4.0
I wanted to review this book because it was in the same batch as my own in this years SPFBO8. It even scored higher than mine in the initial review round, though both books were marked as semi-finalists. However, neither of them got through as the finalist in the batch.
But this book deserves a lot more attention than I think it’s received.
What It’s About
It’s about a plant-man. He’s a nobleman. The book starts off as a bit of a court-drama centered around his life. We learn a lot about him and the world.
Gradually some new characters are introduced and then the ‘event’ that sort of kicks off. All of our main character’s flaws come to bite him in the ass, and then it’s a quick read-through to see if he can become the person we hope he can be (and that deep down he wants to be).
There’s some action, some romance, some court intrigue, and a plot to take over the world.
What I Liked
I think starting with the good stuff is better, mostly because in this instance the bad stuff was pretty minor.
It’s a short novel, about as long as my novels, I didn’t bother counting but I suspect it’s at the 60k word mark. Which is great for me, because that’s bang-on the perfect length for my time availability. Oh I wish I had the time to read multi-tome epics, but I don’t. What I want is a story that gets to the point, stays on it, and delivers everything.
That’s exactly what A Bitter Drink does.
Now, a lot of people think fantasy needs to be long (they’re wrong) because you have to spend time world-building, and hand-holding the reader through the intricate justice system of the court and ugh. No, world-building doesn’t need to take up space.
This book very rarely does world-building on its own. When Forrest is doing world-building, it’s usually wrapped up in whatever else is happening. I.e., it’s done masterfully. There is a whole world in this book, featuring a pantheon, walking sentient trees from recent history, ongoing wars and feuds between races, a whole new race of plant-people, a court of lies and deceit, consistent magic system.
All of that is there, in a 60k word book. Any authors who want to write fantasy should read this book, just to see how much unique world can be crammed in something so small. There is a lot of imagination in this story.
Most of the story is written from the perspective of Rowan, our main character. Forrest does a very good job of putting us into the head of this cowardly, fun-loving, lazy, nobleman. It’s done so well because not only are we in the head of the plant-man, but we want him to succeed despite all of his flaws as a person. There are these little snippets where he shows the kind of self-awareness you assume someone like this wouldn’t have, but it’s there, and he just puts it to the side because addressing the problems would be too hard.
A very believable, seemingly unlikeable character.
Which begins me into…
What I Didn’t Like
The other supporting characters feel very much like templates. They are your staple archetypes in a way. It was a bit of a shame because at first, some of the characters are introduced with their own POV, and they seem unique. But they kind of devolve into generic interpretations of “fun-loving dwarf” for example.
But the main character, Rowan, comes alive so well in his POV sections, that you kind of don’t care that the other characters a little flat. It is his story, and everyone else around is supporting his story.
Unfortunately, there are two parts of the writing style I didn’t enjoy.
Firstly, there are some actions scenes, I think two or three chapters were mostly action (one in the middle, two toward the end); but… the action didn’t read well to me. I felt like it was a bit “blow by blow”, too much ongoing description of how the fight is happening. It got boring, quickly.
Especially the action in the middle as it was focused on a single character’s POV, so there wasn’t even the relief of multiple perspectives during the same battle that we get toward the end.
Secondly, there were some mid-scene POV changes. At first, I thought it was a mistake and I must have misread something, but as it occurred again and again, I realised it’s just how Forrest writes. For me personally, I don’t enjoy it, I sometimes find it confusing, and… not neat? IDK, Dune jumps through character’s heads all the time, so there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just not something I enjoy.
There are a few other instances where the perspective doesn’t outright change, but the current POV character appears to know how another character feels about something. Considering POV changes do occur mid-scene in the book, I can see why this happened; but for me, it increases the distance between me and the POV character (or current POV character anyway).
But, these perspective issues didn’t take away much enjoyment from reading the story.
The final small thing I didn’t like was a few clunky sentences. I’ve read clunk in Stephen King as well, so no fault there. I mention it only because it happened a couple of times.
