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arsenelouppain's reviews
30 reviews
Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
dark
emotional
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
5.0
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
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
3.75
The only reason this isn't 4 stars is because I got tired of the characters constantly getting riled up when someone of the opposite sex bared a bit of skin. It got really repetitive after a while. I was fairly neutral about the book until the last few chapters. I genuinely didn't see some of the twists coming, and then it ended on a cliffhanger! I'm interested in seeing what Faizal has in store for the sequel!
A Gentleman and a Thief: The Daring Jewel Heists of a Jazz Age Rogue by Dean Jobb
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
3.0
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
4.5
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had action, an intricate political plot, great world-building, and loveable characters. I wish more moments between Ranka and Aramis had been shown, because their relationship felt somewhat abrupt. I also think some of its themes were a bit heavy-handed. But, all in all, I really liked this book.
So I was shocked to see that it had been accused of perpetuating racism. I am Black, and--while I know Blackness is not a monolith--I did not pick up on any bigoted undertones.
TL;DR: I'm Black and didn't think it was racist, but I'm just one person. Read it and draw your own conclusions.
Putting aside the fact that all of the negative press I personally saw about the book was from people that hadn't read it, and had only heard about it secondhand:
The main issue people cited was that the royal twins, Aramis and Galen, were mixed, and Ranka was white. Somehow, the conclusion had been drawn that the twins were oppressing white witches, like Ranka. But this is not the case.
It is pointed out multiple times that the witches are a diverse group comprised of various races. It is also mentioned that witches have committed wrongs against humans, and neither of the two groups was fully in control of the situation.
As an aside,these claims are especially ironic considering that the twins weren't even ruling, so they had no hand in what was happening to the witches. And made even more ironic by the fact that their father, the former king, was white and abusing his power to oppress witches and humans alike.
While it is at first presented to Ranka that Galen is hell-bent on killing all witches, this turns out to be a lie told by Ranka's mentor. After meeting Galen, Ranka discovers the truth: Galen is a kind, gentle boy that has been made into a figurehead, much like herself.
If anything, this is less like reverse-racism and more like a white person who was raised in a racist environment meeting a Black person for the first time and realizing everything they'd been taught was a lie. Which is still an issue, but a separate one.
I feel like Mix's intentions were to create diverse characters in a fantasy story where the color of your skin has no impact on your societal standing. Personally, I like to enjoy stories like this on occasion; there's enough racism in the real world, and it's nice to get a break.
As a queer Black woman, I was also estatic to see someone like me reflected in the story. I know this is not a universal experience, but I would rather see imperfect representation than none at all because white people are too afraid of backlash to even include people like me as a one-off side character.
But this is just my opinion. And my thoughts do not invalidate the opinions of other Black people who actually read this book and have legitimate criticisms.
I urge anyone who is on the fence about reading The Ones We Burn because of any controversey to just give it a chance, and pass your own judgement.
So I was shocked to see that it had been accused of perpetuating racism. I am Black, and--while I know Blackness is not a monolith--I did not pick up on any bigoted undertones.
TL;DR: I'm Black and didn't think it was racist, but I'm just one person. Read it and draw your own conclusions.
Putting aside the fact that all of the negative press I personally saw about the book was from people that hadn't read it, and had only heard about it secondhand:
The main issue people cited was that the royal twins, Aramis and Galen, were mixed, and Ranka was white. Somehow, the conclusion had been drawn that the twins were oppressing white witches, like Ranka. But this is not the case.
It is pointed out multiple times that the witches are a diverse group comprised of various races. It is also mentioned that witches have committed wrongs against humans, and neither of the two groups was fully in control of the situation.
As an aside,
While it is at first presented to Ranka that Galen is hell-bent on killing all witches, this turns out to be a lie told by Ranka's mentor. After meeting Galen, Ranka discovers the truth: Galen is a kind, gentle boy that has been made into a figurehead, much like herself.
If anything, this is less like reverse-racism and more like a white person who was raised in a racist environment meeting a Black person for the first time and realizing everything they'd been taught was a lie. Which is still an issue, but a separate one.
I feel like Mix's intentions were to create diverse characters in a fantasy story where the color of your skin has no impact on your societal standing. Personally, I like to enjoy stories like this on occasion; there's enough racism in the real world, and it's nice to get a break.
As a queer Black woman, I was also estatic to see someone like me reflected in the story. I know this is not a universal experience, but I would rather see imperfect representation than none at all because white people are too afraid of backlash to even include people like me as a one-off side character.
But this is just my opinion. And my thoughts do not invalidate the opinions of other Black people who actually read this book and have legitimate criticisms.
I urge anyone who is on the fence about reading The Ones We Burn because of any controversey to just give it a chance, and pass your own judgement.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Cheer Up: Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.5
This was such a cute, heartwarming story that tackled some tough topics in a well-written, respectful way. The characters were realistic, and developed over the course of the story. My only complaint is that I wish it had been longer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Minor: Dysphoria
The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The premise was good, but the execution needed some work. The characters--while likeable--were somewhat one-dimensional (especially the antagonists), and the whole story felt rushed. Some of the plot points were confusing, and I questioned a few of the storytelling decisions.
I had initially planned to give it 2.5 stars, but the scene whreHolly visited her mother was really poignant. I also liked the plot line with Mr. Stokard and found it very true to life. The message of the book was quite nice, and overall, it isn't a bad read.
I had initially planned to give it 2.5 stars, but the scene whre
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexism, Torture, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was such an incredibly nuanced and thrilling story that it's difficult for me to explain its appeal in a short book review.
The writing was amazing, both witty and--at times--gritty. The psychology of the protagonist, June, was well fleshed-out. While she is far from sympathetic, her thought process and decisions were all very consistent and reasonable given her personality. Her perspective is so strangely compelling that it was impossible to put this book down.
The writing was amazing, both witty and--at times--gritty. The psychology of the protagonist, June, was well fleshed-out. While she is far from sympathetic, her thought process and decisions were all very consistent and reasonable given her personality. Her perspective is so strangely compelling that it was impossible to put this book down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts