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beforeviolets's reviews
353 reviews
The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones
This book was pretty much exactly what it said on the tin: a YA fantasy heist with Welsh folklore, a bisexual MC, a romantic subplot, and a corgi spy. It was very sweet, a quick read, and walked the well-trodden paths of the classic fantasy heist tropes. I'd recommend this one to folks newer to fantasy stories or teen readers looking for something full of a fun cast of a characters and action-packed plot.
CW: violence, death, character death, drowning, fire, mass deaths, grief, blood, imprisonment, emesis, dead body, poison, child death (past), loss of family (past), child abandonment (past), dismemberment (past), alcohol
CW: violence, death, character death, drowning, fire, mass deaths, grief, blood, imprisonment, emesis, dead body, poison, child death (past), loss of family (past), child abandonment (past), dismemberment (past), alcohol
The Gracekeepers by Kirsty Logan
A deeply underrated whimsical sapphic fantasy.
In the assumed future of Earth, land is scarce. Those who live among water, also known as damplings, are looked down upon by the privileged landlockers, safe on their steady land.
In The Gracekeepers, we primarily follow two characters:
North, a dampling who lives on a circus boat, where every night she dances with a bear in front of landlockers for food. She is engaged to the ringmaster’s son, a self-entitled brat, and she carries a secret, ones she’s not sure anyone would even believe.
Callendish, a gracekeeper, which is essentially a mortician who performs funerary rituals for damplings, though she herself is a landlocker. And like North, she harbors a secret of her own.
Though despite mainly following these two, this book features an eclectic ensemble cast, most of the characters having at least one chapter of POV throughout the story. Each character was so interesting, fully realized, and well-defined. It was a cast peppered with personality, and all tightly woven together like the ribbons of a maypole. I especially loved the members of the circus, and could tell that Kirsty Logan definitely has at least some clowning experience, if not further cirque experience. Circus performers such as clowns have a history of subverting societal standards and questioning authority, and it was really lovely to see that history honored here.
This book has a lovely underbelly of climate and class commentary, but applied in an open-ended, and thought-provoking way. It offered a fabulist-style approach to a dystopian literary trope, utilizing metaphor and ambiguity. Rather than seeking to solve problems or provide some sort of statement on these issues, The Gracekeepers simply provides questions and perspectives. This approach worked well for this story, using the narrative to show the initial drop in the water, and then using the audience to carry out the ripple effect. It caused a reflective and thoughtful tone to shine through the fun and whimsy.
The romance was sweet as well. Though it was most definitely a subplot at best, it held a lot of hope and tenderness and provided a balancing softness to the narrative.
I do wish we had a little bit more of a glimpse into the world of the mermaids (?), but I understand they were primarily meant to exist as a metaphor or idea, something intangible like a dream. I may have to check out some of Logan’s other work, as I think some of her other books are set in this world and I desperately want to know more.
Overall, I really enjoyed this sweet and whimsical story, featuring punk clowns, a dancing bear, mysterious sea-people, sapphics, a circus boat, sea funerals, climate and class commentary, and lovely prose.
CW: classism, pregnancy, grief, character death, loss of loved one, drowning, animal death, amnesia, abusive parent, misogyny, imprisonment, fire, claustrophobia, parental death (past), alcohol, blood, religious bigotry & imperialism, child death (past), sexual content (implied)
In the assumed future of Earth, land is scarce. Those who live among water, also known as damplings, are looked down upon by the privileged landlockers, safe on their steady land.
In The Gracekeepers, we primarily follow two characters:
North, a dampling who lives on a circus boat, where every night she dances with a bear in front of landlockers for food. She is engaged to the ringmaster’s son, a self-entitled brat, and she carries a secret, ones she’s not sure anyone would even believe.
Callendish, a gracekeeper, which is essentially a mortician who performs funerary rituals for damplings, though she herself is a landlocker. And like North, she harbors a secret of her own.
Though despite mainly following these two, this book features an eclectic ensemble cast, most of the characters having at least one chapter of POV throughout the story. Each character was so interesting, fully realized, and well-defined. It was a cast peppered with personality, and all tightly woven together like the ribbons of a maypole. I especially loved the members of the circus, and could tell that Kirsty Logan definitely has at least some clowning experience, if not further cirque experience. Circus performers such as clowns have a history of subverting societal standards and questioning authority, and it was really lovely to see that history honored here.
