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couldbestephen's reviews
202 reviews
Gravity's Fire by C.J. Aralore
2.0
Thanks to Midnight Meadow for gifting the digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This YA Urban Romantacy debut stumbles its way through its story to deliver an uninspired queer coming of age story. I rated this book 2 stars.
Phoenix Ashwell, or Nix, is your basic gay teen whose heart is set on finding "the one." When his world gets turned upside down with the revelation that magic is real, Nix sets out to find some answers (and hopefully a boyfriend). His adventures lead him to a school for elementamers (elemental magicians) and Max, a handsome soiltamer. As the two fall for each other, Nix finds out he's at the center of a plan for world domination. This is a coming of age story marketed for a YA audience.
I enjoyed some of the romantic movements between Nix and Max. The way the two interact with each other was generally awkward (mostly due to the author's amateur writing voice), but at times, believable. Growing up and figuring out who you like and who you want to kiss is a wild ride, and at times, I think Avalore managed to capture it.
I didn't like the author's writing style. This book, while marketed for a YA audience (I'm assuming 16-year-olds are the target demographic, since that is the main character's age), is written like it's meant for a much younger audience that cannot be trusted to extrapolate information for themselves. The author writes with the subtlety of hammer through glass; he constantly repeats core details of the plot over and over, as if he's afraid you've forgotten what you've just read. Avalore was unable to make any of his "twists" and "reveals" land due to painfully obvious set-ups made much earlier in the book.Nix is a suntamer, a rare type of elementamer that hasn't been seen for years. Him finding this out is played as some sort of shocking reveal, even though any reader with an once of sense saw this coming from a mile away. What do you mean the boy named after a phoenix, who constantly has a fever, and is constantly messing with electronics is a fire/plasma magician?? Who saw that coming!? Me. I did. From the first chapter. I can't imagine older teenagers will appreciate the amount of narrative handholding and "cringey"/"fanfiction" author voice contained in this book
The plotting of this book could have used a lot more work. Events and reveals and twists keep happening back to back, and you’re never given the chance to process anything. This isn’t written as a “high octane” adventure story, there isn’t a good reason for the story to be structured as it is. The main character never sits with what's happening, never gets a chance to process the insane stuff that is going on. The story never has a chance to breathe. Many minor plot elements and reveals could have been removed, and that time and word count spent making the story actually work.I understand Phoenix is meant to be an impulsive, clumsy teen. And one of the tropes is "Idiots to Lovers." But at some point, you have to wonder how Nix has gotten anywhere in life without any basic common sense. He is beyond an idiot. It's not fun to read a main character who is 15 steps behind the reader. It is frustrating.
Almost no character is fleshed out in this story beyond maybe Nix (and that's because the book is written in his perspective). Max, the love interest, is a flat, "copper colored" character who barely gets fleshed out near the last third of the book. The best friend, Lex, exists to be smart and have gay dads. The other friends Nix makes at the human/elementamer school are almost all forgettable and interchangeable. No one made a lasting impression beyond River, who is set up to be Nix's romantic rival for Max. But even he is just "the jealous guy." I just finished the book a half hour ago and I couldn't tell you any more about him.
The world building in this book does not hold up; one simple "wait, why?" makes the entire world fall apart. Elementamers are a hidden group of magicians in our world. Fine. So why are they going to a school mixed with normal humans? Who thought putting magically inclined hormonal teens, whose existence must stay a secret, with regular human teens was a good idea?? I understand the thematic reason behind it, having Nix walk between the two worlds, magic and normal, but in practice it's dumb and doesn't work!! It leads to so many more questions! The lies and the lore of the world are just dropped around and don't feel like they have any weight.
The magic system feels like Avatar the Last Airbender but, like, materially less thought out. If this was just a simple, soft magic system where people just control elements, I'd be ok! But each elementamer can control more than just a "simple element," all can heal different parts of the body, and it also includes the stages of matter? Gas, liquid, solid, plasma? It's so disorganized and not explained, it all just becomes a meaningless buzz in the background of the story. There are also familiars, 12 dragons(?! there didn't need to be 12, why were there 12 Avalore?? For the astrology stuff? That is never a major plot point or character trait beyond a rare mention??), it's a mess! You've given us the perfect character to follow while you build the world! But the class scenes where Magic is explained are done poorly! I know nothing!
