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kyleofbooks 's review for:
Silk Fire
by Zabé Ellor
Actual rating: 1.5 (rounded down)
Many thanks to Rebellion and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
Right off the bat: even with the prior ‘Names and Pronunciation’ section, I was at a loss. The names are just far too ridiculous to 1. Look at and 2. Pronounce. I’m not saying this in a xenophobic way, mind you. I respect cultures and pronunciations from all over the world (even fantastical made up ones), but when it comes to fantasy literature, I really don’t want to struggle with little things like names and honorifics. I’m also not trying to say that this shit should be dumbed down for readers, but make it a little less wild and abstract. Faraakshgé and Akizeké Shikishashir Dzaxashigé… ??? It’s needlessly convoluted.
And even after all that, we’re given even more dumps of information. The worldbuilding comes fast, and it comes fully-loaded with confusion. To summarize: I was at a loss before I even began. What I did note was that the gender politics were reversed, which was refreshing, and that there were… dragons and dinosaurs. Like, actual dinosaurs. And everyone in the book talked about the dinos’s presence unironically. It was a little too comical for me to get over it— “brotsaurus burgers” and raptors pulling hover ships like horses and a carriage. It’s not the kind of fantasy I enjoy reading, and I should’ve known better before diving in.
The only redeeming qualities is that there were glimpses of nuance and well-written passages, but they’re overshadowed at every turn by melodrama and inanely perplexing worldbuilding. I didn’t want to jump on the ‘one-star bandwagon’, especially considering this is a debut, but I have to stay true and honest.
Another thing: everyone in this book is so. Goddamn. Horny. There is a lot of sex and crudeness, so readers with an aversion to that sort of content should steer clear. I personally gave up and skimmed the remained of the book after I encountered a BDSM foot play and fisting threesome.
Many thanks to Rebellion and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
Right off the bat: even with the prior ‘Names and Pronunciation’ section, I was at a loss. The names are just far too ridiculous to 1. Look at and 2. Pronounce. I’m not saying this in a xenophobic way, mind you. I respect cultures and pronunciations from all over the world (even fantastical made up ones), but when it comes to fantasy literature, I really don’t want to struggle with little things like names and honorifics. I’m also not trying to say that this shit should be dumbed down for readers, but make it a little less wild and abstract. Faraakshgé and Akizeké Shikishashir Dzaxashigé… ??? It’s needlessly convoluted.
And even after all that, we’re given even more dumps of information. The worldbuilding comes fast, and it comes fully-loaded with confusion. To summarize: I was at a loss before I even began. What I did note was that the gender politics were reversed, which was refreshing, and that there were… dragons and dinosaurs. Like, actual dinosaurs. And everyone in the book talked about the dinos’s presence unironically. It was a little too comical for me to get over it— “brotsaurus burgers” and raptors pulling hover ships like horses and a carriage. It’s not the kind of fantasy I enjoy reading, and I should’ve known better before diving in.
The only redeeming qualities is that there were glimpses of nuance and well-written passages, but they’re overshadowed at every turn by melodrama and inanely perplexing worldbuilding. I didn’t want to jump on the ‘one-star bandwagon’, especially considering this is a debut, but I have to stay true and honest.
Another thing: everyone in this book is so. Goddamn. Horny. There is a lot of sex and crudeness, so readers with an aversion to that sort of content should steer clear. I personally gave up and skimmed the remained of the book after I encountered a BDSM foot play and fisting threesome.