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dc7's reviews
483 reviews
Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman
4.0
“Call me by your name” is a beautiful love story, and a very unique one. Not because it is about two men, but because it consists mostly of Elio’s introspection, diving deep into his infatuation with Oliver. It’s also not a romance novel but literary fiction and therefore avoids all the cliches and plot elements that are typically featured in romance. It makes the love story a lot more realistic and turns it into something very relatable for the reader.
It’s solid literature and it is only in the last third of the book that the story drags a bit and there were some boring parts that I really had to push through. It is very heavy on the introspection which sometimes made me feel like I wasn’t in the moment, in the scene with Elio, but rather caught in his head. Which is not necessary bad, it is refreshing and new, but can slow the story and make certain parts a little boring.
I’ve seen the movie which I liked a little better than the book but if you’ve seen the movie I’d still highly recommend to read the book as you learn so much more about what is going on in Elio’s head. His infatuation with Oliver is explored in all it’s details which I found extremely interesting and it reminded me a lot of the thoughts and feelings I had when I was Elio’s age.
It’s solid literature and it is only in the last third of the book that the story drags a bit and there were some boring parts that I really had to push through. It is very heavy on the introspection which sometimes made me feel like I wasn’t in the moment, in the scene with Elio, but rather caught in his head. Which is not necessary bad, it is refreshing and new, but can slow the story and make certain parts a little boring.
I’ve seen the movie which I liked a little better than the book but if you’ve seen the movie I’d still highly recommend to read the book as you learn so much more about what is going on in Elio’s head. His infatuation with Oliver is explored in all it’s details which I found extremely interesting and it reminded me a lot of the thoughts and feelings I had when I was Elio’s age.
Confessions: Robbie by Ella Frank
5.0
"Robbie” is the first M/M/M novel I’ve read, though I am well-versed in M/M romance and have read plenty of M/M/M fanfiction. I liked this book!
Robbie enters the marriage of Julien and Priest, it all flows quite well and I like how Ella Frank got Robbie and Priest on the same page despite the fact that Robbie was quite weary of Priest at the beginning. It’s also a very believable scenario for a love triad which is not always the case. Why Priest and Julien need Robbie in their relationship is well explained.
The Confessions series seems to tag onto another series by Ella Frank which I haven’t read (EDIT: I've read the other series now too (Temptation series) and it's GREAT!). Throughout the book I sometimes felt like I was missing information, I wish there would have been more explanation. Nevertheless it was still a fun read.
Towards the end the plot line for the next book in the series is set up. For a change it’s done in a great way - a new conflict is introduced, instead of the current problems not being resolved which is a problem with way too many books that are part of a series.
Robbie enters the marriage of Julien and Priest, it all flows quite well and I like how Ella Frank got Robbie and Priest on the same page despite the fact that Robbie was quite weary of Priest at the beginning. It’s also a very believable scenario for a love triad which is not always the case. Why Priest and Julien need Robbie in their relationship is well explained.
The Confessions series seems to tag onto another series by Ella Frank which I haven’t read (EDIT: I've read the other series now too (Temptation series) and it's GREAT!). Throughout the book I sometimes felt like I was missing information, I wish there would have been more explanation. Nevertheless it was still a fun read.
Towards the end the plot line for the next book in the series is set up. For a change it’s done in a great way - a new conflict is introduced, instead of the current problems not being resolved which is a problem with way too many books that are part of a series.
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
4.0
"Illuminae” is a novel like I’ve never seen one before. The book is basically a dossier, which consists of a series of interviews, video footage transcripts, chat protocols, etc. that all add up to a compelling story. It’s a very creative way to tell a story and I very much enjoyed reading this book.
Some parts in the middle would have benefited from tightening up and I didn’t like how Kady, the main character, reacts to Syra Bolls and AIDAN who are just trying to to their best given the circumstances. The characters, as a general observation, were okay, but I didn’t fall in love with them.
Minor spoiler regarding a twist and why I had issues with it:There is a plot twist in this story that I LOVED but then later in the book there is another reversal on that, which I found unnecessary and made me drop my rating from 5 to 4 stars. I wish the authors would have left things as they were, it would have made for a better, more compelling story.
If you want to read this book as an ebook: Note that I don’t think it’s really meant for that, I think this book is much better read as a hard copy because due to the special format certain parts can be hard to read due to the very small print. I read this book using the Kindle app on my phone - it was OK but far from ideal.
Some parts in the middle would have benefited from tightening up and I didn’t like how Kady, the main character, reacts to Syra Bolls and AIDAN who are just trying to to their best given the circumstances. The characters, as a general observation, were okay, but I didn’t fall in love with them.
Minor spoiler regarding a twist and why I had issues with it:
If you want to read this book as an ebook: Note that I don’t think it’s really meant for that, I think this book is much better read as a hard copy because due to the special format certain parts can be hard to read due to the very small print. I read this book using the Kindle app on my phone - it was OK but far from ideal.