Finally, there were some problematic elements with how Avalore described characters of color. I’m concerned a sensitivity reader wasn’t involved who could have caught some of these issues. Nix seems to fetishize POC, particularly those who look like Max. Max is constantly described as having copper skin tone, earthy skin tones, having nipples like chocolate (THAT SCENE REALLY DIDN’T NEED TO BE WRITTEN LIKE THAT). Avalore describes a few POC characters while comparing them to food WHICH HAS BEEN SOMETHING POC HAVE BEEN TELLING WHITE PEOPLE TO STOP DOING.
Honestly, it's a whole separate issue with how Avalore describes characters. Like with many elements of the story, the author continuously reminds the reads of how people look and smell over and over ad nauseum. If you cut the enormous amount of repetition in this novel, you'd get a shorter, tighter story (but not necessarily a better one).
With a lot of editing to the story but not much to the "voice, the basic writing style would work for young readers. This could almost be reworked as a Middle Grade novel. Most teens who are looking to pick up a YA novel want to read a book that takes them seriously, want to read a book that doesn't constantly feed them plot points and reveals you can see from miles away. The only teens who might like this are the ones who read and write for fanfiction sites. Why would they pay to read a book that has a similar quality to something they can read for free?
I probably won’t be recommending this book to my audience.
This YA Urban Romantacy debut stumbles its way through its story to deliver an uninspired queer coming of age story. I rated this book 2 stars.
Phoenix Ashwell, or Nix, is your basic gay teen whose heart is set on finding "the one." When his world gets turned upside down with the revelation that magic is real, Nix sets out to find some answers (and hopefully a boyfriend). His adventures lead him to a school for elementamers (elemental magicians) and Max, a handsome soiltamer. As the two fall for each other, Nix finds out he's at the center of a plan for world domination. This is a coming of age story marketed for a YA audience.
I enjoyed some of the romantic movements between Nix and Max. The way the two interact with each other was generally awkward (mostly due to the author's amateur writing voice), but at times, believable. Growing up and figuring out who you like and who you want to kiss is a wild ride, and at times, I think Avalore managed to capture it.
I didn't like the author's writing style. This book, while marketed for a YA audience (I'm assuming 16-year-olds are the target demographic, since that is the main character's age), is written like it's meant for a much younger audience that cannot be trusted to extrapolate information for themselves. The author writes with the subtlety of hammer through glass; he constantly repeats core details of the plot over and over, as if he's afraid you've forgotten what you've just read. Avalore was unable to make any of his "twists" and "reveals" land due to painfully obvious set-ups made much earlier in the book.
The plotting of this book could have used a lot more work. Events and reveals and twists keep happening back to back, and you’re never given the chance to process anything. This isn’t written as a “high octane” adventure story, there isn’t a good reason for the story to be structured as it is. The main character never sits with what's happening, never gets a chance to process the insane stuff that is going on. The story never has a chance to breathe. Many minor plot elements and reveals could have been removed, and that time and word count spent making the story actually work.
Almost no character is fleshed out in this story beyond maybe Nix (and that's because the book is written in his perspective). Max, the love interest, is a flat, "copper colored" character who barely gets fleshed out near the last third of the book. The best friend, Lex, exists to be smart and have gay dads. The other friends Nix makes at the human/elementamer school are almost all forgettable and interchangeable. No one made a lasting impression beyond River, who is set up to be Nix's romantic rival for Max. But even he is just "the jealous guy." I just finished the book a half hour ago and I couldn't tell you any more about him.
The world building in this book does not hold up; one simple "wait, why?" makes the entire world fall apart. Elementamers are a hidden group of magicians in our world. Fine. So why are they going to a school mixed with normal humans? Who thought putting magically inclined hormonal teens, whose existence must stay a secret, with regular human teens was a good idea?? I understand the thematic reason behind it, having Nix walk between the two worlds, magic and normal, but in practice it's dumb and doesn't work!! It leads to so many more questions! The lies and the lore of the world are just dropped around and don't feel like they have any weight.
