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_viscosity_'s review
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emhamill's review
5.0
Four gorgeous novellas, all of them queer. My heart is singing right now. Each story is captivating and transported me. I think my favorite was Passing Strange by Ellen Klages, but they were all so lovely I can't pick just one. Definitely a must read.
howardgo's review
5.0
Like many others, I received this book for free during the time the publisher was giving it away. It is a collection of LGBTQ novellas.
That however is not what drives these stories. Yes, the protagonists are LGBTQ. But in these stories, that is just one part of these characters. These are amazing stories of being human and dealing with the human condition in all its ugly joy and difficulty. The masterful storytelling here simply lays bare what we should already know--LGBTQ people are just like all humans, learning to get along and find their way in life. What a joy to see them represented in such a matter-of-fact way.
That however is not what drives these stories. Yes, the protagonists are LGBTQ. But in these stories, that is just one part of these characters. These are amazing stories of being human and dealing with the human condition in all its ugly joy and difficulty. The masterful storytelling here simply lays bare what we should already know--LGBTQ people are just like all humans, learning to get along and find their way in life. What a joy to see them represented in such a matter-of-fact way.
verumsolum's review
4.0
Four novellas. A great way to sample the works of multiple authors. All of them held my interest; a couple of them intrigued me. I definitely want to read more of the JY Yang series. And there was a story set in San Francisco which intrigued me (especially when it didn’t go exactly where I expected it to go).
I wish it were easier to find anthologies of novellas, because I often balk at paying what is asked for a single novella. More pages can feel (especially when those pages are still unread) like better “bang for the buck” But when collected together, I feel less pressure, if I find one or two of the novellas less enjoyable
I wish it were easier to find anthologies of novellas, because I often balk at paying what is asked for a single novella. More pages can feel (especially when those pages are still unread) like better “bang for the buck” But when collected together, I feel less pressure, if I find one or two of the novellas less enjoyable
owenblacker's review
4.0
Awesome collection of novellas.
Killjoy's and Yang's stories are really lovely and Klages's Passing Strange is among the most beautiful pieces I've ever read. I didn't like Wilson's story, but for reasons that are spoilers — it's very well written and the world he conjures is rich and detailed, I just didn't like an aspect of the plot.
I'll review each novella separately, on their own pages, and link then here once I have done.
Killjoy's and Yang's stories are really lovely and Klages's Passing Strange is among the most beautiful pieces I've ever read. I didn't like Wilson's story, but for reasons that are spoilers — it's very well written and the world he conjures is rich and detailed, I just didn't like an aspect of the plot.
I'll review each novella separately, on their own pages, and link then here once I have done.
ninetalevixen's review
1. [b:The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion|32606889|The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion (Danielle Cain, #1)|Margaret Killjoy|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485200177l/32606889._SY75_.jpg|53189199] | [my review]
2. [b:Passing Strange|31372178|Passing Strange|Ellen Klages|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474584923l/31372178._SY75_.jpg|52061084] | [my review]
3. [b:A Taste of Honey|30197853|A Taste of Honey (The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, #2)|Kai Ashante Wilson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464796695l/30197853._SY75_.jpg|50648581] | [my review]
4. [b:The Black Tides of Heaven|33099588|The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)|J.Y. Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485291538l/33099588._SY75_.jpg|53763120] | [my review]
2. [b:Passing Strange|31372178|Passing Strange|Ellen Klages|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474584923l/31372178._SY75_.jpg|52061084] | [my review]
3. [b:A Taste of Honey|30197853|A Taste of Honey (The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, #2)|Kai Ashante Wilson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1464796695l/30197853._SY75_.jpg|50648581] | [my review]
4. [b:The Black Tides of Heaven|33099588|The Black Tides of Heaven (Tensorate, #1)|J.Y. Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1485291538l/33099588._SY75_.jpg|53763120] | [my review]
duplica123's review
3.0
I wanted to love this. I really am happy to have been introduced to new authors and new worlds. The only story in this quartet, however, that I really liked was "Passing Strange," a historical fantasy set in New York. "The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion" was a little creepy, "A Taste of Honey" was confusing because it jumped around in time, and "The Black Tides of Heaven" was just too brutal.
There is such a range of story styles represented here that I think people will find at least one story in this collection that interests them. It was definitely interesting to get non-hetero main characters and see different perspectives on how fantasy can be written.
There is such a range of story styles represented here that I think people will find at least one story in this collection that interests them. It was definitely interesting to get non-hetero main characters and see different perspectives on how fantasy can be written.
hardbackednooks's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The four novellas in this collection are all wildly different and I found that to be both a good and bad thing. I'll be adding a full review of the individual novellas later on, but suffice to say, you definitely need to reset your mind and/or get a reading palate cleanser between each novella to fully appreciate them.
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