This book has a lovely underbelly of climate and class commentary, but applied in an open-ended, and thought-provoking way. It offered a fabulist-style approach to a dystopian literary trope, utilizing metaphor and ambiguity. Rather than seeking to solve problems or provide some sort of statement on these issues, The Gracekeepers simply provides questions and perspectives. This approach worked well for this story, using the narrative to show the initial drop in the water, and then using the audience to carry out the ripple effect. It caused a reflective and thoughtful tone to shine through the fun and whimsy.
The romance was sweet as well. Though it was most definitely a subplot at best, it held a lot of hope and tenderness and provided a balancing softness to the narrative.
I do wish we had a little bit more of a glimpse into the world of the mermaids (?), but I understand they were primarily meant to exist as a metaphor or idea, something intangible like a dream. I may have to check out some of Logan’s other work, as I think some of her other books are set in this world and I desperately want to know more.
Overall, I really enjoyed this sweet and whimsical story, featuring punk clowns, a dancing bear, mysterious sea-people, sapphics, a circus boat, sea funerals, climate and class commentary, and lovely prose.
CW: classism, pregnancy, grief, character death, loss of loved one, drowning, animal death, amnesia, abusive parent, misogyny, imprisonment, fire, claustrophobia, parental death (past), alcohol, blood, religious bigotry & imperialism, child death (past), sexual content (implied)
Foul Days by Genoveva Dimova
full rtc
I liked a lot of the worldbuilding and folklore but couldn’t get over some glaring structural issues in the writing. so much telling and very little showing.
and the cop love interest?!?! i’m sorry but I couldn’t read about him breaking through the “barricade” (yes, the actual word used) of pillows on their tropey-one-bed so that they wake in each other’s arms without thinking about how just DAYS ago, I saw cops breaking through a barricade made of literal human bodies to brutalize hundreds of students for peacefully protesting.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I liked a lot of the worldbuilding and folklore but couldn’t get over some glaring structural issues in the writing. so much telling and very little showing.
and the cop love interest?!?! i’m sorry but I couldn’t read about him breaking through the “barricade” (yes, the actual word used) of pillows on their tropey-one-bed so that they wake in each other’s arms without thinking about how just DAYS ago, I saw cops breaking through a barricade made of literal human bodies to brutalize hundreds of students for peacefully protesting.
Thank you to the publisher for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The Tempest by William Shakespeare
I really love talking about this play but god do I really not love reading this play (where are the jokes, will?)
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
5.0
inevitably, this may be my new all time favorite book. only time will tell.
The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
A quaint dark little woodsy fairytale about colonialism, power, and grief.
I loved how bizarre and prosey and confusing the writing was, it added a lovely dream-like logic to the journey through this world and this story and was properly disorienting while still easy to digest. The atmosphere was rich and haunting in all the right ways. The themes this book played with were really fascinating, and I appreciated the open-endedness of many of its strings.
I think the only critique I have is that it felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop for much of the story. There was a clear setup here about different relationships to land: the inhabitants of the ancient forest where people go to die or lose themselves, the folks of the village who have lived in cautious fear of the ancient forest, and the king's men who have come to conquer the lands and understand little of the forest. And maybe I missed something, but I felt like I was waiting for some reveal or some twist about power or land ownership that never really happened.
If anyone else read this and Gets It, please let me know if I missed something. But I did enjoy my little time with this story, and I'm intrigued to read more of Mohamed's work.
CW: colonization, blood & gore, grief, child death (past), dead bodies, death of parents (past), death of illness (past), death of loved one (past), war (past), alcohol, animal abuse (off page), emesis
I loved how bizarre and prosey and confusing the writing was, it added a lovely dream-like logic to the journey through this world and this story and was properly disorienting while still easy to digest. The atmosphere was rich and haunting in all the right ways. The themes this book played with were really fascinating, and I appreciated the open-endedness of many of its strings.
I think the only critique I have is that it felt like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop for much of the story. There was a clear setup here about different relationships to land: the inhabitants of the ancient forest where people go to die or lose themselves, the folks of the village who have lived in cautious fear of the ancient forest, and the king's men who have come to conquer the lands and understand little of the forest. And maybe I missed something, but I felt like I was waiting for some reveal or some twist about power or land ownership that never really happened.