The magic system feels like Avatar the Last Airbender but, like, materially less thought out. If this was just a simple, soft magic system where people just control elements, I'd be ok! But each elementamer can control more than just a "simple element," all can heal different parts of the body, and it also includes the stages of matter? Gas, liquid, solid, plasma? It's so disorganized and not explained, it all just becomes a meaningless buzz in the background of the story. There are also familiars, 12 dragons(?! there didn't need to be 12, why were there 12 Avalore?? For the astrology stuff? That is never a major plot point or character trait beyond a rare mention??), it's a mess! You've given us the perfect character to follow while you build the world! But the class scenes where Magic is explained are done poorly! I know nothing!
Finally, there were some problematic elements with how Avalore described characters of color. I’m concerned a sensitivity reader wasn’t involved who could have caught some of these issues. Nix seems to fetishize POC, particularly those who look like Max. Max is constantly described as having copper skin tone, earthy skin tones, having nipples like chocolate (THAT SCENE REALLY DIDN’T NEED TO BE WRITTEN LIKE THAT). Avalore describes a few POC characters while comparing them to food WHICH HAS BEEN SOMETHING POC HAVE BEEN TELLING WHITE PEOPLE TO STOP DOING.
Honestly, it's a whole separate issue with how Avalore describes characters. Like with many elements of the story, the author continuously reminds the reads of how people look and smell over and over ad nauseum. If you cut the enormous amount of repetition in this novel, you'd get a shorter, tighter story (but not necessarily a better one).
With a lot of editing to the story but not much to the "voice, the basic writing style would work for young readers. This could almost be reworked as a Middle Grade novel. Most teens who are looking to pick up a YA novel want to read a book that takes them seriously, want to read a book that doesn't constantly feed them plot points and reveals you can see from miles away. The only teens who might like this are the ones who read and write for fanfiction sites. Why would they pay to read a book that has a similar quality to something they can read for free?
I probably won’t be recommending this book to my audience.
The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
4.0
It’s so much fun revisiting a childhood favorite, especially one that holds up! I reread this as a part of my research into the genre of Subterranean Dystopian Fiction.
Lina and Doon are children of Ember, a city in the dark. As their home begins to crumble around them, they must find out if there is more to the world than what they’ve been told.
Propaganda and how it works to Keep Them Below is a theme kids might not explicitly pick up on when first introduced to the book at 8-12 years of age. The philosophical musings of people living in a city surrounded by “nothing,” wondering where they came from, what else is out there, and if someone is coming back, is genuinely so fascinating to read in a middle grade book. I feel like when I first read that stuff, I just thought it was “world building,” which, yes, it is, but it’s also so much more! Forced ignorance as propaganda is such a harsh choice, but so cleverly done.
The culture of Ember reads very “literary communist;” the descriptions of failing power, crumbling concrete buildings, lack of resource, and little choice feel like literary shorthand for Communism (these descriptions can be found in most Subterranean Dystopian texts). War from above, generally caused by a nuclear threat (from a “communist” country - post WWII/Cold War fears) drives us below to find that the communists followed us. Authoritarianism as an inevitability, the police must be used to enforce compliance for the people keeping the others below. Cool stuff to think about.
Ember is clearly a book for kids, but holds a lot of cool explorations of culture, propaganda, and philosophy for older people revisiting. Would recommend.
Lina and Doon are children of Ember, a city in the dark. As their home begins to crumble around them, they must find out if there is more to the world than what they’ve been told.
Propaganda and how it works to Keep Them Below is a theme kids might not explicitly pick up on when first introduced to the book at 8-12 years of age. The philosophical musings of people living in a city surrounded by “nothing,” wondering where they came from, what else is out there, and if someone is coming back, is genuinely so fascinating to read in a middle grade book. I feel like when I first read that stuff, I just thought it was “world building,” which, yes, it is, but it’s also so much more! Forced ignorance as propaganda is such a harsh choice, but so cleverly done.
