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hwesta's reviews
411 reviews
Ivy, Angelica, Bay by C.L. Polk
4.0
I liked the slow realization of what was going on, that it was a magical view of Black-hostile urban planning and fighting against that with magic and community.
One Man's Treasure by Sarah Pinsker
3.75
Fun setting (garbage collection with magical hazards) and a nice tale about helping people, finding out who was responsible and holding them accountable.
On The Fox Roads by Nghi Vo
3.75
Weird, floaty tale, about a Chinese American kid discovering himself. I think I started but didn't finish this previously; liked it better this time
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
I loved this book.
Amina al-Sirafi is a lot of fun as a character. She's a mother and a Muslim and a pirate and none of those feel papered on, since they all are tangled up in her backstory and motivations. She wants to protect her beloved daughter Marjana, but she also wants to live a life of adventure and piracy, and the tension between those drives a lot of her actions (also the fallout from bad decisions in her past). I liked how strong her narrative voice was.
The rest of her crew are similarly delightful. Prickly Dalila who won't admit she considers Amina a friend, and cares deeply about other Christians. Tinbu who cares for the Amina's boat as much as Amina does but isn't great with people. Fellow parent Majed who doesn't want to get involved but can't leave his friends to get lost. Each has an arc and gets a chance to save the day in their own way.
The book stands on its own, but I'm looking forward to the sequels!
Amina al-Sirafi is a lot of fun as a character. She's a mother and a Muslim and a pirate and none of those feel papered on, since they all are tangled up in her backstory and motivations. She wants to protect her beloved daughter Marjana, but she also wants to live a life of adventure and piracy, and the tension between those drives a lot of her actions (also the fallout from bad decisions in her past). I liked how strong her narrative voice was.
The rest of her crew are similarly delightful. Prickly Dalila who won't admit she considers Amina a friend, and cares deeply about other Christians. Tinbu who cares for the Amina's boat as much as Amina does but isn't great with people. Fellow parent Majed who doesn't want to get involved but can't leave his friends to get lost. Each has an arc and gets a chance to save the day in their own way.
The book stands on its own, but I'm looking forward to the sequels!
Life Does Not Allow Us to Meet by He Xi
3.5
Weird and interesting but not really my jam. Very focused on humans not getting destroyed by aliens, and included genetically modified humans as possible aliens. The strict rules to prevent interstellar settlers from ever challenging humans seemed likely to backfire and cause resentment and anger, especially with the two kids surviving the genocide at the end.
Thought provoking either way
Thought provoking either way
Seeds of Mercury by Wang Jinkang
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
That was a weird story. Interesting but definitely weird. I enjoyed the two timelines and the ideas they were exploring but found the ending unsatisfying
メタモルフォーゼの縁側 1 by 鶴谷香央理, Kaori Tsurutani
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Lighthearted, adorable, and surprisingly readable in Japanese.
Lake of Souls: The Collected Short Fiction by Ann Leckie
4.0
Always hard to review an anthology.
I somehow didn't expect Leckie's short fiction to be as profoundly weird as many of these stories were, and I'm not sure why.
I liked the titular Lake of Souls, even though it felt incomplete. Maybe it was saying something about telling a story from an inhuman pov, where the human is a side character and not needed for narrative resolution?
I was disappointed by the Radch stories; most of them felt like they could have been standalone. I think I like IR for the characters, and having no characters in common hurt my enjoyment.
All the Raven Tower stories were absolute bangers. I love that world and the stories were all lots of fun. Lots to clever tales of trickery and wordplay and tricksy ways to get what you want or hoist someone else on their petard.
I somehow didn't expect Leckie's short fiction to be as profoundly weird as many of these stories were, and I'm not sure why.
I liked the titular Lake of Souls, even though it felt incomplete. Maybe it was saying something about telling a story from an inhuman pov, where the human is a side character and not needed for narrative resolution?
I was disappointed by the Radch stories; most of them felt like they could have been standalone. I think I like IR for the characters, and having no characters in common hurt my enjoyment.
All the Raven Tower stories were absolute bangers. I love that world and the stories were all lots of fun. Lots to clever tales of trickery and wordplay and tricksy ways to get what you want or hoist someone else on their petard.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and War
Moderate: Infidelity, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder
Castration, misgendering