If anyone else read this and Gets It, please let me know if I missed something. But I did enjoy my little time with this story, and I'm intrigued to read more of Mohamed's work.
CW: colonization, blood & gore, grief, child death (past), dead bodies, death of parents (past), death of illness (past), death of loved one (past), war (past), alcohol, animal abuse (off page), emesis
You Weren't Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Andrew Joseph White has become quite the horror phenomenon since his debut, well-known for his poignant, thoughtful young adult stories full of gore, trans rage, and cutting commentary. And his foray into the adult literary world delivers no less than the expectations his previous work promises.
YOU WEREN’T MEANT TO BE HUMAN explores the politicalization of the body, emphasizing the way “othered” bodies are turned into battlegrounds or prisons or tools by governing bodies, individual and collective. It asks questions about control, self-determination, and freedom under systems of oppression. And it does so with exquisite, multi-layered, heart-wrenching storytelling.
I got to read an early version of this book as a sensitivity reader, and it was such an honor to catch a glimpse behind the curtain of White’s brilliance. Though this book is unbelievably nauseating and–as is standard in White’s work–unflinching (I had to get a lot of fresh air while reading this one, do not read it around a meal), it truly captures the heart of horror. It's hard to peel apart the many elements of this story for examination, as its tendrils all tangle together, themes and messages and plots and characters all bleeding into one narrative entity. I regularly experienced multiple feelings at once, often even contrasting ones, while trying to digest this squirming tale. But at the end, per usual for an AJW book, I was left agog, comforted, empowered, and grossed out in equal measure.
CW: pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, cannibalism, insects, suicidal ideation, self-mutilation, sexual content, sexual violence/dub-con sexual content, abusive relationship, murder, blood & gore, dead body, injury detail, emesis, dysphoria, transphobia (including internalized), drowning, slurs, deadnaming, infidelity, needles, death by cancer (past), war (past)
YOU WEREN’T MEANT TO BE HUMAN explores the politicalization of the body, emphasizing the way “othered” bodies are turned into battlegrounds or prisons or tools by governing bodies, individual and collective. It asks questions about control, self-determination, and freedom under systems of oppression. And it does so with exquisite, multi-layered, heart-wrenching storytelling.
I got to read an early version of this book as a sensitivity reader, and it was such an honor to catch a glimpse behind the curtain of White’s brilliance. Though this book is unbelievably nauseating and–as is standard in White’s work–unflinching (I had to get a lot of fresh air while reading this one, do not read it around a meal), it truly captures the heart of horror. It's hard to peel apart the many elements of this story for examination, as its tendrils all tangle together, themes and messages and plots and characters all bleeding into one narrative entity. I regularly experienced multiple feelings at once, often even contrasting ones, while trying to digest this squirming tale. But at the end, per usual for an AJW book, I was left agog, comforted, empowered, and grossed out in equal measure.
CW: pregnancy, childbirth, miscarriage, cannibalism, insects, suicidal ideation, self-mutilation, sexual content, sexual violence/dub-con sexual content, abusive relationship, murder, blood & gore, dead body, injury detail, emesis, dysphoria, transphobia (including internalized), drowning, slurs, deadnaming, infidelity, needles, death by cancer (past), war (past)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Violence, Sexual content, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, Gore, and Self harm
Moderate: Deadnaming, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Vomit, and Dysphoria
Minor: War, Infidelity, and Cancer
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
Embarrassed this took me three years to finally take this off my shelf and read it! I ate this up.
I did feel like time and space were a little vague, I was having a hard time figuring out how far apart things were from each other and how much time passed, but other than that this was so well done.
I adored the characters, each felt so strongly defined and were fascinating to follow. The world-building and the details of each religion and their impacts on the characters and the politics and the world was just unbelievably scrumptious. The romance was great, but honestly I barely even cared about it in comparison to how deep and rich the world-building was. I just needed to know everything about the rot, the deathless waters, the yaksa, the nameless one, the mothers, etc. Each piece of lore was like candy to me.
There's no question that I'll be continuing this series.