The culture of Ember reads very “literary communist;” the descriptions of failing power, crumbling concrete buildings, lack of resource, and little choice feel like literary shorthand for Communism (these descriptions can be found in most Subterranean Dystopian texts). War from above, generally caused by a nuclear threat (from a “communist” country - post WWII/Cold War fears) drives us below to find that the communists followed us. Authoritarianism as an inevitability, the police must be used to enforce compliance for the people keeping the others below. Cool stuff to think about.
Ember is clearly a book for kids, but holds a lot of cool explorations of culture, propaganda, and philosophy for older people revisiting. Would recommend.
Jack and the Three Bears by James W. Berg
1.0
I almost rated this book 2 stars. I thought “Hey, his subpar writing style might actually work for this style of book!” I don’t expect a lot from smut. The characters and writing are just vehicles to get to the spicy scenes. But when the smut doesn’t hold up, you’re left with an unsatisfying novella on all counts.
Jack Horne and his friends help Jimmy Cricket, the moral compass of the group, find the love of his life at a gay campsite. Sex occurs. The fairy tale elements are crudely shoehorned in. A disappointing read all around.
The writing is exactly what you would expect from Berg. Tons of exposition (the first chapter/prologue reads like a bad dating profile introducing us to Berg— sorry, Jack), bad dialogue (HIS CHARACTERS NEED TI STOP “SCREAMING”), and weird pacing choices. Making everyone have a fairy tale counterpart was bizarre and I don’t understand the gimmick. Is this supposed to be urban fantasy?? Why is Baloo from Jungle Book here in human form?? Why did someone have a 15” penis?? I’m not convinced Berg actually likes sex or penises. Which is strange for a gay man writing mlm smut. Berg occasionally comes across as Puritanical when it comes to sex.
Problematic stereotypes abound in this 56 pg novella. Like with Don’t Break the Rules, we see one of the only named black main characters be a sassy, loud, drag queen who also acts as a mother figure to her gaggle of gays. The Asian character (Red) may be a trans man whose only goal in life is to “ride” men 24/7. Ricky Charming is a bisexual/pansexual man whose only goal in life is to get anyone into bed with him. Jimmy Cricket isn’t a problematic stereotype exactly, but I hate how Berg wrote him lol. Jack Horne is James W Berg himself, because no Berg story would be complete without Berg inserting himself into the story.
Wouldn’t recommend this book. It’s not good. Nothing here worth reading.
Jack Horne and his friends help Jimmy Cricket, the moral compass of the group, find the love of his life at a gay campsite. Sex occurs. The fairy tale elements are crudely shoehorned in. A disappointing read all around.
The writing is exactly what you would expect from Berg. Tons of exposition (the first chapter/prologue reads like a bad dating profile introducing us to Berg— sorry, Jack), bad dialogue (HIS CHARACTERS NEED TI STOP “SCREAMING”), and weird pacing choices. Making everyone have a fairy tale counterpart was bizarre and I don’t understand the gimmick. Is this supposed to be urban fantasy?? Why is Baloo from Jungle Book here in human form?? Why did someone have a 15” penis?? I’m not convinced Berg actually likes sex or penises. Which is strange for a gay man writing mlm smut. Berg occasionally comes across as Puritanical when it comes to sex.
Problematic stereotypes abound in this 56 pg novella. Like with Don’t Break the Rules, we see one of the only named black main characters be a sassy, loud, drag queen who also acts as a mother figure to her gaggle of gays. The Asian character (Red) may be a trans man whose only goal in life is to “ride” men 24/7. Ricky Charming is a bisexual/pansexual man whose only goal in life is to get anyone into bed with him. Jimmy Cricket isn’t a problematic stereotype exactly, but I hate how Berg wrote him lol. Jack Horne is James W Berg himself, because no Berg story would be complete without Berg inserting himself into the story.
Wouldn’t recommend this book. It’s not good. Nothing here worth reading.
The Changeling by Victor LaValle
5.0
This modern fairy horror novel explores fatherhood, blackness, racism, and more. I rated this book 5/5 stars and would definitely recommend.
Apollo is a rare book collector living in New York. When he and his wife, Emma, have their son, life feels perfect. Then Emma commits a horrific crime and runs away, leaving Apollo wounded and confused. As he hunts his wife down, he finds out the world isn't as straightforward as he thought it was.
