A review by consumed_by_mold
In the Vanishers' Palace by Aliette de Bodard

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

A post-apocalyptic world, left broken by alien invaders, in which words are magic and being useful is the only way to survive.

I found this while looking for sapphic human x dragon romances - with, you know, an actual dragon. Vu Côn did not disappoint, she has a dragon and a human form, but uses them both frequently. 

Though I'm usually not a fan of insta-lust, here it aided the otherworldliness of the dragon. Still, I wish their relationship had been more fleshed out and given more depth, the romance was definitely lacking. There's also one fade-to-black sex scene. 

The descriptions for the world were both beautiful and confusing, done so very much on purpose. I wouldn't last a single day in that palace, just imagining it gives me a headache.

I really liked the children and their story, though all together the book did feel somewhat unfinished. It's a very unique retelling of "Beauty and the Beast" and an interesting take on post-colonialism - just a bit short is all.