Final Thoughts
How many stories about bi-sexual, magical plant-men have you read? That’s what I thought.
But this book deserves a lot more attention than I think it’s received.
What It’s About
It’s about a plant-man. He’s a nobleman. The book starts off as a bit of a court-drama centered around his life. We learn a lot about him and the world.
Gradually some new characters are introduced and then the ‘event’ that sort of kicks off. All of our main character’s flaws come to bite him in the ass, and then it’s a quick read-through to see if he can become the person we hope he can be (and that deep down he wants to be).
There’s some action, some romance, some court intrigue, and a plot to take over the world.
What I Liked
I think starting with the good stuff is better, mostly because in this instance the bad stuff was pretty minor.
It’s a short novel, about as long as my novels, I didn’t bother counting but I suspect it’s at the 60k word mark. Which is great for me, because that’s bang-on the perfect length for my time availability. Oh I wish I had the time to read multi-tome epics, but I don’t. What I want is a story that gets to the point, stays on it, and delivers everything.
That’s exactly what A Bitter Drink does.
Now, a lot of people think fantasy needs to be long (they’re wrong) because you have to spend time world-building, and hand-holding the reader through the intricate justice system of the court and ugh. No, world-building doesn’t need to take up space.
This book very rarely does world-building on its own. When Forrest is doing world-building, it’s usually wrapped up in whatever else is happening. I.e., it’s done masterfully. There is a whole world in this book, featuring a pantheon, walking sentient trees from recent history, ongoing wars and feuds between races, a whole new race of plant-people, a court of lies and deceit, consistent magic system.
All of that is there, in a 60k word book. Any authors who want to write fantasy should read this book, just to see how much unique world can be crammed in something so small. There is a lot of imagination in this story.
Most of the story is written from the perspective of Rowan, our main character. Forrest does a very good job of putting us into the head of this cowardly, fun-loving, lazy, nobleman. It’s done so well because not only are we in the head of the plant-man, but we want him to succeed despite all of his flaws as a person. There are these little snippets where he shows the kind of self-awareness you assume someone like this wouldn’t have, but it’s there, and he just puts it to the side because addressing the problems would be too hard.
A very believable, seemingly unlikeable character.
Which begins me into…
What I Didn’t Like
The other supporting characters feel very much like templates. They are your staple archetypes in a way. It was a bit of a shame because at first, some of the characters are introduced with their own POV, and they seem unique. But they kind of devolve into generic interpretations of “fun-loving dwarf” for example.
But the main character, Rowan, comes alive so well in his POV sections, that you kind of don’t care that the other characters a little flat. It is his story, and everyone else around is supporting his story.
Unfortunately, there are two parts of the writing style I didn’t enjoy.
Firstly, there are some actions scenes, I think two or three chapters were mostly action (one in the middle, two toward the end); but… the action didn’t read well to me. I felt like it was a bit “blow by blow”, too much ongoing description of how the fight is happening. It got boring, quickly.
Especially the action in the middle as it was focused on a single character’s POV, so there wasn’t even the relief of multiple perspectives during the same battle that we get toward the end.
Secondly, there were some mid-scene POV changes. At first, I thought it was a mistake and I must have misread something, but as it occurred again and again, I realised it’s just how Forrest writes. For me personally, I don’t enjoy it, I sometimes find it confusing, and… not neat? IDK, Dune jumps through character’s heads all the time, so there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just not something I enjoy.
There are a few other instances where the perspective doesn’t outright change, but the current POV character appears to know how another character feels about something. Considering POV changes do occur mid-scene in the book, I can see why this happened; but for me, it increases the distance between me and the POV character (or current POV character anyway).
But, these perspective issues didn’t take away much enjoyment from reading the story.
The final small thing I didn’t like was a few clunky sentences. I’ve read clunk in Stephen King as well, so no fault there. I mention it only because it happened a couple of times.
