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Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
I did not see many of the twists coming. There were plenty of theories I had but none of them turned out to be true. I also didn’t expect it to be such a love story. And even halfway through if you told me it was, I wouldn’t have been able to guess.
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Gaslighting
Moderate: Gore, Racial slurs, Racism
Minor: Death of parent
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Genocide, Gore, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War
Minor: Ableism, Confinement, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Lesbophobia, Deportation, Pandemic/Epidemic
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Murder
Moderate: Racism, Cannibalism
Minor: Genocide, Gore, Misogyny, Xenophobia
I was also bored throughout most of this, in a way that I feel that the book was falsely advertised. There's very little sci-fi to be seen in this with little regard to how the time travel works in this world, I didn't find it humorous enough to be considered comedic, the spy elements felt tacked on last minute and the romance simply did nothing for me.
I kinda wish that this book could have just focused more on the characters that are out of time. My favourite parts of the book were Graham, Arthur and Maggie hanging out and experiencing the 21st century together(I would also be totally down for reading a book solely focused on Maggie, love the idea of a lesbian from the 17th century being able to exist as herself in modern times).
I also found the narrator to be rather dislikable and I was rather irritated with how obtuse and manipulative she was to other characters and how she really doesn't experience much growth or consequences for her actions
I did find the exploration of her hertitage of being British-Cambodian and the child of a refugee interesting, but with how much this book tried to cover I would have prefered to have a whole book to focus solely on that. Also I must say the way the narrator and the plot treat Simellia, the only black character in the book, felt really off to me both in how the narrator dismisses Simellia's challenges with racism as one of the only black employees at the ministry and especially how it turns out
I especially wasn't fond of the romance between her and Graham Gore, there was a very apparent imbalance in the relationship where she felt rather controlling about him, almost trying to mold him into the type of person she would date that just put me off the idea of it. It made the ending where
There's also something about writing an explicit romance with an historical figure who died horribly that just gives me the ick. It comes off as in poor taste. I kept thinking throughout how I wish Graham could have been the main character instead, as the small chapters we see from his perspective are very introspective.
In all, this is a book that tries so many things and yet fails at being an engaging narrative.
Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Murder, Lesbophobia
Minor: Genocide, Slavery, War
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Murder
Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Cannibalism, Lesbophobia
Minor: Animal death, Genocide, Slavery, Colonisation
I predicted one of the plot twists. Which is always annoying. I felt that the follow-through after that plot twist was slightly weak. Not bad, but just didn’t feel like it hit as hard as it ought to have done.
My god this author is great at writing steamy sex scenes. It was HOT as hell. Kaliane is a person who knows how to have a good time, and I am 100% here for it. Get it girl.
The book pacing was quick at the start, and deeply slow in the middle. Then at the end it was very fast paced. The middle of the book, while delightful, was a tad too slow fpr me. Could probably have used a bit more editing there as I felt at some points the writing was acting as filler. And didnt really add anything to the characters or story or didnt enhance my understanding i to the world.
The characters themselves are beautifully realised. They were all very unique and even their most intricate quirks made them feel so real. We love a LGBTQ moment. Arthur and Margaret are such loveable characters and oh how they PAINEDDD ME.
I really enjoyed the historic Gore excerpts in the book too.
It wasnt as much of a page turner as I hd hoped itd be. For me it was neither much of a romance nor a thriller nor a sci-fi.
Some of the diaglogue was so gorgeous and cinematic, and well placed. At other times, it felt rather floral. For example: Describing the arrival of autumn like a late man into a crowded room was sort of lost on me. But the image of a workday Wednesday is definitely cold flavourless porridge. So it was rather hit and miss.
Yes I think this book could very easily be a TV series, as it lends itself very visually. But I think there would have to be quite a bit of editing to get there. 6 or 8 episodes tops at 45 mins each I think.
I also think the boom tries to demand the reader’s attention to politics and climate emergency. And that seems to be a background motive for a good handful of the modern characters. But with so much going on in the book, it doesn’t have the opportunity to explore that in much depth. The overall message is bleak in that sense, the future is changeable but it will also be terrible.
Slightly confused because there was an anti-establishment thing, but at the end of the book no one actually … deals with that? The institution just continues to exist without much (seeming) impact. Like the institution gets away with it almost?
So overall, I’d recommend it as a fun wee book that plays with historic figures in a really charming way. Some intriguing flavours of sci-fi and thriller, and too see the grey ol modern world through the eyes of a victorian naval lieutenant - how silly and whimsical! A fresh perspective on the mundane. I think, the main reason to read this book is the character building. And - of course - some delicious sex scenes (although you have to get to the last two fifths of the book for that).
3 stars for me, I also don’t think the blurb quite describes the book well enough.
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Cannibalism, War
Minor: Gore, Misogyny, Racism, Alcohol, Colonisation
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Blood, War
Minor: Torture, Vomit