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clairetrellahill's reviews
3229 reviews
Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I love going back to the Psy-Changeling world. The bears are so fun and the focus on community is so integral to these books. Yakov and Theo’s story was so great. The story of this “season” also continues to develop as the Psy grapple with their failing psynet. I’m super hopeful the next book will focus on Pax and his power mystery and a love interest for him. Because we didn’t get much info on [REDACTED!!!]. These books are always a delight and like a warm hug.
Heat level: 3🌶️
Heat level: 3🌶️
In Search of the Swan Maiden: A Narrative on Folklore and Gender by Barbara Fass Leavy
informative
reflective
4.0
⭐️BOOK REVIEW: In Search of the Swan Maiden⭐️
I first heard IN SEARCH OF THE SWAN MAIDEN referenced on the WHAT THE FORCE podcast (@ wtforcemedia ) run by Marie Claire Gould. I’m not sure what episode it was but I’m nearly positive it was one where Missy (@ fangirling_0nly on Twitter) appeared. Very grateful for this reference as it was a really great read with tons of good info on folklore and interpreting it through a gender lens.
Some of the book was very academic and a little hard to read, but most of it was a very interesting breakdown of the swan maiden trope in folklore and its main permutations. A TON of folklore stories were referenced, specifically a lot of Native American folklore that I had never heard before so that was very fascinating. I found the author’s analysis of swan maidens, animal brides and grooms, demon lovers, and Cupid and psyche variants to be very insightful and also interesting when asking who is telling the story, who is it for, what character is most active within it. Oftentimes the author surprised me on her analysis of whether a folktale was really woman-focused or not by where the swan maiden ended up, whether she has rejected the supernatural and come back to the world of reality or escaped a husband that would seek to trap her.
All in all this was super useful for stories I probably won’t be able to write for years but definitely worthwhile to start thinking about them. Would recommend! 4 stars.
I first heard IN SEARCH OF THE SWAN MAIDEN referenced on the WHAT THE FORCE podcast (@ wtforcemedia ) run by Marie Claire Gould. I’m not sure what episode it was but I’m nearly positive it was one where Missy (@ fangirling_0nly on Twitter) appeared. Very grateful for this reference as it was a really great read with tons of good info on folklore and interpreting it through a gender lens.
Some of the book was very academic and a little hard to read, but most of it was a very interesting breakdown of the swan maiden trope in folklore and its main permutations. A TON of folklore stories were referenced, specifically a lot of Native American folklore that I had never heard before so that was very fascinating. I found the author’s analysis of swan maidens, animal brides and grooms, demon lovers, and Cupid and psyche variants to be very insightful and also interesting when asking who is telling the story, who is it for, what character is most active within it. Oftentimes the author surprised me on her analysis of whether a folktale was really woman-focused or not by where the swan maiden ended up, whether she has rejected the supernatural and come back to the world of reality or escaped a husband that would seek to trap her.
All in all this was super useful for stories I probably won’t be able to write for years but definitely worthwhile to start thinking about them. Would recommend! 4 stars.
Tide & Scale by Hannah Carter, Beka Gremikova
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Tide and Scale is a primarily mermaid-focused anthology that explores the longing for souls, love, and the sea by various water denizens in more than thirty short stories as well as poems. There are also gorgeous pieces of art included!
The stories range over various genres and tones and it was great to read stories from mostly new to me authors. I did want a lot of these stories to be longer, but that could be my extremely long-short-story self talking. If you need a mermaid fix, get yours here!
The stories range over various genres and tones and it was great to read stories from mostly new to me authors. I did want a lot of these stories to be longer, but that could be my extremely long-short-story self talking. If you need a mermaid fix, get yours here!
Code Word for Chaos by E. C. Farrell
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Code Word for Chaos is a YA dystopia by EC Farrell where kids can be “designed” down to the DNA and traits level. They can be custom made or ordered from a catalogue, but what happens to the overstock? What happens to the kids with “undesirable” traits that no one wants?
Sephrim and Cal have escaped and are living on the streets, working for unsavory characters to get by…until Cal is taken to be used in a dastardly plot and programmed with mind control technology. Sephrim, with the help of Darby, a teen thief, and Matt, a hacker, must stay out of the way of the adults hunting them and rescue Cal before her code word activates her.
After having read the early version of this book, I’m so excited to read its final form! If you like dystopia stories or sci-fi found-family tales, check this one out!
Sephrim and Cal have escaped and are living on the streets, working for unsavory characters to get by…until Cal is taken to be used in a dastardly plot and programmed with mind control technology. Sephrim, with the help of Darby, a teen thief, and Matt, a hacker, must stay out of the way of the adults hunting them and rescue Cal before her code word activates her.
After having read the early version of this book, I’m so excited to read its final form! If you like dystopia stories or sci-fi found-family tales, check this one out!
Much Ado about Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin
emotional
funny
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 mashup of Much Ado About Nothing and Persuasion ! What a time, at one point I yelled out loud.
The Fake Out by Sharon M. Peterson
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Funny, fierce, fabulous, for real. THE FAKE OUT is a great friends to lovers, grumpy/sunshine romance. (She’s the grump. He’s the sunshine.)
When a famous football player falls asleep in Mae Sampson’s library, he quickly insinuates his way into the small town of Two Harts where Mae is holding the library, her salary, and her family together by the skin of her teeth. When a gossip site attempts to smear Chris with a sketchy story, his PR team proposes a fake fiancé. Chris proposes Mae. It’s all just a fake out. But then she starts falling for real.
Loved this second romcom from Sharon M. Peterson!
5 stars!
Heat level: just kissing
When a famous football player falls asleep in Mae Sampson’s library, he quickly insinuates his way into the small town of Two Harts where Mae is holding the library, her salary, and her family together by the skin of her teeth. When a gossip site attempts to smear Chris with a sketchy story, his PR team proposes a fake fiancé. Chris proposes Mae. It’s all just a fake out. But then she starts falling for real.
Loved this second romcom from Sharon M. Peterson!
5 stars!
Heat level: just kissing
Remember Me by Mary Balogh
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0