Scan barcode
bookishpriest's reviews
217 reviews
Wool by Hugh Howey
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk, Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was a great collection of short stories demonstrating several kinds of horror. Themes of colonization, racism, poverty, sexism, and white supremacy all crop up alongside supernatural, paranormal, and purely human thrills. A great way to read the work of 26 different Indigenous authors and have some scary fun doing it!
Narcissus: A Novella by Adam Godfrey
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Narcissus is a modern horror novella using the Greek legend of Narcissus as the prologue for some supernatural horror.
This is a quick read and succeeds in using the myth of Narcissus as a jumping-off-point for a series of creepy events. It definitely takes some inspiration from the Final Destination franchise with the idea of a stalking horror that can't be escaped, only avoided for a time.
There are four main characters who fall into the " overconfident American tourist who gets themselves into trouble in spite of what the locals say" stereotype. These four folks are, sadly, uninteresting people and other than two of them having been lovers in the recent past, there doesn't seem to be anything remarkable about them at all. It's hard to establish deep characters in a novella, but these four felt entirely two dimensional.
For most of the book, the writing is good. Concise sentences contribute to the fast pace and sense of urgency the characters feel as they try to figure out what is happening to them. The first two chapters frequently suffer from writing that seems to be looking for the biggest synonym available for what's being said. There are a few details that don't seem to make sense and were strange enough that I found myself leaving the story to wonder about them.I can't find any reference to catacombs on Mykonos, but there are famous ones in Milos so why not locate the story where it makes sense? The legend of Narcissus has him die staring at his reflection in a river, so why move the location to an isolated underground pool without even a river running into it? Why is a demigod of Greek legend leaving messages for people in Latin, not Greek? There were also a couple of hand-wave details that didn't seem consistent or sensible to me. Why is there a camera with a reflective lens in one police interview room and not the other?
Overall, the novella was an interesting extension of Narcissus's legend into a contemporary horror space. Worth your time if you want to spend an hour or two on a creepy, fun horror romp on a Greek island. Just don't expect to fall in love with the characters or spend a lot of time here once the pages flip past.
This is a quick read and succeeds in using the myth of Narcissus as a jumping-off-point for a series of creepy events. It definitely takes some inspiration from the Final Destination franchise with the idea of a stalking horror that can't be escaped, only avoided for a time.
There are four main characters who fall into the " overconfident American tourist who gets themselves into trouble in spite of what the locals say" stereotype. These four folks are, sadly, uninteresting people and other than two of them having been lovers in the recent past, there doesn't seem to be anything remarkable about them at all. It's hard to establish deep characters in a novella, but these four felt entirely two dimensional.
For most of the book, the writing is good. Concise sentences contribute to the fast pace and sense of urgency the characters feel as they try to figure out what is happening to them. The first two chapters frequently suffer from writing that seems to be looking for the biggest synonym available for what's being said. There are a few details that don't seem to make sense and were strange enough that I found myself leaving the story to wonder about them.
Overall, the novella was an interesting extension of Narcissus's legend into a contemporary horror space. Worth your time if you want to spend an hour or two on a creepy, fun horror romp on a Greek island. Just don't expect to fall in love with the characters or spend a lot of time here once the pages flip past.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Stalking
The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport by Samit Basu
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
A retelling of the Aladdin story, complete with wish-granting Jinn, set in a cyberpunk world inspired by southeast Asia sounded like a brilliant idea. The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport isn't a perfect book by any stretch, but it gets some things right and they're a lot of fun.
From the first paragraph of Jinn-Bot, the reader is thrown into the world of Shantiport. Slang and details about the world are presented as commonplace, plunging the reader into the deep end immersion of this cyberpunk fantasy. I was reminded of the same kind of helpless immersion I felt in Neal Stephenson's Snowcrash.
The main characters, siblings named Lina and Bador, are followed throughout the story by Moku, a chronicling robot. Moku, whose job it is to assemble as comprehensive a profile as possible of the people it follows, dumps a lot of info for the reader. There are entertaining moments of people being observed through the eyes of a robot, reminding me a bit of Martha Wells's Murderbot series. Unfortunately, in the case of Jinn-Bot, this recurring trope in the book felt like a lot of telling and not much showing.
