Reviews

Yours Celestially by Al Hess

himalaya's review against another edition

4.25

 I enjoyed this a lot! Sweet, interesting characters and concept, some nuanced depictions of substance abuse/recovery, adhd & autistic characters, divorce (but being on good terms & having a kid), which I feel like I don’t see a ton of in romance (though clearly I don’t read a ton lol) 

The scifi element is cool also, I like metatron very much. 

It did take me a couple chapters to figure out what's going on. but I picked things up after that. I think this is related to other works by the author? 

Also I can't help but think a little about like. Ok this company is resurrecting people and it's large scale and normal enough that people of all classes have this, and resurrected people are commonplace, but also at the time of it being paused there were only 7 people in limbo???? huh??? 

but also like. the worldbuilding and background plot is there to serve the romance because it is a Romance. so looking at it from that perspective I think it works fine.

also I wouldn’t hold this up and promote it as an ace book but at the end the angel does say they don’t think they feel sexual attraction! So there's that.

mx_t_books's review against another edition

5.0

Soft, sweet, brilliant

Why not more people are gushing about this little gem is something I do not understand. This book was a brilliant and made me feel all the feels. There's no bleakness in this world, everything is colourful and nicely technological. The characters are what make you FEEL and hope. You want them to be happy and at ease and to hold them and hug them and tell them everything is going to be alright. I LOVED the rainbow rep we get, and as an enby person the use of they/them as default was like a balm to my soul.
Read this now, you won't regret it.

dasnet's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-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

I really enjoyed the amount of representation in one book I saw the about me the author called it a trippy portal through as the author puts it "hope punk" to distinguish it from cozy fantasy. And I can see why he makes this distinction.

Need to discuss the level of respect to pronouns and nuerodivergency. It was wonderfully done. There were levels of representation. It is not long revealed that a main character is autistic, which I am not tagging as a spoiler because it is simply a matter a fact, which is great start for representation. The way he falls and expresses love, the way he understands life, is different - but not pointed out. Shown, not told. Very much how queer aware books do, which this one definitely represents in spades. 

The characters were all lovely. I would've liked to have known a bit about the side characters they felt a little far away from the narrative but the core group is excellent. 

need_more_meta's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-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

4.0

kmanos's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.0

velvetyaverage's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective relaxing 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

4.75

claudiearseneault's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful

5.0

intothevolcano's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.25

the_grimdragon's review against another edition

4.0

“Tea. It tastes like nothing here no matter how hard I concentrate on the memory of the flavors. Ice cream too. A lot of food, actually. And smells. Fresh laundry, mowed grass, petrichor, the skin of a partner… I miss hot showers and the tactile joy of putting a vinyl record on the turntable. Cracking open a real, physical book and turning the pages.” His voice steadily rises, eyes blazing and glossy. “I miss looking forward to the weekend. I miss sex. I miss packages waiting at my door. I miss pain. Isn’t that bizarre? Stubbing my toe or falling on my ass or sipping coffee that’s too hot, just as the reminder that I’m alive and I feel!"

cakt1991's review against another edition

emotional 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

 I received an ARC from the author and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own. 

In the handful of books I’ve read from Al Hess, he’s always been able to surprise me with fun, out-there, yet cozy and queer-centric takes on familiar concepts, and Yours Celestially is no different. Partly an homage to an earlier (now unpublished series), which admittedly I haven’t read, it was still a delight in its own way, as I knew it would be, from the moment I heard the book’s pitch involved the likes of “biblically accurate AI, completely bonkers visuals, and bionic penis jokes!” 

The world is a lot of fun, and simultaneously feels familiar (whether or not you know the prior series) and completely new, as well as like an incredibly trippy adventure with a squishy, reassuring  message at its core. I loved the blend of the futuristic tech with deeper, eternal themes, like how harmful certain sects of religion are in pushing bigoted legislation that harms queer people. 

The central characters are also delightful. I was immediately more drawn to Metatron, loving both the quirky, humorous side of them, as well as the deeper romantic side as they grapple with their feelings for someone and whether that someone returns their feelings. It’s so unexpected, given how most people think of AI, and I couldn’t help but root for them every step of the way. 

But the human lead, Sasha, is also compelling. He has his own complicated issues to work through, while simultaneously also feeling Metatron’s, via their connection, and having to serve as a rather unconventional wingman. The portrayal of ADHD is compellingly drawn, and I like how that relates to his drug addiction, thanks to the technological advancements of the future, with all medications being easy to acquire without thinking about it, including those used for illicit means. I also appreciated how issues like his situation being divorced and how it impacted his relationship with his daughter, who he doesn’t have primary custody of, as well as the deeper examination of his pathology, with him being rather closed-off, instead of confiding in people who care for him. 

I had some mixed feelings when I found out that this book would juggle two romances, as that can sometimes be very hit-or-miss. While I don’t know that either love interest felt as well-defined to me as either Sasha or Metatron were, given the story is from their perspectives, I did feel that they had chemistry with their respective love interests. 

With it being on the lighter side of sci-fi, there’s not a lot of action, but that’s not to say there’s nothing of interest that happens. While it’s cozier and more introspective, I found myself quickly drawn into these characters and their world, with it keeping my attention from beginning to end. 

This is a fun read, and I’d recommend it to readers looking for a lighthearted, cozy queer take on  the sci-fi genre.