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court_bee's reviews
291 reviews
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
2.0
I was really looking forward to this, a multi-POV romantasy in a queer-normative world is just my type. Unfortunately, there was nothing else going for it.
Before reading this book I'd seen it categorised as Adult, then I started it and there was such an obvious immaturity to the characters and writing style I was certain I'd misread its description and it was actually a YA book(it's not). I tried not to laugh everytime I remembered these characters were in their late 20s or older.
How is it possible to have 2 romantic relationships but not a spark of chemistry in sight?
My thoughts at the 60% mark:
I feel pretty 'meh' about it so far; like its fun enough in a passive way. I'm listening to the audiobook while doing other things but I'm not eager to keep picking it back up. Unless the last third does something really amazing I won't be reading the next book.
- everything continued to feel convenient and underwhelming so I won't be carrying on with the series.
Before reading this book I'd seen it categorised as Adult, then I started it and there was such an obvious immaturity to the characters and writing style I was certain I'd misread its description and it was actually a YA book(it's not). I tried not to laugh everytime I remembered these characters were in their late 20s or older.
How is it possible to have 2 romantic relationships but not a spark of chemistry in sight?
My thoughts at the 60% mark:
I feel pretty 'meh' about it so far; like its fun enough in a passive way. I'm listening to the audiobook while doing other things but I'm not eager to keep picking it back up. Unless the last third does something really amazing I won't be reading the next book.
- everything continued to feel convenient and underwhelming so I won't be carrying on with the series.
Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart: And Other Stories by GennaRose Nethercott
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
4.0
- Sundown: 2.5 Stars - This one seems to be a favourite for most readers but it isn't really to my taste. I can appreciate the execution of the metaphor but I prefer when weird/fever-dream like stories are less modern and have a little more whimsy.
- Abecedarian: 3.5 Stars - I would recommend the first two stories for fans of Mona Awad, if you combined the writing and tone of 'Sundown at the Eternal Staircase' with the concept of 'The Diviner's Abecedarian' you get 'Bunny' vibes 100%. (Friendship, Obsession, Clique , Coven, Occult). Telling this story through vignettes and structuring it alphabetically was very interesting and unique.
- Thread Boy: 5 Stars - The imagery of the thread as representation for relationships, experiences and emotions was beyond beautiful. This was the Fairy-tale/Folklore style writing I was hoping for.
- Fifty Beasts to Break Your Heart: 4 Stars - My favourite beast: SPARK PANTHER,
'The Spark Panther can outrun its own soul-faster than the human eye, faster than sound, faster than its sorry prey. Its ghost, not so quick, topples out of its body into the dust. Soulless, the Spark Panther is a vicious hunter. It will rend the larynx from an antelope without remorse. It will gather enough meat to last several months, and then it will feast. Meanwhile, its soul begins the journey back to its host. If the soul arrives too quickly, before the Panther has had time to feed, the creature will be so overcome with guilt at the sight of its slaughtered prey that it will be unable to eat. It will paw at the mournful earth, burying the bodies, its belly empty.' - The Lily is a Lily: 4.75 Stars - This one was a very close, second favourite in the collection after Thread Boy.
- A Haunted Calendar: 2.25 Stars - The structure was a fun idea but the one sentence stories did nothing for me, was very obviously filler.
Beasts of Ruin by Ayana Gray
adventurous
fast-paced
3.75
"Pretentious old men with white in their beards will asseverate that the notions of good and evil are simple,” he murmured. "You should know that those old men are nothing but fools and cowards. Good and evil are never simple. They are capricious beasts, ever shifting in their shape, and rarely beautiful." He stared off into the distance then, so long that Koffi wondered if he'd forgotten she was there. He didn't look at her when he spoke again. "You may not agree with my method of choice right now," he said, "but someday, my dearest hope is that you will come to understand it. - 38%
Usually books with multiple POVs can struggle to keep the reader interested in both storylines; with one feeling like filler while you wait for your favourite. However, I think this was really well balanced and the extra POV from Binti, which also follows a different timeline, was really well placed around the current timeline. I'm glad the author chose to continue adding chapters from older charcters who can provide us with some history. It makes the world building easy to consume and is woven well into the story so it doesn't feel dumped on us.
Binti's story was slower and more emotional which nicely balanced the plot and action heavy chapters from Ekon and Koffi.
The subplot romance is the books weakness and was still pretty heavy handed with common tropes, including a love triangle or two. With the MCs apart in a Romantasy book it was bound to happen but it's likely being used to prove they won't just be choosing each other by the end only because there were no other options.
Usually books with multiple POVs can struggle to keep the reader interested in both storylines; with one feeling like filler while you wait for your favourite. However, I think this was really well balanced and the extra POV from Binti, which also follows a different timeline, was really well placed around the current timeline. I'm glad the author chose to continue adding chapters from older charcters who can provide us with some history. It makes the world building easy to consume and is woven well into the story so it doesn't feel dumped on us.
Binti's story was slower and more emotional which nicely balanced the plot and action heavy chapters from Ekon and Koffi.
The subplot romance is the books weakness and was still pretty heavy handed with common tropes, including a love triangle or two. With the MCs apart in a Romantasy book it was bound to happen but it's likely being used to prove they won't just be choosing each other by the end only because there were no other options.
A Veronica Speedwell Mystery - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
3.75
I liked this well enough but I thought I would like it more.
A Historical setting with a science focus is my absolute favourite sub-genre of Mysteries, and this book ticked both of those boxes. However, I was distracted from fully enjoying the story because of the slightly jarring structure of the plot that made situations go from chaotic to convenient far too quickly and often. By the latter third I had accepted that this is definitely a more character-focused book and the mystery plot is just a fun background for their development.
A Historical setting with a science focus is my absolute favourite sub-genre of Mysteries, and this book ticked both of those boxes. However, I was distracted from fully enjoying the story because of the slightly jarring structure of the plot that made situations go from chaotic to convenient far too quickly and often. By the latter third I had accepted that this is definitely a more character-focused book and the mystery plot is just a fun background for their development.