Final Thoughts
How many stories about bi-sexual, magical plant-men have you read? That’s what I thought.
kitvaria_sarene's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
A Bitter Drink by Azalea Forest is one of those books that aren't easy to categorise.
There's some political scheming, though I found it pretty easy to follow, so it's not overly complex.
A good mix of races, some well known like dwarves or elves, some refreshingly new, like our main character, a "hedonistic plant man".
It features found family and plenty of cosy scenes, but also has quite some dark parts and a good few deaths. Despite the gritty bits there's overall a sense of hope, and most people are trying to do good.
The main character is a bit exasperating, being a spoiled ambassador. This plant man really grew on me quickly, and I enjoyed spending time with him and his new friends, even when he made me sigh yet again with his antics. The whole cast just worked well for me with the hyper and friendly dwarf, the annoyed grumpy elf, the pampered plant and the super accomodating human playing off each other.
There is some romance, but it's just a cute side part of the story and not the main focus. I saw at least one other review wishing the romance was more in depth, as someone who does not enjoy romance, I thought it was well balanced as to appeal even to people like me.
This seems to be an queernormative world, at least no one bats an eye if you choose a woman, a man, or maybe both for your evenings entertainment.
There's also one major character who uses they/them pronouns. I didn't like that exactly this character was the really weird, probably neurodivergent, evil scientist though. There are a few times when "he" is used for them, all but one could be due to being in another character's view, who maybe don't know. As the MC is at least bi, if not pan, it didn't grind as much as it would if the one queer character is the bad guy or killed off right away.
I personally really enjoy a mix of cosy and dark, so this fit my personal taste rather well!
There's some political scheming, though I found it pretty easy to follow, so it's not overly complex.
A good mix of races, some well known like dwarves or elves, some refreshingly new, like our main character, a "hedonistic plant man".
It features found family and plenty of cosy scenes, but also has quite some dark parts and a good few deaths. Despite the gritty bits there's overall a sense of hope, and most people are trying to do good.
The main character is a bit exasperating, being a spoiled ambassador. This plant man really grew on me quickly, and I enjoyed spending time with him and his new friends, even when he made me sigh yet again with his antics. The whole cast just worked well for me with the hyper and friendly dwarf, the annoyed grumpy elf, the pampered plant and the super accomodating human playing off each other.
There is some romance, but it's just a cute side part of the story and not the main focus. I saw at least one other review wishing the romance was more in depth, as someone who does not enjoy romance, I thought it was well balanced as to appeal even to people like me.
This seems to be an queernormative world, at least no one bats an eye if you choose a woman, a man, or maybe both for your evenings entertainment.
There's also one major character who uses they/them pronouns. I didn't like that exactly this character was the really weird, probably neurodivergent, evil scientist though. There are a few times when "he" is used for them, all but one could be due to being in another character's view, who maybe don't know. As the MC is at least bi, if not pan, it didn't grind as much as it would if the one queer character is the bad guy or killed off right away.
I personally really enjoy a mix of cosy and dark, so this fit my personal taste rather well!
theislandalien's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
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
3.75
jamedi's review
5.0
Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨(4.5 out of 5)
Full review here: https://vueltaspodcast.wordpress.com/2022/09/22/a-bitter-drink-by-azalea-forrest/
Interview with Azalea Forrest: https://vueltaspodcast.wordpress.com/2022/09/22/some-thoughts-with-azalea-forrest/
A Bitter Drink is a really interesting novel by Azalea Forrest, where the author uses really uncommon characters to weave a fantastic story, which hooks you from the start to the end. It's great that I discovered it due to SFPBO, because it has a ton of possibilities of ending in my top 10 reads of the year.