The Power by Naomi Alderman
4.0
In “The Power” Noami Alderman explores the idea of what would happen if women were suddenly to be become more powerful than men - first physically and then in all other aspects of life. The story is narrated through a the point of view of a handful of characters that we follow over a 10 year period as they adjust to a changing world. I found the premise of the story intriguing. It’s well written and entertaining. However, I wish the author would have put a more positive spin on the story.
Under His Guard by Rie Warren
2.0
I really enjoyed reading “In His Command”, the first book in this series, one of the best m/m romances I’ve ever read. Therefore it was a hard decision to skip the second book, “On Her Watch”, but as I don’t like reading M/F romance it was the right decision for me to jump straight to “Under His Guard”, book three. It’s easy enough to follow the storyline even if you haven’t read the second book - but reading “In His Command”, book one, first is highly recommended, both because it sets does most of the world-building and it’s just a fantastic M/M romance.
Unfortunately the chemistry between Darke and Leon in “Under His Guard” is just nothing like what we had between Cannon and Nathaniel in the first book. I didn’t really get the attraction between Leon and Darke and I found their relationship at times unhealthy. Darke also just lost his long-term lovers to the revolution and was still dealing with his grief at the beginning of the book which resulted in me liking his personal arc even less. Why is Leon so special to him? I never really saw any chemistry between them.
The plot is also not very gripping despite high stakes and the book dragged and dragged. The last quarter is better but overall it is no match for “In His Command”. I’ll still read another Rie Warren book to see if I want to stick with this author long-term.
Unfortunately the chemistry between Darke and Leon in “Under His Guard” is just nothing like what we had between Cannon and Nathaniel in the first book. I didn’t really get the attraction between Leon and Darke and I found their relationship at times unhealthy. Darke also just lost his long-term lovers to the revolution and was still dealing with his grief at the beginning of the book which resulted in me liking his personal arc even less. Why is Leon so special to him? I never really saw any chemistry between them.
The plot is also not very gripping despite high stakes and the book dragged and dragged. The last quarter is better but overall it is no match for “In His Command”. I’ll still read another Rie Warren book to see if I want to stick with this author long-term.
In His Sights by Rie Warren
4.0
I really enjoyed reading Rie Warren’s “Don’t tell” series. I started with “In His Command”, skipped the straight romance “On Her Watch” and read the final instalment “Under His Guard” before finishing the series with this wonderful novella here.
“In His Sights” is much shorter than the other books of the series, it’s a novella rather than a full-length novel. It tells the emotional, intense story of Hawke and Mayce, two soldiers of different sides of the revolution, who, despite their different backgrounds, are drawn to each other like magnets. The story is gripping and well written.
“In His Sights” takes place around the same time as “In His Command” and I do recommend reading the latter first as it sets the tone and does most of the world-building. Reading “In His Sights” right after “In His Command” also has the advantage that you will already be familiar with some of the characters that have cameo appearances in the novella and it’s the only way to get some of the inside jokes (for example right at the beginning Mayce, a Corps soldier, is terrified of Commander Cannon, as he doesn’t know that Cannon is gay too).
“In His Sights” is much shorter than the other books of the series, it’s a novella rather than a full-length novel. It tells the emotional, intense story of Hawke and Mayce, two soldiers of different sides of the revolution, who, despite their different backgrounds, are drawn to each other like magnets. The story is gripping and well written.
“In His Sights” takes place around the same time as “In His Command” and I do recommend reading the latter first as it sets the tone and does most of the world-building. Reading “In His Sights” right after “In His Command” also has the advantage that you will already be familiar with some of the characters that have cameo appearances in the novella and it’s the only way to get some of the inside jokes (for example right at the beginning Mayce, a Corps soldier, is terrified of Commander Cannon, as he doesn’t know that Cannon is gay too).
Starship's Mage by Glynn Stewart
3.0
I quite like Glynn Stewart’s writing style/voice and he brings some fresh perspective into science fiction. For example, I appreciate that he introduces several interesting female characters (not just a token one) who all play a role in the plot and don’t just serve as love interests. That was refreshing.
On the other hand I noticed how much the author struggled with story structure and setting meaningful goals for the protagonists. On at least two occasions Damien, the protagonist and mage, had met his goal and the story trickled on until a new obstacle came along. It made the novel seem lengthy. The book lacks overarching tension. There are problems with the pacing of the story and the world building - there are certain things that don’t make sense within the rules of the world or that are at least not well explained.
The characters themselves are another problem. While they are likeable they are also flat and lack uniqueness. Especially Damien is very much a stereotype, I wish the author would have given him a more distinct personality.
One thing I found confusion was that the story is (mostly) told from the perspective of two characters named Damien and David. Those two names look quite similar on the page and if you’re not paying close attention you might miss whose section you are currently reading. There is also three different characters that are named Kelzin, Keller and Kelly. Talk about confusing!
Overall I do like the author and the ideas he promotes. I might give one of his later books from another series a shot to see if his writing has improved.
On the other hand I noticed how much the author struggled with story structure and setting meaningful goals for the protagonists. On at least two occasions Damien, the protagonist and mage, had met his goal and the story trickled on until a new obstacle came along. It made the novel seem lengthy. The book lacks overarching tension. There are problems with the pacing of the story and the world building - there are certain things that don’t make sense within the rules of the world or that are at least not well explained.
The characters themselves are another problem. While they are likeable they are also flat and lack uniqueness. Especially Damien is very much a stereotype, I wish the author would have given him a more distinct personality.
One thing I found confusion was that the story is (mostly) told from the perspective of two characters named Damien and David. Those two names look quite similar on the page and if you’re not paying close attention you might miss whose section you are currently reading. There is also three different characters that are named Kelzin, Keller and Kelly. Talk about confusing!
Overall I do like the author and the ideas he promotes. I might give one of his later books from another series a shot to see if his writing has improved.
Confessions: Julien by Ella Frank
4.0
I was completely in love with the first novel in the Confessions series and “Julien” is almost as good. I highly recommend reading the first novel “Robbie” before this one, as it introduces the three main characters and the nature of their relationship.
The story here dives deep into Julien’s past and provides a lot of backstory - almost too much. I would have also preferred it if the author had found another reason for Julien’s guilt in relation to his sister’s death - I was waiting for a shocker that never came.
“Robbie” ended on a cliffhanger and there were hints about Priest’s past but unfortunately this storyline is not really explored much in this book, things are just mentioned here and there and there is another cliffhanger leading up to the third book. I do expect the cliffhanger situation to be resolved and explored in depth in the third book as this one is all about Priest (EDIT: I have read book 3 now and it's all tied up very well there).
Other than that the book is really well written and the characters are well developed and flesh out. I like that! “Julien” is less heavy on the sex scenes that dominated the first book. If you enjoyed “Robbie”, then you will like “Julien” as well.
The story here dives deep into Julien’s past and provides a lot of backstory - almost too much. I would have also preferred it if the author had found another reason for Julien’s guilt in relation to his sister’s death - I was waiting for a shocker that never came.
“Robbie” ended on a cliffhanger and there were hints about Priest’s past but unfortunately this storyline is not really explored much in this book, things are just mentioned here and there and there is another cliffhanger leading up to the third book. I do expect the cliffhanger situation to be resolved and explored in depth in the third book as this one is all about Priest (EDIT: I have read book 3 now and it's all tied up very well there).
Other than that the book is really well written and the characters are well developed and flesh out. I like that! “Julien” is less heavy on the sex scenes that dominated the first book. If you enjoyed “Robbie”, then you will like “Julien” as well.
Confessions: Priest by Ella Frank
5.0
For me, “Priest” is the best book in the Confessions series. The plot resembles a thriller and there is exciting action! I found it so interesting to learn more about Priest and his past - he is the most intriguing character of the trio and I am fascinated by his backstory and development.
While the first book was full of sex scenes and the second book toned it down some, there is less again in “Priest”. The relationship between the three main characters deepens, even though there is a rift between two of them at the beginning of the book.
I highly recommend the first two books in the series before diving into this one as you will otherwise not get all the character development and backstory that makes this book so great.
While the first book was full of sex scenes and the second book toned it down some, there is less again in “Priest”. The relationship between the three main characters deepens, even though there is a rift between two of them at the beginning of the book.
I highly recommend the first two books in the series before diving into this one as you will otherwise not get all the character development and backstory that makes this book so great.
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor
3.0
In the 21st century, Bob dies in an accident. He wakes up over 100 years later - as a computer, his memories and personality having been transferred to a machine.
The first third or so of this novel is really intriguing, fast-paced and I found Bob to be an extremely likeable protagonist. I thought I was going to give this book a five-star review. But then unfortunately the story loses all it’s momentum when Bob is in space and starts replicating himself. The different “Bobs” split up and go to different parts of the universe and with that the story is torn apart into different plot lines that only loosely come together again much later in the book. This robs the story of its pace and makes it boring. I only skimmed through the last third of the book. It’s really a shame as the first act was so good. Won’t be reading the rest of the series.
The first third or so of this novel is really intriguing, fast-paced and I found Bob to be an extremely likeable protagonist. I thought I was going to give this book a five-star review. But then unfortunately the story loses all it’s momentum when Bob is in space and starts replicating himself. The different “Bobs” split up and go to different parts of the universe and with that the story is torn apart into different plot lines that only loosely come together again much later in the book. This robs the story of its pace and makes it boring. I only skimmed through the last third of the book. It’s really a shame as the first act was so good. Won’t be reading the rest of the series.