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queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
4 ⭐ CW: violence, suicide mentions, death, blood, gore, cursing, torture mention, sexual content mention
Phantom Pains by Mishell Baker is book two in the Arcadia Project trilogy. It's been awhile since I read book one, so it took a bit for me to get back into it. This reminded me why I liked the first one so much! Urban Fantasy, fey, ghosts, and a revolution! Plus, this series has some great disabled rep, with the MC having borderline personality disorder and being a double amputee using prosthetics. She's also bi.
We pick up with Millie after the events from the last book. She has quit the Arcadia Project, and now works in a studio as an assistant to a person who knows about fey and Arcadia. To Millie's dismay, she is pulled back into the Arcadia Project's orbit, because of what she did to Vivian in soundstage 13. Because of what happened there, ghosts start possessing people and causing havoc. The ghosts aren't what they seem, and suddenly, Millie can't tell who is actually the bad guy.
I just love the way Baker has written Millie's voice. She's so sarcastic, curses constantly, and generally fucks everything up. I really appreciate how Baker continues to incorporate Millie's borderline into how she responds to certain things. Because of the borderline, it makes having relationships a bit complicated. We get to see her struggle with having so much iron in her body as a super power and as a curse. It protects her from fey and physical spells, but also makes it impossible to touch or be affected by her Echo (basically her fey soul mate).
This had such a great twist! I love that Baker is doing more world-building and adding extra dimension while also setting us up for the next book. Excited to see how the series ends. I feel like this would make for a great tv show.
Phantom Pains by Mishell Baker is book two in the Arcadia Project trilogy. It's been awhile since I read book one, so it took a bit for me to get back into it. This reminded me why I liked the first one so much! Urban Fantasy, fey, ghosts, and a revolution! Plus, this series has some great disabled rep, with the MC having borderline personality disorder and being a double amputee using prosthetics. She's also bi.
We pick up with Millie after the events from the last book. She has quit the Arcadia Project, and now works in a studio as an assistant to a person who knows about fey and Arcadia. To Millie's dismay, she is pulled back into the Arcadia Project's orbit, because of what she did to Vivian in soundstage 13. Because of what happened there, ghosts start possessing people and causing havoc. The ghosts aren't what they seem, and suddenly, Millie can't tell who is actually the bad guy.
I just love the way Baker has written Millie's voice. She's so sarcastic, curses constantly, and generally fucks everything up. I really appreciate how Baker continues to incorporate Millie's borderline into how she responds to certain things. Because of the borderline, it makes having relationships a bit complicated. We get to see her struggle with having so much iron in her body as a super power and as a curse. It protects her from fey and physical spells, but also makes it impossible to touch or be affected by her Echo (basically her fey soul mate).
This had such a great twist! I love that Baker is doing more world-building and adding extra dimension while also setting us up for the next book. Excited to see how the series ends. I feel like this would make for a great tv show.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Cursing, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt
Minor: Torture and Sexual content
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