I personally can't think of any criticism big enough that would make me remove any stars. LaValle's writing style is sharp and engaging; the prose perfectly moves the fantasy realism aspect of the story along, keeping things grounded while also showcasing magic. Apollo is a complicated character, in no a way perfect man, but through his failures we explore where race, masculinity, and fatherhood intersect. The fantasy elements were elusive and strange, exactly what I love in a fantasy realist work.
I read through some other reviews, I get the criticisms. So little is actually, properly explained, there are "plot holes" LaValle clearly never intended to address, and the ending is just an insane explosion of action. But I love the ambiguity! Magic kinda exists but it's not definable! Fairy tales help defeat Trolls! Trolls are cave dwellers and creeps on the computer! As a major fan of Vita Nostra by the Dyachenkos, I'm rarely bothered by books that have an incredibly soft magic system as long as the story still holds up around it.
This was fantastic and I'm looking forward to reading more of LaValle's works.
Apollo is a rare book collector living in New York. When he and his wife, Emma, have their son, life feels perfect. Then Emma commits a horrific crime and runs away, leaving Apollo wounded and confused. As he hunts his wife down, he finds out the world isn't as straightforward as he thought it was.
I personally can't think of any criticism big enough that would make me remove any stars. LaValle's writing style is sharp and engaging; the prose perfectly moves the fantasy realism aspect of the story along, keeping things grounded while also showcasing magic. Apollo is a complicated character, in no a way perfect man, but through his failures we explore where race, masculinity, and fatherhood intersect. The fantasy elements were elusive and strange, exactly what I love in a fantasy realist work.
I read through some other reviews, I get the criticisms. So little is actually, properly explained, there are "plot holes" LaValle clearly never intended to address, and the ending is just an insane explosion of action. But I love the ambiguity! Magic kinda exists but it's not definable! Fairy tales help defeat Trolls! Trolls are cave dwellers and creeps on the computer! As a major fan of Vita Nostra by the Dyachenkos, I'm rarely bothered by books that have an incredibly soft magic system as long as the story still holds up around it.
This was fantastic and I'm looking forward to reading more of LaValle's works.
The Watchers by A.M. Shine
4.0
This Gothic Fae horror stumbles with it's delivery, but ultimately delivers a thrilling, exciting read that leaves you wishing you had the next book in your hands. I rated this 4/5 stars and would recommend!
Mina is a lonely young artist, disconnected from humanity. She is tasked by the closest thing she has to a friend to deliver a small, yellow bird to someone in the next town over. On her way over, she finds herself in a forest that shouldn't exist, populated by horrible monsters and 3 other human survivors. Those survivors live in a strange structure in the middle of the woods, a concrete house with a glass wall. Every night, the monsters come and watch them. Will the group figure out who these monsters are and find a way out of the dark forest maze?
My biggest criticism of the book was the author's writing style. The writing bordered on purple prose most of the time and took me out of the story in the first few chapters. I understand the author wanted to emulate a "gothic style" of writing, and I think he accomplished it, but I wish he had pulled back a little. Things were described over and over as Shine used different metaphors to describe them. We get it. One of the characters has red hair and large eyes. Don't need to continuously tell us that.
Fae Gothic Horror/Thriller wasn't a genre I knew I loved until this book. Shine steeps The Watchers in Irish folklore and culture, which made the book incredibly rich. The pacing was slow to start, but picked up and kept me on my toes through the rest of the novel. I was hooked pretty quickly, and when we got to some fun reveals near the end, I was on the edge of my seat. As soon as the book was done, I was online looking for when the next book drops (not until November of 2024!!).
Would recommend this, I hope the movie does this justice!
Mina is a lonely young artist, disconnected from humanity. She is tasked by the closest thing she has to a friend to deliver a small, yellow bird to someone in the next town over. On her way over, she finds herself in a forest that shouldn't exist, populated by horrible monsters and 3 other human survivors. Those survivors live in a strange structure in the middle of the woods, a concrete house with a glass wall. Every night, the monsters come and watch them. Will the group figure out who these monsters are and find a way out of the dark forest maze?