Bador and Lina each have interesting plotlines but I felt as though they might have been better served each with an independent novella rather than trying to mix the two into a novel. They didn't seem to intersect or engage with one another as holistically as I would have liked for a single book.
The writing engages with themes of political revolution, colonization, and oligarchy against a backdrop of a dystopian, cyberpunk city. It takes off at high speed and doesn't slow down often or for long. I found the ride through Shantiport, Lina's scheming, Bador's ambition, and the worldbuilding a lot of fun. The Jinn-Bot of Shantiport doesn't completely miss the mark—I look forward to reading more of Samit Basu's writing—but there's definitely room for improvement, too.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, and Violence
Beyond Worship: Meditations on Queer Worship, Liturgy, & Theology by James Admans
Being a collection with a broad focus and authorship, Beyond Worship's individual contents do not bear much intentional relationship to one another. This may be good, bad, or cause for indifference depending on the reader's preference, but is worth noting.
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
Beyond Worship is a collection of a wide variety of pieces of writing from a diverse group of authors representing different gender, racial, sexual, and faith identities. A majority of the authors are Christians—with a heavy representation of graduates of Union Theological Seminary—but many other faiths are represented here as well.
The pieces in this collection vary from prayers and poems to rituals and reflections t0 academic papers. Each piece affirms the dignity and worth of LGBTQ+ people in the context of a particular faith tradition. Some of the pieces reflect on surviving negative experiences, some celebrate the particular spiritual gifts that LGBTQ+ people bring. Regardless of its focus, each peace is empowering and caring.
Being a collection with a broad focus and authorship, Beyond Worship's individual contents do not bear much intentional relationship to one another. This may be good, bad, or cause for indifference depending on the reader's preference, but is worth noting.
Beyond Worship is a touching, short read for anyone interested in first-person, affirming reflections on the experience of LGBTQ+ people in a breadth of spiritual traditions.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
This is a wonderful retelling of a classic fairytale by Elizabeth Lim. The audiobook is excellently narrated by Emily Woo Zeller.
I had a great time being transported into this retelling of "The Wild Swans" set in a world inspired by Chinese history and mythology. Dragons from the depths of the ocean, a shadowy sorceress, family curses, a missing princess... This was great fun from start to finish.
There were a few points where the excellent, accessible writing bumped up against some of the "because fairytale" details in a way that felt awkward. Didn't derail the story or anything but felt like a bump in an otherwise very smooth ride. There is a sequel, but it also felt like a somewhat hurried setup at the end of this book. I think this one would work perfectly as a standalone, if that's what a reader was looking for.
Definitely recommended reading for anyone who likes fairytale retellings and magical adventures!
I had a great time being transported into this retelling of "The Wild Swans" set in a world inspired by Chinese history and mythology. Dragons from the depths of the ocean, a shadowy sorceress, family curses, a missing princess... This was great fun from start to finish.
There were a few points where the excellent, accessible writing bumped up against some of the "because fairytale" details in a way that felt awkward. Didn't derail the story or anything but felt like a bump in an otherwise very smooth ride. There is a sequel, but it also felt like a somewhat hurried setup at the end of this book. I think this one would work perfectly as a standalone, if that's what a reader was looking for.
Definitely recommended reading for anyone who likes fairytale retellings and magical adventures!
Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This book was a fun read. The world-building reflects a great deal of work and planning, besides which I love a heist story. The incorporation of traditional Nigerian mythology with modern ideas and structures made for interesting commentary on colonialism and capitalism. The idea of the spirit world structured as corporations with "pray pay" and spirit-eating freelancers was intriguing and a fun way to think about the shadow world. Really well done, there.
I found the regular timeline jumps a bit jarring, rather than the clever device that I hoped they would prove to be. The bouncing around required extra effort from me as a reader and, most of the time, I wasn't invested enough in the story for that to be an easy ask.
While the timeline jumps fleshed out some of the histories of Nneoma and Shigidi, they didn't do enough to get me invested in the relationship. It wasn't a distraction from the main plot, but I also wasn't convinced that it added much to the story either.
Overall, this is an interesting premise and I'd be interested to see more in this genre from Talabi.
I was provided with a free digital copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I found the regular timeline jumps a bit jarring, rather than the clever device that I hoped they would prove to be. The bouncing around required extra effort from me as a reader and, most of the time, I wasn't invested enough in the story for that to be an easy ask.