So let's start with the first and more important element of A Bitter Drink, Rowan, a Dahlsian, a plant man who acts as ambassador in Basia's court (the human court). He's probably one of the most unlikely heroes you can expect in fantasy, being a pit of defects, as he's selfish, and naive, and he has left himself to the pleasures of hedonism. Probably we can attribute him a "slight" problem with gluttony and alcoholism; but once he becomes the only person able to dismantle a plot to take control over Basia using ether, he will need to overcome his defects in order to keep the harmony reached between the different creatures living there. An excellent premise that Forrest nails while writing.
As I started talking about Rowan, it's fair to give a look at the rest of the cast, because it's a really diverse one, and all of them get to your heart, even in a short book as A Bitter Drink is. A strong dwarf lady, the human that facilitates to keep our group of unlikely heroes together, or the elven spy ... all of them end being memorable by their traits and how they act in pressure situations; without forgetting that they are there just because the circumstances forced them. The villains are also well written, deserving Magda, the elven scientist, a special mention, as her insecurities and how she can be seen as socially awkward are some traits that many of us can reflect on.
Another aspect I would like to stop and comment on is how well this book is written, putting special emphasis on the descriptive passages, which feel rather vivid, something that you could precisely draw without missing a detail, but at the same time, without making the plot suffer from this kind of stops in the pace.
There are several themes treated that deserve their own dissertation, but it's especially interesting to talk about tolerance, and how it is written using the different races in a fantasy setting. While Bisia is a fundamentally human kingdom, where the rest of the races (except centaurs) live in harmony, and with relatively small frictions, but still we can see how this can become the pillar of some problems that arise later in the novel. I wouldn't like to end the review without also doing a small spotlight on how original is Rowan's character, both from the physical and racial characteristics (plant man would be a good summary), but most important in the psychology and in his redemption arc.
In summary, A Bitter Drink is a really original novel, a sort of Ghibli-based fantasy, and which deserves all the praise it is deserving. A character-driven story, which I especially recommend if you want to feel hungry reading (again, food/drink descriptions are on another whole level). I will probably end reading the rest of her bibliography, because, in the field of cozy adventure fantasy, A Bitter Drink landed as a powerhouse.
Full review here: https://vueltaspodcast.wordpress.com/2022/09/22/a-bitter-drink-by-azalea-forrest/
Interview with Azalea Forrest: https://vueltaspodcast.wordpress.com/2022/09/22/some-thoughts-with-azalea-forrest/
A Bitter Drink is a really interesting novel by Azalea Forrest, where the author uses really uncommon characters to weave a fantastic story, which hooks you from the start to the end. It's great that I discovered it due to SFPBO, because it has a ton of possibilities of ending in my top 10 reads of the year.
So let's start with the first and more important element of A Bitter Drink, Rowan, a Dahlsian, a plant man who acts as ambassador in Basia's court (the human court). He's probably one of the most unlikely heroes you can expect in fantasy, being a pit of defects, as he's selfish, and naive, and he has left himself to the pleasures of hedonism. Probably we can attribute him a "slight" problem with gluttony and alcoholism; but once he becomes the only person able to dismantle a plot to take control over Basia using ether, he will need to overcome his defects in order to keep the harmony reached between the different creatures living there. An excellent premise that Forrest nails while writing.
As I started talking about Rowan, it's fair to give a look at the rest of the cast, because it's a really diverse one, and all of them get to your heart, even in a short book as A Bitter Drink is. A strong dwarf lady, the human that facilitates to keep our group of unlikely heroes together, or the elven spy ... all of them end being memorable by their traits and how they act in pressure situations; without forgetting that they are there just because the circumstances forced them. The villains are also well written, deserving Magda, the elven scientist, a special mention, as her insecurities and how she can be seen as socially awkward are some traits that many of us can reflect on.
Another aspect I would like to stop and comment on is how well this book is written, putting special emphasis on the descriptive passages, which feel rather vivid, something that you could precisely draw without missing a detail, but at the same time, without making the plot suffer from this kind of stops in the pace.