My biggest criticism of the book was the author's writing style. The writing bordered on purple prose most of the time and took me out of the story in the first few chapters. I understand the author wanted to emulate a "gothic style" of writing, and I think he accomplished it, but I wish he had pulled back a little. Things were described over and over as Shine used different metaphors to describe them. We get it. One of the characters has red hair and large eyes. Don't need to continuously tell us that.
Fae Gothic Horror/Thriller wasn't a genre I knew I loved until this book. Shine steeps The Watchers in Irish folklore and culture, which made the book incredibly rich. The pacing was slow to start, but picked up and kept me on my toes through the rest of the novel. I was hooked pretty quickly, and when we got to some fun reveals near the end, I was on the edge of my seat. As soon as the book was done, I was online looking for when the next book drops (not until November of 2024!!).
Would recommend this, I hope the movie does this justice!
Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov
4.0
What if the manga/anime Death Note was Russian? And had no supernatural element involved? And there was a penguin? Welcome to post-Soviet Ukraine. It's dark, it's lonely, it's deadly. Viktor is a writer recruited to write Obelisks, or obituaries for people who haven't died yet. It pays well, enough to keep Viktor and his pet penguin comfortable. Nice things can only last so long, however.
The translated prose of this book is amazing. George Bird handles Kurkov's writing skillfully; the book bounces along with short chapters that weave a compelling, tragic story. The relationship between Viktor and Misha the penguin is adorable. The relationship between Misha and every character is adorable. I loved the snapshot style of the short chapters.
I wasn't a fan of the "Russian/Ukrainian Brand of Sexism" when the character of Nina is talked about. I don't know how to explain it other than you can tell a Slavik man wrote this woman. There were some editing mistakes in my edition of the book, not many, but they were present. The ending almost worked for me? But it still left me hanging. It almost felt like Kurkov didn't know what to do with Misha by the end of the novel.
If you're looking to read more Ukrainian Lit, Andrey Kurkov is a great place to start!
The translated prose of this book is amazing. George Bird handles Kurkov's writing skillfully; the book bounces along with short chapters that weave a compelling, tragic story. The relationship between Viktor and Misha the penguin is adorable. The relationship between Misha and every character is adorable. I loved the snapshot style of the short chapters.
I wasn't a fan of the "Russian/Ukrainian Brand of Sexism" when the character of Nina is talked about. I don't know how to explain it other than you can tell a Slavik man wrote this woman. There were some editing mistakes in my edition of the book, not many, but they were present. The ending almost worked for me? But it still left me hanging. It almost felt like Kurkov didn't know what to do with Misha by the end of the novel.
If you're looking to read more Ukrainian Lit, Andrey Kurkov is a great place to start!
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
3.5
Welcome to a land where gods are outlawed. A Godhunter, the Daughter of a Lady, a former Knight, and the God of White Lies team up to solve personal issues.
The characters in this book were a standout. Kissa, Inara, Skedi, and Elo are such a fun collection of characters that shine in their chapters. The plot is well paced and keeps you engaged the entire time. I loved the representation and inclusion in this novel!
I had a little trouble with the prose of the novel, and this is purely a me thing. Some of the ways the descriptions were written just didn't hit for me and took me out.
Looking forward to reading the rest of this series!!
The characters in this book were a standout. Kissa, Inara, Skedi, and Elo are such a fun collection of characters that shine in their chapters. The plot is well paced and keeps you engaged the entire time. I loved the representation and inclusion in this novel!
I had a little trouble with the prose of the novel, and this is purely a me thing. Some of the ways the descriptions were written just didn't hit for me and took me out.
Looking forward to reading the rest of this series!!
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
4.0
I heard that The Three Body Problem was a hard science fiction novel, but I didn’t realize how hard it was until I actually started it. TL;DR - I think this book passively taught me physics while keeping me entertained with a first contact narrative.
The Three Body problem is a hard science fiction novel that chronicles Ye Wenjie’s first contact with the Trisolaran aliens and Wang Maio’s involvement 40 years later. The entire novel is steeped in Chinese history and culture; the structure of the book is not conventionally “western,” the way characters are written are not explored in a “western” way, and the way China approached science and discovery is definitely not “American.” I loved this book a lot, and while I do intellectually understand why readers who are more used to “western” stories (particularly Americans) and science fiction that is mostly fiction over science do not enjoy this story. But once you get used to the rhythm of the story and approach it with a different mindset, you’re going to be sucked into a fascinating tale that spans years and light years.
