Reviews with content warning for Gore - Dawnhounds

It was weird, I loved it. I feel like it’s one of those books that I’ll reread at some point and make a ton of connections that I didn’t notice the first go around. Some of the world building felt a little heavy at the beginning, but I really loved how unique this world was to anything else I’ve ever seen. It was a fantastic blend of science fiction and fantasy. There were some poignant moments of fear and war and the consequences of very real issues. If you’re looking for something that is pure queer happiness, this probably isn’t for you, as hate and oppression are present. However, it isn’t gratuitous, and personally I felt there was more love and joy explicitly written than hate. I can’t wait for a sequel!

Content Warnings

hobbithopeful's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing 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

A truly outstanding and stand out biopunk queer read, The Dawnhounds has some of the best worldbuilding I've ever seen, diverse characters, and a story that will make you cry one page and feel hopeful the next.
It's a toss-up between what I love more, the eclectic characters, or the world they live in. Wajet is my favorite character in this, I don't care that Yat didn't like him he's so damn charming. The whole premise of using plant life to live and build instead of steel or other materials is so fascinating. The mushroom houses are alive and feed off the sweat and dead skin cells of their inhabitants. My mind is just blown thinking about it.
The whole concept of immortality and losing yourself bit by bit is a trope I want to read more of. It is so well done in The Dawnhounds. The different Gods and myths meddling, there is so much symbolism and foreshadowing I want to reread it again to see what I missed.
Stronach's writing feels almost dreamlike and ethereal in certain moments. It's not so much you feel like you are transported into the world, but more so as different characters lose their minds you feel just as lost and trapped too. It is truly a book with so much heart and hope, no matter how tough it gets and how dire the situation seems, Yat never gives up.
There's also a cat in this book, so that's such a bonus.
This is a rare moment where I feel like the blurb didn't do the book justice at all. It is quite a dark and heavy book, I wish it mentioned that. (Also it's just freaking fantastic!) Yat is a drug addict, and has lost faith in literally everything, she is just basically on autopilot.
The inclusion of so many powerful queer characters is one of my favorite parts of this, called a "degeneracy" by so many, it is just so emotional. It's not often I see bisexuality depicted as well as Stronach does here.
I almost wish I had read the audiobook instead, only because I felt like I was butchering so many words in my head because I didn't know how to pronounce anything.
This is definitely not a shut-your-brain-off-and-read book. If anything with science fiction books like this you really have to pay attention to what's going on otherwise you'll get lost in descriptions, names, and people. I also put off reading this because Yat is a cop, and I was nervous it was going to be copaganda. I wish I had read it sooner.
Check your tws! There is a LOT of body horror, gore, blood, death, drugs, corruption, and homophobia!
I have so many theories for the next book! I need to discuss this for hours just to share all my theories, questions, and love for it.
I absolutely 10000% recommend this book, perfect for people who loves books you can sink your teeth into! I can't wait for the sequel to come out next year! MOSTLY BECAUSE I WANT TO MEET WAJET'S

HUSBAND!

I actually like this cover better than some of the other editions. It is really cool to see what the houses look like, and it gives it such a great otherworldly scifi vibe.

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sofipitch's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

3.5

I wanted to like this more, the beginning was really good, I saw some reviews complaining it was slow to start but I actually thought the beginning was good, it's when it starts to pick up it starts to go too fast to follow. I thought maybe because I had a lot going on while reading it was dulling my comprehension, or maybe I'm just dumb, but other reviews also saying it was hard to follow made me feel better that it wasn't just me. The politics/themes are excellent, only good cops out there quit the force. Lots of cool concepts, world building, had interesting stuff to say, it's the plot that it gets wrapped up in that's "huuuhhh?" And it goes from gritty and smart to unserious and silly

Edit: listening to a podcast covering this book and the hosts point out that the cover is very deceiving, if you attracted bc you think the mushroom houses look cute it might not be for you

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augustar14's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.25

I loved the characters and their connections. I loved this world built with life itself, yet lacking fundamental connections to life and other. That was intriguing and well developed. The bin chicken insult- delightful. The characters and their relationships are well established. The world building is well done.
Spoiler: The only thing I didn't get was

why Sibby was so mad at the main character for going back, as if the antagonist wouldn't have started releasing the spores and killing the city if she hadn't (cause he already was).

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kumquats87's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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emmjay's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

An interesting world that I think was held back at times by the writing. The writing isn’t bad, just a bit confusing. There were a lot of elements here:

pirates and biotech and fungi and magic and zombies and Gods and immortality and a religious maybe-cult and a rigged election and homophobia and police brutality

that I think the world building suffered a bit from being a little too scattered. I don’t feel like I really got a good sense of any one element of the world because there were so many. I found Yat’s pieces of the story much more compelling than Sen’s though Sen as a character was far more competent and seemed to have stronger motivation. Several of the descriptions, particularly of the magic use, became a bit repetitive while remaining a bit unclear in terms of what was actually going on in the scene. Interesting premises, I wish it had been refined and focussed so the unique world could have shone.

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rainbowcrow369's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

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lolajh's review against another edition

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adventurous 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? Yes

4.0

“They'd always been looking for defects in her, as if women were defective men, and women who loved women were defective women who loved men. As if anybody who loved both wasn't a part of the equation and could be sorted into one or the other without their consultation. She would never be good enough, because she wasn't the person they wanted her to be. The Kopek had never asked her to be anything except herself.”

This was great, confusing, but great. Absolutely everything happens in the last hundred pages and made a lot of the start and middle feel very slow and filler-like, but the book came together wonderfully when it did, when plot points and characters and places all connected.

Wasn’t a huge fan of the stuff with Kiada and Yat at the end just because it was so rushed, kinda predictable, and irritating to read through their interactions where Yat doesn’t recognise her.

A challenging bisexual main character, two wlw couples, a cute cat!! Cool plants!!! Cool setting!!! I love the world, it truly is a mix of Black Sun and Gideon the Ninth; I really like the integration of the gods in this, of the powers and magic, of death not necessarily meaning the end. Truly great, loved this.

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