There are several themes treated that deserve their own dissertation, but it's especially interesting to talk about tolerance, and how it is written using the different races in a fantasy setting. While Bisia is a fundamentally human kingdom, where the rest of the races (except centaurs) live in harmony, and with relatively small frictions, but still we can see how this can become the pillar of some problems that arise later in the novel. I wouldn't like to end the review without also doing a small spotlight on how original is Rowan's character, both from the physical and racial characteristics (plant man would be a good summary), but most important in the psychology and in his redemption arc.
In summary, A Bitter Drink is a really original novel, a sort of Ghibli-based fantasy, and which deserves all the praise it is deserving. A character-driven story, which I especially recommend if you want to feel hungry reading (again, food/drink descriptions are on another whole level). I will probably end reading the rest of her bibliography, because, in the field of cozy adventure fantasy, A Bitter Drink landed as a powerhouse.
kirajacks's review
5.0
I was a beta reader for and received a digital advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book.
Forrest's A Bitter Drink is a fabulous, magic-soaked tale of personal growth, political scheming, plots, revenge, and adventure. A novel that doesn't take itself too seriously to be fun, yet finds joy in the drama and the danger, this book is having a good time and wants to invite you along.
Despite the large cast of names and the numerous fantasy races at play here, every single one of them had their own independent voice and an understandable, believable motivation, Each character shines brightly in their own right, a rare enough treat in smaller casts, but Forrest directs her full ranks with poise and grace. The story is both engaging and a true joy, at times surprising me, at times satisfying the deep itch of my reader's soul. Her world-building, which I feel so often trips up authors or mires them so deeply that they cannot escape, is woven deftly through the tale and feels very natural to read. In addition--and of no little consequence--there are characters of many stripes here; the girls, the gays, the theys, and readers in general will be overjoyed to see such representation prominently in these pages!
Now, on to more emotional words.
This book made me feel things. This book reached into my heart and squeezed tightly and commanded that I should pay attention. This book made me grin like an idiot at 3 in the morning and tear up in the most pathetic manner over my lunchtime reading. It is very rare to see so much of the things I love to read (found families, personal growth, grief and loss, healing) set in such a fun and colorful fantasy world. Forrest's world is solemn and joyful, vibrant and unearthly; it feels like home while also being perfectly fantastical. There are very few contemporary fantasy novels, particularly ones geared toward young adults and above, that feel so incredibly welcoming to step into.
To any prospective readers: this book will not disappoint!
Forrest's A Bitter Drink is a fabulous, magic-soaked tale of personal growth, political scheming, plots, revenge, and adventure. A novel that doesn't take itself too seriously to be fun, yet finds joy in the drama and the danger, this book is having a good time and wants to invite you along.
Despite the large cast of names and the numerous fantasy races at play here, every single one of them had their own independent voice and an understandable, believable motivation, Each character shines brightly in their own right, a rare enough treat in smaller casts, but Forrest directs her full ranks with poise and grace. The story is both engaging and a true joy, at times surprising me, at times satisfying the deep itch of my reader's soul. Her world-building, which I feel so often trips up authors or mires them so deeply that they cannot escape, is woven deftly through the tale and feels very natural to read. In addition--and of no little consequence--there are characters of many stripes here; the girls, the gays, the theys, and readers in general will be overjoyed to see such representation prominently in these pages!
Now, on to more emotional words.
This book made me feel things. This book reached into my heart and squeezed tightly and commanded that I should pay attention. This book made me grin like an idiot at 3 in the morning and tear up in the most pathetic manner over my lunchtime reading. It is very rare to see so much of the things I love to read (found families, personal growth, grief and loss, healing) set in such a fun and colorful fantasy world. Forrest's world is solemn and joyful, vibrant and unearthly; it feels like home while also being perfectly fantastical. There are very few contemporary fantasy novels, particularly ones geared toward young adults and above, that feel so incredibly welcoming to step into.
To any prospective readers: this book will not disappoint!
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