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gothauthor's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Older characters, a dragon, queer rep, a prophecy: this story had so much to offer. As much as I fawned over every detail of the dragon, the relationship between the three main characters was the best part, especially when Jun realizes that all forms of love are valid and important, even those that are not intimate or romantic.
A fun read that I will certainly pick up again for a reread.
A fun read that I will certainly pick up again for a reread.
mikip_95's review
5.0
I received an ARC of this book. I’m so glad I said yes. It was a super cute read and definitely different than what I’m used to with Jun being on the older side. I felt the author did a good job at showing her age without overdoing it. I liked the meaning behind this story as well. Casey and Aurel were both awesome too.
I thought the note before the book even started was awesome: “That means that coloUrs have you in them and realiZations can put you to sleep.”
Another quote I loved was, “Me too, you mirage idiot!”
This last one was super sweet, “Life can come only from birth. From creation. From love.”
I thought the note before the book even started was awesome: “That means that coloUrs have you in them and realiZations can put you to sleep.”
Another quote I loved was, “Me too, you mirage idiot!”
This last one was super sweet, “Life can come only from birth. From creation. From love.”
booksthatburn's review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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 received a free review copy in exchange for an honest review of this book.
One of the wonderful things about queernorm worlds is not needing to endlessly explain every little thing. This means that there's emotional room to dig into nuances which otherwise would likely be subsumed through navigating prejudices. In SOULTAMING THE SERPENT, Jun is aromantic, and while she cares deeply for Casey, she knows she doesn't love him the way he loves her. When Aurel enters her life, she feels like there has to be some kind of choice between the two of them, even though neither of them is a romantic possibility for her. What could have been a frustrating love triangle instead blossoms into a story of queer love and companionship in the face of antagonistic forces.
The worldbuilding is explained at the level of information that the people within the world have. They don't know the details of the cycle, or why a dragon is required for rain, but they deal with the shape of how things are even when they don't know the underlying reasons. This style of storytelling means that information gaps are between characters, each trying to sort through legends and conflicting information in order to figure out what actually happens in the cycle with the Chosen One, Serpent, and Dragon.
Things I love, in no particular order: Having so much lavender referenced in the story; the relationships between Jun, Casey, and Aurel; the way the cycle resolves; trying to deal with prophecies and fated things without an instruction manual.
This is a delightfully moving story, well worth reading.
One of the wonderful things about queernorm worlds is not needing to endlessly explain every little thing. This means that there's emotional room to dig into nuances which otherwise would likely be subsumed through navigating prejudices. In SOULTAMING THE SERPENT, Jun is aromantic, and while she cares deeply for Casey, she knows she doesn't love him the way he loves her. When Aurel enters her life, she feels like there has to be some kind of choice between the two of them, even though neither of them is a romantic possibility for her. What could have been a frustrating love triangle instead blossoms into a story of queer love and companionship in the face of antagonistic forces.
The worldbuilding is explained at the level of information that the people within the world have. They don't know the details of the cycle, or why a dragon is required for rain, but they deal with the shape of how things are even when they don't know the underlying reasons. This style of storytelling means that information gaps are between characters, each trying to sort through legends and conflicting information in order to figure out what actually happens in the cycle with the Chosen One, Serpent, and Dragon.
Things I love, in no particular order: Having so much lavender referenced in the story; the relationships between Jun, Casey, and Aurel; the way the cycle resolves; trying to deal with prophecies and fated things without an instruction manual.
This is a delightfully moving story, well worth reading.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Death, Medical content, Grief, Confinement, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Drug use, Alcohol, and Animal death
mdanielmcdowell's review
5.0
This book is a wonderful mixture of character study and adventure tale, with an inventive desert setting, an older female main character, and a supporting cast that includes an amputee and a shapeshifter full of seeeeecrets.
While the setting and key story details of this are very different, I found the character relationships between Jun and her friends reminded me a lot of Sophie from the book version of Howl’s Moving Castle—if Sophie were actually an older woman with a lot of life experience under her belt!
Aurel, well, he has big Howl Pendragon energy in some places—an inscrutable, beautiful, magical man with something overpowering at his core. I love them both!
My secret favorite, though, is Casey, who rounds out the main cast and earns my entire heart. I really love stories that prominently include characters with disabilities; Casey is an amputee who never lets it keep him out of the action for too long, and I felt like his depiction was really heartfelt and honest.
The core of the story engine is a quest plot nestled into a tale of a broken prophecy, with some delightful twists on the usual tropes in this type of storytelling, so I am loath to accidentally reveal too much here.
This short novel makes really good use of brisk descriptions and deft character work; it’s one of those books that had me a little weepy at the end, and I felt like it really earned it. It’s a story about breaking old patterns and finding new ones, and the love really shines through.
While the setting and key story details of this are very different, I found the character relationships between Jun and her friends reminded me a lot of Sophie from the book version of Howl’s Moving Castle—if Sophie were actually an older woman with a lot of life experience under her belt!
Aurel, well, he has big Howl Pendragon energy in some places—an inscrutable, beautiful, magical man with something overpowering at his core. I love them both!
My secret favorite, though, is Casey, who rounds out the main cast and earns my entire heart. I really love stories that prominently include characters with disabilities; Casey is an amputee who never lets it keep him out of the action for too long, and I felt like his depiction was really heartfelt and honest.
The core of the story engine is a quest plot nestled into a tale of a broken prophecy, with some delightful twists on the usual tropes in this type of storytelling, so I am loath to accidentally reveal too much here.
This short novel makes really good use of brisk descriptions and deft character work; it’s one of those books that had me a little weepy at the end, and I felt like it really earned it. It’s a story about breaking old patterns and finding new ones, and the love really shines through.
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