While the timeline jumps fleshed out some of the histories of Nneoma and Shigidi, they didn't do enough to get me invested in the relationship. It wasn't a distraction from the main plot, but I also wasn't convinced that it added much to the story either.
Overall, this is an interesting premise and I'd be interested to see more in this genre from Talabi.
I was provided with a free digital copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence
Cackle by Rachel Harrison
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
The blurb persuaded me that this would be a good addition to my autumn reading and the atmosphere is right. Unfortunately, the rest of the book was a let down.
There's no real plot to speak of, just a paper-thin pretense to put the main character in a new setting. The story revolves around the protagonist's relationship with a new friend. Our protagonist, Anne, is an exceptionally basic woman suffering after a recent break-up. Her new friend, Sophie, is older, wiser, and very mysterious. There are red flags almost immediately upon their meeting and so much toxic behaviour that I found myself constantly disbelieving that Anne was still engaging with any of this.
There were some genuinely creepy moments in the first 1/3 of the book, but those petred out in the slog that was the middle section. It felt like we were circling the same character development issues for a very long time before taking off and going anywhere. Then, in the last 10% of the book, a great many things happen that feel wildly inconsistent with the first 90%. I can think of some plausible explanations for these developments, but they weren't offered by the author.
I think the author was trying to make a statement about self-love, self-worth, self-discovery, and feminism, but what I read came across more like wildly irresponsible selfishness excused with a juvenile "They hit me first so beating them to death and taking all of their stuff is okay" kind of logic.
There were a few issues with diction which should have been caught by an editor. Very much of the "I do not think that word means what you think it means" variety. For me, these kinds of errors are jarring and pull me out of the story quickly and thoroughly.
I had high hopes for Cackle but was ultimately disappointed. If you're dying for a mysterious, witchy story, this might work for you but otherwise I'd give it a pass.
There's no real plot to speak of, just a paper-thin pretense to put the main character in a new setting. The story revolves around the protagonist's relationship with a new friend. Our protagonist, Anne, is an exceptionally basic woman suffering after a recent break-up. Her new friend, Sophie, is older, wiser, and very mysterious. There are red flags almost immediately upon their meeting and so much toxic behaviour that I found myself constantly disbelieving that Anne was still engaging with any of this.
There were some genuinely creepy moments in the first 1/3 of the book, but those petred out in the slog that was the middle section. It felt like we were circling the same character development issues for a very long time before taking off and going anywhere. Then, in the last 10% of the book, a great many things happen that feel wildly inconsistent with the first 90%. I can think of some plausible explanations for these developments, but they weren't offered by the author.
I think the author was trying to make a statement about self-love, self-worth, self-discovery, and feminism, but what I read came across more like wildly irresponsible selfishness excused with a juvenile "They hit me first so beating them to death and taking all of their stuff is okay" kind of logic.
There were a few issues with diction which should have been caught by an editor. Very much of the "I do not think that word means what you think it means" variety. For me, these kinds of errors are jarring and pull me out of the story quickly and thoroughly.
I had high hopes for Cackle but was ultimately disappointed. If you're dying for a mysterious, witchy story, this might work for you but otherwise I'd give it a pass.
Why the Bible Began: An Alternative History of Scripture and its Origins by Jacob L. Wright
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 6%.
File received as ARC was unreadable.
Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LaRocca
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
This felt like two half-conceived short stories stitched together for the sake of making something long enough to publish as a book. Two parallel storylines that suddenly meet up in the last 10% of the book. Some of the ideas were interesting, but fell flat and didn't recieve their due. There were references to Sandman and Needful Things that could have been very compelling but did not deliver.
There were several depictions of extreme violence and homophobia (check the trigger warnings before reading!) that did very little for the story or character advancement,didn't get much treatment and, in the end, were hand-waved away without any real follow-up. This felt to me like a version of trauma porn and not at all helpful.
Whatever the author's intent, I couldn't find it in these pages and it was disappointing enough that I won't be looking for more of their work.
The narration of the audiobook is well done and a pleasant listen.
There were several depictions of extreme violence and homophobia (check the trigger warnings before reading!) that did very little for the story or character advancement,
Whatever the author's intent, I couldn't find it in these pages and it was disappointing enough that I won't be looking for more of their work.
The narration of the audiobook is well done and a pleasant listen.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Pedophilia