Hard science fiction (according to Wikipedia) “is a category of science fiction characterized by concern for scientific accuracy and logic.” The book immediately throws you into the midst of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, where science itself is questioned. As the story progresses, we meet scientists (and other... non terrestrials) who throw around very real science to discuss real scientific and philosophical problems. Pages of theory can happen that may pull readers from the story. BUT IT’S WORTH IT, I PROMISE.
I enjoyed this story and look forward to continuing the series. I understand it may be harder for some people to read (if you don’t like a lot of “science” with your science fiction, this will not be the book for you), whether it be from the science part or how the story is structured. I’ll be recommending it to other readers for sure.
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
3.5
I read Light from Uncommon Starts as a part of the Trans Rights Readathon 2024. This fun story blends a traditional “sell your soul to the devil” story with a science fiction romp to deliver a fast paced read that explores trans lives, immigration, and the power of music. I would recommend this book!
Shizuka, known in the violin world as the Queen of Hell, has damned 6 gifted souls to the devil to prolong her life. Katrina, a transgender woman on the run, may be the 7th soul Shizuka needs to finish her deal. But as the two begin to work and train together, they begin to learn the world isn’t as lonely and cold as they both first thought. Also, there’s aliens running a donut shop.
The writing style is very warm and inviting; It doesn't take long for the reader to get caught up in the story. I loved the character’s of Shizuka and Katrina so much. Following their progression from teacher and student to something akin to a family was so touching. The alien family was cute, the relationship between Lan (mother alien) and Shizuka was cute to watch.
Speaking of the aliens, they were the weakest part of the story for me. It kinda felt like they were shoehorned in. I understand the author was using them to explore the Asian diaspora and immigration, but there’s already so much going on in the novel with selling souls, exploring trans identities, talking about gender (in so many ways), and just music in general, the extra plot lines made things a little muddy. The science fiction didn’t feel as “real” as the magical elements with the souls and demons. I was still able to read through it quickly, but the story dragged (for me) in those sections. There was also some clunky prose here and there that I noted that took me out of the story.
This was still a solid novel that I will be recommending. I think there might have been just a little too much going on that diluted the novel and reduced my enjoyment.
Daughter from the Dark by Marina Dyachenko, Sergey Dyachenko
4.0
The Dyachenkos weave a modern, dark fairy tale in this book, Daughter from the Dark. I really enjoyed this book, but unless you can handle a “dreamy” plot that builds towards something that is never explained... might be a miss for most “casual” readers. Vita Nostra would probably be the best entry to the Dyachenkos’ work.
The Daughter from the Dark follows DJ Aspirin, a Russian, womanizing DJ and writer. When he meets and “rescues” a little girl and her stuffed animal from the streets, Aspirin is yanked into a new reality, one where teddy bears can turn into monstrous beasts and where music can open portals to painless worlds. Simply put, this book is about a man who struggles with maturing into a responsible man as he tries to care for a strange girl who may or may not be his daughter. But there’s so much more to this book than that.
Marina and Sergey love playing fast and loose with reality in their books. Magic music and terrifying protectors mixed with the backdrop of a Russian metropolis and Russian sensibilities deliver a magical realism/urban fantasy “adventure” on steroids. As you progress through the book, you feel like you inch closer and closer to an explanation, closer to the final puzzle piece that will make everything make sense, and then the story ends. There is “magic.” But do not expect to understand it.
Julia Hersey has collaborated with the Dyachenkos for a few books now. Her translation brings their Russian prose to life in such an engaging way. Russian literature has a “style” that I can’t really articulate, but if you know, you know. This is such a Russian story. It’s dark, gritty, existential, it’s unlike most things you will read from American authors, it’s a goddam treat! The dream-like, fairy tale quality of the work has the story float along, in a way that shouldn’t work? But does? This is a hard book to review.
The Dyachenkos have done it again, crafted a dark, magical story that will please the people willing to put aside reason and be a terrible book for those who aren’t ready for a book that demands a different mindset from them.