CW: fire, imprisonment, war, drugging, murder, illness, violence, blood & gore, immolation, suicidal ideation, addiction & withdrawal, hallucinations, misogyny, homophobia, character death, drowning, grief, emesis, alcohol, child death (past, recounted), animal death, pregnancy, childbirth (off-page) parental death (past), death of family members
I did feel like time and space were a little vague, I was having a hard time figuring out how far apart things were from each other and how much time passed, but other than that this was so well done.
I adored the characters, each felt so strongly defined and were fascinating to follow. The world-building and the details of each religion and their impacts on the characters and the politics and the world was just unbelievably scrumptious. The romance was great, but honestly I barely even cared about it in comparison to how deep and rich the world-building was. I just needed to know everything about the rot, the deathless waters, the yaksa, the nameless one, the mothers, etc. Each piece of lore was like candy to me.
There's no question that I'll be continuing this series.
CW: fire, imprisonment, war, drugging, murder, illness, violence, blood & gore, immolation, suicidal ideation, addiction & withdrawal, hallucinations, misogyny, homophobia, character death, drowning, grief, emesis, alcohol, child death (past, recounted), animal death, pregnancy, childbirth (off-page) parental death (past), death of family members
Smile and Be a Villain by Yves Donlon
“My tables—meet it is I set it down
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain—
At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.”
-Hamlet
SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN is a self-published historical fantasy that reimagines the story of Hamlet, starting with the young prince’s departure to Wittenberg prior to the plot of Shakespeare’s play. Featuring rich fantastical lore, a diverse cast, and informed by a historical landscape of violence, religion, and politics, SABAV serves as a stunning debut from Yves Donlon.
Especially for an indie title, the prose is fairly tight and has a beautiful flow. The imagery is vivid, the characterization is clear, and it has an original style and rhythm without taking away from legibility. The world building is really well-informed. The political climate of Hamlet isn’t often heavily emphasized in adaptations or retellings, especially when it comes to complex religious dynamics, the treatment of marginalized communities, and (surprisingly) the trauma of war. So for Donlon to bring these factors–and their impressions on the world and the characters–to the forefront is wonderfully refreshing and adds a fascinating lens to a story I thought I already knew so well.
But the thing I really want to gush about here is the representation. Bisexual Hamlet, aspec Ophelia, trans Rosencrantz, Black Guildenstern, and even queer Jewish Horatio! (I absolutely did cry about queer Jewish Horatio.) I really appreciated not only the presence of these identities, but the way they shape the characters’ choices and alliances. I especially appreciate the queer-platonic relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia. The way this story utilizes the constraints and expectations of their genders in this society as a complication on their dynamic (for better or for worse) is so clever.
One of my favorite elements of the original story of Hamlet is its ambiguous perspective, and I felt like this is well represented in the use of magic in this world. Throughout the story, we–as the audience–witness characters’ different opinions on and relationships to magic and are left unsure what to believe in a way that is really intriguing. I’m really curious whether this intentional ambiguity will continue in book two or solidify into a clearer message.
I do think that the second half of this book is better than the first half, but mostly because that second half’s structure is INCREDIBLE. Donlon’s crafting genius really shines in their ability to end this book and prepare us for the next. SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN starts with the beginnings of Hamlet’s threads, and slowly but surely, they are pulled and strung this way and that, seemingly at random, until all of a sudden they snap into place. Suddenly, the stage is set, the actors are in the wings, and the curtain is rising.
I can’t wait to see how all of these pieces fit together in the next installment. Based on the way they handled this first book, I have no doubt Donlon will provide a masterful narrative payoff of the themes and discussions they’ve set up for the sequel.
So if you’re wanting to read a Hamlet retelling centering a queer and diverse cast, political intrigue, a mysterious magic system, and lovely writing, I highly recommend SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN.
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: war, violence, illness, death by illness, blood & gore, alcohol, homophobia, misogyny, emesis infidelity, antisemitism (mention), death of mother (past), death of sibling (past), slavery (mention)
That one may smile, and smile, and be a villain—
At least I am sure it may be so in Denmark.”
-Hamlet
SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN is a self-published historical fantasy that reimagines the story of Hamlet, starting with the young prince’s departure to Wittenberg prior to the plot of Shakespeare’s play. Featuring rich fantastical lore, a diverse cast, and informed by a historical landscape of violence, religion, and politics, SABAV serves as a stunning debut from Yves Donlon.
Especially for an indie title, the prose is fairly tight and has a beautiful flow. The imagery is vivid, the characterization is clear, and it has an original style and rhythm without taking away from legibility. The world building is really well-informed. The political climate of Hamlet isn’t often heavily emphasized in adaptations or retellings, especially when it comes to complex religious dynamics, the treatment of marginalized communities, and (surprisingly) the trauma of war. So for Donlon to bring these factors–and their impressions on the world and the characters–to the forefront is wonderfully refreshing and adds a fascinating lens to a story I thought I already knew so well.
But the thing I really want to gush about here is the representation. Bisexual Hamlet, aspec Ophelia, trans Rosencrantz, Black Guildenstern, and even queer Jewish Horatio! (I absolutely did cry about queer Jewish Horatio.) I really appreciated not only the presence of these identities, but the way they shape the characters’ choices and alliances. I especially appreciate the queer-platonic relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia. The way this story utilizes the constraints and expectations of their genders in this society as a complication on their dynamic (for better or for worse) is so clever.
One of my favorite elements of the original story of Hamlet is its ambiguous perspective, and I felt like this is well represented in the use of magic in this world. Throughout the story, we–as the audience–witness characters’ different opinions on and relationships to magic and are left unsure what to believe in a way that is really intriguing. I’m really curious whether this intentional ambiguity will continue in book two or solidify into a clearer message.
I do think that the second half of this book is better than the first half, but mostly because that second half’s structure is INCREDIBLE. Donlon’s crafting genius really shines in their ability to end this book and prepare us for the next. SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN starts with the beginnings of Hamlet’s threads, and slowly but surely, they are pulled and strung this way and that, seemingly at random, until all of a sudden they snap into place. Suddenly, the stage is set, the actors are in the wings, and the curtain is rising.
I can’t wait to see how all of these pieces fit together in the next installment. Based on the way they handled this first book, I have no doubt Donlon will provide a masterful narrative payoff of the themes and discussions they’ve set up for the sequel.
So if you’re wanting to read a Hamlet retelling centering a queer and diverse cast, political intrigue, a mysterious magic system, and lovely writing, I highly recommend SMILE AND BE A VILLAIN.
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: war, violence, illness, death by illness, blood & gore, alcohol, homophobia, misogyny, emesis infidelity, antisemitism (mention), death of mother (past), death of sibling (past), slavery (mention)
Uncommon Charm by Emily Bergslien, Kat Weaver
UNCOMMON CHARM is a really unique story. A queer, Jewish, gothic, historical fantasy, this novella features a quiet, slice-of-life style narrative set amidst 1920's London.
I really enjoyed all the elements of this book: ghostly seances, Jewish magical philosophy, mlm/wlw solidarity, family politics, and even a positive portrayal of protective mothers.
Though the edges of this tale at times struggled against the confines of its structure, its elements and themes sometimes fighting for dominance in a way that muddied the chronicling of timelines and train of thought. As I'm finding quite often nowadays, I think the folly of this story is perhaps its need for a stronger editorial hand.
But it did indeed contain an uncommon charm.
(A quick aside to scream about this gorgeous cover by Marlowe Lune, my favorite cover illustrator! This alone made this book's purchase more than worth it.)
CW: incest, grooming (implied), antisemitism, alcohol, chronic pain, sexual assault (past, implied), hospitalization (past), murder (past), gun violence (past), illness (mention), blood (mention), injury detail (mention), war (past)
I really enjoyed all the elements of this book: ghostly seances, Jewish magical philosophy, mlm/wlw solidarity, family politics, and even a positive portrayal of protective mothers.
Though the edges of this tale at times struggled against the confines of its structure, its elements and themes sometimes fighting for dominance in a way that muddied the chronicling of timelines and train of thought. As I'm finding quite often nowadays, I think the folly of this story is perhaps its need for a stronger editorial hand.
But it did indeed contain an uncommon charm.
(A quick aside to scream about this gorgeous cover by Marlowe Lune, my favorite cover illustrator! This alone made this book's purchase more than worth it.)
CW: incest, grooming (implied), antisemitism, alcohol, chronic pain, sexual assault (past, implied), hospitalization (past), murder (past), gun violence (past), illness (mention), blood (mention), injury detail (mention), war (past)